World War II

February 13th, 2012

 

WORLD WAR II (1941-45)
Following World War I, difficulties and struggles led to the rise of Adolph Hitler as leader of Germany and the world found itself aligning with either the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) or the Allies (England, France, United States). A number of events increased the tension between these two factions until Hitler’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 which officially began open conflict and war. The United States entered the conflict after Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The majority of fighting took place in the European theater or the Pacific theater. The European campaign ended with Germany’s unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945 following the fall of Berlin while the Pacific campaign ended on September 2, 1945 after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
 
In 1949 the ladies auxiliary of the Post arranged for a large stone with a plaque containing the names of the four people who lost their lives during World War I from Watsontown and the names of the fifteen people from this area who lost their lives during World War II to be placed in the Watsontown Park. Pink dogwood trees were planted in a semi-circle around the stone. The names on the plaque for World War II were Elmer Beck, C. John Christenson, Carroll Dickerman, Earl Dutrow, Schuyler Frey, Paul Gardner, William Grey, Montgomery Slifer, Roy Watson McWilliams, Harvey Huff, Emory High, Allen Schell, John R. Thomas, Kenneth B. Smith and Hurley Mausteller.
 
As in World War I, news of the war was reported through the local newspapers and The Milton Standard carried a section entitled “Our Men and Women in the Armed Forces.” In preparation to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the ending of World War II, George W. McCormick of the Clyde F. Mowrer Post gleaned 705 names of individuals listed in that column from January 1942 until after the war in August 1945 who were from the Watsontown area including Allenwood, Dewart, McEwensville, Delaware Township, and White Deer areas. The following names were published in The Milton Standard on July 31, 1995 as a tribute to the service and sacrifice these men and women made to their country (a number of people who’s last name began with the letter B were missing from the news article, but using George McCormick’s original transcript they have been included with the following):
Paul R. Achenbach           Thomas Albright                 Merrill Auker                   Russell Aunkst
Walter G. Adams              Torrence Allison                 Paul Auker                       Wilson B. Aunkst
Ashabel Ahern                 Albert Appleman                 Spessard Auker                Harvey G. Auten
James W. Aikey               Ralph L. Ardary                  David F. Aunkst               John Auten
George W. Albertson        Grant Arnold                       Lee Aunkst
Elwood Albright               William J. Arter                   Lester D. Aunkst
 
Alfred Bachman               Wallace M. Barr                  Ralph Baylor                    Ivan Benfer
Merrill R. Bachman          William J. Barrett                Arthur L. Baysore            Stanley Benscoter
Violet B. Bair                   Olan E. Barto                      Charles Beck                    Blaine Berger
Leroy Peace Baker           Clarence R. Bastian             Elmer S. Beck*                Irvin R. Berger
Paul A. Baker                   Harold H. Bastian                Harold Beisel                   Helen Berkenstock
William F. Barnwell         Robert A. Batdorf               Alvin F. Benfer                Mark Berkenstock
Herbert S. Barr                 H. Daniel Baylor                 Henry K. Benfer              Dale M. Betts
George Callenberger, Jr.   Melvin B. Confer                William M. Cooner           Elmer F. Crawford
Harry Carson                    Arley M. Conner                 Frank B. Cooper*             Merrill L. Crawford
Reid W. Cechman            Harmon O. Conner              Carl Cotner                       Richard Crawford
C. John Christensen*       Kenneth C. Conner             Frank Cotner                    William E. Crawford
Robert A. Christensen      L. Eugene Connor               Orville Cotner                  Earl D. Cromley
Henry M. Clark                Joseph F. Conrad*              Ralph W. Cotner              Max Cronrath
Paul Clark                        Ralph E. Conrad                  Thurman McC. Cotner     William W. Cronrath
Woodrow Clark                Russell J. Conrad                David J. Coup                  Oliver E. Culp
William Coates                 William L. Conrad               Cleon O. Crawford           Albert Cunningham
Donald M. Conard           Ned C. Cook                       Clyde E. Crawford          
 
Edgar M. Datesman          Sam Derr                             William H. Dietz              Willis Dreisbach
Harry Dauberman            H. Eugene Dewald              Richard W. Diggan           Robert Drick
Charles B. Dawson, Jr.     Carroll H. Dickerman*        William R. Diggan            Charles H. Dugan
Albert DeGregory             Fred Dickerman                  Fred Dingle                      Luther H. Dunkle
Carroll H. Deitrick            Ray W. Dieffenbach           Jesse Ditzler                     Luther Dunkle
Eugene Dempsey             Woods Dieffenbach            Robert G. Ditzler              Earl Dutrow*
Charles E. Denoskey        Frank M. Diehl                    Edward Doebler               Fred Dutrow
George Dentler                 John E. Diehl                      Graydon Doebler             David D. Dye
F.S. Derr                           Robert Diehl                        Kenneth Doebler             
 
Anthony Eckstein             Gerald L. Elliott                   Malcolm Ellis                   Guy I. Erdley
Robert Eder                      Harley E. Elliott                   William P. Enterline         Warren S. Erdley
Arthur E. Elliott                Harold Elliott*                     Charles L. Erdley             Robert Eyster
 
George S. Fairchild           Fred Fisher                          Otho L. Folk                     Lee French
Kenneth Fairchild             Glenn Fisher                        Clarence T. Folkrod         Frank M. Fretz
Ned D. Fairchild               James Fisher, Jr.                  Joseph Foresman              David P. Frey
Harold E. Falls                 Lewis L. Fisher                    Edgar D. Foust                 Harry J. Frey
Arley Farley                     Raymond Fisher                  Harold E. Foust                Murray Frey
Arthur Farley                    William Fisher                     Max Foust                        Schuyler Frey*
Robert J. Farrell*              James S. Fitzpatrick             Harry W. Fox                   Harold D. Fritz
C. Francis Fegley              Charles H. Fogelman           Elwood B. Frantz             James Fry
Robert F. Finnerty            Thomas W. Fogelman         Harry E. Frantz                 Robert S. Fryer
Austin Fisher                    A.H. Folk                            Bruce Frederick                William Fuller
Carl Fisher                        Emory A. Folk                    Charles W. Frederick       
Dale R. Fisher                  Harold D. Folk                    George A. Frederick        
Franklin R. Fisher             Merrill W. Folk                    William C. Frederick
 
John E. Gast                     John Gerth                          James Gray                      Earl L. Gresh, Jr.
John Gaston                     John B. Glenn                     Robert W. Gray                William Gresh
Paul W. Gardner*             Erma Gold                           Sarah Gray                       Reber L. Groover
James L. Garthwaite         George L. Gold                   William K. Gray*             Donald O. Gross
Emerson Gauger               Jacob D. Gold                     Kenneth W. Greiff           Leroy Gruver
H.S. Gautsch                    Scott Gold                           Robert Greninger              Sidney Gudykunst
Harold S. Gehrer              Wilbur Gold                        Betty Gresh                     
 
Martin L. Haas                 Robert E. Harpster               Robert E. Hile                  Leon O. Huff
F.J. Hackenburg               Chester C. Harris                 Fred Hill                           Millard Huff
Byron Hafer                     Edwin P. Harrison               Ralph A. Hill                    Raymond A. Huff
Keith W. Hafer                 Ira W. Hartley                     William A. Hilliard           Sherman W. Huff
Stanley H. Hafer              Charles L. Hartranft            Herbert H. Hillsey, Jr.      Starrett “Jim” Huff*
Wilmer Hagenbuch          Charles L. Harvey               Thomas J. Hillsey             Walter J. Huff
William V. Hagey             Leo F. Harvey                     Roy A. Hoey                    Wells R. Huff
Henry A. Hall                   Lloyd F. Hauck                   George E. Hoffman          William L. Huff
Clifton Hans                     John C. Haught                   Herbert H. Hoffman         E.A. Huffman
Frank L. Hans                  Calvin E. Haupt                   Morris V. Hoffman          Norman Huffman
Freeman Hans                  Harold Hause                      Richard E. Hoffman         P. Richard Huffman
Harvey Hans                    Norman Hause                    Guy House                       Romaine Huffman
John J. Hans                     Donald Hawley                   Gladys M. Houtz              Lloyd R. Hulsizer
Oscar Hans                       Harold Heckman                 William W. Hudgens        Edward E. Hursh
Ralph Hans                      George Heintzelman            Cloyd V. Huff                  Fred Huther
Donald Harding                Guy Herald                         Fred A. Huff                   
James L. Harmon, Jr.       Paul E. Herald                     Harvey C. Huff*             
John E. Harpster               Emery M. High*                  Laird Huff
 
H. Stanley Jamison           Beryl Johnson                     James L. Johnson             Harold Jones
Leroy Joe                         Frank N. Johnson                Frank Jones, Jr.                Walter June
Robert W. Joe                 
 
Dr. Richard C. Kaar         Earl Kilgus                          Donald Koch                    Woods C. Kramer
Franklin F. Kear               Nile D. Kilgus                     Floyd C. Koch                  John V. Krisher
Martin R. Keefer              Eugene King                        Howard A. Koch              John P. Kuhn
Sidney Keefer                  Floyd F. King                      Millard Koch                    Charles E. Kurtz
J. Wayne Keiser               James M. King                    Ned Koch                         Clarence Kurtz, Jr.
Malburn Keiter                 Paul P. Klapp                      Ward Koch                       Elwood Kurtz
Raymond E. Kelly            Reid S. Kling                       Earl Koser, Jr.                  Robert H. Kurtz, Jr.
Eugene G. Kemble           William S. Kling                  George E. Kramer, Jr.
Galen R. Kemble              Ray H. Knouse                    Vera E. Kramer
 
Donald R. Laidacker        Edward F. Leech                 Oscar C. Lindencamp       Harvey Lupold
Fred Laidacker                 R. James Leech                   E. John Long                    Russell Lupold
George E. Laidacker, Jr.   John W. Lehman                 John Long                        Richard M. Lyons
Maurice Laidacker           Kent Leinbach                     Paul Robert Long             Robert L. Lyons
Nevin Laidacker               Clair Levan                         Charles H. Lose                Lawrence Lynch
Paul W. Laidacker            Herman Levan                    Dell Roy Love                  Raymond Lynch
Robert Laidacker              Mark Roy Levan                 Samuel L. Lucas               Walter Lynn
A.R. Leech                       Fred E. Lindauer                 Allen B. Lupold
Cloyd Leech                     Lawrence Lindauer             Forrest W. Lupold
 
Rennert K. Mack              Harold E. McCollin             William McWright            Claude J. Moore
Robert Magill                   George McCollum               Robert Meek                    Doyle E. Moore
John W. Mangel               Ross McConnell                  Calvin W. Menges            Robert C. Moore
Harold Manning               Charles McCormick            William Messinger            John Morrison
Paul Markel                      Charles Lee McCormick      William H. Middlesworth Ned Morrison
Robert W. Marshall          Clifford W. McCormick      Charles F. Miller               Neil Morrison
Donald E. Martin              Cyrus H. McCormick          Charles L. Miller              Floyd Moser
Joseph K. Martin              Rev. Frank McCormick       Harold J. Miller                Harold L. Moser
Earl Mausteller                 Fred S. McCormick, Jr.       John E. Miller                   Harold M. Moser
Elmer S. Mausteller          George W. McCormick       Kenneth R. Miller             John Wilson Moser
Frank W. Mausteller         John A. McCormick            Melvin M. Miller              S. Morris Moser
Harry Mausteller              Keith E. McCormick           Ned F. Miller                    William K. Moser
Hurley Mausteller*           Paul McCormick                 Paul Miller                        Fred Muffly
Lake A. Maxfield             Raymond McCormick         Ralph L. Miller                 Elwood A. Muffly
George McBryan              William McCormick            Walter L. Miller                Dale H. Murray
Lawrence D. McBryan     James M. McFarland           William F. Miller              Domer L. Murray
Max McBryan                  John Zaner McFarland        Fred Mincemoyer             Franklin P. Murray
Robert G. McBryan          Clarence E. McHenry          Paul Mincemoyer             Roy A. Murray
Thomas McBryan             James M. McKee                 Walter Mitman                 Wilbur L. Murray*
James W. McClain           Marlin E. McKee                 Richard W. Monroe          Walter Myers
Kenneth E. McClintock    Walter G. McMillen             James M. Montgomery, Jr.       Willard E. Myers
Thomas M. McClintock    Eugene E. McVicker           Oliver P. Montgomery     
William R. McClintock     Robert C. McVicker            Elwood B. Moon             
Douglas McCollin            R. Watson McWilliams*      Byron Moore                   
 
Dale Neitz                        Ray Newton                        Dora Nicholas                  Robert A. Nicholas
Robert Newberry
 
Charles A. Oakes
 
Thomas E. Pardoe            Edwin P. Payne                   James E. Phillips              Dale Prowant
John H. Parsons               Dr. Amos V. Persing           Leonard Phillips               Elwood Prowant
Barton Patterson               W.G. Person                        William Phillips                Harry Prowant
Benjamin Max Patterson Earl L. Persun                      Austin Larue Plotts, Jr.     M. Lake Prowant
Kenneth Patton                 Luther Pfleegor                   Earl William Plotts            Pierran Prowant
Howard Pauling                Ellis F. Phillips                    Frank Plotts                      Charles A. Pursel
Louis E. Pauling               Floyd Phillips                      Marlin L. Plymette            William F. Pursell
Robert M. Pauling            Frank Phillips                      James A. Prebble
 
Edward F. Rabe, Jr.          Carroll H. Raup                   Donald L. Reitmeyer        Calvin Robbins
Norman L. Rake, Jr.         Donald E. Raup                   Joe Reitmeyer                  Paul R. Rockey
William Ramesch             Lloyd Raup                         Richard L. Reynolds        William Rombach
Betty L. Ranck                 Paul R. Raup                       Roy A. Reynolds              LaRue Rowe
Charles L. Ranck              Roy W. Raup                      Laurence E. Rhone           Charlotte Russell
Clement H. Ranck            Victor A. Raup                    Maurice C. Rhone            Harris Russell
Donald W. Ranck             Virginia Raup                      Randall R. Rickert            Willard Russell, Jr.
Elwood R. Ranck             John Ravert                         William M. Rickert           Neal Ryan
George Ranck                  Robert Ravert                      Gordon E. Ritter               Ray K. Ryan
Jane H. Ranck                  Charles Reaser, Jr.               John Ritter                        Myron H. Ryder
Marlin G. Ranck               John Redcay                       Lee Ritter                        
Robert Rathburn               William Redcay                   Wilbur Ritter, Jr.              
W.L. Rathburn                 Ralph Reibsome                  William Ritter
 
James W. Sampsell           Glenn W. Shell                    Montgomery Slifer*         Lester J. Stahlnecker
Milford J. Sampsell          Raymond Shell                    Ambrose Smith                Merrill A. Starr
Warren Sampsell              Arthur H. Sherman              Amos B. Smith                 John R. Steele
Jesse J. Sandel                  Warren E. Sherwood           Asa P. Smith                     Robert Stanley Steele
Clarence Schaefer            John W. Shireman               Clair J. Smith*                  Paul O. Stenninger
Clifford I. Schaefer          Rolland Shoemaker             Donald K. Smith              George N. Sterner
Russell W. Schaefer         Thomas L. Shoemaker        Harry D. Smith                 Hayes Sterner
Guy Schreck                    John W. Sholl                      Howard E. Smith              Robert Sterner
Franklin J. Schultz            George E. Showers              Kenneth B. Smith*           John L. Stevenson
George I. Sellers               Kelley A. Showers              Malcolm Smith                 Ivan S. Stiles
Fred Shade                       George Shreck                     William H. Smith              Kenneth B. Stover
Desmond Shaffer             Glenn Shuman                    John M. Snoddy               Donald Strouse
Charles H. Shearer           Harold L. Shuman               Lehman J. Snyder            Leo Swanger
James F. Sheatler              Hunter Simpson                  Lewis E. Snyder               Neil Swanger
Allen I. Shell*                  Stanley J. Slavey                 John P. Stager                   Robert B. Swope
 
Elmer H. Tanner               John R. Thomas*                Donald E. Tobias             William W. Trick
E.B. Taylor                       Richard Thomas                  Jessie L. Travelpiece        Harvey E. Troxell
Ray Taylor                       William L. Thomas              Albert J. Trego                 Donald Truckenmiller
James F. Thomas              Charles Tilson                     Jane Treon                       Edward N. “Ned” Tyson
 
Bowman J. Ulrich, Jr.       James L. Ulrich                   Robert A. Ulrich               Alexander Umstead
Fred M. Ulrich                  LaRue E. Ulrich
 
Allen R. Vognetz              Robert Vognetz
 
Edmund F. Wagner          John Waring                        Delmar L. Werner            James A. Winters
F. Irvin Wagner                Robert Waring                     Marvin R. Wertman          Arthur Woernle
Franklin L. Wagner          Thomas Waring                   William C. Wertman         Frank D. Wolfe
Ned F. Wagner                 Lewis Watson                      William E. Wertman         Boyd D. Wright
Paul Wagner                     Martha Watson                    George Wertz                   Clyde Richard Wright
William C. Wagner           Frank D. Weaver                 Harry Wertz                     George H. Wright
John Walker                     Henry T. Weaver                 Donald Westley                Jack Wright
Robert W. Walker            James D. Weaver                John W. Westley              Jay Franklin Wright
William H. Walker           John L. Weaver                   Oliver H. Wetten              R. Judd Wright
Wylie Walker                   Joseph D. Weaver               Kenneth A. Weyhard       Richard G. Wright
Charles M. Walter            Lloyd E. Weaver                 Fred G. Whitmoyer          Robert Wright
Forrest Walter                   Charles L. Webb                 Robert Whitmoyer            Samuel A. Wright
Paul J. Walter                   Harold “Jake” Weikel         Elmer Wilbur                   
John Waltman, Jr.            John Weller                         Wilbur C. Williams          
Ned E. Waltman               Sterling Wenner                   Herbert R. Winters          
 
Glenn O. Yocum              Hope Yoder                        Jack Yost                         Larue Young
Ned L. Yocum                 Max R. Yoder                     Larue Yost                       Lewis M. Young
Carl J. Yoder                    Paul T. Yoder                      William N. Yost               Ned F. Young
Earl Yoder                        Robert Yoder                      George B. Young, Jr.        Olan Young
Floyd N. Yoder                Bernard Yost                       John A. Young                 William N. Young
 
George R. Zarr                 William M. Zarr                   Herbert E. Zettlemoyer     William F. Zettlemoyer
John W. Zarr                    George Zettlemoyer             John E. Zettlemoyer
 
Last Modified: 01.21.12

6 Responses

  1. Terrie Rogers Says:

    My father’s name should be included on this list Nathan Luther Hursh brother to Edward Hursh. Nathan born in White Deer and died in Watsontown at his home on Main Street in 1998

  2. Anne Biddle Tantum Says:

    My father John E. Biddle, M.D. served in WWII from 1942 – 1945.

    He was drafted at 36.

    We were Watsontown residents.

  3. Jay A. Muffly Says:

    Anne Biddle Tantum is correct, her dad was in the Tank Corps. He shared some about the war. He was our family Doctor and the team Doctor for Watsontown High School for many years. Me and my friends still talk about him.

  4. Nelle Rote Says:

    Jim,
    John A. Hefty left for the Navy in 1944, signing up in Philadelphia.
    That may be why he isn’t listed under Watsontown’s WWII veterans.
    He would like to be listed.

  5. Nelle Fairchild Rote Says:

    Jim,
    Lawrence Fairchild, MD, grew up in Allenwood. His mother was Henrietta Childs, a teacher. Lawrence is my first cousin, and he was a psychiatrist in Colorado when he entered the service.
    I wish his name was listed among your WWII veterans.
    Also Thomas Evans was in the Navy, Clarence Buss was a Marine,and John A. Hefty was in the Navy, leaving from Philadelphia. That may explain why their names aren’t listed, they didn’t leave from Watsontown.
    Thanks for adding these names. You’re doing a fine job of preserving history.

  6. Debra Bortz Michaels Says:

    Milton A Bortz from McEwensville, PA was left off of the list, my father, thank you. Debra Bortz Michaels

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