Pvt. William Mitchell Tells of Army Life
at Camp Adair, Oregon
Pvt. William Mitchell, who was one of many recent draftees from Dickinson county to be sent to Camp Adair, Ore., has written his wife and mother here telling something of the camp.
His letter will be of interest to the families of youths at that camp and to other Dickinson county friends.
Nov. 12, 1942
Dear Folks:
Will try and tell you part of what I have been doing so far. We get up at 5:45. Get dressed, make our bunks and then stand reveille at 6 a. m. Then eat breakfast, and after breakfast we start walking until about 10:00 then they really drill you. You right face, left face, about face, forward march, and halt until about 11:30, then we have dinner. At 12:30 we start all over again, at night stand retreat and then have supper.
In a couple of days I will have to go to driving school. I’m supposed to be a truck driver, but they tell me everyone has to take their basic training first. There is a lot more to it than I thought. The army is more strict than I thought it would be. We have to walk from 20 to 30 miles everyday. I don’t know anything about it yet so you see I have a lot to learn. Before we can go to town we have to learn the Articles of War, and also be here ten days. The Articles of War is about a page and a half, so I probably won’t go to town for awhile.
I have a 30-30 gun, a pack which has in it a half a tent, canteen, first aid kit, rain coat, cup, knife, fork, spoon, and a tin dish, also another thing I don’t know what it is. A cartridge belt with a bayonet hooked on it. We carry a gas mask too.
We live in barracks with upstairs the same as the downstairs, with bathroom, shower. There are 40 beds in each barracks. There are 15,000 men in our division. It is mechanized, and has tanks, anti-tank guns, also light, medium and heavy guns.
As ever, Bill.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, November 26, 1942, Page 1
Weekly News From Milford Locality
P. F. C. William Mitchell of Fort Lewis, Wash. has recently enjoyed a fifteen day furlough with his wife and daughters in Oakland, Calif., and with his mother, Mrs. Maude Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Gruber and son and Mrs. and Mrs. Harry Hershey and family, all of Oakland.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, July 08, 1943, Page 5
Okinawa Battle Takes Life of Local Youth
PFC. WILLIAM L. MITCHELL KILLED IN ACTION, APRIL 28.
Word of the death of another Spirit Lake youth on the Okinawa battlefield was received in Spirit Lake Saturday, when a telephone call from Oakland, California, brought the sad news that Pfc. William L. Mitchell, had been killed in action April 28. The youth’s wife and three children, his mother, Mrs. Lee Mitchell and a sister, Mrs. Woodrow Gruber are living in Oakland, California, and called the message here Saturday to another sister, Mrs. Harry Hershey.
They had received the government message Saturday morning. They had recently received a letter from the youth which was written the same day he was killed.
William Mitchell was born August 13, 1921, in Spirit Lake and attended and was graduated from the Spirit Lake schools. His father preceded him in death, October, 1939.
Before his induction into the service, Oct. 19, 1942, the youth was employed on an ice route in Spirit Lake and at Vick’s place at Triboji Beach.
He was married Sept. 26, 1940, to Miss Mildred Somers of Arnolds Park. They were married in Estherville. The couple has three small children, Judy aged 4, Patricia aged 2 and Bonnie Jean, born October 4, 1944, whom the father had not seen. He had received a picture of the baby, his family learned.
After his induction the youth trained on the west coast at Camp Adair, and other camps, where the 96th division was trained for combat. He was fighting with the 96th division, when he was killed. He went overseas in August 1944 and was with the 96th when it invaded the Philippines at Leyte. While there he was taken ill and was moved to the Mariana Islands for medical care, later rejoining his outfit and went in with them on April 1, 1945, when they invaded Okinawa.
Pfc. Mitchell’s sister, Mrs. Hershey, expects to leave some time this week with her family to join her mother and sister and sister-in-law in Oakland. Mrs. Chas. Hicklin of Spirit Lake is an aunt of the youth.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Thursday, May 31, 1945 (photo included)
Mrs. Wm. L. Mitchell Awarded Husband’s
Bronze Star for Gallantry
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hicklin received word this week that their nephew, Pfc. William L. Mitchell, had been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star. His wife, Mrs. Mildred Mitchell, and his mother, Mrs. Maude Mitchell, of Oakland, Calif., were presented at the ceremony held in San Francisco, on Feb. 21. The Bronze Star was presented to his wife for gallantry shown by her husband at the time of his death. It is reported that Pfc. Mitchell was responsible for the destruction of one machine gun nest and was instrumental in knocking out another. He also covered his unit so they could get away and was killed by mortar fire as they were leaving.
Pfc. William Mitchell was killed on Okinawa on April 28, 1945. He is survived by his wife, the former Mildred Somers of Arnolds Park, and three children, the youngest of whom he had never seen. She was born two months after he went overseas in August of 1944. Pfc. Mitchell had taken part in the invasion of the Philippines, Leyte, and was fighting with the 96th Division on Okinawa at the time of his death.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, February 28, 1946, Page 1
Memorial Service for Billy Mitchell
To Be Sunday
Memorial services will be held this coming Sunday, April 28, at 3:00 p. m. in the First Methodist church in Spirit Lake for Pfc. William L. “Billy” Mitchell, who was killed in action on Okinawa on April 28, 1945. The message will be delivered by Rev. J. E. Feller, pastor of the church. Mrs. Ralph Doudna will be in charge of the music and there will be several numbers by the men’s quartet.
William L. Mitchell, son of Mrs. Maude Mitchell and the late Lee Mitchell, was born August 13, 1921, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and was killed in action on Okinawa at the age of 23. Pfc. Mitchell entered the service in October, 1942. After his induction the youth was trained on the west coast at Camp Adair and other camps where the 96th division was trained for combat. He was shipped overseas in August, 1944, and was with the 96th when it invaded Leyte. While there he was taking ill and was moved to the Marianna Islands for medical care, later rejoining his outfit and went in with them on April 1, 1945, when they invaded Okinawa. He fought with them for nearly 28 days and finally on April 28, 1945, lost his life while fighting for the freedom of his country.
Billy Mitchell was married on Sept. 26, 1940, to Mildred Somers of Arnolds Park. The couple had three children, Judy, age 5, Patricia, age 3, and Bonnie jean, 18 months, born three moths after her father was sent overseas. The family later learned that he had received a picture of his youngest daughter. He is survived by his wife and three daughters, his mother, Mrs. Maude Mitchell, two sisters, Mrs. Woodrow Gruber and Mrs. Harry Hershey, and an aunt, Mrs. Charles Hicklin of Spirit Lake, plus many other relatives and a host of friends.
Program
Organ Prelude, Mrs. Ralph Doudna.
Advancing the Colors.
Hymn 489, “America.”
Scripture Sentences and Prayer.
Musical number, Men’s Quartet.
Scripture Lesson.
Prayer for the Nation.
The Life of a Service Man.
Musical number, Men’s Quartet.
Gold Star Service.
The Message, The Rev. J. E. Fellers.
The National Anthem.
Silent Prayer, Taps.
Benediction.
Retiring of the Colors.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, April 25, 1946, Page 1
Memorial Services For Billy Mitchell
Held on Sunday
Memorial services were held on Sunday for Pfc. William L. (Billy) Mitchell in the Methodist church. A large concourse of relatives and friends were in attendance.
The following sketch was read by Rev. J. E. Keller, who had charge of the services.
William Lee Mitchell
William Lee Mitchell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Mitchell, was born at Spirit Lake, Iowa, on August 13, 1921. He grew up in this community, attending school, Sunday school and enjoying boyhood privileges in the lakes region. He spent many happy hours and days on the farm of his grandmother, Mrs. Steele and his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Hicklin.
On Sept. 25, 1940, he was united in marriage at Estherville, with Mildred Somers of Arnolds Park. To this union were born three children, Judy Irene, Patricia Harriett and Bonnie Jean. Bonnie Jean was born several months after Billy had been sent overseas.
For a number of years he was employed at various lines of work in Spirit Lake and entered the service on October 19, 1942. During his training period he was stationed at Camp Adair, Ore., and a number of other camps on the west coast. His family followed him west and during the nearly two-year period that he remained in this country they were able to enjoy much time together. From Camp Stoneman he was sent overseas in July, 1944. For a few weeks they were stationed in the Hawaiian Islands and while there saw his brother-in-law, Harry Hershey. To him he expressed the conviction that he did not expect to survive the war. His outfit Co. K of the 381 Infantry, 96th Division, went into action at the invasion of Leyte on October 20, 1944. While in the states he had volunteered as a Scout and in this dangerous capacity he made his contribution to victory. For one period of six weeks during the conquest of Leyte he did not have an opportunity to change his clothes. During the entire invasion of Leyte he lived on K rations and enjoyed only one prepared meal, a breakfast of hot-cakes, sausage and coffee. Toward the close of the Leyte campaign he was taken sick with yellow fever and was sent to Saipan on Dec. 18 for a period of recuperation. On Leyte he was awarded the Expert Infantryman’s Badge.
He returned to his outfit in time to land with them at the invasion of Okinawa on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945. In the succeeding weeks his outfit was one of those that fought their way to the southern part of the island. Something of his activities between April 1st and 19th are revealed in the citation accompanying the Bronze Star which his widow received on Feb. 21, 1948, at the Presidio in San Francisco. It was awarded for his feat of knocking out a machinegun nest singlehanded, assisting in knocking out another and for covering his unit while it was withdrawing in great danger.
On April 28 he wrote his last letter. He told of receiving 53 letters that day and of reading them all. He closed his letter with the comment that it was getting so dark he could hardly see to write. (After that time they were fighting on Nishinbaru Ridge.) Sometime during the closing hours of that day Billy went out to his rendevous (sic) with death.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, May 02, 1946, Page 9
Remains of Billy Mitchell Arrives
Nest Wednesday For Burial
The last sad rites for Pfc. William L. (Billy) Mitchell will be held at the grave in Lakeview cemetery next Wednesday afternoon at 2 p. m. The body will arrive on Wednesday morning.
The V. F. W. will meet at the Donovan Funeral Home and hold a military service at the grave assisted by Rev. R. E. Baker.
William Lee Mitchell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Mitchell of Spirit Lake was born August 13, 1921, and met his death in combat duty at Nishinbaru Ridge on Okinawa on April 28, 1946 (sic). His remains arrived in the states over a fortnight ago.
“Billy” enlisted in the services on October 19, 1942. During his training period he was stationed at Camp Adair, Oregon and a number of other camps on the west coast. He was sent overseas from Camp Stoneman in July 1944. His outfit Co. K of the 281 Infantry, 96th division, after a few weeks on the Hawaiian Islands, went into action at the invasion of Letye on October 20, 1944. He had volunteered as a scout and contributed much toward victory. For one period of six weeks during the invasion of Leyte he did not change his clothes and lived on K rations.
Toward the close of Leyte campaign he was taken sick with yellow fever and was sent to Saipan on Dec. 18th.
On Leyte he was awarded the Expert Infantryman’s badge.
He returned to his outfit in time to take part in the invasion of Okinawa on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1945. For his activities during the Okinawa campaign his widow was awarded the Bronze star.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, July 14, 1949, Page 7
Weekly News From Milford Locality
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Somers and family attended military services for their son-in-law, William Mitchell, held at Spirit Lake last week, The body was brought back from the South Pacific.
Source: The Milford Mail, Milford, Iowa, Thursday, July 28, 1949, Page 1
