Four Seaman of Sioux City Area Are Reported Missing in Action by Navy
Sidney Blackford, right, and Jonas Lindstrom, left, became buddies when they met at a naval training station and found that each was from Sioux City. They finished training together and were assigned to the same ship. Both have been reported missing in action.
Two Sioux Cityans and two brothers of Cherokee, sailors in the navy, have been reported missing in action by the navy department.
Sidney Blackford, son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy L. Blackford, 2210 W. Lunah Avenue and Jonas Lindstrom, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lindstrom, 4101 Madison Street, are the Sioux Cityans. The Cherokee brothers are O.C. and Harold McManus, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.M. McManus.
The Sioux Cityans both were 20 years old. Jonas was graduated from Central High School and Sidney attended Salix High School. Parents of the men received telegrams from the navy department with the news that the seaman were missing.
O.C. McManus, 27, was a painter second class. He joined the navy August 16, 1936. He was transferred to the Houston in 1940.
Harold McManus, 22, graduated from Wilson High School at Cherokee in 1938, when he won the state high school wrestling title at 155 pounds. He joined the navy March 12, 1940.
Among members of the McManus family are one other son, Roy of Cherokee and five daughters, Ethel Hazelene, Doradean and Gladys Witte, all of Cherokee and Mrs. Gertrude Howard of Tekamah, Nebraska.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, March 16, 1942 (photo included)
Missing Youth Declared Dead
Central High Graduate Lost in Sinking of Houston
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lindstrom, former Sioux Cityans, now living in San Francisco, have been notified by the secretary of the navy that their son, Jonas A. Lindstrom, seaman first class, has been declared dead.
Lindstrom was a crew member of the U.S.S. Houston which was sunk in an engagement with enemy ships in the Soenda straits off the coast of Java and had been listed as missing in action since March 1, 1942.
He was graduated from Central High School in 1940 and enlisted in the navy the same year. He was ordered to the Houston on completion of his recruit training.
The letter from the navy department stated that the Houston was afloat for about 30 minutes after having been hit and the chance of abandoning ship was good. However, some of the crew members who were seen swimming toward shore or were in life rafts have not been seen since. Because no official or unconfirmed reports have been received about Lindstrom since that time, he now has been listed as dead as of December 15, 1945.
Survivors besides the parents are five sisters, Mrs. Alf Flaa and Mrs. Peter Hedemark, both of Sioux City; Mrs. M. J. Cummings of Los Angeles, Mrs. Merrill James of Huron and Mrs. James Falk Jr. of San Francisco.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, February 12, 1946
