27 Men To Be Inducted Soon
The following Sioux County men have been selected to fill Call No. 29, and will leave for induction headquarters within the very near future.
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S-1426 De Boer, Oscar, Rock Valley
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Source: Alton Democrat Apr. 24, 1942 p 8
Service Men’s Addresses
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Pvt. Oscar De Boer is on maneuvers and his address is now Co. B, 155th Inf., APO 31, Care of Postmaster, Leesville, Louisiana.
Source: Rock Valley Bee July 31, 1942 p 9
R.V. Soldier
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Oscar De Boer
Another well known and popular Rock Valley service man is Oscar De Boer, aged 22, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John G. De Boer of Rock Valley. Oscar farmed with his brother, Arthur, 4 miles west of town before entering the army. His address at our last report was as follows:
Co. B, 155th Inf., 31st Div., APO 31, Camp Bowie, Texas.
Source: Rock Valley Bee Sept. 11, 1942 p 1
At Largest Camp
Pvt. Oscar De Boer is now at what is said to be the largest camp in the United States, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He says:
“The weather here is swell – cool in the morning. This is the biggest camp in the U.S., all wooden two-story barracks. It looks more like a city than a training camp. At present I am living outside the main camp in pup tents.”
Oscar’s address is: Pvt. Oscar De Boer, Cannon Co., 60th Inf., APO 9, Fort Bragg, N. Car.
Source: Rock Valley Bee Oct. 9, 1942 p 1
Pvt. Oscar De Boer in No. Carolina
Pvt. Oscar De Boer, who is now stationed at Fort Bragg, is a new subscriber to the News. He writes that he was formerly stationed at Camp Bowie in Texas with August Ykema, C. Mol, John Hospers and H. Ranschau and read Mr. Mol’s copy of the News then. His address is: Pvt. Oscar De Boer, Cannon Co., 60th Inf. APO 9, 9th Dv., Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S. Army.
Source: Sioux Center News Oct. 15, 1942 p 19
In Foreign Service
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Pvt. Oscar De Boer
37193829, Cannon Co.
6th C.T., APO 9, c.o. Postmaster,
New York City, N.Y.
He left Orange City April 30, 1942 for Camp Bowie, Texas and left on maneuvers, July 27, in Louisiana for almost two months. After that to Fort Bragg, N.C. The 13th of October he wrote his last letter in the U.S.A. and didn’t hear from him until Sunday, Dec. 27, saying he was well but nothing of where he was, but very likely he is now in North Africa. Oscar is a brother of Mrs. John Otten of Doon.
Source: Sioux Center News Jan. 21, 1943 p 1
List of Names For Honor Roll Is Published
Want List To Be Complete and Accurate
Names of 137 men and women from Rock Valley and vicinity, as follows, who are now serving or have served in the armed services, the Nurse’s Corps or in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during this war will be the basis for the Honor Roll to be constructed and painted under the direction of the American Legion here in the near future.
Additional names will be added from time to time to keep the Honor Roll complete.
Where names as given below are incomplete as to initials, or incorrect as to spelling, or if names are missing, the proper information should be given to Lawrence Richter, commander of Pfarrer-Fox Post.
It is very desirable that the list be accurate and complete before work on the Honor Roll starts and all information should be provided promptly.
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De Boer, Oscar
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Source: Rock Valley Bee Jan. 29, 1943 p 1
Pvt. Oscar De Boer writes from North Africa:
Editor, The Bee: I have been reading the Bee that I received lately; in fact I received seven issues in the last three days, the latest being of Nov. 27 date. To say that I enjoy getting these is putting it mildly. It not only keeps me informed about my friends in the service and all the folks on the home front, but of especial interest to me were the papers of Nov. 20 and 27 where it tells of the African campaign. I know it was important, our landing here, but I didn’t realize it was that big. Also, that picture on page 6 of the Nov. 27 issue – it’s an exact likeness of what we did out here. Also I have been through that maneuver shown in the picture.
It seems rather strange to read such things in your hometown paper so far away.
At present I am taking life easy, not doing anything of importance, enjoying the nice weather out here. This country reminds me of Texas. Of course, the cities are different and the Arabs are interesting, wearing their ling robes and riding their donkeys to town. They plow with oxen. One I noticed was a little more modern, having a horse and ox hitched together. The French people are very friendly and invite us into their homes as friends – a lot different story than when Hitler occupies a country. My time is up. Say hello to all my friends and thanks a lot for the Bee so far. I hope to receive many more. Oscar De Boer
(Ed. Note: The Bee has Pvt. De Boer’s APO address on file and will be glad to furnish it to anyone wishing to write him.)
Source: Rock Valley Bee Feb. 5, 1943 p 4
Send Them The Bee
The following men in the armed service of our nation are receiving the Rock Valley Bee. There are doubtless many more who would enjoy getting the home news regularly each week whether in camp on this side or overseas. One dollar will send a soldier The Bee for the duration.
DO IT TODAY! WRITE OR CALL!
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Pvt. Oscar De Boer
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Source: Rock Valley Bee June 4, 1943 p 1
We have a Christmas card from a veteran who is overseas – Pvt. Oscar De Boer. It says:
“Greetings from overseas. The officers and men of the 9th Infantry Division wish you a Merry Christmas and a victorious New Year.”
The card contains the insignia of the division in red and blue and also enclosed in the letter is holly greeting card for the 60th Infantry with a holly border and the insignia of the 60th. Oscar is in a Cannon company.
Source: Rock Valley Bee Dec. 3, 1943 p 8
Oscar De Boer and Otto J. Bajema are believed to be in North Africa.
Source: Rock Valley Bee Jan. 7, 1944 p 16
Reports here state that Pvt. Oscar De Boer has arrived in England.
Source: Sioux County Capital Feb. 17, 1944 p 13
IN CHERBOURG
Pfc. Oscar De Boer is with his division in Cherbourg, according to latest word received by the John Otten family of Doon who renewed his subscription to the News. He says he enjoys the News very much. Oscar is with a Cannon Company of the U.S. Army.
Source: Sioux Center News July 6, 1944 p 1
VALLEY SOLDIER IN FRANCE TELLS OF HAIL OF BOMBS
Pvt. Oscar De Boer in Letter from the Front
Pvt. Oscar De Boer, in a Cannon company now in action in France, states in a letter to his folks here that when the bombing started for the present big push in France it sounded like “rain in a cornfield”. His splendid letter from the front follows:
France, July 25 – Dear Folks: It’s time to write you again and let you know I am still getting along all right. Haven’t been getting much mail lately but hope it will come through again before long.
This morning I had a front line seat in one of the biggest air shows you could ever expect to see. I started to count planes as they came over and got up to 800 and gave it up. For almost two hours straight a continuous stream of Liberators came over. They bombed the enemy lines not far ahead of us. We could see the bombs leave the planes like eggs. As they came down in sounded like rain coming through a corn field. When they went off, it was the most terrific roar I’ve ever heard. The ground under us just shook so bad it looked like we were all nervous – the way we trembled. We stayed quite close to our fox holes for in a way it was a little dangerous being so close. An accident could happen if the bombs drop short.
In fact, I’m sure some did drop in our territory. A few days ago a 500 pound bomb dropped near us. It landed in the middle of one of our companies and 25 feet from some of our men. Believe it or not, only one man got a small scratch not even worth writing about. Miracles do happen every day on the battlefield.
After what I saw this morning I don’t see how it’s possible that any man could be living in that area but it seems they are, there are still shells coming this way, but I bet there will be plenty of Hitler’s boys missing for reveille in the morning. But I don’t pity them one bit. They asked for this.
Sometimes when I read the paper or listen to the radio I’m almost tempted to believe this war is coming to a close awful fast but still the enemy is there in front of us, the kind that won’t surrender but have to be killed. There are so many dead behind our lines we have German prisoners picking up their own dead.
Well, this sheet is almost full so better close, hoping that everything is true that I have been reading – then before long I’ll be coming home. – Goodbye, Oscar
Source: Rock Valley Bee Aug. 11, 1944 p 9
HAVE TO FIGHT FOR EVERY FOOT WRITES DE BOER
This startling letter with news behind the headlines comes from Oscar De Boer, somewhere in France:
Received a few of your papers today and thought I would let you know that they are still coming through although usually quite old. They arrive here alright but all the packages and papers are held up till we stop for a rest period. Letters, however, come through quite fast on an average of about ten days. Really good service right to the front lines. But old or not, I really enjoy the home town paper. In fact, it’s the only paper I can enjoy. The rest give out so much humbug, we here on the front can’t possibly believe them. I can’t see why they don’t tell the truth – what’s really going on out there. You people back there can’t know what’s going on outside what the papers tell. Are they afraid to tell people that we have to pound the Germans back for every mile we get out here? The papers give the impression that all we have to do is tell them to move out of France and they will. All I can say is – come out here and try it and you’d soon wish you were back in the good old U.S.A! – filled with propaganda that their homeland is in danger, and we are a bunch of gangsters and what not. Maybe I spend too much time on the front line to know what’s going on. I’ve been with the 9th Div. since it landed in North Africa on November 8, 1942. Always since then we’ve been pushing them back out of Africa and Sicily and now trying to get them out of France. They have lost some of their pep since Africa. It’s a little easier now to make them move with all the equipment we have against them, but they sure can take it! I don’t think any army in the world could stand the pounding we give the Germans. I have seen our planes come over by the hundreds and bomb their front lines till it didn’t seem possible that a man could be living. Still they came back at us with a counter attack. We always win in the end, but not without a good hard fight. Then we read a paper that said the Germans were so shocked by our bombings they couldn’t talk or open the bolts of their rifles so they just came over to surrender.
Some of the older Germans know what the score is, and try to give up, but the younger kids of around seventeen have been brought up with Nazi ideas and really cause all the trouble.
There is one happy thing. That’s to see the French stand along the road waving and cheering. They are really happy to see the Germans chased out at last. Especially those whose homes are still standing. I’m really glad we came here to liberate and not to enslave them as the Germans tried.
There has been a lot of propaganda about the starving French people which isn’t all true. Compared to our standard of living in the states it probably is true, but I found out since I came overseas that people can live with a lot less than we back in the states think we need. Of course, so far all I’ve seen of France is the farming country and it’s pretty hard for even the Germans to try to get all the food from a farmer. So far what I saw is mostly dairy country and lately some nice fields of grain. But of all countries I’ve seen, no place can compare to Iowa with plenty of everything. I hope this mess is over soon so I can get back to stay. Better close with best regards to everyone. Oscar.
Source: Rock Valley Bee, Sept. 8, 1944 p 1
Oscar De Boer in Letter from Europe
From Germany’s front lines, where things seem to be pretty well torn up, army censors passed this letter From Pfc. Oscar De Boer, written Feb. 22 to Fred Collenbaugh:
Dear Friend: - I’m still getting along just fine out here, we’re having beautiful spring weather here lately, which makes even this a lot better. We did have some real winter weather for a while in January with as much as four feet of snow on the level, the most snow I’d seen in a long time. It’s pretty tough going in the snow, especially when it’s cold. The doughboys were all dressed in white and the vehicles were painted white to make them almost invisible from a distance. Now, however, it looks as though spring is here to stay, a little early compared to home, but none too early to suit me. By next winter I hope to be home to stay.
This war is sure a hard thing to figure out, sometimes it seems the end isn’t far off and then again I don’t know. Hitler is sure determined to fight on as long as he can, for what reason I don’t know, but he is sure making this war a long drawn out affair.
At present there isn’t a lot of activity out here, everything goes fast and furious for a while and then again it’s quiet until the next storm. Whatever else we are doing, we sure are doing an almost complete job of wrecking Germany, not a house or barn is getting by untouched. What a mess to clean up before they can rebuild! It should give the Germans a little work before they can think of starting another war. They are getting a taste, this time, of what war really is, and it isn’t a pretty sight to see the people coming along the road with only a few things on their back, but they’ve got it coming. When their army overran Poland and the rest of the countries they stood back and cheered, now I, for one, don’t hold any pity for them.
Everywhere it can be seen that the Germans aren’t dumb people, they are well advanced in everything. Every farm house has electricity, and everything else is modern. I think they enjoyed a pretty high standard of living all through the war and didn’t suffer much for lack of anything.
Now things are beginning to change, with the Russians nearly in Berlin coming from the east, and our armies coming from the west. They are getting in a pretty tight spot, which gives a guy hope that they will soon have to cry for peace. There’s nothing to gain anymore by going on with this war.
Well, I’m about out of news so had better close, hoping to hear from you again someday. Yours, Oscar.
Source: Rock Valley Bee Mar. 16, 1945 p 9
Servicemen Discharged
Servicemen who have filed discharges in the County Recorder’s Office at Orange City since September 19 include the following:
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Oscar De Boer, Rock Valley
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Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 27, 1945 p 1
DISCHARGED
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CPL. OSCAR DE BOER
Cpl. Oscar De Boer, son of Mr. and Mrs. John G. De Boer of Rock Valley, received his discharge last Tuesday and arrived at his home the following day. He has been in the army three years and four months, overseas 10 months. He said he appreciated receiving the News very much while he was in the service.
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 27, 1945 p 10
