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Cherokee County, Iowa |
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Cherokee County, Iowa |
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| Merlyn Johnson Merlyn Johnson is in San Diego, CA., where he is stationed with the Marines. (Source: Cherokee Daily Times, 11 Sep. 1951, pg. 5) Merlyn Johnson Killed in Korea Word was received here Monday night of the death of Merlyn Johnson in Korea. It was reported that Johnson was killed in action while fighting as a member of the Marine corps. Johnson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Johnson of Cherokee, rural route 2. The youth had been working on his father's farm before entering the service September 4, 1951. The parents were informed of the death. (Source: Cherokee Daily Times, 9 Sept 1952, pg. 1) First War Casualty - Marine Killed Marine Pvt. First Class Merlyn Johnson, 22, was killed in action on Bunker Hill, Korea. Johnson left his country from Camp Pendleton, Calif., February 22, 1952. He is the first official Cherokee County fatality in the Korean War. 1st County Casualty In Korean War! Afton Marine Killed in Battle Action Merlyn Johnson Falls In Combat September 5th! Merlyn Johnson, 22, Private First Class of the United States Marine corps and the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Johnson of rural Cherokee, was killed in action, Friday, September 5th...Exactly one year and a day after he enlisted in the service. Johnson, first serviceman from Cherokee county to perish in the Korean conflict, was in active combat when he died. Details surrounding his death were incomplete since his parents were advised of their loss by a telegram, sent by USMC General Lemuel C. Shepherd, his commanding officer. Johnson, a farmer, enlisted in the Marines on Sept. 4, 1951. He took training at San Diego, Calif. and at Camp Pendleton. He was shipped overseas in February, approximately six months after he had begun his basic training. Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Johnson, his parents, reside on a farm four miles east and five and three quarters north of Cherokee. They have one other son, Espy, 18, who farms with his father, and daughters: Evangeline, (Mrs. Virgil Jenness) of Paulina; Leona, 20, Lorraine, 16: Velma, 13 and Arline (Mrs. Leroy Angle) of Cherokee. Pfc. Merlyn Johnson was a student at the Afton community school after which he became active in farming. During the winter months before he enlisted he worked at the Tobin Packing plant in Ft. Dodge. Johnson took a prominent part in the battle for "Bunker Hill" only a few short days before he met death in combat with North Korean forces. His last letter home addressed to his sister Miss Leona Johnson described the action in which 36 of his comrades in a 40 man platoon were wiped out. Although the privations of the Korean campaign had made the customary impressions on Johnson, his letters to his family and friends expressed his high spirits and youthful optimism. Following his participation in taking of the militarily important "Bunker Hill" position, he grimly invited a friend (in Cherokee) to join the Marines and "the fun" through his last letter to his sister Leona. Excerpts from Johnson's last communication with his family also include a description of incidents that occurred in the gory battle for the position as well as an insight into the combat spirit of the Marine corps. August 28th, 1952 - "Well, it is starting to rain again. I guess you heard about Bunker Hill didn't you? It was pretty rough but you know the Marines. They'll take the hill if it takes every pfc in the Marines. That what they told us anyway and we took it." "You tell Lester he ought to join the Marines and get in on the fun. My squad leader got both his legs blown off and I helped carry him out. We had eight guys left out of 40 in our platoon. Not bad, hey?" "That's about all the news now. So Adios pardner. Write soon". Merlyn Johnson Johnson had been sent to a rest camp for four days after he came through the incident above described in his own words. He returned to active duty the day before he was killed in action. The "Bunker Hill" battle took place close to Panmunjong, scene of peace talks between United Nations negotiators and North Korean Communists. The Afton man rented a 130 acre farm from Thomas E. Smith which he also operated in addition to assisting his father on the home place prior to his enlistment in the service. He farmed for about five years before. A telephone call to military headquarters in California brought the information that Johnson's remains were already en route to Cherokee. As is customary, he is being accompanied by a military guard of honor. Funeral arrangements are to be made by the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee as soon as Johnson arrives home. (Source: The Cherokee Courier, 11 Sep. 1952, pgs.. 1 & 8) |
| James Dela Smith, Jr First Lieutenant James Dela Smith Jr. was a service member from Iowa who served during the Korean War. He was assigned to the 730th Bombardment Squadron (Light) within the 452nd Bombardment Group. On November 25, 1951, he was one of two navigators aboard a B-26C Invader (tail number 44-34666) that departed from Pusan East Air Base on a night interdiction operation targeting the main supply routes known as Green 2 and 3. The crew radioed air controllers just before sunrise, reporting that the mission was complete, and the pilot was directed to fly the aircraft toward Hoengsong. However, several minutes later, air controllers received a transmission from an unidentified source, believed to be the Invader’s pilot, ordering his crew to bail out. Unfortunately, no further contact was made with the aircraft, and search aircraft found no trace of it or its crew. The reason for the aircraft's disappearance remains unknown, although other pilots flying in the area at the time had reported icing conditions. All four crew members, including First Lieutenant James Dela Smith Jr., remain unaccounted for. (Source:Microsoft Bing Copilot) |
| Herbert D. Rasmussen Herbert D. Rasmussen born April 6,1928-April 12,2010 Sgt. US Army Korea Father of Lisa Hathaway, Stacey Teifenthaler, and Lori Droegmiller. Patricia A. Rasmussen born April 16,1932-March 24,2012 Mother of Lisa Hathaway, Stacey Teifenthaler, and Lori Droegmiller. (Source: Lisa Hathaway) |
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