KINZER, Sgt. Roy E., 28, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kinzer, 211 North Walnut avenue, who was reported by the war department as having died in the south Pacific war theatre on Jan. 19. as the result of a throat infection.

Memorial services for Sergeant Kinzer will be held at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon in Oak Avenue church. He was an active member of both church and Sunday school.

Roy E. Kinzer was born in Lancaster township on Feb. 16, 1916, and was graduated from Dakota high school. He was employed on a farm until he enlisted in the military service on April 29, 1941.

Contributed by Karen Fyock - Undated Scrapbook Clipping
Son of Harry and Gertrude (Rosenstiel) Kinzer

LIGHTHALL, Richard R. - When a B-29 Super Fortress crashed about three miles from its base at Roswell, New Mexico, shortly before noon yesterday, one of the thirteen members of the crew, fatally injured, was Sgt. Richard R. Lighthall, 23, Freeport. He served in the air corps during the recent World war. Word of the fatal crash was received here late yesterday afternoon by Sheriff Ray Mead. The messaged came from his daughter, the former Dolores Mead, who was married to Young Lighthall two years ago. Later in the day Mrs. Dewey W. Lighthall, 221 West Jackson street, mother of the victim, was also notified of the tragedy. The Lighthalls have an eleven-months-old son. Sheriff Ray Mead, Mrs. D. W. Lighthall, her daughter, Miss Lois Lighthall, ad Merle Lower, a brother to Mrs. Mead, left by auto late yesterday for Roswell. The young sergeant, his wife and their son had been living in Roswell since last February, when he re-enlisted in the air corps. Reports from Rowell indicated the Super Fortress had taken off on a routine flight, the crash taking place shortly afterward. It was indicated the crew included 21 men with 13 killed and eight injured, two or three of the latter seriously. The air force did not indicate the cause of the mishap. Sgt. Lighthall was a native of Freeport having been born here June 14, 1925. He attended Freeport schools and was in his senior year at Freeport high school when he entered the service, joining the air corps. He completed his high school education here after being discharged from the service in 1945. After receiving his training in the United States he went overseas and completed 56 missions as a tail gunner over Italy and Germany. He was given an honorable discharge and returned to Freeport. He was married Jan. 10, 1946 to Dolores Mead, daughter of Sheriff and Mrs. Ray Mead. For some time he was employed by the Fairbanks-Morse company and later by the Intercity Paper & Box company. He re-entered the service last February and was assigned to Roswell air base. His father Dewey W. Lighthall served in the navy during both the first and second World wars. He is now stationed in Korea as a food allocator, in the employ of the U. S. government. A cablegram telling of his son's death was sent last night. Members of the family are awaiting word from the father. The body will be brought to Freeport for burial, but no definite word is expected before tomorrow or Monday. It was expected members of the family, would arrive at Roswell late tonight. Besides his wife and their infant son, Billy Lee, he is survived by his parents and a sister, Miss Lois Lighthall, Freeport. His maternal grandmother, Mrs. F. R. Rice resides at 221 West Jackson street. His paternal grandmother, Mrs. James Lighthall, lives at Long Beach, Calif.

Military honors will be accorded to Sgt. Richard R. Lighthall, 23, when final services are held tomorrow. Sgt, Lighthall was one of 13 crewmen killed when a B-29 Super Fortress crashed near Roswell, N. M., last Friday morning. During the recent World war he had made 56 missions over Italy and Germany. Services will be held at the Walker mortuary, West Main street, at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon. Rev. ALan Billman, pastor of Embury Methodist church will conduct the services. Interment will be made at Oakland. Patriotic organizations of Freeport will be in charge of the military services.
Article and Photo contributed by Karen Fyock - August 13, 1948 clipping
Photo of the Headstone from Justina Cook at Find-A-Grave

Richard R. Lighthall Sgt. 393 AAF Bomb SQ WW II AM & W OLC was the son of Dewey W. Lighthall and Muriel A. Rice. He was married Delores Mead, and they were the parents of one child - Billy Lee, who was eleven months old at the time of his father's death.
Obituary

I take the notes of the Officers as they make their individual inspections and compile all notes into a complete report. This report, I then send through all necessary channels for corrective action if any is needed and there usually is, and report to the Major who in turn reports to the Col. and our Commanding Officer on the condition of the units and compliance with our recommendations or directions stated in the report. We inspect about four or five units each month and so you can see that I really have my hands full. I have been promised an assistant to take care of routine office work that piles up for me while we are out on trips. We have our own plane so that the transportation problem isn't bad, but sometimes weather and living quarters in some of the units makes things a little unpleasant. Usually the trips are only a few days but one that we made in may was ten days and was by far the most wonderful trip that I have been on. I was able to write the folks about that one but previous ones I hadn't been able to mention very much. In case they haven't told you I'll try to describe the ten days of that trip, but please don't think the others have been as luxurious, because they darn well haven't! We were to make inspections of two of our Squadrons, located near Paris and had planned to have out temporary headquarters in Paris. The billeting situation there is terrific, everything is crowded and the place hat I was scheduled to stay was really crowded. Well, the first morning we jeeped out to the one squadron, about 15 kilometers from Paris to begin our inspections and in the course of the evening, the C. O. of the Squadron invited us to stay in his chateau. He had stumbled on this beautiful chateau, worth about $3,000,000 while hunting for a sight for Sq, Hq.

It had formerly belonged to a collaborationist who doesn't dare return to this little village on the banks of the Seine; so he made the necessary negotiations, had the place cleaned up, and appropriated it for his quarters. The place is simply out of this world, has old paintings worth thousands, exquisite furniture, paneling and woodwork and lovely adjoining lawns and gardens. he has employed five servants and now has the place in tiptop shape. There are seven bedrooms, the Cerise Room, the Chartreuse Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Rose Room, etc. There are two living rooms or drawing rooms and a den or library on the ground floor and a dining room and a smaller, more informal breakfast of lunch too, lovely hall and foyer, tiled kitchen. Second floor has 3 bedrooms, enormous bathroom and canopied balcony at the end of the gall. Third floor has four more bedrooms, a large room used as a studio or sitting room, furnished with a lovely Grand piano and comfortable chairs and inlaid tables, etc. All the windows are French and open onto little balconies edged with flower boxes. On the roof is a solarium and gym combined with all sorts of exercising machines and sun bathing facilities in a glassed-in room. The garden has a grotto and a little stream ending in a pool in the center of which is a statue fountain that tinkles and sparkles in the sunshine. I had the Blue room and one of his servants was delegated as my personal maid and chaperon during my stay. It someone had told me this would happen to me in the Army I wouldn't have believed them! The maids name was Angel, pronounced Ahn-jell and she was a perfect wonder. She slept in a tiny room opening off mine and would have my bath ready for me when she woke me in the morning.

She would lay out my clothes and would have them all pressed and my shoes shined. She couldn't understand when I assured her I was quite able of dressing myself. We would then have breakfast in the garden at 8 or 8:30 and begin our days work. In the evening, she would have a clean shirt layed out for me and brush my hair while I cleaned up for dinner. I worked several nights on the reports in the studio, a couple of nites we toured Paris and V-E night I went to Fontain Blue with one of the fellows from the Squadron. I got to bed between 11 and 12 each nigh though and Angel was always waiting for me. She would have my bed turned down, robe and slippers laid out, tea or fruit juice and a snack on a tray for me, and always fresh flowers on the night table beside my bed. She would also brush my hair for about 10 minutes each night, too. Such luxury, I almost got spoiled. I went to church twice in the Cathedral De Notre dame while I was there. On the one Sunday and on V-E day morning. On the Sunday afternoon, we went sight-seeing all around Paris, the first time I rally had time and really saw all the sights. Services in the Cathedral really were impressive on V-E Day, the French people are very devout and were so terribly happy about the end of the war. The crowd in Paris all day that day were terrific!

It was estimated that there were three million people concentrated around the Arc De Triomphe and I can well believe it, because it looked like there were more than that to me. Lt. Eschen from the Squadron drove me in town that afternoon in a jeep and we no more that started up the Champe DeElysees that the jeep was covered with French people of all ages singing the Marseillaise and shouting "Finis LeGuerre" (End of the War or War is ended) and "Vive La France" and Vive La Americain" Every vehicle that tried to traverse the streets was promptly boarded by the hilarious people. The amazing thing to me was that I noted only one or two people here and there who were intoxicated. It wasn't till late that evening that we opened a bottle of champagne at Fountaine Bleau, in a quiet little side walk cafe on the bank of the Seine, that we toasted Victory Day. My reactions were, on the whole, like most of us here. I felt that it was wonderful that the actual fighting was over, but we still have quite a war to fight on the other side and there will also be a long time of cleaning up here, so I guess, it just seemed like another day to me. Sometimes, when I let myself think of it, it seems like it will be so long yet before we will all get home. As for myself, I only have 33 points, not enough! Besides no one gets released in my outfit until there is a replacement because our job is considered essential. You see, the AACS controls all the radio, teletype, and crypto communications to the Air Forces and our planes will be flying around here quite some time. Goodness, this has really gott to be quite a book, how I do chatter on! I'll try to write a bit more often now that I've got in the groove again. Please give everyone at home my very best regards and also my address in case anyone feels like writing. Also please remember that this last trip to France was one in a million, and I guess I was about the luckiest WAC in the world on that one.

As ever, Vietta

Sgt. Vietta Offenheiser is now located in Wiesbaden, Germany. A letter to her parents Mr. and Mrs. Henry Offenheiser says in part - "We were scheduled to fly from England Sept. 26 and almost across the channel, but the weather on the continent was so bad we had to go back to London until the following day. I got to sit in the co-pilots seat all the way, a little over three hours. It was a marvelous ride. I learned to read about half the gadgets in the cock pit and was allowed to steer the plane through clear sailing for almost an hour. The plane is a smooth looking job, silver painted with our insignia painted on the nose. We WACs are billeted in one of the best houses left standing in Wiesbaden. It failed to get the beating the rest of the town got. I am with three other girls I was with in London. The ground floor consists of a large oak ceilinged foyer with stained glass windows, potted flowers and beautiful paintings on the walls.

The furniture is so grand it is almost "out of this world". Books rest on glassed shelves, tables are all inlaid, fire places, mirrors from the ceing to the floor, huge crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling that is beautifully carved, and wood panels are very elaborate as side walls. Our mess hall is on the main floor of the Hotel Metropolis still in good condition and only two bloacks from where we stay. It reminds me of the Faust hotel at Rockford. German cooks have plenty of KP help and the food is wonderful. Some of these displaced people work for three cigarettes a day or a package of K rations or the food we leave on our plates. They are good workers however, and very clean. The aristoctrats of the town dress in true Hollywood style. My German dialect is very poor and whenever I try to express myself in French I draw a "nein" every time. But my sign language has increased about 500 percent and in that I can put across almost any order or instruction. At one time Wiesbaden was the most beautiful city of Germany. They tell me 440,000 people were killed in this area when our raids were on. The Gestapo used this as their winter resort for high ranking officers. Wiesbaden is on the Rhine backed by the most beautiful mountains that are perfect for skiing and sledding. Elegant riding stables are to be seen, golf courses and tennis courts, in fact all surroundings are simply wonderful. We hope to go to Italy next and then I shall have another flying lesson enroute. My present address is Sgt. V. Offenheiser A698219 Hg 5th ASES Wing APO 633 U. A. Army % P.M. New York, N. Y.
Contributed by Karen Fyock