SERVICEMEN WRITE (to Joy Hanson, Editor of the Ellsworth News)
Soldiers’ Addresses
Corp. Clarence R. Kuhl
48th Bomb Group, 55th Bomb Squadron, Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi
Pfc. Harris A. Hovda
Co. B, 770 M. P. Bn., U. S. Army, San Diego, California
Corp. Donald A. Hovda,
56th Bomb Sqdn., 8th Bomb Group, Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi
Pvt. Mervin E. Hanson
Co. B, 757 M. P. Bn., Camp George, West Golden, Colorado
Source: Ellsworth News, February 10, 1943
SERVICEMEN WRITE (to Joy Hanson, Editor of the Ellsworth News)
From Clarence Kuhl
Key Field Air Base
Key Field, Miss.
March 8, 1943
Dear Joy:
I just finished reading your letter which The News is to me and gave myself a thump on the seat for not writing sooner.
Retreat is just being sounded, Joy, and Monday is a day of do as you wish with me, but be inside at that time or march along with the rest of them to the colors. And it’s one day in the week in which I can catch up on a lot of letter writing and the like.
Joy, I had one of the hardest assignments ever given to a man in the army and that was to take a buddy home to his last place of rest. He was killed in a plane accident here the 25th of February on a training flight. He and I had been together ever since we first were in the army last July. Man, this place is lonesome without him to fuss and fight with.
The hard part was meeting his folks, Joy, and they took it just as I expected they would, with malice toward none; just thankful they at least had their boy back with them and not across like too many are bound to be. Great people, Joy, and millions more like them.
His name was Robert Kotz and he lived at Appleton, Wisc. The only boy in the family with four sisters. They don’t come any better than that lad. So now I have adopted another family, Joy. They insist I continue to write as he did and am doing just very thing, and hope I can go back and visit them as soon as this thing is over.
I certainly enjoyed the cold snap while at Wisconsin, reminded me of home and, take it from me, I’ll still take that to this even if one does shiver and shake. This cold here goes through one like a knife along with the camp mug from the gulf. Yup, I’ll take the north and its town and cities away and above this. There’s more life, more hustle and bustle.
I’ve kind of shirked on a job to get this letter off to you; it’s a volunteer job of teaching some of the boys here how to read and write and speak the American language. We have several different nationalities. I especially get a kick out of the boy from China. He gets things twisted all out of shape while trying to talk. He watches every movement one makes. And the comeback is he gives me the “tee tee” when I try to speak his language, so we are even.
Some smart alec thought he’d give the barracks a nice odor by burning incense; frankly it smells like the mess hall, so the doors and windows fly open and now the growl is, “Shut that window, it’s colder than h— in here; let’s have the mess hall odor; at least we don’t have to eat it.”
Yours,
Clarence R. Kuhl.
Source: Ellsworth News, March 17, 1943
SERVICEMEN WRITE (to Joy Hanson, Editor of the Ellsworth News)
From Clarence Kuhl
Meridian, Miss.
May 2, 1943.
Dear Joy:
I see every one around me writing home which gives me the urge.
The day of days has arrived in which it allows me to have the sergeant’s chevrons sewed on the sleeves which makes one notch closer to the goal. So instead of Corporal, it’s Sergeant.
We have move to another site on the base here. Our nice convenient barracks taken away and shoved into some nice patched tents. Oh, me, I chew sand in my sleep. Our C.O. came into the barracks one day and wanted a detail of 50 men. Well, he got them. The erection of tent city began and ended. Some misguided soldier asked who are they for: His answer was you built ‘em, you live in ‘em. It’s the first for me in tents since I’ve been in the army; have been rather fortunate till now.
Had a slight interruption; several of the men stopped and insisted the treats were on me; so am a couple of bucks poorer, but a million bucks richer, if such riches could be based on a monetary value.
Some buck private pal of mine poked his head in the tent and chirped, “Dear Ma, I made sergeant.”
Will bring this to a close on that one, Joy. Yours,
Sgt. Clarence R. Kuhl
404th Bomb Group, 621st Bomb Squadron, Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi
Source: Ellsworth News, May 19, 1943
Clarence Raymond ‘Coolie’ Kuhl was born Apr. 7, 1910 to Charles Otto and Ingeborg Jensene Knudson. He died Jan. 6, 1982 and is buried in Homewood Cemetery, Ellsworth, IA.
Clarence served with the U.S. Army in World War II.
Clarence was only 7 months old when his mother Inga passed away. He was sent to live in the Beloit Lutheran Children’s Home in Lyon County, Iowa. He attended grade school there. He graduated from Ellsworth High School, class of 1930, in Ellsworth, Hamilton County, Iowa. He was taken in as a foster child by the Lindeback family also of Ellsworth. A member of the Trinity Lutheran Church and the American Legion Post of Ellsworth. A WWII Veteran. He was an active member of his community serving many posts such as Mayor, Fire Department, etc. He was also a local businessman owning various ventures such as a grocery store, and a recreation center named Kuhl’s (but pronounced “Coolies”) for local teens. The community has fond memories of him serving french fries, salted popcorn and soda pop.
Source: ancestry.com
