Purple Heart

Men Wounded in Battle to Receive a Decoration

A number of Seneca ex-service men are eligible to a new military decoration, or, rather an old decoration that is being revived. It is known as the Order of the Purple Heart and is awarded by the war department to men who were wounded in action. The Purple Heart medal has a bronze edge with raised, purple background. The head is of bronze while the shield is composed of red bars and stars. The reverse side is all bronze carrying the engraved name of the recipient. An oak leaf cluster is attached to the medal for each wound received. During the revolutionary war George Washington designed and issued the Purple Heart as his tribute to gallantry. Records show but three received the honor during the Revolution. Then the decoration was forgotten and not revived until President Hoover recommended its use in honor of the two-hundredth anniversary of Washington’s birth. The War Department is distributing the medals but so far as known none has been received in this community. Charles R. Clinkenbeard, Lincoln, formerly of Wetmore received the award with three clusters. He was gassed and twice wounded.

from the Courier Tribune dated 6 June 1932

Since no list of Purple Hearts recipients exists, the Seneca and Sabetha newspapers along with inquiries into the community are being used to create a list of recipients of this award. (This is a work in progress. Sabetha newspapers have been searched thru 1999. Seneca newspapers have been searched thru 2000.)

Surname Given – hometown
Ackerman Clyde – Sabetha – WWII
Aeschliman, Clyde – Sabetha – WWII
Alford Hugh Inman – Hartwell, Georgia – WWII
Allen Harold – Oneida – WWII
Allen, Ralph – WWII
Andrick Don – Topeka – WWII
Armstrong, Lt. Leroy Floyd – WWII
Ashton Dennis Earl – Horton – Vietnam
Austin Ira – WWII
Ball Jethie – Highland – WWII
Banzhof Christian – Sabetha – WWII
Barrett, Lewis – WWII
Becker Bernard – Seneca – WWII
Bergman Lawrence – WWII
Bergman Norbert – Seneca – WWII
Berridge Scot – Holton – WWI
Bieri, George -Bern – WWII
Bieri Harry V – Bern – WWII
Bindel, Richard Clarence – WWII
Boeding, Joseph Martin – WWII
Boltz Vernon – Sabetha – WWII
Bonjour Ira – Seneca – WWI
Bontrager James – Goff – WWII
Boughar Edgar – WWII
Bowland Oliver – Denton – WWII
Bowlby Don – Goff – WWII
Bradley Gla[d]e T – WWI
Brooks Dale – Seneca – WWII
Brower Bruce – Centralia – WWII
Brown Virgil – Sabetha – WWII
Broxterman Celestine – Baileyville – WWII
Burdick, Eugene – Seneca – Korea
Burger William – WWI
Burkhart Peyton – Seneca – WWII
Butz Donald – Oneida – WWII
Cameron, James – Summerfield – WWII
Christian William – Mayetta – WWII
Christman Joe – Sabetha – WWII
Christian, William Kenneth – Mayetta – WWII
Clowe Eugene – Seneca – WWII
Clowe Floyd – WWII
Clowe Orville – Seneca – WWII
Cordill Daniel – Seneca – WWII
Coulter Milburn – Centralia – WWII
Craig Donale – Beattie – WWII
Crane, Frank – Seneca – WWII
Curtis, Raymond – TOpeka – Vietnam
Dailey, John – Sabetha – WWII
Dandliker Harry – Hiawatha – WWII
Deaver Coral – WWI
Dick, Ernest – Bern – WWI
Domer, Carol Eugene – WWII
Donovan Ivan – Horton – WWII
Draeger Ray – WWII
Dulake Clarence – WWII
Durst Clarence – Sabetha – WWII
Eckert Charles – Mayetta – WWII
Ecton Wiley J. – Goff – WWI
Eichelberger Linwood – Sabetha – WWII
Eisenbarth Lawrence M -Seneca
Eisenbarth Wilfred – Corning – WWII
Enneking Joe – WWII
Evans Donald – Kansas City – WWII
Fisher Jack – Dawson, NE – Vietnam
Fordham, Darrel “Jerry” – Havensville – WWII
Forrester, Father Fidelis – Vietnam
Fortmeyer Virgil – Fairview – WWII
Fund Roy – Goff – WWII
Gakle Avis – Sabetha – WWII
Gakle Gale Edward – Sabetha = WWOO
Galer, Stanley L. – Holton – WWII
Gillenwalter Paul – Houston? -WWII
Gillispie, Jim – Sabetha – WWII
Gilmore, Byron – Highland – WWII
Graden Gordon – Cotter, Ark- WWII
Gregg Albert – Hiawatha – WWI
Griffith, Robert Guy – Seneca – WWII
Griffith Vernon – Bern- WWII
Grimm Jay – Sabetha – WWII
Grimm Vaughn – Sabetha – WWII
Guilford William – Centralia – WWII
Haffner Gail – Bern – WWII
Halbert Howard – Sabetha – WWII
Hall, Donald Keith – WWII
Hanni Arthur – Goff (formerly) – Goff – WWII
Hartman Lawrence – Seneca – WWII
Hartter Eldon – Sabetha – WWII
Haselwood Leroy – Topeka – WWII
Hatfield – Graham
Haug, Ronald Lee – Seneca – Vietnam
Haug Virgil – Vermillion – WWII
Haug, Virgil – Axtell – WWII
Haverkamp Carol G- Seneca – Vietnam
Haxton Melvin – Sabetha? – WWII
Hennigh Charles F – WWII
Herring, Jay – Wathena – WWII
Higgins, Arlie – Seneca – WWII
Hiskey Reo – WWII
Holmberg Jean – Florence – WWII
Honeyman Lawrence – Seneca WWII
Hostetter, Newman – Seneca – WWII
Huerter James – Kelly – WWII
Huerter Leonard – Seneca – WWII
Huninghake, S Sgt. Henry J. – WWII
Jenkins James – Morrill – Vietnam
Jones John A – Highland – WWII
Keegan Vernon – Baileyville – WWII
Kellenberger Galen – Sabetha – WWII
Keller, Edward C – Seneca – WWII
Kelly Dale – Onaga – WWII
Kerns, Dallas Lee – SPringfield, MO – Iraq
Kimmel Samuel – Mission, KS – WWII
Kirkham Calvin – Wetmore – WWII
Kirkland Cecil – Muscatine, IA – WWII
Knauer Donald – Indiana – WWII
Koch Cyril John – Seneca – WWII
Koch Jerry – Sabetha – Vietnam
Koch, Kenneth M – Seneca – WWII
Kohake Daniel – Centralia – WWII
Kohake George – Harrison Township – WWII
Kohn – Formerly Sabetha – WWII
Kramer Roger W – Seneca – Vietnam
Krogman Charles – Korea
Krotzinger Donald – WWII
Krotzinger Jacob Jr – Seneca – WWII
Kruse Alvin – Fairview – WWII
Largent Orville (Bud) – Seneca – WWI
Lehwald, Merlin E. – Sabetha – Korea
Linville Wayne – Collinsville, OK- WWII
Lippincott Creston – Goff – WWII
Locher Roger G – Sabetha – Vietnam
Long, Richard Francis – Sabetha – WWII
Luckert Edward – Sabetha – Vietnam
Lueze Ronald – Sabetha – Vietnam
Luginibill Allen – Seneca – WWII
Manigal – J W – Horton – WWI
Mayer Warren – Wetmore – WWII
McGehee, Milly L “Bud” – Beattie – Korea
McGreevy Francis – Seneca – WWII
McKinnie Wayne – Morril – WWII
Melcher Dick – WWII
Miller, Arthur – WWII
Miller, Larry Lee – Vietnam
Mooney, Raymond – Centralia – WWII
Mooney Robert – Sabetha – WWII
Moore George S. – Oneida – WWII
Moyer Ralph – Onaga – WWI
Neel Gorman – Sabetha – WWII
Nicholson Kenneth – WWII
Niehues, Fredrich – Kelly – WWII
Nightingale Bryan – Corning – WWII
Nightingale Byron – Corning
Noble Lester Eugene – WWII
Nolte, Cyril – Seneca – WWII
Nolte, Nicholas – Fallls City – Iraq
Olberding, Daniel – Seneca – Vietnam
Parker John B – Wills Point, TX – WWII
Plumb, Charles J – Kansas City – Viet Nam
Prell, Billie – Seneca – Korea
Ralston Charles Wayne – Sabetha
Ralston, Walter – WWI
Ralston, Wayne – Sabetha – WWII
Rhoades Robert – Anaheim, Ca – WWII
Rhodes Theodore – Frankfort – WWII
Rilinger, Albert J – Axtell – WWII
Roberts Charles D – Sabetha – WWI
Rogers Albert – Seneca – WWII
Rokey Raymond B. – Sabetha – WWII
Ross Burton – Santa Rosa CA – WWII
Ross Jesse – Grand Island NE – WWII
Rucker William Kenneth – Wetmore – WWII
Ruse Forest – WWII
Ruse Raymond B. – Goff – WWII
Ryan C. W. – Seneca – WWI
Sander Harold – Seneca – WWII
Schafer Frank – Seneca – WWII
Scheier Gerald – Kansas City – WWII
Schmidt Benedict – Baileyville – WWII
Schmidt, Wilbur – Centralia – WWII
Schoff Bob – Bern – WWII
Schultejans Bernard – WWII
Shattuck W. A. – Ashland, KS – WWII
Shaw, Lt. Robert W. – WWII
Shepherd Dale – Corning – WWII
Shump Henry – Kelly – WWII
Shute, Norval – Bern – WWII
Slocum John – Seneca – WWII
Smith Leslie Allen – Atchison — WWII
Smith Wilfred – Seneca – WWII
Sobers Charles – Clinton, IA – WWII
Soderquest, Willard (Wilbur) – Minden, NE – WWII
Specht Johnnie -WWI
Springer, George – Sabetha – WWII
Stalcup, Elmer – WWII
Stalder Frank – Sabetha – WWII
Stallbaumer James Edward – Seneca – Korea
Steck Lyle – Axtell – WWII
Stedman, Max D – Axtel – WWII
Stevens Arthur – Sabetha – WWII
Stine Cedric – Medford, OR – WWII
Strahm Elgin – Seneca? – WWII
Swart Carl
Swart, Ernest – Oneida – WWII
Tate, Marvin L. – Fairview – WWII
Tate Moses – Seneca – WWII
Thompson Cecil – Sabetha – Vietnam
Ulrich Robert F – Afton, IA – WWII
Ulvenes, Robert E – Seneca – WWII
Unsicker Dan – Morton – WWII
Vermillion Leo – Sabetha – WWII
Vondemkampe Vincent – Axtell – WWII
Waggoner Larry K – Sabetha – Vietnam
Weeks, George A – Axtell – WWII
Wells, Lloyd – Salem, MO – WWII
Wenger Jacob – Bern – WWI
Wessel Lawrence – Baileyville – WWII
Wichman, Bob – Seneca – Kore
Wikle – WWII
William Hiram – Sedan, KS – WWI
Windrum Keith – Sabetha – WWII
Winkler, Albert – Kelly- Korea
Winkler Edwin -WWII
Winsor, Willard – Seneca WWII
Winterscheidt Lawrence – Fairview – WWII
Wiseman H. A. – Centralia – WWII
Wittwer Victor – Honey Creek – WWII
Woltkamp Charles – Seneca – WWII
Woltkamp Raymond B. – Seneca – WWII
Woltkamp Tony – WWII
Woltkamp, Charles J – Seneca – WWII
Workman Gerald C – Burlingame – WWII

Sourcing information can be found on the Google Drive spreadsheet.