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History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Private Raymond Freiwald
Local Soldier Badly Wounded by Japs
Died Reading His Bible
WDTimes 11 13 1943, article includes pic
Since
learning of the death of her husband, Private Raymond Freiwald,
26, in the South Pacific, theatre of war, Mrs. Freiwald
has received a number of letters from men who were with him at Arundel at the
time he was wounded.
Among
the letters she has received is one from John M. Haffner,
captain in the 172nd infantry, who was with him when he died. The letter follows:
My Dear Mrs. Freiwald:
Nothing I can say concerning the loss you
have just suffered could be in any way adequate, but perhaps it will help if
you know the high esteem in which your husband was held by those who knew him,
and of the circumstances under which he so bravely died.
When Ray was in Company "E”, I was
his company commander, and can honestly state that there was not a soldier in
the company to whom I would have given a higher rating. As a soldier his official rating was superior,
which is the highest. Ray was transferred
to Headquarters Company where it was felt his ability could be put to greater
use; but if he had remained in Company “E” he would have been before long a
non-commissioned officer.
At this time I also had the responsibility
of censoring mail — and though we seldom noted who wrote the letters we read,
in the ease of Ray’s letters to you and his son it was impossible not to note
the caliber of his affection and fine type of emotion he displayed, and then
see who the writer was. He was a fine
man in every sense, and few are even capable of feeling as he did.
Oddly, months later I happened to be the
only person with Ray when he died. It
was on northern Arundel Island during the recent difficult fighting there in
September.
[ NOTE: At dawn on 27 August the 172nd Infantry, 43rd
Division, crossed from New Guinea to the southern end of Arundel Island. See online
article with September dates of the conflict ]
Ray was in a squad protecting a party
carrying two badly wounded men down a trail to safety and necessary
treatment. This party ran into a
Japanese ambush which Ray, among others, spotted in time to save many casualties.
It was necessary to “feel out” this ambush
in order to get the wounded through on that route if possible. Ray’s squad advanced carefully until they
were in very close contact with the enemy.
Enemy guns suddenly opened up and Ray was hit badly. I crawled over to him and could see that his
wounds could soon be fatal. He was not
in pain as the Lord somehow gives the wounded strength. The Bible he always carried was in his pocket
and he was able to read from it until he died quietly.
I can honestly say that of all the men of my
acquaintance who were lost in the recent campaign, the loss of Ray struck me
hardest. Men of Ray’s type, with
families to whom they are devoted, are rare indeed and the world can ill afford
to lose them. When their loss is
unavoidable it is fine that they can contribute as Ray did, in this case, to
the saving of other lives. The two
wounded men were taken to safety by a different route, and only through the
action of Ray’s squad was this possible.
I sincerely tender my profound sympathy to
you and your son, Tommy.
John M. Haffner,
Capt. 172nd Inf.
Ray
lost his life on Sept. 14. His wife is
the former Evelyn Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Smith of route 2.
Tommy,
Ray’s son, referred to in the letter, is 11 months old. The last letter Mrs. Freiwald
received from her husband was written on Sept. 12, two days before his
death. She received the letter on Sept.
22.
Mrs.
Freiwald has received a number of other letters from
men who fought with her husband. Among others
who wrote are B. C. Culver, Ray’s company commander; Robert Oberdas,
Milwaukee; and Harold Lueth of Minnesota.
Before
Ray entered the service, he was employed by the local Montgomery Ward store.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin