Monona County

Rolland Omer Bueoy

 

 

 

 

 

BIO

Rolland writes, “I served in World War II from 22 April 1942 to 30 October 1945, without getting a furlough home. I was sent to Fort Robinson, Arkansas, for basic training, then to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. I was with the 540th Engineers. Next we went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, later to Fort Dix, New Jersey, and then back to Fort Bragg. At that time, we were getting ready to go overseas, and sent back to Fort Dix. On 14 December 1942, we left New York harbor on our way overseas, we were out a ways where the U boats were, when we ran into a terrible storm, the wind was terrific, the motors stopped on the ship. We were taking some trucks with us and they were secured down below, but with all the bouncing and swaying of the ship, one truck broke loose and knocked a leak in the side of the ship, of course, it filled up with water, they sealed that portion off. Keep in mind this all took place during the storm. We had many drills up and down the stairs. The Chaplain prayed many times over the loud speaker. After 72 hours our Army mechanic got the motors going, we turned around and went back to New York.

“The convoy we started out with left us they couldn’t help anyway. By the time we got back to New York, our ship was listing over to the side. They sent us back to Fort Dix for 30 days. Then we started out again on the Santa Marie ship. It was a large ship and later it was made into a hospital ship. We arrived in Casablanca, Africa. Later onto Sicily, Italy. At Naples we saw Winston Churchill passing by us on a speedboat and waving. We were on our way to Anzio. In Anzio, they shot at us at night with big guns that could shoot 25 miles they kept these hid in the mountains in the day time so we couldn’t bomb them. Much later on we went back to Naples, then on to St. Raphael, France, and later into Worms Germany, etc. I was in Bodagg, Germany, when they told us the war was over. It was the best news I had, had in 3 1/2 years.

“We went to England and shipped out on the Thomas W. Hyde, down the Thames River for home. We sailed into New York, 5 October 1945, and I arrived at my home, 19 October 1945, but had to go back to get discharged.”

Rolland O. Bueoy was born 7 September 1917, north of Mapleton, Iowa, to Omer and Dora (Ham) Bueoy. His siblings were: Helen Bumsted, Maureta Yockey, Genevieve Moore, Marjorie Farber, Robert, Barbara Bumsted, Evonne Farber, and Paul. He always lived on the farm and farmed.

After the war, he came back to the farm and started farming again. He married a very nice little girl, Edna Strackbein, from Midway, on 4 April 1948. They had no children she passed away with cancer, 16 May 1954.

On 15 January 1966, he married Edna Mitchell. Even though she never lived on a farm she loved it. She passed away 1 December 1990. She had one son, two grandchildren, and 1 great grandson.

Rolland continues to live on the farm and is retired. His health is not good and he is unable to farm so rents it out, he has a very good renter. He has one stepson, LeRoy Hart, two grandchildren, Susan and Robert, and three great grandsons, Hunter, Teddy, and Logan, one great granddaughter, Maci.

Submitted by Marjorie Farber, his sister.

Rolland Omer Bueoy was born Sept. 7, 1917 to Homer and Dora Ham Bueoy. He died in 2016 and is buried in Saint Paul Lutheran Cemetery, Midway, IA.

Source: ancestry.com