OUR HEROES
Interviews with WWII vets
Local newspaper listings
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full copies of each iinterview can be obtained by asking me-Peggy - or
contact the Lakeland Library for the look up.
Each interview coveres more than one page in the newspaper.
Each vet was interviewed in Lakeland and not necessarily born in Polk Co.
20 stories so far to date
NOTE: if you were in WWII or have a relative that was, and you wish to
 tell your story and have it published, an online form is available at
the Ledger
> ART SCHRECKENGOST - of Lakeland, an Army Topographical Draftsman,landed on the second day od D-Day amid heavy fighting. He was required to be beyond the front lines with forward observers to identify landmarks and topography for interpretation of aerial photographs. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, June 5, 2009) 
> GEORGE TRASK - of Lakeland, served in the U.S.Navy aboard destroyers in the Pacific and recieved commendations for his battle-station performance. ( published in Lakeland Ledger, July 18, 2009 )
> BURKE KIBLER - of Lakeland, was am Army officer serving as a forward observer in the 103rd. infantry division as it made its way through southern France then into the Rhineland in Germany and on to Bavaria. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Sept.
5, 2009) 
> CHET CALDWELL- of Lakeland, was a Coast Guard Chief Pharmacist's mate aboard the armed troup carrier, the USS Wakefield, traversing the Atlantic 44 times carring soldiers to war, carring for and returning the wounded home and taking German prisoners of was to detintion in the United States. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Oct. 1, 2009 )
> HOMER HOOKS - of Lakeland, was a young lieutenant with the 406th. infantry Division as it moved into Belgium and Southern Holland and then just inside Germany in the early days of December. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Oct.23, 2009 )
> ROBERT WILLIAMSON - of Lakeland, was in the U.S.Army's 4th. Division, landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day. During his time in Europe he was wounder 4 times. The last was just seven days before the end of the war and it left him blind in his right eye. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Nov. 11, 2009 )
> ANDRE LAFERRIERE - of Bartow, boatswains mate 2nd.class and a landing craft operator, got as close to ground warfare as almost any sailor, driving soldiers right up onto the neach in the middle of combat.(published in the Lakeland Ledger, Nov. 11, 2009) 
> LELAND CRAWFORD - of Lakeland, a combat engineer during World War II, didn't make it to shore on D-Day before being shot in the neck. After being treated in England, he returned to duty seeing action in the Battle of the Bulge and Germany. ( publishe in the Lakeland Ledger, Nov. 11, 2009
> DAVID E. MCGUIRE - of Bartow, a Navy torpedo man aboard the destroyer USS Bryant, survived a kamikaze hit on his vessel during the invasion of Okinawa. He had previously trained officers on sonar, radar and other skills. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Nov.11, 2009 )
> GORDON DENNIS KINSEY - of Lakeland, trained as a Navy deck officer, but instead switched to become a Marine fighter pilot. He flew missions in the Pacific and carried bombs during the battle for Okinawa. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Nov.11, 2009 )
> ED BAUMGARTNER - of Mulberry,was a tail gunner aboard a B-17 bomber. He flew 33 missions surviving an incident where an 88 millimeter shell entered one side of his plane and exited the other, not exploding until it exited the other side. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Dec.7, 2009 )
> HERMAN LEWIS - of Lakeland, went into the Army as a second lieutenant immediately upon graduating from the University of Florida in 1943. Assigned to the 2nd. battalion, 407th Regiment of the 102nd. infantry division, he was wounded twice crossing the Roer River in early 1945. ( published in the Lakeland Ledger, Dec.24, 2009 )
> TOM and JAMES BUTLER -
> PAUL D. LACK -
> RUTH WALZER -
> MIKE O'CONNOR -
> JORDON J. CORBETT -
> BILL ROSS -
> JOE STRING -
> HERBERT and PEGGY BROWN VIERTEL -


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