SERVICEMEN WRITE (to Joy Hanson, Editor of the Ellsworth News)
Soldiers’ Addresses
Pvt. Leo R. Severson
c-o Douglas Aircraft Co., Long Beach, Calif.
Pvt. Lawrence F. Doden
Train, H. Q. Co., 14th Arm. Div., U.S. Army, Barracks 710, Camp Chaffee, Ark.
Pvt. Newman Stangeland
365th M. P. E. G. Co., Internment Camp, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Pvt. H. W. Vining
98th Fighter Squadron, Drew Field, Tampa, Fla.
Source: Ellsworth News, Ellsworth, IA, Dec. 30, 1942
SERVICEMEN WRITE (to Joy Hanson, Editor of the Ellsworth News)
M. V. Vining recently had a letter from his son Harold, and among the interesting things he writes to homefolks from his location in India, are as follows:
Dear Folks: Had the surprise of my life the other day. One of our pilots approached me and asked me if I was from Ellsworth, Iowa. I had a dickens of a time to recognize him, but he was none other than Donald Larson. Went to school with Gale and Bob at Randall. His brother, Clifton, went to Ellsworth High with Vern, Jake & Company. Larson is a captain and is tops as a pilot. Don’t come any better. Sure quite a coincidence, me working on the ships he is flying.
Standing the heat O.K., and when I say heat that’s what I mean with a capital letter. So long, Harold
Source: Ellsworth News, May 14, 1944
NOTE:
Three brothers served in World War II:
Master Sgt. Harold Wesley Vining was born Apr. 4, 1914. He died Feb. 28, 1989 and is buried in Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, CA. Sgt. Vining served with the U.S. Army in World War II.
Robert Vernon ‘Bob’ Vining was born Jan. 2, 1920. He died Feb. 21, 2010 and is buried in Lincoln Memorial Park, Lincoln, NE. Bob served with the U.S. Navy in World War II.
Ensign Gale Merle Vining was born Dec. 1, 1922. He died Apr. 14, 1986 and is buried in Fair Oaks Cemetery, Sacramento, CA. Ensign Vining was with the Naval Air Corps in World War II.
*Fourth brother, Glen William Vining also served in the Navy aboard the hospital ship USS Relief (AH-1). He is buried at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA.
*Cannot find that he served other than just prior to World War II. He may have been in World War II but I can’t document that.
Source: ancestry.com
