Iowa
Old Press
The Mason City Globe-Gazette, May 30, 1944
35 Cerro Gordo Men Killed in Action in 2 ½ Years of War
Memorial Day this year marks almost 2 ½ years since the United States entered World War II. Of the more than 11 million men serving with the U.S. armed forces at home and overseas, it is estimated that Cerro Gordo county has contributed 4,100 men.
Out of that number war casualties in the county to date total 79, exclusive of wounded. Nearly half of these, 35 in number, are listed as killed in action. 11 as missing, 19 are prisoners of war, 1 died in prison camp, 8 were killed in camp and 1 prisoner of war is being repatriated. In addition to these there are a number of men wounded in action.
Six veterans of the present war are buried in Mason City cemeteries. These include:
Roy Highsmith, aviation radio man 3rd class;
Cadets Warren Krueger;
Cadet John Thomas;
Pvt. John Shipley;
Sgt. Dennis Ryan;
Pvt. Kenneth Heimendinger.
Listed Killed in Action are as follows:
Sgt. Harold Aucker, in England, Feb. 21, 1944.
John Avise, pilot officer with the RCAF, west of Alexandria, presumed dead by casualties officer, Ottawa, Oct. 17, 1942.
Staff Sgt. Ralph Bailey, in action in Italy, Feb. 2, 1944.
Gus Bernhardt, seaman 2/c, at Guadalcanal, Nov. 13, 1942.
William A. Burke, private, battle of Midway, June, 1942.
Lt. T. J. Campbell, died in Cambridge, Eng., Feb. 16, 1944, of wounds received in flight over France.
Guy W. Carroll, quartermaster 2/c, battle of Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
Staff Sgt. John Carroll, in action in Bougainville, March 15, 1944.
Sgt. Robert J. Cavanaugh with RCAF overseas, September 1941.
First Lt. Arthur L. Clark in Flying Fortress over France, Feb. 6, 1944.
Pfc. Arnold Cooley, New Guinea, Dec. 14, 1941.
Pfc. Phillip W. Crosby, of accident in European theater of war, Dec. 21, 1943.
Arthur (Bill) Davis, seaman 1/c, South Pacific, Oct. 1, 1943.
Willard Dunton, aviation ordnanceman 1/c, in South Pacific in plane battle, Feb. 20, 1944.
Pfc. Donald R. Ford, Pacific war area, reported Dec. 23, 1943.
Marion Eugene Findling, gunner’s mate 3/c, died in service of his country, May 1944.
Pfc. Lloyd Gallup, in Italy, Oct. 14, 1943.
First Sgt. Nolan M. Gilbert, in Italy, Nov. 4, 1943.
Dwane Halsten, fireman 2/c, on submarine Cisco, November 1943.
Staff Sgt. Paul E. Hammond, on a flying fortress, England, June 11, 1943.
Pfc. Fay Hickling, in Italy, April 16, 1944.
Roy Highsmith, Jr., radioman 3/c, off coast of Washington, Oct. 4, 1943.
Roland G. Howard, gunner’s mate 2/c, air service accident, southwest Pacific, November 1942.
Stephan J. Kerchoff, seaman 2/c, southwest Pacific, November 1942.
Frank King, water tender 2/c, South Pacific, March 1943.
Master Sgt. Francis Lee, southwest Pacific, Aug. 7, 1943.
Cpl. Edward N. Peterson, medical truck, Sicily, July 28, 1943.
Sgt. Ralph Peterson, officially declared dead as of May 8, 1944, after missing in the Philippines in battle of Corregidor, since May 7, 1942.
Raymond E. Scholl, aviation metalsmith 1/c, in flight near Hawaii, Jan. 30, 1942.
Erwin L. Searle, gunner’s mate 2/c, Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
Sterling Seymour, petty officer 2/c, south Atlantic, Aug. 7, 1943.
Pvt. Martin E. Shinn, of wounds received in action, Italy, Nov. 21, 1943.
Lester Lee Williams, machinist’s mate 2/c, Neosho ship sinking, May 8, 1943.
Dale E. Wentworth, seaman 1/c, on destroyer U.S.S. Nicholson, May 12, 1944.
Sgt. Cecil T. Woldmoe, in Bougainville, March 26, 1944.
Missing in Action:
Lt. Arthur Clark, over France, Feb. 6, 1944.
Staff Sgt. Harold F. Cookman, last heard from in Africa, March 31, 1943.
Herbert O. Creekmur, petty officer 1/c, South Pacific, August 1943.
Lt. Charles E. Fisher, over Germany, May 1944.
Lt. Roger W. Hayes, in flight over Holland, Oct. 18, 1943.
Lt. (J. G.) Harper S. Joslyn, in plane flight in Pacific, announced by navy, March 1944.
First Lt. James M. K. Pedersen, over Germany, May 12, 1944.
First Lt. Robert W. Lewis, over Germany, Nov. 17, 1943.
Kenneth W. Pierce, motor machinist’s mate 2/c, in Mediterranean area, November 1943.
Staff Sgt. Edwin E. Sowles, over Germany, March 6, 1944.
Alvin Roger Tageson, seaman 1/c, on submarine, March 6, 1944.
Prisoners of War list:
Leonard Applegate, interned by the Germans, Oct. 4, 1943.
Cpl. J. D. Cannella, interned by Japs, Manilla Bay area, May 6, 1942.
Lt. Ray Clough, prisoner of Germans, Oct. 14, 1943.
Pfc. John Collins, prisoner of Germans, May 1943.
Pfc. Myron E. Dobberlin, reported prisoner of Germans, April 29, 1944.
Lt. Donald G. Harrer, prisoner of German government, Feb. 11, 1944.
Enoch Hinrichs, reported prisoner in North Africa.
Pvt. Donald J. Jensen, German prisoner, April 1943.
Pvt. Ora Lyman, of Italians, July 1943.
Sgt. W. K. Mitchell, of Italians, April 1943.
Pvt. Bob Oliver, of Germans, July 1943.
Staff Sgt. Phil W. Ong, of Germans, September 1943.
Tech. Sgt. Carlyle Sheldon, of Italians, April 1943; transferred to German prison, October 1943.
Second Lt. Melvin J. Spencer, of German government since Feb. 10, 1944.
Donald Tapscott, pharmacist’s mate 2/c, of Japanese at Manilla, reported May 1943.
Sgt. George Timm, Jap prisoner since Corregidor, reported July 1943.
Lee Usher, of Germans, June 1943.
Tech. Sgt. Donald E. Watts, of Germans, since Feb. 24, 1944.
Ray C. Wilson, of Japanese, Aug. 1, 1943.
Died in prison camp:
Capt. Lawrence Meade, prisoner of Japs, June 22, 1943.
Died in camp of natural causes:
Floyd G. McCreery, volunteer officer candidate, of heart attack, Camp Shelby, Miss., August 1943.
Pvt. Kenneth Heimendinger, Schick hospital, Clinton, May 8, 1944.
Sgt. Elmer R. Peters, of respiratory paralysis at Camp Gordon Johnston, Fla., March 12, 1943.
Lt. H. E. Ross, heart attack, Camp Shelby, Miss., August 1943.
Killed in camp:
Second Lt. Dorance S. Grange, airplane crash, Greenville, Tex., May 1944.
Cadet Pat Furleigh, airplane crash, Pensacola, Fla.
Cadet Warren G. Krueger, plane crash, Corpus Christi, Tex., August 1943.
Charles Lichtsinn, in tank accident, Camp Chaffee, Ark., April 27, 1943.
Dennis P. Ryan, plane crash, Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 18, 1944.
Pvt. John H. Shipley, in auto collision near Camp McCoy, Sparta, Wis., October 1942.
Cadet John C. Thomas, in routine flight, Roswell, New Mex., Feb. 1, 1943.
Pvt. Marion Van Fleet, in automobile collision near Farming-Sparta, Wis., October 1942.
Repatriated from a German prison camp and scheduled to arrive on the Gripsholm in June is Cpl. Francis D. Nugent, the first serviceman from the county to be exchanged as a prisoner of war.
CORWITH—Mrs. W. C. Woodbury and son, James, left Monday for a 2 weeks’ visit at Washington, D.C., where they will be guests of their son and brother, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Woodbury, and at the home of Capt. and Mrs. Ed Ryan.
[transcribed by L.Z., Jun 2020]