Laurel servicemen were all over the world in May of 1943

By May of 1943, World War II was approaching the half-way point.

Many Laurel boys were in the service but the majority had not yet been sent overseas. This is where some of the Laurel servicemen were stationed and what they were doing in May 1943: Joseph Bullock was the captain of a new liberty ship in the Merchant Marines. Bullock was the son-in-law of Editor and Mrs. R.R. Allison.

Lt. Robert Hanson of Concord was a fighter pilot in New Guinea. He recently had a close call when his P-38 fighter ran out of gas over the mountains of Papua, New Guinea. Hanson managed to glide over a mountain range, throw his plane into a sharp dive to pick up speed, and make a dead-stick landing on an airfield. Hanson was not hurt and his plane was not damaged.

Staff Sgt. William C. Craig was stationed in North Africa. He wrote home telling of going on a hunting expedition but shooting no big game. He also told of spending a day on a Mediterranean beach.

Bill Fahnestock returned to Fort McHenry, Maryland, after spending 17 days at home on sick leave.

Cpl. Reinhardt Michels was transferred from Fort Knox, Kentucky, to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas.

Cpl. Knud Jensen spent a few days visiting his mother in Dixon before returning to his base in Louisiana.

Staff Sgt. Donald Waller was home on furlough.

After receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Ordnance Department, E. C. Chederquist was reassigned from Aberdeen, Maryland, to a base near Ogden, Utah.

Aviation Cadet Ben Ebmeier was assigned to Freeman Army Airfield near Seymour, Indiana, where he would be trained to fly twin-engined aircraft.

Tech Sgt. Marvin Miner was in the Medical Corps at Robin Field, Georgia.

Willard Alexander and his brother Bernard were both stationed in California.

Edward Tryon was at the Naval Air Station on Ford Island, Honolulu, Hawaii. Tryon, who was in the civil service not the military, was sent to Hawaii to help rebuild following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Tryon was the father of this writer.

Cpl. Wallace Magnuson wrote that he had just arrived in Australia but was not allowed to say exactly where.

Clifford Jewell was in the Army Air Corps at Hill Field near Ogden, Utah.

Pfc. Carl Benning, was stationed at Sheppard Field, Texas.

Lt. Clark Campbell was a veterinarian stationed in San Antonio, Texas.

Sgt. Donald Hogelin was an instructor in the Field Artillery Officers Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Lt. Donald Urwiler was transferred from Inglewood to Fort Ord, both in California.

Lt. Herbert Bose was transferred from Camp Stewart, Georgia, to Camp Ritchie, Maryland.

Staff Sgt. Gene James was stationed at San Luis Obispo, California.

Bill Embick was in the Marine Corps stationed in Los Angeles, California.

Reverend John E. Stayton, pastor of the Laurel Methodist Church, was called for service as an army chaplain.

Seaman First Class Kenneth Kelly of Dixon was home on sick leave after contracting malaria in the West Indies.

Cpl. Earl Nelson was stationed at Greenville, South Carolina.

Doris Jean O’Gara was married to Staff Sgt. Walter Myers of Palmyra, Missouri. Myers would be killed in action in September.

Carroll Dean Danielson was in California training to become a Navy pilot.

Major William Hay and Lt. James Embick ran across each other in Australia. Hay was a medical doctor in the Army; Embick was a medical doctor in the Navy.

Clarence Quist was at Miami Beach, Florida, undergoing training to become a navigator, pilot, or bombardier.

Pfc. Lester Morrow received a medical discharge from the Army.

Virgil Anderson was transferred from Texas to Nebraska to train as an aircraft mechanic.

Pfc. James Lorang was stationed at San Luis Obispo, California.

Cpl. Donald Juhlin and his brother Staff Sgt. Dwight Juhlin met at an undisclosed location in North Africa.

Warren Patefield was training to become a pilot in San Antonio, Texas.

William A. Wickett was in the Marines in Hawaii. Pvt. John D. Urwiler was in the Army Air Corps Training Group 27 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. James Maloney was appointed to the Naval Officers Candidate School.

Emory Graffis wrote to the Ladies Auxiliary thanking them for sending a carton of cigarettes.

Graffis was the only Laurel boy to lose his life in 1943. He would be killed in the line of duty while unloading a ship off the coast of Guadalcanal on Oct. 27, 1943.

This is the full text of one of his last letters.

“Ladies Auxiliary, Laurel, Nebraska. Dear ladies, I am dropping you a few lines to let you know that I received your carton of cigarettes. I received them in the middle of February and since that time I was unable to write and thank you for them and it has slipped my mind since. I am very grateful as the cigarettes came in very handy as I had very few and couldn’t get any more. The news down here is very scarce so my letter will have to be short. I sure like the news from the home community. Thanks to the Advocate for that. Hope it can still be sent. Thanks again for the cigarettes. Will close. Yours truly, Emory Graffis.“