Military News, Globe-Gazette, August 02, 1944
ANDERSON, ANGELL, ARNOLD, BENTS, BLANCHETT, CHRISTENSEN, COLER, CRANE, DAHLSTROM, ELMAN, ENEBNET, FLICKENSTEIN, FLUGUM, FOSNESS, GALLUP, GIBBONS, GOWDY, GRUIS, FUERTIN, HAGEN, HALLDORF, HELGESON, HENRICKSON, HILLILAND, HUSETH
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/26/2012 at 21:36:12
Globe Gazette
Mason City, Iowa
Wednesday, August 02, 1944, Page 3SOLDIER LOSES LIFE IN ACTION
Lt. John Myre Killed in Italy - No DetailsFOREST CITY - Lt. John Chester MYRE, 26, son of John MYRE of Forest City, was killed in Italy July 2, according to a telegram received by his father. No details were given.
Lt. MYRE attended Camp Ripley, Minn., in August 1940, and left with the National Guard for Camp Claibourne, La., from Mason City. He left for overseas duty in February, 1942, and returned in October of the same year for officer's training. He took most of this training in Georgia, finishing in Texas.
He then spent a year at Camps White and Adair in Oregon. He was sent to Italy in April, 1944, where he was with the Pine Tree division. The last letter received by his father was dated June 21.
Chester, as he was known by Forest City folks, was born in Mason City. He was a graduate of the Thompson high school and attended Waldorf for one year. He is survived by his father, John MYRE.
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SOLDIER GIVES ALL
Memorial services were held at the Liberty Lutheran church Sunday for S.Sgt. Oscar VAAGEN, who was killed in action in Italy July 1. The Rev. N. OKERLUND conducted the services. The military funeral was in charge of the Rake American Legion post.
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SERVES AS WELDER
Cpl. Armor MULLEN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben MULLEN of Klemme, is stationed at Geiger Field, Wash., as a welder. His wife and 3-year-old daughter live in Klemme. He entered the service Oct. 9, 1943.
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Pilot Listed Missing Is Prisoner of Nazis
CRESCO - Mrs. T. J. GIBBONS of Cresco reported some time ago that her grandson, Don GIBBONS of Reedsport, Ore., had been missing in action, and now her daughter, Mrs. Ray WEBBER of near Cresco, has received word that Don is a prisoner of the German government.
Don was reported missing from May 19, 1944, in a raid over Berlin while [a] pilot on a bomber, and nothing had been heard from him since until this message concerning his imprisonment.
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GRANDSON WOUNDED
HANLONTOWN - Word has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Christ SCHOTT that their grandson, Duane ANDERSON, has been wounded in action. Duane ANDERSON, who is a gunner in the army air corps, is now at a hospital in England. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Howard ANDERSON, live at Marathon, Iowa.
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7 Men From Winnebago County Leave for War
FOREST CITY - Seven men were sent to Fort Snelling, Minn., from Winnebago county to take their pre-induction physical examinations. They are Melvin FLUGUM and John STANLEY of Leland; Marvin ELMAN and Herman Jr. GRUIS of Buffalo Center; Joseph HUSETH and Richard HELGESON of Lake Mills; and Jerome FOSNESS of Keister.
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Page 8
Second Lt. Tony MAGNANI, commissioned July 29 on the battlefield of Italy, and his brother, Maj. Jacob MAGNAI, recently visited their grandparents in Bari, Italy, during a short rest leave. Major MAGNANI writes to his wife, Mrs. Jacob MAGNANI, 115 14th N.W., of the warm welcome they received but also mentioned the poor conditions which exist in Italy.
Major MAGNANI gave the following example:
"The people receive about 75 lire for a day's work in the fields. One loaf of dark brown bread costs 95 lire. One kilo (2 1/2 lbs.) of macaroni costs 150 lire. Therefore the peasants have to work 2 days for a loaf of bread or some macaroni. However they are able to get fish and fresh fruit."
The 2 men visited many cousins and aunts whom they had never seen. They presented Major MAGNANI with a few of the fine pieces of linens and a beautiful necklace for his wife.
Major MAGNANI tells of an amazing coincidence which happened in a certain town in Italy. On 2 large villas in the same block appeared the name plates "A. MAGNANI" and "MARCHI." It so happens that Lt. Col. MARCHI of Fort Dodge is Major MAGNANI'S commanding officer and they 2 men have been together and good friends since they left the United States 28 months ago. The MAGNANIS plan to use the name plate on their own house after the war.
The MAGNANI brothers have 2 step-borthers in the service. Pvt. Michael TATONE, studying aviation mechanics at Ypsilanti, Mich., and Marine Pvt. Carl TATONE, at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Cal, in the infantry.
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WHEREABOUTS
* Sgt. John L. SZYMECZKE, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. SZYMECZEK, 940 Tyler N.W., has returned with his wife to Camp Campbell, Ky., after a 15-day furlough. Mrs. SZYMECZEK will live at Hopkinsville, Ky.* Eugene T. OLSON, husband of Mrs. Bernice J. OLSON, 1208 4th S.W., was among those graduating from an intensive course of basic engineering training at recent service school exercises at Great Lakes Naval Training station.
* Cpl. Roy W. MYERS, husbnd of Mrs. Dorothy MYERS, route 1, is with the tank destroyer forces in France according to a letter dated July 23. Cpl. MYERS said that she shouldn't worry about him as the allies have the situation well in hand and that he's as safe as can be.
* Pfc. Jesse R. ANGELL, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe ANGELL, writes that he is now in France with the combat engineers and was among the first to participate in the invastion.
* Seaman 2/c Howard R. CRANE, Jr., spent a 3-day leave last week at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. R. CRANE, Sr., 940 Pennysylvania N.E. He had completed his basic training as a baker and was awaiting his assignment at Bremerton, Wash. Seaman CRANE was a senior in the Mason City high school at the time he was inducted into the navy in February, 1944.
* Paul E. FLICKENSTEIN, whose family resides at 17 S. Conn., is preparing for duty with the amphibious forces aboard an LST - Landing Ship, Tank - one of the biggest ships in the navy's invasion fleet. FLICKENSTEIN has been assigned to the crew of an LST at the Amphibious Training Base, Camp Bradford, Va., where he is going through the strenuous training required of bluejackets who man the beach-hitting tank carriers.
* Two naval aviation cadets from Mason City have reported to the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School at Athens, Ga., for intensive physical training and ground school study. The course, of at least 3 months' duration, is a preliminary step in the progressive stages of flight training for future navy, coast guard and marine combat pilots.
They are: LaVernen N. JOHNSON, Yeoman 2nd class, USNR, 211 14th street S.E.; Corporal Orie E. CORY, USMC, 530 21st S.E.
* 1/c Boatswain's Mate and Mrs. Donald GUERTIN returned to Los Angeles after spending a 14-day leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George GUERTIN, 701 North Federal.
* Bernhardt HENRICKSON arrived home from the naval training station at Farragut, Idahoe, on a week's leave which he is spending with hiw wife and son [residents of Thornton].
* Mr. and Mrs. Floyd POTTER have word that their son, Newton I. POTTER, of the Seabees, sailed July 13 from Seattle, Was. He is the captian of the turret gun crew on his ship. His wife lives in Charles City.
* Petty Officer 1/c Rollin McGIRR and his wife of Chicago visited in the parental Henry KITTLESON home at Joice.
* Donald MOLANDER, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred MOLANDER of Garner, is enjoying a leave from his duties in the navy and is visiting with relatives and friends at Garner and at Cedar Rapids.
* Wally CHRISTENSEN, seaman 1/c, who just completed his boot training at Farragut, Idaho, left Sunday evening for his bas following a 10-day furlough with his parents, the Forest M. CHRISTENSENS of Wesley.
* Seaman Norman LOCKRUM and his wife and daughter, of San Diego Cal, visited with friends in Carpenter. LOCKRUM was formerly employed in the Carpenter bank before enlisting in the navy.
* Harlan HALLDORF, radioman 2/c, arrived in Fenton for a 30-day leave at the parental Wilbur HALLDORF home.
* William WHITLOW, after 20 months of service in the Solomons, is at home on leave visiting at the parental A. WHITLOW home in Armstrong.
* Lorena BENTS, stationed at the naval hospital at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Cal, with the WAVES, spent her leave at the parental W. A. BENTS home in Cresco.
* Pfc. Martin RUTH and wife came Sunday to Clarksville from Camp Hond, Tex., on a 12-day furlough.
* Reginald PLATH of Armstrong was inducted into the marines at Minneapolis [MN] July 24.
* Mr. and Mrs. Fred LEFFLER are enjoying a 20-day furlough from their son, Cpl. George LEFFLER and wife from Spokane, Wash., where he is stationed with the army air corps at Geiger field.
* Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth RODGERS of Bradford have received word that their son, Kenneth Dean RODGERS, has been promoted to seaman 1/c. He is stationed at Hawthorne, Nev.
* Pvt Gale RYE left Tuesday after a 10-day furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. S. RYE. He returned to Camp Polk, La.
* Richard GOWDY is home at Belmond on leave. He just completed boot training at Farragut, Idaho.
* Pvt Bob STRAND and his wife announce the arrival of a daughter, Cynthia Anne, born July 26, at a hospital in Mason City.
* Pvt. Lee COLER of Swaledale, who was stationed at Sheppard Field, Tex., and who has left for Lemoore, Cal., after a furlogh here.
* Dorothy MARZEN, a member of the army air force, at Nashville, Tenn., is visiting in the Louis MARZEN home, Dougherty.
* Seaman Orlyn ENABNET, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl ENABNET of Swaledale and who spent a 10-day leave, had returned to Farragut, Idaho.
* Sgt. Asa ARNOLD, who is in England, wrote to his relatives in Kelmme that he was wounded and in a hospital.
* Yoeman Dorothy RIEHLE of the WAVES spent a few days' leave at the Cresco parental Fred H. RIEHLE home and returned to Washington, D.C.
* Merle VOLDING, who is in the army stationed on an island in the South Pacific, wrote home to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald VOLDING of Crystal Lake, that he has been promoted to corporal.
* Sgt. Ed BLANCHETT of Camp Huelen, Texas, is spending a furlough with his parents of Ventura.
* Pvt. Vernon HAGEN of Joice and his friend, Pvt LaVerle HILLILAND of Clear Lake, both army students at the military college at Brookings, S. Dak., visited at their respective homes.
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RUSSELL SASSE GRADUATES
Russell C. SASSE, Mason City, was graduated with honors with Company 3B (diesel) from the Iowa State college naval training school Saturday.
Speakers for the occasion were M. D. HOLSER, dean of the junior college, and Lt. L. R. MILLER, officer in charge of navy electrical and diesel schools.
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Mason City Corporal Visits Vatican City
Cpl. Francis L. McNAMARA, son of Mrs. Loretta McNAMARA, 527 12th S.E., a military police with the army intelligence division, recently wrote of his visit to the Vatican city and of seeing Pope Pius XII. Cpl. McNAMARA received a picture of the Poe and a medal. The Pope gave all the visitors his personal blessings. Cpl. McNAMARA also saw Mt. Vesuvius erupt in April. He is a vetern of the African Sicilian and Italian campaigns.
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1st Iowan Is Eligible to College Aid
DES MOINES, (AP) - The first Iowa veteran declared eligible for a college education under the G.I. bill of rights was Second Lt. Jack LeRoy KELSO, 22, Atlantic.
Discharged last Feb. 29, because of a perforated ear drum, Lt. KELSO will go to Iowa university [Iowa City] at government expense for 4 years.
J. C. JOHNSON, federal rehabilitaion and education officer for Iowa, announded approval of Lt. KELSO'S application Tuesday. He said 8 others had been approved and 3 denied. The rejections were based on the fact that the applicants were past 25 years of age when they went into the armed services and had offered no proof that the military services had interfered with their education he added.
Under the G.I. bill, approved veterans will receive payment of tuition up to $500 a years plus the costs of books, supplies and equipment and $50 a month subsistence.
"This is a wonderful thing for me," KELSO said, when informed of the approval. "I would have gone to Iowa anyway but I am going to go a lot more comfortably now with Uncle Sam's help."
KELSO finished high school in the spring of 1940 and went into the army Feb. 10, 1941, the day he was 19. He served in North Ireland with the 34th division and returned to the United States for officer training. After being commissioned, he served at Camp Roberts, Cal, as an infantry instructor until his discharge.
He said he planned to enroll in liberal arts at the university and go into physical education later with the idea of becoming an athletic coach.
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Mason City Man Is Chosen for LSM
Boatswain's Mate 1/c Joseph A. ORMSBY, whose parents reside at 240 1/2 6th street S.E., has been selected by the navy for duty aboard an (sic) LSM (Landing Ship, Medium), latest and most advanced design in the nation's growing fleet of amphibious ships.
ORMSBY is assigned to an (sic) LSM crew at the amphibious training base in Little Creek, Va., where he is training for service with the amphibious forces. He is now rated as boatswain's mate 1/c.
Newest of 15 types of invasion vessels designed for the navy's offensive operations, the LSM combines features of the 328-food LST (Landy Ship, Tank) and the smaller LCT (landing Craft, Tank). Its shallow draft, powerful engines and landing ramp bow enable the LSM to unload assault troops and equipment directly on to enemy beaches, under the protective cover of heavy warships and attack planes.
OBMSBY joined the navy in August, 1941, and went through recruit training at Great Lakes, Ill. His brother, a corporal in the army, is stationed in Texas.
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RETURNS AFTER LEAVE
Capt. Leroy R. ANDERSON, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. M. ANDERSON, 706 Polk S.W., has returned to the west coast after spending a 9-day leave here with his wife and baby daughter, who had celebrated her first birthday July 4. Mrs. Leroy ANDERSON and daughter, Sharon, are visiting at the ANDERSON home.
Capt. ANDERSON enlisted 4 years ago and is with the field artillery. He is the brother of Seaman 1/c Annette P. ANDERSON of WAVES.
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SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN FRANCE
Pvt. Herbert W. WAGNER, son of Mr. and Mrs. John WAGNER, 509 Delaware N.E., was seriously wounded in action in France on July 7, according to a letter received from the war department by the WAGNERS. Pvt. WAGNER had been overseas since December and is with an anti-aircraft unit. He has a brother Arthur, in the navy at Great Lakes.
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Meservey Lieutenant Given Air Medal at Bomber Base
An 8th AAF Bomber Station, England - Second Lt. Leland L. ZIMMERMAN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Victor ZIMMERMAN, Merservey, has been awarded the Air Medal for "Meritorious Achievement" while participating in sustained combat operations over enemy occupied continental Europe, it recently was announced by the commanding general of the 8th air force.
The citiation accompanying the award read in part: "The courage, coolness and skill displayed by this officer upon these occasions reflect the great credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States."
Lt. ZIMMERMAN, pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortess, received his training at Santa Ana, Cal.; Hobbs, N. Mex.; Taft, Cal.; Dalhart, Tex. and Marfa, Tex.
He was graduated from Meservey high school in 1937 and in 1941 he received a B.A. degree from Iowa State Teachers college, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Before entering the army May 27, 1942, he was an English instructor at Appleton, Iowa, high school. His wife, Mrs. Darleen N. ZIMMERMAN, is from Mason City.
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GETS PROMOTED
Charles N. TERRY, whose wife resides at 503 Van Buren S.W., has been promoted to a corporal at Fort George Meade, Md. Cpl. TERRY, who is in the heavy artillery, was recently home on furlough.
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Corporal Is One of B-26 Marauder Group in Italy
At a 12th AAF B-26 Marauder Bomber Base - Corporal Harold DAHLSTROM, son of Mr. and Mrs. John DAHLSTROM, of 1208 South Washington street, has been a member of his B-26 Marauder squadron for 9 months since coming overseas in August of 1943.
Corporal DAHLSTROM is a turret specialist and armorer on a B-26 Marauder based in the mediterranean theater of operations. He attended 2 government schools prior to his assignment to this group, at Lowry Field, Denver, Colo., and at the Bendix factory in South Bend, Ind.
Before entering the service, Corporal DAHLSTROM worked with his father as a painter and interior decorator.
In his capacity as armorer he is responsible for seeing that his assigned ship is properly loaded and thoroughly inspected before the take off. Since his group has been oversears, Corporal DAHLSTROM estimated that the armorers have averaged loading over 80,000 tons of bombs per man.
He has been awarded the European campaign ribbon with 1 star and the good conduct medal.
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Pfc. D. M. Jacobsen Sends Jap Souvenirs
CLEAR LAKE - Mr. and Mrs. Chris F. JACOBSEN have received word from their son, Delmer JACOBSEN, stating that he was advanced to the rank of private first class on his birthday, July 14. Pfc. JACOBSEN is now in New Guinea and receives his pay in Dutch money. In the southern part of the same island, the soldiers were paid with English money, the same as used in Australia.
Pfc. JACOBSEN also sent a sample of Jap money and a Japanese good luck piece, for which he had obtained special permission from his commanding officer. He said the piece was not good luck for one particular Jap. IT is a small piece of wood, about 1 1/12 by 2 1/2 inches and has Japanese characters written upon it. A string through a small hole in the wood was used to attach it to the person. Some Japanese postcards with printing on which were also sent and some Kodak pictures taken of natives in New Guinea.
Pfc. JACOBSEN'S brother, Sgt. Byrnum JACOBSEN, is still at Camp Pendleton, Cal.
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Page 11
HURRY JOB FOR SAILOR'S LEAVE
I.O.O.F. Gives Angell 3 Degrees at One Time
In an unusual procedure designed to accommodate a sailor home on leave who wished to become a full-fledged Odd Fellow in a hurry, I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 224 conferred only only the initiatory, but also the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees Tuesday night on Gerald ANGELL. Gerald completed his boot training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station a few days ago. He is the son of Guy H. ANGELL, junior past grand of the lodge.* * * * *
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HE REMEMBERS - D DAY, NOW DADDY, DECORATED
Pvt. Robert GALLUP, wounded in France on July 10, is now in a hospital in England and has been awarded the Purple Heart, according to word received by his wife in Mason City. His unseen baby was born on June 6, the day he invaded France.
Pvt. GALLUP has been overseas since March. Before his enlistment last October in the infantry, he had farmed near Nora Springs. he received his training at Camp Roberts, Cal.
Mrs. GALLUP and baby, Rosella Ann, are making their home with Mrs. Rose WATTS, 115 4th S.W. Pvt. GALLUP'S parents are Mr. and Mrs. Charles GALLUP, Nora Springs.
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2012
Military News, Globe-Gazette, August 02, 1944
Cerro Gordo Documents maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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