In Memory of Robert Arthur DeLap, 1267th Combat Engineers

Robert Arthur DeLap was delivered safely home on Feb. 24, 2015, after a long and remarkable life. Born May 14, 1923, in Sioux City, Iowa, Bob was raised together with his older brother George by his mother, Lillian Vanvick, in a family home that also included his grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins. As Bob started college, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and the U.S. entered the Second World War. With guidance from his Lutheran pastor, Rev. L. E. Tallakson, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Army, but was allowed to continue his education at Augustana College (Sioux Falls, S.D.) for another year and a half. He was then assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program for technical training in the Army Air Corps. During this program, he studied chemistry, taught by his future father-in-law, Professor J.H. Jensen, at Northern State Teachers College (now Northern State University) in Aberdeen, S.D.; and Bob met his future spouse, Marjorie Lucille Jensen. Because of increasing Army needs for infantry, Bob was subsequently sent to Camp Maxey in Texas for training. His unit, the 1267th Combat Engineers, served with the 23rd Corps in Germany near the end of the war in Europe, building bridges to help supply the Allied Army and provide relief to starving people in Germany during mop-up operations. In mid-1945, Bob's unit was sent to the Philippines to maintain roads on mountains near remaining Japanese holdouts. Bob was discharged and returned home in the spring of 1946. Bob and Lucille were married on June 27, 1946. After completing his college studies at Augustana followed by graduate work in New Mexico, Bob joined The Dow Chemical Co. in Midland as an analytical chemist. He worked at Dow from 1949 until his retirement in 1982. Over their years together, Bob and Lucille provided a loving home for their five children, Amy Jendrzejewski (Andrew), Robert J. DeLap (Linda), Patricia Fineman (Robert), Ronald DeLap (Donna Marie) and Elizabeth Lenington (Kenneth). Bob and Lucille were faithful members of Trinity Lutheran Church. Continuing to reside at their home in Midland in retirement, they enjoyed many activities together, including walking, bicycling, cross country skiing, bridge and square dancing. Bob also enjoyed softball and bowling in his younger years, and was a regular golfer with other Dow retirees for many years. Lucille passed away on June 22, 2011, having been tenderly cared for by Bob through her final illness, with help from daughter Patricia. Patricia also lovingly attended to Bob's care when he resided in Haslett, Mich., as he came to the end of his time in this world. Bob and Lucille are survived by their five children; twelve grandchildren, Ingrid Jendrzejewski, Rachel Jendrzejewski, Margaret DeLap, Benjamin Fineman, Matthew DeLap, Andrew DeLap, Rebekah Zuniga, Micah DeLap, Sarabeth Deter, William Deter, Neal Wagner, Eric Lenington; and 11 great-grandchildren. Funeral services for Bob will take place 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 from the Trinity Lutheran Church, with Pastor Gerald Ferguson officiating. Interment will take place in the Midland Cemetery at 2 p.m., with military honors presented by the Midland Area Veterans and the U.S. Department of the Army. Bob's family will receive friends at the church on Friday, from 10 a.m. until time of the service. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Trinity Lutheran Church or the donor's favorite charity. Funeral services have been entrusted to the care of the Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Home.

German PWs Escape! The Paris News, March 8, 1944

Later new reports said these prisoners turned themselves in shortly after their escape.  After this report, Ernest Koslowski, 22, escaped from Camp Maxey, Texas, May 19.  According to a report in the Paris News, he was recaptured by Texas highway patrolmen a few days later on the edge of some woods between Greggton and Gladewaler. Texas.

The Camp Maxey Prisoner of War Camp was designed to hold up to 10,000 German prisoners.  Records indicate that there were just over 7,000 held their at its peak.  Most of the early prisoners were sent over from North Africa after the combined British and American forces defeated the German Afrika Korps.  These were joined by prisoners captured in Italy and later from France.

1942 May 8, Article from The Paris News regarding cemeteries with Camp Maxey boundary.

Camp Maxey was big by any standards and the process moved quickly to acquire the land.  Besides families being displaced there came additional hurdles.  The land had belonged to family groups and small communities for more than a century.  One of these hurdles was what to do with the graves in within the camp.  Even today there exist old family graves within the boundary of the existing National Guard training camp.

1942 April 10 article from The Paris News on acquiring land for Camp Maxey

Homer Vaughn Wagnon, Jr.

102d Infantry Division, 407 Infantry, B Company

Homer Vaughn Wagnon Jr. was born in Macon, Georgia, on December 27, 1923, an only child. He left this world on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, having just satisfied his life's ambitions. 

His father was always a Macon man and his birth mother, Marie Willey Wagnon, a Thomasville, N.C. native. His stepmother was Mary Wilson Harvey Wagnon who gave him a stepsister and stepbrother, Claude Harvey Walton and Herschel "Buddy" Harvey, to be his siblings. Vaughn was educated at Lanier High School for Boys, Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Virginia. 

As a Mechanical Engineer, he pursued his lifelong compulsion to design and build. Living in Philadelphia in 1950, he was employed by Uniroyal and later RCA. Moving to Charlottesville in 1959, where Sperry and Teledyne employed him, he ably met his goals as a machine designer. His range of new products varied from mechanical rubber goods, radio and TV, naval ships, and aircraft applications. In 1983, he became a self employed PE and diverted effort to Civil Engineering as a structural designer. In this capacity he enjoyed working with steel and concrete structures in the building industry, as well as wooden structures in the housing industry. Retiring in the year 2000, he claimed his was a most satisfying career of 50 years. 

In his family were the love of his life, Darlene Raitt Wright Wagnon and her children, Debbie, Doug, Dan and Deana. Vaughn's children were Larry and Linda from his first marriage. Altogether this family included eleven grandchildren, Tanya, Tara, Tariq, Timothy, Mary Mason, Nancy Douglas, Logan, Corey, Jaid, Sam and Taylor; five great-grandchildren, Chase, Charley May, Channing, Nan and Noah; son-in-law, Doug Barnes; and daughters-in-law, Kathryn Caperton, and Patricia Moyer. All live in Virginia except Doug and Linda Barnes of Chicago. What a delight it was to be part of this wonderful family. 

Vaughn was happy working in his home workshop building things for the house and garden. He was an airplane private pilot, and was rated ASEL and VFR. He obtained his VA state "M" competence rating for operating a motorcycle. He enjoyed playing bridge, both duplicate and party games. He was a passionate collector of everything relating to his life experience and that of his loved ones. 

He was especially proud of his collection of guns and military memorabilia, reminiscent of his service in World War II. Words, music and language were his everyday delight. Ballroom dancing with Darlene and their many friends was a virtual obsession. Vaughn was drafted on June 15, 1943, into the Army's ASTP program for engineers. He completed his basic training in Camp Hood, Tex., and then spent 6 months in Lafayette, Ind., attending Purdue University. From there he was inducted into the 102nd Infantry Division, "Ozarks", where he was trained to be an infantry rifleman in "B" Co., 407th Inf. at Camp Swift, Tex. 

Sent to the ETO with his division in 1944, he fought across Europe from France, through Belgium, Holland and Germany to the Elbe River on VE Day 1945. Wounded only once, he was awarded the EIB, CIB, PHM, BSM w/cluster for valor, GCM, WWII VM and EOM for Germany. Nine months in combat, he served his country in three campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. 

After the war, he was in the army of occupation for another nine months with the 79th and 90th Divisions. Vaughn rose through the ranks to become a platoon sergeant with the grade of S/Sgt, and was given an honorable discharge on December 28, 1945. In later life, after retirement, Vaughn became a member of the BPO Elks Lodge 389, VFW, DAV, NRA, AAHG, CWRT, AL Post 74, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, 19th Va. Inf., Camp 1493 and the Thomas Jefferson Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution. 

He and Darlene were active participants with the "Ozarks", 102nd Infantry Division, at their annual reunion sites all over the USA and he functioned as their Asst. Webmaster. 

His family will receive friends to celebrate the life he loved from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2017, at Hill and Wood Funeral Home, 201 N. First Street, Charlottesville, Virginia. His family welcomes you to join them at the American Legion, 3025 Louisa Rd., Keswick, Virginia, following the visitation at the funeral home, for light refreshments. Interment will be private. 

Flowers and memorabilia are welcome. God willing, the occasion will be happy, with no regrets. Condolences may be sent to his family at www.hillandwood.com

102d Infantry Division, 405th Regiment Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/405th102dOzarks/

Ray Stratford 

102d Infantry Division, 405 Regiment, C Company
February 26, 1925 - December 29, 2017

ISLAND PARK, ID – Ray Paul Stratford, 92, passed away at home surrounded by family on December 29, 2017, following a courageous battle with cancer. Ray was born in Pocatello, Idaho on February 26, 1925, the second child of Rae Percy and Olive Jenson Stratford. He was preceded in death by his parents, older sister Lora Stratford Williamson and younger brother Lowell J Stratford, and two grandchildren.

Ray grew up in Pocatello, spent summers on the Buffalo River in Island Park, earned his Eagle Scout award, and graduated from Pocatello High School in 1943. Ray briefly attended Idaho State College, before joining fellow members of “The Greatest Generation” to serve in World War II in the U.S. Army. He saw action in the European Theater, serving with the 102nd Infantry Division, 405th Regiment, C Company as they participated in the Allied offensive moving from the Netherlands to the Rhine in Germany, earning the Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star.

Ray attended Stanford University where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. He received a professional engineers license from New York State and went to work for General Electric in Schenectady. Ray became a fellow of IEEE authoring over 40 technical papers and a college textbook. In 1994, he received the IEEE outstanding achievement award. He was known around the world for his contributions to Harmonics in Electrical Power Systems. Following his retirement from GE in 1985, Ray worked for Power Technologies Inc. and taught at both Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York and The University of Texas at Austin. Ray was a recipient of the Strathmore’s Who’s Who in 2000. Ray has been a part of Rotary since 1955.

While at Stanford, Ray met and married his first wife, Claire Dennery on September 9, 1949. He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1950. Ray and Claire had three children, Bruce (Nancy Hadfield), Trumbull, CT; Jim (Donna Christian), Melbourne, FL; and Suzanne (Chuck Parkinson), Rapid City, SD; raising them in Scotia, New York. After 20 years of marriage, Ray and Claire chose to take their lives in different, but very positive directions.

In 1973, Ray met Nancy Long, the woman who would become his life-long companion. He embraced her three children as his own: Deborah Arieda McFadden (Jack), Wilton, CT; David Arieda (Elizabeth McCormick), Fort Edward, NY; and Heather Stratford-Geibel (Bill), Spokane, WA. They were married in Schenectady, New York on April 24, 1974 and had their union sealed on August 7, 1975 in the Idaho Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Finally retiring to Island Park Idaho in 1990, he and Nancy built a log cabin on the Buffalo River next to the cabin he enjoyed as a child. He became active in the community and was on the Idaho GEM committee, the Island Park Historical Society board and Chairman of the Island Park Planning and Zoning Board. In 2000, he received the Island Park Man of the Year Award. Ray and Nancy, active in the LDS Church, served a mission in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission and also worked in the South Africa Temple from 1996-1998.

Ray loved building projects and built cabins both in Island Park and in New York on Lake George. He passed that knowledge and love of building along to his children. He valued family, learning and service. The world is a better place because of Ray and the people he touched. He will be missed and remembered by many.

Ray is survived by his wife, Nancy, children: Bruce, Jim, Suzanne, Deborah, David, and Heather. He is also survived by 22 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews living around the world.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 4, 2018, the Island Park Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at 4120 N. Big Springs Loop Road, Island Park, Idaho. The family will receive friends Thursday from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment will be in the Mt. View Cemetery in Pocatello under the direction of Baxter Funeral Home.