Elmer B. Schreck
World War II
Elmer Schreck was born on July 21, 1926, in Templeton to Louis and Clara (Heithoff) Schreck. Louis had been in the US Army during World War I. Elmer went to school in Templeton and graduated from Sacred Heart High School with the class of 1943. On June 14, 1943, Elmer enrolled in a pre-engineering course at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) while still 16 years old.
The course was completed and, on April 26, 1944, Elmer enlisted in the US Navy at Des Moines, IA even though only 17 years old. He was assigned serial number 322 19 33. Elmer was sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Center near Chicago for boot training. By June 24, 1944, he was on furlough in Templeton and had been promoted to S1c (seaman first class). On his return to Chicago, he was assigned to pre-radio school at Hugh Manley High School.
By September 30, 1944, Elmer was sent to the Texas A&M School of Engineering in College Station, TX for a course in Elementary Electricity and Radio Material. In early December, 1944, Elmer returned to Navy Pier in Chicago for the Navy Training School (Radio Material Advanced) and he was promoted to RT3c (Radio Technician third class).
Records indicate Elmer was admitted to the Great Lakes Naval Hospital from December 12 to December 31, 1944. The reason for this is unclear. He resumed the Radio Material course at Navy Pier with Company 19-406. By April, 1945, Elmer visited Templeton on furlough. He was again on furlough in May and then proceeded to Camp Shoemaker near Livermore, CA for processing. At this time, he was promoted to RT2c (Radio Technician second class).
Records indicate considerable movement in Elmer’s orders in California and appear to indicate he may have attended a radar school during July, 1945. Sometime in July, Elmer was transferred to the crew of the USS Thornhill (DE-195). This was a destroyer escort about 300 feet in length. In June, 1945, she sailed from the Atlantic Ocean to San Diego and arrived in Pearl Harbor on July 19, 1945.
Records indicate Elmer joined the crew on August 3, 1945, at Pearl Harbor although his journey from California is unclear. The USS Thornhill sailed from Hawaii on August 8, 1945, bound for the Marshall Islands. The atomic attack on Hiroshima had occurred on August 6. The USS Thornhill reached Eniwetok in the Marshalls the day after hostilities with Japan had ceased.
The ship sailed back to Hawaii on December 7, 1945, arriving on December 13. They served as a weather patrol ship there through January, 1946. On February 2, 1946, the USS Thornhill sailed for home. After stopping at San Diego and going through the Panama Canal, they arrived at the Boston Navy Yard on March 7, 1946. At this time, Elmer’s rating had changed from RT (radio technician) to ETM (electrician’s mate) and he was promoted to ETM1c (electronics technicians mate first class).
In mid-March, the USS Thornhill sailed to Jacksonville, FL to be inactivated. Elmer remained on that crew until he was discharged at Jacksonville on June 5, 1946, still only 19 years old. Elmer returned to Templeton and took a position with Templeton Savings Bank. On July 22, 1947, Elmer married Marie Eischeid at St. Augustine Church in Halbur. Elmer continued at Templeton Savings Bank until resigning in 1977 as Executive Vice President. He later served as manager of the Templeton Telephone Company.
Elmer died at home on November 7, 2002 at age 76. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.