With The Men In Service: July 3, 1942

With The Men In Service

Three Get Wings In Army Air Force

Two Ypsllanti youths, Richard Lee Kruse and Russell L. Steere, and James Stanley Smith of South Lyon, have received their wings and commissions as second Lieutenants in the Army Air Force following completion of training at gulf coast flying fields.

Lt. Kruse, 22, who finished at Ellington Field, Tex., is the son of Mr. and Mrs W. J. Kruse, 990 Clark Rd., Ypsilanti. He attended Ypsilanti Normal College two years and before enlisting last Nov. 12, worked in Ypsilanti groceries and at the Ford Dearborn and Highland Park plants.

He received training at Bruce and Goodfellow fields before going to Ellington in April for bomber plane instruction.

Lt. Steere is the son of Mr. and. Mrs. R. W. Steere, 309 S. Huron St., Ypsilanti, and graduated from the University here last June. He then enlisted in the Army Air Corps being attached to the ground forces in training at McChord Field, Wash., for four months before winning transfer to the ranks of pilot candidates. He graduated from Brooks Field, Tex., as a fighter pilot.

Lt. Smith, who Is known in South Lyon as Stan, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Smith and graduated from the high school there in 1938. He attended Alma College three years, dropping out to enlist in the air force last year.

He signed up in June hut was not called until Nov. 9, receiving training at Kelly Field, Pine Bluff, Ark., and Parrin Field, Tex., before completing his instruction as a pursuit pilot at Lake Charles, La.

Home on furlough, he has been ordered next to Kellogg Field at Battle Creek.

Lt. Kruse

Lt. Steere

Overseas?

Mr. and Mrs. Gottlieb Bahnmiller, 522 Felch St., are anxiously awaiting word as to the whereabouts of their son, Melvin, who has been swallowed up in military secrecy.

A bombardier in the Army Air Force, Mel is believed by his parents to have been sent overseas, probably to the British Isles, for they haven't heard from him since he was stationed in Maine.

Mel, a private, enlisted in the air corps last Dec. 29, and received training at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., MacDill Field, Fla., and finally at Sarasota, Fla. After that he was stationed, not long in any place, in Texas, New Mexico, Maine, California and back in Maine.

He Is a graduate of Ann Arbor High school, with the class of 1939, and was In the lens department of International Industries at the time he entered the service.

Pvt. Bahnmiller

Home On Furlough

Lt. Richard Hahn, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gus Hahn, 804 S. First St., is home on furlough after finishing the officers training school at Fort Benning, Ga. Lt. Hahn, who was called to duty April 10, has been appointed an instructor at Benning.

Begins Another Course

Lawrence Gorton, 25, of Unadilla village near Gregory, has begun another air corps ground course at Santa Monica, Calif., preparatory lo beginning pilot training. He finished a ground school course at Sheppard Field, Tex., a week ago, and at that time was understood incorrectly lo have received his wings and a second lieutenant's commission.

Raised To Corporal

Gerald Brewer, former employe in the composing room of The Ann Arhor News who now is in the heavy coast artillery of the Army, received his corporal rating two weeks ago.

Jerry is the 24-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Brewer, 201 N. Ashley St., and was inducted last Nov. 27. After three days at Fort Custer he was sent to Camp Eustis, Va., and Camp Davis, N. C.,.before winding up in Washington, D. C., as chief clerk of a battalion. At present, Corp. Brewer, well accustomed to being switched from one thing to another, is on guard duty at the Naval Research Academy.

Three months ago Corp. Brewer and Ruthmary Frede, 806 Amhearst Ave. were married. Mrs Brewer is living with her parents.

Corp. Brewer

On Eastern Coast

Pvt. Don M. Curtis, 836 Brookwood PI., has completed training in the quartermaster corps at the Army at Camp Lee, Va., and Camp Shelby, Miss., and was stationed at Camp Dix, N.J. before being sent on duty somewhere on the eastern coast. He received his first class specialist’s rating last October after five months of service.

His wife, the former Lillian Sodt of Ann Arbor, is living at their home on Brookwood PI. They were married Aug. 28, 1940.

Pvt. Curtis

In Iceland

Another Ann Arhor man stationed in the frozen north is Lt.. Robert L. Houghtalin, 1615 S. State St., who has been In Iceland since September, as an officer in the quartermasterr corps of the Army.

He is the 28-year-old son of Mr, and Mrs. Paul Houghtalin of S. State St., and was a junior commander of the CCC camp in East Tawas when called to active duty June, 1941. Lt. Houghtalin spent the summer in training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and Fort Bennlng, Ga , before being sent to Iceland. He is a graduate of Universlty High school.

His wife, the former Vivian Barbour, and their four-year-old-son, Robert, jr., are staying at 1615 S. State St.

Lt. Houghtalin

In Technical School

From Illinois comes word that Pvt. Ellsworth (Ozzie) Luckhardt of Saline, is in technical school for ground crews of the Army Air Corps at Chanute Field.

After reporting at Fort Custer April 2, Ozzie went to Jefferson Barracks, Mo., for two weeks basic training before being transferred to the technical school. He is 23 and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Luckhardt of Saline.

In Personnel Office

It took Edward Purled Hellner. 22, four months of jumping from camp to camp to finally land at Indian Town Gap military reservation, Pa., where he is now working on ration and classification cards as a clerk in the personnel office of an infantry service company.

"Purt" is the son of Edward F. Hellner, 328 Catherine St. His high school days were occupied with earning three letters in football at St. Thomas, after which he spent a year in the University before transferring to Assumption College, Windsor, Ont. He left Assumption College to enlist Jan. 28.

Pvt. Hellner had his longest sojourn in Camp Wheeler, Ga., three months, but spent his entire training period at southern stations. A week at Camp Blanding, Fla., and three weeks at Fort Benning, Ga., completed his preliminary service before being sent to Indian Town Gap.

Pvt. Hellner

Station Unknown

Second Lt. CarI Robert Edmonds, 22, 518 Monroe St., received his wings and commission May 20 from the Army Air Corps training school and was stationed at Bakersfield, Calif., before being sent to a station as yet unknown to his family.

Lt. Edmonds is the son of Gordon C. Edmonds of Monroe St., and was a sophomore at Michigan Slate College when he enlisted July, 1941. Called in November, he went to Pine Bluff, Ark., and Randolph Field, Tex., and then to Lubbock, Tex., from where he received his wings.