Iowa Old Press
Sioux City Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co., Iowa
January 1, 1942
Word Is Received of Sioux Cityans in Fighting Zone
~Charles M. McClaren, 1022 Douglas Street, received a card from
his son, Robert L. McClaren, a warrant officer stationed on a
ship in the Pacific, stating that he “was O.K. and very
busy.” The son did not state where his ship was. The father
stated that the card had been censored.
“Everything is fine” at barracks near Pearl Harbor and
the field artillery men are eager for a chance to strike back at
the Japanese, William H. McFadden, Sioux City boy and a nephew of
Mrs. Clarence Martin, 912 ½ Grandview Boulevard, said in the
letter to Mrs. Martin mailed in Honolulu the day after Christmas.
Mrs. Martin received the letter Wednesday.
~Robert Wheeler, son of Mrs. Harry Shoglund, 2000 Division
Street, was safe in Manila on December 19, he informed his mother
by cable. Mr. Wheeler, who has lived in Manila for 15 years, is
with the army engineer’s corps. His wife and their two
children also reside in the bombed capital of the Philippines.
~Cadet Roger Nelson Potter, son of James N. Potter, 4504 Third
Avenue, has entered the Corpus Christi naval air station, Texas,
to begin a seven-month training program toward receiving his
commission. He passed elimination tests and made his first solo
at the St. Louis, Missouri base. Cadet Potter was graduated from
the University of Iowa law college in June, and enlisted in the
navy July 9.
[transcribed by C.S.., March 2018]
The Sioux City Sunday Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co., Iowa
January 11, 1942
Father and Son War Repeaters — Veterans of World War
No. 1 Have Sons in Service Now — Reporter Finds Nine Such
Combinations — May Be More.
By Don Pinkston.
Like father, like son, even unto war and the defense of
democracy. Uniforms are somewhat different—smarter looking
these days, the legionnaires of ’17 and ’18
admit—the army rides more, the air arm is more important and
a few others things have changed. But there’s many an
American father today can look at his son and know his thoughts.
Dad went through it, back in another day when the United States
went to war against an aggressor in the world.
Since world war No. 1 and world war No. 2 came only a generation
apart, never before in American history have so many soldiers and
sailors had veteran-fathers back home. Sioux City has its quota
of those father and son patriots and undoubtedly will have more.
There’s Edwin Bramble, 520 Ninth street, a switchman at the
Northwestern Bell Telephone company, who earned a distinguished
service cross in the first world conflict. He got it, said Mr.
Bramble modestly, for “going out to repair telephone
lines,” but the citation reads, “for maintaining lines
of communication under heavy bombardment.” The occasion was
the first day of the terrible battle of the Argonne, the battle
which broke the back of German resistance and enabled Americans
to celebrate Armistice day. Mr. Bramble was wounded at the time.
Now there’s another Bramble serving Uncle Sam—Wayne, 20
year-old son of the decorated lineman of the war of 1917-18.
Wayne is a sergeant in the air corps, serving as a mechanic, and
is stationed at an airport on the west coast.
--
The son of Leon Newell, 1618 Pierce street, former V. F. W.
commander here, following his father into the navy. Mr. Newell, a
city assessor, served on the U.S.S. Huron, a former German liner,
in transport service during world war No. 1. His son, Duane
Howard Newell, 18, is in the navy aboard a United States
destroyer. He’s at home now on furlough.
--
Tom Roan, 1215 River drive, operates a garage in Riverside.
During the war, he was in the Seventh engineers corps and spent
18 months overseas, being at the front of five months without
relief at one period. His son, Robert, 19, went into the air
corps signal branch and last wrote his parents that he was
located at a west coast airport.
--
Up at the offices of draft board 2, Guy Nettleton, chief clerk,
is sending Sioux City youths into the armed services with good
conscience because his son, Jack, is in the navy, a pharmacist
mage located at a hospital in the state of Washington. During the
first world war, Mr. Nettleton was at an officers’ training
school at Camp Pike, Ark. Before the United States declared war
on the central powers, he was assigned to Mexican border duty at
Brownsville, Tex., while the United States was chasing Villa.
--
Roy Fox, 2221 S. Judd street, running his grocery store at 701 W.
Third street, remembers his world war experiences while his son,
Melvin, 18, is away in the new war, located with an armored
division in Kentucky. His father served in the famed Rainbow
division, which went through the Argonne. He was wounded once
slightly and gassed considerably.
--
Two employees of the city sewer service have sons in the new war.
Arthur F. Moran, 17, is in the navy, and his father, who livest
as 2529 E. Second street, was overseas in the ground services of
the naval air corps. He spent most of his time in Italy and
France.
--
David Rusie, 18, a quartermaster at an army camp in Wyoming, is
the stepson of William Rusie, 1609 Riverside boulevard, who also
was in the air ground service during the last war, located at
Brest, France. David is “like a real son” to Mr. Rusie,
who raised him “from a pup,” he said, but the lad had
to assume his own surname, Gembler, when his service began.
--
E. M. Pepper, 3114 Davis street, was a corporal at an
officers’ training school in world war No. 1. His son, Don
R. Pepper, 21, is an army sergeant at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana,
but has passed air corps examinations and is awaiting call to
that branch of the service.
--
J. M. Schroeder, 608 Main street, an employee of the parks
department, has a son, Mark J. Schroeder, 21, in a gun division
on the west coast. The father was a member of the 34th aerial
squadron in the first world war and served overseas. Mark’s
home is in East Grand Forks, Minn.
--
Others there probably are and more to come later as the
nation’s resources are flung at the axis powers in answer to
their challenge of world conquest and world terror. And the
nation’s resources include many sons, even as it included
those other youths of 20-odd years ago, sons themselves at that
time and fathers now. These days the comment is
frequent—“I’d rather go myself again.” But it
is strong youth the nation’s armed forces need, not the
dads, who, therefore, must stay at home with memories and
understanding.
One dad didn’t stay at home.
JOHN W. SPRAY, 3105 Military road, who was 50 years old on
December 26, got so mad over the Pearl Harbor attack that he
joined the navy. He was angry partially because his son, Averill,
18, was at Pearl Harbor. Mr. Spray passed examinations with
flying colors and was sent to the Great Lakes naval training
station near Chicago, where he became an engineer first class.
Now his family at home, looking over affairs that the father left
behind has learned that dad will join son at Pearl Harbor. How,
is a military secret.
--
Thomas Nooney, 1007 Ninth street, was overseas with the 102d
engineers, and now his son, Robert C. Nooney, 20, has enlisted in
the navy and is awaiting call.
--
Edwin D. Bramble, distinguished service veteran, and his son,
Sergeant Wayne S. Bramble, of the army air corps.
Thomas D. Roan, veteran of the front lines in world war No. 1,
and his son, Robert Roan, now serving at a west coast army
airport.
Roy Fox, veteran of the famed Rainbow division, and his son,
Melvin Fox, new in an army armored unit.
William Rusie, A. E. F. veteran, and his stepson, David Rusie,
now in the army quartermaster corps.
Leon B. Newell, veteran of the world war transport service, and
his son, Duane Newell, who also joined the navy.
John W. Spray, 50-year-old war veteran, who joined the navy so he
could be with his son, Averill Spray, who was at Pearl Harbor at
the time of the Jap attack.
Arthur F. Moran, overseas veteran of 1918, and his son, Arthur,
jr., who also chose to serve in the navy.
Guy Nettleton, chief clerk of draft board 2, and a world war army
veteran, points to the map to show his son, Jack, where he served
on the Mexican border. Jack, meanwhile, points to the state of
Washington, where he is stationed with a navy unit. Jack was home
on furlough at the time.
[transcribed by L.Z., March 2019]