1942 . . .

LeMars Sentinel, September 25, 1942
Paul Dull of Cherokee, who attended Western Union College and is a brother of Burton Dull, graduates October 2 from the naval aviation school at Kingsville, Texas. He was recently transferred to Kingsville from Corpus Christi, Texas, and is at present a dive bomber squadron leader. After his graduation as an ensign, he will take advanced training at Miami, Florida, and then hopes to get a furlough and come home for his first visit since he enlisted last March.

Mr. and Mrs. George Pehler received a cablegram from their son, Max, a few days ago stating he had arrived safely overseas and was well. Max, who went into the army early in July, took his basic training at Miami Beach, Florida. He is attached to an aviation supply company.

Capt. James B. Gillespie of Urbana, Illinois, who was recently commissioned a captain in the army, reported for duty at the U.S. Air Base in Salt Lake City, Utah, this week. Dr. Gillespie, a former LeMars man, has been a member of the Carle Clinic at Urbana for ten years.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hawkins of Grant township received a V-mail letter Monday, September 21, from their son, Duane, written September 12, with location a military secret. His last letter was written September 3, and stated that he was fully equipped and was ready to leave the training station early next morning. His chief pride and joy then was a new Reising hand machine gun with lots of cartridges but his V-mail letter had as his joy—being on land again even if it was in a hospital. He had contracted a touch of fever similar to flu aboard ship but which he thought wasn’t any excuse for keeping him in the hospital as he felt well enough to be at work. Life for the marines doesn’t get monotonous from staying in the same place too long. Duane has gone to the marine base in San Diego, to the rifle range, to the naval air station at North Island (near San Diego) and now overseas somewhere since June 16, when he left Des Moines.

Robert David Mullikin of LeMars enlisted in the army last week.

Bernard J. Geary, Vincent E. Geary, Bernard H. Mohan and Orville Bonnema enlisted in the marines at Des Moines, Wednesday. The first two named are brothers.

Recent army enlistments reported to the Selective Service board are Glen A. Breitbarth, LeMars; John L. Cameron, Kingsley; and Fred A. Groves, LeMars. Charles Wormley of Kingsley enlisted in the navy.

LeMars Sentinel, September 29, 1942
Elmer J. Theisen, who enlisted in the navy last May, is home on a furlough. He has been in the navy less than five months, but has already been on a ship that was sunk. He is enroute to the east coast to report for duty.

Dean Hess, of Kingsley, and Joseph Krogman, of Remsen, enlisted in the army last week.

Westfield Correspondence in Akron Register-Tribune: Of interest to F. J. McKay, operator of the Standard Oil station here, is the account given by a Hawarden boy, Roger Taylor, radioman first class, U.S. Navy, who was prisoner of the Japanese for almost eight months. During his imprisonment he was allowed to return to his lodgings in Canton, China, but was not allowed to leave his apartment except about once every two weeks. His hobby, amateur radio, led to his acquaintance with one Vilroy McVay, radio operator for the American consul at Foochow, China. They talked by way of radio many evenings. “Where are you from?” Roger asked one evening. “I’m from South Dakota,” Vilroy replied.
“Where in South Dakota?”
“Little town of Hudson.”
“Well, I’ll be hanged,” Roger shouted back. “I’m from Hawarden, Iowa.”
Vilroy is the son of Mrs. James McVay, of Hudson, and a brother of F.J. McVay, of Westfield.
Roger thought McVay got out of Foochow before the Japs got there, and the last Roger heard of him, somebody said he was in Chungking.