YORK COUNTY – Arthur Fredrickson, 100, of York, was honored this past week by Governor Jim Pillen and York County Veterans Service Officer Nick Wollenburg for his service in World War II. Wollenburg presented the honor, on behalf of the governor, as family members and friends were in attendance. Also attending the presentation was York Mayor Barry Redfern.
Governor Pillen’s initiative to honor living World War II veterans comes as it has been 80 years since World War II ended. Wollenburg said to Fredrickson, as he presented him with a special medal and certificate, “On behalf of the State of Nebraska, it is my honor to recognize your service during World War II with this special minted medal. It features our Nebraska Sower on the front and celebrates 80 years of victory since the end of World War II. On the back is Lady Victory and the words, ‘On behalf of a grateful state, thank you for your service.’ “Your actions changed the course of history, saving untold lives and stopping the spread of fascism around the world,” he continued. “As we reach the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is more important than ever to celebrate veterans like you and share your story for future generations. Because of your service and sacrifice, we are able to enjoy the Good Life today. We must never forget what we owe our veterans. Thank you for all you have done for our nation and God bless.” In 1943, an 18-year-old Fredrickson was inducted into the military and sent to the front lines in the 34th infantry division. During an earlier interview, Fredrickson said, “I look back and dream about things I saw at war. An average person cannot imagine how horrible war is.” He said in that earlier interview he enlisted in the Army because of Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over South American and then move into the United States. “It was very important to get rid of him. Nearly everyone I was associated with wanted to join.” Fredrickson completed Signal Corps basic training at Camp Wolters in Texas. Then the military decided the infantry needed him more than the Signal Corps did. He was sent to an Army base in Newport News, Virginia, for a month, before boarding a ship and heading to the Mediterranean as part of a 50-ship convoy. While at sea, his ship was attacked twice, once by plane and once by submarine. The ship eventually docked in Naples and the troops were sent to a replacement depot where they awaited reassignment near fierce battle such as Monte Cassino. He and others were eventually loaded into a Landing Ship Tank and were trucked to Anzio, Italy where they replaced casualties of war. He was eventually a replacement for the 34th Infantry division in the 2nd battalion E Company of the 135th regiment. The heavy fighting came when his unit made it into Northern Rome. He was sent to the front lines on his birthday. Fredrickson knew how to speak Latin – after learning the skill in high school – and his squad leader often took him on patrols to gain intelligence and find safe routes through the country. Fredrickson was in combat for three months, when it was common for troops to see about six weeks of combat. At one point, he found himself in an Army hospital, receiving treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Army then placed him in Rome as part of the Signal Corps – the position he originally signed up for. His new position consisted of fixing projectors and working with electronics for English, American and Russian troops. He was stationed near the Coliseum in the Piazza Venezia where Mussolini had his palace. He served in that capacity until Hitler surrendered and the fighting was over in Europe. One of his fondest memories of service is of a moment in Rome – when he met Pope Pius. Two years after he enlisted, Fredrickson arrived home on Valentine’s Day in 1946. This week, as he was surprised with the state’s honor for his service, he made sure to note he was joined by thousands of other Americans who stepped up to save the world so many decades ago. “I want to thank you all, this is a nice medal, but I wasn’t the only one,” Fredrickson said. “I served with some really good people, most of them are gone now, but they were a really good bunch of people. Thank you for this recognition, it’s really nice.” Comments are closed.
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