February 27, 1922 - January 5, 1962
Iowa CSK US Navy
Richard was inducted into the Navy in 1940. He served on the U.S.S. Marblehead which took part in five battles, the last being the D-Day armed invasion where they bombarded the Nazis on the southern coast of France. The Marblehead was nicknamed the "Unsinkable Ship" because the Japanese had falsely reported several times that they had sunk her. After the D-Day invasion he was transferred to Miami, Florida. Chief Storekeeper Ohm was discharged in 1946.
We are looking for a picture of the Navy ship that Dick served on - that according to one Manning
resident - hung on the wall of the old post office on the west side of Main Street. When the
new post office was built on the east side (present day location) the picture disappeared.
If you know who has this picture please e-mail Dave Kusel.
Service Men On Leave Praise U.S.O.
In recent conservations with men who have been or are now home on furlough we
find a great deal of satisfaction in the praise they offer for the efficiency
and service to the armed forces now being offered by the U.S.O., an
organization founded on the financial contribution of the "people at home."
"Bud" Asmus recently home on a furlough from Brooklyn says that the
U.S.O. is "tops" and doing a wonderful job through its many clubs and
its many free services offered the men in training.
Dick Ohm, who recently arrived from New York, joins Bud in his compliments to the U.S.O.
All who have been interviewed tell about the many fine facilities they enjoy.
They tell about the reading rooms with all the popular newspapers and
magazines. The large radio rooms, game rooms, large rooms for the showing of
free movies; rooms where camera fans can develop their films, and press their
clothes; pool tables, ping pong tables, card tables, writing desks and
stationery; large record changing machines with all the latest recordings;
weekly dances staged and supervised by U.S.O. with the help of girls from
nearby cities who must furnish references before they can participate. All this
worthwhile entertainment is certainly a morale booster and local citizens who
so freely gave their dollars to this wonderful organization should feel proud
to know that they are one of the many thousands of citizens who are doing all they can toward donating to the U.S.O.
June 25, 1942, Manning Monitor
Writes Of Stop At Cape Town, South Africa
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ohm were quite pleasantly surprised last
Saturday when they received a letter mailed from Cape Town,
South Africa on April 3rd. The letter, very much appreciated by Mr. and Mrs.
Ohm included a snapshot of Dick and two of his companions, and reads as follows:
Cape Town April 3, 1942
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ohm:
You will no doubt be surprised to hear from someone in South Africa, but as my
wife and I also have a son in the Navy and know how nice it is to get first
hand news, I am writing to say that we have recently seen your boy and he is looking well and happy.
"The people here like to show hospitality to visiting troops, whether soldiers, sailors, or air-force and my wife asked me to go out and bring home four or five men for a meal and an hour or two of home life. I met your son and two others at the local Rest Room and after taking them for a drive around to show them a bit of our country, they came back to tea, a meal which I understand you don't have much in the U.S.A. It was unfortunate that we had a previous engagement to go out to dinner that night or we should have been delighted to see more of them, but as it was, they went off into Cape Town where I hope that they had as happy a time as we could have given them - probably better as we are old people.
"Of course we are not allowed to give you any idea of where they were going, even if we knew; nor did we ask them from where they came but I must say that they all looked very fit as you may see by the enclosed photo. I generally take a snap of the boy we meet, as the parents and wives seem to appreciate them.
"I do hope, though one must admit at present that it doesn't look like it, that it won't be a very long time before our sons are all home again safe and sound."
Yours very truly,
Leonard A. Brimble
June 11, 1942, Manning Monitor
Dick Ohm's Ship Marblehead, Is Back Home
In this morning's Des Moines Register, a vivid account of the return
home of the light cruiser Marblehead, was told. Dick Ohm, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Harry Ohm of Manning, is stationed on this ship and will indeed have some tales
to tell of his adventures in the past few months. Mrs. Ohms stated this morning
that she had received a telegram from Dick.
According to the news release, the Marblehead, battered by Japanese bombs,
blackened by fire and kept afloat by the indomitable will of her officers and men, has come home from the war.
Thus ended a 13,000 mile journey unprecedented in U.S. Naval history.
Laboring under damage that might have sunk another ship, the 18 year old vessel
voyaged from near Java, through the Indian ocean, around Africa and northward
through the Atlantic to gain the safety of an east coast port.
Three months were required to make the journey which started on Feb. 4 when the
Marblehead, in company with the cruiser Houston, later sunk in the battle of
the Java sea, and other United nations cruisers and destroyers were attacked by 54 Japanese planes.
The 7,050 ton Marblehead suffered 2 hits, one fore and one aft and a near miss.
All caused serious damage. Underwater plates buckled and the seas poured in
torrentially. The steering gear was rendered useless. The trim superstructure
was torn and twisted. Fires broke out.
For the first month of the war the Marblehead was engaged in covering the
evacuation of United Nations shipping from the Philippines to the southward.
Protected by the sweeping guns of the Marblehead and other U.S. cruisers and
destroyers, more than 50 merchant ships were evacuated in these operations without a loss.
May 7, 1942, Manning Monitor
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Manning Monitor December 11, 1941 Fred Beese, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Beese, has been on Wake Island for several months as a member of the Marine Corps there. Ruel Whitcher, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Whitcher has been in the navy for a number of years and is an officer on a submarine in the Philippine area. Dick Ohm, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ohm is supposedly in the Philippine Islands. Lawrence "Babe" Nickum and Harold Nickum, sons of Henry Nickum are probably at Pearl Harbor as is Eugene Thompson. Virgil McConnell is at Pearl Harbor or the Philippines. Other boys from this vicinity are in that area - just what part they have had to play in the recent day's events is not definitely known but they surely have been at the scene of some of the activity. The map on his page will show the location of the places named. Contrary to rumors, no official notice has been received concerning the welfare of these young men. Manning Monitor article------ 1943
Dick Ohm Chief Storekeeper Dick Ohm Sends Regards Dick Ohm, veteran of the South Seas war battles, writes as follows: "Receive the good old home-town paper very regular and always enjoy it so much and until you are away from home you cannot understand the thrill and appreciation we get in reading it. Thank you and the Legionaires very much in making this possible and through your column would very much like to thank the W.S.C.S. of the Methodist church for their cards and box of goodies, the Woman's Relief Corps for their remembrances and the Veterans of Foreign Wars for l their pamphlet which I receive regularly. My deepest appreciation and thanks to all.
Have been seeing some different countries than ever before so many interesting sights.
Had the pleasure I of attending church in one of its I most beautiful cities and had a very
interesting visit with a student from Ames. Manning Monitor article------ 1944
Dick Ohm in New York Richard R. Ohm, storekeeper first class of Manning, has been transferred to duties at Miami, Fla. after serving four years on the cruiser Marblehead, known as the "unsinkable ship." The vessel has been reported sunk by the Japanese several times, but took part in five battles, the last being the invasion of southern France last September. Marblehead Sailors Marry Dan Cupid proved a better marksman than the Japs on the personnel of the "Marblehead" When the blue jackets returned from furlough 60 percent were married. As far as we know, our sailor Dick Ohm is still in the 40 per cent class. This story may prove that the old adage about sailors may not always be true. He may have a sweetheart in every port, but the girl back home, has the inside track. "Boogie Dance of Death" Following in part is a description of the "U. S. S. Marblehead's" part on D-day, written by H. M. Percifield and given to Richard Ohm, a member of the crew: The salvos poured into the Nazi defenses on the south coast of France by the U. S. S. Marblehead and her sister ships in rhythmic, tempo played a boogie woogie death dance for the enemy and well they knew it. Because of the more advanced gadgets of fire control, we of the Marblehead replaced a sister ship in one of the bombardment groups and our spot was considered hot. We would be up against good-sized radar-controlled batteries and the whole area to be destroyed was a nest of radar towers and 88mm's. The firing range was to be 6000 yards. At that range you could not only pick the house but the windows it would go through. The control group was actually three groups working together. We could hit our targets in daylight, darkness, through smoke, and over a hill. They rated us a 50-50 chance of getting in, not a thing was said about getting out!
Then we moved, two days for the approach. We stopped about 14,000 yards off shore to
await the final hour. The captain made plans to go into 4000 yards. Good God, at that
range we muzzle blast! Six a. m., and our final move bombers, Thunderbolts Were
drowned in the savage crash of their bombs.
Then, eight, and seven thousand yards and suddenly they saw us. As we swung to our
firing course, red and white rockets sung skyward from the shoreline. Tracers! My heart
jumped into my mouth. Then the rockets burst in showers of red and white stars.
We reached the firing line and stopped dead in the water, just a sitting duck, maybe. Crash! The first salvo straddled the target. Crash! the second wiped it clean. Shift targets, take the big radar on the hill. The first was low. Up 200, still a bit low. Up 100. Smash! Nothing left. Again and again the Ghost (the Marblehead) walked her flaming wrath up the hillside and wiped out the area. On every side of us came the sullen roar of 8's ,and 12's; the whip lash crack of 3's land 5's, the scream of falling bombs and the weird moan of the rocket shells. French, English and U. S. warships and planes were pouring it on the supermen from every angle. Then, lift your fire from the beach the army was going ashore. Through the dark hours hundreds of landing craft had moved into position through "H" hour and they started pouring onto the beaches. At some points little or no opposition. At other points plenty tough. The army continued ashore and by 9 a. m. the enemy had surrendered the right side by 12 noon a white flag on a house top opposite us; but on the left of us the nut was still to be cracked. Wave after wave of heavies saturated the target with high explosives, yet somehow they were still resisting. At 6 p. m. all warships were called over and gave this pocket a going over for 30 minutes. The Ghost and her sisters poured all they had into the fray. Guns grew red hot, paint flaked off the barrels, yet their tempo did not change. For three days we were on call to crack targets on the beach or fifteen miles back in the hills.
Our spot in the invasion was not as hot as some spots encountered by other ships at
other times, but we still feel that the "Ghost" has a perfect right to hold her head high.
Her guns were old, having none of the modern machines for loading turrets and mounts.
Her damage during the action, not a scratch! To some people it may sound as though I am
bragging. But to those who understand the feelings of a Navy man, it may sound only
natural after a time serving on one ship you begin to have a feeling that she isn't just a
machine. Ohm Transferred to Miami Richard R. Ohm, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ohm of Manning, Storekeeper 1st class, has been transferred to duties at Miami, Florida, after serving four years on the cruiser Marblehead, known as the "unsinkable ship." The vessel has been reported sunk by the Japs several times. The Marblehead has been engaged in five major battles, the last being the invasion of southern France last September and is still going strong.
Carroll Daily Times Herald June 13, 1942 |
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Ohde Funeral Home in Manning for Richard Reimer Ohm, 39, who died Friday, January 5, 1962, at Spencer of self-inflicted shotgun wounds.
Burial was in the Manning, Iowa, Cemetery.
Ohm, a native of Manning and an outstanding athlete at Manning High School, graduating in 1940, and was a former semi-pro baseball player.
Son of Harry and Betty (Reimers) Ohm, he was born February 27, 1922.
Until recently he had operated a beer distributing company here. From 1947 to 1951 he was employed in Des Moines.
Ohm died three years to the day after he was wounded in a hunting accident.
He was in serious condition for months in a Rochester, Minnesota, hospital. Returning to the hospital for a checkup later, he was hurt in an auto accident. Later he was injured in another traffic accident.
Surviving is his wife, the former Mary Jane Fraley of Des
Moines; a son Michael, a daughter Shelli, and his mother and a sister Dolores
Ramsey, both of Manning.
Des Moines Tribune, January 6, 1962
RICHARD OHM
Funeral services for Richard Ohm, 39, Spencer, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday,
January 8, at the Ohde Funeral Home in Manning.
Mr. Ohm was found dead at his home in Spencer Friday morning. He had been in ill health since suffering a shotgun wound.
Surviving are his wife and two children; also his mother, Mrs. Betty Ohm, and a sister. Mrs. Edward (Dolores) Ramsey, both of Manning.
The body will arrive at the funeral home at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Carroll Daily Times Herald, January 6, 1962
Richard Ohm, 39
Funeral services for Richard Ohm, 39, were held Monday at the Ohde Funeral Home in Manning.
Ohm, who had been in ill health for several years due to a hunting accident, was found dead at his home in Spencer of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. A graduate of Manning High School, he was a Navy Veteran of World War II.
He is survived by his widow, two children; his mother, Mrs.
Betty Ohm of Manning, and a sister, Mrs. Edward Ramsey, also of Manning.
Daily Nonpareil, January 8, 1962
RICHARD OHM Special
Funeral services for Richard S. Ohm of Spencer will be held Monday at the Ohde funeral home in Manning, Iowa.
Mr. Ohm died Friday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Clay County medical examiner Dr. L.F. Frink. He was a widely-known beer distributor in the area until last fall.
Three years ago, he was wounded critically in a hunting accident near Spencer. He later was injured seriously in a car accident near Rochester, Minnesota.
Survivors include the widow, a son and a daughter.
Sioux City Journal, January 7, 1962