Black Hawk County

Lt. Guy W. Iversen

 

 

Lt. G. W. Iversen of Cedar Falls
Declared Dead

Was on Jap Prison Ship
Sunk by Submarine Action.

Cedar Falls – Mr. and Mrs. Anders Iversen, 910 Clay street, are in receipt of a letter from the adjutant general of the army notifying them of the death of their son, Second Lt. Guy W. Iversen, of the air forces.

The International Red Cross received, after a long delay from the Japanese government, a list of 1,775 prisoners of war, including Lieutenant Iversen, who were lost when a Japanese ship on which they were being transported from the Philippines Oct. 24, 1944, was sunk by submarines action in the South China sea over 200 miles from the Chinese coast.

Born Aug. 24, 1919, at Cedar Falls, Guy Wittrup Iversen was graduated from the Cedar Falls high school where he was prominent in athletics. He also attended Teachers college from 1937 to 1940, where he was a member of Lambda Gamma Nu fraternity.

He enlisted in the air forces July 29, 1940, and entered training at Oxnard, Cal., Oct. 15, 1940. He was graduated May 29, 1941. He left for the Philippine islands June 6, 1941. He was stationed at Clark field, Fort Stotenburg and was attached to the 21st pursuit squadron. He was wounded in action, Dec. 10, 1941.

Taken prisoner at Bataan, he was on the infamous death march.

Survivors include his parents and a brother, Pvt. Hubert W. Iversen, New Orleans, La., who is coming home on furlough, and a sister, Mrs. Merle Iversen Vetch, Burbank, Cal, also three foster brothers, Sgt. Douglas J Bruce, Luzon; Clair S. Bruce, Camp Fannin, Tex., and Sgt. Elvin A. Bruce, in Hawaii.

Source: Waterloo Daily Courier, Waterloo, Iowa, Friday, June 22, 1945, Page 12 (photo included)

Guy W. Iversen was born Aug. 24, 1919 to Anders and Ingeborg Iversen. He died Oct. 24, 1944 (At Sea) and is memorialized at the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Source: ancestry.com