Glenn A. Rohe

World War II

Glenn Rohe was born on July 1, 1924, near Templeton to Walter and Elizabeth (known as Ella) (Sibbel) Rohe. Walter had served in the US Army during World War I. Glenn attended school in Templeton.

Glenn registered for the military draft on December 12, 1942, and indicated he was working for his father on the family farm. He was inducted into the US Army on July 10, 1945, at Fort Leavenworth, KS. He was assigned serial number 37 815 256. By this time, the war in Europe was over but the war in the Pacific was still in process.

In late July, 1945, Glenn was sent to the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Hood near Killeen, TX for basic training and was assigned to Company B, 159th Battalion of the 93rd Infantry Regiment. By the time Glenn had completed basic training, the war in the Pacific was also over. He was assigned to Company G, 60th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. The 60th Regiment had ended the war by meeting Soviet troops at the Elbe River. On January 3, 1946, Glenn left the United States for Europe and became part of the Army of Occupation in Germany.

The occupation of Germany by Allied troops was an unbelievably complex operation. Germany had been divided into four zones occupied by troops from the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Berlin, which was in the Soviet zone, was also divided into four sections. The occupation included responsibilities such as:

-housing and feeding millions of displaced citizens of Germany and other countries
-disarming and disbanding the German armed forces
-break up of the German General Staff
-removing and destroying all German military equipment
-wipe out the Nazi party and all Nazi influences
-eliminate war production capability but rejuvenate civilian production
-reconstruction of the country
-punish war criminals
-maintain order and re-establish government
-guard duty in countless situations including the massive amount of US equipment there

Glenn’s role in this is unclear but there certainly was no lack of assignments. In fact, the occupation did not officially end until 1955. Glenn spent most of 1946 in Germany returning to the United States on December 11, 1946. He was discharged at Fort Sheridan near Chicago, IL on January 20, 1947, as a PFC (private first class).

Glenn returned to Templeton and, on September 16, 1947, was married to Mildred Venteicher at St. Mary’s Church in Willey, IA. The couple was engaged in farming southeast of Manning. Glenn died of cancer in Carroll on July 1, 1967, his 43rd birthday. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.