MISSING IN ACTION -- Mrs. E. W. Schmidt, 216 South Third street, Clear Lake, received word Friday that her son, Sgt. Rodney C. Spillman, 27, was missing in action Dec. 20 in Europe. He was with the reconnaissance cavalry troops with General Patton's third army and last heard from on Dec. 1 in Belgium.
He entered the service on April 23, 1941 and has been overseas since October, 1943, spending a number of months in England, before going to France.
He was wounded in the foot in September, 1944, in Germany and received the purple heart award and then was taken back to England where he was hospitalized for 11 weeks.
He has a wife and 15 month old son, Rodney, Jr., residing in Bloomington, Ill., and a sister, Mrs. W. Hirsch, Chicago, Ill.
He attended the schools at Chicago and the university at Bloomington, Ill. He was encamped at Indiantown Gap, Pa., Charleston, S. Car., and was on maneuvers in Florida before going overseas.
His mother, Mrs. Schmidt, plans to leave Sunday night for Bloomington, Ill., to spend time with his wife who resides with her parents there.
Source: The Mason City Globe-Gazette, January 20, 1945
HOME ON LEAVE—Sgt. Rodney C. Spillman, with Mrs. Spillman and baby, arrived Saturday evening from Bloomington, Ill., to spend 6 weeks with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Schmidt, 216 S. 3rd street, Clear Lake. Sgt. Spillman recently returned from overseas where he spent 2 years, 7 months of which were in a Germany prison camp. He was twice wounded. Of the 140 men in his troop only 29 are now living. He has 137 points. Aug. 25 he reports at a rest camp for prisoners of war at Miami Beach, Fla., for an operation.
Source: Mason City, Globe-Gazette, July 17, 1945 (photo included)
