Keizer, Lieut. LeRoy W. 1920-1944

KEIZER, DARVILLE

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/1/2010 at 21:57:25

LeMars Globe-Post
January 25, 1945

FIANCE BLANCHE HAWKINS, KILLED
Lieut. LeRoy W. Keizer Died in Action Against Jap on Leyte

Lieut. LeRoy W. Keizer, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerben Keizer of Hawarden, a former LeMars boy, grandson of Mrs. Edith Darville of LeMars; nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Darville, and of Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Weber, and fiancé of Miss Blanche Hawkins of LeMars, was killed in action December 6 on the island of Leyte, one of the Philippines.

The news came in a message from the War Department received by the parents Sunday night.

In addition to the survivors named above, there are two brothers and a sister, Eugene Keizer of Princeton, N.J., Doris and Milton Keizer, at home.

Lieut. Keizer was a member of the Methodist church at Hawarden, joining the church in 1937. He served for two years as teacher of a Sunday school class for teenage boys.

His marriage to Miss Hawkins was to have taken place after the war.

In a letter dated December 1, 1944, a few days before his death, Lieut. Keizer wrote his parents as follows:

“We are on the Philippines now. So far, all we have had is mud and rain, and it really makes it tough to live in pup tents, as we are doing.

Speaking of mud, you have never and probably never will, see anything like this. It’s unbelievable. We are getting a birdseye view of some action and yesterday our fighter planes shot down an enemy bomber right over our area. Enemy planes are over three or four times daily, but they don’t bother our area.”

LeRoy Warren Keizer was born on August 18, 1920, on a farm in Plymouth County. He attended rural schools in Plymouth and Sioux counties until ready for high school. He took his freshman and sophomore years in the Fairview, S.D. high school. When his parents went to Hawarden in December 1935, he entered Hawarden high school and was graduated with the Class of 1937. Then, for two years, he worked in his father’s seed store.

In September, 1939, he took up the electrical engineering course at Iowa State College at Ames. In March, 1943, he graduated in the upper fourth of his class with a bachelor of science degree. While at Iowa State, he took an active part in college activities. For two years, his Iota Ward softball team won the all college intramural championship. During the year 1941-42, he served as pre4sident of the Ward Intramural council.

While still a student at Iowa State, he went to Omaha, Neb., and enlisted as an officer in the signal corps, starting his training on April 16, 1943, t Fort Monmouth, N. J. Later he went to Ashbury Park, N.J. He then took four months of intensive training at the General Electric Corporation’s radio and electronics school for signal corps officers at Schenectady, N.Y.

After a few months of training in the field at Camp Murphy in Florida, Robins Field in Georgia, and Camp Kerns in Utah, he shipped overseas to New Guinea, where he was stationed for a short while in different locations. He was finally placed in charge of a group of men on a small Netherlands East Indies island, attached to the air force. In the latter part of November, he was transferred to Leyte island in the Philippines.
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LeMars Globe-Post
Monday, January 29, 1945

DATE FOR MEMORIAL SERVICE TO BE SET

Memorial services will be held for the late Lieut. LeRoy W. Keizer, former LeMars boy, who was reported last week as killed in action Dec. 6, 1944, on the island of Leyte.

Memorial services have not immediately been arranged because of the possibility that the initial report might be modified later. A number of errors in transmission have made it seem advisable to withhold action on preliminary reports which are sometimes subject to correction.
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LeMars Globe-Post, April 9, 1945

KEIZER WAS KILLED FIGHTING FANATICAL JAP PARATROOPERS
Former Seney Boy Organized Non-Combat Troops and Wiped Out Japs

Lieut. LeRoy W. Keizer of Hawarden, who was reported killed on Leyte Island on December 6, 1944, met his death in action, fighting fanatical Jap paratroopers, it was learned last Friday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gerben Keizer, the Hawarden Independent reports.

A letter from Lieut. Keizer’s commanding officer provided the first definite information of the manner of the Hawarden youth’s death since the parents received the first brief message from the War Department on January 21, in which they were advised that a confirming letter would follow.

The letter, written by Lieut. William Holbrook, commanding the signal company service group to which Lieut. Keizer was attached, was dated December 13, 1944, but did not reach Hawarden until March 30. It follows:

It is with deepest regret that I write you of the death of your son, 2nd Lt. LeRoy W. Keizer. LeRoy was killed 6 December, 1944, at Burauen, Leyte, Philippine Islands, as a result of wounds received in action against the enemy.

There is little consolation for you to alleviate your suffering in the loss of your son, but permit me to say that millions of Americans know that he died for them, as well as for you, and we all know that no greater sacrifice can be made.

LeRoy did not suffer at all, as the end came very suddenly.

You have the deepest sympathy of the officers and men of this organization in your bereavement. LeRoy was held in high regard by all members of this command. He was a splendid officer and an outstanding character. His loss will be deeply felt by his many friends.

LeRoy was buried in a military cemetery at Burauen, Philippine Islands, on the afternoon of 6 December, 1944, with services by a Protestant chaplain.

Permit me to express my own personal sympathy in your loss. Please feel free to write for any additional information you may desire. [end of letter]

From other authentic sources, Mr. and Mrs. Keizer later learned what happened to their son’s outfit that fateful day. The U. S. Air Force of which it was a part was firmly established on the island and functioning smoothly. No one considered it remotely possible that a horde of fanatical Japs could appear out of thin air, but that’s just what happened at dawn on December 6.

About 150 Japs had infiltrated into the American lines during the night and attacked at dawn. The men of Lieut. Keizer’s outfit, not originally trained as a combat unit, battled the enemy with everything they had, formed into a defense line and fought a holding action against the fierce onslaught of the Japs.

Then enemy planes arrived and dropped a couple of hundred Jap paratroopers. The battle continued for several days until the Japs were wiped out, but not until they had taken their toll of American lives. Lieut. Keizer was killed on the first day of the action.
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(Picture courtesy of Hawarden Independent)

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