LETTERS.
Pvt. Harvey L. Wissink
Co. H. 29th Infantry
Sixth Division
Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo.
Dear Folks,
I suppose you do not know where I am. I am in Missouri now in a new camp. This camp is not as good as the one in Kansas but it could be worse.
Now a few lines about my new camp. This camp is the new camp that was built last winter and it is not finished yet. The camp is seven miles long and five miles wide. It looks somewhat like a town the way it is built. The camp cost $30,000,000 dollars so far.
We get up at 5:30 in the morning, wash and make our bed, then we go out for chow. After chow we sweep and mop our barracks and after that we go out to drill. First we have close order drill and then we have our lessons on our guns and how to get close to the enemy. Yesterday we had to lay on our stomach and move through the forest to see how close we could get to the next group. I got within then feet and wrote down what they were saying, then I went back to my group and showed my sergeant the paper and he was surprised at it. He figured I did not get close enough to hear what they said. They were talking about moving five miles one way and stopping at a certain place at that time. But when they got there we were there already. Today we had to learn how to take our gun apart and put it together again. I am assigned to the machine guns. This gun is used for small tanks and armour cars. This is the most dangerous squad of the army. If we get in the war, we will be in the heaviest firing. But I do not think we’ll get in the war.
We have a nice minister here. I sure like to hear him. He started a male chorus and I am in it. We practice two times a week. We sang in the church service and Wednesday evening we had a special program. We sure had a crowd, too.
We had an awful thing happen here. We had 75 fellows poisoned. They brought them to the hospital. There was something wrong with the food. Now I suppose they will be more careful because that sure would be a loss to the army if they should die.
We had a lot of rain here lately and it makes it hard to drill in this mud. It is not so bad when you know the government buys the clothes and the shoes you wear out.
We stay here till August, then we go on maneuvers and we will be on the move for four months, which will give me an opportunity to see the country. After that I’ll be able to come home for a few days.
Of the bunch I left Orange City with I am the only one in this company, but it is not so bad because I made new friends here.
I am also a messenger. Sometimes when we carry messages I have to go at double time. Which means I have to go from three to five miles an hour. The other day I made six and a half miles an hour. They sure praised me for it. I had to cut cross country and forest. We have a compass and a map so if we get lost we can find out where we are.
From your son, Harvey
Source: The Sioux Center News, June 26, 1941
NEWS OF OUR MEN and WOMEN IN UNIFORM
3 WISSINK BROTHERS MEET—
Dear Editor and Friends: 1/26/44
It had been quite some time since I wrote you a letter so I feel that I should do so now. I should have written before, but as you all know out on the desert I really did not have time to write. Now we are back in a Fort and back on regular duty. I can find some time to write.
Am sorry to say that I did not come home on furlough, and to see you all and to thank all my friends for letters, cards, and packages I received. As you may remember I went to Dallas and was married to Miss Maybelle Dorothy Greer on the 10th of Jan.. and we spent my furlough around Dallas. We first planned on coming to Iowa, but we figured my furlough was too short and I was tired of riding the train for we came there on the 3rd of Jan. and the 8th I received my furlough papers. Some of you may wonder if my wife is up here. No. She is working in Virginia Curtain Factory and they have a governmental contract making army material so she could not leave and since we do not know how long we will be here. We thought it best for her to stay in Dallas.
When I came back here, I had a chance to meet my twin brother Laurence and brother Alfred. Laurence is stationed at Dover, Delaware, only 8 miles from here. He came here on Monday morning and I got a two-day pass and we went to Mitchell Field to see Alfred. Have not seen Alfred since Oct. 1941 and Laurence since Nov. ’42. It sure was a pleasure to see them again. We spent Monday night and all day Tuesday together. We are all within 115 miles from each other so we plan on meeting again some weekend. We could not find film for the camera so we could not take a picture to send up. This morning I had another surprise of my life. I walked in our day room and sat down for a class, I heard someone say “Hello, Wissink.” I looked around but didn’t notice who it was so he said it again, so that time I looked good and seen T/5 Andrew Vermeer get behind me. You know this world sure is small. Andrew was transferred over here and arrived yesterday. It sure has been full of surprises for me lately.
As you may have noticed there is a change in my rank. Yes, when I came home from furlough, they hand me an order telling me I was promoted. For being in the service only 33 months and advanced so much is almost too good to be true. I was promoted from Staff to a Technical Sgt. A few more jumps to go before I hit the top and hope to some day.
I have run out of news so closing this time and keep on sending the newspaper. Best regards to all. Sincerely yours, Harvey.
Tech. Sgt. Harvey L. Wissink
Hq. Co. 2nd Bn.
358th Inf., APO 90
Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Source: Sioux Center News, February 3, 1944
WOUNDED IN ACTION
The Wissink relatives receive a letter Friday from Mrs. Harvey Wissink, of Dallas, Texas, saying that she had received a telegram from the War Department on August 23, that her husband, Sgt. Harvey Wissink has been slightly wounded in action in France on August 2. The telegram said that further word would be received and the family is anxiously awaiting the news. Harvey was sent across in April and the Henry Wissink family received a letter from him, which was written on July 29, at which time he was in a rest camp.
Source: Sioux Center News, August 31, 1944
IN ENGLISH HOSPITAL
Word came from Harvey Wissink’s wife that he was wounded in the foot, and had two blood transfusions. He is now in a hospital in England and letters will reach him at this address:
Tech. Sgt. Harvey L. Wissink
Hospital Plant
302 Station Hospital APO 226, c/o Postmaster
New York City, N.Y
Source: Sioux Center News, September 7, 1944
NEWS OF OUR MEN and WOMEN IN UNIFORM
S/Sgt. and Mrs. Harvey Wissink arrived here Thursday morning from Springfield, Mo. He has been receiving medical care there after being seriously wounded in action in Normandy. He has a 30-day furlough, part of which is being spent with his relatives here, and they will also go to Dallas, Texas, to visit her parents.
Sioux Center:
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence DenHerder entertained the Wissink relatives at dinner in their home Thanksgiving evening in honor of their brother, S/Sgt. and Mrs. Harvey Wissink, who arrived here that evening to spent a 30-day furlough with relatives and friends. Their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Manus Wissink, of the Sheldon Holland Home, and Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wissink and family of Rock Rapids, were out of town guests.
Source: Sioux County Capital, Nov. 30, 1944
Harvey Wissink Writes From Springfield, Mo., Where He is Recovering From Battle Wounds:
Rock Castle Apts 207
Springfield, Mo.
Feb. 25, 1945
Dear Friends,
As it has been a long time that I wrote a letter to you last, I thought I would do so today as it is raining out so we decided to stay home and write letters which we are doing now. We are listening to the radio.
First we want to thank you for the paper and we enjoy reading it very much. Also we find out about the boys overseas and those coming back, and that they are recovering from their battle wounds. I know how they feel, it is great to be back, but sometimes wish we were back there to help the rest of the soldiers and then for all of us to come home.
Some of the folks may wonder how I am making it here in the hospital. To be frank, it really doesn’t seem like I am in the hospital. I am working in the morning and can go home every night. Yes, it means a lot to me to be home with my wife at night. I am waiting for my foot to clean itself of bone infection, which it is, but doctors are afraid it will be another three months before they will operate on it, and I also found out that I have three operations as yet. One to fuse my ankle to kill the pain, and one for plastic work and finally a skin graft.
I do not have any more news, so closing for this time. This was just to inform you of my address change.
As before, T/Sgt. and Mrs. Harvey Wissink.
Source: Sioux Center News, March 8, 1945
NEWS OF OUR MEN and WOMEN IN UNIFORM
Staff Sgt. and Mrs. Harvey Wissink left again on Wednesday after spending a week’s furlough with family and friends here. They came here for the 56th wedding anniversary of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Manus Wissink, which was celebrated here on Saturday evening. They are now on their way to Texas for a short visit with her mother and will then return to the hospital at Springfield, Mo., where Harvey is receiving care for his foot, which was wounded in action overseas. He is getting along well and expects to undergo another operation on his foot in the early part of May.
Source: Sioux Center News, March 15, 1945
1949 WWII Bonus Files
Harvey Lawton Wissink
Born: 13 Mar 1915
Date of Entry on extended active duty: 09 May 1941
Omaha, Nebr.
Date of discharge or separation: 12 Apr 1947
Date of departure to Foreign Service: 23 Mar 1944
Date of return from Foreign Service: 19 Oct 1944
