Harry W. Hacker

Korean War

Harry Hacker was born on January 16, 1927, on a farm south of Templeton to William and Selma (Friedrichsen) Hacker. He was the oldest child in the family and he attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton. After his schooling, he worked on the family farm.

Harry was part of the first group of men drafted from Carroll County during the Korean War. After an earlier physical exam, he was sent by bus from Carroll to Omaha, NE on September 5, 1950. He was assigned serial number 55 009 870. From Omaha, Harry was sent to Camp Carson, CO for basic training.

After completion of training, Harry was sent to Europe in February, 1951, as a part of the occupying army. He was assigned to Company D, 350th Infantry Regiment of the 88th Infantry Division. The occupation of Germany had begun in 1945 and the disarming, denazification and other programs had been completed prior to Harry’s arrival. However, the need to feed the population and re-energize the economy was still underway. The American zone was primarily Bavaria and this is where Harry would have been stationed.

By December 24, 1951, Harry was in Austria and had been promoted to corporal. Austria had been annexed by Germany in 1938 and the Allies were trying to rebuild this country as well. Austria had been divided into four occupation zones similar to Germany-American, British, French and Soviet. The goal here was to re-establish Austria as an independent nation-a goal not favored by the Soviets. Harry’s time there was a tense period as the Cold War continued to evolve. The American zone was around Salzburg and Harry’s assignment was likely near there.

Harry’s time in Austria would have been the beginning of the Marshall Plan which provided US funds to rebuild infrastructure and industry. By the summer of 1952, Harry’s enlistment was coming to an end and he returned to the United States. The Soviets ultimately agreed to Austrian independence but not before stripping their zone of its industrial equipment. Austrian independence was declared on July 27, 1955.

Harry was discharged on August 20, 1952, at Camp Breckenridge, KY with the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6 equivalent). He returned to Templeton and farming. Harry married Evelyn Wiskus Hacker on June 19, 1998, when he was 71 years old. He died nine years later on May 19, 2007 at age 80. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.