Pictures are needed
I'm sure many of you who have made it through this article up to this point are wondering why there weren't pictures of the Veterans mentioned. Basically I don't have any pictures of those Veterans featured so far but I have pictures for the following Veterans who are featured.
Charles F. Engelmann was born in Austin, Minnesota, on August 21, 1921, to Fred and Louise (Sciford) Engelmann. At the age of four his parents moved to Ricketts, Iowa. Charles attended elementary school in Ricketts and High School in Charter Oak. He graduated from there in 1939.
In December 1939 Charles enlisted in the Army Air Corps and received his basic training with a cavalry unit near San Bernadino, California. After basic training he went to clerical school at Lowery Air Base in Denver, Colorado.
In January 1943 he was transferred to a anti-submarine patrol unit near Wilmington, North Carolina. They would fly out over the Atlantic Ocean every day looking for German submarines that were known to be just off the East Coast.
Charles married May Delle Ranniger of Manning, on May 28, 1943, at Wilmington, North Carolina. May Delle is the daughter of Julius Ranniger and cousin to Wilmer, Wayne, Irene, and Eunice.
He was transferred in September 1943 to Elko, Nevada, for overseas training. In March 1944 he went overseas and was stationed at Rackheath Air Base near London, England, with the 8th Air Force. He was in the 2nd Air Division, 467th Bomber Group and was promoted to Master Sergeant. While he was on his way overseas his first daughter, Virginia, was born.
Charles returned home in August 1945 to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he was discharged in September 1945. In October 1945 he decided to make a career in the military. He went to Des Moines and re-enlisted and was sent to Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona.
In January 1948 he was transferred to Sioux City Air Base in Sioux City, Iowa. The first months he was there he was on escort duty. He was T.D.Y. (Temporary Duty) in Chicago where they picked up World War II bodies and escorted them to their homes for burial. After that duty he was Liaison Officer of the Reserve Unit at Sioux City. They held reserve meetings in various towns of Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota that were near the Sioux City area.
Charles went to Tokyo, Japan, for eighteen months in January 1950 and returned to the States in 1951 where he was stationed at Long Beach, California.
In 1953 he was commissioned to 2nd Lieutenant and was transferred to Hamilton Field, California, to the Records and Finance Center. In 1954 this center was moved to Denver, Colorado, at which time he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and then in 1957 promoted to Captain.
In August 1959 he was transferred to Rhein Main Air Base in Germany with the Auditor General Group. In July 1960 Charles was transferred to the Pentagon where he was Top Security Officer for NATO. In August 1963 he retired from the Air Force and moved back to Manning.
At Manning, Charles became a school bus driver until 1965 when he took a job with the State Highway Department in Denison. While living in Denison his second daughter, Anita, was born. Charles retired from there in August 1983. Because of poor health he passed away August 25, 1984.
Charles served honorably in the Air Corps and received the following medals and honors: Air Force Commendation, Army Commendation, Good Conduct with 2 knots, American Defense Ribbon, American Theatre with bronze star, World War II Victory medal, European Theatre with silver and 2 bronze stars, Army of Occupation Japan, Korean Service and National Defense medals, Longevity with 4 CL Clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, United Nations Medal and last but not least the Outstanding Unit Citation.
Charles in 1942
Charles in Manning January 6, 1943
