LESTER WITT – Son of August Witt, has been in the Navy four years, and his home port is New York, but he is at sea most of the time. His wife makes her home at LeMars.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, March 18, 1943 (photo included)
LESTER WITT HAS FOUR NAVY BARS FOR GOOD WORK
Lester Witt, ship’s cook first class, arrived in LeMars Thursday for a 10-day furlough, visiting his wife and father, August Witt. Seaman Witt is stationed out of Boston harbor and re-enlisted in the Navy in December, 1942. After completing four years in that organization 11 years ago, he retired, but since the outbreak of the second world war, Seaman Witt felt the urge to get back in service and has seen plenty of it so far. He is wearing four Navy bars—one for good conduct, American theater of war, north Atlantic patrol and African campaign. He has been to Africa twice on convoy work.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, June 7, 1943
Mrs. Lester Witt accompanied her husband, C. C. Std. Lester Witt, on his return to duty with the navy at New York City. Gus Witt, his father, is visiting in Hastings, Nebraska.
Source: LeMars Sentinel, October 10, 1943
Mrs. Lester Witt returned from New York Tuesday where she was visiting her husband, Lester, who is chief commissary steward aboard a large battleship doing convoy duty. Before entering the Navy, Lester was employed for a number of years in the City Cemetery. Since entering the service, he has made four trips across and has been to Africa, Italy, Gibraltar, Spain and he will seen leave on another trip. His destination is not known. His father, August Witt, resides in LeMars.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, October 28, 1943
NEWS of the BOYS in the Service
Lester Witt, C. C. Steward of U.S. Navy, left Sunday to return to his duties in New York after spending a 15 day furlough with relatives.
Source: LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, Feb. 11, 1944
Mrs. Lester Witt Goes To New York To Visit Husband.
Mrs. Lester Witt left Friday for New York to see her husband, Chief Petty Officer Lester Witt, who arrived last week from a voyage overseas. Petty Officer Witt is in charge of the supply department on a battleship and has made a number of voyages since volunteering for service in the war. He served in the navy for several years and on outbreak of hostilities rejoined the navy. While in the East, Mrs. Witt will visit relatives at Philadelphia.
Source: LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, September 19, 1944
LESTER WITT, LE MARS MAN, HAS SEEN SERVICE IN THREE GREAT INVASIONS
Is Steward On USS Texas In Pacific At Present
Chief Commissary Steward Lester F. Witt, USNR, whose wife lives at 300 Fourth Ave. SE., LeMars, on the USS Texas somewhere in the Pacific, is now serving aboard this man-o’-war, veteran of five invasions, during 50 consecutive days of the Okinawa campaign.
Throughout the bombardment few men on this vessel slept more than four hours out of 24. They started pounding the Japs on Okinawa seven days before amphibious forces landed and then for 43 days helped ground troops thin out enemy lines with their big guns.
At first the Japs remained silent, but as their retreat crowded them to the ends of the island, fighting became more intense and they sent formations of planes in an attempt to halt American naval and land operations. Three times Jap suicide pilots turned toward the Texas, and each time she discouraged them with anti-aircraft fire.
This 31-year-old ship, skippered by Capt. Charles A. Backer, USN, of Washington, D.C., is credited with being the only American battleship to have dealt with the enemy in waters off three continents—Africa, Europe and Asia. She participated in the invasions of North Africa, Normandy, southern France and Iwo Jima.
Source: LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, August 17, 1945
Lester Francis Witt was born June 27, 1908 to August "Gus"
and Frances Nellie Ewin Witt. He died July 11, 1977 in Los Angeles, CA.
Source: ancestry.com
