Plymouth County

Fred Dorale

 

FRED DORALE, 29, KINGSLEY SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION

Another Kingsley home has received one of the dreaded War Department telegrams, “Regret to announce that your son has been killed in the performance of his duty.”

Henry Neddermeyer received word Saturday that his stepson, Fred Dorale, had been killed in action in the South Pacific area. Fred Dorale was 29 years of age. He was born at Mapleton, Iowa, and moved to Kingsley at the age of 12 years, where he lived on a farm until he entered the service about four years ago on June 8, 1941. His preliminary training and the first two years of Army life were spent on the east coast, after which he was shipped to the Pacific area, where he took part in the invasion of the Philippines, New Guinea and Luzon. His last letters were written from Luzon so it is presumed it was on that island that he lost his life.

He is survived by his stepfather, three half sisters, Henrietta, Mabel and Mary Neddermeyer.

Fate has been unkind to this war hero. In his last two letters he told his dear ones that it was rumored they would be moved from the island of Luzon and expressed hope he would be sent back to the United States. He was sick of killing, and many times expressed hatred of a war which forced peace loving men to do what he called unnecessary life taking. On Luzon Japs were exterminated in such great numbers that it was impossible to give them individual burial. Fred was in the infantry and it was his job to help rout the enemy out of all caves and jungle in the mountainous country.

Source: LeMars Globe-Post, April 30, 1945

Fred Clarence Dorale was born June 15, 1915 to Anna Dorale. He was the step-son of Henry Fred Nedermeyer. He died Mar. 12, 1945 and is buried in Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Sgt. Dorale served in World War II with the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Division and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Sources: ancestry.com; abmc.gov