Norbert W. Bruggeman

World War II

Norbert “Tobe” Bruggeman was born in Lidderdale, IA on January 29, 1921, to Edward and Anna (Kawi) Bruggeman. The family moved to Templeton in 1926. Tobe was educated in Templeton and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1938. When he registered for the military draft on February 16, 1942, he was employed at Phil Neu’s store. When he left for his military service, his job was taken by Oswald Kisgen.

Tobe enlisted in the US Navy on March 2, 1942, in Des Moines. He was assigned serial number 620-41-37. He was transported to boot camp at the United States Naval Training Station at San Diego, CA. After initial training, he was assigned to Fleet Torpedo School at the destroyer base in San Diego. By the end of July, 1942, he had completed this course and was a TM3c (torpedoman third class). He was retained at this school as an assistant instructor.

In January, 1943, he was sent to Anacostia Naval Base near Washington, DC and the Naval Torpedo Station at Alexandria, VA. By July, 1943, he was promoted to TM2c and assigned to the US Naval Torpedo Testing Range at Montauk, NY (Long Island). Tobe remained at Montauk until late 1944. He was able to spend Christmas 1943 and time in September, 1944, visiting his parents in Templeton. During this time, he was promoted to TM1c.

In December, 1944, he was assigned to duty aboard the destroyer USS Conway (DD-507). On February 13, 1945, he joined the USS Conway which was part of Cruiser Task Force 54 of the US Navy Seventh Fleet. The Conway was operating in waters near the Philippine Islands until June, 1945. On June 7, 1945, the ship sailed from Subic Bay to participate in the Brunei Bay operation. They conducted minesweeping operations as well as pre-assault bombardment on Balikpapan which is part of what we now know as Indonesia.

The Conway then rested briefly at Leyte before participating in the landings at Saragani Bay, Mindanao in July. The war ended with the atomic bombings in August, 1945. The Conway continued operations in the Yellow Sea with stops at Okinawa and Tsingtao, China. By September, the Conway arrived at Jinsen, Korea and then was involved in moving Chinese troops from Indo-China to Formosa (Taiwan) and Manchuria. On December 29, 1945, she sailed from Shanghai, China for the US. After a stop in San Diego, CA, the Conway arrived In New York City (via the Panama Canal) in January, 1946. On January 1, 1946, Tobe was promoted to CTM (Chief Torpedoman).

Tobe was discharged at Lido Beach, Long Island on February 23, 1946. Upon his return to Templeton, he was employed by the US Postal Service. On March 26, 1951, he married Roberta (Bobbye) Boughton at St. Lawrence Church in Carroll. He continued as Templeton’s rural mail carrier for over 32 years retiring in 1979. He was subsequently employed by the Templeton Telephone Company. Tobe died at Immanuel Hospital in Omaha, NE on December 30, 1993 at age 72. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.