With The Men In Service: March 1, 1944

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1944

THE ANN ARBOR NEWS

With The Men In Service

Helping Defeat Hitler

Three of the Girbach brothers are "over there" with the United States Army and are finding their former basketball, football and baseball experiences of value in beating the Nazis at their own game.

Pfc. John S. Girbach has seen the scoreboard during the of Sicily and is now serving with the Fifth Army Engineers. He played basketball and baseball for Clinton High school from which he graduated in 1939.

Johnny, 23, was a wool sorter for Clinton Woolen Mills before his induction Aug. 14, 1942. His stations in this country included Fort Custer, Camp Crowder, Mo.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Camp Pickett, Va., and Fort Pierce, Fla. He left last May for combat duty with a medical detachment.

His brothers in uniform, Technician, Fourth, Grade, Harold Girbach, and Clarence Girbach, a technical sergeant, fourth class, are both believed to be in England.

Harold, 25, who is doing heavy auto maintenance work, was know for his baseball and basketball ability and is now applying his knowledge of dodging opponents and hitting home runs to the problem of going against the Axis.

He was a member of the 1938 class of Clinton High school and was in the employ of Clinton Woolen Mills where his duties were those of a weaver. Harold entered the service in March, 1941, reported to Camp Grant, Ill., and was sent to Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyo.

From there he was transferred to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and later saw duty at Pine Camp, N. Y.; Staten Island, N. Y.; Indiantown Gap, Pa.; For Knox, Ky., and Fort Dix, N. J. He left for England last November.

Clarence, better known as "Gussie" Girbach, landed in England in January. An all-around athlete, he is getting a few strikes at the enemy as a bridge engineer.

An alumnus of Clinton High school, he worked as drill press operator in Ford's Saline plant in civilian life. Thirty-year-old Gussie donned uniform last April and was trained at Fort Lewis, Wash.

His wife, the former Martha Marie Finkbeiner, now lives in Clinton, and his brother-in-law, Pfc. Clifford Eugene "Biff" Finkbeiner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gottlieb Finkbeiner, of Clinton, has seen plenty of fighting action.

Biff has been in Africa and Sicily and at present is with the anti-tank infantry in Italy. His duties as supply truck driver with the Fifth Army really get him around, for he was in the thrust below Rome. He has sent many lovely gifts home from Africa and Italy.

His stations here were San Francisco, Calif.; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Ord, Calif., and Camp Pickett, Va., and he left in October, 1942, for overseas service. He spent 23 of his 26 years in Clinton.

The Girbach boys are sons of Mr. and Mrs. John Girbach, of Clinton.

Gunnery Student

Intricacies of aerial gunnery are being taught Pvt. Addison J. Palmquist, 23-year-old son of Mrs. Anna Palmquist, of 839 Oakland St., who is now stationed at Las Vegas, Nev.

Palmquist, recent graduate of the armament school at Buckley Field, Colo., has been in the Army Air Corps for about a year prior which he was studying in Michigan State Normal College. He was graduated from Ironwood High school.

His wife, the former June Anderson, of Ironwood, Mich., returned two weeks ago from Colorado and is now residing with Mrs. Palmquist and working as nurse in St. Joseph’s hospital.

The private's brother, Roland Palmquist, who was medically charged some time ago from the Marine Corps, is living now at Nashville, Tenn. He was married Jan. 22 to Barbara Fenner, of Sturgis Mich.

Now A Sergeant

John P. Kokales, 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kokales, of 314 S. Ashley St., has been stepped up to the rank of sergeant and is on maneuvers in Texas with a tank destroyer unit.

A June, 1942 graduate of Ann Arbor High School, John attended Michigan State Normal College at Ypsilanti before being called into the Army in April, 1943. He reported to Fort Custer and from there went to Camp Bowie, Tex., where he remained for two moths.

Last June John was transferred to Camp Hood, Tex. His last furlough was in November, and he was home to celebrate his nineteenth birthday Nov. 23.

Stationed In Colorado

Having graduated Jan. 21 from the B-24 school at Willow Run, Pvt. Donald C. Edmonson, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Edmonson of 1503 Cambridge Rd., was assigned to the maintenance administrative unit at Pueblo, Colo.

Don, 22, enlisted Dec. 12, 1942, in the Army Air Forces and reported the following Aug. 2 to Camp Grant, Ill. He attended Hope College, Holland, Mich., for primary flight training and then returned to Camp Grant.

He had 13 weeks of basic instruction at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., and was sent to Salt Lake City, Utah, for replacement to the Second Air Force. He then went to Willow Run.

A 1939 graduate of the University High school, Edmonson also attended Miami University at Oxford, O., for three years. While in high school, he was a member of the swimming team.

Patrols Pacific

Michael DiMattia, who was promoted from seaman, first class, to soundman, third class, is now on patrol duty on a sub-chaser in the Pacific.

The sailor came home on furlough in January and saw his infant daughter, Elizabeth, who was born Jan. 20. His wife is a the former Pease Porter, of Horseshoe Lake.

The son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony DiMattia, of 309 Glen Ave., DiMattia enlisted a year ago Jan. 14 and received specialized training at Miami, Fla. He is well-known for his former athletic achievements while a St. Thomas High school pupil.
 

Will Release Bombs

Air Cadet Robert B. Bishop has received his classification as a bombardier and is attending preflight school at Santa Ana Army Air Base, Calif.

Bob, 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Bishop, of 803 McKinley Ave., was graduated in 1942 from Ann Arbor High school where he played clarinet in the school band.

Prior to entering the service last August, he worked at Willow Run. He reported for duty with the Air Corps at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., remained there five weeks, and then was sent to Montana State University at Missoula. He studied there for two months and was transferred to Santa Ana for classification.

Last word received by Bob's parents regarding their other son, Pfc. Arthur E. Bishop, was that he was serving as a military policeman at Fort Logan, Colo.

Promoted

The promotion of Richard Hyde Manville, formerly of 1330 Wilmot, from second lieutenant to first lieutenant has been announced.

Home On Leave

Home on leave until Saturday is Cpl. Thomas F. Parnell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Parnell, of 933 Dewey.

Tom enlisted Nov. 11, 1942, in the Medical Corps while attending college in Tennessee. He received his basic training at Camp Grant. Ill., and further instruction at Camp Ellis, Ill.

His present station is in the 137th General Hospital at Camp Butner, N. C.

Stationed In Missouri

First Lt. James I. Laird, who was graduated Feb. 10 from the Medical Field Service School, Carlisle Barracks, Pa., is now stationed at Springfield, Mo., with the Medical Corps. Laird, formerly of 921 E. Huron St., was graduated from the University with A.B. and M.D. degrees. His wife, the former Elaine Dick, of Dearborn, also a University graduate who was at one time a nurse in the University hospital, and their 10-month-old daughter, Janice, are with him at Springfield.

John Girbach
Harold Girbach
Clarence Girbach
Biff Finkbeiner
John Kokales
Edmonson
Michael DiMattia
Robert Bishop
Thomas Parnell