Freedom and History
By Dave Kusel
Manning Monitor May 24, 2007

We continue to lose more of our WWII generation. Recently 3 of Manning's WWII Veterans passed away. While we honor all Veterans who have served our country, this week we'll feature several of them from WWII. One reason I want to do this is to put in a plea to get the hundreds of Manning WWII Veterans' histories and pictures that I don't have yet in my database. If things work out and even though I hate to put the cart ahead of the horse I plan on starting a Manning Veterans' history book project in 2010, once we are finished with the school history book. Unfortunately we will continue to lose more of our WWII and Korean Veterans. So even though we are presently working on a Manning school history book I would appreciate anyone who would take some time to work with their relatives to gather as much Veteran information as they can now - before it is too late. Note how many of our Veterans attended Manning schools - it is hard to separate history!!!

While my major emphasis is on the historical aspects of our Veterans we also need to remember that we have many fine young & heroic men and women from Manning who are currently serving around the world. This is a list of Manning area names of active military personnel I have come up with. I know there will be names left out but I made several attempts to get as complete a list as possible. Jason Blum, Gary Dales, Dan Tibben, Jason Knueven, Bill Myers, Jaime Struve, Steve Schneider, Nathan Didier, Trent Christensen, Rodney Kurth, Bill Backhaus, Chris Greving, Brandon Doyel, Jon Vogel, Tim Vogel, Matt Gore, Mike Gore, Cindi Dammann, Joe Dammann, Jason Erb, Travis Borkowski, Ross Muhlbauer, Kim Waterbury, Kami Hinojosa, Ryan Martens, Duncan Hilsabeck, Joe Sotomayer, Amanda Christensen, Kadee Smith, Randi Ringgenberg, Jesse Rudolph, Todd Ramsey - stationed in England, Justin Meier, Jacob Singsank, Dan Vogel, Chris Reischl.

The last 2 young men, Vogel (MHS 2007) and Reischl (MHS 2007), are Manning's most recently enlisted men. I'm sure they wonder what the future will bring them in the military. In 1917 Manning High School graduate Winford Addison had similar questions and gave the following farewell at his Junior/Senior school banquet. Events may have changed over the last 90 years but the dedication by Manning's citizens to protect our Freedoms continues in strong fashion.

A Soldier's Farewell - Winford Addison "MHS 1917"

Friends we are met for the last time in a year, perhaps a year of hardships and privation. We who are to break the ties of friendships and even dearer ties, realize that we are taking a step in our career which may mean life or death. But we must consider why we break these ties and enter a life which sometimes is not the best.

The first which we will consider is the duty of an American. A true American will honor his country above all and his duty is to defend it with his very life. We are at a period in our History which is perilous. Germany has a military machine which knocks at our very doors and our government calls for nine million volunteers. The Russian situation is very likely to take a bad turn, which means that the U.S. must take her place.

Again, glance at the rapidity which we are carried into war, who knows what will come next. I say the time has come when our country needs us and we should go. We do not wish to wait until the government takes measures to draft us, then as true American citizens to do our duty we should volunteer?

In the second place let us consider the ideal of all Americans. Our dear President calls upon every American citizen, man woman or child to make the nation a unit for the preservation of its ideals and for triumph of democracy in the world war.

We certainly believe in democracies and in upholding our own nation's honor. A true American will not need to be asked thrice, "Are you going to enlist?" His actions should speak for it self.

And thirdly the saddest part of all, will our forefather's spirit of 1776 depart? Will their struggle through and poverty and death have been in vain? Are we cowards and slackers who stay at home, we who have the force and vigor of youth? when our dear old U.S.A. bids come and train for any future crisis. It is true that the entrance of our beloved country into the grim and terrible war for democracy and human rights may occasion our life but who does that amount to. Who will not give the last drop of blood for his country.

We must go! Our loyalty to the U.S. demands it. We are about to leave you and as a parting word, I bid you think of us and our country and as a gleam of hope, think of the noble duty we owe and of the welfare of our country, for after all, the brightest spark is that which smolders in our hearts. When we leave our friends, sacrifice our very all and say: "We join the stars and stripes, the American flag forever!" The above toast was given by Winford Addison at the Junior-Senior banquet April 17, 1917.

Mohr family
In the May 3 Monitor there were 2 Mohr obituaries and ironically they were cousins, Wade Mohr and Donald F. Mohr. It is always interesting to see who is related to whom. This first picture shows Wade and Don's dads' generation.

Back: John, Bertha; Front: Henrietta, Henry, Laura

I am including a few names from their children and grand & great-grand children's generation to help you make the connections. John Mohr - his son Don Mohr, grandson Mike Mohr, great-grandson Ryan Andersen; Bertha (Mohr) Karsten - her son Harry Karsten, grandson Duane Karsten, great-grandson Dustin Karsten; Henrietta (Mohr) Stuedeman - a daughter did not live here in Manning; Henry Mohr - his son Bud Mohr, grandson Larry Mohr, great-grandsons Cole & Cody Steffes; Laura (Mohr) Lage - her son Walt Lage, grandson Brian Lage, great-grandson Eric Lage.

Henry Mohr shown as a child in the family picture above was a Private in the U.S. Army from 1915 to 1920. He served in France during WWI.

Henry Mohr "Former MHS 1915"

In January of 2003 I approached Wade "Bud" Mohr (son of Henry) about his military history. Little did I know how much information and pictures Bud had in his possession. I will not be able to show all of his pictures and will include only a few excerpts about his personal experience of "The Longest Day." Bud was a "motormac" on the U.S. LCT 537 which carried troops and tanks onto the Omaha Beach June 5, 1945.

Bud Mohr "Former MHS 1943"

Three of the LCTs sank because of 20+ feet waves while crossing the English Channel during the initial invasion. The 537 Bud was on was the first to land on the beach and also became entangled in the barbed wire barricade the Germans placed in the waters along the beach. The lead tank that left the 537 was hit by a German 88 which killed everyone inside. Bud and the crew left their LCT and dug foxholes where they waited all day for nightfall to come so Bud could cut the barbed wire off the LCT's propellers. During the day Bud saw some of the most horrific sights of his life. He saw fellow soldiers get their limbs blown off. He saw bodies piled 10 feet high as U.S. soldiers jumped off other LCTs trying to get to some semblance of safety on the beach. The sea foamed red from the blood of these soldiers. Bud recalled 3800 U.S. troops were killed during the first 5 hours of battle. Quoting Bud "I often wondered how the hell I ever got through that." This just scratches the surface of Bud's experiences.

You maybe didn't know there was a Lage connection to the Mohr family. Wesley Lage, cousin of Bud Mohr and brother of Walter Lage of Manning, was drafted into the Army Air Corps in November of 1942. He trained at Sheppard Field, Texas, and served in the glider division. He was promoted to Technical Sergeant at Bowman Field, Kentucky, and was honorably discharged in February of 1946. Wesley graduated from MHS in 1938.

Wesley Lage "MHS 1938"

John Mohr, uncle to Bud and Wesley, had 3 sons who also served during WWII. This picture taken during a time of innocence shows those three Mohr brothers.

Don "MHS 1945," Dale "MHS 1944," Daryl "MHS 1941" Unfortunately I never got a military picture of Don or any information about his time serving while he was living. This is a perfect reason why we all need to work together to get the pictures and information to preserve our history. According to Don's obituary he served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and the Korean Conflict. Fortunately I have some pictures and information about his two brothers, Dale and Daryl.

Dale Mohr Dale served with a quartermaster truck company on Leyte Island in the Philippines in 1945. One of his comments when writing back to the Monitor (which most Manning soldiers did during WWII) was about the Japanese prisoners they were holding on Leyte. Dale writes " We treat them good but I can't forget it was a Jap that killed my brother." Yes, you read that correctly, Dale's brother Daryl Mohr was killed in action during WWII.

Daryl Mohr Staff Sergeant Daryl Mohr died May 13, 1945, on Luzon Island, the Philippines, from wounds received in action. He was an accomplished pianist, a star on the Manning athletic teams, and graduated from MHS in 1941.

The last Manning Veteran we are honoring is the 'late' Paul Vetter. In 1999 Manning sophomore Jon Vogel interviewed Paul about his service during WWII. Below are a few excerpts from Jon's interview with Paul.

Paul Vetter "Washington No. 1 country school" Paul served with the Red Arrow Division in the Philippines. He witnessed the "Kamakaze" tactics used by the Japanese where thousands of their pilots volunteered for suicide attacks on the U.S. and Allied troops. Paul was a rifleman and described living in foxholes with water up to his chest. He even got malaria. It was on the island of Luzon where Paul was shot in the leg during battle. The injuries from this wound never completely healed and he lived the rest of his life with no feeling in that leg. Paul recalled helping free prisoners of war. He said these Japanese prisoners were treated as badly as the Jewish prisoners in Germany, starved and tortured.

Paul's Purple Heart Back in 1999 when Jon Vogel did this interview as a sophomore at MHS I wonder if he ever envisioned that some day he and his 2 brothers, Tim and Dan, would also serve in the U.S. military? They definitely are following in some very brave Manning footsteps. REMEMBER our brave and valiant U.S. Soldiers and Veterans during MEMORIAL DAY!!!