Pfc. Ivan A. Enderes, son of Mrs. Louise W. Enderes, 1506 Eighth Avenue SE, and serving with the occupying 36th Infantry division of the Seventh army in Germany, is beginning to believe that the shooting isn't all over, at least for him.
Recently Enderes and a buddy were trying to make time in a jeep going back to their post. They decided to take a short cut down a side road leading through the small town of Guorne (transcriber's note: believe this may be Gnoien). As they approached Guorne, it appeared to be deserted and cloaked in silence.
The lack of activity, either human or animal, seemed peculiar to the G.I.s but they drove on into the town and stopped. At this moment the heavy silence was broken by a familiar screaming sound and less than a 100 yards away a shell crashed. More shells began to come in and the buildings began to fall. Enderes scored a near record in the speed of starting a jeep and putting it into reverse as the G.I.s left town.
Pfc. Enderes and his companion later found out that Guorne had been designated as a ghost town and was being used as an artillery target to keep the 36th division artillerymen in shape.
Enderes wears the Combat Infantryman's badge and the ETO ribbon with two battle stars.
Source: The Cedar Rapids Tribune, Thur., 9/27/1945 page 3
BIO
Ivan August Enderes (nickname “Dutch”) was born in Littleport, IA, on Nov. 14, 1913 to John and Louisa (Benschneider) Enderes. He married Genevieve Rowell, of Edgewood, IA, on Dec. 23, 1939.
He enlisted at Camp Dodge on March 27, 1944 and was assigned to Alpha Company, 255th Infantry, 63rd Division. He was transferred to A Company, 253rd Infantry, 63rd Division, on May 12, 1944 and entered HQ Company of the 253rd Infantry on June 24th. He served there until the end of the war, 119 days of combat, surviving the “Battle of the Bulge”.
Dutch was near the Elsenborn Ridge starting the last week in December 1944. Among his duties was driving a truck from HQ behind the lines up to the front with orders and equipment and then hauling back bodies.
At the end of March, the 253rd Infantry took the town of Heidelberg. At the end of April, the 253rd Infantry liberated seven of the Landsberg concentration camps.
Dutch came back to the United States on Jan. 29, 1946 and six days later he was separated from the Army. He brought back a brand new smile to his wife and two kids, and four more to go. All of his teeth were extracted before being sent overseas. Then he deployed before the dentures were made. Somewhere in Germany he met a dentist who was willing to make him a set of teeth in trade for cigarettes. He wore them his entire life and considered them the best teeth ever. Dutch died July 19, 1975.
Source: Info provided by niece, Deborah Rowell Gleason
