Decatur Newsletter for the boys in Military service.

News about you and your friends--about the Decatur Community High School and Decatur County.

V. I, Issue 4.  July 10, 1942    
Edited and compiled by Marian E. Cathcart, Oberlin, Kansas.

July and harvest time in Northwest Kansas. The harvest stories this year remind me very much of fish stories—-no matter how big a yield one has to report the listener can tell a better. To give you the best we will leave that story for a grand finale. And a grand one it is!-- It was an “I am well” card recently received by Mrs. Susie Eiler from son Bill at Dutch Harbor. —— Include in your address list: Camp Rucker, Alabama: Glen Gierhart, Haddow Vernon, Maynard Wennihan. Camp Robison, Arkansas:  Victor C1aussen. California--Camp Roberts: Donald Selby. March Field--Lester McDowell, Corp. Woody Larson. San Francisco--Elmer Dodd, Coast Guard. C1arence Manning now has a west coast address, while in the marine training base at San Diego are Bob Jorn and Virgil McKinzie. In the air corps is Everett Adamson now located  in Chicago, while Elvin Furlong and Lawrence Urban are at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Bryce Cody is at Camp Livingston, Louisiana while Dean Clawson is now in the naval training base at New Orleans. Transferred to Camp Edwards, Mass. is Frank Myers, while Gordon Johnson is at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. Joseph Hatch is in maritime training in New York City and Blackie Lindquist is at Camp Davis, North Carolina. Edward Smith is at Camp Perry, Ohio, Kenneth Schmoker at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Texas claims Merle Litton at Camp Bowie, Carl Hatch at Camp Barkley, Eugene Lohoefener at Temple, and Silver Chambers at Camp Hulen. At Bremerton, Washington one might find Don Claussen and Don Everist. Fort Warren, Wyoming lists Donald E. Johnson among its group.  Add to those outside the States——Clinton Ufford, James Young, Bill Stowell, Lyle Jones, Russell Rhodes, Lloyd Smalberger, and Lester Chambers. —— Lt. Francis Wilson, formerly manager of the Duckwall Stores at Oberlin and more recently of Ellsworth, Kansas, is now located at Foster Field, Victoria, Texas (recently featured in Life).  Mrs. Wilson and the children are joining him in Victoria which is located some 27 miles from the Gulf.  As a public relations officer one of his duties was to be in charge and master of ceremonies at a recent broadcast at the Post by Kansas boys. —— Corp. Woodie Larson is on guard duty at March Field, near Los Angeles. —— Include among those who were on Corregidor Harold E. Woolen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ward Woolen of Norcatur. —— John Walker has completed basic training at the Hospital Corps School at the Great Lakes. —— John Bell is now located in Australia while his brother Jaro1d is at Camp Barkeley, Texas. — Clarence and Ernest Koerperich are located at Fort Ord, California where they are quartered together.  –Pvt. Lester Chambers wrote his parents of his “safe arrival”.

His brother Silver is a sergeant technician located at Camp Hulen, Texas. --It is Supply Sergeant “Eddie” Robertson at Fort Rosecrans, Calif. -- The oath of allegiance taken by Donald Thornburg, now of the navy, was heard over the air from Kansas City as a part of the July 4th celebration.  Don has been in Wichita for a number of years where he was employed by one of the aircraft companies. Opal and Ethel Thornburg are also employed in Wichita. Dale Thornburg of the late U. S. S. Sturtevant has now been assigned to the recently launched U. S. S.Meade. --“A letter from C. W. Frank, formerly of here but now living in Melvin, Illinois, informed us of the sudden death of his son, Sgt. John Frank, 22, which occurred on May 22.  John (better known to us here as Jack) attended both grade and high school here, leaving with his family in 1937. He graduated from the Melvin, Ill. High school in ‘38 and soon after he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He had visited his relatives in Melvin about two weeks before his death, and appeared in the pink of condition at that time, it was said by the Melvin paper, which account attributed his death to uremic poisoning and anemia.”-- Oberlin Herald. —— Dale Carlisle is being transferred from the Great Lakes Training Station to New York City. —— Sgt. Joe Arthur Moss of Fort Warren, Wyoming was featured in a recent radio program. —— Second Lt. Allen Hadley, graduate of the Garden City Junior College, enlisted in the Air Corps in February, 1941. His primary training was taken at Thunderbird Camp, Phoenix, Arizona, basic training at Randolph Field and advanced training at Kelly Field. He received his wings in October and since that time he has been located at Goodfellow Field, San Angelo, Texas as a U. S. Army flight instructor. His father, Floyd Hadley, is located at Garden City, Kansas where for the past six years he has been commercial supervisor in the Junior College.——Corporal James Young is a radio operator in the Army Air Corps and is now located overseas. – Mr. and Mrs. Carl Rohnke of Norcatur have three boys in military service—Frank, Albert, and John. — Among the recent marriages; John Handwerk and Florence Frietch of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Edith Cilek and Capt. Nugent Brown in Montgomery, Ala-bama. Edith has been in the war department for nearly two years where she held a position of supervisor in the finance section. They are now living in Tuskegee, Alabama. Katy Thummel and Paul Harper of’ Goodland. They are living in Goodland. - Viola Wahlmeier and Sgt. Leo Tacha in California.  Dareld Runyan and Arlene Lauver, both of Traer.  Myrna Railsback and 0. R. Kelley.  Flossie Shield and Sgt. Dennis Sloan in Pasadena, Calif.  Flossie has worked in the banking department at the State House the past several years. Louise Corey and Pvt. Leo Bunney at Hollywood, Calif. Leo is a radio operator located at Burbank, California. Blanche Petracek and Lloyd Maggard at Jennings, Kansas.

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“They say none are so smug as the newly prosperous who once had nothing. That must be why cattle on the Western Kansas prairies are so complacent this spring. — I remember the sad-eyed, ribby creatures of other years, who stood and stared forlornly at the passerby then turned, without interest or hope, to nibble at the scorched and bitter grass. — They still stand, but only because not another tender, succulent blade can be crammed into any of their series of stomachs. And they still stare, but with haughty assurance or pert insolence. -— The bovines that roam the prairies this year are as contented as a plump woman sitting down to a thick cut of butterscotch pie adorned with whipped cream, bananas and nuts.”--Zula Bennington Greene.  Recent visitors in Oberlin——Uriel and Theo Young-Goodrich of Laramie, Wyoming. They were enroute home from a visit with Joe Young in New Orleans ...Frederick and Velma Fleming-Peters and daughter, Patricia Ann, of Dodge City...Burnie Rubendall and wife of Denver.  Her home was fomerly in Missouri….Mrs Lola Banta-King and children of Topeka,..Mrs. Eula Gene Gill-Campbell of Downing, South Dakota...Mrs. Marjorie Hitchcock-Golmartin and daughter of Los Angeles. Mrs. Lorraine Carper-Gibson and little son John Clinton, have also visited at the Clint Carper home in Pueblo, Colorado.  Mr. and Mrs. Gibson are moving to Los Angeles...Raymond Hrabe of Denver..,Pvt. Merle Litton of Camp Bowie, Texas…Pvt. Paul Nauer…Lois Bogart of  Washington, D. C and Elaine Bogart of Denver,.,Mrs. Alice Emerson-Hunziker of San Francisco..,Mrs. Azelia Marsh of Great Bend, Kansas…Mrs. Myra Redman-Frohardt and infant daughter, Susanne, of Burlington, Iowa...Rev. and Mrs. Delbert Wickstrom of Paris, Illinois. Mrs. Faye Anderson-Weimer and daughter, Barbara, of Green River,Wyoming...Mrs. Ruby Ridgway-McCain and daughter, Caroline, of McDonald, Kansas.,.Mrs. Jessie McGee-Elson and children of McComb, Miss. She will join her husband at Fort Bragg, North Carolina...Irel Cody of Enid, Okla…Jack and Dorothy Garrett-Johnston and daughter of Garden City, Kansas...Mrs Nelda Lohoefener-Krum of Pensacola, Florida...Ross Reeves, who visited in Almena and friends in Oberlin before returning to Seattle where he has been employed at Boeing Aircraft...He will he employed by civil service upon his return....Mrs. Grace Votapka-Brock and children, Judith and Ronald, of Norton. Her husband, Earl Brook, is the owner and operator of a grocery store there…Mrs. Lola Skinner-Jones of Denver…Elmer and Ethel Bystrom-McKinzie and son, Donnie, of Hastings, Nebraska where they have charge of the country club...Kermit Wilson, son of Jerome and Josena Benton-Wilson, of Kinsley, Kansas…Ramona Wolkensdorfer of Junction City...Jack and Helen Herzog-Riley and children, Tad and Lora Lynn, of Pottstown, Pa.   Jack is football coach and a master at the Hill School in Pottstown. “These reported on June l6 to Fort Leavenworth for physical examination for military service---Merald Carter, volunteer inductee, and Darrel Carter, both formerly of Jennings, and Keith Lohoefener.  These left July 3 for Denver for examinations for selective Service:  Royce Head, Carrol Hall, Leonard Peters, Milton Nitsch, Myron Cochran, Francis Wesch, Delbert Rounsley, Glenn Higgins, Robert Leitner, and Kenneth Erickson.” —Oberlin Herald. -- Andrew Schoeppel, candidate for the republican nomination for governor, will be remembered as the head official at many of the Oberlin-Norton football games. -- Louise Anderson will teach in Junction City the coming winter and will join her sister Helen who has had civil service work there for several months.--Harold VanPelt is taking charge of the wheat bins in the A. C. A. office.

Mr. and Mrs. Herman Claussen celebrated the anniversary of twenty-five years in Oberlin recently.  During this entire time he has been pharmacist at the Addleman Drug Store. —After a residence in Oberlin of seventeen years, the Elden Jacobs  family have moved to Eureka where he will manage a furniture store. Their daughter, Janice, who attended Kansas State College last winter, is now employed in the stockroom of the Beech Aircraft Co. in Wichita. —— Dale Wickham is home from Kansas State to assist with wheat harvest.  James Vavroch is in attendance at Kansas State this summer where he is taking R.O.T.C. —— Indefinite word was received concerning Gail Craig, formerly of Kanona, but who enlisted from Atwood, that he lost his life in the service of his country. (He was a former football player with the Atwood team). --Employed in Oberlin include: Elda Johnson at the Farmers Loan and Abstract Co.; Alyce Anderson, Amy Maye Anderson-Rehm, Veda Nielsen, Blanche Petracek-Maggard,  Pattie Pierce, Myrna Railsback-Kelley, all in the Farm Bureau; Geraldine Paddock in the telephone office; Doreen Paddock by the Redman-Paddock Co.; and Dixie Patton by the Rationing Board. —— Alda Townsend, who was operated on several weeks ago for appendicitis, has fully recovered and returned to work in McCook. -— Recruits in the “Second Generation” include:  Ruth, daughter of Clifford and Ura Frickey-Hinkle of Maywood,Illinois.  Jay Dee, son of Dorce and Elsie Wurm-Hayes of Oberlin.  Mary Joan, daughter of Merald and Millie Esther Stowell-Carter of Oberlin. -- Raymond Lippelmann reported July 6 at South Bend, Illinois for the naval reserve.  He has been in attendance at Kansas University in the Law School. Roommate and classmate, prior to army service, was Bill Stowell, who in addition to his law studies, drove to Leavenworth daily where he held a full time defense job. He found life at Fort Warren a vacation in comparison. — Kenneth Gardner and Walter Shaw are in northern Nebraska where they have work on a large ranch. Kenneth earned the admiration of all by the exceptional skill he demonstrated in the recent tornado disaster. Among those reporting to American hinterland for defense work are Bill O’Toole of Kansas City, and Vance Cass, now of Ogden, Utah. -— Marjorie McGee is employed in a Denver, Colorado office, ——During the last two weeks of June, the Oberlin service 

page 3, July 10.

stations announced the collection of forty tons of scrap rubber. No data was available on other stations in the county but that in Oberlin would average better than 11 1/2 pounds per capita for every person in the county. -— Carol Stevenson has gone to Kansas City, Mo., where she will take training this summer in dietetics at the University of Kansas Hospital. Marian Pfrimmer is in nurses training in the same hospital. —— Mildred Wooley is employed by the Cessna Aircraft Co. of Wichita.—— Mary Martha is the name of the delightful little daughter of Pete and Betty Halloran-Reeves. ——Bob and Maxine McKinzie-Ridgway live in McDonald where Bob manages a Hall grocery. -- Roxanne Rae is the name of the daughter of Gale and Genola Southard-Ridgway. —— The wheat fields of Theo May, Robert Johnson Sr., and Bartos Brown were judged first, second, and third, respectively, in the Decatur County wheat contest, judged on time and method of tillage, moisture and fertility conservation, and purity of field. With a total of 100 points possible, Mr. May’s field rated 98. Other fields rating above 90 points, entitling the owner to receive a blue ribbon as well as a seed wheat certificate included: Joseph Vavroch, Harold Johnson, Edward Fiala, Denzil Reist, A. J. Berndt, and Elwood Mines. —— Mrs. Don Everist of Colby has gone to Washington where she has a position as senior typist. -- Kelly Olson has gone to Niles, California where he has defense employment. — Seen recently in the City Park——small boys fishing in the fish pond, with a lookout in the background. –Excerpts from letters: Were I able to quote freely from the letters received this month, you would have an anodyne for the Libyan reverses and feel as I so definitely do that the “Yanks are coming” on land, on sea, and in the air and on the defense front. We are rapidly accomplishing what the Axis nations have accomplished through the past twenty years, and though this summer may be partially theirs the next will be wholly ours. The few brief weeks spent in Europe in 1938 left me with definite grave fears that a holocaust of war was coming unless concerted action was set up by the now “United Nations” including those represented by governments in exile. I also fe1t just as surely that the United Nations could then, and will now, write the peace, and that largely to America falls the responsibility of a just and lasting peace. Those of you who are overseas, and those of you who are going, will, I think, be surprised as I was, at the respect and confidence our nation inspires, --will realize, as I did, how very much of that we take for granted, is for them sheer luxury, whether it be food, transportation, home, opportunity for education, wages, or government. Thus the greater is our responsibility in the coming peace and the sacrifices that will be necessary to make it lasting and therefore equitable. - I seem to have ended a simple appreciation of letters with an editorial or a philosophy—sorry!--- Cadet Gordon Johnson has done considerable traveling in the eastern half of the U. S. and is now at Jefferson Barracks waiting for training in aviation cadet flight duty. —— A nephew writes from the far Pacific area (Arthur): “Not much here except jungle——a few natives, lots of cocoanut trees, a little fruit——bananas, oranges, pineapples and a few peanuts. The natives are very friendly. Whenever we go to their villages they run out with a bunch of bananas or oranges as gifts. Some speak a little English, enough that they can be understood. Yesterday we went swimming. A family of natives gave us four bunches of bananas which we have hung in our tents to ripen.” —_ Jack Dryden now has the ranking of flight captain and will soon go into active duty. — “Pollack” Myers writes to the post office gang that he is located at Camp Edwards, Mass., a half mile from the ocean in a really beautiful location. New England ranks as one of the prettiest places I have been fortunate enough to visit. — Dean Clawson is a carpenters mate 3 /c and is located at New Orleans. —_ Ken Schmoker is in the field communications and heavy artillery school at Fort Sill, Okla. — Lester McDowell is at March Field where he is in the medical detachment. — Lyle Jones writes: “The Statue of Liberty is one old girl I would certainly like to see——and of course there is one in Michigan, also.” –Pvt. Don Johnson is located on “Uncle Sam’s Dude Ranch” at Fort Warren. He says, ”Of course everyone would prefer that conditions did not require military training, but since it is necessary, one must admit that the army is trying to do a good job. In such a cross-section of men, every type is found, so it is very easy to find congenial company.” Since leaving Oberlin he has completed work on an advanced degree at Columbia University and has been employed as instructor in the Eastern Illinois State Teachers College the past two years and is now on leave from that position. --Lloyd Woolley writes, “I am on a small boat having a crew of only four in the harbor service.” It gives me that old seasick feeling just to think of that tiny boat on a rough sea, even on harbor duty. --Pfc. Glen Miller writes from the Desert Training Center, “It is hot as thunder with all indications of getting somewhat warmer.  We are accustomed to 128 degrees in the sun—very nice in the shade if one can find it. The heck of it is we must keep on full dress with every button fastened.  In Texas we could run around without shirts but out here, where no one can see us, except an occasional jack rabbit or rattlesnake, one dares not take his shirt off.” Glenn is a 2/c cook or to use his term, “slum burner”. —— Machinist mate 1/c Marion Drescher writes, “Our mail orderly received quite a 1augh when he saw your letter was addressed as Seamen Drescher and wanted to know if I had been to ‘mast’ and was broken in rate....I joined the navy in 1936, spent 3 mo. of training in Chicago and was assigned to the fleet on  board the battleship Mississippi, stayed there four years, and went to Diesel Engineering School at New

Page 4,  July 10, 1942

London, Conn,, transferred to Atlantic patrol squadron one year ago. Since then we have had lots of action . . .We rescued twenty seamen from the sea two weeks ago after they had been in the water four days. These men wi1l have a deeper and greater friendship toward our country. We feel that we have done a grand job with several more coming up. We don’t mind a good scrap...I have been transferred from sea duty at present and am at the GMS Pool Receiving Ship New York....Was in the waters with the U. S. S. Sturtevant when she went down and am glad to know that the boy from Oberlin was rescued.   I was anxious about her too as I had two former shipmates  from the U. S. S. Mississippi on her. I saw them..,.and they were well after the experience.” Sea. 1/c John Sawdon and Clifton Walton write: “We are still pushing around together and hope to see the war end together. Both of us are shell back members of Father Neptune, received after crossing the Equator.  Kenneth Williams writes us that all is well and the going smooth”. These boys are located in the Pacific,..Harold Scott is located at Camp Crowder, Mo., Harold Meixner at Camp Wallaco, Texas (it is once a month on this news letter), Carl Stephens is at Lowry Field, Colorado; Vike Francis is expecting a transfer from Fort Leavenworth, and Lloyd Corcoran is at Fort Logan, Co1orado....Wichita Eagle notes that the government is starting a campaign to save every kind of grease except elbow....Raymond Hague has started a three months training course as torpedo man,...Mrs. Mavis Cody-Urban has returned from a visit with her husband, Lawrence Urban, at Fort Knox, Ky.  Located at that Fort also are Leroy Linn, Lewis Tuxhorn and John Mazanek.,.Dr Vorris Reist spent a recent vacation in Oberlin——though most of that time he was working at the Oberlin Hospital.  Now he is taking intern work at Broadlawn Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa where he reports he is working harder than ever before....A telegram was received last week by the parents of Bard Claar that the vessel upon which Bard was a member of the crew was lost by enemy action and that he was safe at a South American port. He had previously written his parents that he was sailing. Floyd Lotker and Bard separated on the last sailing. Gleanings from today’s Herald:  Decatur County went over the top on June’s quota of War Bonds…Millie Marvin ‘06, long a missionary nurse in Assam, India and a sister of Mrs. Fern Langmade-Stowell, writes that conditions there are such that the orphanage with which she is connected is to be closed. They are undecided as to what plans to make but as getting out of the country is equally as dangerous, if not impossible, they have about decided to settle down and take what comes. With Miss Marvin is Miss Verna Blakely. Both served as nurses in the World War I and they are considering volunteering in that capacity in World War II...Mrs. Art Roberts is doing as well as can be expected following a paralytic stroke.  Mr. and Mrs. Grant Roberts of Omaha were here over the week end….Leaving Tuesday morning, July 14 for pre-induction physical examinations at Denver are: Fred Koehler, Gerald Fringer, Leroy Huffman, Carl Frickey, Andrew F. Long, Lowell B. Sebaugh, Louis Pachner, Lewis H. Post and Tom Townsend.  Byron McCartney, Traer, left Tuesday for Omaha to report for service in the Air Corps, and Raymond Lippelmann left Sunday night to report at Notre Dame, Indiana for training in the Naval Reserves....Of the group of young men that went to Denver for examination July 3, two were rejected in the physical examinations. They were Milton Nitsch, and Robert Leitner.  Nitsch previously had been rejected at Ft. Riley where he twice took the physical examination as a volunteer in the naval reserves” ...Among those home on furloughs——Arthur Otter, Gerald Miller, “Tony” Costello, - “Mike” Noone, Paul Nauer enroute from Camp Callan, Calif. to Willington, North Carolina, S/Sgt. and Mrs. B.J. Pankasie, Corp. Tech. Glen Miller from Camp Young, Indio, Calif., Marlin Schandler, Joseph Hatch of Hoffman Island, N. Y., and Sgt. Frank Ellis of Fort Riley…Flora Boutz ‘42 has entered nurses training in St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo....Fern Love-McCrea, husband and children visited in Oberlin over the week end.  Their home is in Ottawa, Kansas..,.Perry Macy has transferred to Fort Riley from Arizona and will later go to Fort Knox, Kentucky... Cloyce Pelkey has enlisted as a flying student in the Naval Reserve...James Kaspar, now a Technician Sergeant, works on air conditioners and refrigerators and is located at Las Vegas, Nevada. (If it is still as hot there as the last time I was present, he has plenty of practice)…Floyd Eiler has completed basic training in Field Artillery at Camp Roberts, Calif., and is now at Ft. Ord...Cpl. James Young, radio operator with army air communications has been located at Camp Robison, Scott Field, Bradley Field, Boiling Field, Morrison Field, and is now overseas,...Perry Macy now has the ranking of Technical Sergeant, and it is Staff Sergeant Frank Meyers. He has charge of five invasion boats, each with a three man crew....Cadet Meridith Huff is at Thunderbird Field, Phoenix, Arizona.,..Word has been received from Vernon Lafferty that he has arrived safely on foreign soil..,.Mildred Armstrong of Denver, Pvt. Carl Stephens of Lowry Field, Pvt. Lloyd Corcoran of Ft. Logan, Mr. and Mrs. Max Brooks of Bowling Green, Kentucky (Max is a bank examiner), Wayne Herzog of Wichita, Elwyn White, Daryl White and wife, and Harold and Wanda White-Janousek all of Denver, Marguerite Peters of Greensburg, Kansas are among the week end visitors here…Clifford Rock has resigned from his position as teacher and basketball coach here and will teach next year at Ellsworth where he will supervise all athletics….Pvt. Kenneth Foster and Seamen 2/c Clinton Ufford are now in Hawaii——Pvt. Harold Derby is

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Wednesday, October 20, 2004