14 Volunteers In County’s April Draft Contingent

May Call Likely To Be 25% Smaller Than April Quota

Isabella County Times-News, Thursday, April 3, 1941

 

   Tuesday may have been April Fool’s day to some but to 41 volunteers and draftees of Isabella county, it was distinctly a day of reality.  The men left Mt. pleasant at 11:28 o’clock on that date, via the Ann Arbor railroad, for Detroit where they will be inducted into the United States army for defense training.  Fourteen volunteers and twenty-seven draftees, composed the group, with twenty-four of the men, residents of Mt. Pleasant.

 

   The April call inducted the following:

 

Volunteers

   John Lyon, Leader, 202 N. Court, Mt. Pleasant; William Dennis, R-2, Mt. Pleasant;  Myron McClintock, Assistant Leader, 207 S. Lansing, Mt. Pleasant; Howard Welsh, 408 E. Michigan, Mt. Pleasant; John Stangle, 617 E> Broadway, Mt. Pleasant; Robert Hanel, 1113 Belnap, Mt. Pleasant; Emil Mrazek, R-1, Mt. pleasant; Paul Sargent, 635 S. Arnold, Mt. Pleasant;

   Arthur town,1402 E. High, Mt. Pleasant; William West, R-5, Mt. Pleasant; Carl Kohler, 311 Andre, Mt. pleasant; Howard Dague, R-1, Lake; John Booth, R-3, Blanchard; Donald Habermehl, 406 E. Gaylord, Mt. Pleasant.

Draftees

   Frank Bates, R-1, Weidman; Arthur Bitler, R-3, Mt. Pleasant; Blane Sellers, R-1, Remus; Gaylord Hart, R-2, Lake; Robert Krueger, R-1, Weidman; Asa Wilcox, R-1, Lake; Joseph Kunkler, R-4, Shepherd;

 

   Approximately three hundred friends and relatives were at the railroad station Tuesday noon to give the men a typical soldier’s adieu.  The Mt. pleasant fire department escorted Russell Dar, first married draftee to the train in regal style aboard the fire truck.  Sweethearts embraced in Hollywood fashion, mother’s smiled in tearful farewell and children envied the men who were about to enjoy a ride on a “choo-choo” train.  It was a real patriotic fanfare in the way of a farewell.

 

   The Tuesday group was the fifth call from this area and the largest thus far to be sent in any one group for army training.  Rejections of any members of the fifth group must be replaced before April 26.

 

   April 15, a replacement will be sent to fill a vacancy in the fourth group.

 

   Lendy Davis, clerk of the Selective Service board for Isabella county said that the may Call will be approximately 25% less than the April call, but instructions have been received that the June call will be very heavy.  To date, 109 men have been inducted into the service from this area, leaving 155 men to be sent before June 30, providing in the meantime the quota for the county has been cut by the war deparment with approximately thirty men to be sent with the May group.