Iowa
Old Press
Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune
Muscatine, Muscatine co., Iowa
Annual Edition
Wednesday, December 30, 1942
NAVY ISSUES FIRST “CASUALTY” LISTS.
The Navy’s first official casualty list, issued on
the 5th, contained the names of Arthur Anthony Bersch and David
Alonzo Leedy.
This was the first of a series of “official reports”
which came to next of kin during the month.
Word came to Mr. and Mrs. Bruce S. Watson, 114 Park avenue on the
9th that their son, Bruce E. Watson, 26, was missing in action.
A Navy list on the 11th reported John Dale Grunder, apprentice
seaman, and son of John Albert Grunder of Wilton was among 35
Iowans who were wounded during the period from Dec. 17, 1941 to
April 15, 1942.
Another Navy casualty list on the 15th listed as “missing in
action” Earl Hinman, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Hinman of
Muscatine Island; Glen Allen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Allen of
Wapello; Charles Odle, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Odle of Wapello;
and John D. Musser, jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Musser, sr.
of Lone Tree.
On the 19th came the announcement that Leroy Vernon Murphy,
former Muscatine high school student was a prisoner of war, held
by the Japs at Shanghai, China. The message was dispatched to his
mother, Mrs. Edith Hals of North English.
The tragic death of Norman Arthur Kleist, 33, fireman first
class, in the U. S. Navy, caused from head injuries while the
young man was on authorized leave was revealed in a Navy dispatch
to his parents on the 27th. Death had occurred on May 23, the
dispatch read.
Messages of DEATH, Word of Valiant Soldiers, Sailors
“Missing in Action,” Brought Sadness to Families Here
“The Navy deeply regrets……”
Messages addressed to a number of Muscatine county parents or
next of kin of men in the service of their country, carrying this
sad phrase or one similar to it from army or marine corps
officials, have brought sorrow to a number of homes in this area
in the slightly more than 12 months since Dec. 7, 1941, when the
Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor and Manila. Muscatine county me
gave their lives for their country in that initial attack, which
plunged the nation into a globe girdling war.
In Thick of Fight.
Muscatine county men have figured in most of the history
making engagements which have been recorded since that date. Some
have escaped, unharmed, but in other cases, engagements with the
enemy have been followed by official notices of men either killed
in action, missing in action, or taken prisoner and gold stars
have replaced those of blue on service flags in the community.
At least two of those who gave their lives while in the service
of their country, Norman Kleist, of the navy killed in a foreign
port while on authorized leave, and Ensign L. C. Ziegler, a
native of this city, killed in the crash of a naval training
plane in Florida, were buried in Muscatine cemeteries.
The war was less than a month underway when the first notices of
casualties were received in this community.
Met Death At Outset.
The same month which saw the attack on Pearl Harbor
brought word to the parents of Arthur A. Bersch and David A.
Leedy at this city that their sons were missing in action. Both
had been in the navy at that port. Bersch was a seaman first
class. Leedy was a fire controlman, second class.
In March, the parents of Earl E. Hinman, in service with the
navy, were advised that he was missing in action in the Pacific
war theater. Hinman was a seaman, first class.
In May, Bruce E. Watson, seaman first class, who had been in
service in the Philippines area, was reported missing in action,
the navy informed his parents. The possibility was noted that he
might ave been taken prisoner in the navy department
notification.
Later the same month, Norman Kleist, fireman first class,
succumbed in a foreign port, the navy advised, while on
authorized leave.
Wartime casualties increased sharply in June, as the result of
naval action in the Pacific war zone, with official notice
received June 20, that two Muscatine sailors had been killed in
action and that a third was missing.
Served On Same Ship.
All had been in service aboard the same destroyer, which
had figured in the Coral Sea engagement, and which was officially
announced as lost subsequently by the Navy department.
Officially listed as killed in the action were Walter Gesell and
Robert C. Richardson; Warren Richardson, cousin of Robert and who
had enlisted at the same time, was reported as missing.
In July, Lt. Howard Connor, who had been in service in the army
air corps in the Philippines, was reported missing in action.
Approximately five months later, in December, official word was
received that he was a prisoner of war.
Capt. Cecil L. Forinash, of the army air corps, listed in August
as missing in a report to Villa Forinash of Conesville, a
brother, was subsequently reported held as a Jap prisoner of war.
This information was received in December.
In September, Stanley E. Gregory, of West Liberty, seaman first
class, was reported missing in action. He had been serving aboard
a destroyer in the Pacific war theater. He was the first reported
casualty from the West Liberty community.
Early this month, the death in action of John Dale Grunder, of
Wilton, seaman first class, was reported to his parents. Grunder,
who had previously been reported injured in action at Pearl
Harbor, had seen service on the U. S. cruiser San Francisco,
which although seriously crippled in an engagement which cost the
lives of the ship’s senior officers, subsequently put in at
a west coast naval base for repairs.
Others Make Sacrifice.
Several former residents of Muscatine, as well as those
of adjoining counties, have also been officially set down upon
war casualty lists, emphasizing further the tragic side of
warfare.
Glen Lewis Allen, Wapello, seaman second class, was listed as
missing in March.
Names of two Lone Tree men, in naval service, appeared on
casualty lists. Creighton H. Workman lost his life in the Pearl
Harbor attack. He was a seaman, first class. Notice that John D.
Musser, machinist’s mate, second class, was missing in
action, was received in April.
Thomas A. Moore, a native of Columbus Junction, in service in the
navy, was listed as missing in action in September.
Also listed as missing in action in the first U.S. merchant
marine casualty list was Edward E. Eads, of New Boston, Ills.
Former Residents Included.
Two former Muscatine residents were listed as missing in action,
and a third as a Japanese prisoner, relatives here were informed.
Henry S. Winslow, who graduated from high school here in 1939, a
nephew of Mrs. James Halbert, who had been in service in the
Philippines, was listed with the missing following the fall of
Corregidor.
David Clark Wren, aviation machinist’s mate third class in
the Navy, who attended grade school here but later moved to
California, was also reported missing, the Navy Department
informed his father, Joseph C. Wren, 207 ½ East Second street,
on August 16.
Leroy Vernon Murphy, who attended high school here in 1934 and
1935 and had been in service with the marines, was listed as
prisoner of war, his grandfather, P. E. Axtell, 717 East Sixth
street, was advised in May. He was being held in a Chinese camp.
Earl Frederick Bonjour, seaman second class in the Navy, was
reported missing on Sept. 1, less than a month after visiting at
the home of his father-in-law, L. K. Stalkfleet, 1119 Logan
street, on a furlough. Bonjour had been recalled to destroyer
duty on Aug. 13.
More Gold Stars.
Gold stars were placed on other service flags in this
locality too, for nephews and brothers who gave their lives.
Paul Roy Hanson, fireman second class in the navy, a former
resident of Nichols, was reported missing in September. An aunt,
Mrs. Ray Swickard, 1114 Mulberry avenue, was advised.
Evan F. Gluba of Keithsburg, Ill., brother of Everett Gluba, 612
Woodlawn and Mrs. Kenneth Waight, 415 West Sixth street, in
service with the navy as an aviation ordnanceman, second class,
was reported killed in action on Feb. 16, according to
information received in June. Burial was at sea, the message
said.
Raymond Weak, brother of Mrs. James Barclay of West Liberty, was
missing in action while in service with the navy, Mrs. Barclay
was informed in September.
A message on May 14 from the navy department told of the death of
Charles T. Odle, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Odle of Wapello. He
joined the U.S. Navy in 1940 just after graduation from the
Grandview high school and was trained in California and Hawaii
before joining the fleet in the Pacific theater.
[transcription note — 14 individual photos of the servicemen were published with this news article - transcribed by L.Z., November 2014]