News: Neillsville – Am.
Legion Recognizes 7 Veterans (Oct 2019)
Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail:
dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Eisentraut, Genteman, Erickson, Zickert, Simpson, Miller, Henchen
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 10/30/2019
Neillsville Legion Honor to Recognize Seven Veterans (Posthumously - 2019)
Neillsville Legion to Recognize Seven Veterans
Seven individuals who gave service time to the country will be honored
posthumously by Legion Post 73.
Those honored will be David Eisentraut, Larry Genteman, Earl Erickson, Ron
Zickert, Donald Simpson, Clarence Miller and Herbert Henchen.
David Eisentraut: Eisentraut joined the Marines in 1962 and had boot camp in
San Diego, CA. After training, he was stationed at Camp Pendleton in
California and at Treasure Island in San Francisco, CA.
He was in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and worked as a court reporter.
Eisentraut was discharged in 1965 as an E-3, which is a lance corporal.
Larry Genteman: Genteman joined the Army in March 1971. After going through
basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, Genteman was assigned to
the 5th Army 78th Engineer Company. His unit was sent to Vietnam where he
served in Cam Ranh Bay and Long Binh. He was a construction and utility
worker before being discharged in March 1973.
Earl Erickson: Erickson enlisted in the Army in 1943. He served in the
Asiatic Pacific Theater in Japan and worked as an automotive mechanic. He
was discharged in August 1946.
Ron Zickert: Zickert joined the Marines in 1953 and had basic and artillery
training at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina. He was sent to Yokosuka, Japan,
to a Naval intercept station during the Korean War.
Zickert served with the military police unit. He was deployed to North Korea
north of the 38th parallel, as well, until the war ended. He finished his
deployment in Seoul, South Korea. After spending three years overseas,
Zickert was discharged in December 1957.
Donald Simpson: Simpson entered the Army in October 1966. He was in the
armor division with a special forces unit in Vietnam, spending one year and
five months in foreign service. He was transferred to Fort Hood in Texas to
the 81st Armored and 1st Armored divisions in 1969. Following that, he
continued service in the Army Reserves. He was discharged in October 1972 as
an E-4, or corporal.
Clarence Miller: Miller joined the Army in August 1942 at the age of 26. He
received training as a light truck driver and was assigned to the 535th
Artillery Unit that was deployed to England to prepare for D-Day.
Miller’s unit landed on Utah Beach on D-Day and was part of the Battle of
the Bulge. His unit advanced to northern France to protect the 1st Army
airfields and then moved on to the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. Following
that, the unit moved on Luxembourg and Germany to join the 1st Battalion and
the march to the Remagen Bridgehead.
The unit then crossed the Danube River to join the 3rd Army with The Ruhr
Pocket, which was the encirclement of Germany. It was then when they were
able to celebrate V-E Day, which is also known as Victory in Europe Day, on
May 8, 1945. He stayed there until November 1945 and was discharged on the
24th of that month.
Herbert Henchen: Henchen joined the Army in November 1942. He had basic
training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. He had one year of amphibious training
for beach landing at Camp Carabelle in Florida and at Camp Livingston in
Louisiana.
On Jan. 1, 1944, his unit, the 38th Infantry was loaded on a British ship
for a secret destination. They landed in Hawaii on Jan. 21 of that year to
defend the islands. The unit also went to Oro Bay in Papua New Guinea, to
train for combat duty.
In December, the unit landed on Leyte Island in the Philippines to replace
the 32nd Division. The unit made a beach landing to Leon Island and went on
Highway 7, which is known as the Death March road, where they took on
Japanese bunkers.
In February, the unit took on Japanese prisoners on the tip of Bataan. The
unit went to the island of Fort Drum and then to the main island of the
Philippines on patrol.
On June 23, 1945, the Leon campaign was over and Henchen stayed with other
troops until the end of the war. He was discharged on Nov. 9, 1945.
The seven individuals will be recognized at the Legion, 6 Boon Boulevard,
Neillsville, this Monday, Nov. 4. There will be a social hour at 4:30 p.m.
with a potluck at 5:30 p.m.
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