Lester Huisman

Military Service
War: WWII
Branch: U.S. Army National Guard
Enlisted: 9 December 1940
Called to Active Duty: 10 February 1941
Unit: 34th Infantry Division, 185th Field Artillery
Discharged: 15 May 1945

Personal Details
Born: 17 December 1918
Died: 4 November 1982
Parents: Meint and Ellen (Lamb) Huisman
Spouse: Marlys "Sally" Bush

Buried: Hazel Green Cemetery
Etna Township, Hardin County, Iowa

Five Wellsburg Young Men Enter The Army By Way Of The Boone National Guard Unit And Begin Year's Training Monday Morning

Enter The Service Formally On Last Monday Morning At Boone By Voluntary Enlistment

One Year Training Ahead

Company Scheduled To Leave Iowa About February 25th, For A Louisiana Training Camp

Five Wellsburg young men, Lawrence Akkerman, Dale Nichols, Tom Hoekstra, Neil Hoekstra and Lester Huisman have become full-fledged members of Uncle Sam's armed forces, having attained that status on Monday morning when they reported to the armory at Boone, Iowa, to begin their year's training period.

It is expected that the Boone company of the Iowa National Guard, the "outfit" to which the Wellsburg boys are attached, will be held at Boone, and given some preliminary training there until about February 25th, when present plans call for them to be taken to Camp Claiborne, near Lafayette, Louisiana, where their intensive training will be begun.

Of course these plans are so far only conjectures, not even the officers of the National Guard regiment knowing all the details of the movement.

This, however, need not worry the five Wellsburg young men. All they need to do is learn to obey commands given them quickly and precisely, in short, to become good soldiers. The boys will find army life interesting, after they get the hang of it, as Legion men can, and probably have told them.

Anyway, the boys are in the army now and will be for the next year, a period of time when will pass very quickly. And the boys will return home better off physically for their experience and much better able to defend their country if and when the need of such defense comes.

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 12 February 1941

Wellsburg Boys Enroute To Army Camp In South

Mrs. Ellen Huisman has received word from her son Lester, who is on his way to Louisiana with the National Guard Company from Boone, that all is going well. The letter was mailed in Missouri.

In the company with "Speck" are three other Wellsburg boys, Neil and Tom Hoekstra and Dale Nichols. The troop is on its way to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, where they will enter a year of training in army tactics, preparing for defense of the nation against aggression.

The company left Boone last week.

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 5 March 1941

Former Wellsburg Pastor Is An Army Camp Chaplain

According to a letter received by Mrs. Ellen Huisman from her son Lester, who is a member of the Iowa National Guard, at Camp Claibourne, Louisiana, the Rev. E. Boeve, formerly pastor of the Second Christian Reformed Church, is a chaplain in the army and is assigned to camp Claibourne. Lester says he has had several pleasant visits with the Rev. Mr. Boeve and is pleased to be able to renew his acquaintance.

All Wellsburg boys in camp are doing fine, we hear, and like army life.

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 26 March 1941

Gene Huisman has recieved a card from Lester (Speck) Huisman, who was then at Camp Shelby, to help in moving 20,000 soldiers from that place to Camp Claiborne. He says "it is sure hot here."

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 4 June 1941

Dale Nichols, Tom Hoekstra, Lester Huisman, of Wellsburg, and Donald Gravenstein of Grundy Center, together with a boy from Boone, are visiting with friends and relatives in this section. The boys came from the training camp at Claiborne, Louisiana, where they went a few weeks ago. They all look healthy and say they are getting along fine. The trip cost each of the boys $25 for the round trip, and their chauffeur has been here during their furlough, all ready to take them back Friday of this week. So far as heard, not a one has had any complaint to make.

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 25 June 1941

Dale Nichols, Sherwood Snittjer and Lester Huisman arrived for a visit with home folks last week. Sherwood, who is in the medical department, had only a ten-day furlough and has returned to his duties. The other two will leave about Dec. 29th. The boys hope to be able to go to New Orleans and Baton Rouge for a short time before they have to go back to army activities. All are looking well.

--Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 24 December 1941