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Vernon Lyle Bensley was born January 10, 1924, at
Iroquois in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, to Wesley and Anna
Bensley. He received his education in Iroquois and graduated as
salutatorian from Iroquois High School in 1942. Before he entered
the service, Vernon attended college in Huron.
Vernon Bensley was called into service on March 17,
1943, and reported for active duty ten days later at Fort Snelling,
Minnesota. He was trained in Camp Blanding, Florida; Camp Robinson,
Arkansas; Camp Rucker, Alabama; and Fort Meade, Indiana. On July 1,
1944, S/Sgt. Bensley was shipped overseas, arriving first in Italy
for six weeks. After that, he was sent to southern France.
On January 9, 1945, Staff Sergeant Vernon Bensley,
Company C, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd
Infantry Division of the Seventh Army, led a combat patrol into
enemy territory near Bennwihr, France and did not return. “The
patrol encountered enemy resistance, and was forced to withdraw
because of intense automatic fire. Sergeant Bensley did not rejoin
the patrol when it re-organized, and the official government record
is that he was killed in action as of that date.”
There was a “service of commemoration” at the Methodist
Church for Vernon in Iroquois on March 17, 1946.
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On
March 24, 2007 a celebration was held in honor of our comrades,
their families and Post members.
The program was held at 2:00PM
with South Dakota Governor
M. Michael Rounds, American
Legion National Chaplain Stan Gruneich, South Dakota
Department Commander Gunner
Baatrup, and Iroquois City Councilman Jim Hulbert as speakers.
Marion Rounds' siblings, Marge, Jim, Don, and Dale's
wife, Marvella, were present and received a
token of honor
and dedication from Post Commander Colin Royal.
Vernon Bensley's sister Lorna was unable to attend, so
her son Mark Gubbins accepted her
certificate in
her place.
Marvin Whites, a 61 year member of the American Legion,
a 60 year member of Post 280, and a Charter member received a
Certificate of Continuous Membership. Other members who were honored
for their membership were Al Schoenfelder for 57 years, Menno Walter
for 56 years, Tenis Snyder
for 52 years, Bob Biever for 51 years, and Dale Kopplin for 49
years.
An American Legion
Certificate of Continuous Membership of 50 years was presented to
Myron Zeeck by Department Commander Baatrup.
Patriotic music selections and the Pledge of Allegiance was
provided by Iroquois
students and the Iroquois Music Director.
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Marion M. Rounds, Jr. was born on May 23, 1924, at Iroquois, Beadle
County, South Dakota, to Marion, Sr. and Mary Rounds. There were ten
kids in the Rounds’ family: Alvin, Gordon, Wesley, Ella Mae, Dale,
Marion (Junior), Marjorie, Donald, Robert, and James. When Marion
was still quite young, his mother died. Marion and his sister Marge
went to stay with an aunt and uncle in Haakon County, where Marion
attended rural school through the ninth grade. His sister, Marge,
remembers that Marion was quite adventurous, and he enjoyed working
on old cars and “tearing around in them.” When he returned to
Iroquois, he worked for some farmers in the area before he entered
the service. He was visiting a brother in California when he entered
the service.
In December of 1943, Marion entered active service at
San Diego, California, in the Marine Corps. After his training,
Private Rounds was shipped out to the Pacific theater in May of
1944, without coming home on leave.
On June 18, 1945, Marine Private Marion Rounds, Jr. was
killed in action on Okinawa. A letter to Marion’s father from the
Marine Corps Headquarters contained these words: “There is little I
can say to lessen your grief, but it is my earnest hope that the
knowledge of your son’s splendid record in the service and the
thought that he nobly gave his life in the performance of his duty
may in some measure comfort you in this sad hour.”
Although originally buried on Okinawa, Private Rounds’
remains were returned to the United States after the war and
reburied with military honors at St. Paul’s Cemetery in Iroquois.
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