With The Men In Service: February 7, 1945

With The Men In Service

Convoy Duty

Torpedoman, 2/c, Gaylord Wayne Knauss Is now on convoy duty in the North Atlantic, according to last reports received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Knauss, of Manchester.

"Gig," 20 years old, has been in the Navy since June, 1943, when he enlisted.

A graduate of Manchester High school where he won letters in football, basketball and baseball, the sailor received an extensive training in the Navy.

After Initial Instruction at Great Lakes, Ill., he attended Torpedo and Advanced Torpedo school at San Diego, Calif. For 6 weeks before shipping for sea duty, he worked out of the Naval Operating Base at Norfolk, Va.

Knauss is on the USS Slater, active in recording the progress of the tornado last September.

He has also seen duty on convoys to the Solomon islands, to England and Scotland.

Knauss

Another Award

An Oak Leaf cluster to the Air Medal has been awarded to Second Lt. William H. Dorrance.

A co-pilot of a B-17 Flying Fort, Dorrance, 22, is stationed at an Eighth Air Force bomber base.

He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Dorrance, 931 Duncan Rd., Manchester.

A graduate of Manchester High school, the lieutenant was a student at the University before entering the Air Force.

Graduated

Seaman, 1/c, John C. Wahr has finished primary radio school in Del Monte, Calif., and has been sent to Secondary Radio school for radio technicians at Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill.

A son of Prof. and Mrs. F. B. Wahr, 2024 Winewood Blvd., John is a University High school graduate and completed a year and a half in the University College of Engineering where he specialized in engineering physics.

He received boot training at Great Lakes, Ill.

John Wahr

Navy Indoctrination

Lawrence Sims Bartell, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Bartell, 1919 Scottwood Ave., is receiving initial Naval indoctrination at the U. S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Ill.

Luzon Invader

On a coast guard-manned LST at Luzon, Radioman, 3/c, Charles R. Harris. son of Mr. and Mrs. F. D. Harris, 614 N. Main St., stood his invasion battle station at an anti-aircraft gun as the ship unloaded troops and equipment on the beach.

"Apparently we outquarterbacked the Nips," Charles, a former St. Thomas High school basketball and football star, said. "We thought the Japs might stage a goal-line defense against our initial landing, but we must have caught them completely off guard."

Radioman Harris, saw 18 months' duty in Alaska before shipping to the South-west Pacific for LST invasion duty.

The 25-year-old coast guardsman enlisted in June, 1942, and completed boot training at Alameda, Calif.

After duty in the cold area, he returned to Atlantic City, N. J., for training as a radioman.

Prior to his enlistment he was employed in construction work at Willow Run.

Harris

On Corsica

Cpl. Robert H. Mann is currently stationed at a 12th Air Force bomber base on Corsica as a radio maintenance man.

Son of Mrs. Edna Mann, 1125 Forest Ave., the corporal, 26 years old, entered the Army in February, 1942.

He is a graduate of Ann Arbor High school and attended Michigan State College for two years.

Prior to shipping overseas in January, 1943, Mann was stationed at Scott Field, Ill., and Greenville, S. C.

His wife, Mrs. Glendora Mann, resides at 718 Monroe St.

Brothers Serve

Leon. Jonathan and Nathan Seitz, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Jone H. Seitz, 201 Crest Ave., represent Ann Arbor in the Navy, amphibious engineer corps and in the field artillery.

Pvt Leon J. Seitz is home on a 14-day furlough. He will report beck to Fort Bragg, N. C., where he has been stationed since last summer with a field artillery unit.

Inducted in December, 1942, the private, 20 years old, has had assignments at Camp Grant, Ill., and at Fort Miles, Del.

Prior to entering the service he worked with his father in the carpentry trade.

The other Army man, Cpl. Jonathan H. Seitz, has been overseas since last April.

With an amphibious engineer group, he has been in New Guinea, Dutch East Indies, and when last heard from, was in the Philippine islands.

Jonathan, 21, entered the Amy two years ago this month, and received training at Camp Edwards, Mass., and Camp Johnson, Fla.

He. like his brother, is a former carpenter.

Youngest of the three, Nathan T. Seitz, 19, varied the family tradition set by his brothers and joined the Navy in November. 1943.

Now a fireman first class, he, too, is somewhere in the South Pacific.

After boot training at Great Lakes, Ill., the sailor spent four months at Norfolk, Va.

Before coming home on leave last October he was aboard the U.S.S. Missouri on its shakedown cruise to Trinidad, B. W. I.

Fireman Seitz, overseas since last fall, was employed by the Fingerle Lumber Co. before his enlistment in the Navy.

Leon Seitz

Jonathan Seitz

Nathan Seitz

Gets DFC

The Distinguished Flying Cross has been awarded to Lt. John C Hunter, P-51 Mustang pilot stationed at an Eighth Air Force bomber base in England.

Hunter, 22, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Hunter, Route 5.

His citation read, "for extraordinary achievement while serving as a pilot of a P-51 airplane on a bomber escort mission over Germany., Nov. 21, 1944." Hunter is credited with destroying two German planes and damaging one.

He already wears the Air Medal with an Oak Leaf cluster.

Awarded Medal

Staff Sgt. Herbert N. Abbott, aerial gunner on a B-24 Liberator Bomber, has been awarded the Air Medal for "outstanding performance of duty in aerial combat with the enemy."

Husband of Mrs. Dorothy J. Abbott, 1406 Iroquois Dr., the sergeant has won also the Distinguished Unit badge, and wears two bronze stars on his campaign ribbons.

He was employed by the Ford Motor Co., in Dearborn prior to entering the Air Force.