Private First Class Lloyd E. Ebert

Son of Emil Adam Carl and Wilomena Marie (Muesing) Ebert of Vernon, later Loveland. Brother of Lois P. Niermeyer of Clarence, Iowa.

Wray Gazette October 12, 1944

PFC Lloyd Ebert, 25, son of Mr. and Mrs. Emil Ebert who reside in Wray, was drowned in Italy on Saturday, September 9 while swimming. Funeral services were held in Italy and burial was in a military cemetery. He had been in the Army two years. He went to Italy in January 1944. He had been a resident of Colorado since 1923.

The Tipton Advisor, Tipton, Iowa, December 9, 1948
page 2

The remains of Pfc. Lloyd Ebert arrived here Tuesday morning, Nov. 30, and last rites were performed that afternoon from the Chapman funeral home. Pfc. Ebert was born in Clarence, Dec. 7, 1918, the son of Emil and Wilhelmina Muesing Ebert. He died in Italy, Sept. 9, 1944, in the service of his country, which he entered on Oct. 5, 1942. One sister, Lucille, preceded him in death, and he is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Emil Ebert of Loveland, Colo., and one sister, Mrs. Irwin Niermeyer, of Clarence. Military rites were conducted at the graveside by Victory Post No. 296 of the American Legion with R.E. Rowser as chaplain and Clarence Thien, Marvin and Harold Muesing, Arnold Conrad, Norbert Ebert and Henry Niermeyer as pallbearers.

Notes:

The Tipton Advisor obit and the headstone photo were contributed by Sandra Harmel of Bennett, Iowa. Thanks!

Unit history -- The 601st Field Artillery Battalion (75 mm Mule Pack Howitzer) was formed in 1942 in Colorado at Camps Carson and Hale. With the 87th Infantry Regiment, the 601st and 602nd FA Bn's participated in the Aleutian's Kiska Island invasion in the summer of 1943.

The 601st FA returned to Camp Carson just in time for Christmas 1943. Instead of being assigned back to the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale the 601st FA Bn was shipped to Italy in January 1944. The battalion spent March to July 1944 in the lines in combat. In late July 1944 the 601st FA Bn was transferred to General Patch's 7th Army for the invasion of southern France. PFC Ebert was drowned while on pass during the rest period while the battalion turned in it's mules, drew jeeps and weapons carriers, and retrained prior to landing in France in September 1944.

The 601st saw further combat in the U.S. 7th Army push thorough southern France and southern Germany. The end of the war in Europe found the battalion in Salzburg, Austria where those without enough 'points' to go home were preparing for transfer to the 1st Infantry Div for shipment to the Pacific and the invasion of Japan.

Many Yuma County boys were in the 601st FA Bn (Pack) besides PFC Lloyd Ebert. They included my uncle, PFC Alma Zion, a farm boy from Vernon assigned to Battery C, who said in a 1944 letter home, "I hope I never see another mule in my whole life!" after leading and pushing them up and down the Colorado, Adak Island, Kiska Island and the Italian mountains and having to load, tend them and unload them from the ships on the four ocean voyages.

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