World War II

In World War II, it became a tradition for members of the Wahpeton Rotary club to write letters to soldiers overseas and publish them in the local paper. In the past, letters coming from soldiers were published in the newspapers, but publishing outgoing letters was a new twist.

Anne Frank’s diary became available in public libraries with the publication of an English-language version around this date in 1952. A Bismarck Tribune librarian columnist described the book as “a poignant diary kept by a young Jewish girl hiding out from the Gestapo….”

Rodney Kephart was born in Spencer, Iowa, on this date in 1917. He and his family later moved to North Dakota.

In our state, as elsewhere, there are internationalists who believe the U.S. should be deeply involved in foreign affairs; and isolationists, who do not believe the U.S. should be heavily involved with nations that don’t want anyone telling them what to do. In the 1930s, the prevailing mood was isolationist – that the U.S. should not intervene as the winds of war swept over Europe and Asia.

Rose Schneider was born in Nuremburg, Germany, on this date in 1929, and grew up during the chaotic times of World War II. After the war, young Rose served as a court reporter during the Nuremburg trials. She also went to school, training as a nurse. Rose met and fell in love with a young American Army Sergeant serving in Germany, LaMarr Myers.

No matter how mighty your locomotive is, it will need a bridge to cross a river. As a result, there are hundreds of railroad bridges scattered across the state of North Dakota. One very significant bridge is the High Line Bridge near Valley City.

On this date in 2005, the first of the four Flying Fallgatters, Robert, passed away. The Fallgatter boys grew up in Kintyre, North Dakota, where their father owned the General Merchandise Fallgatter Store.

Harry Herbert Crosby was born on this date in 1919 to Guy and Eva Crosby in New England, North Dakota. He later moved with his family to Oskaloosa, Iowa, where during high school, Harry played clarinet and formed an amateur dance band called “Harry Crosby and his Maroon Melodies.”

Today’s regular hard news outlets are, sadly, primed with COVID events and lawbreaking. Back in 1944, The war was the news.

On this date in 2003, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Johnson was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with full Military Honors. He was born on September 21st, 1917 near Cooperstown, the eighth of 10 children.