CORBETT, Wilbur Robert,
Wilbur arrived Fort Lewis, Washington on Dec 42 for Basic Training and went to Camp Young, Calif. 13 Apr 43 for the IX Corps Desert Training Center No. 8 California Maneuvers; staged at Camp Stoneman, Calif. (Mojave Desert) 24 Jun 43 until departure from San Francisco port of embarkation on 7 Jul 43 on the ship "Republic" operated by Merchant Marine crew. The division arrived in Hawaii 12 Jul 43 and was assigned to defend the outer island 18 Jul 43 in conjunction with jungle warfare training. It moved to Finschhafen, New Guinea, on 11 May 44 and engaged in additional jungle and amphibious training, detaching the 123rd Infantry to Maffin Bay, New Guinea, on 1 Sep 44 where it relieved the 31st Infantry Division and patrolled the Wakde airdrome and Toem-Sarmi sector until 26 Jan 45.

The remainder of the division moved to Morotai Island 18 Dec 44 and landed on its west coast without opposition. From 22 Dec 44--29 Jan 45 it relieved 31st Infantry Division forces garrisoning Race Island and Wajaboela as well as reducing Japanese forces at the headwaters of the Pilowo River on Morotai. It then staged for operations in the Philippines. The division arrived in Lingayen Gulf and landed on Luzon 10 Feb 45, relieved the 43rd Infantry Division in the Darmortis-Rosario-Pozorrubio area 15 Feb 45, and took over its zone of action. On 19 Feb 45 the division began its drive into the Caraballo Mountains toward its objective of Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines and the Japanese headquarters. The division seized Questionmark and Benchmark Hills* after heavy fighting 22 Feb 45, and after battling entrenched Japanese in the hills, the 130th Infantry took Aringay and its bridge 7 Mar 45 without opposition and went on to capture Mt. Magabang the following day. The 136th Infantry maintained pressure as it advanced along Kennon Road and the 123rd Infantry patrolled northeast of Pugo. A division task force composed of a battalion from the 130th Infantry linked up with Filipino guerrillas of northern Luzon in the vicinity of San Fernando on 21 Mar 45, the Japanese had already withdrawn. The attached 129th Infantry (from 37th Infantry Division) pushed up Highway 9 toward Baguio and encountered very heavy fighting in the Salat area 23 Mar--10 Apr 45. The 123rd Infantry took Mt. Calungong on 8 Apr 45 and pushed beyond Galiono on the Pugo-Baguio Trail. The 130th Infantry captured Asin on 12 Apr 45 but further advance halted by a Japanese tunnel complex nearby. Ground assault of the Asin Tunnels was suspended 15 Apr 45 while artillery bombardment was employed to soften up the strongpoint. The 130th Infantry renewed its attacks 21 Apr 45 and resorted to reducing the tunnel lines one after the other in close combat. In the meantime the 1234d Infantry pushed slowly up the Puga-Tuba Trail and arrived in Tuba on 25 Apr 45. On the same day the 130th Infantry trucked into positions, began the assault on the hills surrounding Baguio and took Mt. Mirador. The Battle for Baguio ended 27 Apr 45 as both 33rd and 37th Infantry Division columns converged and overran the city.

The Division then relieved the 37th Infantry Division on 4 May 45 and was given the mission of clearing northward from Baguio to break up remaining pockets of resistance. With the capture completed of the San Nicolas-Tebbo-Itogon route on 12 May 45, organized opposition collapsed. Forces advancing on Highway 11 occupied Tabio and Ambuclac on 13 Jun 45, and the area was secured after the fall of Bokod 17 Jun 45. The Daklan area was secured after Daklan Airstrip was captured by the division on 22 Jun 45. The division was relieved in the Baguio general area by the 32nd Infantry Division on 30 Jun 45, and moved to Bauang for rehabilitation. The division was engaged in amphibious training in the Philippines when the war ended. The division arrived in Japan 24 Sep 45 for occupation duties and inactivated there on 4 Feb 46. Wilbur then went back to Fort Lewis Washington for discharge procedures. He was officially discharged from Fort Sheridan - north of Chicago.

Contributed by Lori Gilbert
(More can be found on Wilbur Corbett and family in the "Featured Familes" section of this website).

DAEHLER, Donovan Carl
Served in the Army during the occupation of Japan. Married to Joyce Yell in 1956, Sterling IL. Father of JoAnn, Kathleen, James and Charles. Mr. Daehler lived in the Chadwick IL area most all of his life.

DALE, James H.
PFC Co C 314 Engr. WW II

DEWEY, Charles

ENGLES, Corp. Forrest Allen
. Killed in Action.

ERNST, William L.
Pfc. William L. Ernst, USMC is the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. George Ernst of Milledgeville. He enlisted in the Marine corps Nov. 25, 1943 and received his boot training at San Diego, Calif., and then was with the military police at the marine air station, Santa Ana, Calif., for four months and then was transferred to the infantry and sent to Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Calif., and was sent overseas in July. He is now somewhere overseas. Before entering service he was engaged in farming with his father.
*** (Newspaper Scrapbook Clippings) Date Unknown

GILBERT Sr., Walter William
Walter William Gilbert, born 18 June 1925, served during WWII in Africa and Italy. He was also part of the famous battle in Normandy. The Battle of Normandy, codenamed Operation Overlord, began with the amphibious Allied landings at Normandy, France, early in the morning of June 6, 1944, and continued into the following weeks with a land campaign to establish, expand, and eventually break out of the Normandy bridgehead. In the English-speaking world, it remains the best-known battle of World War II. Combined American, British, Canadian, and French forces under the command of General Montgomery landed at several points along the Normandy coastline. The British and Canadian beaches were to the east, and, from east to west were codenamed: Sword Beach, which extended from Ouistreham at the mouth of the river Orne to Saint Aubin sur Mer, Juno Beach from Saint Aubin sur Mer to La Riviere, and Gold Beach, from La Riviere to a few kilometres west of Longues sur Mer. The American beaches, further to the west, were Omaha Beach and Utah Beach.

After spending most of his life in Savanna, Illinois where he worked for the City of Savanna; he now resides in Davenport, Iowa.

HALDERBUSH, Jake H.
US Navy

HESS, Lieut. Mary E.
- ANC, Daughter of mr. and Mrs. Milton R. Hess of Lanark

HOLY, Edward C.
US Air Force. S. Sgt. 96 G 413 S.Q.D. 8th Air Force. Killed in Action 31 Mar 1945. Born 26 Sep 1921. Memory Marker in Savanna City Cemetery.

KAUFFMAN, Harold C.
USMC Staff Sgt. Entered September 24, 1942, discharged October 10, 1945. Served overseas in South Pacific. Received Expert Rifleman, 4 Battle Stars - namely New Georgia Operations, Consolidations of Solomons, Treasury Bougainville Operations, and Bismark Archipelago Operations.

KRAMER, Ralph William
U.S. Navy

MILLER, Arlyn J
Attained the rank of Sgt. and later spent 22 years in the reserves.

MITCHELL, Robert Dale
served in the United States Navy during World War II during the South Pacific campaign. He also played a musical instrument in the United States Navy Band.

POTTER, Eugene G. - Navy World War II. Worked at the Savanna Army Depot until retirement in 1975

ROSENBERRY, Orval
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Rosenberry south of Chadwick. Missing in action at Pearl Harbor.

SANDROCK, Lieut. Orville
- son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sandrock of Thomas

SARBER, Joseph Alibert
U.S. Army. Born January 1, 1915 - Died June 25, 1971 the son of John E. and Sarah (Smith) Keckler Sarber. He is buried at South Elkhorn Cemetery, Carroll Co. IL.

SMITH, Paul
believed to be brother of Jack Smith of Crystal Lake, Illinois. Possible family origin in Centralia, Illinois. Killed in Action in France, no other information known
Contributed by his great-nephew Bret J. Smith Wayne Illinois

TEETS, Ensign Irene (WAVE)
- Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George B. Teets of Milledgeville

THORNGREN, Roger D.
Milledgeville, Carroll Co Flight Officer Roger D. Thorngren, son of Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Thorngren of Milledgeville, bombardier of a Flying Fortress of the 95th bombardment group, has been awarded the Air Medal for "meritorious achievement" while participating in Eighth Air Force bombing attacks on vital industrial targets in Germany, and on Nazi airfields, supply dumps and gun emplacements in conjunction with advances by allied ground forces on the continent. F/O Thorngren is a member of the Fortress group which has received two Distinguished Unit citations. One was for loading the first American bombing attack on targets in Berlin in March, 1944; the other , for outstanding bombing of a railroad marshalling yard at Munster, Germany, in October, 1943. As a component of the Third Air Division, the 95th also shared in another Distinguished Unit citation given the entire division for its historic England-Africa shuttle bombing of an important Messerschmitt fighter plane plant at Regensburg, Germany, in August, 1943. While flying more than 300 combat missions, the 95th dropped over 17,000 tons of bombs on Germany and German-held targets. The bombardier's wife, Mrs. Carol W. Thorngren, lives on Route 3, Sterling. She is the former Carol Peugh. Word from him indicates that he will be enroute home soon.
Sterling Gazette Jun 1945

WOODIN, Robert M.
Private Robert Woodin, Milledgeville, has been awarded the Bronze Star medal for heroic achievement. The citation accompanying the medal says in part: "Robert M. Woodin, private first class, armored headquarters company 46th tank battalion, for heroic achievement in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States on April 17, 1945, in the vicinity of Mudlinghoven, Germany. Pfc. Woodin, scout, without exact knowledge of the enemy's location, advanced over terrain made virtually impassable by intense enemy mortar 88 mm. flak,heavy machine gun and small arms fire. Through speed and daring, he contributed greatly to the success of hisunit in surprising the enemy, overcoming resistence and capturing the Germans' headquarters, including two major generals, their staff and650 troops. Entered the service from Milledgeville".
The citation is signed by John Millikin, Major general, U.S. Army commanding. Pft Woodin is the son of Mrs. Grace Woodin of Milledgeville. He is 23 years of age and a graduate of the Milledgeville high school.
Newspaper Article - no date noted , but a few days after Pearl Harbor

WOODIN, Robert M.
Pfc. Robert M. Woodin of Milledgeville has been awarded the Bronze Star medal for heroic achievement. The citation accompanying the medal says in part: "Robert M. Woodin, private first class, armored headquarters company 46th tank battalion, for heroic achievement in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States on April 17, 1945, in the vicinity of Mudlinghoven, Germany. Pfc. Woodin, scout, without exact knowledge of the enemy's location, advanced over terrain made virtually impassable by intense enemy mortar 88 mm. flak,heavy machine gun and small arms fire. Through speed and daring, he contributed greatly to the success of his unit in surprising the enemy, overcoming resistence and capturing the Germans' headquarters, including two major generals, their staff and 650 troops. Entered the service from Milledgeville".

The citation is signed by John Millikin, Major general, U.S. Army commanding. Pft Woodin is the son of Mrs. Grace Woodin of Milledgeville. He is 23 years of age and a graduate of the Milledgeville high school.
***Newspaper Scrapbook Clippings - Date Unknown

ZUBATY, John B.
United States Army, 311th Engineering Co.

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