Dubuque County

Pfc. Joseph C. Knockel

 

 

 

Five Brothers In Service
Cascade Boys Serve Throughout World

Mrs. Elizabeth Knockel of Cascade is one American mother who is vitally interested in the progress of the war on all fronts. Reason is she has five sons in the service, three of whom are overseas.

First to enter the service from the Knockel family is Pfc. Joseph C. Knockel, who left on Oct. 20, 1942. He went first to Bowman Field, Ky., then to Lawson Field, Ft. Benning, Ga., and from there to Warrensburg, Mo. Later he was transferred to Miami Beach, Fla., but is now stationed back at Warrensburg where he is serving as a guard.

Pfc. Walter W. Knockel entered the service on Feb. 2, 1943, and received his basic training at Camp Crowder, Mo. He is still stationed there and serves in the medical detachment.

T-5 Howard H. Knockel was inducted on May 21, 1943, and was sent to Fort Warren, Wyo. In October of the same year he was transferred to California from which point he embarked for overseas duty as a truck driver in the quartermaster corps.

Pfc. Leo W. Knockel left his home on Sept. 6, 1943, for Camp Gruber, Okla. Later he was transferred to Camp Phillips, Kas., and left for overseas duty in April of this year. He is with an infantry division.

Elmer C. Knockel, S-2c, left Cascade on March 12, 1944, and received his "boot" training at Farragut, Idaho. In June he was sent to Shoemaker, Calif, and at present is on the high seas.

Prior to entering the services, Joseph was with the Dubuque Packing Company; Walter was employed at the battery factory here; Howard operated the Devaney store in Bernard; Leo operated the D-X gas station in Cascade and Elmer was in his senior year at St. Mary's High School, Cascade, where all the Knockel boys received their education.

Joseph Knockel, father of the boys, passed away sometime ago.

Source: Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, July 9, 1944

Joseph C. “Joe” Knockel was born June 13, 1917 to Joseph Cornelius and Elizabeth Marie Smith Knockel. He died Apr. 5, 2015 and is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, IA. 

Source: ancestry.com