Iowa Old Press
Algona Upper DesMoines
Algona, Kossuth co. Iowa
June 20, 1944
EDITORIAL COMMENT - By J. W. Haggard.
BOYS IN FOXHOLES THINKING OF HOME
The War Department press branch of bureau of public
relations in Washington occasionally send out some really
interesting stuff. Last week in a release they pictured what an
infantryman thinks as he crouches in the foxholes awaiting the
next move of the enemy only a few yards away. They gave the
answer as voiced by Corporal Albert Boekelman of Lakota, Iowa, 30
year old 34th Infantry division, who has just returned from
overseas as follows:
“I dreamed of my farm in Iowa. I’d look across the flat
Italian land, all pocked and pitted with shell holes and ugly
with barbed wire, and think of the way the green hills looked in
the springtime on the farm back home in Kossuth County, Iowa. But
it’s a funny thing. Naturally, the one place in the whole
world I wanted to be most of all was in Iowa. Yet I figured that
where I was, in that foxhole, doing a job along with the rest of
the doughboys in my outfit, was where I belonged.”
The fighting at Anzio was almost incessant, Boekelman said, but
the most intensive fire to which he was exposed was during the
second crossing of the Volturno River. “The Jerries gave
everything they had, artillery and small arms fire,” he
said, “and it was so noisy that you couldn’t hear
yourself think—even if you’d wanted to think about
anything except just plugging ahead.”
Although he went unscathed through that hail of steel, Corporal
Boekelman, a few minutes after he had crossed the Volturno, fell
and injured his spine while jumping off a bank and was
hospitalized for five weeks. He saw action in Africa, as well as
Italy, and declared the Italian campaign was much the more
difficult.
“In Africa,” he said, “there would be an
engagement that would last for a few hours or maybe a day or two,
and then it would break off. But in Italy, we had to fight every
foot of the way.”
Boekelman referred feelingly to two buddies, Corporal Delbert
Bauer of Dubuque, Iowa, and Staff Sergeant Edward Carpenter of
Bowesmont (Correction- should be Bowman,) North Dakota. “We
were together all the time,” he said, “until Delbert
was taken prisoner at Cassino. He is a good soldier, and so is
Ed, one of the best doughboys I know of.”
Boekelman was slightly wounded once in his months of combat. He
received a “shrapnel gash” in his hand during the
battle of Fondouk Pass, but didn’t even bother to report for
medical attention, he said. The Iowa infantryman is spending a
furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Boekelman, in
Lakota.
TEN OF SWEA CITY’S YOUNG MEN FIGHT IN INVASION AREA.
(Too late for last week.)
Swea City: The news of the Allied Invasion of France was received here by citizens who were listening to late election returns. As the news became generally known next morning, the feeling of solemnity was deepened by the realization that at least ten young people from this community are in the combat zone. Records at the Herald office show upwards of 60 persons stationed in European and Mediterranean war theaters. Of this number, inquiry of relatives and a check on the records of the United Service Women kept by Historian Mildred Thorson show at least ten to be in England.
MONTGOMERYS HAVE THREE.
Mr. and Mrs. James Montgomery are experiencing many anxious hours. They have three sons in England. Cpl. Edward Montgomery has been in the British Isles for about two years. He met and married his wife there. His brother, 1st Lt. Harry Montgomery, landed in England only a short time ago. His wife is the former Beulah Gladstone of Lone Rock. 18-year-old Floyd Montgomery is with the Merchant Marine and recently wrote his parents that he expected to be in England for some time to come.
PETERSON HAS TWO.
Walter Peterson, a former Swea Cityan whose children have made their home with local relatives since the death of their mother, has a daughter and a son in England. Lt. Mae Peterson, army nurse, wrote some weeks ago that her hospital had everything in readiness to receive the wounded whenever invasion should begin. Her brother Leroy is believed to be in the fighting.
OTHERS “OVER THERE”
Staff Sgt. Wayne Fagerlund, who previously saw service in the Mediterranean war theater, is now in England. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Fagerlund. Pvt. Virgil Peterson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Peterson, Ray Wardrip, whose wife is in charge of the office of the Swea City Hatchery, Gordon Isenberg of the state line neighborhood, and Harry Skaggs were also in England at last reports. A rumor was started Friday that Harry Skaggs was missing in action, but according to a telephone conversation between the correspondent and one of Harry’s relatives on Saturday morning, no message of the sort had been received here and it was hoped the rumor was unfounded.
There may be other local service men and women in the invasion zone, but this is the most complete list available at this time. Capt. Merlin Larson, formerly in England, is now thought to be in the United States.
D-DAY OBSERVED HERE
D-day was observed here by the display of the street flags, put up under direction of Commander Sam Heathershaw of the American Legion, and by prayer services in all the churches. The Methodists and Lutherans held union service at two o’clock in the latter church, with the Rev. W. G. Bohi, Methodist pastor, in charge. The Baptist church, in accordance with earlier plans, held an evening prayer service. Appropriate hymns and scriptures, interspersed with individual and group prayers, were used in all these meetings.
“Business as usual” was Main street’s order of the day, but radios in most homes and business places remained on almost continuously, waiting news of the attack.
[transcribed by L.Z., May 2016 & Jan 2020]
Algona Upper Des Moines
Algona, Kossuth co. Iowa
June 27, 1944
Activities of Burt Soldiers and Sailors
~Seaman 2-c Paul Miller left for the west coast to
report for duty the last of the week. He had spent his three
weeks leave with his parents, the Earl Millers. Seaman Miller has
been in the service about a year.
~Seaman 1-c Joe Higgins left Tuesday for the Great Lakes Naval
Training Station after spending a few weeks leave with his family
and other relatives in and near here.
~Storekeeper 2-c Robert Moore left Thursday evening for the west
coast to report for duty. He had spent his leave with his
parents, the Robert Moores. Wednesday evening the Glen Raneys,
Mrs. Cora Raney and Mrs. Newton Heiter, Algona, called at the
Moore home to visit Bobby.
~Pvt. Richard Smith arrived from Fort Knox, Ky., Saturday morning
to spend his furlough with his parents, the K. J. Smiths. Pvt.
Smith will go to Fort Meade, Md., at the end of his furlough.
~Pfc. Richard Green, his mother and three sisters were calling on
relatives at Swea City and Titonka Tuesday and Wednesday.
~Wallace Officer is spending his leave with his parents here.
Seaman Officer has been taking training at the Normal university,
Bloomington, Ill.
~ Pvt. Kenneth Hutzel has written his parents that he is
somewhere in England.
~Pvt. Veryl Dean Baas arrived last Thursday morning from Norfolk,
Va., to spend his furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert
Baas. Pvt. Baas is in the air corps.
~S. Sgt. J. Dolliver Peters came Tuesday to spend a ten day
furlough with his wife and baby, his parents W. T. Peters, and
other relatives. Sgt. Peters has been stationed at Bleuthenthal
Field, N.C.
~Pfc. Wayne Schichtl, who was awarded the Purple Heart in Italy
recently, sent it home to his mother, Mrs. Lou Schichtl. He
received the award in May and his mother received it Saturday.
~Pvt. Edward Payne has been in the hospital at Camp Crowder, Mo.,
for several months and now has a convalescent furlough, which he
is spending with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Payne
[transcribed by L.Z., May 2016]