OSAGE -- Gene Weldin, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Erv Weldin, north of Osage, has begun his work in deep sea diving at the Ottumwa naval base, and hopes to have an opportunity soon to enter submarine service. He has two service bars -- European and South Pacific, and one battle star.

Gene Weldin recently spent a furlough at home, the first time for more thantwo years. He enlisted in the regular navy in 1942 for a 6-year period. He was first with the merchant marine and made trips to Scotland, England, and Russia. He made several trips to the West Indies and one trip took them to Egypt where he remained for six months. On the return trip the Germans bombed the convoy and the ship directly behind him was blown to bits.

After Pearl Harbor, he switched from the merchant marine to the amphibious forces and took rugged training in Maryland and later on Mare Island. He was sent to new Guinea and from there from one island to another, remaining no more than two months on each.

When the invasion of Borneo came, the amphibious boys donned diving suits and cleared the coast of mines, going ahead of the landing troops, and thus saving many lives. Prior to the invasion by the Japs in 1941 there were happy days on the care-free island, owned by the British and Dutch, but that was all changed when the Japs took over.

"Before our invasion, there were many beautiful buildings, but after the battle of Balikpapan, the territory was a sorry site," says the veteran, "and the natives were like walking skeletons. Many of them had terrible sores on their skins."

Balikpapan in the Dutch section of Borneo is a refinery center, much coveted for its richness. The Japs struck the island, primarily for its rich source of petroleum, although it is rich in rubber, hard woods, copra, cocoanuts, hemp, sage, pepper, iron, and coal not even mined.

  Mason City Globe-Gazette,
      April 6, 1946.