Wilmer was drafted into the Army March 1942 and took his basic training in Fort Sill,
Oklahoma.
From Fort Sill he went to the 82d Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C.
He left the United States April 1943 for Africa where his division took part in the Invasion of
Sicily and later in the Invasion of Italy (No. 2 campaign), later to Ireland/England where
they prepared for the Normandy Invasion (No. 3 campaign) which took place June 6, 1944.
Wilmer's 319th Glider Battalion landed near Ste. Mere Eglise, France.
His glider landed
under heavy fire on June 6, 1944.
Two men in his glider were killed during battle.
The 82nd's No. 4 campaign was the invasion of Holland on September of 1944, following
with the Belgium Bulge (No. 5 campaign) and ending up at the Elbe River in Germany
where they met the Russian soldiers on May 7, 1945 which was No. 6 campaign --- the
last campaign.
After this the Germans surrendered.
Wilmer was on 6 campaigns and one half of the Division was able to return to the U.S.A.
on high points. He had 99 points and was honorably discharged September 20, 1945 in
Fort Sheridan, Illinois.
Wilmer's honorable citations were:
Good Conduct Medal; Dist. Unit Badge Ga. #54; 82d Airborne Division, 1944
European/African/Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon; one Silver & one Bronze Battle Star;
Bronze Service Arrowhead; four overseas Service Bars and one Service Stripe.
Wilmer Ranniger and Vila Cafourek (of Austin, MN.) were married December 5, 1945. They
have 4 children:
Mrs. Joe (Joan) Scalzo of Omaha, NE, Mrs. Robin (Janet) Mitchell (deceased) of Council
Bluffs, IA, Mrs. Joyce Simon of Chicago, IL and Russell Ranniger of Manning.
All four children graduated from Manning High School.
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In Loving Memory WILMER RANNIGER Service ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH MANNING, IOWA Officiating REVEREND DANIEL VOGEL Music Interment with Military Honors Casketbearers Honorary Casketbearers - Army Foxhole Buddies THE FAMILY WISHES TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE FOR YOUR KINDNESS EVIDENCED IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED, AND INVITES YOU TO JOIN THEM FOR LUNCH AND FELLOWSHIP AT THE CHURCH FOLLOWING THE COMMITTAL SERVICE
THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anoitest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Wilmer William, son of Louis and Christine W. (Lorenzen) Ranniger, was born October 18, 1914, north of Aspinwall, Iowa. He attended country school near his home and graduated from Manning High School in 1932. He then rented some ground, farmed with his father and also worked for the Rural Electric Cooperative. In April of 1942, Wilmer was inducted into the United States Army and served in World War II in the Glider Artillery with the 82nd Airborne Division. Wilmer participated in the D-Day invasion at Normandy and in the Battle of the Bulge. Following the campaigns in Africa, Sicily-Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, Wilmer was honorably discharged in September of 1945. Before he left for the military service, Wilmer had picked corn in Minnesota during a bumper crop there and met Vila Cafourek. He corresponded with her during the war and, following his return, they were united in marriage at Hayward, Minnesota, on December 5, 1945. Four children were born to this union. Wilmer and Vila made their home and farmed the Ranniger home place northwest of Manning until moving into Manning upon their retirement in 1974. During his retirement Wilmer enjoyed traveling, dancing, playing cards and golfing. Wilmer was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion. He was a charter member of the 82nd Airborne Division Association and a lifetime member of the Hayes Township Schuetzen Verein. Wilmer suffered a stroke on May 13, 2003, after several months of coping with other health problems. He spent two weeks in the hospital and then became a resident of the Manning Plaza Nursing Home where he died early Monday, June 9, 2003, at the age of 88 years, 7 months and 22 days. Preceding Wilmer in death are his parents, daughter Janet Mitchell, granddaughter Wendy Mitchell, brothers-in-law Harry Jansen and Ray Friedrichsen and a sister-in-law Viola Ranniger. He is survived by his wife Vila Ranniger of Manning; two daughters Joan and husband Joe Scalzo of Omaha, NE; Joyce Simon and John Maiella of Chicago, IL; son Russ Ranniger and wife Cindy of Manning; and son-in-law Rob Mitchell of Council Bluffs; nine grandchildren: Andrea Scalzo; Lisa Scalzo; Tim Simon and wife Annette; Carrie Simon; Jacki Ranniger; Jessica Ranniger; Ann Ranniger; Bob Mitchell and Nicki Mitchell; two sisters Irene Jansen of Manning and Eunice Friedrichsen of Denison; one brother Wayne Ranniger and wife Lucille, of Manning; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. |
Wilmer Ranniger Discharge points he acquired during WWII.
5 for Sicily
5 for Italy
5 for Normandy
5 for Holland
5 for Ardennes & Rhineland
5 for Central Europe
12 for each month in United States (12 months)
58 for each month overseas (29 months)
99 Total Discharge Points
All men with 85 points or more got their discharge papers in September 1945.
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The Stars And Stripes |
Wilmer and others in the 82d Airborne Division who had 85 or more points sailed home
from Marsailes, France on the USS Wakefield carrying 8263 men. They landed in Boston
on September 14, 1945.
Wilmer Ranniger was honorably discharged September 20, 1945.
The rest of the 82d Division who stayed behind policed Berlin for a time arrived home January 3, 1946.
Notes from Wilmer Ranniger:
There were 3228 men from the 82d Airborne Division killed during WWII.
The 82d Airborne first landed in Sicily then Salerno beachhead in Italy, then Normandy, France---(D-Day Normandy Invasion), Holland, Belgium---(Battle of the Bulge) and lastly western & northern Germany.
Wilmer Ranniger & Otto Porsch rode her all the way through from start to finish:
The 82d Airborne Division was re-activated March of 1942 under Omar Bradley.
General Matthew Ridgway took over shortly thereafter which was at Camp Claiborne,
Louisiana. This is where Wilmer joined the Division (Battery B 319 Battalion) which was
his permanent address until the end of the war.
Countries the 82d Airborne was in:
French Morocco: Africa
Algeria
Tunisia
Sicily
Italy
Ireland
Scotland
England
Wales
France
Holland
Belgium
Germany --- where the war ended
Wilmer left Naples, Italy November 18, 1943 and landed in Oran Africa and stayed 5 days waiting for a convoy from Egypt. Then they went over the Atlantic on the "Joseph T. Dickman" to Belfast, Ireland on December 9, 1943.
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The Stars And Stripes |
Wilmer was in Cologne Germany the Day President Roosevelt died.
80,000 citizens of Cologne were killed in English air-raids during the war.
The huge Cologne Cathedral had relatively little damage while bridges and most other
buildings were destroyed.
Wilmer passed by the Crossroads at Malmedy where 125 American prisoners were mowed down by machine gun fire in an open pasture (called the Malmedy Massacre).
Wilmer and his division went through the Wobelein Concentration Camp May of 1945.
(most of the pictures and some of the information on this page was taken from the 82d Airborne Division Association, Inc. book published in 1946 by Albert Love Enterprises.)
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featured in the Manning News Journal |
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Manning Monitor article ------ 1943
Wilmer Ranniger Has Furlough Wilmer Ranniger Writes "I am somewhere in Italy and I hope someday to be able to tell you my exact location and some of the sights I can see as I am writing this letter. The Italian people are very friendly, more so than we expected. We get plenty of fruit to eat and I have quite an appetite." Wilmer Manning Monitor article ------ 1944
Wilmer Ranninger in Holland Manning Monitor article ------ 1945
GLIDERMAN ON WAY HOME FROM EUROPE Private Ranniger is a member of the 681st Glider F. A. Bn. He served as a instrument operator in the 82nd airborne division and is a qualified gliderman.
He participated in the following campaigns: Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Holland, Ardennes
and Central Europe, and wears the presidential citation and invasion arrowhead with six
campaign stars. |