Heritage Edition 2013: Military
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PRESS & DAKOTAN n MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013 HERITAGE 2013: PAGE 3B COURTESY PHOTOS Cpl. David Hevle, pictured in the two photos above, was the first Yankton resident to be killed in action during the Vietnam War. He died when the vehicle he was operating hit a mine on April 8, 1967. A memorial for Hevle that had been forgotten at a Girl Scout camp in Pennsylvania was recently placed at his grave. RIGHT: His younger brother, Doug, who is seen here with the marker, said he is glad the memorial found its way to Yankton. Homecoming AN U N EXPECTE D A Monument In Pennsylvania Honoring A Fallen Yankton Soldier Finds Its Way Home BY NATHAN JOHNSON nathan.johnson@yankton.net A lthough Cpl. Dave Hevle was killed in Vietnam and buried in Yankton almost 50 years ago, he was recently a source of mystery for a community in southwestern Pennsylvania. Thanks to the compassion and care of residents in that far-off state and elsewhere, a long-forgotten marker honoring Hevle has found its way across the country to his gravesite. The 360-pound stone memorial was placed in Yankton s Garden of Memories Cemetery just before Memorial Day. I m the only one left now in our family, but I m sure my mother and father would appreciate the attention that David is getting, Doug Hevle, Dave s younger brother, told the Press & Dakotan. It is well-deserved. Hevle joined the U.S. Marines at age 17 and was in Vietnam for almost one year with the Headquarters Platoon, B Company, Third AmTrac Battalion, First Marine Division. He was a crew member of an AmTrac, which is an amphibious assault vehicle. Hevle died April 8, 1967, when the vehicle he was operating struck a mine while on patrol northwest of Song Tra-Bong River in the Binh Son District of the Quang Ngai Province. He suffered from third degree burns and was killed instantly. Hevle was the first Yankton resident to be killed in action during the Vietnam War. UNRAVELING A MYSTERY Back in 1967, Robert Rasel, a Pennsylvania native, served in Vietnam with Hevle and gave his name to a group of Girl Scouts in his home state so they could send care packages. When Hevle was killed, the Girl Scouts planted a pine tree and placed a memorial in his honor at their 32-acre Camp Timberlake in Washington County, Pa. The marker was eventually forgotten, and the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania arranged to sell the camp in 2012. However, a Girl Scout volunteer named Kriss Svidro found the memorial and kicked off a mystery. Carved into the stone are the words: In memory of Cpl. David Hevel [sic], B Co., 3rd Amtrac Bn., U.S. Marine Corp, 1944-1967, Buried in Yankton, South Dakota. After some research, it was determined that Hevle s name was misspelled on the marker, but it took more time to discover why the memorial was there in the first place. Media in the region picked up the story, and it gained the attention of Rasel, who now lives in New Mexico. He was able to explain how Hevle s name was given to the local Girl Scouts. With the permission of Doug Hevle, arrangements were made for the marker to be transported back to Yankton and placed in the Garden of Memories. Total Safety, a provider of integrated industrial safety and compliance services, strategies and equipment for hazardous environments, donated the money for shipping the heavy object. Prior to the stone being transported, a memorial service was KELLY HERTZ/P&D held April 13 at the former Camp Timberlake to honor Hevle. Girl Scout troops, Vietnam veterans and military organizations were among those in attendance. When his family visits his final resting place, they will know that he was loved and respected as a person and as a Marine by a group of young ladies who did not know him personally but knew him in their thoughts and hearts and truly appreciated his sacrifice, District 10 Vice-Commandant of the Pennsylvania Marine Corps League Detachment Jim Walters said at the memorial, according to the Ob- server-Reporter of southwestern Pennsylvania. COMING HOME The existence of the memorial was a surprise to Doug Hevle. (My family) knew a long time ago that this Girl Scout group in Pennsylvania planted a tree in David s memory, he said. What we didn t know is, they put a monument there, also. Over the years, everything was quiet. Doug agreed to have the marker HEVLE | PAGE 14B Profile: Kip Larson s War Journey Soared Across Europe BY DOUG SALL For the Press & Dakotan C lifford Kip Larson, long-time Yankton resident, enjoyed the company of several other fellows while in school, young men who made their mark in World War II. A quick look at the 1938 Arickara and one immediately recognizes two others featured in this Heritage Edition: Hod Nielsen and Fred Peschl. Kip was characterized in the yearbook as one of the dashing sports heroes ... an athlete on the basketball, football and track squads. I m certain that there were many others, too. Following graduation, Kip matriculated at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology for a semester and then returned to Yankton, enrolling in Yankton College. But, as war clouds loomed, Kip was drafted. Not to be outflanked by Uncle Sam, Kip enlisted, i.e., volunteered, in order to have a little more control over his destiny. He was hoping to get stationed in the Canal Zone and, indeed, he did! To give the reader a sense of what was going on in that theatre at the time, the following is included as background on activities in the Canal Zone. Unit Background: 550th Glider Infantry Battalion: A Bolt From The Blue On July 1, 1941, the 550th airborne infantry was activated at Ft. Kolbe, on the Pacific side of the Canal Zone, Clifford Kip Larson in Panama. Initially, the unit was neither parachute nor glider; but, rather, an airlanding infantry outfit that was based on a German model used in the assault on Crete. Troops were stationed in Panama, early on, due to concern over German influence in Central America. In August 1943, the 550th was redeployed to Camp MacKall, N.C., where it undertook glider training. Thus, the 550th Infantry Battalion was redesignated the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion. In April 1944, the unit was sent overseas to Italy, arriving there in May. On July 11, 1944, the 1st Airborne Task Force was formed. Division-sized in strength, it consisted of the British 2d Independent Parachute Brigade, U.S. 509Th Parachute Infantry Brigade and the attached 463d Parachute Field Artillery Battalion; others included the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, the 1st Battalion of the 551st Parachute Infantry Brigade and, most importantly to this account, the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion. Following the success of Operation Dragoon, the 1st Airborne Task Force was tasked to liberate Cannes and Nice as well as to secure strategic mountain-top positions in the Maritime Alps along the Franco-Italian border. The 1st Airborne Task Force then was moved to Soissones, France and the 550th G.I.B. later fought in Belgium and Germany under the XVIII Airborne Corps until its deactivation on March 1, 1945 at Cherniers, France. So it was that in 1942, Kip found himself attached to the 550th Glider Infantry at Ft. Kolbe, adjacent to Howard Field in the Canal Zone. It was there that gliders (Wacos) practiced, pulled by C-47 s. As 1943 unfolded, Kip and the other volunteers were moved to North Carolina, to the Laurinburg-Maxton airbase where training intensified. Kip said he had no interest in Jump School as he saw little merit in jumping out of perfectly good airplanes! Subsequently, the unit passed through North Africa and on to Naples and Sicily. Early in 1944, his unit was moved into Italy and the troops proceeded north to an airbase above Rome. It was during this time that the 1st Airborne Task Force was formed and on Aug. 15, 1944, Kip and other members of the 550th found themselves attached to this larger force and Operation Dragoon was on, with southern France as its objective. (Al- RON S AUTO GLASS INC. RON EVANS, OWNER 1915 Broadway, Yankton, SD (Next to Dairy Queen) 605-665-9841 Mobile Glass Service! kup & FREE Pic t Work! A Delivery ner FREE Loailable! va Vehicle A lied forces, following D-Day, two months earlier were pushing east from the western coast of France.) Kip spent some interesting times in the late fall and winter of 44 holding positions in the mountains separating Italy from France. Later, while aboard a train bound for Marseilles, he contracted jaundice and hepatitis and spent 11 weeks in the hospital, effectively ending the war for him. Once he was able to travel, he was transported home, arriving in New York City and then on to an army hospital in Spokane, Wash. Once fully recovered, he received orders to Camp Perry, Ohio, where he was discharged later in 1945. Following the war, Kip undertook a number of ventures, mainly in food-related industries, e.g., in 1958, he opened the Blue Moon Drivein and then, in 1962, he opened Kip s on Fourth St. in Yankton. He established other restaurants, one where the Champlin Truck Stop used to be located (Hy-Vee corner), as well as a restaurant/truck stop in Tea and Pierre. Kip Larson remained extremely active in activities of all kinds in Yankton and has been the recipient of numerous awards and citations over the years from business and fraternal organizations. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 35 3 3 3 W e salut all w ho have served and sacri ced e fi Windshield Repair & Replacement Repair Rock Chips Complete Auto Glass Service Same Day Service Most Cars Pre-Approved by Major Insurance Co. Easy, Direct Billing Available Installed by 4 Certified Technicians Always on Staff Over 30 Years Experience Insurance Approved
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PRESS & DAKOTAN n MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013 HERITAGE 2013: PAGE 3B COURTESY PHOTOS Cpl. David Hevle, pictured in the two photos above, was the first Yankton resident to be killed in action during the Vietnam War. He died when the vehicle he was operating hit a mine on April 8, 1967. A memorial for Hevle that had been forgotten at a Girl Scout camp in Pennsylvania was recently placed at his grave. RIGHT: His younger brother, Doug, who is seen here with the marker, said he is glad the memorial found its way to Yankton. Homecoming AN U N EXPECTE D A Monument In Pennsylvania Honoring A Fallen Yankton Soldier Finds Its Way Home BY NATHAN JOHNSON nathan.johnson@yankton.net A lthough Cpl. Dave Hevle was killed in Vietnam and buried in Yankton almost 50 years ago, he was recently a source of mystery for a community in southwestern Pennsylvania. Thanks to the compassion and care of residents in that far-off state and elsewhere, a long-forgotten marker honoring Hevle has found its way across the country to his gravesite. The 360-pound stone memorial was placed in Yankton s Garden of Memories Cemetery just before Memorial Day. I m the only one left now in our family, but I m sure my mother and father would appreciate the attention that David is getting, Doug Hevle, Dave s younger brother, told the Press & Dakotan. It is well-deserved. Hevle joined the U.S. Marines at age 17 and was in Vietnam for almost one year with the Headquarters Platoon, B Company, Third AmTrac Battalion, First Marine Division. He was a crew member of an AmTrac, which is an amphibious assault vehicle. Hevle died April 8, 1967, when the vehicle he was operating struck a mine while on patrol northwest of Song Tra-Bong River in the Binh Son District of the Quang Ngai Province. He suffered from third degree burns and was killed instantly. Hevle was the first Yankton resident to be killed in action during the Vietnam War. UNRAVELING A MYSTERY Back in 1967, Robert Rasel, a Pennsylvania native, served in Vietnam with Hevle and gave his name to a group of Girl Scouts in his home state so they could send care packages. When Hevle was killed, the Girl Scouts planted a pine tree and placed a memorial in his honor at their 32-acre Camp Timberlake in Washington County, Pa. The marker was eventually forgotten, and the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania arranged to sell the camp in 2012. However, a Girl Scout volunteer named Kriss Svidro found the memorial and kicked off a mystery. Carved into the stone are the words: In memory of Cpl. David Hevel [sic], B Co., 3rd Amtrac Bn., U.S. Marine Corp, 1944-1967, Buried in Yankton, South Dakota. After some research, it was determined that Hevle s name was misspelled on the marker, but it took more time to discover why the memorial was there in the first place. Media in the region picked up the story, and it gained the attention of Rasel, who now lives in New Mexico. He was able to explain how Hevle s name was given to the local Girl Scouts. With the permission of Doug Hevle, arrangements were made for the marker to be transported back to Yankton and placed in the Garden of Memories. Total Safety, a provider of integrated industrial safety and compliance services, strategies and equipment for hazardous environments, donated the money for shipping the heavy object. Prior to the stone being transported, a memorial service was KELLY HERTZ/P&D held April 13 at the former Camp Timberlake to honor Hevle. Girl Scout troops, Vietnam veterans and military organizations were among those in attendance. When his family visits his final resting place, they will know that he was loved and respected as a person and as a Marine by a group of young ladies who did not know him personally but knew him in their thoughts and hearts and truly appreciated his sacrifice, District 10 Vice-Commandant of the Pennsylvania Marine Corps League Detachment Jim Walters said at the memorial, according to the Ob- server-Reporter of southwestern Pennsylvania. COMING HOME The existence of the memorial was a surprise to Doug Hevle. (My family) knew a long time ago that this Girl Scout group in Pennsylvania planted a tree in David s memory, he said. What we didn t know is, they put a monument there, also. Over the years, everything was quiet. Doug agreed to have the marker HEVLE | PAGE 14B Profile: Kip Larson s War Journey Soared Across Europe BY DOUG SALL For the Press & Dakotan C lifford Kip Larson, long-time Yankton resident, enjoyed the company of several other fellows while in school, young men who made their mark in World War II. A quick look at the 1938 Arickara and one immediately recognizes two others featured in this Heritage Edition: Hod Nielsen and Fred Peschl. Kip was characterized in the yearbook as one of the dashing sports heroes ... an athlete on the basketball, football and track squads. I m certain that there were many others, too. Following graduation, Kip matriculated at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology for a semester and then returned to Yankton, enrolling in Yankton College. But, as war clouds loomed, Kip was drafted. Not to be outflanked by Uncle Sam, Kip enlisted, i.e., volunteered, in order to have a little more control over his destiny. He was hoping to get stationed in the Canal Zone and, indeed, he did! To give the reader a sense of what was going on in that theatre at the time, the following is included as background on activities in the Canal Zone. Unit Background: 550th Glider Infantry Battalion: A Bolt From The Blue On July 1, 1941, the 550th airborne infantry was activated at Ft. Kolbe, on the Pacific side of the Canal Zone, Clifford Kip Larson in Panama. Initially, the unit was neither parachute nor glider; but, rather, an airlanding infantry outfit that was based on a German model used in the assault on Crete. Troops were stationed in Panama, early on, due to concern over German influence in Central America. In August 1943, the 550th was redeployed to Camp MacKall, N.C., where it undertook glider training. Thus, the 550th Infantry Battalion was redesignated the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion. In April 1944, the unit was sent overseas to Italy, arriving there in May. On July 11, 1944, the 1st Airborne Task Force was formed. Division-sized in strength, it consisted of the British 2d Independent Parachute Brigade, U.S. 509Th Parachute Infantry Brigade and the attached 463d Parachute Field Artillery Battalion; others included the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, the 1st Battalion of the 551st Parachute Infantry Brigade and, most importantly to this account, the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion. Following the success of Operation Dragoon, the 1st Airborne Task Force was tasked to liberate Cannes and Nice as well as to secure strategic mountain-top positions in the Maritime Alps along the Franco-Italian border. The 1st Airborne Task Force then was moved to Soissones, France and the 550th G.I.B. later fought in Belgium and Germany under the XVIII Airborne Corps until its deactivation on March 1, 1945 at Cherniers, France. So it was that in 1942, Kip found himself attached to the 550th Glider Infantry at Ft. Kolbe, adjacent to Howard Field in the Canal Zone. It was there that gliders (Wacos) practiced, pulled by C-47 s. As 1943 unfolded, Kip and the other volunteers were moved to North Carolina, to the Laurinburg-Maxton airbase where training intensified. Kip said he had no interest in Jump School as he saw little merit in jumping out of perfectly good airplanes! Subsequently, the unit passed through North Africa and on to Naples and Sicily. Early in 1944, his unit was moved into Italy and the troops proceeded north to an airbase above Rome. It was during this time that the 1st Airborne Task Force was formed and on Aug. 15, 1944, Kip and other members of the 550th found themselves attached to this larger force and Operation Dragoon was on, with southern France as its objective. (Al- RON S AUTO GLASS INC. RON EVANS, OWNER 1915 Broadway, Yankton, SD (Next to Dairy Queen) 605-665-9841 Mobile Glass Service! kup & FREE Pic t Work! A Delivery ner FREE Loailable! va Vehicle A lied forces, following D-Day, two months earlier were pushing east from the western coast of France.) Kip spent some interesting times in the late fall and winter of 44 holding positions in the mountains separating Italy from France. Later, while aboard a train bound for Marseilles, he contracted jaundice and hepatitis and spent 11 weeks in the hospital, effectively ending the war for him. Once he was able to travel, he was transported home, arriving in New York City and then on to an army hospital in Spokane, Wash. Once fully recovered, he received orders to Camp Perry, Ohio, where he was discharged later in 1945. Following the war, Kip undertook a number of ventures, mainly in food-related industries, e.g., in 1958, he opened the Blue Moon Drivein and then, in 1962, he opened Kip s on Fourth St. in Yankton. He established other restaurants, one where the Champlin Truck Stop used to be located (Hy-Vee corner), as well as a restaurant/truck stop in Tea and Pierre. Kip Larson remained extremely active in activities of all kinds in Yankton and has been the recipient of numerous awards and citations over the years from business and fraternal organizations. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 35 3 3 3 W e salut all w ho have served and sacri ced e fi Windshield Repair & Replacement Repair Rock Chips Complete Auto Glass Service Same Day Service Most Cars Pre-Approved by Major Insurance Co. Easy, Direct Billing Available Installed by 4 Certified Technicians Always on Staff Over 30 Years Experience Insurance Approved
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