Robert H. Kerkhoff

World War II

Robert Kerkhoff was born near Templeton on June 18, 1925, to Henry and Pauline (Sextro) Kerkhoff. Robert attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton and subsequently worked on the family farm. He registered for the military draft on June 22, 1943. His father had served with the US Army in Europe during World War I.

Robert was inducted into the US Army at Fort Snelling, MN on January 12, 1945, with five other Carroll County soldiers. He was assigned serial number 37783713. He was transported to Fort Hood, (now renamed Fort Cavazos) near Killeen, TX for basic training. He was designated for Corps of Engineer duties so his training included construction activities and demolition skills.

Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, but fighting continued in the Pacific. On June 15, 1945, Robert left the United States for overseas duty. He joined the Headquarters Company of the 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment on the Philippine Island of Luzon. The 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment (part of the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade) had been involved in several amphibious landings in the Southwest Pacific since 1943.

Luzon had been retaken from the Japanese at the end of May, 1945. There was much demolition work to be done as fighting continued on Okinawa heading toward Japan. By this time, Robert was a Private First Class. In early August, 1945, the atomic bomb attacks at Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought the Pacific war to an end. About that time, Robert was hospitalized in a field hospital in the Philippines with dysentery. He was released from the hospital in September, 1945.

In November, 1945, the 532nd prepared to return to the United States. They arrived in San Francisco on December 16, 1945, and returned to Ford Ord, CA. However, documents indicate Robert left active duty on November 12, 1945, and returned to duty on November 15, 1945. It appears he left the 532nd before their return to the US and joined occupation forces in Yokohama, Japan. The unit he served with there is unknown. He was ultimately discharged from the US Army on March 20, 1947, as a Tec 5 (equivalent to Corporal).

Robert returned to Templeton and, on June 17, 1948, married Evelyn Simons at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Carroll. He farmed north of Templeton until retiring in 1983. He and Evelyn moved into Templeton in retirement. Robert died at home on June 14, 1993 at age 67. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.