Kaukauna Times
By Lyle Hansen
August 1, 1945
Sergeant John Grogan arrived home from Ft. Ord,
Calif. to spend a 10-day furlough with his mother, Mrs. Francis Grogan,
Wisconsin Ave. He has three brothers in
service. Cpt. Francis is in the pacific area, 1st Lt. Robert is in
Camp Custer, Mich. and Lt. George is the South Pacific.
Capt. William J. Duffy, with the 7th
Air Force in Hawaiian Islands, is spending a 45-day leave with his parents in
Greenleaf.
1st Lt. Louis Vander Loop is spending a 30-day
furlough with his parents on Main
Street. He had completed 57 bombing missions as a navigator aboard an A-26
Invader in his 57 months in Europe.
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Flight Officer Robert Nettekoven has completed
20 months with the 434th troop carrier command in European theater,
arrived home for a 30-day furlough with his family on Park Street. He wears the
presidential unit citation, the ETO ribbon with arrowhead and five battle
stars, and the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters.
Lt. Robert J. Knox, who has served as executive
officer aboard a destroyer, just completed 20 months of service with the
carrier task forces in the South Pacific.
Seaman Eugene Vandehey has arrived in the South
Pacific according to a letter received by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Alfred
Vandehey.
Appleton avenged their recent defeat by the Kaw
Legion Juniors in the playoff series, when they whitewashed the Kaws 13-0 under
the lights at Goodland Field, Appleton.
Miss Jean Derus, supervisor of playground at La
Follette Park, announced the champions in the tournaments held last week.
Virginia Ehmke was named croquet champion when she defeated Helen Huss. Junior
Broehm won the croquet and badminton championships. The model clay contest was
won by John Martin with his model of baseball players.
Walter H. Roloff is president of the
Roloff Manufacturing company, one of Kaukauna’s newest industries which has
grown rapidly during the last few years.
Christmas packages to army personnel must be
mailed between September 15 and October 15, R. H. McCarty, postmaster, said
today.
August 3, 1945
Marine Private First-Class John M. Niesz was
awarded the Purple Heart for wounds suffered on Okinawa. He is currently in a
hospital in San Diego. He is a Machine gunner with the 1st Marine
division.
AOM 3/c Robert N.
Grissman, 12th Street, arrived home to spend a 30-day leave here
after 22 months of sea duty in the South Pacific area. He wears the American
theater ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with eight battle stars, the
Philippine liberation ribbon with two battle stars and the Halsey third and
fifth Leaf Bar with two battle stars. He is an aviation ordnance man.
Lt. Val Borger is spending a 39-day leave with
the John Cleveland family on John Street. He has been in service for three
years and is attached to the medical corps. He landed on the Normandy Beachhead and made their way into France. He was wounded and was sent to England for
three months for recovery. He wears the ETO ribbon and the Purple Heart Medal.
Sgt. Elmer Vandenberg, Sixth Street, is a
member the 914th Signal Company which was awarded the Meritorious
Service unit plaque for Superior performance in the Mediterranean theater of
operations. Vandenberg is currently stationed at the AAF service command in
Italy.
Staff Sgt. Ted Weber has received his honorable
discharge under the point system. He was overseas with 33 months of duty in
Palestine, Egypt and Italy. His decorations include the Distinguished Unit
badge with oak cluster, the European-African-Middle East battle ribbon with 15
campaign stars and the good conduct medal. He served with the 15th
Air Corps as a bomb rack and maintenance man in the Libertor squadron.
Seaman First Class Mike
Niesz and Corporal Jack Niesz met recently in Manila and were able to spend two
days together. Mike is stationed in the Philippines area and Jack is now
located in Manila. They are the sons of Mrs. Anna Niesz, West Tenth Street.
Tech. Sgt. Mark Nagan has been promoted to First Sergeant. 1stSgt. Nagan is now stationed in France with the 82nd Airborne group.
Electricians
Mate 2/c Earl Kersten and his wife arrived in Kaukauna on a 17-day leave to
visit their parents. He is currently stationed with the Coast Guard at
Manhattan Beach, N. Y.
The new Gamble store on
150 West Wisconsin Avenue will have its official opening Thursday morning,
according to Robert Vanevenhoven owner and manager. The general stock of
merchandise includes household, sporting goods, clothing, automotive supplies,
farm supplies and electrical appliances.
The wading pool at La Follette Park has become a favorite spot for youngsters during the last two weeks with an attendance of 131 using the pool daily. Winners in the bean-bag contest are Jack Giesbers, Junior Broehm, Eugene Jacoby, Jim Johnson, Jack Farrell, Roger Hartjes, John Berens, James Weyenberg and Virginia Ehmke.
Pfc. Clarence A. Balck, Kaukauna, is a member
of the 45th infantry division which is coming home from Europe. The
Thunderbird men are preparing for the Pacific campaign. Pfc. Balck has the
following decorations: the combat badge, ETO ribbon with three battle stars and
the good conduct ribbon.
The Common Council
approved the purchase of a dump truck from the Coffey Motor Company at the
Tuesday evening meeting. Bids were open with Gustman Chevrolet, International
Harvester Company and Coffey Motors.
Len Van Zeeland, flying enthusiast, told
members of the Rotary club that the “Handwriting is on the wall concerning an
airport for Kaukauna.” Post war flying will be so simple a child can do it and
younger generations will be for it.
There will be flying for business and pleasure and when the boys come
home from overseas an airport in Kaukauna is going to be a necessity.
Staff Sgt. Earl Treptow is now back home after
accumulating 146 points. He is now enjoying a 30-day furlough with his parents
and friends. He was stationed with the 8th Air force in England as a
flight engineer. He recorded 87 bombing missions in 35 months overseas.
Corp. John H. Domro is spending a 46-day
furlough with his parents on West Fourteen Street, after recently returning
from the European theater of operations. He participated in campaigns in
France, Austria, Germany and Italy. He was assigned to the 217th
field artillery as a radio reconnaissance man. He received the Purple Heart for
injuries suffered at Elmen, Austria. He also wears the ETO ribbon with three
battle stars and the good conduct ribbon.
Phil Haas pitched a three-hit ball game and
struck out 12 as the Kaukauna Legion Junior baseball team beat Little Chute 11
to 4 at Little Chute Wednesday afternoon.
Mrs. Edith Grignon observed her 85th
birthday anniversary on Friday August 3. She is currently living at the St.
Paul Home. She was a schoolteacher most of her life. In 1884 she married
Rossiter C. Grignon, second youngest son of the Charles Grignon family. Ross
died in 1931. She had lived in the Grignon home for 50 years and because of her
foresight in realizing the historical value of the home the home is preserved
today.
August 15, 1945
Olin G. Dryer Paul E. Little
At a special meeting of the board of education
Paul E. Little was appointed principal at Kaukauna High School to succeed Olin
G. Dryer, who resigned to take a position with the Wisconsin veterans’
administration. Mr. Little has been athletic director, football coach and
social science teacher at the high school for the last 16 years.
Lt. Norbert J. Killian, Tobacnoir Street,
Kaukauna, is a member of the 1755th engineer treadway bridge
company, which was awarded the meritorious service unit plaque. The award was
for accomplishing exceptionally difficult tasks in support of the Fifth army in
Italy.
Tech. Corporal Clifford Rademacher is
spending a 34-day furlough with his parents. He just returned from the European
theater after spending five months in combat and two months in hospitals and 11
months of non-combat duty. He was assigned to the Fifth Armored division as a
machine gunner on a half-track.
Thilmany Pulp and Paper Company has announced
that the entire mill will be closed for a 24-hour period following the official
proclamation of V-J Day, according to an announcement made by C. R. Seaborne,
vice president and mill manager. Watchmen, firemen and other employees who will
be required to work through the shutdown period will be given a day off with
pay at a time agreed upon by their foreman. Employees will be paid straight
time wages for the day.
During the month of July, the police department
made 14 arrests, according to James E. McFadden, chief of police.
Corporal George
Landreman Sixth Street is with the 391st AA battalion which
garrisons in Mondorf, Luxembourg and guards the Palace hotel, where 52 high
ranking Nazis officers are being held.
Clifford Damro has accepted a position with the
Hartjes Electric Company after receiving an honorable discharge from the
military. He has acquired 108 points during his four years in the army air corps
and served as a gunner on 53 missions in the European area. Staff Sgt. Damro
service decorations include the ETO ribbon with three battle stars, air medal
with five oak leaf clusters, the good conduct medal and the pre-Pearl Harbor
ribbon.
Richard S. Coenen has been promoted to Chief
petty officer. He has been in service in the Pacific area at Samar Island.
Red Skelton does a sequence with the ballet girls in his last
M-G-M picture “Bathing Beauty”. Skelton in his ballet ensemble.
August 17, 1945
Capt. William J. Nelson arrived home last
Friday from Europe where he had been stationed since February of this year. He
is spending a 30-day leave here with his wife, three children and parents. He
served as company commander of an infantry company with the 20th
Armored Division. He wears the bronze star award and the ETO ribbon with one
battle star.
Japs
Surrender – President Truman announced at the White House at 7 p.m. eastern war
time Tuesday that Japan has surrendered unconditionally General MacArthur has
been appointed allied commander in chief to rule over Hirohito. Emperor
Hirohito’s own signature was on the document of surrender.
One
Wisconsin youth, one PT boat and one torpedo added up to a smashed enemy convoy
in Italian waters in March of 1944, the Navy revealed recently in awarding the
Bronze Star medal to USNR Lt. Theodore Boebel, Reaume Ave., Kaukauna. As
boat captain of PT 214, Lt. Boebel was acting as a scouting unit for a force of
British patrol vessels when he came in contact with a German convoy of six
ships protected by two destroyers. “Immediately maneuvering to attack and fired
one torpedo into the lead destroyer and passing the target into
retirement.” The remainder of the convoy
was sunk by the allied force.
L. W. Lewis, president of the
Kaukauna Advancement association has requested all merchants of the city to
display their flags for an entire week, up to and including next Tuesday, to
celebrate the Japanese surrender. All residents are also asked to display flags
at their homes. The Kaukauna Advancement association decorations have been put
up throughout the business districts and will remain for one week.
Corporal Jerome W. Huss is spending a 34-day
furlough with his parents in Kaukauna after serving with the medical corps in
England for 13 months. He wears the ETO ribbon and the good conduct medal. He
has two brothers in service. Coastguardsman Sylvester Huss stationed in Ohio
and Pfc. Lawrence Huss with the 839th bomb squadron in England.
Phil Haas still leads
Kaukauna American Legion Junior batters. Haas is hitting at a .341 clip with 15
hits in 44 times at bat. Art Nagel is second with a .317 and Ken Dexheimer is
hitting an even .300 for third place.
Wisconsin
Avenue on Kaukauna’s north side is gradually dressing up and every day is
becoming more pleasant and business like as the Fox River Valley’s best small
town business streets.
The
citizenry of Kaukauna did its part to help celebrate the Jap surrender which
was announced by President Truman on Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. Shortly after
the announcement the siren started to shriek, and everyone dropped whatever
they were doing to get into the swing of things after nearly four years of war.
It was only a matter of minutes that every street in town was crowded with
people shouting and automobile horns tooting. Mill whistles were blowing and
church bells ringing. Even the locomotives blew their horns. Fire chief Henry
Esler helped the neighborhood get into the swing of things by sounding the
siren on his car. Services were held at all the churches in town. All
businesses were closed, and most plants gave their employees the day off with
pay.
August 22, 1945
Corporal Karl J. Niessing and Sergeant Clayton
Van Asten arrived last week at Camp McCoy. Both soldiers have recently returned
from Europe. Corporal Niessing served with the 3242nd engineers and
wears the ETO ribbon with five battle stars and his unit meritorious service
plaque. Sergeant Van Asten, of Freedom, served with the 31st ADG
headquarters company in England.
Pvt.
Joseph A. Evers, Little Chute, arrived at Army Air Force in Miami Beach last
week for reassignment processing. Pvt. Evers flew eleven missions as a B-17
gunner in the European theater.
Sgt. Arnold Rupiper, Joyce Street, received his
honorable discharge from the Army. He served
42 months in the South Pacific area with the construction engineers earning the
following decorations: Pre-Pearl Harbor ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with
four campaign stars and the good conduct medal.
Pfc. Robert Schuh, Sixth Street, arrived home
to spend a 30-day furlough with his wife and friends. Pfc. Schuh had been
stationed in Italy since March and has participated in the Po Valley and
Brenner Pass campaigns. Schuh, a member
of the field artillery wears the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with one battle star,
the pre-Pearl Harbor ribbon and the Good Conduct Medal. He has been in the Army
since September 1941.
Lt.
Commander J. P. Skibba, who recently returned to the states after spending
eight months in the South Pacific area, is now stationed at Great Lakes.
Pfc. Wilbert Lenhart is a member of the
3059th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company, composed entirely of combat
veterans from every branch of the Army. Since November of 1944 the members were
assigned the job of maintaining eleven army cemeteries near Normandy Beach. According
to the commanding officer less than one-half of the graves are marked “unknown”
because of the thorough method of identification the army has adopted. If the soldier’s
dog-tags have been lost his identification can usually be established by fingerprints,
tooth charts, scars or markings on his clothing.
John E. Weber Seaman second class, left for
Oregon, after spending a 10-day leave with his parents on Whitney Street.
August 29, 1945
Staff Sgt. Wilbur H. Van Dynhoven has been
awarded the bronze Star medal. Sgt. Van Dynhoven is supply sergeant with the
130th infantry Regiment in the Pacific area.
He personally took charge of carrying supplies that were used against
the enemy. Commendation stated “Sgt. Van Dynhoven’s efforts were in a large
measure responsible for the success accomplishment of his company's combat
missions.”
Sgt.
David McCormick arrived home for a 30-day furlough. He had served about nine
months in the European theater attached to Gen. Patton's third Army. He
received two battle stars. He will spend his furlough with his wife, son
Michael and with his mother.
Tech.
Fourth grade James Sanders, Third Street, has returned home after spending 11
months in the European area. Sgt. Sanders wears a campaign ribbon with three
stars. Sgt. Sanders was in the 104th infantry of the first Army.
The
start of another football season in Kaukauna will be Saturday when Coach Karl
Schuelke issues uniforms to the players. Despite the loss of the number of men
through graduation and those entering the Armed Forces, a number of letterman
will be returning.
Norman
A. Meinert aviation ordinance men, second-class, USNR, Whitney Street, service
aboard carrier USS Essex which steam close to the shores of Tokyo to launcher
planes against remaining strength of the enemy in the final days of the war.
Sgt. Monroe Romenesko, Blackwell Street,
arrived home Saturday after serving for 39 months in the South Pacific area. He
had 126 points and served with the company of the 32nd red arrow division. He
was in the Army for four years four months and four days. Including among his
decorations are the Asian-Pacific ribbon with four battle stars, the
distinguished unit award for the 32nd division, Good Conduct Medal,
sharpshooter medal, pre-Pearl Harbor ribbon and the combat infantry badge.
The first major fire since January occurred
early Monday when firemen were called to the Breier Grocery, 120 West Wisconsin
Ave. Firemen remained on the site for two hours. It is estimated that the loss
of stock in damage to the building will amount to about $6,000. Police suspect
the fire was set by a burglar who had broken in through the back door.
Leo
Schmaltz was elected secretary of the Wisconsin Elks club at Wausau which has
lodges in 36 cities in the state and over 20,000 members.
Staff Sergeant Carl J. Swedberg has been
awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he had received while fighting against the
Japanese in northern Luzon. Sgt. Swedberg is a member of the 130th
infantry of the 33rd division.
Ivan
Schatzke, Kaukauna, recently was promoted to Lieutenant. He has been in the
Navy since June 1943 and is currently working as an engineer at an Alaska ship
yard.
Margaret
McMahan, Kenneth Avenue, who is stationed in England, has been promoted to
first lieutenant in the Army nurses’ corps.
Another win was chalked
up for the Freedom baseball team as it scored an 8-0 shutout over the Heil Co.
team from Milwaukee at Goodland field, Appleton.
August 31, 1945
Lt. Robert Niesen was recognized with the Air
Medal in the Southwest Pacific area. Lt. Niesen participated in bombing
missions as a B-29 Pilot against the Japanese installations.
Lt. Norbert Killian was on his way to the
Pacific area when the news of the Japanese surrender was received. The ship
changed course and docked in Boston on August 22. Lt. Killian has completed 21
months of overseas duty. His decorations include the Presidential unit citation
and the ETO ribbon with three battle stars. He will return to Camp Campbell,
Ky., to join his unit the 255th Engineers.
Emil Huss, Jr., was
fine $5 and costs in Justice B. J. Mitchka’s court Wednesday on a charge of
reckless driving.
Sergeant Herbert E. Wittmann is spending a
30-day furlough with his parents after 15 months of duty overseas in the
European theater of operations. Sgt. Wittmann was awarded the Purple Heart for
wounds received in action. He also has
the ETO ribbon with five battle stars, the good conduct medal and the Combat
Infantry badge.
Three
Combined Locks young people were injured when the bicycle on which all three
were riding and a car was being driven by Robert La Plante, 18, Kaukauna,
collided on County Z. The injured are Clyde Schumaker, 15, suffered cuts and
bruises. Alice Jansen, 17, suffered compound fracture of her left knee, cuts
and bruises. Mildred Van Dalen, 15,
suffered a fractured right ankle, cuts, bruises and a left hand injury. La
Plante suffered a chin injury.
Sgt. Thomas Beach has received an honorable
discharge under the point system. He arrived home on August 23 after 41 months
of duty in the South Pacific. He served with company H 163rd
infantry. He was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with two battle stars, the
presidential unit citation, and the Philippine liberation ribbon with one
battle star, the Purple Heart, the good conduct medal and the pre-Pearl Harbor
ribbon. He entered service in November of 1941.
Births August 1945
Son to Mr. and Mrs. John Courtney
Son to Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Skalmusky
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Donnermeyer
Son to Mr. and Mrs. Linus Schaefer
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Bekkers
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Krueger
Son to Mr. and Mrs. Werner Koch
Son to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Reynebeau
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Ludvigsen
Son to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lamers
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Tilly
Son to Mr. and Mrs. William Van Groll
Son to Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Lemke
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Oliva
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Evert Hansen
Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur May
Lorraine Miller is one of those
tireless workers when it comes to camp shows. She works at the M-G-M Studio and
you’ll see her in “Ziegfeld Follies.”
Francis Gifford is pretty busy at
M-G-M right now filming “Marriage Is a Private Affair’.
Francis Rafferty is one of our favorite Irish beauties, but she is currently playing the role of a Chinese girl in M-G-M’s “Dragon Seed."
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