If a war can be called "popular", World War II was it. Newsreels, posters, and slogans rang out with the triumphs of "our boys in uniform" and the efforts and sacrifices of "the home front".

Even today, 40 years after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, people recall exactly where and when they heard the awful news. Young and old remained glued to the radio, until the news was announced the following day: The United States had declared war on Japan.

Three days later, declaration of war was also made against Germany and Italy. Before the fighting ended, 70 nations were involved.

James Albert, son of Mrs. John Campbell, was the first to leave Manning to enlist January 13, 1941. Within the next four years, more than 350 men and women from this area received the call to service.

A five-star flag hung in two Manning homes, proclaiming that five men from each family were serving their country. Paul, Melvin, Clousie, George and Willis Grimm, sons of Mrs. Dora Grimm, and Donald, Harold, and Lawrence Nickum and Clarence and Francis Fister, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Nickum, were serving around the world in the Navy, Army and Marines.

It was not unusual to have all the children in one family be off at war. Such was the case in the William S. Schrum home, where Arthur, Burton, Wayne, and Lyle served at the same time.

People "back home" waited anxiously for firsthand reports from the front, and letters were included in nearly every issue of the Monitor. A letter from Arnold Musfeldt arrived before his death announcement. Two weeks before he was killed in France, he had written, "This country smells like dad's barnyard in the spring."

From the other side of the globe, Harry Hargens sent a poem: "Somewhere in the Marianas, where the mail is always late, where a 2-month old newspaper, it considered up-to-date . . . somewhere in the Marianas, there's spam instead of turkey, and the lice get in your hair, oh, send me back to Manning, the place I love so well, 'cause this god-forsaken country, is awful close to hell."

People in Manning were also kept informed through such things as the Manning Heroes Day, when five Army jeeps and an officer's car were brought in from Fort Crook, Nebraska, booths set up, and bonds and defense stamps sold. Jeep rides were given to those buying bonds, with $11,000 worth sold during the day. Defense stamp sales totaled $573.35, and Joyce Bingham, LaRue Dietz, Gertrude Hershman, Shirley Bailey and Norma Dau sold 500 posies at $1 each.

Special guests of Heroes Day were Mr. and Mrs. Hans Beese, whose son Fred was a prisoner of war in Shanghai, China; Sam Keat, whose son Harry was then listed as missing in action in the Gulf of Mexico; and Clarence and George Kuhse whose brother Melvin was missing after the fall of Corregidor.

Manning area residents responded generously to the war effort. More than 30,000 items of clothing and 400 pair of shoes were donated for overseas relief. Local chairman Marie McGrath learned in 1946 that Manning led the nation in the victory clothing drive, with an average of 17 items donated per person. The next highest town in the nation had a donation of 11 items per person.

A special award was presented to Herman Lamp in January, 1946, "in appreciation for service in financing World War II through the sale of U.S. bonds".

Fred Hassler, chairman of the local ration board, outlined the saving of tin cans and other containers. Grocers were unable to give sacks and boxes, so customers brought their own. By January, 1945, rations had been set on sugar, processed foods, meats, fats, cheese, shoes, tires, gas, and fuel oil, cigarettes, camera film, and nylon stockings.

As the peace agreements were signed in 1945, many of the servicemen and women returned home. Of those who didn't, 7,789 were from Iowa at least 15 from the Manning area.

ROBERT E. BONNESEN

Robert Eugene Bonnesen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bonnesen, was born November 29, 1924, at Sidney, Nebraska. He and his family moved seven miles south of Manning, and Robert graduated from Manning High School in 1942.

Bonnesen entered the service January 19, 1943, and took his boot training at Great Lakes Radio School in Madison, Wisconsin.

R.M. 31C Bonnesen was killed in action on board ship L.C.F. along the Normandy Coast of France on D-Day June 6, 1944.

 

ALBERT BUSS

Albert Buss was born in Boone, and came to Manning in the late 1930's. He owned and operated a grocery business for 18 months prior to entering the service.

He was married to Phyllis Enenbach of Manning in 1941.

Lt. Buss died in France in 1944. His body was returned in 1946 to Boone where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H.J. Buss, reside

HEINZ W. DETLEFSEN

Heinz W. Detlefsen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Detlefsen, was born July 11, 1920 in Manning, and received his education in the Manning schools.

After receiving his Wings at Williams Air Field, Arizona, in November, 1943, he received his combat training at Santa Ana, California, in the P-38 fighter plane.

April 1, 1944, his squadron, the 435th, was sent to England and became part of the 479th Fighter Group. He completed 260 hours of combat leaving only 40 hours for completion of his required hours over enemy territory.

At the time of his death, November 8, 1944, he was flying a Mustang. From the book which describes the activities of the 479th Fighter Group, the following quote is taken: "Lts. H.W. Detlefsen and T.V. Smith, 435th pilots, had a mid-air collision during a cross-over in the Lubeck (Germany) area and did not return."

Lt. Detlefsen was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, plus the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He is buried in Margarten U.S. Military Cemetery near Vaal, Holland.

He is survived by his widow, the former Elnor Vannote, who taught in the Manning High School from 1939 to 1940. She now lives in Tucson, Arizona. Other survivors include a brother Max of Manning.

GILBERT JOHN EWOLDT

Gilbert John Ewoldt, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Ewoldt, was born July 16, 1919. He had two brothers, Vertus and Truman, and a sister, Loreta (Mrs. Milo Stammer). Gilbert attended Hayes No. 5 country school, graduating from the eighth grade.

He entered the Army March sent overseas in September, 1943. He was a staff sergeant in the 133rd Infantry Co., and was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement in action while serving with the 34th "Red Bull" Division on the Fifth Army Front in Italy.

S/Sgt. Ewoldt was killed in action June 2, 1944, at Anzio Beachhead in Italy. He was buried in the American Military Cemetery, Voltams, Italy.

JOHN HOFFMANN

John Hoffmann, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Hoffmann, Jr., was born January 4, 1909. He was a 1932 graduate of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, participated in the ROTC program, and graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant. From 1932 to 1942, he attended a Citizens Military Training Camp 30 days a year, receiving the 1st Lieutenant rank.

He worked at J.F. Anderson Lumber Co., Humboldt, before entering the Army.

Major Hoffmann was killed January 2, 1944, in an airplane accident between India and China.

HARRY M. KEAT

Harry Martin Keat was born December 20, 1892, in Carroll County, one of nine children of Sarah E. Tate and R.S. Keat. He attended rural schools in Carroll County.

Harry enlisted in the Navy in 1912, and served eight years. After leaving the service he farmed in the Manning area more than 20 years. After the news of Pearl Harbor in 1941, he re-enlisted; although he was 49 years old, he obtained special permission from the government for acceptance in the Navy.

Keat was in command of a gunner's crew on an oil tanker, the S.S. Gulfoil, which was torpedoed by an axis submarine in the Gulf of Mexico May 16, 1942. He was officially listed as killed in action May 17, 1943.

His mother died November 3, 1940, and his father died January 15, 1949.

ROBERT LEE LAKE

Robert Lee Lake was born in Manning April 4, 1927, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eustace L. Lake. He attended Manning High School, and was a member of the football and basketball teams.

Lake entered the service August 16, 1944. He was an expert rifleman with the Second Division of the Third Army, and was awarded the Sharpshooter's Medal.

Pfc. Lake was killed February 19, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge in Luxumborg. He was first buried there; in August, his body was returned for burial in the Manning Cemetery.

EARL H. MARTENS

Earl Martens was born in Washington Township, Carroll County, July 26, 1912, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Emil Martens. He received his education in the rural school, and also attended the Manning High School. After his schooling, he worked at various jobs and at the time he left for the service, he had been assisting his father at farming.

Earl left for the Army August 25, 1942. After training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, he went to Camp Callen, California, and then to Treasure Island, where he received training in the antiaircraft division of the Coast Artillery. He was then sent to Camp Phillips at Salina, Kansas, where he was placed in the infantry. He was at Fort Meade, Maryland, a short time before embarking for foreign service July 22, 1944.

Earl first arrived in England, where he underwent a short training period, and then was sent to France. He was first reported missing in action; he was later reported killed in action September 13. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery at Brest, France.

DARYL E. MOHR

Daryl E. Mohr, son of John and Regina Mohr, was born in Manning November 17, 1923. He was an accomplished pianist, a star on the athletic teams, and graduated from Manning High School in 1941.

Mohr entered the Army July 3, 1943, and received his basic training at Camp Roberts, California.

Staff Sgt. Mohr died May 13, 1945, on Luzon Island, the Philippines, from wounds received in action.

ARNOLD MUSFELDT

Arnold Musfeldt, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Musfeldt, was born in Lincoln Township, Audubon County, November 20, 1921. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.

Musfeldt entered military service at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, March 9, 1943. After 15 months, he was sent to England, arriving there July 1, 1944. He went to France November 1.

Technician-5 Musfeldt was killed in action while fighting in France November 26, 1944, just 25 days after he landed on continental Europe with the Seventh Army, 142 infantry, 36th division.

He was buried in a military cemetery at Espinal, France. His body was later shipped home, and services were held at the Zion Lutheran Church here. Military honors were by the American Legion post, with burial in the local cemetery.

ERNEST J. NISSEN

Ernest J. Nissen, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Nissen, was born August 21, 1917. He graduated from Manning High School in 1935, and worked as a lineman for the REA from 1938 to 1942, when he enlisted in the Air Force. He was married to Ruth Lage November 7, 1943.

Staff Sgt. Nissen was sent overseas in March, 1944. He was a gunner on one of the heavy bombers which were sent to destroy targets at Munich, Germany, June 6, 1944. He was killed during that mission.

Leroy Paulsen, son of Pete and Cora Weavers Paulsen, was born November 8, 1914, in Crawford County. He was educated in the rural schools near his home. He was married in 1943 to Viola Davidson, and they had one son.

He entered the army in 1943, and went to Germany as an infantryman. S. Sgt. Paulsen was killed in action November 10, 1944.

His body was returned to Manning in September, 1948, for burial in the Manning Cemetery.

LEE ROCKSEIN

Lee C. Rocksein, son of Charles and Ida Parker Rocksein, was born January 14, 1908. He was a graduate of Manning High School, a 1930 graduate of the University of Iowa, and received his M.S. degree from Iowa in n 1931.

Rocksein taught chemistry and pharmacy in the Pharmacy College of Grand Rapids University in Michigan. He entered the service in January, 1943, as a second lieutenant in anti-aircraft. He was later transferred to O.S.S., and promoted to first lieutenant.

Lt. Rocksein suffered a heart attack one day before he was to have flown to Burma for active duty. He died December 4, 1944.

He was married to Helen Miller December 31, 1933, and she now makes her home in Manilla. They had four children; Gay Ellen and Rosemary Helen are deceased, Susan Elizabeth (Mrs. Lonny Weiland) lives in Dubuque with their three children, and Daniel Lee lives in Manilla.

LEON H. STOELK

Pvt. Leon H. Stoelk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Stoelk, was born March 6, 1921. He entered the service October 19, 1942, at Camp Dodge. He was transferred to Camp Hood, Texas, October 22, 1942, and was in training there until January 12, 1,943, when he was transferred to Camp Pickett, Virginia, for training as an assistant gunner in a tank.

April 27, 1943, Pvt. Stoelk left the United States with the 753rd tank batallion for North Africa. He was killed in action during the invasion of Sicily July 22, 1943.

GENE STRATHMAN

Gene Strathman was born at Manning March 29, 1923, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Strathman. He attended the local schools and graduated in 1941. He was a member of the championship football and basketball teams at Manning High School.

Gene enlisted in the Army Air Corps and in February, 1943, left for training at Sheppard Field, Texas. He later graduated from gunnery school at Kingman, Arizona, and from radio school at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In December, 1943, he was sent to Salt Lake City, then to Langley Field, Virginia, and spent about a week in Seattle, Washington, before being sent to Anchorage, Alaska, where he was stationed for two months. He was stationed at the Aleutian Islands at the time of his death.

S/Sgt. Strathman, a member of a Liberator bomber crew, was a radio operator on the plane which was enroute from Fort Richardson, Alaska, to Adak, Alaska, when it exploded at 20,000 feet over Mount Illiamna, Alaska, September 3, 1944. Six of the crew managed to parachute to safety, but Gene went down with the plane. His body was recovered later and buried in the army post cemetery at Anchorage, Alaska.

The "Welcome Home" signs for those returning from World War II were barely down when international attention focused upon Korea. The struggle began in June, 1950, as a civil conflict between the democratic South Korea and the communist North Korea. The United States became involved through the United Nation's "police action" against communist aggression.

A new dimension in global warfare began in the mid-1960's, in a little known place called Viet Nam. No formal declarations of war were ever issued, resulting in the "conflict's" unpopularity both at home and on the front.

The Viet Nam conflict grew even more unpopular as the troops returned, to find that amnesty had been granted to those who had refused service. And as the Watergate scandal was uncovered in the early 1970's, more and more people became disenchanted with our political leaders.

Manning was fortunate in not losing any soldiers in Viet Nam.

As this book was being prepared, a new conflict was brewing. November 5, 1979, 53 Americans were taken prisoner by students in Iran. Although no military rescue attempts were made until April 22, 1980 -- a mission that failed -- at least three Manning servicemen were in units directly involved with the Iranian crisis.

HUGO E. RESS, JR.

Hugo E. Ress was born October 9, 1930, in Lincoln Township, Audubon County, the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Ress, Sr. The family moved to Manning when he was three years old, and he was educated in the Manning schools. He played on the football team, receiving many letters before his graduation in 1949.

Hugo enlisted in the army July 28, 1949, and took his training at Fort Reilly, Kansas, Camp Carson, Colorado, and Camp Stoneman, California, where he was placed in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Batallion, 29th Infantry Regiment replacement company. He left the United States for Okinawa in May, 1950, going from there to Korea.

Pvt. Ress was a member of a motor pool and his company was among the first to arrive in Korea after hostilities began. He was killed in combat near Hadong July 27, 1950, four days after arriving at the front lines. He lacked one day of being in service a full year when he met death, and was the first Carroll County resident killed in the Korean War.

His parents, operators of a Manning cafe, hold with honor his decorations and citations, which include the Purple Heart with three gold stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense service medal, the Army of Occupation with Japan clasp, the Korea service medal with one bronze star, the United Nations Marksmanship badge, and the infantryman badge.