Edmund Gubler
Edmund (Ted) Gubler, as a First Lieutenant in the Air Service, was flying a P-61 Mustang, escorting bombers over the war zone in Europe, when he was shot down over Romania and held in Bucharest as a P.O.W. for about eight months. Lanse Smith received the Purple Heart for wounds he received in the Battle of the Bulge. Cecil Hutchings was in the service during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He was Captain and Commanding Officer at the Navy-Marine training base at Alameda, California and received two top secret letters of commendation for photographic flight missions. Burl Hermansen was a Lieutenant Colonel and saw action at Iwo Jima. Jack Bradley, another former resident of Preston, was captured by the Japanese at Bataan. After some months in a prison camp in the Philipines, he was being transferred by ship to Japan. A United States aircraft bombed the ship and he was killed.
However history interprets the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, they were efforts by a nation dedicated to human rights, to check the spread of Communism to protect weaker nations and our young men served with distinction. During the three years of Korea and the nine years the United States was in Nietnam and the times in between and since many White River boys served in both wars and in different branches of the service including the Army of Occupation and the National Guard.
Maun Petersen
Maun Petersen, after serving with the Army of Occupation in Germany, was sent to Korea where he was killed immediately after being sent into action.
Wallace Taylor
Wallace Taylor, with the Air Force in the Korean conflict spent two years in Japan and many years with the National Guard where he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Elbert Gardner, Jet Fighter Pilot and Lieutenant Colonel, survived an air collision and received the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters. L. Reid Ivins, jet pilot and Lieutenant Colonel served twenty years in Korea and Vietnam and in the United States as flying instructor and Staff Officer to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. A citation he received reads: "First Lieutenant Loraine R. Ivins distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. While on an armed reconnaissance mission he flew at dangerously low altitudes along enemy main supply routes, seeking targets of opportunity. Dive bombing from absolute minimum altitude, Lieutenant Ivins' accurate bombing started fires which rapidly swept through the box cars, setting off large and numerous secondary explosions of munitions. Through intense anti-aircraft fire, which by now had become seemingly impenetrable, Lieutenant Ivins made strafing passes until forced to withdraw due to low fuel supply. As a result of this highly successful mission, large quantities of munitions vitally needed by the enemy for his frontline offensive were destroyed. Through his skill, courage and devotion to duty, Lieutenant Ivins hasbrought great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force."
Admittedly this is not complete but only a few characteristic examples. Pictures and/or names of servicemen connected with the Valley follow. Some of the individual achievements are in the captions when available.
WORLD WAR I and ARMY
Lund
Neil Gardner Sr. Sam Sinfield
Gideon Hendrix Fern Sinfield
Lorain Hendrix LaVerne Whipple
Orvil Hendrix John Adams
Loraine R. Ivins Carl Stephens(no picture)
Henry Mathis Ashby Harrison
Merlin Peacock Rodney Oxborrow
Steel Reid Alden Horsley(no picture)
Francis Riordan(no picture) Wesley Reid
Preston
Frank Bradley (Donahue) Everett Bradley (no picture)
Joe Bradley Virgil Ruppe
WORLD WAR II or ARMY OF OCCUPATION
Lund
Mack Gardner Hilton Gardner
Lewis Oxborrow James Wakeling
Gene Besswanger
Lawrence Fawcett Bobbie D. Hutchings
Clair Wakeling Neil Gardner Jr.
Roscoe Sinfield Doug Kenyon
Karl Kenyon Edmund Gubler
Lanse Smith DeRoy H. Gubler
Ben Sinfield Kay Reid
Philip Carter John L. Hendrix
Joe W. Peacock Leonard Gardner
Cecil Hutchings LaVon Fawcett
Arien Wise Keith W. Hendrix
Bud Hendrix Rex Hendrix
Ray Horsley Lee Horsley
Fielding Ashby
Preston
Ralph Bernsen (no picture) Aage Madsen
Rex Petersen William Jensen (no picture)
Burl Hermansen Jack Bradley
Walter Cripps Lewis Cripps
Comins Petersen Murray Petersen
John Dennis V. Harrison Gardner
Amos Gardner Calvin Jackman (no picture)
Alvin Cazier (no picture) Marion Arnoldsen
Darwin Arnoldsen Larry Arnoldsen
David Arnoldsen Jay Cheel
Walter Cheel Jay Arnoldsen
Carol Arnoldsen Paul Neilsen (no picture)
James Neilsen (no picture) Eugene Funk
Alfred Funk Ray Funk
KOREA, VIETNAM or ARMY OF OCCUPATION
Lund
Duke Hermansen Stanley Fawcett
Elbert Gardner J. L. Whipple
Richard Reid Max Reid
Frank Reid Jensen Peacock
Cecil Hutchings Duane Duval
Duane Duval Brice Gubler
Denton Gubler D. Edgar Perry
Richard E. Perry Reid Ivins
Wallace Taylor Leonard Larkin
Clyde W.(Bill) Larkin Neil Gardner III
Robert Bartlett Victor Williams
Robert Hold Myron Wise
Udell Wise Jackson Taylor
Stanton Stucki Randy Stucki
Glen Fawcett Norris Hendrix
George Paice Vernon Spidel
Dee Rollins (Snow) Gary Gardner
Vernile Adams Jay Godfrey
Dennis Tribble Robert Mathewson
Harvey Hold Clark Reid
Keith Ivins Boyd Stucki
Preston
Dick Judd David Petersen
Russell Peacock Guy Robertshaw
Robert Petersen Maun Petersen
Martin (Junior) Petersen Joe Burton
Darrell Gardner Milton Judd
Duckwater
Jerry Millet Duane Sam
Daniel Mike
NATIONAL GUARD
Michael Gardner Donald McKenzie
Sam Scow Frank Funk
Robert Gardner Nelson Carter
Roy Gene Horsley Jack Reid
Wallace Taylor Ken McKenzie