DR. A. J. JONGEWAARD IS LIEUT. COMMANDER
Dr. A. J. Jongewaard, well-known Jefferson physician, has been commissioned a lieutenant commander in the medical corps of the United States navy and will report to the Great Lakes Naval Training station at Great Lakes, Ill., late this month. He will stop his local practice on Wednesday, August 19. Dr. Jongewaard served in the last World war in the navy, also. He was at Great Lakes during the last six months of 1918, going to the navy directly from the Illinois medical school. For the first six months of 1919 he was in Cuban waters with the first fleet and was on the USS Prairie, the mother ship for destroyers. He was at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in the spring was sent to Newfoundland to assist with the navy planes which made the first flights across the Atlantic. The doctor remembers that at that time flying was so new that a destroyer was located every 100 miles so as to be available if a navy plane couldn’t “make it” all the way.
Dr. and Mrs. Jongewaard and their family came to Jefferson in May of 1929. Prior to 1926 they had lived in India where he was a missionary for the United Presbyterian church. Dr. Jean Jongewaard will continue her practice in the Jongewaard clinic building as in the past.
Source: Jefferson Herald Aug. 13, 1942, p 7
Dr. A. J. Jongewaard, who has been spending the last six weeks at the Great Lakes naval station, came in last evening for a few days furlough. He is a lieutenant commander and is being transferred to St. Louis.
Source: Jefferson Bee Oct. 20, 1942, p 7
Dr. A. J. Jongewaard, a lieutenant commander in the United States navy, surprised his family Sunday by appearing in church. He is to have a week’s furlough from St. Louis, where he is stationed.
Source: Jefferson Bee Dec. 22, 1942, p 1
Lieut. Com. A. J. Jongewaard visited his family here from Friday until Sunday. He is now stationed at the U. S. Marine Recruiting Station at St. Louis, Mo., as an officer in the medical corps.
Source: Jefferson Bee April 6, 1943, p 4
Dr. A. J. Jongewaard, who is located with the navy service at Ottumwa, has been visiting his family for the past two days.
Source: Jefferson Bee May 18, 1943, p 4
Lieut. Commander A. J. and Mrs. Jongewaard of Ottumwa came Sunday for a visit with their family including Dr. and Mrs. M. Wesley Farr and baby until tomorrow.
Source: Jefferson Bee June 29, 1943, p 4
Lieut. Comm. A. J. Jongewaard left Sunday evening after spending a week in Jefferson with members of his family. Dr. Jongewaard, who has been stationed at Ottumwa at the naval air base, has gone to San Bruno, Cal.
Source: Jefferson Bee Sept. 21, 1943, p 4
Letters from George Watt bring the information that he has had the pleasure of visiting with Dr. A. J. Jongewaard and Mike Wilt on the island of New Caledonia.
Source: Jefferson Bee Sept. 2, 1944, p 5
Dr. A. J. Jongewaard departed Friday evening for New York, at the conclusion of a ten days leave from the U.S. navy. He will be in command of a hospital ship on the Atlantic having been recently transferred there from the Pacific. He will now be engaged in evacuating wounded and ill men from the military hospitals in Europe. The Jongewaard family has moved from the west coast and are at home at the Cudahy apartments.
Source: Jefferson Bee July 10, 1945, p 5
Dr. A. J. Jongewaard has received a promotion to that of commander in the navy. He has just returned to Boston from Bristol, England and called his wife from there. He is leaving again for England in a few days on his troop ship and will accompany more men back to the states.
Source: Jefferson Bee Aug. 28, 1945, p 5
DR JONGEWAARD RETURNS
Dr. A. J. Jongewaard returned to Jefferson last week and after a few days vacation, resumed his medical practice here this morning. He and his family are now settled in their home at 904 S. Elm Street. Dr. Jongewaard, who served in the U. S. navy during the first world war, returned to the service in the navy with the title of lieutenant more than three years ago and advanced to the rank of lieutenant commander. For the last six months or more, he has been in charge of a hospital ship bringing ill or wounded servicemen back to the United States for hospitalization.
Source: Jefferson Herald Nov. 1, 1945, p 1 (photo)
A. J. Jongewaard, M.D. Commander, M.C., USNR August, 1942 - October, 1945 Dr. Jongewaard, widely known Jefferson physician, has re-opened his practice after more than three years of service to the men in our navy.
Ministering to the wounded, first in the Pacific and then the Atlantic, Dr. Jongewaard has a powerful message for the folks here at home. Upon our request he has written the following letter in support of the Victory Loan. Let’s do our part.
Although the fighting of World War II is at an end, its aftermath is very much with us. We must provide for the men who stay in Europe and Japan in the armies of occupation. In July of this year, while at Le Havre, France, I saw German youths of 17 and German men of 50, prisoners of war, who were clearing away the barbed wire entanglement and the concrete pillboxes that their army had erected. It made me shudder to think that but for God’s blessing on our supreme efforts, we Americans might be doing the work those Germans were doing.
We must purchase Victory bonds to finance our part in the occupation of Europe and Japan, so that our men who must remain abroad will realize that we are backing them with our money. Millions of boys must still be brought home from the battle areas. The cost of transportation is staggering. The U. S. government paid in the neighborhood of $10,000 per day to operate the transport on which I served, when we had our full component of passenger troops – 1,200 to 1,500 men. We cannot fail our boys when they come home. Many of them will want to take advantage of the educational opportunities guaranteed to them in the G. I. Bill of Rights. Our boys abroad are depending on us to back them with our purchase of Victory bonds. Their belief in the promise made by our government helps to keep up their morale during the mustering-out process and during the time of service abroad for those who are serving in the armies of occupation. I am most vitally interested in the care we will provide for our disabled men and women. I believe that those in charge of this rehabilitation work will do all in their power to provide the best medical care available to enable our veterans to recover from their battle injuries, so that they may return to normal civilian life, if we furnish the money through our purchase of Victory bonds. I remember one lad whom we carried back from the Philippines. He had been injured in the Leyte invasion. His jaw had been fractured in front and on the two sides. His back had been injured and both his legs were fractured. Could you have seen the number of pins that held his jaw bones in place and the body and leg casts he wore, you would have been disheartened. However, he was not downcast except for a few days when the sea was rough. He had faith that he was going to get well, and that his government would do all it could to help him. Some boys of our own community are passing through similar experiences. Next to the men who paid for our liberty with their lives, these injured lads have paid the biggest price for our victory. Our purchase of Victory bonds will prove to them that we appreciate their sacrifices. Sincerely yours, A. J. JONGEWAARD, M.D.
Source: Jefferson Herald Nov. 8, 1945, p 1
Iowa, U.S., World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954, Claim Number 72517
Albert John Jongewaard, SN 33064, was born on Oct. 14, 1892, at Orange City, Iowa. He was living at Jefferson, Iowa, prior to entering the Navy on August 28, 1942, at Great Lakes, Ill., and served with the Great Lakes Naval Station, the Marine Induction Center at St. Louis, Mo., the Ottumwa Naval Air Base Hospital, and the M. S. Brastagi Navy Transport. He left the country for foreign service on Nov. 20, 1943, returned on Dec. 17, 1945, and was honorably discharged on Jan. 6, 1946. His application for bonus pay was filed on May 10, 1949, for which he received $462.50.
Source: ancestry.com
