Our Neighbors in the Service
Estherville, Iowa—
Chief Warrant Officer Elmer Olson, son of Henry Olson, northwest of Estherville, was killed in action somewhere on the north African-Sicily front July 10, according to a telegram from the government received by his wife, who lives in Oswego, N.Y. Olson previously had been reported missing in action in Sicily. Olson was born in Estherville February 3, 1902. He enlisted in the army in the fall of 1921 and was commissioned chief warrant officer shortly after arriving in the north African area.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, September 17, 1943
Iowa’s World War II Honor Roll
These Iowans, like the ones pictured in this section last Sunday, have given their lives for their country. They came from all sections of the state, from all walks of life, and they rest today in strange and far away but never-to-be forgotten places. The final line beneath each photograph tells the geographical area in which the man was serving. Additional pictures of Iowans who have been killed in combat will be carried on future Sundays.
Source: The Des Moines Register, Sunday, December 12, 1943 (photo included)
Elmer Theodore Olson was born Feb. 3, 1903 to Henry and Mary Stueland Olson. He died July 10, 1943 and is buried in Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Nettuno, Italy.
2nd Lt. Olson served in World War II with the U.S. Army 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division and was MIA/KIA in Sicily. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Soldier’s Medal.
Sources: ancestry.com/abmc.gov
