Time Machine: Time Machine Trip to December 1944

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

December 1, 1944

Barney Hietpas was the only one of his party to get a buck. It was a 135-pound buck.

Staff Sergeant Edward H. Vanderwyst, who is serving with the 11^th infantry division in the European theater, has received a citation for distinctive heroism in connection with military operations against the enemy on August 8, 1944. Sergeant Vanderwyst, with utter disregard for his own safety, exposed himself to violent enemy fire that he might cover the withdrawal of his unit.

A disastrous fire struck the business section of the city completely destroying the Anderson Service Hardware and Schell’s alleys on West Wisconsin Avenue Thursday morning. The fire started near the furnace in the Anderson’s store. The fire was confined to two buildings, and it is believed the loss will be more than $80,000.

Don Hudson seems a cinch for scoring and passing receipt titles as he the ends his 10 professional seasons this year. The 31-year-old Hudson has collected 85 points on nine touchdowns and 31 extra points. The closest contender is Fireball Frankie Sinkwich of the Detroit Lions who, with one game to play, has 58 points.

Lieut. Jerome Meinert was wounded in action on November 15 while serving with the 95th division at Metz, according to latest word received by his parents. Meinert is now confined to a hospital in Paris and expects to be moved to England soon.

A fourth-quarter rally gave the St. John Dutchmen the 22-20 cage victory over Pulaski high school five at Little Chute Tuesday evening. Harry Hermsen tied the score 20-all for the Dutchmen and then Jim Hartjes potted the winning bucket.

December 6, 1944

First Lieut. Wilbur A. Jansen has been awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Jansen was wounded in action in France, having been in the Army for about two years. The war Department's version of the action for which Jansen was decorated is as follows: A patrol of about 40 Germans infiltrated the main line of the third Battalion and attacked an ammunition dump about 400 yards behind the battalion command post. Lieut. Jansen, leader of the platoon and six men promptly deployed and directed a fire fight in which eight of the enemy were killed and three others wounded. Jansen mounted the cab of a truck and manned the 50-caliber machine gun until his ammunition was exhausted. His gallant action and resourceful leadership stopped the larger enemy patrol and held it off until reinforcements arrived.

Kaukauna will have a new eight-line bowling emporium as soon as it is possible to rebuild the Schell building destroyed by fire last week. Once the insurance work is completed the rooms will be torn down and a new one-story structure will be built. Mrs. Alice Schell and Joseph Bayorgeon, who has been engaged as manager for the past several years, have completed a partnership agreement.

“Drive carefully,” is the warning issued by Chief of Police James McFadden to all motorists. Streets are, slippery, and hazardous and to avoid mishaps to motorists, and pedestrians drive slow and safely.

Seven boys have already left high school this year to enter service of their country. The Navy has claimed the majority of them by taking three, one being a sophomore, one Junior and one senior. Two boys, both seniors answered the Army's call, and two juniors answered the merchant Marine call.

A plucky Brillion five put up a good fight for the first half but went down before the Kaws commanding height advantage giving Kaukauna its fourth straight win by a score of 30 to 20. Jim Lehman led the Kaws with four buckets and three gift shots.

December 8, 1944

The city’s post war public works program as drawn up by F. M. Charlesworth city engineer. The proposed plan calls for a swimming pool amounting to $70,000 as well as water main extensions.

December 13, 1944

Many Kaukauna citizens will be listening Thursday evening to the radio when a record made in Paris by Lieut. Louis J. Vanderloop will be broadcast on WTAQ. Lieut. Vanderloop is a bombardier and navigator on a Havoc A-20 fighter bomber operating in the European theater of war.

Julius J. Martens, 73, pioneer businessman and banker, passed away suddenly Monday when he suffered a heart attack while sitting at the desk at the Farmers and Merchants bank. With the passing of Mr. Martin's Kaukauna loses one of its oldest businessmen. In the years of 1880’s he was employed by the August Mill's store as a delivery boy and clerk in the grocery department. In the 1890s he built a building and, started in the grocery business.

Robert La Plante, senior and forward on a basketball team, may not be the tallest man on the squad, but he makes up for it in aggressiveness and hitting the hoop when it counts. Bob, who is better known to his friends as Lester, is 6 feet tall and tips the scales at 145 pounds.

Santa Claus is coming to town! Yes, he will be here at the high school auditorium on Saturday, December 16 at 2 o'clock. At least 2000 kids are expected to be on hand to meet Santa when he makes his appearance.

December 15, 1944

The communication received here from headquarters zone of the European theater of operation reports that three Kaukauna boys Sgt. Lloyd Siebers, Sgt. Robert Klister and Cpl. Norbert Demerath are amongst the seven medical soldiers from within a 15-mile radius of Appleton who joined the Army on the same day and are now still working together at the 312th station hospital in England.

Rev. Michael Dexter, assistant pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church, left Wednesday to join the United States Army as a chaplain. He is the first clergyman from Kaukauna to become a chaplain in the Armed Forces.

The Marine Corps has notified the family of Cpl. Martin Siebers that he received shrapnel wound in the arm in action on Peleliu Island in the South Pacific on October 3.

The ceiling limit in the total number of main station telephones that may be connected to the local telephone center office under the restrictions of the war Department has been reached here.

Second Lieut. Elroy J. Peters, 22, who is stationed at the eighth air force bomber station in England has been decorated with the first oak leaf cluster to his air medal, it was announced recently by the commanding general of the eighth Air Force. Lieut. Peters is a bombardier on a B–17 flying fortress in the 8th air force. He has participated in many huge daylight precision bombing assaults on industrial and military objectives in Germany and Nazi occupied Europe.

December 20, 1944

Private Francis Alears is missing in action in the European area. He entered the military service February 17 of this year and went overseas July 21. He was with the army infantry.

The local Boy Scouts collected 2500 pounds of scrap metal and paper before their truck broke down last Saturday. They were unable to cover the north side, but Scoutmaster Wallace Mooney announced that they will be pleased to make a special pickup on Friday if residence will call him.

The Kaws really poured it on a hapless London team on Friday night to the tune of 42-22 and left many wondering how the Bulldogs ever held Shawano to a 10-point margin of victory and defeated Waupaca last week.

December 22, 1944

Appearing on the Edgar Bergen-Charlie McCarthy broadcast on Christmas Eve will be two Kaukauna men, Richard E. Watson and Richard J. Brown members of the famous Great Lakes naval training center choir. The choir numbering 1000 voices is made up of recruits in training.

December 27, 1944

Sgt. Clarence J. De Bruin, son of Mr. and Mrs. John De Bruin of Kimberly, is stationed with the crack Mustang fighter group overseas and is on duty as a mechanic to help keep the powerful P-51s of his squadron in the air over Germany.

The Boy Scouts of the city have been given recognition awards for their part in the scrap and paper drives according to Wallace Mooney, scoutmaster. The war production Board has issued a word to 29 boys and three troops for helping collect essential scrap metal during August and September.

The commanding general of the eighth Air Force service command recently announced the promotion from major to Lieut. Col. Leroy E. Everett of Kaukauna. Col. Everett was foundry superintendent at Kaukauna Machine Corporation when he accepted a commission as a major in the Army Air Force in July 1942.

A former grocery store clerk in Kaukauna, John C. DeGoey, was promoted to Second Lieut. on the field of battle and also decorated with the Bronze Star medal for heroic action against the enemy. He was a technical Sgt. and acting platoon leader in company B of the 84th armored infantry Battalion of the seventh armored division. Lt. DeGoey had previously been awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action at Metz. He received the Bronze Star for having led his platoon at Meljal, Holland. The platoon was trapped and faced with an overwhelming enemy force for three days in late October before reaching friendly lines.

Dr. and Mrs. G. J. Flanagan received a cablegram last week from their son John station in Belgium. It said, “Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year and more than ever you’re in my thoughts at this time.” At the present he is stationed with a field hospital unit in Belgium.

Holding St. John High School of Little Chute two points until the fourth quarter the Kaukauna High School cagers won an easy non-conference game here Thursday night by a 30 to 12 count.

Bernard Van Zeeland had the high game and high series for the Knights of Columbus bowling Thursday evening with 230 game and a 606 series.

Notes from the Armed Forces

Sgt. Theodore Weber is a maintenance man on the B–24 Liberator bomber squadron which recently completed one year in Italy.

Three 18-year-old Kaukauna men received their initial Navel induction training at the US Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois. They are Wilfred J. Brown, John H. Helein and Robert Geurts.

Myron Belongea was commissioned second Lieut. and was awarded the silver wings of a pilot in the Army Air Corps at a graduation exercise at Spence Field, Moultrie, Ga.

Robert E. Golden, 17, Kaukauna received his initial training at the US naval training center at Great Lakes, Illinois.

Seaman second class Arthur Meinert is spending a seven-day leave with his parents. He will then return to his station at Crane, Ind.

Motor machinist mate second class James Hopfensperger is spending a 30-day leave with his parents. He has recently returned from overseas where he took part in the invasion of Normandy.

James D. Helf has been promoted to first Lieut. The promotion from second Lieut. was made November 15 in Italy. He is with the Army Air Corps. He was sent overseas in September.

James Weigman, Seaman second class, on his return to duty from the Pacific area, had the pleasure of meeting his brother Wilford in the Hawaiian Islands. Wilford is with an air tank company and was working high up on a tank when he heard someone call him. The boys have not seen each other for two years.

Staff Sgt. Edwin J. Dougherty of Kaukauna is one of 55 returned veterans awarded the combat infantry badge at the redistribution station, Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Private Roger Voet has arrived safely from overseas according to word received by his family. He is currently in a hospital in Oceanside California where he was confined for several weeks.

F/O Kenneth L. Roloff, Kaukauna, is assigned to Ardmore Army airfield, Oklahoma where he is completing final phase training at the navigator.

AOM 2/c Donald H. Keil left for Miami Florida after spending a 17-day furlough with his parents. While home he went on a hunting trip to Eagle River.

Petty Officer John Grafmeier arrived home to spend the holidays with his family. He is stationed on a destroyer in the Pacific.

Leroy Balza arrived here last week from Ft. Sheridan, Illinois. He left for Mississippi where he will complete his training.

Pfc. Emil Koglin, Jr. arrived here to spend a 23-day furlough with his parents. He had spent 27 months in Iceland in the signal corps. At the end of his furlough, he will return to California for reassignment.

Corporal Remy Picard is spending a furlough with his mother after spending 47 months in Hawaii. He will then leave for Santa Ana, Calif., for reassignment.

Cpl. Vearle G. Foxgrover has been promoted from Pfc. He is stationed at Longview, Texas.

MM third class Kenneth Balgie has arrived safely in New Guinea.

Sgt. Henry Vanderwyst is spending a furlough here. He is currently stationed at Camp Joseph P Robinson, Little Rock, Arkansas. Sgt. Vanderwyst was wounded in New Guinea and is believed he will be kept in the states to instruct infantry recruits in warfare methods he learned in action in the South Pacific.

Kaukauna High School 1944