94 Men Leave Jan.
12 MINUTES OF SIOUX COUNTY BOARD DEC. 22 AND DEC. 30
The following named registrants have been ordered to report for Army Examination on January 12th. If they are found to be qualified for army service, they will return for a week’s furlough before being called for active duty.
….. Henry A. Franken, Sioux Center …..
Source: Sioux Center News Jan. 7, 1943, p 1
Egbert Dykhuizen, Fred Braakman, James Rozeboom, Theodore Feenstra, John H. De Groot, Albert Kramer, Albert Broek, Everett G. Franken, Gerrit J. Zomermand, Henry A. Franken and Clarence A. Vande Berg are the new draftees who left Wednesday, Jan. 20th.
Source: Rock Valley Bee Jan. 22, 1943, p 8
More Classifications By Sioux Co. Draft Board
The following are the minutes of the meeting of the Sioux County Local Board of Selective Service, January 20, 1943: Class 1-C (Inductions) …..; Henry A. Franken, Sioux Center; …..
Source: Sioux County Index Feb. 4, 1943, p 3
Henry Franken’s address is as follows: Pvt. Henry Franken 37470154 1128 Tech. School Sq. Flight 368 B.T.C. No. 9 Miami Beach, Fla. Henry is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Arie Franken and left with the last group from here.
Source: Sioux Center News, Feb. 4, 1943, p 11
Everett G. Franken 1128 Tech. School Sq., Flight 368 A.A.F.T.T.C. Basic Training Center No. 9 Miami Beach, Florida Feb. 2, 1943
Dear Editor: Before I left, you requested that I should write you, letting you know where we are and what we are doing. Have a few minutes to spare this evening so I’ll take time out to fulfill your request. We are stationed (I say we because some of my Sioux Center friends are with me) at an army air corps basic training center on Miami Beach, Fla. Being assigned to a branch of the army air corps is the best thing that could have happened and is just what I had hoped for. We are living in hotels and apt. hotels, our hotel is about one block from the beach. My stay at Miami Beach is as a vacation. I’m enjoying every minute of it, food here is fair, but say Ed you can tell the creamery to send us a little gift, we called it butter back home, haven’t seen any as long as we’ve been here. The climate is perfect, we do our marching in the sweat of our brow – whew! It isn’t going to be long till we’ll have a perfect suntan. We started our 18 day basic training period today – only 17 more days left, what a comfort, well it isn’t bad though and up till now I get a big kick out of army life, enjoying it very much and hoping that everyone else in the service can say as much. Today is a day I will long remember, this morning we went to the drill grounds and drilled and this afternoon we were called upon to take part in the parade. They have a parade here every day and as we only had a few instructions on drilling you can imagine we were rather awkward on the parade grounds. But we did our best and came through with a first place. There were about fifteen hundred men on parade divided into four groups, it is a thrilling experience and a sight you and all of Sioux Center Community would like to see, I’m sure. The band played The Star Spangled Banner, also the army corps song as we sang and whistled. Henry Franken is staying in the same room as I, he bunks right above me. Once in a while at night I hear planes roaring down at us, and in a half awake daze I scare and think we are having an air raid, but lo and behold it is only Henry snoring to beat the cars. I have also learned a few things about cleaning up a room, our room was the first one to be credited with an excellent. You know when I was home I always helped my mother with dishes, make beds and sweep and scrub floors, now you think I’m kidding, don’t you, well, I’m sorry to say I am. So here is a little advice to some of you fellas that think you may have to join us sometime and to you wives and mothers, get these men out and make them do a few of these things, it will come plenty handy. Get them used to the dishpan and soap for the sake of their hands, because when I was at Camp Dodge I was on K.P. duty and I’m not kidding when I say I had dishpan hands – Boy, oh boy! Well, I think I’ll close now because its bedtime for me as I have to get up at three-thirty tomorrow morning to go on a two-hour guard duty. Hope to receive the News soon as I am interested in knowing what is going on as you are keeping the home fires burning. Sincerely yours, Everett G. Franken
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 11, 1943, p 9
22 Boys In Armed Forces From 7 Local Families
Six Sioux Center families have three boys in the U. S. Armed Forces, and one family has four boys serving their country.
Mr. and Mrs. Arie Franken have son Joe in the navy, Henry and Everette in the army. Joe enlisted in the Navy the day after Pearl Harbor and has been in action in the Solomons.
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Schiebout have three sons in the army, Abe, Joe, and Ferdinand. Mr. and Mrs. John Vogel have three sons in the army, Harry, LeRoy, and William.
Lester, Peter and Marvin Van Muyden, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Case Van Muyden are all in the army. Lester has been overseas for many months, located in Australia.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Mouw have two sons in the army, Lawrence and Steven, and Harold is in the navy.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit H. Franken have three sons in army, Louis, Dries and Everett.
The John Kroon family is represented by four sons in the service, three of whom are overseas. Richard and Bert are in the army, now in North Africa, Henry John is on the sea, a member of the U. S. Navy, and Billy is still at Gt. Lakes Naval Station.
There are undoubtedly more families who have three sons in the service and the News would be pleased to know them.
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 18, 1943, p 10
A very nice picture of four local boys stationed at Miami Beach, Fla., was sent to the editor by Bert Dykhuisen reaching here Monday morning. Included in the picture were Everett Franken, John De Goei, Henry Franken, and Bert Dykhuisen. The picture will be published in next week’s issue of the News.
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 25, 1943, p 10
Four Local Boys At Miami Beach, Florida
Here are four of Sioux Center’s local boys who are stationed in Miami Beach, Florida. All four of them left here in January to serve their country. There are a good many other Sioux Center boys there, several of them having completed their basic training, and already have been transferred forward.
Here are their names: John De Goei, Everett Franken, Henry Franken, and Bert J. Dykhuisen.
Source: Sioux Center News Mar. 4, 1943, p 1
Pvt. John De Goei is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert De Goei of Sioux Center: Laurel, Miss. May 1, 1943
Dear Ed: - Well, I guess it is about my turn to write you once. I am here what you call the beloved south land or dixie land. But for my part they can leave out the beloved. It really is hot here, 100 today and they say it will get up to 130. The town is as big as Sioux City and the people are about half blackies. The people out here are very friendly though. The farms are around 15 acres and they work that with one mule and usually forget to feed it the way the mule looks to me. They raise a lot of vegetables here in the early summer as it gets too hot later on. The rest of the crop is peanuts and cotton. There is a lot of timber here and also lots of snakes. I am in an airbase here. It is a small base. There are around 1500 soldiers here. Henry Franken is with me here too. I work in base headquarters doing office work which I like fine. I live off the base and have to be there from 7:30 in the morning until 5 at night. We got an apartment about 3 blocks from town. Well Ed, I really appreciate you sending my Sioux Center News. A fellow really goes for news from his home town when he is far away. Well I must close now. From your friends, Pvt. and Mrs. John De Goei 473rd B. Hq. B. Sq. Army Air Base Laurel, Miss.
Source: Sioux Center News May 6, 1943, p 19
Pvt. Henry A. Franken has a change of address. He has been stationed at Jacksonville, Florida and was moved on Aug. 26. His new address is as follows: Pvt. Henry A. Franken 37470154 84th Station Complement Sqd. A.A.B. Bluethanthal Fld. Wilmington, North Carolina. Mrs. Franken who has been with him for some time will also go to N. C. soon.
Source: Sioux Center News Sep. 2, 1943, p 10
Pvt. and Mrs. Henry Franken arrived at Sioux City on Monday evening and are home on an eight-day furlough. On Thursday evening a family gathering will be held at the home of his parents Mr. and Mrs. Arie Franken in their honor and they will leave again on Friday night for Jacksonville, Fla. where he is stationed.
Source: Sioux Center News Sep. 16, 1943, p 10
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wierda and children took Pvt. and Mrs. Henry Franken to Sioux City Friday from where Pvt. and Mrs. Franken will leave by train for Camp in North Carolina. …..
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wierda entertained at a family gathering last Tuesday evening in honor of Pvt. and Mrs. Henry Franken. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Louis Wierda and family from Maurice, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Bakker and family and Reynold Wierda of Sioux City, Mr. and Mrs. John Nyhof and family from Rock Valley, Mrs. John Kosters and Mr. and Mrs. Arie Franken, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Faber and Tjeerd Faber from Sioux Center.
Source: Sioux Center News Sep. 23, 1943, p 4
HENRY A. FRANKEN has an overseas address, with APO number 4917, c.o. Postmaster, New York City.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 4, 1943, p 2
Mrs. Henry Franken came home on Friday noon from New York where she had spent the past few weeks with her husband. Henry left for overseas duty recently.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 25, 1943, p 12
ARRIVES IN IRELAND Mrs. Henry Franken received word from her husband Pvt. Henry Franken that he had safely arrived in Ireland having sailed recently from the states for overseas duty.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 9, 1943, p 12
Mr. and Mrs. George Baker and daughter Phyllis, Renold Wierda who is employed at the Metz Bakery and Mrs. Henry Franken who is now employed in defense work at the Alberson factory, all of Sioux City, spent the weekend at the parental Martin Wierda home.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 16, 1943, p 8
Henry Franken writes home that he has met Harold Vander Ploeg in Ireland. Harold recently left England and was transferred to Ireland.
Source: Sioux Center News May 25, 1944, p 2
Pfc. Henry A. Franken, who has been in Ireland for some time writes he has moved into England. His address remains the same except the APO number is now 633. For complete address call the News.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 9, 1944, p 8
Draft Board Minutes of January 3, 1946 ….. Discharged: ….. Henry A. Franken, Sioux Center …..
Source: Sioux County Capital Jan. 10, 1946, p 1
Iowa, U.S., WWII Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954, Claim No. 98278
Henry A. Franken was born July 8, 1917 at Sioux Center, Iowa and was residing there prior to his induction into the Army on Jan. 20, 1943 at Camp Dodge, Iowa. He served with the 9th Air Force Service Command, left for foreign service on Nov. 10, 1943, and returned on Dec. 24, 1945. He was honorably discharged on Dec. 31, 1945. His application for bonus pay was filed on May 20, 1949, for which he received $422.50.
Source: ancestry.com
Henry A. Franken was born July 8, 1917. He died Dec 3, 2007 and is buried in Memorial Gardens Sioux Center Cemetery, Sioux Center, IA.
Source: ancestry.com
