Honored Veterans
CURRENT HONORED VETERANS
“The Henry Boys”
The “Henry Boys” were born in Colfax County, Nebraska, the children of Francis J. and Evangeline “Annie” Murphy Henry. Her father, PJ Murphy, built “the house in Rogers” where Annie grew up and where she and Frank raised their eight children: Pat, Mary, Richard (Dick), Margaret, Francis Jr (Joe), Jack (who died at age 18 in a car/bus accident), Catherine, and Tom.
From Pat Henry’s December 3, 1944 letter to his wife, Margaret Costello Henry, from a hospital in Belgium:
“To begin with, I am OK and there is nothing to worry about in fact I’m having the best time I have had since I’ve been in the army. Nothing to do but eat and rest and keep warm and dry. We had been having a tough time with Jerry for a couple of days and on this night he was raising particular hell. We were on an outpost and I was moving to relieve a fellow when this shell hit close. The concussion knocked me down and against a tree messing up my face a bit and broke my teeth and glasses and a piece of shrapnel grazed my hand barely breaking the skin through my glove. It shook me up a bit and blew my helmet off. I don’t know what would have happened if I had the chin strap buckled but they do not do that any more so I was OK. I was really more mad than hurt and stuck it out the rest of the night. The worst trouble was with the arthritis that I have. It had been coming back on me and I was getting pretty badly stiffened up. They are giving me physical therapy treatments for it now but when I am warm and dry it doesn’t bother so much.”
Patrick was discharged in November, 1945. He never spoke about the war when he returned.
The Battle of the Hurtgen Forest was a series of battles fought from September 19 to December 16, 1944 between American and German forces during World War II. The Hurtgen Forest is a 54 square mile area 3 miles east of the German-Belgian border. It was the longest battle fought on German ground and is the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought. Over 33,000 Americans died.
A description of the conditions in the Hurtgen Forest from World War II files researched by Bob Becker:
“16 Nov 1944, 1245 hours. They moved out heading north thru the woods. It was a slow grind on all sectors. Enemy mortar fire was intense. The ground conditions were appalling after almost 2 weeks of steady rain. The mud was deep and clinging. It became increasing difficult to hold off the enemy with nothing more than infantry weapons.”
PATRICK FRANCIS HENRY
Born: Sept. 9, 1907 in Colfax County, NE
Died: July 7, 1980 in Omaha, NE
Patrick was the last of the four Henry sons to go in. He was inducted in March 1944 and was stationed at Camp Roberts, CA. He had a wife and three children when he was drafted.
RICHARD BARTHOLOMEW HENRY
Born: Mar. 26, 1910 in Colfax County, NE
Died: Feb. 23, 1968 in Lincoln, NE
Richard, in the infantry anti-aircraft, served in the south Pacific. He entered the service March 12, 1942.
FRANCIS JOSEPH HENRY
Born: Dec. 25, 1913 in Colfax County, NE
Died: June 6, 1983 in Hayward, CA
Francis “Joe” Jr. chose the navy. He entered service in March 1942 and was stationed around Pearl Harbor with the Navy Air Corps.
THOMAS CONBOY HENRY
Born: May 16, 1920 in Colfax County, NE
Died: Feb. 5, 1999 in San Francisco, CA
Thomas wore the uniform starting in October, 1941 and saw combat in both the Pacific and Asiatic campaigns. He received a presidential citation for outstanding performance of duty under fire in New Guinea, two ribbons with one star each for exemplary conduct in two Asiatic-Pacific campaigns, the good conduct medal, and the American Defense Ribbon for service before Pearl Harbor.
PAST HONORED VETERAN
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS MILES HOFFMAN
Pvt. Miles Hoffman First Wounded Vet Eisenhower Greets
The busload of Winter General Hospital patients who went down to the station to get a look at their Supreme Commander were a skeptical bunch en route to the station.
They kept insisting that they were going primarily for the ride and three of them said they had already seen “Ike” in France.
They discussed the height of the general and one boy from Minnesota volunteered the information that he had served in an honor guard for Gen. Mark Clark.
Joshed One Another
Upon arrival at the station some thirty minutes before the train was due to pull in, they joshed one another with “look at those dogfaces out there”-“fix that tie, boy, old “Ike” is liable to inspect us”-“and wish I was a general.”
In the distance a train whistled and they fell in marching, crutches and canes forgotten, to the strains of the General’s March to the spot where they had been told to form in ranks.
The train stopped and the general saluted the crowd. Those boys back from overseas stood at salute and the crowd gasped as Eisenhower climbed down the steps and pushed his way thru, telling his aide, “I want to speak to him-I saw him saluting as the train went thru,” and walked right up to Pvt. Miles Hoffman, Stanton, Nebr.
“Where Were You Son?”
Hoffman, on crutches, swallowed audibly as he answered the general’s question, “Where were you, son?”
The general shook hands with him and with his left hand still on Hoffman’s right arm turned to question other veterans crowded around him.
Military Service: US Army World War II Private First Class
Private Miles Hoffman (the gentleman in the middle) is depicted in this Topeka Daily newspaper article shaking the hand of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Veteran meets Veteran, Pvt. Hoffman a patient of Winter General Hospital in 1945, was the first wounded veteran greeted by Eisenhower.
Miles entered active service on August 17, 1944. He spent 4 1/4 months in infantry basic training, 2 1/2 months as a rifleman, and 2 months as PFC Machine Gunner Heavy, serving in France, WW II, where he was assigned to the 3rd Armored Infantry Division 36th Regiment, attaining the rank of Private First Class. He directed gun fire on enemy positions, emplacement of guns in position and camouflaged position. Miles also made repairs and maintained machine guns.
PFC Hoffman was seriously wounded by shrapnel and spent many months recovering at Wm. Beaumont General Hospital in El Paso, Texas. He separated from military service on May 18, 1946.
PFC Hoffman was in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater for 7 months, and entitled to wear the EAME Theater Ribbon with Two Bronze campaign Stars, the American Theater Ribbon, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was also authorized to wear the Combat Infantry Badge, the Purple Heart, and the Good Conduct Ribbon & Medal.
PFC Miles Hoffman urges a nurse to come closer for a kiss under the mistletoe as he was recovering from his injuries at an El Paso hospital.
Mr. Hoffman was born Feb. 7, 1925 in Winner, S.D., to Paul and Anna (Berger) Hoffman. He married Ruth E. Hanak on Oct. 26, 1947, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Creston. Two daughters & four sons were born from this union, Charlene, Charlotte, David, James, Donald & Robert.
Mr. Hoffman graduated 8th grade from a Stanton school in 1941. He worked on his father’s 480 acre farm, plowing, planting, & harvesting grain & row crops. He drove and maintained a Farmall tractor used for almost all farming & hauling equipment.
Mr. Hoffman was also employed as a truck driver. He drove a 2 1/2 ton stake body truck, hauling cattle, & grain on 100 mile trips, some at night, in all climatic conditions. He lived most of his life in Columbus & also worked at Behlen Mfg. He belonged to the V.F.W. Post 3704, the Disabled American Veterans, and St. Lukes Congregational Church.
Miles Hoffman passed away at the age of 65, at his home, on June 9, 1990. Burial was in the Fairview Cemetery at Creston with military graveside services provided by Hartman Post American Legion.
Please join us in extending our heartfelt condolences & appreciation for all the sacrifices made by Private First Class Miles Hoffman and his family during his heroic service to our country, and for all the freedoms we enjoy today.
PAST HONORED VETERANS
PETTY OFFICER BLANCHE ELSIE SYKORA DUNN
Military Service 1944-1945 PETTY OFFICER YEOMAN 3RD CLASS
Reported for duty during World War II in the US Navy WAVES serving at the 12th Naval District, San Francisco, California.
PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS
Francis William Horak
December 16, 1940 – August 20, 2022
Just as the sun ushers in a new beginning and the sunset marks the ending so it was for Francis William Horak, son of Frank and Emily (Slavik) Horak. His sunrise was on December 16, 1940 in Columbus, Nebraska, and his sunset occurred on Aug. 20, 2022, at the Veteran’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he died at the age of 81 years, 8 months and 4 days.
Francis began his school years at rural school District #15 in Colfax County. He was active in 4-H where he won the Nebraska State Tractor Driving contest at age 15 earning an all-expense paid trip to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago in 1956. He graduated from Schuyler High School in 1958. He then enrolled at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln just as the specter of the Vietnam War appeared on the horizon. Unwilling to wait for the inevitable draft notice, he put his college career on hold and enlisted with the Nebraska Beef State Company on February 27, 1962, leaving for training at San Diego. His naval training as a Seabee was completed in Port Hueneme, California. His unit was deployed to Saigon, Vietnam, in November 1962. Francis was honorably discharged from active naval service as a petty officer second class on June 24, 1966. During his four and one-half years in the service, Francis spent three years and seven months in Vietnam. He was awarded three Armed Forces Expeditionary awards, the National Defense Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Good Conduct award.
He completed his education at UN-L graduating with a bachelor’s of science in Mechanical Engineering in 1972 and earned his master’s degree in Material Science. As a senior process engineer, he joined Allis Chalmers at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1977.
On Nov. 16, 1998 he was united in marriage to Mary Chamulak in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were married 23 years residing in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Vacationing throughout the United States, they were always the happiest returning to Waukesha because “There’s no place like home.”
Committal with Military Honors was held in the Schuyler Cemetery.