To research information found in these biographies, click here.
Paul (Pete) Paine, Navy, 1953-1956 Row 17, Stone 11
Russell E. Paine, Navy, 1942-1945 Row 17, Stone 10
Alvin M. Papenhause, Army, 1951-1953 Row 13, Stone 7
Elmer G. Papenhause, Navy, 1955-1957 Row 13, Stone 9
Glen Edward Papenhause, Sr., Army, 1953-1955 Row 13, Stone 8
Howard C. Parkhurst, Navy, 1943-1946 Row 11, Stone 11
Ralph W. Parkhurst, Air Force, 1941-1945 Row 11, Stone 10
Robert E. Paulsell, Army, 1970-1971 Row 30, Stone 7
Charles A. Pfeiffer, Army, 1943-1945 Row 15, Stone 2
Billy K. Pflederer, Army, 1944-1946 Row 8, Stone 5
Chris Pflederer, Jr., Army, 1957-1963 Row 9, Stone 9
Christian R. Pflederer, Marines, 2013-2017, Row 35, Stone 3
Elias "Butch" Pflederer, Army, 1941-1945 Row 9, Stone 10
Eli served at Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe.
He received the Victory Medal, American Theater Ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon w/4 Bronze Battle Stars, 3 overseas Service Bars, 1 Service Stripe, Good Conduct Medal GO 12 Hq 130 Ord Co 44
Harlan Pflederer, Army, 1942-1945 Row 19, Stone 5
James Conrad Pflederer, Air Force, 1951-1954 Row 25, Stone 1
James Robert Pflederer, Army, 1953-1955, Row 27, Stone 7
Mildred R. Pflederer, Army, 1941-1945 Row 8, Stone 4
Mildred served in the US Army Nurse Corps and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant.
Robert H. Pflederer, Coast Guard, 1942-1945 Row 8, Stone 2
Ryan D. Pflederer, Air Force, 2006-2010 Row 8, Stone 6
Mr. Pflederer served in the Air Force from 2006 until 2010 at Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field near Ft. Walton Beach, FL. He spent the majority of his military time as a hydraulics specialist on the C-130 aircraft.
Victor Ike Pflederer, Army, 1941-1945 Row 9, Stone 11
Victor served at Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe.
He received the American Defense Service Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, W/1 Silver Battle Star Service Stripe, 4 Overseas Service Bars, Good Conduct Medal.
Ernie Pitzer, Army, 1942-1945 Row 31, Stone 8
Jerry Pitzer, Army, 1966-1968 Row 31, Stone 7
Ernie Pitzer, Army, 1942-1945 Row 31, Stone 8
Jerry Pitzer, Army, 1966-1968 Row 31, Stone 7
Euce B. Powell, Army, 1941-1944 Row 19, Stone 9
Walter P. Proehl, Army, 1941-1945 Row 16, Stone 11
A.L. Puckett, Army, 1939-1967 Row 28, Stone 10
Robert V. Quick, Navy/Air Force, 1951-1955 & 1957-1965 Row 31, Stone 6
On January 10, 2013, at age 80. I
write this information for those still living and future generations.
I enlisted in the Navy on June 11,
1951, while living with the George L. and Lena Woerner Family of Tremont,
Illinois. I had my Training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Company 531
in 1951. I went to Aviation Schools in Jacksonville, Florida and Memphis,
Tennessee and then to Fighter Squadron, VF-11 (The Red Rippers) in
Jacksonville, Florida. Our Squadron left Norfolk, Virginia on 5/17/1952 aboard
the USS Oriskany, CVA 34, arriving in San Diego, California on 7/21/1952; VIA,
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on 5/30/1952; A Celebration was held when we crossed the
Equator Southbound on 6/14/1952 for all those on board who had never crossed
the Equator before and went from being “POLLYWOGS” to “SHELLBACKS.” The ship
was stopped dead still in the middle of a Glass Sea for a full day of fun as we
learned the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep. Less than a few
hundred had been across the Equator before. Therefore the rest of the ships
company (5,500+) had to go through the full day of hazing. Then on to Rio De
Janeiro, Brazil, on 6/19/1952. We sailed
the HORN of South America Northbound on 6/29/1952 and we were accepted into the
Imperial Order of “MOSSBACKS.” All of this meant, we would never have to be
hazed again crossing the Equator or rounding the Horn of S.A., but could join
in the fun of hazing others in the future. During our trip around the Horn, we
were in a Hurricane with Eighty (80) foot waves and at least one wave broke
over the Flight Deck. At one period while the sun was up for three and a half
hours, I personally counted 39 huge Waterspouts dancing around the ship. After
we passed the Horn safely it was great to see the Sun was still shining as we
passed from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific. Then on to Valparaiso, Chili,
on 7/3/1952 and Callao/Lima, Peru, on 7/9/52. This trip was made because our
Carrier was so large it could not go through the Panama Canal. In San Diego,
our Squadron was reassigned from the Mighty “O” to her sister ship, the USS
Kearsarge, CVA 33. We continued our journey to Hawaii and then to the Korean
War. We stayed in the war zone, which included a trip to Hong Kong, China. Our
home base and Port was Yokosuka, Japan, where we returned from the line for
refitting and retooling after every 39 days at sea off the coast of Korea. I
also road my first ever “Bullet Train” from Yokosuka to Tokyo Japan. It went between
145 to 160 MPH, it did not take very long at all to get there. While passing
through Hiroshima, Japan we noticed there was only one two story building in
what was left of the entire city and this was 8+ years after it was bombed with
the Atom Bomb. We continued this rotation from August 1952 through February
1953 (7 months), after which time we returned to Hawaii, San Diego and home to
Jacksonville. It was here that I married my wife, Gracie Inez Dearing. We were
transferred to Washington, D.C. in early 1954 and in the next 18 months started
our family. I was Honorably Discharged from the Navy on 10 June, 1955 as a
Third Class Petty Officer. Our family of three returned to Memphis and were
blessed with two more children. I received the following Medals during my
tenure in the Navy: The National Defense Service Medal, China Service Medal,
Good Conduct Medal, United Nations Medal, Korean Service Medal with Two Stars
(American) and the Korean War Service Medal (Issued by the Korean Government in
1999 and approved by the United States Government for American servicemen to
wear on the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, in 2003).
On April 5th, 1957. I enlisted in
the Air Force Reserve (AFRes) as a Staff Sergeant, it was required because of
the Military position I held in Memphis. I worked on both Propeller and Jet
engine type aircraft during this time. Our 702nd Troop Carrier Squadron, flying
C123-B type aircraft, was called to Active Duty on 28 October to 28 November
1962, in support of the “Bay of Pigs” invasion of Cuba. I was Honorably
Discharged from the Air Force Reserves as a Technical Sergeant on August 30th
1965. During my tenure in the AFRes I received my Silver Flying Wings as a
Flight Engineer and also selected to be Head Loadmaster of our Squadron. I am
very PROUD to have served my Country in both the United States NAVY and AIR
FORCE.
Bob Quick
Adam William Rapp, Army, 1918-1919 Row 11, Stone 1
Joseph D. Rapp, Navy, 1957-1963 Row 12, Stone 1
Donald D. Reid, Army, 1942-1945 Row 15, Stone 4
Jeffrey D. Reid, Army, 2003-2006 Row 15, Stone 5
Gary Reinbeck, Marines, 1962-1966 Row 13, Stone 12
Larry Reinbeck, Marines, 1963-1967 Row 12, Stone 12
Don R. Rice, Army, 1964-1965 Row 24, Stone 4
Wayne T. Riddle, Army, 1951-1955 Row 7, Stone 5
Wayne enlisted in the Army in 1951 while living in California. He received teletype training at Ft. Gordon, LA. He then served in Asmara, Eritrea, as a communications interceptor. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal in 1955. Wayne returned to Tremont where he married and raised his family. He passed away on Dec. 30, 2010, and is buried at Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin. He was proud to serve his country.
Mark Riggs, Army, 1918-1921,, Row 2, Stone 1
Daniel Lee Roberts, Marines, 1962-1969 Row 27, Stone 5
Roger D. Ropp, Army, 1956-1958 Row 24, Stone 2
Floyd B. Rowell, Navy, 1944-1945, Row 33, Stone 2
Harold L. Rowell, Army, 1941-1945 Row 16, Stone 7
Kenneth Alan Rowell, Army, 1968-1971 Row 16, Stone 9
Leo Kenneth Rowell, Army, 1942-1945 Row 16, Stone 8
LEO KENNETH ROWELL November 23, 1920 - February 3, 2001
On a farm just outside Tremont, Illinois on a chilly November 23, 1920, Hannah Zeller Rowell and Fred Henry Rowell welcomed their first child, LEO KENNETH ROWELL. Leo welcomed brother Clifford in 1922. Later Violet (Hermanson), Wilma, Willis and Arlene in 1936 (Gates) were born to complete the farm family. Leo married Martha Emily Parker Rowell on November 29, 1941. Leo worked at Corn Products in Pekin, Illinois and Martha worked for State Farm Insurance Company. Later Martha worked for the US Post Office in Tremont, Illinois as well as helping with farming.
L.K.R. proudly served his country in World War II as a tank driver with the Ninth Armored Division from October 17, 1942 until December 4, 1945 and was a prisoner of war after the Battle of the Bulge from December 23, 1943 until March 27, 1944.
After returning from European service, Martha and Leo began their farming career tending land in the Bloomington, Illinois area and later a farm owned by the Rother family southeast of Tremont. Subsequently they were able to purchase land on Augustine Road about two miles east of Tremont. Growing up on a farm had instilled Leo with a life-long love of growing crops, vegetables and animals… a love that would last over fifty years.
Three children were born to the farming Rowells; Judith (passed at birth) and Joyce in 1947(Gunther) and Ronald in 1949. Ronald and wife, Sandy (Tomm) gave Leo and Martha adorable grandchildren, Benjamin, Jenna (Swiecki) and Joshua. Jenna and spouse, Les, are the proud parents of LEO KENNETH ROWELL’S first great-grandchild, born January 9, 2012, and to honor both grandfathers, he is named Leo Zygmunt Swiecki.
Dad Leo was fond of saying, “You’ll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.” He inspired us all with his work ethic and love of country, family and neighbors. We miss you brother, dad, and grandpa.
Steven M. Runyon, Navy, 1968-1974 Row 11, Stone 8
