Iowa
Old Press
Waterloo Daily Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk co. Iowa
December 6, 1944
Notes About N.E. Iowans in the Service.
Morrison — Mrs. Elma Cooley of Morrison has
three sons in the armed forces, one who has just received an
honorable discharge because of a physical disability, and three
sons-in-law in the service.
Harry Cooley, 33, was discharged after serving two years in the
navy.
Chief Petty Officer Logan entered service Nov. 9, 1936, and
recently returned to New York after 11 ½ months with an
amphibious repair unit in England and South Africa. He returned
Monday to his base after spending a week’s leave with his
mother. His wife and two children live in Brooklyn.
Cpl. Delmar Cooley, 20, entered the marine corps June 4, 1940,
from the National Guard. When Wake Island fell to the Japanese
Dec. 22, 1941, he was taken prisoner and now is in a prison camp
in Shanghai.
Pvt. Donald Cooley entered the army May 12, 1944, and has now
received his APO address. He was last stationed at Camp Gruber,
Okla.
Sgt. Joe Nichols was inducted Dec. 2, 1942, and has been a German
prisoner since February 1944. His wife, Doris Cooley Nichols, and
their two children live at Rice Lake, Wis.
Pvt. Joe Wical entered the army May 12, 1944, and is now in
France. His wife, Mary Cooley Wical, and daughter live at Grundy
Center.
William C. Minard, motor machinist mate first class, is stationed
at San Pedro, Cal. His wife, Zelda Cooley Minard, is living in
Waterloo.
The father of the Cooley boys, the late Lon Cooley, served in the
Spanish-American war.
Mrs. Nancy Beckwith has received word from her son, Pvt. Edward
Beckwith, that he is in a hospital somewhere in the Philippines
with jungle disease. He was transferred recently from New Guinea
to the Philippines.
La Porte City — Cpl. Lloyd Dutler has
arrived in New Guinea as a member of an engineer parts supply
company, according to word received here by his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. John Dutler. He left for overseas last October.
Bristow — Pvt. Ivan Abben, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Edd Abben, has been in the service since June, 1943, having
been inducted into service soon after his graduation from the
Bristow high school. After his basic training in California,
which he completed in December, 1943, he was sent overseas to the
Pacific area, and spent the winter at New Caledonia with an
infantry division. Later he was transferred elsewhere in the
Pacific area. Eldon Abben, brother of Ivan, who is approaching
his 18th birthday, volunteered for service and left Dec. 5 for
induction at Ft. Snelling, Minn.
Denver — A submarine combat patrol
insignia, with two gold stars and one silver star, was received
by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Brandt here, awarded to their son, Norbert
Brandt, fire controlman first class, who was reported missing in
action last Mar. 28. The submarine Trout on which he was
stationed was reported missing last July. The unit of the Trout,
which was commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Albert H. Clark, of Orinda,
Cal., had already received the Presidential Unit citation when it
went on its last mission last January. Norbert enlisted in
February, 1940, and was home on leave in November, 1943.
Winthrop — Miss Dorothy Gene Fawcett, only
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Fawcett, has enlisted in the Wac,
the first from Winthrop, and will begin her basic training at
Fort Des Moines Jan. 3, 1945. She has been a laboratory
technician at St. Luke’s hospital at Cedar Rapids. Her only
brother is with the marines in the Pacific.
Alta Vista — Leander Heying, who spent a
few days with friends here after returning to the States from
India where he had been stationed for 32 months, went to
Minnesota the forepart of the week to visit relatives at several
points.
Greeley — Howard C. Foster, water tender
second class, and Mrs. Foster are visiting in the home of Mrs.
Foster’s parents, Rev. and Mrs. J. J. Snyder of Greeley,
formerly of Traer. The couple came here from Philadelphia, Pa.,
where Foster was graduated from advanced school for water tenders
on naval boilers and turbines. He has been in the navy three and
a half years and has served two years and nine months on overseas
duty, on a destroyer. Foster has been in seven major battles and
was at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. He saw action in the Pacific
battles from Guadalcanal through Bougainville. He left Wednesday
for the west coast to report for reassignment.
West Union — Mr. and Mrs. Harry Turner,
West Union, received a telegram from the War Department Tuesday
telling that their son, Pvt. Harry A. Turner, Jr. had been
wounded in action in France on Nov. 20. He is a graduate from
West Union high school, and enlisted in the army in June, 1943.
Mitchell — Word received from Pvt. Claude
E. Black by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Black of Mitchell, is
that he is still hospitalized in England. He was fighting every
day in France from the day they made the Omaha beachhead until he
was wounded near Metz. He was in a fox hole once when his pack
got 10 bullet holes through it. He could feel each shot hit his
mess kit and thought each time the next one would get him. His
wife, the former Mildred Clark, has received his Purple Heart,
with three stars. Private Black also has four Bronze stars, six
ribbons and six overseas stripes.
Holland — William Meyer will finish
Thursday his navy hospital corpsmen course at Farragut, Idaho.,
and following his graduation will be an instructor in the medical
school. William entered the navy in April, this year. Before
being assigned to the medical detachment, he was instructor in
naval plane identification. Meyer was superintendent of the
Rutland, Ia., high school before his induction. He is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. John A. Meyer.
Cpl. Raymond E. Sonksen, brother of Erik Sonksen, who lives in
Holland, has been promoted to sergeant. He is a cook with the
34th “Red Bull” division of Lt. Gen. Mark Clark’s
Fifth army in Italy.
Ackley — Mrs. William Wright, Jr., received
a message Sunday from the War Department saying that her husband,
Pvt. William Wright, had been slightly wounded in action in
France on Nov. 13. William was inducted into the army Feb. 28,
1944, and trained at Camp Roberts, Cal., and the last of August
was transferred to Camp Meade, Md., from where he was sent
overseas. He has two brothers in the army, Pfc. Oliver S. Wright,
in the engineers corps, who has been overseas since September,
1943, and Pvt. Donnol L. Wright, in training at Camp Van Dorn,
Miss.
Staff Sgt. Earl T. Folkers writes to friends in Ackley that he is
slowly recovering from shrapnel wounds and jaundice, in a
hospital somewhere in England. While he is feeling good he cannot
leave the hospital. Earl was inducted in the spring of 1942 and
went overseas last January. He was in Paris en route to the
hospital. He has a brother, Staff Sgt. Calvin V. L. Folkers, in
training at Ft. Jackson, S.C.
Waverly — Reynolds E. Renn, drive with the
artillery of a U.S. army corps and son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Renn,
Waverly, where his father is stockbuyer, has been promoted from
private first class to technician fifth grade in The Netherlands
East Indies. His wife, Mrs. Margaret Renn, also lives in Waverly.
A driver for Baker Transfer, Waverly, when he was inducted into
the army in May, 1943, Corporal Renn, 32, left for duty overseas
last January. He is already a veteran of the Hollandia operation
which cut off the entire Japanese 18th army, and Biak, which
again advanced Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s forces several
hundred miles nearer Tokyo.
Riceville — Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Gooder have
received word from their son, First Lt. Dale Gooder, that he is
now in Belgium. He has been in foreign service for the last year
and for a time was in England and France.
Lester Van de Walker writes his parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Van
de Walker, that he is now back in Hawaii after being on convoy
duty for the last two months.
Cpl. Gaylord Volbrecht left this week for Hot Springs, Ark.,
after spending a furlough at the home of his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Al Volbrecht. He was recently returned to the States after
being in service in Africa and Italy for the past two years.
Sgt. Willard Severson is now in France and writes that he has
seen Paris and London and would probably see Berlin. He also has
four other brothers in the foreign service. Lt. Orville and
Flight Officer Erling were also in France and Sgt. Luther is in
Italy. Milford is serving with the navy.
Shell Rock — With three sons in the service, the Ernest
Courbat family will go “all out” in the war effort when
Mr. and Mrs.. Courbat and their daughter Dorothy start work in a
California shipyard. They expect to leave Tuesday for the west
coast.
One son, Dale, shipfitter second class in the navy, has just
completed a 10-day leave with his parents. He took part in the
invasions of Africa, Sicily and Normandy and has made nine
crossings of the Atlantic. He has been decorated for bravery on
foreign shores and on the high seas.
George, a second son, is electrician’s mate third class and
is in the submarine service. He is now stationed at Mare Island,
Cal.
The third son, Kenneth, is in the army and went overseas Sept. 1.
He was recently awarded the Purple Heart as a result of wounds
suffered in France, Oct. 21.
Aplington — Mr. and Mrs. George Haan
received word from their son Arthur, from somewhere in France,
saying he had recently been promoted to staff sergeant.
New Hampton — Lt. Merlin Lynch, a member of
the army air force, has sent a cablegram to his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Leo Lynch, New Hampton, advising them that he had completed
his missions and would be home soon.
Iowa Falls — M. Dewey Gilbert, Jr., has
been promoted recently from chief petty officer to warrant
officer, according to word received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
M. Dewey Gilbert. He is serving with the Seabees, and is
stationed in the Hawaiian Islands.
Maynard G. Haydock, technician fifth grade, is serving as a radio
operator with a unit of engineers in France, according to
information received by his wife. He began his military service
on Nov. 17, 1942, and received his training at Camp Polk, La. and
Camp Barkeley, Tex.; he left the United States in February of
this year, and was stationed in England for some time. In a
recent letter he said he has been through parts of France where
children show signs of suffering under the Nazis.
Gladbrook — Adolph Schroeder of Gladbrook
received a letter Tuesday from his brother, William, of
Washington D.C., telling of the injuries of his son, Lt. Wilford
G. Schroeder. A cablegram stated that on Nov. 13, Lieutenant
Schroeder was seriously injured. No other details were given. He
was with General Patton’s Third army. William Schroeder
formerly lived at Gladbrook.
Allison — Mrs. Vernon Harms has received a
card from her husband, Staff Sgt. Vernon Harms, sent for
Dulag-Luft Camp in Germany, dated Sept. 17, 1944, stating that he
has been taken prisoner of war and is in good health, that he
will be transported to another camp in a few days and for her not
to write until she hears from him again. This is the first direct
word that she has received from him since his being taken a
prisoner. Sergeant Harms was a waist gunner on a B-17 at the time
he was taken prisoner.
Bristow — Staff Sgt. Pete E. Boomgarden,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Boomgarden, returned to Ft. Benning,
Ga., Monday, having concluded a 16-day furlough. Pete was
inducted into the army in October, 1941, and early in 1942 he
left for the southwest Pacific area, where he fought in the
jungles for 16 months. He was returned to the states in August,
1943, and was stationed at Camp Hale, Colo., where he was made an
instructor in jungle fighting.
Pvt. Ivan Abben, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edd Abben, has been in the
service since June, 1943, having been inducted into service soon
after his graduation from the Bristow high school. After his
basic training in California, which he completed in December,
1943, he was sent overseas to the Pacific area, and spent the
winter at New Caledonia with an infantry division. Later he was
transferred elsewhere in the Pacific area. Eldon Abben, brother
of Ivan, who is approaching his 18th birthday, volunteered for
service and left Dec. 5 for induction at Ft. Snelling, Minn.
Lawrence True, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd True, accompanied Eldon
to Ft. Snelling, for induction, both boys having passed the
required test.
Dale Kollman, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Kollmann, was called to
Ft. Snelling on Monday night for examination for army service.
Nashua — Fred Zwanziger, who has been
overseas the last two years with the Seabees, is home on
furlough. He enlisted from the state of Washington were he was
employed.
Fairbank — Melvin Braun, who entered
service July 25, has received a promotion to seaman first class.
He has been stationed at Gulfport, Miss., but has been sent to
Panama, his mother Mrs. Edna Braun has received word.
Staff Sgt. Bernhard N. Ove, son of Mr.. and Mrs. Edward N. Ove,
Dike, is a bomb trainer and instructor in the engineering section
of an Eighth air force service command sub-depot bomber repair
unit in England. He was graduated from the Dike consolidated high
school in 1937 and prior to his entry into the military service
June 19, 1942, at Fort Des Moines, he was a general contractor
with the Ove Construction Co., in Dike. He has been stationed in
the European theater of operations since May 19, 1943.
[transcribed by L.Z., April 2018]