Pvt. Ralph Stammer, who has been stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., is now located in Maryland. His address is Pvt. Ralph Stammer, 37598393, Co. C, 8th Bn, 2nd Ret., A. G. F., R.D. 1, Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, February 01, 1945, Page 7
1944 Graduate of Local School
Killed In Germany
Mr. and Mrs. George Stammer, who have four sons in the service of their country, received the sad news last week that their son, Pvt. Ralph Stammer, a paratrooper, had been killed in action somewhere in Germany on March 24. The date of his death was the day that the airborne troops landed east of the Rhine, when the American troops started their march east into Germany. Three other local youths, Pfc. Lloyd Schuneman, Gail Manley and Pvt. L. C. Webber are paratroopers thought to have been in the same action.
Ralph was with the 17th Airborne Division of which the above local men were also connected. A friend, Norman Shultz of Lakefield had been with Ralph all through training and they had been together in the same division overseas. They had been home together in December.
Ralph was inducted into the army June 12, 1944, just after graduating from High school in Spirit Lake. He was sent to Camp Wolters in Texas where he took 17 weeks training in the infantry, then volunteering for the paratroopers. He had five weeks training at Ft. Benning, Ga., where he received his wings the 1st of December 1944 and was granted a 16-dayfurlough, spending 11 days at home including Christmas Day. He left for Ft. Benning Dec. 26, and was then sent to Alabama for a few weeks advanced training, going then to Ft. Meade, Md. for a few days before leaving from New York on Jan. 26, 1945 for overseas.
The first letter received from him after he arrived overseas from somewhere in England, and then he wrote later from France. In the last three letters to his mother and sister he stated he did not know when they would hear again.
On Thursday evening they received a message stating he was missing in action and Saturday noon, another message brought the sad news that he had been killed in Germany March 24, 1945.
Ralph has three brothers in service: Jim, who is at home on furlough after 29 months in the China-Burma-India theatre of war; Everett in the Coast Guard on a transport; and Clifford, a Marine in the South Pacific. Another brother, Lloyd has taken his physical and is awaiting his call. Ralph was the youngest of the four boys in service. He was 20 years of age on Oct. 31, 1944.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, April 12, 1945, Page 1
Scott Menefee Is German Prisoner,
R. Stammer Killed
It became known here Sunday that Ralph Stammer, 20, of Spirit Lake, is now declared dead in action in Germany. The youth was with the 17th airborne division, in which a number of Dickinson county men are serving. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Stammer, had work Friday that he was missing, and Saturday were notified that he was killed in action.
A brother, Jim, who had been returned to the States from a long period of service in the Burma-India theater, was home when the message came. He was granted an extension on his furlough. There are two other brothers in service.
Stammer was a member of the Golden Gloves team that went to the meets in Des Moines and Spencer several years ago.
Raymond Nece of Milford and Lloyd Schuneman of Spirit Lake are both in action with the paratroopers of the 17th airborne division of which Stammer was connected.
Source: The Milford Mail, Milford, Iowa, Thursday, April 12, 1945, Page 1
Ralph Leroy Stammer was born Oct. 31, 1924 to George H. and Edna May Dorsey Stammer. He died Mar. 24, 1945 and is buried in Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands and has a cenotaph in Lakeview Cemetery, Spirit Lake, IA.
Pvt. Stammer served in World War II with the U.S. Army 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division and was KIA and awarded the Purple Heart.
Source: ancestry.com;abmc.gov
