MEN AND WOMEN IN SERVICE
Private Charles (“Chuck”) Dirr, son of Charles H. Dirr, 4505 Fifth avenue; Private Howard G. (“Rud”) Peterson, 2120 S. Glass street; Private Wilbur V. Jacobson, 4406 Fourth avenue; Private Robert C. Roberts, son of Homer Roberts, 1609 Helmer street; Private John E. Carlin, son of Edward Carlin, 2808 Boies street; Private George G. Birmingham, son of Edward H. Birmingham, 2823 Pierce street; Private Franklin L. Nelson, 1229 S. Paxton avenue; and Private Vincent G. Nagy, son of Martin Nagy, 3640 Summit street, are training in the V-12 program of the Navy at the University of Notre Dame as part of a marine detachment.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, August 10, 1943
Corporal Jack R. Birmingham, aerial gunner in the Marine aviation corps, is spending a 30-day furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Birmingham, 2823 Pierce street, his first visit home since he entered service 22 months ago. Eighteen of those month he spent in the Pacific area. He wears an action star for participation in the battle of Midway island.
Also home on furlough is a sister, Loretta Birmingham, technician fifth grade and a physical education and recreation instructor of WACS at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Sergeant Melvin J. Birmingham, a brother, is with the Army air corps in England and another brother, Private George G. Birmingham, a member of the Marine Corps reserve, is a student at Notre Dame university, South Bend, Ind.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, October 18, 1943
E. BIRMINGHAM WAR CASUALTY
Wounded in Germany Parents Here Are Informed
Pfc. Edward J. Birmingham, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Birmingham, 2823 Pierce street, was wounded in action in Germany on January 13, according to word received from the War Department. His wife and three children, formerly of Sioux City, now lived in Newcastle, Neb.
Pfc. Birmingham has been in service since February 14, 1944. He received train’ at Camp Croft, S.C., and has been overseas since October, 1944. He was with the 78th Lightning division of the First army.
He has three brothers, a sister and two brothers-in-law also in service…Pfc. George, marine corps in the South Pacific; S. Sgt. Melvin, who has been in England nearly three years; Pfc. Loretta, a WAC, now in Cairo, Egypt; Pfc. Jack, a marine now home on furlough following 18 months overseas; Lt. James Casey of San Antonio, Tex, and S. Sgt. Randolph Dickinson, husband of Pfc. Loretta, also in Cairo.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, February 8, 1945
FORMER TRINITY STAR IS KILLED
Pfc. George Birmingham Meets Death at Iwo Jima
Pfc. George G. Birmingham, 21, of the United States marines, son of Collector of Internal Revenue and Mrs. E. H. Birmingham, 2823 Pierce street, was killed in action on Iwo Jima, March 5.
A telegram bearing this news came Wednesday to Mr. Birmingham from Lt. Gen. A. A. Vandegrift, United States marine corps commandant, with headquarters in Washington. It said young Birmingham ad died “in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country,” and extended the sympathy of the commandant.
The news was broken to the young man’s mother at St. Joseph’s hospital, where she has been a patient for two weeks, recovering from an operation. She bore up bravely under the shock.
Three other sons and a daughter are serving in the armed forces.
In Original Action.
Young Birmingham participated in the original landing on Iwo Jima, February 19, took part in the fiercest of the fighting on the beaches and escaped without harm. In a letter dated March 2, he said he was writing from a foxhole, that he was “all right so far,” but that “things are breaking tough.” He added: “Don’t worry too much.” Two days later he was dead.
George Birmingham was born October 6, 1923, in Sioux City. He was the youngest son of the family. He was graduated from the eighth grade in Blessed Sacrament school and from Trinity high school in 1942. At Trinity he was a football, basketball and track star. He made the All-State basketball team in 1942.
In the fall of 1942, he entered Notre Dame University. He played on the freshman football team there. Soon after arriving at Notre Dame, he enlisted in the Marines as a V-12 student. In 1943, he left for the marine base at San Diego, and he left San Diego in 1944 for Hawaii. From Hawaii he went to Iwo Jima as a member of the Fifth division.
Others in Service.
Three brothers of the deceased young marine in the service are as follows: Staff Sgt. Melvin J. Birmingham, with the air corps in France; Pfc. Edward J. Birmingham, who has been twice wounded in action in Germany and who now is in a hospital in England; Cpl. Jack Birmingham, also a marine, who was 18 months in the Pacific area, where he saw action at Midway and other points, and now is stationed at Santa Ana, Cal. A sister, Pfc. Loretta Birmingham Dickinson, is a WAC at Cairo, Egypt, where her husband, Staff Sgt. Belden Dickinson, also is stationed.
Another sister, Frances (Mrs. James Casey) is at San Antonio, with her husband, Lt. James Casey. A third sister, Miss Mildred Birmingham, and another brother, William E. Birmingham, live in Sioux City.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, March 29, 1945 (photo included)
Private funeral services for PFC, George G Birmingham, son of Edward H. Birmingham, 2823 Pierce Street, Iowa collector of Internal Revenue, who was killed March 5, 1945, on Iwo Jima, were held Wednesday afternoon at Larkin’s funeral home. Rev. Newman Flanagan of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church officiates. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery.
Pallbearers were John Joynt, Charles Diehl, William Clemens, James Enright, Michael Noonan, Donald O’Brien, Patrick Callahan, Joseph Gillham and Donald Murphy.
Military rites at the cemetery were conducted by members of the Marine Corps.
The body arrived here Wednesday.
PFC Birmingham was born October 6, 1923 in Sioux City. He was graduated from Trinity High school in 1942 and attended the University of Notre Dame two years before enlisting in the Marines. His mother died here September 23, 1948.
Survivors besides his father are four brothers, William, Melvin, Edward and John all of Sioux City and three sisters, Miss Mildred Birmingham and Mrs. Loretta Dickinson, both of Sioux City and Mrs. Frances Casey of Marion, Iowa.
Source: Sioux City Journal, December 23, 1948
