TWO SONS OF A. KERSBERGEN MAURICE ARE OFFICERS
John and Gerrit Kersbergen are both officers in the U. S. armed forces and are sons of A. Kersbergen of Maurice.
John has the rank of a captain and is in charge of training the tank troops at Fort Benning, Georgia. He joined the National Guard in December 1940 and is a married man.
Gerrit is a 1st Lieutenant located in Santa Barbara, Calif. He is with the sanitary Corp and works with the army hospital there, also with the Xray and in the laboratory. Gerrit enlisted in the national guard in Feb. 1941.
Source: Sioux Center News March 19, 1942, p 6
In New Guinea
Pfc. Dick Van Zanten, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Van Zanten, former Alton resident, now at Orange City, has been in New Guinea for several months and lately had the pleasure of a visit with his cousin, Lt. Gerrit Kersbergen, who is also in that area. …
Source: Alton Democrat Sept. 28, 1944, p 8
Home From New Guinea (photo)
1st LT. GERRIT KERSBERGEN
1st Lt. Gerrit Kersbergen who has spent the last 32 months in New Guinea is spending a furlough at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. Kersbergen. While in New Guinea he was an assistant medical inspector and he tells us that he was very fortunate that he was able to speak the Dutch language as he often came in contact with the captains of the Dutch ships.
He also enjoyed getting the Sioux Center News very much and often passed it on to the Captains of these Dutch ships who he claimed got a “big kick” out of it too. He is at present awaiting his call to return to the service will report at Hot Springs, Ark. when he returns to duty.
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 8, 1945, p 1
SERVICEMEN
First Lieutenant Garret Kersbergen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arie Kersbergen of Sioux Center, spent Wednesday visiting at the home of his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Van Zanten, sr., here.
Source: The Sioux County Capital, Orange City, Iowa, February 8, 1945
Operation During Terrible Storm at Sea Successful
Ensign Nick Kersbergen writes his brother, Gerrit, from aboard the U.S.S. Taussig (DD746), somewhere in the Pacific, a very interesting letter about where he has been lately, and encloses the story of a country doctor, now ship physician, who completed an extraordinary operation, amid extraordinary surroundings, especially for the Bee office.
Nick writes that the Kersbergens have thinned out in Rock Valley, and “I notice in one of the Bees that a Kersbergen from Sioux Center made the news. I guess we had better come back.”
“Well, folks, I can now disclose a few of our operations. First of all we made a long trip from New York to Maine, then to Boston, and from Boston to San Diego, via the Panama Canal. From Diego we went to Pearl Harbor, and then out here.”
“We participated in all the strikes on the Philippines and Formosa. Then we made that nice trip into the China Sea, going all along the China coast and back. Our carrier planes did the work, this was all in the third fleet. We were also in that typhoon in which three destroyers were sunk. This is just an idea of the distance I am from home, and I’ve never run into Billy.”
“I am enclosing a good story of our Doctor during the storm. Show it to George Bowers. I think it was a wonderful job by a country Doc.”
Source: Rock Valley Bee April 27, 1945, p 4
Capt. Gerrit Kersbergen of Sheppard Field, Texas was a guest in the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Van Zanten on Tuesday. He is a nephew of the Van Zantens.
Source: Alton Democrat Aug. 1, 1946, p 8
Gerrit P.W. Kersbergen Funeral services were held Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 10:00 a.m. at the Co-op Funeral Home for Gerrit Kersbergen, 64, of Hot Springs, Ark., former Sioux Center resident who died Monday, August 1, at Hot Springs.
… He was a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 6, 1970, p 6
Iowa, U.S. World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954, Claim
Gerrit P. W. Kersbergen, SN 0374334, was born July 17, 1906, at Vlaardingen, Netherlands, and was living at Sioux Center, Iowa when he enlisted in the army on March 13th, 1941, by direct appointment as Commissioned Officer by the War Department. He served with the Fitzsimons General Hospital, Hoff General Hospital, 166th Station Hospital, Port Surgeon APO 929, Army & Navy General Hospital, AAF Hospital, Miami Beach, Keesler Field AAF, Sheppard Field AAF, and at the time of this record was serving at the Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He left for overseas duty on May 12, 1942, and returned on January 13, 1945. His application for bonus pay was filed July 1, 1949, for which he received $500.00.
Source: ancestry.com
U.S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985
Garrett P.W. Kersbergen Garrett Kersbergen, attained the rank of Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army, served in the Medical Service Corps during WWII in New Guinea, and also served in Korea. He received an Army Commendation with Oak Leaf Cluster, retired from the army on March 31, 1961, and is buried in the Lebanon cemetery, Sioux Center, Iowa.
Source: ancestry.com
