Iowa
Old Press
Vindicator & Republican
Estherville, Emmet co. Iowa
April 29, 1943
With The Colors
Mrs. Wayne Osmundsen leaves Sunday for Helena, Ark., to
join her husband who is located there with the Coast Guard. Miss
Marguerite Holmes has been promoted to Mrs. Osmundsen’s
position as chief Bookkeeper with the People’s Natural Gas
company and Miss Wogen will be assistant bookkeeper. Miss Wogen
has been working in the Rexall Drug Store.
Clerk of Courts, I. C. Nichols has received word from his son,
Fred Nichols, who is with the United States Navy some place in
the Pacific that he has received his promotion to chief gunner’s
mate. Fred has been with the Navy since considerably before
“Pearl Harbor.”
San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas—Eager to get behind
the controls of a primary trainer for the first time in their
roles as aviation cadets, another large class of Uncle Sam’s
potential fighters of the air has been advanced from the
preflight school of the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. The
cadets will undergo training in the air at primary, basic, and
advanced flying fields before winning the coveted wings and
commissions of flying officers. Those advanced from the preflight
school included 126 from Iowa, one from Estherville, Aviation
Cadet Vernon H. Anderson, 1127 1st Ave. So.
Pvt. Irwin Lande arrived in Estherville Thursday to spend a
14-day furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Lande. He
will spend some of his furlough in Minneapolis. He is stationed
at Fort Fishers, North Carolina. Pvt. Lande’s address is H.
Q., 481 (AA) Bn. Fort Fisher, North Carolina.
Pfc. Harold Thompson returned Saturday afternoon to Camp
Atterbury, Ind. He came to Estherville Monday morning to visit in
the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Thompson.
Jack Hepp, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Hepp, in a letter to his
parents and sisters, Mrs. Leonard Hackett and Miss Jennie Hepp,
tells that he has just received the Christmas package sent him by
the Emmet County Service Women. The letter was written April 13,
from some place in the South Pacific. Jack is a 1st Class petty
officer with the Sea Bees branch of the Navy.
Chaplain Fred D. Sawyer left Estherville Monday afternoon to
return to Camp Carson, Tenn., after visiting since Thursday
morning with his family and many friends.
Mrs. Jerry Gerbracht is visiting at Newton, going especially to
see her brother, Dale McBride, who is home on furlough after
completing his boot training with the Navy at Farragut, Idaho.
Richard Pannell arrived Thursday morning from Ft. Leavenworth,
Kan., to visit three days in the Charles Miller home and with his
mother, Mrs. J. W. Pannell at Ceylon, Minn. He plans to return to
camp Saturday.
Capt. Don F. Rodawig, formerly of the Marcus Snyder Memorial
hospital, Spirit Lake, has written friends recently he is very
busy aiding American soldiers in Africa. Capt. Rodawig has been
in the Army about a year, having been stationed at several
American bases before being sent overseas. “Things are
running smoothly at this hospital, with equipment of the best.”
Americans, he wrote, are being given very good medical service.
Pvt. Lloyd J. Guge is stationed at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyo,
and has been stationed there since his induction into the armed
services in January. His complete address is Pvt. Lloyd J. Guge,
Co. B, 5th Q.N.T.R., Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming.
Pfc. Joseph D. Buckley came Sunday from Camp Butner, North
Carolina, to attend the funeral services of his father Monday
afternoon. Joe returns to Camp Butner, May 8.
Petty Officer Clifford Hemingson arrived home Sunday from San
Diego, Calif., to attend the funeral services of his wife. He is
stationed at a destroyer base at San Diego.
Ensign Samuel Torrence will return to Corpus Christi today or
tomorrow after spending a fourteen day furlough with this mother,
Mrs. C.A. Torrence. Ensign Torrence is a naval-aviation
specialist at Corpus Christi.
Word has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Knud Bonnicksen of
Ringsted that their son, Sgt. Chalmer Bonnicksen, is a prisoner
of the Germans. Sgt. Bonnicksen has been reported missing in
action since February 17. The letter was received through the Red
Cross. Sgt. Bonnicksen had written his letter to his wife,
Claudia, who is employed as a riveter in the Douglas aircraft
plant at Santa Monica, Calif. He told her she may write to him as
often as she likes, but that she would have to share his letters
with other friends and relatives because his letters were
rationed. He asked her to send him some winter clothes and socks
and also to send some Hershey candy bars and some smoking
tobacco. He was sent overseas February 18, 1942. He went first to
Ireland, Scotland and England and then to the African front,
where he had been reported missing in action. Sgt. Bonnicksen is
with the infantry and has been in the armed forces for two years.
He received most of his training at Camp Claiborne, La., where he
was stationed almost a year. He was on maneuvers in Louisiana,
also. Just before he left this country, he received his sergeant’s
rating.
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Kelly had a recent letter from their son, Cpl.
Pat Kelly, who is stationed in Australia, where he is doing
office work with the Signal Corps.
Ray Wardrip of Superior has recently been made a corporal and is
now located at the Army Air Base at Lewiston, Mont.
Dick Pannell, former junior high teacher in Superior, but now in
the Army in Missouri, called on friends in Superior, Thursday,
last.
Robert Loveland is home on a “delayed orders” furlough
from the Great Lakes Naval training station in Illinois. He is
visiting his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth E. Loveland and other
relatives and friends. He left Wednesday evening to go to San
Francisco so he will be there by the first of the month. He was
graduated from a torpedo school recently and rated as torpedoman.
Pvt. Louis S. Hershey’s address is Co. B. 79 Inf. Tng. Bn.,
Camp Roberts, California. He has been stationed at Camp Roberts
since his induction into the armed services, March 13.
Mrs. Goodman Hundsness received a letter Monday from Major K.A.
Damke, a friend of Sgt. Theodore Hundsness, a marine, giving the
details of how Theodore met death. Major Damke is of the U.S.S.
Phoenix. Sgt. Hundsness was a member of the same medical
detachment for more than two years that Major Damke was.
Hundsness had volunteered to secure medical aid for a friend and
companion of his at the time of his death. It is thought that
Theodore had slipped on some rocks near the shore and fell into
the water, resulting in his drowning. He had probably stunned
himself. Several days later, his body was recovered and interment
was in a U.S. Army cemetery. Sgt. Hundsness’ high standards
and performances of duty will always be an example to the men who
served with him.
Omer H. Walker, former lineman of the local Northwestern Bell
Telephone company, was graduated recently from the offier’s
training scholl at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, with a second
lieutenant’s rating. He is with the army signal corps and
was inducted into the army in September from Estherville. He is
spending a five-day leave with his family at Council Bluffs.
Mrs. Richard G. Henderson of Albert City has received word that
her husband, Richard G. Henderson has been awarded the silver
star for bravery beyond the call of duty, while on duty in
Guadalcanal. Richard is the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Henderson
of Estherville. He is stationed somewhere resting from war
activities on Guadalcanal.
Mrs. George Hackett left Monday evening to join her husband, a
second class pharmacist’s mate, who is stationed at the
naval air station in Miami, Florida.
SUPERIOR SOLDIER IN REVIEW FOR THE PRESIDENT
Staff Sgt. Leslie H. Johnson of Superior, Iowa, who is
in Camp Forrest, Tenn., recently wrote to his wife the following
account of President Roosevelt’s visit to Camp Forrest:
“Remember I told you we were presenting a review for Gen.
Lear? It wasn’t Gen. Lear, it was Pres. Roosevelt and
Eleanor. And I was within ten feet of him.
“We hear it might be the President, but really didn’t
know until we heard the twenty-one gun salute as he came in the
gate. So we were prepared. He rode in a cream Cadillac with Army
officers. They were followed by a command car filled with F.B.I.
men armed with sub machine guns., and administrative vehicles
filled with Army officials, American and Mexican Naval officials.
Eleanor was in the third car."
[transcribed by L.Z., December 2015]