1942 - World War II
(Click to enlarge this image and read the small print.)
A front page article in the Ellsworth News on January 7, 1942:
Male citizens between ages of 20 and 44 to register
February 16
President Roosevelt has set Monday, February 16, for
registration of all male citizens and most aliens of the nation between
the ages of 20 and 44 who have not registered previously. Men of this age
group will be subjest to military service.
The date was fixed in a proclamation. It made no mention
of registration of men from 45 through 64 who are to be registered later
on, but who will be exempt from service with the armed forces under present
legislation.
Two front page articles in the Ellsworth News on August 12, 1942:
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Sugar ration books of service men and deceased
persons to be turned in
War Ration books of men entering the service must be
turned in to the ration board within ten days after men report for duty.
In most cased, this rule has been adhered to locally, and all are cautioned
to keelp this in mind for future reference.
Books may be turned in to the sub-board and will be
sent to the local board at Webster City. Another reminder has
been issued by the local rationing board in reference to the accurated
record each housewife is supposed to keep of canning done with the sugar
which has been issued her. A report will have to be made next
spring as to just how the sugar was used.
If housewives don't have the number of quarts canned
by October 31 which they designated, they will be required to make a report
to the local board as to the exact number of quarts canned.
Sugar ration dates at Ellsworth are as follows:
today at 7:30 PM, Thursday at 8 PM, Saturday
afternoon at 2, and Saturday evening at 7:30. All sugar applications
should be in this week.

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Parade, Auction, Attractions and Bands
Monday will be the big "War Day" celebration at the
county fairgrounds in Webster City. This is an all-county celebration
but on by the County War Council to raide funds to pay the cost of the
"sendoffs" accorded to all inducted service men when they leave for service
in the armed forces of the United States.
The big day, Monday, August
17, will start off with a mammoth parade down Second street in Webster
City. At least eleven wonderful floats will be in the parade,
and plenty of smaller ones. There will be a number of bands
in the parade, including the Training School band from Eldora and the Sootties
band from Boone. The parade will start one block west of the
Willson hotel.
Home Guards To March
The Eldora band, the Boone
Scotties and the Webster City Home Guards will march and maneuver in front
of the grandstand preceding t h e acts both afternoon and evening.
The acts will be outstanding, and well worth seeing.
Auctioning of Goods
An auction of donated
merchandise and farm goods will be held duriing the day, starting immediately
after the parade, and will be preceded by the first $100 drawing. The auction
will be held under the trees just north of the grandstand. Businessmen
from all the towns in the county are donating goods for this auction.
Committees in charge of
securing the donated merchandise, from this part of the county, are as
follows: Ellsworth - Carroll Kuhfus, Randall - Lloyd Okland, Stanhope -
Merlin Dick. All articles can be brought in to these men, and
they will see that they get to Webster City.
There'll Even Be Hay
Among the unusual articles
listed at present is a hog donatedby a bankof the county. Two farmers have
each donated twenty-five bales of hay. Nearly every business house has
donated one or more articles, and more articles will be given before Monday.
Many businessmen who are not donating goods are contributing various sums
of cash to assist in this meritorious war effort. Julius Bermann of Webster
City will have charge of the auction.
All Help Donated
All help and labor for
this big day is being donated by every person taking part, and you will
do your part by buying tickets and attending the celebration.
Remember the date - Monday, August 17, at the fair grounds in Webster City.

1942 - Kenneth P. Appelgate
Kenneth Applegate
College Station, Texas
Dear Joy (editor
of the Ellsworth News);
Although I don't know you real well, and you probably
know less about me, I feel that I should write to you and put in a word
about the Marines, or rather, represent them.
You have had lots
of letters in your paper from the Army, Navy, and cadets, but none from
a Marine as far as I've noticed, and very few copies I miss or very few
articles I miss reading. So will put in my two cents worth (or however
much the Marines are worth.)
I've been in the
Marines since last April, and still receiving specialized training.
I've been here at A & M since the first of August taking up a course
in communications as a radio operator. I am practically through here;
in fact, just two and a half days left, as I through on Dec. 24.
I'm anxious to
put to use what I've learned here, which has been a great deal. I'll
never be the same to my old friends as I was before I came, as one has
to be "wacky" or "crazy" to master the code at a reasonably fast speed
- which is what I have done!
Texas is a nice
state (although I think we should get paid for foreign duty), but it doesn't
have much that good old Iowa doesn't have.
In fact, I think
it has less, 'cause they don't have snow at Christmas, which seems quite
necessary in my opinion. Instead, they have the custom of shooting
fire crackers, which in turn, got us Marines into "hot water" as some of
the fellows would bring them into the dormitory and fire them. About
that time the top-sergeant stopped the fun. However, a large
firecracker did make a lot of noise when touched off in a room under someone's
bed, who was in deep slumber.
All in all, most
of the fellows take their task pretty serious and want to get this thing
over with.
I receive lots
of letters and of course, write a lot, but am always glad to get them.
I only wish I was as fortunate as a lot of my Army and sailor friends when
it comes to getting furloughs.
I must close now,
and hope to see all of you soon as circumstances permit.
Pfc. Kenneth P. Appelgate
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1942 - Blackout Monday Night
One long blast of the fire whistle just before 10 o'clock
will announce the beginning of the blackout.
ALL LIGHTS MUST BE OUT BY 10 O'CLOCK.
This includes house and store lights, automobiles,
flashlights, cigars and cigarettes - all lights. At 10:20 o'clock,
several short blasts will announce the end of the blackout.

The blackout set for Monday, December 14, is planned
for 10 to 10:20 PM central war time. The county civilian defense
committee will soon issue definite plans and arrangements for Hamilton
county. The statistical and record division of the department
of public safety, however, has issued instructions of what to do if driving
a car when the air raid alarm sounds.
1942 - Donald Shade
Donald Shade
A.E.F. in Northern Ireland, March 29, 1942
Dear folks,
Received your
letter of Feb. 28 today. Letters are most welcome these days.
Haven't received the package yet Red Groves got two chickens from home
today. They were green.
The fishing is
good here. There are salmon, white trout, brown trout, eel, speckled
trout and flounder. I haven't been out yet, but am going soon. War
or no war, I'm still going fishing. The streams are clear and fast
which should make good angling. Some of the boys get a wild goose
now and then. However, the major put a stop to that. He figures they
need the ...
Jack and Leo got the Ellsworth
News today. It is really a treat to get a Americn newspaper.
You can tell Joy Hanson that his paper is bigger than the London paper
- it has only four pages now. The largest one is the Empire News.
We are all wondering who won
the state basketball tournament. For all we know, Rose Grove might
have won it. For entertainment here, the boys play poker, blackjack,
checkers and bridge. Obe and I get into some terrible checker duels.
I am enclosing a picture from
one of the large newspapers here. Shaffer of Fort Dodge and I are
the only two you would know. There are so many interesting things
that we see and do, but can not write about.
I am in the best of health
and spirits. Am having the time of my life getting accustomed to
some odd people with odder habits. I have never seen such pink complexions.
People look like they have just scrubbed themselves with a stiff brush
and strong soap.
At present, I am Battalion
Supply Sergeant, but I don't know how permanent it will be. Everything
is rationed here. We get plenty to eat. All the boys
from Ellsworth are here, also George Boeke from Hubbard.
Sgt. Donald M. Shade, Co E, 133rd
Inf.
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Says the department of public
safety in a bulletin received by Sheriff E. R. Lear; "During the
period of an air raid alarm (actual or drill) either in daytime or nighttime,
all vehicles other than emergency (such as fire, police, state police,
sheriff's, highway patrol, utilities, ambulances, staff cars and the U.S.
Army) must stop and pull to the curb, putting out all car lights.
Passengers may remain in their cars unless in downtown area where shelters
are available. Drivers and passengers must not smoke during such
time. Until such time as blackout driving lenses can be provided,
it is necessary to impose during test blackouts certain restrictions such
as speed limit of not to exceed 15 miles per hour, vehicles being operated
either with parking...."
(from "The Ellsworth News" December 14, 1942)
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