Kaukauna Times
By Lyle Hansen
March 2, 1945
Robert Lang was
promoted to the rank of first Lieutenant in France.
Peter J. Bergman has concluded 48 years
of service with the Kaukauna Lumber company. He worked his way up as a laborer
to now the company’s president and general manager.
The Kaukauna Lumber and
Manufacturing Company have recently gone out of existence with the formal
announcement that the concern has been sold to the Lieber Lumber Company.
Established in 1884, the first president was Henry Hewitt with John Jansen as
vice president and was situated on the site of the present Thilmany upper
mill. The mill was run by waterpower.
A telegram was received
from the war Department Wednesday of the death of Flight Officer Ralph T.
Mooney formerly of Kaukauna and brother of Kaukauna resident Wallace
Mooney. He attended Kaukauna public schools and was a 1941 graduate of Kaukauna
High School. Flight officer Mooney was a
navigator on the B-17 bomber.
Lieutenant Kenneth
Busse has been awarded the air medal. He is currently serving in the European
campaign.
March 7, 1945
Bishop Paul Peter Rhode, 73, head of the Green
Bay diocese since 1915, died Saturday morning at an Oshkosh hospital. Bishop
Rhode’s health had been failing for several years but carried on much of his
work duties until a few months ago.
Cpl. Robert W. Brown,
23, was recently promoted to sergeant. He is with the ninth armored division in
the Western front in Belgium and Luxemburg.
Sgt. William Miller has been promoted from
Pfc. to Sgt. He has received the combat infantry badge for action against enemy
in France.
U.S. infantrymen pass
the Siegfried line, Habscheid, Germany with their triggers ready as they move
up to the front.
In a letter addressed
to the members of the Council by Mayor L. F. Nelson takes issue with the action
of the Council of disposing of four lots located on Green Bay Rd. He believes
that the selling price is too low. The
lot selling price of $200 each was very low and was sorry to hear that they
were sold for $50 each. They should have been held onto and sold to the
returning service men.
Mrs. Herman De Leeuw,
Kimberly, received a telegram from the war Department informing her that her
husband had been seriously wounded in Germany on February 10. Private De Leeuw
entered service in August 1944 arrived overseas in January 1945 as an infantryman.
Pfc. Carl E. Behler,
31, Little Chute, was wounded by enemy machine gun fire in his left leg
fighting the German counterattack in Belgium. He is now recovering in a
hospital in England. Before entering the Army Pfc. Behler was employed at the
Thilmany pulp and paper company.
Jerome Nytes was
promoted to master sergeant at Tonopah Army Airfield in Nevada.
Duane Buerth and James
Hopfensperger were elected co-captains of the 1945 season and will lead the
boxing squad though the season. James is the chief contender for the 108-pound
division, while Duane is expected to meet strong competition in the 122-pound
class. Fred Barribeau, coach of the boxing squad said that much responsibility
is being placed on these boys because of the fact that the teams in the past
have established such a fine record.
Norbert A. Biese has
been promoted to Private first class at Camp Butler, N. C.
“So far we have
$3,637.25 in bonds and stamps toward our goal of $15,000 by the end of the
year.” said Miss Edith Porterfield, chairman of the drive in the schools.
March 9, 1945
American flag atop
Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima.
Little Chute – Home after being one of the United States
soldiers repatriated from a German hospital. Staff Sgt. Tony Van Wymeren
breathes a sigh of relief after his experience as a waste gunner on a B-24
Liberator bomber, crashed and his nine months in a German internment camp. Sgt.
Van Weimer received the air medal and Purple Heart for his value and injuries.
Tech. fourth grade
Donald Johnson was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions against an enemy of
United States on December 1944 in Belgium. He is serving with the seventh
armored division and the European theater.
A bill, up before Congress for the eighth time
and was endorsed by both political parties in the recent campaign platforms, calls
for equal rights for men and women. The business and professional women's club
will meet Monday evening at Hotel Kaukauna and will discuss both sides of the
bill. Mrs. W. C. Sullivan and Ms. Hazel Thatcher will be in charge of the
program. Mrs. Sullivan stated that there were at least 15 states in the union
were women cannot control their own property and five states in which women can
have no voice in the control of their children if the husband chooses to the
take that right.
March 14, 1945
F. G. Posson recently became the
tenth member of chapter 101. Royal Arch Masons. He succeeds Leroy Siefert who
is serving with the armed forces.
German prisoners of
war, supervised out of the prisoner of war camp at Fort Sheridan, performed
work which has brought $210,722.59 into the United States treasury for the
period from January 1 through February 21 has been announced by the post
commander. The German prisoners of war were made available for work in several
areas following certification by the war manpower commission that civilian
labor was not available.
Helen D. Vanevenhoven,
Kaukauna, was appointed to the Army nurses Corps with the rank of Lieutenant.
Staff Sergeant Jack
Winn was reported wounded on Feb. 19 while fighting in Luzon.
Lt. Leland Scherer was
among the casualties from the European theater who were received into the
Tacoma, Washington hospital last week.
Cpl. Willard F. Coonen of Dundas was awarded
the Purple Heart for wounds received in action in the European theater of
operations.
March 16, 1945
Joseph Foegen and
Lawrence Gerend were named valedictorian and salutatorian respectively at a
meeting of the Kaukauna high school senior class yesterday afternoon. Foegen
maintained an average of 95.2 during his four years at Kaukauna high school
while Gerend’s scholastic average was 94.871. Both are entitled to scholarships
at the University of Wisconsin for two semesters.
March 21, 1945
George E. Haas, 86, Kaukauna pioneer
resident and businessman, passed away Tuesday morning at his home.
The boxing limelight
falls this week on Phil Haas, 156–pound versatile fighter, credited with a
knockout in a loss this year. His fights are half-minute, bang-up affairs and
it's anyone's guess was going to hit the canvas first. Although he is only a sophomore,
he already has won letters in football, basketball and boxing. When asked about
his boxing career, he jokingly replied, “Stick around after the fight and I'll
sell you a half interest in my cauliflower ear.”
Ralph J. Vanevenhoven,
Kaukauna was promoted to the rank of corporal. Cpl. Vanevenhoven, 23, is
serving as a gunner with an 81 mm mortar squad in the South Pacific.
First Lieut. William L.
Dowling has been recently promoted in Belgium where he is serving with the
transportation Corps.
Cpl. Benedict F.
Truyman was not pleased with the Germans when they sailed a shell into his half
track which he had brought unscratched from Normandy Beach. He says he had
dismounted from the half track on a road south of Marche during an offensive in
Belgium when the Jerry shell whizzed by five tanks at two other half tracks and
into his vehicle. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
March 23, 1945
Tanks and infantry of
the fifth armored division were attacking the German town of Kleinhau when tank
driver Cpl. Arthur V. Huss of Kaukauna heard a radio message for help from his
platoon leader. Cpl. Haas turned his
tank and headed out. He located the three tanks that were mired down and under
heavy enemy fire. He supervised the work of pulling them out of the mud and saw
that they were once more preceding on their mission. For this action Huss was
awarded the bronze Star medal.
March 28, 1945
Ralph J. Kraut, president of the
Kaukauna Machine Corporation, has been promoted from major to Lieut. Col. with
the sixth infantry division. He is
stationed in New Guinea at this time.
Mrs. L. F. Green,
Kaukauna, received a letter Tuesday from her sister Dorothea which was written
in Manila and told of her release from a Japanese prison camp after three years
internment. She is a medical missionary and has worked in the Philippines for
about 16 years.
Tom Eiting, Junior,
fights in 140 pound division on the high school boxing squad. Tom better known
to his friends as Monk has been boxing for two years and has won letters in
both his freshman and sophomore years. Besides boxing, Monk has also played basketball
and football.
Cpl. Francis D. Jansen,
Kaukauna, was admitted to the General Hospital recently in Springfield, Ohio
for treatment from battle injuries received in Luxemburg.
A crowd of 600 people
saw the St. Mary’s boxing team reversed an earlier decision and even the score
with the St. John's, Little Chute boxers by taking a 6 to 5 victory in the high
school gym Tuesday evening. Every seat in the balcony and bleachers on both
sides are filled and many were standing as the 11 regular bouts and two
exhibitions gave a good display of scrapping.
March 30, 1945
William Hass is in charge of the
united clothing committee drive in Kaukauna. All material will be for the
relief of people in war-stricken areas of Europe and the far east.
Lieut. Louis J.
Vanderloop, Kaukauna, has been promoted to first Lieut. and received several
commendations for his work as a bombardier in the European theater.
The war Department announced Monday from a
partial list of American prisoners of war liberated by the advance of the
Soviet army included T/5 Joseph H. Van Groll of Kaukauna.
Word has been received
by Mrs. Francis Alears that her husband, who was reported missing in France
November 28 is a prisoner of war in Germany.
Corporal Tech. Orin T.
Kortz of Kaukauna was promoted to grade with the 327th Glider
infantry Regiment in the European area.
New officers were
elected at the veterans of foreign wars meeting Tuesday evening at the
clubhouse. Ed Matchett was elected commander and Charles Scheer senior vice
commander.
Mrs. Richard La Rock
received a telegram from the war Department informing her that her husband,
Pfc. Richard La Rock has been missing in action since March 14 in Germany. He
was serving with the 90th infantry in the third Army.
Pfc. Harold R. Femal,
Kaukauna, was killed in action on Iwo Jima on March 11 according to a war
Department telegram received Wednesday by his parents. In the Marine Corps's
for nearly 3 years, he has seen action in Midway, Saipan and Marshall Islands.
Jim Lehman and Ken
Dexheimer were presented as co-captains of next year's high school basketball
squad at the annual banquet Wednesday evening at the Hotel Kaukauna.
Notes from the Armed Forces
Lieutenant Robert
Hagman is spending a leave with his parents after spending 28 months on duty in
the Pacific area of the war.
Corporal Robert Specht is on furlough with is
family. He will be wed Easter Monday to Miss Valoise Kalupa at St. Mary’s
Church. He is serving with the Third Army in Germany in an artillery unit.
Cpl. Murrell McGinnis
is spending a 21-day furlough with his family here. He arrived in the states
after spending 34 months in Australia and New Guinea.
Cpl. Carl F. Giordana
is spending a 15-day furlough with his parents on Taylor Street. He will leave
today for Boca Raton, Florida where he is serving with the Army Air Corps.
Pfc. Howard Paschen has
arrived at his new station in the Philippines.
Lt. Jerome Luebke is a member of the European
Division Air transport command serving near Paris.
Pvt. Daniel Burns is at
Keesler Field, Miss., where he is undergoing Pre-aviation cadet qualification
testing.
Naval Aviation Cadet
Lawrence Schiedermayer has successfully completed the Navy pre-flight school at
Chapel Hill, N. C.
The following men were
inducted into the Army and Navy here March 16.
Navy:
Mark M. Grafmeier -
Kaukauna
Army:
Joseph L. Faust –
Kaukauna Alfred E. Schmidt -
Kaukauna
Herbert G. Bolte –
Kaukauna John F. Milis -
Kimberly
Clarence A. Kohl -
Little Chute Gordon T. Brockman -
Kimberly
Norbert G.
Vanevenhoven– Kimberly Francis J. Frassetto - Kimberly
Gerald H. Ebben –
Kaukauna Francis J. Van Sambeek -
Kimberly
Lester J. Weyenberg –
Kaukauna Harold J. Winius – Little Chute
Walter E. Wieler was
inducted into the Navy in February and is receiving boot training at the naval
training center at Great Lakes, Ill.
Eugene Vandehey has
recently enlisted in the Navy and is stationed at Great Lakes Ill.
His brother, Sgt. Glen Vandehey,
who has been in service for 2 1/2 years is currently in the South Pacific.
Another brother Cpl. Milton Vandehey has been in service for two years and is
now in France.
Pfc. Francis McMahon
left for South Carolina after 30-day furlough with friends and family.
Ensign George J. Hatchel,
USNR, has been assigned to duty as engineering officer on board a Landing Ship
Medium.
Cpl. Robert J. Specht
is spending a furlough here after returning from 37 months overseas duty in the
European theater of operations.
Staff Sergeant Carl R.
Kloehn has returned from service outside the United States. He had served 33
months in the Pacific theater.
Wesley C. Wheaton, seaman
second class of Kaukauna is now stationed at the amphibious training base at
Little Creek, Va. His brothers, Herbert and Herman, are serving with the
fighting forces both over seas.
Navy enlistments during February are:
John N. Adrian Michael J Effa
Dean C. Bayorgeon Robert R. Kappell
Byron E. Derricks John E. Weber
Donald A. Krueger Duane C. Wheaton
William J, Landreman
James R. Gustman, 18 of
Kaukauna, is receiving his initial naval indoctrination at Great Lakes, Ill.
Gunners Mate Paul Koch
left Wednesday for New York after spending a week’s leave here.
Capt. William Nelson
left for over seas duty in France. He says in a letter that people where he is now
wearing wooden shoes are very friendly.
Kaukauna High School Basketball Team - (Picture from 1945
Papyrus)
Back Row: Coach G.
Krumm, J. Lehman, P. Flanagan, D. Kuehl, C. Kalista, J. Lettau, manager.
Front Row: W.
Landreman, P. Haas, R. LaPlante, K. Dexheimer, F. Nach, J. Brenzel.
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