WAR SERVICE NEWS.
Private Kenneth Rimmer, son of Mrs. Pearl Rimmer, has now arrived at a camp in Africa. He formerly was stationed in a chemical war station in Alabama.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, August 2, 1943
KINGSLEY BOY WRITES HOME ABOUT LIFE AT ANZIO BEACH
Pvt. Rimmer Says Nazi Propaganda Makes The Boys Tough
(Letter in the Kingsley News-Times)
Just came back from church a few minutes ago and have time to write a few lines. I promised you a regular letter in my last V-mail, so here it is. I’ve been to church the last four Sundays except Easter Sunday, and that day it just poured rain. I took part in Communion last Sunday. Our chaplain delivers some good sermons but I’ll be glad when the day comes that I can go into a church again and no longer have to be outdoors. We go to church here at 3 in the afternoon and that about 9 o’clock in the morning, making you and I getting ready for church about the same time.
How are all of you at home? I’m fine, and Mom, please don’t worry. The odds are all in my favor you know. Hope tonight’s mail call is better than it has been. Right now it’s none too good. Some of the fellows got their Christmas packages only yesterday, some of them mailed as early as October.
We have really fixed up our dugout. We have the sides boarded up and its deep enough so we can stand up. Also built us bunks and installed an old radio after working over it quite a spell. We also put in a telephone and have calls coming in day and night. The only drawback to the phone is who should answer it? When it rings, one or maybe both of us hear it but just pretend to sleep and see what the other guy will do about it.
We get our PX ration tomorrow. We get these about once a month and they usually consist of a couple bars of candy, gum, and other smaller articles. We get another battle star for the Cassino area—that’s before we came here, and we get another one for here. They are a small bronze star that goes on our campaign ribbon, for each campaign we are in different fronts. When we get the one for Anzio, I’ll have three.
We went to the hospital to see some of the boys Sunday, and then stopped and took a nice hot shower.
We hear a lot of German propaganda on our radio. Sally of the Axis is on every night. She plays a lot of swing records and Bing Crosby recordings. I guess the idea is to make us homesick. A bunch of leaflets were dropped last night; they were really a laugh. We never pay any attention to them. They boost our morale, if anything.
Right now I’m in the Division Signal supply. We issue signal equipment to the rest of the division. You would be surprised at the things we have in our warehouse. Anything from stove bolts to Piper Cubs.
Tomorrow we get schooled again on booby traps and mines. I’m on the graveyard shift and start at eleven tonight. Tomorrow night I get to sleep all night.
Nature has finally changed her uniform over here. The trees are all leafed out and the grass and flowers are up. A little natural camouflage is that much harder on the enemy. Well, Mother, this will be all for tonight. Take care of yourself and I’ll do the same. Have to eat a bite, and then back to Army routine. ~Kenneth
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, June 5, 1944
Kenneth D. “Ken” Rimmer was born Nov. 12, 1923 to Matthew Yates “Mike” and Pearl Mae Summers Rimmer. He died Mar. 25, 2023 and is buried in Kingsley Cemetery, Kingsley, IA.
Source: ancestry.com
