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| PFC Merle Lehmkuhl was a medic who served with the 21st Infantry Regiment in Leyte. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132312473/merle-e-lehmkuhl https://toystoreyspot.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/1-the-us-invasion-of-leyte-october-20-1944/ |
Merle E. Lehmkuhl never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on May 22, 1919 in South Dakota. His parents Fred and Lillian were both born in Iowa. All four of his grandparents were from Germany. His father worked as a farmer. Merle had four older brothers. He graduated from high school in 1937 and married Dorothea Vader in July 1941.
He was drafted into the army on February 26, 1942. He became a private first class and medic who served in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. PFC Lehmkuhl's unit was in Oahu in May 1942. In May 1943 it was sent to Australia. It fought in the Battle of Hollandia in April 1944.
In October 1944 the 21st IR was given the assignment of Panaon Straights during the Leyte campaign. With that assignment completed, the 21st IR was sent north and replaced the 34th IR at Breakheart Ridge on November 5, where the Japanese had set up a fierce defense. The regiment's attempt to take the ridge were delayed by a typhoon on November 8. The ridge was secured four days later after heavy casualties. PFC Lehmkuhl was killed in action on November 10, 1944 while he was giving aid to a wounded soldier.
Merle left behind a two-year-old son he never met, by the name of Dennis.
His grave is at Gettysburg Cemetery in Gettysburg, South Dakota.
Per his grandson Paul Lehmkuhl, Merle's son Dennis had two daughters and two sons. Dennis became a biology professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Dorothea remarried and died in 2011.
Last year on this date I profiled medic Travis Tucker, 3rd Infantry Division. You can read about Travis here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
Salute! My husband’s father, Lt. Philip Ford, 77th 306E was killed a month later on Leyte in the action to take Ormoc.
ReplyDeleteit is great to here memories of relatives. RIP and thank-you for your service Merle
ReplyDeleteDo you want to see Merle's story added to the www.storiesbehindthestars.org project, to remember all 400,000+ US WWII fallen?
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