FINGER, George 1918-1942

FINGER

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 5/10/2016 at 08:18:12

Pvt. George Finger Killed In New Guinea

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Finger, living 4 miles south of Aplington in Grundy County, received word Saturday from the war department of the death of their son, Pvt. George Finger, 24. He was killed in action December 15, 1942, in New Guinea. Pvt. Finger left with a Grundy county draft contingent January 4, 1942, and was first stationed at Camp Roberts, California. He was sent to Australia last April and had been in New Guinea since October.

He was born March 20, 1918, and besides his parents is survived by three sisters, Mrs. Jake Krueger, Parkersburg, Gladys and Mathilda and one brother, Alvin, at home.

--The Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 13 January 1943, pg 1

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Killed In Action In New Guinea

Second Grundy County Soldier Reported Killed Overseas Since We Entered The War

George Finger, a private in the American Army in the Southwest Pacific and a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Finger of Pleasant Valley township, was killed in action against the Japs in New Guinea on December 15th.

The family of the young soldier received a message on Saturday from the war department at Washington announcing his death and expressing regret for the bad news which the message contained.

Private George Finger was inducted into the army through the selective draft on the 4th of January of last year. He was supposed to have left January 1, but due to the blizzard we had that day, he was notified that he was not to leave. The rest of the group he was to have left with went to Fort Des Moines January 3. George went the following day. He left alone. That was just the beginning of his bad luck. He received his basic thirteen weeks' training at Camp Roberts, Calif., where he was quarantined nearly all that time. Because of the quarantine, George had but one pass as long as he was in the army in the U.S. As soon as their training there was over, his division was sent to Australia. From there they went to New Guinea--into the battlefield. George was a crack rifleman, as his friends with whom he went hunting quite often before the war will remember.

George Finger was born on a Pleasant Valley township farm and spent all of his life there until he was called into the army. He was born during the First World War on March 20, 1918.

Surviving are his parents, three sisters and one brother The sisters are Gladys and Mathilda, who are at home, and Mrs. Jake Kurger, Parkersburg. The only brother, Alvin, is at home.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 14 January 1943, pg 1

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Memorial Services
for
PRIVATE GEORGE FINGER
Killed in Action
December 15, 1942
Will Be Held
Sunday, March 7, 1943
At
St. Peters Evangelical and
Reformed Church,
(German Township)
at 2 o'clock P.M.
Gerhard E. Hesse, Pastor.

--The Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 4 March 1943, pg 1

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Body of Overseas Vets On Way Home

The bodies of two more veterans of the late war who served in the Pacific are on their way home for burial. Both are being brought back from New Guinea on a U.S. army transport that will soon reach San Francisco. Bodies of 4,459 U.S. servicemen who lost their lives in the service of their country against the Japs are on this ship. 110 of the number are from Iowa.

Among First of Grundy Casualties
Pvt. George Finger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Finger of Pleasant Valley township, who was killed in action in New Guinea on Dec. 15th, 1942, is being brought back to his home for reburial. He was one of the first of Grundy county's World War II casualties.

Brought home for reburial on the same ship is the body of Tech. Sgt. Donald Hughes, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Hughes, who was killed in action in New Guinea on December 15, 1944.

Bodies of the Iowa men will be sent to the distribution center at Kansas City and from there they will go out singly in charge of an army officer to the home where reburial is to take place. It will be several weeks before the bodies of these veterans will reach their former home.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 1 July 1948, pg 15

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Body Of George Finger Home For Burial

The body of George Finger, who was killed in New Guinea Dec. 15th, 1942, was brought home for burial and it arrived in Aplington Sunday night. Burial services were held Monday afternoon at the cemetery adjoining the Evangelical Reformed church in German township with Rev. Craig Reed, local pastor, officiating. Members of the American Legion Post form Aplington assisted at the service. Legion Post members from Wellsburg were also present at the funeral rites.

Second Grundy Overseas Casualty
George Finger was the second World War II overseas casualty from Grundy county.

He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Finger of Pleasant Valley township. He was born on a farm in that township March 20, 1918, and grew up there. He was inducted into the armed service January 4, 1942. He was sent direct to the training camp at Camp Roberts, California, and was unable to return home on furlough before he was sent overseas to Australia and later to New Guinea.

Surviving are his parents; three sisters, Gladys, Mathilda and Mrs. Jake Kruger; one brother, Alvin.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 1 July 1948, pg 15