Iowa Old Press
LeMars Globe-Post
October 1, 1945
FREED JAP CAPTIVE IS HEARD FROM
Before the war, a kid named John J. Karmann worked on various farms around Merrill, Iowa, and among his employers was Frank Albright. After the boy was in the army, Mr. Albright used to write to him, and occasionally sent him copies of The Globe-Post, just to keep him “right and early” on local happenings.
But after the fall of Corregidor, Pfc. John Karmann was not heard from again. Today, however, Mr. Albright received the following letter dated, Sept. 12:
“Dear Friend Frank: I am at last a free man again, and I can write to whom and whatever I want. I hope you are feeling pretty good, and that Butch got through the war O. K.
“I was a P. O. W. in various camps in the Philippine Islands until October 1, 1944, and spent the rest of the time in a northern Formosa camp until my release on Sept. 1, 1945, by the U. S. Marines. I had been captured when Corregidor fell on May 7, 1942.
“I was given a blood transfusion (by the Marines; not the Japs) and flown by plane to Manila. At the time I weighted only 114 pounds . . . Well, I will write you more later as I get my health back. I am very sick and weak. The main thing is to let you know I am still alive, and hope to see you in a few months.
_ _ _Affectionately your friend, Pfc. John J. Karmann, 312 General Hospital, APO 75, Manila, P. I."
LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, October 23, 1945
NEWS of the Boys in the Service.
~Cpl. Melvin Bollin, who has been in Schick hospital at Clinton, Iowa, most of the time since his return from overseas, is in LeMars on a 45-day furlough after which he will report to Fort Sam Houston in Texas. “Barney” is a paratrooper and was captured in the invasion of Sicily and held a prisoner until the war ended. Since his return, he has spent most of his time in the hospital from which he was released last week.
~Among the local men returning from overseas last week were Major James Wernli, who arrived in Boston Saturday, and T/5 Alvin F. Ploef, who arrived in New York City, Sunday.
~Cpl. George O. Delair, son of Mr. and Mrs. George H. DeLair, Bentonsport, Iowa, and husband of Mrs. Evelyn M. DeLair, LeMars, Iowa, has been honorably discharged from the Army Air Forces, it was announced at the separation center recently. His last duty station was San Marcos Army Air Field, a unit of the AAF Training Command. Mrs. DeLair is living in LeMars with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gus Danne.
~James Russell Bowers, son of Major and Mrs. Russell S. Bowers of 629 Central Avenue, LeMars, has been promoted from first lieutenant to captain in his staff section of the 31st Infantry division in Mindanao, where he is now stationed. Captain Bowers, who left the University of Iowa in 1942 to enter the army at Camp Roberts, California, as an infantry lieutenant, now has 20 months overseas to his credit. He rose from an infantry platoon leader through battalion staff work to his division staff assignment in operations. He holds the Combat Infantryman badge, Asiatic-Pacific and Philippines Liberation ribbons and a bronze arrowhead for the assault landing on Morotai Island in September, 1944.
~Cpl. Eldon Small arrived Saturday from Homestead, Florida, to spend a furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Avery Small of Akron.
~Arnold Albert Johansen, S1/c, route 3, LeMars, Iowa, stationed on Guam, served on an Advanced Base Sectional Drydock, a great floating shipyard which repaired 94 fighting ships in less than seven months. The ABSD repaired four battleships, two cruisers, and an aircraft carrier, getting them back in the fight in a fraction of the time it would have taken the vessels to return to a shipyard in Hawaii or the States. One day 11 ships were in the dock.
~Technician Fifth Grade Morse Hoorneman, arrived home over the weekend for a ten day delay enroute, with his family and friends in LeMars. Morse, who has been stationed at Camp Adair, Oregon, is now on his way to Camp Pickett, Virginia.
LeMars Globe-Post
October 29, 1945
AKRON MAN OUT OF JAP PRISON
Jake Dague left Monday for Milwaukee, Wis., to visit his daughter and other relatives and to await the arrival of his son, Lawrence Dague, of the U.S. Navy, at the Great Lakes naval training station from Japan, where he was released from a prison camp a few weeks ago, says the Akron Register-Tribune.
Lawrence graduated from Akron high school with the Class of 1938 in May of that year and soon thereafter enlisted in the Navy, being assigned to submarine service. Early in the war with Japan, his ship was sunk in the South Pacific and he and some other members of the crew were captured by the Japs and committed to a prison camp. He remained a war prisoner until VJ-day. During the intervening years his father received an occasional postcard from Lawrence in Japan, but was permitted to give very scan information regarding himself. Lawrence has written and wired his father since his recent arrival on the west coast, advising that he is well and all right and that he will be seeing him very soon, after about seven years absence from home.