History Center | Dave McFarland

Editor’s Note: The following story is told in letter form, based on exerpts from letters written home to Red Oak during World War II by Reuben Dumler. Most of the letters were to his mother, but some things are taken from letters to his sisters, one in Red Oak and one in Villisca.

October, 1939

Dear Mom,

Well I finally made it to Colorado and have gotten settled in. I love working on the ranch. Guess you can say I am a real cowboy now. Found me a great little cabin....

January, 1942 / Fort Bliss, TX

Dear Mom,

Here I am at boot camp, a lot things are sure changin. Texas is a lot hotter and drier than Iowa, or Colorado. Got my pay check yesterday. I got $19.93 after they took out for my laundry. They give us clean bedding every week and they make sure we keep clean.

They took us out yesterday to train on the .30 caliber automatic rifle. You just pull the trigger and it keeps shootin til it runs out of bullets. If I was back in Colorado, I would sure be ready for deer season.

I think some of the guys are going to go crazy if we don’t get leave soon....

January, 1942 /

Camp Wolters, TX

Dear Mom,

Am just sitting here in the parlor. The butler just brought in a glass of wine. The maids and cooks seem to be out for the evening. I think I will have the chaufeur drive me around a bit. I thought I would drop a few lines before they blow, ‘lights out!’ The wife is busy bathing the children. She could find but five of them last night. The other six came in today from somewhere or another.

The got us scheduled to practice digging ditchs in the morning, they call em trenchs. We figure they are trying to teach us a trade, so we can make money in real life....

January, 1942 /

Camp Wolters, TX

Dear Mom,

Say how about sending me a quart- I mean a quart of that good old Jersey Cow milk. Send some butter while you’re at it. We don’t get much butter around here. They tell us there is war on and it is in short supply. Go figure.

The weather has been real nice, except it is damn hot and the wind blows like no tomorrow. They take us for long walks just about everyday, they call em ‘forced marchs!’ If I had hell and Texas. I would sell Texas and live in hell....

October, 1942 / Pine Camp, NY

Dear Mom,

Sorry I haven’t written for a while, must be getting lazy. Thought I better write and I have to clean my rifle too. Haven’t done that for several days. Better do both, before I get in real trouble.

One of the cooks is sick, so I am filling in. Sure is nice, I only have to work half days. One day I go in early and work til noon, the next day I go in before noon and work til supper. At night if I get hungry I can go over to the mess hall and get something to eat. Not suppose to able to do that but the cooks like me and don’t say nothin....

December, 1942 /

Pine Camp, NY

Dear Mom,

Did you have a nice Christmas Dinner? Did Pa finally get all the corn picked? I went into town and took this nice little gal to the movie Saturday night. It sure ain’t like home and I think from the way things are around here Santa must have up and died....

March, 1943 / Camp Pickett, VA

Dear Mom,

We were just told from here on out to stop putting headings on our letters. The guys think something big must be up. Sure is hot here. I can see why southern folks move and talk slower, too hot to get in a hurry.

Thanks for the candy. It was sure a big hit. Don’t get much for sweets around here unless someone sends it. Worked the mess hall yesterday. Made a salad with something I wasn’t too familiar with and I bet you and Pa ain’t either. Bananas, they look kind of like corn cobs with skins on them....

March, 1944 / (Italy)

Dear Mom,

Never dreamed I would be in a place like this. Not cold like back in New York, Colorado, or even Iowa. Not as hot as Virginia or Texas though.

Yesterday I got the box of cookies you sent. That mailman sure must be a big feller cause it looked like he sat on them. They were pretty well smashed. But we enjoyed every crumb....

March, 1944 / (Italy)

Dear Mom,

Thought I better write and let you know I am okay. As you were notified I got wounded the other day. Weren’t much and I am back to duty. They tell me I going to get a medal for it, a Purple Heart. If I had a chance do over I think I would have passed on the experience and that way they could have kept their medal. Guess I going to have to be more careful.

Hard to imagine that just a couple years ago I was kickin hogs and trying to get the mud off my boots. Here I am a world away still trying to keep the mud off my boots and doing a whole different kind of kickin.

Even harder to think about what another year migh bring. Maybe I’ll be home by then....

June, 1944 / (France)

Dear Mom,

Sorry I am not allowed to tell where I am. Another year and another country. I am fine. Everyone seems to think things may get exciting around here real soon. All I think about is home and everyone back there. Sure wish I was there....

Western Union / 1944 Sept. 22

Regret to inform you that your son Reuben Dumler is missing in action.

Western Union / 1945 Feb. 6

You are hereby notified that your son Reuben Dumler is a prisnor of war and is being held in Stalag IV#D in Germany. There are no details as to his health or condition.

Western Union / 1945 April 12

Regret to inform you that your son Reuben Dumler was killed during bombing incident on April 12, 1945 in Halle, Germany.

About Reuben Dumler

Reuben was born April 14, 1914, in Texas. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Dumler, moved to Montgomery County. They lived in Villisca before moving to Red Oak. In 1939, Reuben moved to Colorada for his health. He joined the Army and attended basic training in Texas.

Reuben was a Staff Sargent in Company F of the 45th Infantry Division. He fought in Sicily, Salerno, at Anzio, and in France. Reuben won a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts with Oak Clusters, and the Silver Star.

Reuben was killed in a friendly fire incident in, of all places, an allied prisoner of war hospital. He was buried in a local civil cemetery in Germany. Later, his remains were moved to a military cemetery in Germany. Then in 1948, he was brought home to Evergreen Cemetery in Red Oak.

Silver Star Citation

“For gallantry in action on 4 June 1944 near ****,****. When his company was suddenly counterattacked by a strong enemy force Staff Sergeant Dumler, moved alone under fire on a personal reconnaissance to the right flank of his platoon. Locating an enemy machine gun which was covering the German advance, he removed one of our own machine guns from a damaged tripod and placing it in the fork of a tree opened fire on the hostile gun. Although standing exposed to enemy fire, he continued until he had knocked out the enemy position killing several and causing eight prisoners to be taken. Staff Sergeant Dumler’s gallantry and resourcefulness are worthy of the highest traditions of the military service.”

Dave McFarland is director of the Montgomery County History Center, in Red Oak. Contact him at mchsociet@qwestoffice.net or visit him at the history center.