Eight of Sees’ Nine Sons Gone;
Last to Enter Navy
By Dorothy Diers
Courier Staff Writer
So modest are they about their seven sons in the army and navy and an eighth boosting the war effort by his work in the shipyards, that even the neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. Guy H. See, 927 West Sixth street, don’t know how many boys this Waterloo family has in service.
To the Sees, they contend, their seven “are no more than another family’s two.”
“They all wanted to go,” Mrs. See explained, “and even now the youngest boy is studying hard so that he may graduated from high school early and join the navy. Yes, and I promised I’d sign if he would,” she added smilingly.
Gerald D. See, 36, fireman first class, at present is on transport duty after entering the navy in March, 1944, and taking his boot training at Great Lakes, Ill. His wife and three children reside at 1014 Washington street. He was employed by the Hub Electric Co. as an electrician after graduation at Mt. Auburn, Ia., in 1926.
One in New Guinea.
A pre-Pearl Harbor enlistee is Marvin D. See, 32, serving as a private first class in the headquarters company of an infantry unit in New Guinea. Entering the Iowa national guard in 1940, he trained at Camp Claiborne, la., was released from active duty in November, 1941, but was recalled to service in January, 1942. In the army “for life,” he has served more than a year overseas.
Now stationed at Camp Bradford, Norfolk, Va., Russell V. See, 28 seaman second class, received his boot training at Camp Ward, Farragut, Idaho. Before entering service in April, 1944, he was employed by an oil company at Weleetka, Okla. His wife and two children are residing at Weleetka.
An enlistee, Pvt. Paul R. See, 25, served with an ordnance battalion at camp Shelby, Miss., from April 1942 until March 1943, when he was discharged from active service. He is now stationed in Montana in a government hospital. At the time of his enlistment, he was employed by the Black Hawk hotel in Cedar Falls.
La Verne Was Singer.
La Verne R. See, 23, pharmacist’s mate third class, is serving with the navy somewhere in the Solomons. He enlisted in August, 1942, and received his boot training at Philadelphia, Pa., before leaving for overseas duty in November, 1943. Before entering service, he was employed by the Altstadt and Langlas Baking Co., and also sang on the “Open Bible Program.”
Another navy man, Blake M. See, 20, electrician’s mate second class, took his boot training at Great Lakes, Ill., and is now based at New York while on sea duty. When he enlisted in September, 1942, he was employed by the Hub Electric Co.
Last of the sons to join was Morris C. See, 17, who has been an apprentice seaman at Great Lakes since Nov. 8. Before enlisting he was employed by the Kaiser shipyards in Vancouver, Wash.
Richard Goes Next.
The oldest member of the family to join in the war effort, Kenneth W. See, 28, spent the fall and winter of 1943 in Alaska and on Kodiak island in the Aleutians as a government electrician and is now employed as an electrician in Kaiser shipyards.
Richard, 15, their youngest son, is now living with an aunt on her farm near Neponset, Ill., and as a sophomore student at Neponset high school, plans to join his brothers as soon as he is graduated.
His sister, Mrs. Nelson Gury, the only daughter of the Sees, is residing with her parents here.
In the absence of their sons, Mr. See keeps buys with his radio repair service while Mrs. See keeps busy writing a letter at least every other day to each of her boys, hoping they’re “safe and well.”
What a homecoming the end of the war will bring to them!
Source: Waterloo Daily Courier, Waterloo, Iowa, Sunday, November 26, 1944, Section 2, Page 13 (photo included)
