Thirty-Six Men Called To Army Service
The Sioux County Draft Board this week called 36 men from Sioux county to report for induction into the army and to report at Orange City at 5 a.m. June 15 for the bus trip to Des Moines where the examination will take place. The men will go by chartered bus to Des Moines. Those on the list this week are: … S-2542 Bernard W. Koops, Sioux Center …
Source: Sioux County Capital June 11, 1942, p 1
Four Local Young Men To Leave On June 15th
Four Sioux Center men will leave for army service on Monday, June 15th. They are: William Bierma, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Bierma, Bernard M. Ver Meer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Ver Meer, Bernard W. Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops, and John Zommermand, son of Mr. and Mrs. Egbert Zommermand at Rock Valley. Bill Bierma is employed by Amos Vander Wilt operating the feed grinder, Bernard Ver Meer is working at the Standard Oil Station operated by John Menning, Bernard Koops has been employed by the Bleyenberg Hatchery, and John Zommermand works at the Southside Grocery. Neal C. Mol, son of Mr. and Mrs. Calrence Mol, who live east of Sioux Center, recently enlisted and left for the Navy. He was scheduled to go in this group.
Source: Sioux Center News June 11, 1942, p 8
Twelve Men Rejected Out Of Thirty-Six Called
In the last group called, 12 men of 36 were rejected for physical reasons. … Wm. Bierman and Bernard Koops of Sioux Center went on through at Des Moines.
Source: Sioux Center News June 18, 1942, p 12
The Zeutenhorst relatives held a reunion at the Wm. Koops home Friday night to bid farewell to Bernard Koops who was drafted into the army and left Monday morning with the other Sioux County men. Mr. B. Koops, grandfather of Bernard, was also present.
Source: Alton Democrat June 19, 1942, p 7
Bernard Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops of Sioux Center, who was inducted into the army with the last group to leave Sioux County, has arrived at Camp Crowder, Mo. His address is: Pvt. Bernard W. Koops, Co. B., 29th B.N. 7th Reg. S.C.R.T.C., Camp Crowder, Mo.
Source: Sioux Center News June 25, 1942, p 8
Bernard Koops and Bill Bierma are stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas for four days.
Source: Alton Democrat June 26, 1942, p 7
Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit Bleyenberg and children, Dorothy and Trudy, left early Friday morning for St. Louis, Mo. where Gerrit will attend a poultry school for ten days. They also intend to visit Bernard Koops who was formerly employed at the Bleyenberg hatchery and is now at Camp Crowder, Mo.
Source: Sioux County Index July 30, 1942, p 4
Bleyenberg Family Visit Bernie Koops
The Gerrit Bleyenberg family stopped enroute to St. Louis last week to visit with Private Bernard Koops at Camp Crowder near Joplin, Mo. They spent Sunday with Pvt. Koops who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops of Sioux Center.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 6, 1942, p 8
Change In Address
Pvt. Bernard Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops of Sioux Center, has a slight change in address at Camp Crowder, Mo. His new address is: Pvt. Bernard W. Koops, U.S. Army, Co. M, 800th S.S.R., Camp Crowder, Mo.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 20, 1942, p 8
Herman Koops and Cornelia and Gertrude Westerbeek left early Friday morning to visit Pvt. Bernard Koops who is stationed at Camp Crowder, Mo.
Source: Sioux County Capital Aug. 27, 1942, p 2
Pvt. Bernie Koops in Ohio
Pvt. Bernard Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Koops of Sioux Center, has been transferred from Camp Crowder, Mo. to Columbus, Ohio. He is attending a Bell Telephone school and is also taking courses in electricity and likes it fine. His new address is: Pvt. Bernard W. Koops, U.S. Army, D.E.T. 18 Signal Ser. Co., Bliss Hotel, Columbus, Ohio.
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 10, 1942, p 2
Pvt. B. Koops Transferred To Texas Pvt.
Bernard W. Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Koops of Sioux Center, wired home that he has been transferred to Camp Maxey, Texas. He was stationed with the U. S. army at Columbus, Ohio. His address is: Pvt. Bernard W. Koops, Co. A 92nd ND sig BN area 11, Barracks 194, Camp Maxey, Texas.
Source: Sioux Center News Oct. 1, 1942, p 10
Pvt. Bernard Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops has a slight change in his address. The latest address is: Pvt. Bernard W. Koops, Co. B 92nd Bn. Area, Camp Maxey, Texas, Barracks 203.
Source: Sioux Center News Oct. 15, 1942, p 2
Bernard Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops, gave his parents a pleasant surprise Saturday when he arrived home very unexpectedly for a week’s furlough. His parents are especially pleased as they are celebrating their 25th anniversary this week Thursday and all the children can now be home.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 19, 1942, p 2
Pvt. Bernard Koops returned to Camp Maxey, Texas Monday after spending a furlough at home.
Source: Sioux County Capital Nov. 26, 1942, p 2
Pvt. Bernard W. Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops, will have a new address for a few weeks as he is going on maneuvers. His new address: Co. B. 92nd Sig. Bn., c.o. Postmaster, Leesville, La.
Source: Sioux Center News April 29, 1943, p 10
Pvt. Bernard W. Koops has the following new address: Co. B., 92nd Sig. Bn., APO 403 Annex, c.o. Postmaster, Shreveport, La.
Source: Sioux Center News May 13, 1943, p 2
Among the Sioux Center boys that are home on furlough this week are Cpl. Fred Braakman from Camp Haan, California, Pvt. Bernard Koops from Shreveport, La., Staff Sgt. Bernard M. Vermeer from Delgart, Texas, Pvt. Gerrit Zommermand from Norfolk, Va., Lt. James Vermeer from New Orleans, La., and Henry John Kroon who has been on the water since the first of March.
Source: Sioux County Index July 15, 1943, p 7
Pvt. Bernard Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops arrived home late Wednesday evening from Shreveport, La. for his 2nd furlough. He has been in the army a year, and has been studying telephone repair work.
Source: Alton Democrat July 16, 1943, p 8
Pvt. Bernard W. Koops, who had a 14-day furlough, left again Sunday morning from Sioux City. He is at the maneuvering area at Shreveport, La. and is in the Signal Corp. He drives a truck at present. He thinks he will go across in about 5 weeks. A family reunion was held last Wednesday night in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Will Koops in his honor.
Source: Sioux Center News July 22, 1943, p 8
On Maneuvers (photo) PVT. BERNARD W. KOOPS
Pvt. Bernard W. Koops left on June 14, 1942. He has been in Texas and in Oklahoma a few weeks where he attended radio school and is now at Shreveport, La. where he has been on maneuvers. He is in the Signal Corps and also was a truck driver. He has had two furloughs, one in November and the last one in July. His address: Co. B. 72nd Bn. Area APO 403 Annex, c.o. Postmaster Shreveport, La.
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 9, 1943, p 1
Pvt. Bernard W. Koops Co. B. 92nd Sig. Bn. Area 11, Bldg. 203 Camp Maxey, Texas
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 23, 1943, p 10
Pvt. Bernard Koops arrived at the parental Wm. Koops home last Thursday morning to spend a 15-day furlough with them. He is stationed at Camp Maxey, Texas.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 4, 1943, p 2
Herman and James Koops and Miss Cornelia Westerbeek took Pvt. Bernard Koops to Sioux City on Sunday afternoon where he took the train to return to Camp Maxey, Texas after spending a furlough at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koops. Bernard had planned on leaving on Monday but due to the stormy weather they took him back on Sunday afternoon.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 11, 1944, p 2
Pvt. Bernard Koops, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Koops has been promoted to Pfc. The rest of his address remains the same. Bernard is in Germany.
Source: Sioux Center News June 7, 1945, p 8
Holland Tulip Grower Sends Greetings To Sioux Center Friends
Cornelius Westerbeek, tulip grower of Holland, who visited Sioux Center many times before the war, writes to his brother, Wm. Westerbeek here the following letter indicating the feelings of the people in his community on the liberation of Holland. Many people here know Mr. Westerbeek personally and will be happy to read his communication. Sassenheim, Netherlands 3 Juli, 1945 Beste Wim en Jenny en Kinderen: We are liberated! Yes, we are liberated. Thanks to the Allies a thousand times. We will never forget these five dreadful, horrible, satanic years. Many things happened, too much to write about. I hope to be able in the near future to tell you something about my experiences of an army of occupation of the Hitler followers.
The first Allied soldiers who drove into our village of Sassenheim, while the inhabitants welcomed them with enormous shouting, were the Canadians. I for myself always hoped that the Americans would have come in our Bulb district to occupy same. Nevertheless it was they, however, who showed in Germany the heroism of the Yankees and of course the American Army is highly praised by every human being. The enormous Air Forces we saw here daily were imposingly, a mighty sight. I cannot find words to express it. It made them shudder for fear in Germany. Due to the fact that we were entirely without food, particularly in our towns such as the Hague, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, the same bombers who ruined Germany, brought us on April 30th, thousands of packets with food. It was enormous, too great an event not to forget it for a lifetime. People were affected so much that they simply wept of emotion. Most likely the pilots heard the shouting and jubilating of the hungry population.
The next day, the first of May, we were told that Hitler had died. Another big event, people went almost crazy. It was the happiest news we ever heard. And when Germany capitulated people were out of themselves for sheer joy. We have been celebrating for days and though there was nothing to celebrate with we did enjoy ourselves very well. You could find flags everywhere and everybody was singing and dancing in the streets. Books could be written about it, and I am sure they will come later on. We have been thinking of you very often, and we hope you are all well, we are extremely longing to see you all again. I received your kind letter today via Bernard Koops, can you imagine, a friend of Cornelia. He was alright, and expected to go home very soon, he wrote me that he has been over here 18 months, the poor fellow, funny but I don’t remember him so well, was he there the same time with Pieter Van Biezem, I have seen so many faces in Sioux Center, I am all mixed up. We are all well and the food supplies are getting better. During the war I kept a couple cows and pigs, and sheep for wool, and chickens for eggs, so you understand, we of course had our own wheat. Remember me to all my friends there. Hoping to meet you all soon again. Kindest regards to all. Yours as ever, Kees
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 16, 1945, p 11
Honorably Discharged
Sioux County servicemen (and woman) discharged from Dec. 3rd to 11th as shown on the records of County Recorder Milton Van Roekel and including one WAVE, are as follows: … Bernard Koops, Sioux Center …
Source: Alton Democrat Dec. 13, 1945, p 1
Iowa, U.S., World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954, Claim Number 98291
Bernard W. Koops, was born January 15, 1920, at Sioux Center, Iowa, which was where he was residing prior to entering the army on June 15, 1942, at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. He served with Company B 92nd Signal Battalion, left for foreign service on December 29, 1943, returned on November 30, 1945, and was honorably discharged on December 7, 1945. His application for bonus pay was filed on May 20, 1949, for which he received $500.00.
Source: ancestry.com
