Iowa Old Press
LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, April 4,1944
PVT. EUGENE KEIHN REPORTED MISSING IN ITALIAN AREA
Wife Notified By Secretary Of War Department
Mrs. Eugene Keihn of LeMars received a telegram Thursday night from Washington D. C., saying “The Secretary of the War Department desires to express his deep regret that your husband, Private Eugene P. Keihn, has been reported missing in action since February 16, in Italy. Letter will follow. Acting Adj. General Dunlap.”
Mrs. Keihn received a letter dated February 14 from her husband in which he stated he was well. Private Keihn was home on furlough last October.
Private Keihn known to his friends as “Chink” was a sophomore at Western Union college after graduating from the LeMars high school. While at school and college he was prominent in athletics and a member of the football team and also played in the LeMars high school band. After induction into the Army, March 18, last year, he was sent to Camp Dodge and was successively at Camp Robinson, Ark., Camp Young, California, Shelby, Miss., and Fort Meade, Maryland, before going overseas. He left for overseas, November 18, and was a member of Company E, 157th Infantry. He was in action at Casablanca and went to Italy, January 13.
He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Keihn of this city and has four brothers in service: Raymond Keihn, second class seaman in the cold storage department, Corpus Christi, Texas; LeRoy Keihn, boatswain’s mate off the coast of California; Edward Keihn, first class seaman on board the U.S.S. Nassau, in the Pacific; and Charles “Billy” Keihn, second class seaman on board the U.S.S. Belleau Wood.
Unknown publication, but likely one of the LeMars Iowa newspapers, dated in April 1944.
LeMars Soldier Believed To Have Been on Anzio Beach Head
The War Department Thursday night notified Mrs. Keihn that her husband, Pvt. Eugene P. Keihn, better known here as “Chink” was missing in action. The telegram states:
“The secretary of war desires me to express his deep regret that your husband, Pvt. Eugene P. Keihn, has been reported missing in action since February 16 in Italy. Letter follows. ~Dunlop, Acting Adjutant General.”
Pvt. Keihn spent a furlough in LeMars, coming home on convalescent leave on October 18, last year, following an operation. He completed a year in the service on March 18. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Keihn, of this city and married to the former Betty Papenhausen.
Pvt. Keihn returned to camp on October 26, and was shipped to No. Africa with a replacement group. His wife believes that he was fighting on the Anzio beach head, as in one of his letters he mentioned another soldier who was known to have been in that vicinity.
Mr. and Mrs. Keihn have five sons in the service. Four boys are in the Navy. They are: Edward, seaman first class, somewhere in the Pacific; LeRoy, chief Bos’n mage, San Francisco; Raymond, ship’s cook, second class, Corpus Christi, Tex.; Billy, seaman second class, Pacific area; and Pvt. Eugene Keihn, in the Army.
LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, April 7, 1944
Name Destroyer Escort In Honor of Harold J. Mack
Mother of Youth Is Designated As Sponsor of Ship
Mrs. Gertrude Mack, 2733 ½ Gilroy Street, Los Angeles, California, formerly of LeMars, has been designated as sponsor for the USS MACK, a destroyer escort, named in honor of her son, the late Harold John Mack, gunner’s mate second class. USN Mack was reported missing in action August 9, 1942, and declared officially dead on August 10, 1943.
The USS MACK is scheduled to be launched at the plant of the Consolidated Steel Corporation, limited, shipbuilding division, Orange, Texas, on April 11, 1944.
Harold Mack was born in LeMars, Iowa, December 29, 1917. He enlisted in the navy at Des Moines, Iowa, on May 18, 1938, and had continuous service advancing through the enlisted ratings to that of gunner’s mate second class, which he attained February 1, 1942. He received the Good Conduct medal the same year.
Mack has been awarded the navy cross posthumously with the following citation:
“For extraordinary heroism as gun captain aboard the USS Vincennes during action against enemy Japanese forces off Savo Island on August 9, 1942. While his ship was fighting desperately for her life against a concentrated bombardment of hostile torpedoes and shellfire, Mack, under a veritable hail of exploding shells, grimly stood by his station in the 5-inch battery and directed the fire. Struck down at the height of battle and painfully incapacitated by grave wounds in both legs, he propped himself upright against the bulkhead behind his mount and there, with tenacious devotion to duty and almost superhuman endurance, continued directing his gun in local control. When the vessel was eventually put out of action and had to be abandoned, he was placed in a life packet and lowered over the side. His courageous fighting spirit maintained with utter disregard of personal safety was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States naval service.”
Mack also has been awarded the Purple Heart medal posthumously and is entitled to the American defense service medal, with Bronze A, and the Asiatic-Pacific area campaign medal.
LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, April 11, 1944
Lieut. R. Kempker Home On Leave From War Front
Credited With Many Flights In Aerial Corps
Following three years active service in the Army, First Lieutenant Robert (Bob) Kempker arrived at his home in LeMars, Saturday night on a furlough and will visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Kempker, for several weeks. Lieut. Kempker arrived in New York, Monday of last week from England, where he is a member of the Eighth Army air corps. He is credited with completing twenty-five bombing missions, the last one he participated in being over Berlin.
Lieut. Kempker has been awarded the distinguished service cross and the air medal with four oak leaf clusters. He is credited with shooting down an Me-109 German fighter during a mission to Oschersleben, Germany. In addition to the Oschersleben mission on which he scored an aerial victory over the Me-109, Kempker lists among some of his toughest missions the great attack on Schweinfurt, October 14, and the long flight to Anklam, Germany.
Lieut. Kempker was a member of Company K and left with the company in February, 1941, for Camp Claiborne, La. He was ordered overseas in August of last year.
When his leave is out he is ordered to report at Miami Beach, Florida. He has three brothers in the service. Lieut. Edward Kempker, who has been reported missing since November 5 and is supposed to be a prisoner of war.
Staff Sergeant Gerald Kempker is a gunner on a Liberator somewhere in the South Pacific near the Gilbert Islands and has been decorated for gallant service and awarded the distinguished flying cross and air medal with two oak leaf clusters.
Staff Sergeant Paul Kempker is attached to the new Rainbow division and is at present stationed in Camp Gruber, Oklahoma.
Another brother, Corporal Jack Kempker, paid the supreme sacrifice, being killed in battle in Italy last October.
The LeMars Globe-Post, April 13, 1944
The Chas. Ewin family had a letter from their son, Vernon Ewin, writing on March 20. In the letter he wrote that he is now stationed on the Anzio beachhead. He also wrote that he had been assigned to the same company as Gene Keihn, but he hadn’t see Gene. Gene Keihn was reported missing on March 16.
Mrs. A. R. Becker, who has been receiving medical treatment at the Sacred Heart Hospital, is reported to be much improved. He son, Pvt. Robert Becker, who has been home on furlough from Camp Yuma, Ariz., and who was scheduled to return to a camp in New Jersey today, was granted a five-day furlough extension.
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M-SGT EDWIN VAN GOOR MUCH SURPRISED TO MEET HIS BROTHER
And Discovers That Floyd Rounds Is Also On New Guinea
M/Sgt. Edwin Van Goor, writing from New Guinea, informs a member of The Globe-Post staff that the world isn’t so large at that. His letter contains interesting material and is printed in full. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Van Goor, former LeMars residents, now living at Vermillion. The letter follows:
Dear Jerry:
I’m still waiting for an answer to that last letter I wrote you a few months past but since I haven’t heard from you I will get busy and drop you a few lines to give you my new address or at least the APO number since the rest of the address remains the same.
“Business Opportunity”
I’m having an awful hard time getting the famous “Globe-Post,” as very few seem to come through. Today I received the copy of Dec. 9th and a few days ago the one of August 6th, so you can see that they come in far apart but even at that I pick up a little news that I didn’t know of before or the folks didn’t write about. Since the last time I wrote you, I have been on a 15-day furlough down to Melbourne, Australia, and for the first time in over six months I had all the beer I wanted, as far as that goes it was the first beer I had in all that time as anything stronger than water is seldom seen up here. Of course, they have some Merchant Seaman who handle some through the “Black Market” as it is called over here, but it is just plain bootlegging where I come from and they certainly stick it to you. For a quart of fair whisky it costs about five or six pounds or approximately $18.00 which is just about $15.00 too much as far as I am concerned. I had a very nice rest on my leave and ate all the ice cream and steak that was available. Well’s Dairy could make a fortune in New Guinea on ice cream as well as milk, which is a critical item at present. Anyway I had a very nice time and had a good rest and feel like I can take a few more months up here.
Joe Drops In
I had a very pleasant surprise the 7th of this month, when my young brother Joe Van Goor dropped in to see me for a few days. He is stationed about 200 miles from here and came down by plan after breakfast and was here in time for dinner the same day. Naturally it was very nice to be able to visit with your brother so many thousand miles away from home and we made good use of the short visit and hope to do the same again when either one of us can get away. The real coincidence happened the morning I took him out to the strip to catch a plane. After we parked the jeep, I loved over to a car parked some distance away and who should be sitting in it but Floyd Rounds, formerly of LeMars, who if you recall worked at the dairy as well as the bakery. It was really quite a surprise to see him as I hadn’t heard of his being over here and don’t think he wasn’t surprised to see us, especially when the two of us were together. I found out that he is stationed about five miles down the road so that night I went down and picked him up and we spent the evening together talking about everyone and everything that went on while we were both living at home.
Now Master Sergeant
The same night he was over here I received a copy of the orders promoting me to Master Sergeant which pleased me very much and I am very happy to receive it. Now my only worry is to keep it but I don’t think that will be too hard, at least I hope not.
I am enclosing a copy of our official newspaper called the “Guinea Gold” which comes out every day and does give a pretty good collection of the news. I think everyone looks forward to it coming in and work stops until after every one has read it. I thought you would like to have a copy for a little souvenir of New Guinea, also it will give you an idea of what type of newspaper they print up here.
Well, Jerry, I guess this is about all the current news for this time, but I assure you that I will have to have an answer from you before I will write you again. Give my regards to all the fellows and good luck. Your friend, VAN
LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, April 14, 1944
NEWS of the Boys in the Service.
Staff Sergeant Gerald Kempker, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Kempker, arrived home Tuesday. He will be here a week. Sgt. Kempker, is attached to the new Rainbow division and is at present stationed in Camp Gruber, Oklahoma.
Among a list of promotions issued this week by the War Department, Second Lieutenant Albert M. Wiltgen of LeMars is promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. Lieut. Wiltgen is a member of the ferry command and was stationed at Memphis, Tenn., the last time his parents, Mr. and Mrs. N. W. Wiltgen, heard from him.
Master Sergeant Henry Poeckes, who is with the army in the Solomons, writes that a few days ago he met Lieut. Will Hodam, who had more recently been assigned to duty in that part of the world.
Sgt. Milo C. Bellmyer, with two years service in England as an aerial engineer, arrived in Remsen to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Bellmyer, and also visited his uncle, L. C. Bellmyer, in LeMars. The visit came as a surprise and was not announced until the soldier had reached American shores. The trip to the eastern seaboard was made by plane, with a crew of seven men who brought home some supplies and who are returning to England with an exchange of war necessities.
[All of the above April 1944 news articles transcribed by L.Z., Mar 2020]