Henry L. Heidbreder was born on October 24, 1883, in Cole County near Lohman. On May 6, 1909, he married Louise Hutschreider and the couple went on to raise six sons - Arthur, Wilburn, Omar, Cletus, Darwin and Henry Jr. A farmer in the Lohman area, he served for thirty years as a Cole County judge and, for 36 years, was a member of the board of directors of the Community Bank of Russellville. Heidbreder was 87 years old when he passed away on December 31, 1970, and is buried in the cemetery of St. John's Lutheran Church in Stringtown.
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![]() Cole County history was in its early years sprinkled with notations of the Bass family. In the southeastern section of the county, the Bass story began with a man who immigrated from an adjoining state only to become a prominent farmer who had a small settlement named for him that is only remembered through the naming of a stretch of rural road. Metheldred Bass Sr. was born in Barren County, Kentucky in 1821, the same year Missouri achieved statehood. When still a young man, he settled in Cole County, where he married Perlina Apperson in 1843. A worn newspaper article shared by his family on the Find A Grave website notes that Bass and his wife became parents to six children. However, his first wife was only 45 years old when she died in 1871 and was laid to rest in the Hickory Hill Cemetery. “Bass joined the Church of Christ near his home … and has been a devout and consistent member of the Mount Union congregation,” the article explained. Dedicated to making a living, Bass toiled in the field, raised livestock and became a respected and well-known farmer in the southern section of Cole County. Soon, a small settlement began to unfold north of Eugene with the erection of a mercantile organized by several local farmers, which was later supplemented with a post office. Since Bass’ farm was nearby, the settlement was named for him. Shortly after the passing of his first wife in 1871, Bass married Sarah Hogg, with whom he fathered two more children. Eventually, as the years passed, the community of Bass faded with the closing of the mercantile and Bass, having reached his advancing years, went to live with his daughter. When he died in 1920 at the impressive age of 98, he was believed to be the oldest resident of Cole County and was interred in Hickory Hill Cemetery. Of the eight children he and his two wives raised, one of Bass’s sons would carry on the tradition of a life defined by intriguing experiences. John Perry “J.P.” Bass was born in the settlement of Bass on September 14, 1848. A history shared by Palmer Scheperle in the book History of the Scheperle Family of America explained that J.P. Bass fell in love with Mary Scheperle, whose family had settled in and around the communities of Stringtown and Millbrook. “The couple were not of legal age and Mary did not have her parents’ permission to marry John Bass, a Methodist,” Palmer Scheperle explained. “They persuaded the Justice of the Peace that they were of legal age and then eloped on horseback,” he added. Through his marriage to Scheperle in 1868, Bass became the brother-in-law of John Scheperle Sr., a co-founder of the Centennial Mill in Millbrook. Scheperle Sr. was also the individual responsible for overseeing the construction of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Stringtown and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Honey Creek. Even after his marriage to a Lutheran woman, he raised his family in the Methodist denomination. Although it is not documented whether continued tensions existed between Bass and his wife’s family because of his faith, he made the decision to start anew in a community away from his in-laws by moving his family to Texas in 1878. “John and Mary owned extensive property in and around Mineral Wells and in Wise and Hall County, Texas,” the Scheperle book clarified. “The Bass family were cotton farmers, owning a cotton gin, and raised cattle in Wise and Hall Counties.” Mary gave birth to three children—one son and two daughters—while they still lived in the farm community of Bass, but they were raised to adulthood in Texas. Like his father, John suffered the tragedy of losing his first wife, who died in 1905—the same year her brother was building St. John’s Lutheran Church in Stringtown. The body of Bass’ 54-year-old wife was buried in a cemetery in Newlin, Texas. Newspaper records indicate that J.P. Bass returned to Mid-Missouri sometime after his wife’s death and, in 1910, married Sarah Lumpkin in Miller County. Her first husband, Esom Lumpkin, had died in 1900. At the time of her marriage to Bass, she had two children that were independent adults. “Roscoe Lumpkin and wife came in Tuesday to visit their mother, Mrs. J.P. Bass, at Spring Garden,” the Miller County Autogram printed on September 22, 1910. A week later, another newspaper explained that Bass was preparing for his return to Texas with his second wife. “Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Bass shipped some household goods from here Saturday to Memphis, Texas … (and) will go from Jefferson City about Tuesday … where they expect to make their home in the future,” the Eldon Advertiser reported on September 29, 1910. J.P. Bass and his wife traveled to Missouri on several occasions to visit family and attend funerals, including the burial of Metheldred Bass Sr. in 1920. They lived to witness the disappearance of the settlement of Bass, a decline beginning with the closing of the mercantile that had defined the community. In 1936, J.P. Bass died at 87 years of age and services were held at the local Methodist church followed by burial in a cemetery in Memphis, Texas. His second wife died six years later and was laid to rest alongside him. Old Bass Road now stretches between U.S. Highway 54 and State Route AA, providing only a road sign to designate the legacy of a bygone community and the dissipating history of the Bass family in southern Cole County. The pioneer who inspired the naming of Bass, Missouri, is no longer living, but his gravestone in Hickory Hill Cemetery is a hidden reminder of the contribution he made to our local rural tapestry. In the words of writer Henry S.F. Cooper, “A man who thinks too much about his ancestors is like a potato—the best part of him is underground.” Burials do not end the story of pioneer families. The Bass name is etched on the tombstones in several quiet country cemeteries but may someday inspire others to delve into the history of those whose sacrifices provided for the betterment of their families and communities. Jeremy P. Ämick is the author of “Moments on the Moreau.” ![]() Born in Rheims, France, in 1946, Michel Schuer learned while growing up that his father had been an American soldier serving in Europe during World War II. Through the internet, he connected with his American family and is pictured with his half-sisters, from left: Glenda and Linda. Courtesy of Becky Landreth Henson Michel Schuer was born and raised in Rheims, France, where as a teenager he learned from his grandmother that his biological father had been an American soldier in World War II. Decades later, through online ancestry and research forums, Schuer was able to connect with his half-sisters and other extended family living in Mid-Missouri.
“I was sitting in the parking lot at the Truman Building before work one morning and I received a message written in French on Facebook messenger,” said Becky Landreth Henson, a cousin to Schuer. “It was Michel’s daughter asking about William Fancher.” She continued, “At first, we thought he was asking about William Fancher’s father, but then she sent a picture of him standing by Michel’s mother in France during World War II.” William Fancher of Crocker married Dollie Champion in 1941. During World War II, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and, after training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, deployed to France and served as a truck driver. Through the help of a translator, Michel Schuer explained, “William Fancher arrived in Southern France in September 1944 and ended up at Rheims later in the war. That’s where he met my mother, who was 17 years old at the time, and they conceived me,” he added. The recipient of a Bronze Star Medal, Fancher returned to the U.S. in 1946. He then reunited with his wife and went on to raise two daughters and two sons. “Our mother knew about Michel in France because our father’s commanding officer sent her a letter explaining the situation,” said Linda Knudson. “After the war, he worked for the state and went from farm to farm inspecting the health of livestock.” Born in 1946, Michel Schuer was raised by his mother for several years, never knowing the identity of his father. When he was approximately eight years old, his mother remarried. Experiencing conflict with his stepfather, Schuer eventually went to live with his grandmother. “His mother kept in touch with our father for a few years,” said Linda Knudson. “We had a picture of Michel as a little boy and on the back of it was written ‘little French boy.’” She continued, “It was a picture that Michel’s grandmother sent to our mom but we didn’t get any more after that because she didn’t think it was right.” Michel’s mother was only eighteen years older than him and his grandmother became more of the motherly figure in his life. Although his family did not speak about his real father’s identity, shortly after he turned seventeen his grandmother explained to him his true paternal heritage. “I wanted to know more about my family and connect with them, but back in those days, we didn’t have the internet and you were not able to find people like you are now,” Schuer said. As an adult, he served as a truck driver during an enlistment in the French army. Following his discharge, he completed a career as a long-distance truck driver, hauling supplies throughout much of Europe. In 1980, he married his fiancée, Anita, and the couple became parents to six children. Linda Knudson said, “My father never mentioned Michel to us; it was my mother who told my twin sister and I about him sometime in the 1970s. We would loved to have reached him, but back then it wasn’t like you could jump on a plane and just go find somebody.” Becky Landreth Henson added, “I did an ancestry DNA test and moved my information to another heritage site. That’s where Michel’s daughter found our information and then reached out to us back in February of 2021.” She continued, “We knew about him for years and were excited that we finally came together. He was supposed to fly to the United States last year, but couldn’t at that time because he was waiting on a heart valve replacement.” Last year, Schuer’s mother in France passed away while in her mid-90s. Prior to her death, she revealed symptoms of dementia and, when visited by her grandson, believed him to William Fancher, the man she fell in love with during World War II. “It was my son and he does look like my father did when he was a young man in the Army,” Schuer tearfully remarked. After decades hoping to find his American family, Schuer’s wish came to fulfillment when he and his wife recently traveled to Missouri. They visited the community of Crocker to see where his father had been raised, lived out his life and is now buried. Although his two half-brothers have passed, he has enjoyed the emotion-filled reunion with his two half-sisters. “When I was very young, I remember having a recurring dream that I would have the same last name as my real father,” said Michel Schuer. Speaking of the persistence and research required to finally locate his family living in the United States, Schuer explained, “I have always wanted to know where I came from and that has always been the most important thing for me. While I’ve been here, we even had a family reunion,” he grinned. “I’ve been looking for my family for many decades and I am very proud to have been able to come here and meet all of my American relatives.” Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. ‘It was up to me’ - Retired physician gained early medical experience serving in Vietnam War12/28/2022 ![]() As early as the eighth-grade, James Allan cultivated an interest in someday becoming a medical doctor. With encouragement from his parents, he enrolled in the University of Missouri (Columbia) after graduating from a St. Louis area high school in 1960. This educational endeavor not only marked the beginning of a lifelong professional pursuit, but resulted in his induction into the armed forces during the Vietnam War. “My college experience began with three years of undergraduate school followed by four years of medical school,” Allan recalled. “During my junior year of medical school in 1965, I married my fiancée, Terry, whom I had met through church in St. Louis and was also attending the university.” Upon graduating from medical school in 1967, he began an internship in Wichita, Kansas. The following year should have been a joyous occasion when he and his wife welcomed their first son, Daniel, but he and many of his fellow interns received notice that abruptly changed their future plans. “It was a letter from President Nixon that stated we could become medical officers in the military at the rank of captain … or wait and be drafted as a private,” he said. “The letter was very clear and military service had not been in my career pathway, but the war in Vietnam just kept getting bigger and bigger.” By September of 1968, Allan was in San Antonio, Texas, attending “doctors’ bootcamp.” For the next three weeks, he and many other inexperienced physicians were provided crash courses on wearing a U.S. Army uniform, performing drill and ceremony, undergoing brief classes specifically related to military medicine and conducting training exercises in a field environment. He quickly received orders for Vietnam, flying into Saigon in the cover of darkness. When exiting the aircraft, he observed explosions along the skyline and immediately felt the heat and humidity that defined the jungle-laden country. Allan recalled, “I was assigned to a replacement battalion and told that each doctor would receive six months of relatively good duty and six months of duty that wasn’t so ideal. My first assignment was at a dispensary at Cam Rahn Bay in South Vietnam, which was not bad duty.” Allan continued, “It was myself and another physician in the dispensary and we had an X-ray, laboratory and a hardworking, well-trained staff. We did a sick call and it was a busy place because the base was a stop-off point for military personnel entering or leaving the country or for those traveling back and forth for R&R (rest and recreation). As he recalled, some of his responsibilities became the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases that servicemembers contracted during their recreational periods in locations such as Japan, Saigon and Hong Kong. Several months into his deployment, he was transferred to an artillery battalion under the 25th Infantry Division located on the Michelin Rubber Plantation at Camp Rainier near Dầu Tiếng, South Vietnam. Again, his duties were to conduct sick call and provide routine medical care, but came with the added responsibility of supporting clinics in three additional locations. “One of the locations where I treated people was at a civilian hospital,” he explained. “I also visited a relocation camp where there were Vietnamese civilians who had been moved from areas that had been deemed free-fire zones. Also, I supported a little clinic for civilians situated along the perimeter wire of our base camp.” Later in this assignment, he accompanied the 25th Infantry Division when they moved to a larger base camp at Cu Chi, where he was assigned to a headquarters company of an artillery battalion. He was often flown by helicopter to forward support bases, providing general medical care to infantry and artillery troops stationed there. “It was generally just minor injuries I was treating since the war wounded were flown to evacuation hospitals,” he said. While stationed at Cu Chi, the medical officer became more involved with assisting the civilian population. During his time there, Allan traveled to several remote locations to practice general medicine with local populations in a government effort to “win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people.” Dr. Allan recalled, “We were told which locations we were to visit and filled our ammo cans with assorted medicines that might be needed. We developed a large following of civilians—often between 100-200 who would come see us—and I communicated through a Vietnamese interpreter.” He added, “Many of those coming to see us needed injections to treat tuberculosis.” His overseas tour came to an end in November 1969 and he was assigned to Ft. Leonard Wood to finish out his active-duty commitment. Dr. Allan was subsequently awarded a Bronze Star for the medical service he provided to Vietnamese civilians in remote locations. When returning to the states, he not only reunited with his wife and his young son, but met his second son, John, who had been born shortly after his arrival in Vietnam. After leaving active service in September 1970, he relocated his family to Jefferson City, maintaining a private medical practice until his retirement in 2008. Allan acknowledges that his military experience was mandatory and something he recognized as an obligation or duty, but became a brief period early in his career leading to many important experiences. He explained, “It was certainly an interesting period in my life that taught me to work alone, which benefitted me in later years.” In conclusion, he added, “Previously, when I had trained in a hospital environment, there were several physicians I could consult with on a diagnosis, but when I was in a remote area in Vietnam, it was up to me to make rapid medical assessments and treatment decisions.” Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. ‘Part of it all’ - Killed in World War II, Ralph Haldiman is remembered through letters and memories12/28/2022 ![]() “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,” wrote British poet Laurence Binyon in his poem “For the Fallen.” He added, “At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.” Such a spirit of remembrance has for years inspired three brothers –Don, Paul and David Jungmeyer—to never let fade the memory of the sacrifice of their uncle, who was killed in action during his service in World War II. Ralph Lehman Haldiman was born November 17, 1923, on a farm near Sandy Hook in an area colloquially referred to as “Haldiman Valley.” The youngest of six siblings, he attended school for several years at nearby Prairie Home before transferring to Jamestown High School for his senior year. “He graduated from high school in May of 1942 and was vice-president of his class,” said Paul Jungmeyer. “He and his family were also members of Grace Methodist Church in Jamestown.” Since he had an older sister living in Kansas City, Haldiman moved there to work for the Hall Brothers, which later became known as Hallmark. However, the young man soon received his draft notice, underwent his induction into the military and was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for in-processing in November 1942. “We have all of the letters that he wrote to my mother (his sister) and also to his parents,” said David Jungmeyer. “These really provide us with a lot of insight into many of his experiences during the war.” Assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces, Haldiman completed his initial training at Kearns Army Air Base near St. Lake City and was then placed in a path of training that would eventually land him overseas. “I took my physical yesterday for aerial gunner and I made it o.k.,” the airman wrote to his family on November 21, 1942. “All I am waiting on now is to start my training as a gunner. I won’t get that training here at this field, so I expect to get shipped out in a week so.” His assumptions proved correct and, on November 29, 1942, Haldiman was transferred to an airfield near Las Vegas. For the next several weeks, his letters to family describe the range of training he received in gunnery school. Then, on February 5, 1943, a short time after being promoted to sergeant, he was transferred to Buckley Field, Colorado, for additional training. A record maintained by Haldiman notes that he continued his training at locations including Myrtle Beach and Greenville, South Carolina, the state of Washington and Grand Island, Nebraska. Through all of this, he was able to acquire proficiency as a right waist gunner aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress. In early summer 1943, he returned home to the family farm in Missouri for a brief furlough, which became the last times his family members saw him. “I was about four years old, I believe, but I can remember him sitting at the table with grandma and grandpa,” said his nephew, Don Jungmeyer. The 20-year-old Missouri airman was promoted to staff sergeant on December 17, 1943, while at Wendover Army Air Base in Utah. Soon, word was received that he and his fellow bomber crew members would deploy overseas, necessitating certain preparations. “Today I got my will made up,” wrote Haldiman to his parents on Christmas Eve of 1943. “I’ll send it along for safekeeping. I probably won’t be needing it, or you won’t, I mean.” The following month, he boarded a troop ship and arrived in Peterborough, England, on January 25, 1944. He and the members of his aircrew flew their first bombing mission on February 22, 1944, striking targets in Germany. An engagement record maintained by the gunner reveals that as a member of the 457th Bomb Group, he successfully completed a total of nine missions aboard the B-17 they named “Silver Queen.” In a V-Mail letter to his parents dated April 12, 1944, Haldiman remarked, “Just a few lines to let you know that I am o.k. and getting enough to eat. Yesterday I went to Poland. It was a long trip and I don’t care to do it again.” Eight days later, April 20, 1944, Haldiman and his crew were flying a mission along the French coast to destroy V-1 flying bomb sites. The “Silver Queen” took a direct hit from enemy flak and broke in half. Only two of the crewmembers were able to parachute to safety; Haldiman was among the eight who perished in the incident. Don Jungmeyer recalled, “Although I was quite young, I can remember standing in the front yard when an Army truck pulled up to the house and two officers came inside to inform my grandparents that Uncle Ralph had been killed.” The body of the airman is interred in the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. David Jungmeyer, who was not born until after World War II, feels that he has achieved a connection to his late uncle through the letters sent to family members during the war. “I had grown up hearing people speak about him and the kind of person he really was,” Jungmeyer said. “Going through all of those letters really helped paint for me a picture of how tumultuous those times were and everything that was unfolding in World War II.” Concluding, he added, “And Uncle Ralph was a part of it all.” Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. ‘A gallant soldier’ - Dr. Frank Rumbold became military leader, adjutant general of Missouri12/24/2022 ![]() Military history is replete with stories of physicians who served in uniform, tending to the wounds and medical emergencies of their comrades. Less often witnessed are accounts of those forgoing their medical background to pursue careers as soldiers, demonstrating their aptitude for command and embracing opportunities to lead troops in a combat environment. Frank M. Rumbold, born in Meeker Grove, Wisconsin, on January 4, 1862, became just such an individual. In 1886, when four years old, his family moved to St. Louis, where he was raised in the shadow of his physician father. The young Rumbold chose to follow his father’s medical path, but a seed of interest in military affairs was planted in 1878 when the 16-year-old enlisted as a cadet with a company of the St. Louis National Guard Battalion (which expanded into the First Regiment of the National Guard of Missouri in 1879). Rumbold “graduated from Washington University in 1884 with the degree of doctor of medicine,” noted an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on June 4, 1934. “He entered practice here at once, specializing in the nose, throat and ears. For a time, he was editor and proprietor of the St. Louis Medical and Surgical Journal … and founded another professional journal…” His medical practice progressed in tandem with service in the National Guard and Rumbold transferred to Light Battery A in 1882, becoming its commander and captain in 1891. Captain Rumbold commanded the battery during several interesting events, including its participation in the burial ceremony for William Tecumseh Sherman, a well-known Union general of the Civil War. However, in 1898, the untested officer was called into service for what became the first of four military campaigns of his career. “The prospect of trouble between this country and Spain aroused new interest in the National Guard and resulted in the accession of many new members,” explained “A History of Battery A of St. Louis.” “During the early spring of 1898, it was no uncommon thing on drill nights to see hundreds of spectators on the armory grounds.” In response to President McKinley’s call for 125,000 volunteers to serve in the Spanish-American War, Battery A became the first of the Missouri troops mustered into service, departing for training at Chickamauga Park, Georgia, on May 16, 1898. “On July 24 (1898), a battalion consisting of Battery A … left Chickamauga for Newport News (Virginia), and a few days later sailed in the ‘Roumanian’ for Ponce, Puerto Rico,” described the “National Guard Historical Annual of the State of Missouri” printed in 1939 The battery was “loaded and ready to fire,” but the war came to an end before hostilities ensued. They returned to Missouri and were mustered out of federal service in November 1898. Imbued with an abiding interest in military operations, Captain Rumbold resigned his commission in the National Guard to enter on active duty with the 32nd U.S. Volunteers and went on to serve in the Philippines from July 5,1899 to May 8, 1901. During the Philippine-American War, he revealed his command abilities in several skirmishes, even commanding a small cadre of troops in a successful attack against an overwhelming number of entrenched Filipino fighters. The “History of the Missouri National Guard” explained, “Upon the return of Captain Rumbold from the Philippines in June, 1901, he was again elected commanding officer (of Battery A in St. Louis).” His medical career was essentially suspended in pursuit of military interests while he worked to maintain Battery A as a highly-proficient organization. In 1907, having avoided matters of intimacy much of his adult life, Rumbold married Susan McCord of St. Joseph, Missouri. Tragedy arrived nine months later when his wife died from “acute indigestion and heart disease.” In the face of loss, Rumbold found solace in military endeavors. On January 11, 1909, Governor Herbert Hadley, recognizing the officer’s demonstrated abilities, appointed Rumbold as the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard. In the next four years, under the guidance of General Rumbold, the Missouri National Guard continued to grow in strength and improve upon training. “On January 15, 1913, (Rumbold) was relieved as Adjutant General and again assumed command of (Battery A),” stated the “History of the Missouri National Guard.” Later that year, affairs of the heart returned when he married Helena Abend. Battery A, under the able command of Rumbold, mustered into federal service in June 1916 and served several months in Texas during the Mexican Border Campaign. The battery returned to Missouri in December 1916, only months prior to returning to federal service for World War I. Battery A was consolidated with other units during World War I to become the 128th Field Artillery with Rumbold in command. Conducting training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, they deployed to France in May 1918. While in St. Mihiel, France, Rumbold was exposed to poison gas, leading to health problems that plagued him for the rest of his life. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on June 4, 1934, “He took (the 128th) to the battlefields of France and back, returning in February 1919, with the Distinguished Service Medal.” Sorrow returned when his second wife died in 1922, but Rumbold remained busy by serving in the Militia Bureau, followed by a brief tenure with the General Staff in Washington, D.C. He was again appointed adjutant general for Missouri, serving in that capacity from 1925-1927. Following his retirement in 1927, Rumbold worked in the financial sector but eventually succumbed to his WWI exposures on June 2, 1934. The 72-year-old retired general was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Shortly after his passing, the Kansas City Star penned a glowing tribute to the late general, describing a “dashing soldier” who invested the prime years of his life in support of his fellow soldiers and the Missouri National Guard. The newspaper affirmed, “His enthusiasm was contagious and permeated the National Guard under his administration… Brave, loyal, generous, intelligent, a gallant soldier, General Rumbold will be remembered by all who knew him as an overflowing and picturesque personality.” Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. The period of the Vietnam War was filled with many fears and uncertainties, leaving many to wonder of the outcome of the war raging in Southeast Asia; yet one promise seemed to remain in the forefront of every young man’s thoughts –the potential of being caught in the military draft.
Upon his graduation from Jefferson City High School in 1964, local resident John Knaup knew that he might one day end up in a military uniform, but chose to first pursue his education at Lincoln University. “Let’s just say that I wasn’t really focused on my studies back then and ended up leaving school,” smiled Knaup, California, Missouri. “I knew at that point they were going to draft me, so I decided to join the Navy and hopefully not have to go to Vietnam.” Smiling, he added, “Instead, I ended up going to Vietnam twice because that’s where the (Navy) liked to send us, it seemed.” The recruit attended his basic training at Great Lakes, Ill., in April 1966 and and then transferred to Port Hueneme, California, beginning several weeks of training to become a light vehicle mechanic for the “Seabees”—a group of sailors possessing both construction knowledge and fighting abilities. “I told them that my first choice was to serve on submarines and my second choice was to be a Seabee, but I didn’t pass the depth perception test,” Knaup said. “That’s at least what they told me … but maybe they were just in need of Seabees really bad,” he grinned. Completing his training, Knaup was assigned to the 31st Naval Construction Regiment on Port Hueneme, which he describes as “little more that a holding company” where he performed “horribly mundane duties” such as sweeeping and painting barracks. In May 1967, he was assigned as a light vehicle mechanic with Mobile Construction Battalion 3 (MCB3) and deployed to Vietnam, where his newly acquired skills were modified for a lube rack, changing oil and performing maintenance on bulldozers and other heavy equipment. “We arrived at Phu Bai (an Army and Marine airbase that now serves as an international airport) and the battalion started building a brand new base about ten or twelve miles from the A Shau Valley,” he said. For several months, Knaup explained, the Seabees operated forward of the rest of the troops assigned to the area while they built a new base, with a battery of 155mm howitzers positioned to the rear to provide any necessary artillery support. “Six months or so into our deployment,” Knaup shared, “we came under attack. The artillery began firing rounds that were supposed to be forward of us, but they hadn’t properly plotted our location,” he added. By the time the episode ended, two of his fellow Seabees were killed and seventeen wounded because of outgoing American artillery rounds falling short of their intended targets. “You got as close to the ground as your body would let you,” he said. "After that incident,” he glumly noted, “we built ourselves much better bunkers.” Knaup recalls leaving Vietnam in late January 1968, days before the eruption of the famed Tet Offensive. He remained in Port Hueneme for five months of stateside training, returning with MCB3 to Vietnam in July 1968. “This time they sent us to Da Nang and we relieved another Seabee Battalion,” he said. “I was placed in charge of a tire shop and had another soldier working for me and two older Vietnamese men that had worked for the French Army.” With a battalion of 700 sailors, Knaup said, he and his crew remained busy repairing damaged tires for all of their assigned equipment. By March 1969, the battalion’s tour ended and they returned stateside, where Knaup received an early discharge after completing two tours in Vietnam. The following year, he married his fiancée, Linda, and the couple soon welcomed their only son, John. The veteran went on to spend several years working for a local supply company and retired in 2007. “There was no fanfare when I came home; I wasn’t treated any better or worse than I was before I went (to Vietnam) … it was like it never happened,” Knaup said, when reflecting on overseas service nearly five decades past. Though he has since faced medical concerns that were a result of his exposure to chemicals in Vietnam, and realizes that many of his fellow Vietnam veterans did not receive the homecoming they deserved, Knaup affirms that his experience in the Navy was, overall, an enlightening experience. “It’s a brotherhood—a mentality that you develop which proves that you are part of a group … not an individual,” he stated. “Whether what we did helped change the world, I’ll never know, but you quickly learn to watch out for each other because what you’re doing might just save yours or someone else’s life.” Jeremy P. Amick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. ![]() Nancy Northway is a woman with an interesting and unique military background spanning many fascinating historical experiences. Completing service with the National Guard in both Missouri and Indiana, she began her career in the enlisted ranks and eventually retired as a warrant officer while also making the transition from the Women’s Army Corps to the full status of U.S. Army soldier. Born and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, Northway graduated high school in 1953. The following year, she was married and made the move to Jefferson City, where her husband was employed as a mechanic at a Ford dealership. “The year after I was married, I had my first son, Jerry,” she recalled. “Three years later, our second son, Tom,” was born. Several years later, I was able to get a job with the state working at the Missouri National Guard Headquarters,” she added. Employed as a secretary in the office Colonel Kirby Goldblum, who was an assistant to the adjutant general, Northway was encouraged to apply for a new program that afforded women the opportunity to enlist in the National Guard prior to their 39th birthday. “I was getting ready to turn 39 at the time, so I decided to go ahead and enlist while I still qualified,” she said. “My official enlistment date was July 23, 1974, and there were only three of us who enlisted before the program closed a few weeks later. The three enlistees were classified as members of the Women’s Army Corps—the women’s branch of the U.S. Army. They traveled to Ft. McClellan, Alabama, which had been established as the permanent home for the WACs, and completed two weeks of basic training. “They taught us a little bit of everything while we were there,” Northway said. “We were fitted for our uniforms, learned military customs, did physical fitness training … all of the things that soldiers do,” she said. Shortly after returning to Missouri, the women were moved from the WACs and became soldiers in the Missouri National Guard. She continued her secretarial work in the state side of her employment, but during her drill weekends and annual training periods, she performed an entirely different duty that was both interesting and engaging. “I was assigned to work with a warrant officer whose job it was to pay the soldiers completing their annual training,” she said. “We traveled to Camp Clark and paid all of the soldiers in cash, and I thought that was really neat. That experience made me want to become a warrant officer someday.” The colonel for whom she worked full-time encouraged her to consider joining the Missouri National Guard rifle team. She soon became the first woman to do so, participating in competitions in Ohio and Arkansas. Northway and her husband later divorced and, in the fall of 1976, she made the decision to move to Indiana after she got a job with the Indiana National Guard. At first, she worked in a finance position and then transferred to personnel, serving as a unit administrative clerk. Having achieved the rank of sergeant first class, a warrant officer vacancy came available and she decided to apply. She was accepted for the position in 1984. “After I became a warrant officer, the colonels and general I worked with addressed me as ‘Mr. Northway,’” she said. “The regulations at the time said that warrant officers were to be addressed as ‘Mister,’ and since females were new to the warrant program, it took them some time to change that.” Smiling, she added, “That’s all the funniness that happens in this kind of situation.” Her new responsibilities as a warrant officer began with her active-duty appointment as a property book officer with the headquarters for the Indiana National Guard followed by assignment to the 38th Infantry Division. “I had become a chief warrant officer three and was due for promotion to chief warrant officer four,” she recalled. “But at that time, you could only stay until age 60 and had to be able to complete one year as a chief warrant officer four to qualify for promotion, which I wasn’t going to be able to do.” Retiring on September 30, 1996, Northway spent the next couple of years traveling. Then, having amassed an impressive assortment of antiques and other historical collectibles throughout the years, she and a partner opened the Yellow Moon Antique Mall in Mooresville, Indiana. Several years ago, her youngest son encouraged her to return to the Jefferson City area since she had no relatives living in Indiana. In 2013, Northway sold her half-interest in the antique mall in Indiana and moved back to Missouri. “My son had built an antique mall in Jefferson City and we got permission for him to name it Yellow Moon Antique Mall,” she said. “Now there’s a Yellow Moon in Jefferson City and one in Mooresville, Indiana. My oldest son, Jerry, lives in southern Alabama and teaches avionics,” the proud mother added. In her retirement, she enjoys leveraging her knowledge and experience in the antiques and collectible field by assisting her son, Tom, at his business in Jefferson City. Her career in the military, she explained, has provided many opportunities to be part of some historical changes while also serving as a mentor to others. “I had such a darn good time in the service and enjoyed being able to help teach several women to become good soldiers,” she said. “Also, I got to work with everyone from the lowest private to the highest general during my time as one of the first female warrant officers. It was all just a good experience that I will never forget.” Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. Burial on the ‘Arizona’ - Missouri sailor Charles Kieselbach Jr. killed during Pearl Harbor attack1/4/2022 ![]() World War II was a period when citizens of this country overwhelmingly rallied in support of the war effort, often sending their offspring to fight the tyranny spreading overseas. In Jefferson City, the war exacted a toll in the loss of the lives of many local residents such as Charles Ermin Kieselbach, who earned the uncoveted distinction of becoming the first Cole County casualty of war when he was killed at Pearl Harbor. Born in Jefferson City on January 14, 1916, Kieselbach was the namesake of this father, a local bricklayer. When graduating from Jefferson City Senior High School in May 1934, he discovered that good jobs were elusive in the height of the Great Depression. Later that summer, after spending several weeks searching for gainful employment, he signed up for work relief with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal program providing single men between ages 18 and 25 with jobs improving public lands, forests and parks. “He worked in the CCC program from July 1934 to August 1935,” remarked his nephew, Wayne Kieselbach. “Still with no work to be had, he made the decision to enlist in the U.S. Navy in September 1935,” he added. Beginning his four-year enlistment period, Kieselbach traveled to Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois, where he spent the next three months becoming a sailor. His training soon resulted in his rate of a Carpenter’s Mate and assignment to the battleship USS Arizona in January 1936. The website of the Naval History and Heritage Command explained, “USS Arizona, a 31,400-ton Pennsylvania class battleship built at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, was commissioned in October 1916.” The site further noted, “In 1929-31, Arizona was modernized at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, emerging with a radically altered appearance and major improvements to her armament and protection.” Throughout the late 1930s, Kieselbach remained with the USS Arizona while it continued operations with the battle fleet. A milestone year arrived in 1939 when the sailor reenlisted, earned the rate of carpenter’s mate first class, and married his sweetheart from Jefferson City, the former June Summers. As a carpenter’s mate, the young sailor’s duties found him working with issues related to the ship’s ventilation, painting, repairing lifeboats and, in times of combat, assisting in fighting fires and sealing any holes in the hull of the vessel. “The Arizona had teak decking and sometime in the late 1930's, the ship was re-decked,” explained Wayne Kieselbach. “Of course, as a carpenter’s mate first class, he would have been involved in this project.” He continued, “Apparently after the re-decking was completed, the carpenter's mates were allowed to use some of the old decking on personal projects done in their spare time. My uncle made a pair of teak lamps which he gave to my grandmother, and which my cousin now has.” In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to demonstrate American strength to the Japanese by moving the Pacific fleet (including the USS Arizona) to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The president attempted to allay tensions with Japan through diplomatic means, which quickly unraveled and resulted in deadly consequences for Kieselbach and scores of his comrades. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor became ground zero for a devastating attack by Japanese forces—the signature event that drew the U.S. into World War II. The attack resulted in more than 2,400 American casualties and the destruction of nearly 20 U.S. Navy vessels and more than 300 aircraft. A bomb detonated in a powder magazine aboard the USS Arizona, sending the battleship to the bottom of the harbor and becoming the coffin for scores of sailors including a 25-year-old Kieselbach. “The USS Arizona Memorial is built over the remains of the sunken battleship USS Arizona, the final resting place for many of the 1,177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941, explained the website of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. “This loss of life represents over half of the Americans killed during the worst naval disaster in American history.” Devastated by the loss of their son, Kieselbach’s parents quickly committed to supporting the war effort, including two other sons still in the service, by appealing to their fellow citizens to purchase war bonds. Throughout the years, Kieselbach’s family explained, communication was lost with the young sailor’s widow, June. In 1959, Jefferson City participated in observance of “USS Arizona Memorial Day,” presenting a check to a representative of Gov. James T. Blair to help with the construction of “a suitable memorial over the sunken battleship at Pearl Harbor,” noted the Sunday News and Tribune on August 9, 1959. Contributions were given in honor of the ultimate sacrifice made by Kieselbach and his fellow sailors. The USS Arizona Memorial opened on May 30, 1962. Nancy Snakenberg, a niece of Kieselbach’s, never had the opportunity to meet her uncle. However, she maintains that his respectable legacy has been passed down through her family, providing her with an enduring appreciation for all the sacrifices that were made on behalf of future generations. “The Kieselbach family were a hardworking, loving and patriotic family who taught respect and integrity,” said Snakenberg. “Their values are directly responsible for my quality of life and those my children have enjoyed.” She added, “I am thankful for their examples they set and that their memory is being honored, including that of our Uncle Charles Ermin Kieselbach.” Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. Instilled confidence - Army veteran continues service as commander of local American Legion post1/4/2022 ![]() The moments after finishing high school are generally a transformative period in the life of a youth since they must begin to map out an assortment of possibilities for their future. For Carl Smith II, when graduating from Jefferson City High School in 1989, his journey as an adult began with employment at a restaurant in the Capital Mall while mulling over the prospects for his future career. “The owner of the restaurant and one of my coworkers were veterans and I often overheard them sharing stories about their military experiences,” said Smith. “Between that and some of the inspiring recruiting commercials I saw on television, I decided to enlist in the Army infantry,” he added. Receiving orders to report to Fort Benning, Georgia, in the late summer of 1990, the young recruit completed several weeks of basic training and remained at the post for additional training to prepare him as an infantry soldier. A significant portion of their training regimen was spent tramping through the dirt and grime while learning to prepare their fighting positions, the operation of an assortment of weapons and building the confidence needed to ensure battlefield readiness. Smith explained, “I got to come home for Christmas and then flew to Germany in January 1991. My first duty assignment was with 3rd Brigade, 8th Infantry (Division) at Lee Barracks in Mainz. It was a mechanized cavalry unit that used the M113 armored personnel carriers.” For the next year and a half, he participated in a variety of training maneuvers, some of which were at the expansive Grafenwoehr Training Area. Since he was both stout and young, Smith was often selected to carry the radio in a backpack while also toting the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (a light machine gun) during their training exercises. At other times, there were training events during which there were too many soldiers available for the limited number of infantry tasks to be performed. On occasion, recalled Smith, he was given the bland assignment of assisting the staff in the mess section with their responsibilities of preparing meals for the troops. “Actually, even though that was something I hadn’t necessarily trained for, it wasn’t bad duty,” he laughed. “When you were done for the day … you were done. Many of the other soldiers involved in the exercises still had training they were doing even after the end of the normal duty day.” During 1991, his unit also participated in “Reforger 91,” a major training exercise involving thousands of U.S. soldiers and troops from an assortment of NATO countries. By this point, the Soviet Union was in tatters and the Cold War had fallen in hindsight, but many of the U.S. forces in Germany were preparing for deployment to the Persian Gulf War. “In late 1991 and into early 1992, many of the units had deployed from Mainz for Desert Storm and since we had not deployed, our unit often pulled guard duty in Martin Luther King Village (a housing area on the base),” he said. Departing Germany in late Spring of 1992, Smith received orders for Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. His unit was designated as air assault and was trained to utilize helicopters for insertion into areas of combat. With a chuckle, Smith noted, “I went from tracked vehicles to helicopters … and that was a little bit of a change.” In the months following his transfer to the Kentucky military base, Smith’s unit traveled to a reserve component base in Arkansas to perform training maneuvers and exercises. They wore equipment called “MILES Gear” (multiple integrated laser engagement system) that helped them simulate combat. The gear sounded an alarm if a soldier was “shot” by opposing forces. With his enlistment soon to expire, Smith began weighing options for the future and chose to return to the civilian world. He received his discharge from the Army in the spring of 1994. “I enjoyed my time in the service but I was ready for the next stage in my life,” he said. After returning to Jefferson City, he was employed at Scholastics for a couple of years before being hired into state government in 1996. He eventually completed law enforcement training and has served as a deputy marshal with the Missouri Supreme Court since 1999 “Tyronne Allen used to work in the library here at the court and he was commander of American Legion Post 231,” said Smith. “He convinced me to join and I have been commander of the post since 2015.” American Legion Post 231 is named in honor of Toney Jenkins, an African American soldier from Cole County who was killed in World War I. Since its charter in 1934, it has been a predominantly Black post. Reflecting upon the years he spent as a soldier, Smith remarked, “Whenever you completed a challenge the military placed before you during your training, you discovered that you aren’t so concerned about trying new things.” He added, “I guess that I feel like the United States Army helped me accomplish a lot more since it instilled me with the confidence to know that I could overcome challenges and succeed in my life.” Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. |
AuthorJeremy P. Ämick is an award-winning author and historian and dedicated to preserving music, military and local histories. Archives
July 2024
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