Merle Benning

From Iowa ASTP I went to Camp Crowder and then to Camp Gordon and then to New Jersey for the trip to France. We went by troopship in Convoy. I was assigned to the 75th Division 575Th Signal Company.

We entered Germany at Gladbeck and then on to the middle of Germany to Ludensdrick(?) & Plettenberg. It wasn't long before the end of the war. My time was spent mostly as a switchboard operator & at the teletype. The 75th was assigned to operate the camps for men returning to the States. The 575th was at Camp Pittsburg at Rheims, France. While there I managed afew trips to Paris, a week in Switzerland, and four of us in a company jeep a four-day trip to Belgium & the Netherlands.

After discharge I was home here in Davis for the summer helping in my father's grocery store. In September '46 I started working at the State Bank of Davis. Davis is a small town of 570, 20 miles NW of Rockford, Ill. And 15 miles NE of Freeport. I was born here, worked here, and lived here all my life. They gave me my degree a BS in Business & Accounting at North Central College.

My wife Eunice and I were married in October 1951. We have two sons & four grandchildren. We spent our vacations while the boys were in school Tent Camping in the mountains both West and East.

Iworked at the bank for 44 years, retiring in 1990 as Vice President, and stayed on two more years as Director. Since retiring we enjoyed several Elderhostels. As far as I know my health seems to be OK, but the legs and arms don't work like they used to.