Iowa
Old Press
Spirit Lake Beacon
Spirit Lake, Dickinson co., Iowa
June 15, 1944
Ben Reed Writes Parents Of Accident In Pacific
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Reed have received a letter from their
son, Ben Reed, in which he tells himself of the injuries he
received in the South Pacific. In another story in this paper
some particulars are given in regard to the injuries to Ben and
also to his brother, Bill, as written to the parents by Bill.
The following letter from Ben will be of interest to his many
friends:
June 5,
Dear Mom and all,
Might have known you would find out I was in the hospital, but
still not sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. You see I was
getting letters from you that Dad was pretty sick and Mary with
her appendicitis, so I decided to keep it to myself a while till
things were more settled at home. I figured you had enough
worries, as it was.
Well, here’s what happened. A crate of airplane parts (2300
lbs.) fell over on myself and another fellow. His back was
injured and so he was evacuated to the States. I got a compound
fracture of the right leg and other slight injuries. This was on
the 3rd of April. One month later I was sent here from the other
base hospital. I’ve been here five weeks. Due to the nature
of the fracture, and the condition of my leg it will take more
than four months of hospitalization to put me on my feet. The
bone won’t stay set without some sort of a plate being put
on it calling for an operation. Therefore I’m being
evacuated to some hospital in the States, probably in California.
I’ll be there from four to six months, so the doctor tells
me. Part of the time I expect to be home on sick leave, if my
plans work out. It will be at least four months yet and to me,
all I want is to get a good leg out of it, and I know I will. The
Navy has some of the world’s best doctors and I’m
positive I’ll have the best of care and come out as good as
new. So you see no need to worry about it, still I didn’t
know how Dad or the rest of you would look at it and didn’t
care to risk the chance of worrying you too much at that time.
If you remember where you wrote to me that Reed Clark has been,
that’s where this hospital is that I’m at now. Really
not bad here at all. Good chow, lots of sleep, good movies (I go
in a wheel chair) and even Navy nurses and Red Cross workers
here. I feel good all the time except I’m anxious to be on
my way again. Leg never bothers me in the least, though I’m
plenty tired of the cast. Most of the fellows here are in a very
good spirits which helps a lot. We have a lot of fun and
amusements so you know I’m in good hands and doing O. K. Don’t
worry about me now and I’ll be seeing you one of these days.
Sons of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Reed In Naval Hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Reed of Spirit Lake have received word
from their son, Bill, aviation machinists mate first class, that
he is confined to a hospital somewhere in the South Pacific, and
he also writes that his brother, Ben, also an aviation machinists
mate first class, is in a hospital with injuries. According to
the information from Bill, received in a letter written May 15,
Bill was burned about a week before that when a generator
exploded at the naval air base at which he is stationed. He
suffered second degree burns on his face, left arm and both legs,
and added that the leg injuries seem to be the worst.
Bill had written in an earlier letter that he had flown to the
naval air base at which his brother is stationed in the South
Pacific, and that the following day Ben was injured. Ben received
that word from other naval men who had visited the base where Ben
was stationed. Ben has written his parents three letters since
that time but never mentioned having been hurt, although he did
state he hoped to see them some time soon. Bill wrote that Ben
suffered a compound fracture of the leg when some supplies
toppled over onto him and another man, who received serious
injuries. From what the family has heard from Bill it is expected
that Ben will be returned to the States for an operation on his
leg.
It will be interesting to friends of the youths to know that
while Ben has been in the Navy for eight and a half years, this
is the first injury, although he has seen considerable action as
tail gunner on a naval plane recently. Bill is also a tail
gunner, but has not fared as well as his brother in the more than
three years which he has been in service. It will be remembered
that Bill suffered a fracture of the leg and shoulder on the deck
of the Hornet during the Battle of Midway. The day before that he
had had to bail out of his plane when it was shot down, and he
was picked up from the ocean by naval rescue squads. At the time
of the sinking of the Hornet, Bill was wounded in the leg by
shrapnel, at which time several of his buddies nearby were
killed. Because of his many lucky escapes in battle, Bill was
nicknamed “Lucky” by the Hornet crew.
Harkers Get Letter From Prisoner Camp In Germany
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Harker have received another letter
from their son Ernie from a prison camp in Germany. The letter
was written last January 17th and was just received on Saturday,
being nearly five months enroute. It is thought the parcel
mentioned in his letter was sent last August. The Harker’s
have sent him five parcels but only two have been received up to
this writing.
The Harkers have also received their son’s personal effects,
except for uniforms, left in his barracks in England. These
personal effects were shipped to Kansas City by the government
and re-shipped from there.
Jan. 17, 1944
Dear Mom and Pop,
I received the second parcel and was very happy about it. The
socks, underwear, and pajamas were swell. They really are the
thing to wear here. I received a lot of nice letters from
different people and I am awfully glad to get them. Getting mail
from home is the happiest event here. The other day I received
seven letters among them was one from Sis and a snap of you and
Gary. I’m sorry I can’t answer all the letters I’ve
gotten but that just isn’t possible. Time has gone awfully
fast since I’ve been a prisoner and it doesn’t seem
like eight months have gone by. Perhaps before long we’ll
all be together again. I would like to get a letter from C. M.
and Elmer. I can’t write them because I didn’t know
their address. I think of you often. So now I guess I’ll
close.
Love, Ernie. (T/Sgt. E. K. Harker, Germany)
Sgt. Rocky Fronk Returns To States From Overseas.
Mrs. Anna Fronk, who is now in Huntington Beach, Calif.,
has notified relatives and friends here that her son, Sgt. Rocky
Fronk of the army rangers, has arrived in the States and recently
visited with her in California. Sgt. Fronk was in California with
her from May 13 to 30, and has now gone to a hospital in North
Carolina for care. He hopes to have another leave to visit Spirit
Lake relatives and to fish in good old Spirit Lake.
It will be remembered Sgt. Fronk went to Europe with the first
American forces. After being stationed in England and Scotland,
he was sent to Africa where he participated in the landing
operations.
He was a member of a ranger battalion that saw action in Italy,
but at the time that Sgt. Arlo Fox, also of a ranger battalion,
was reported missing. Rocky was ill and did not take part in that
action. Rocky has visited with Major Don Rodawig in both Africa
and in Italy, and recently the Major wrote that Rocky was awarded
the Purple Heart and one oak leaf cluster, for having been twice
wounded. His mother reports that he looks as well as he could
after his experiences.
[transcribed by L.Z., January 2015]