Purple Hearts
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 1963.)
Surname Given - hometown
Ackerman Clyde - Sabetha
Alford Hugh Inman - Hartwell, Georgia
Allen Harold - Oneida
Andrick Don - Topeka
Ashton Dennis Earl - Horton
Austin Ira
Ball Jethie - Highland
Banzhof Christian - Sabetha
Becker Bernard - Seneca
Bergman Lawrence
Bergman Norbert - Seneca
Berridge Scot - Holton
Bieri Harry V - Bern
Boltz Vernon - Sabetha
Bonjour Ira - Seneca
Bontrager James - Goff
Boughar Edgar -
Bowland Oliver - Denton
Bowlby Don - Goff
Bradley Gla[d]e T -
Brooks Dale - Seneca
Brower Bruce - Centralia
Brown Virgil - Sabetha
Broxterman Celestine - Baileyville
Burger William
Burkhart Peyton - Seneca
Butz Donald - Oneida
Christian William - Mayetta
Christman Joe - Sabetha
Christman - Joe - Sabetha
Clowe Eugene - Seneca
Clowe Floyd -
Clowe Orville - Seneca
Cordill Daniel - Seneca
Coulter Milburn - Centralia
Craig Donale - Beattie
Dailey, John - Sabetha
Dandliker Harry - Hiawatha
Deaver Coral
Donovan Ivan - Horton
Draeger Ray
Dulake Clarence -
Durst Clarence - Sabetha
Eckert Charles - Mayetta
Ecton Wiley J. - Goff
Eichelberger Linwood - Sabetha
Eisenbarth Lawrence M -
Eisenbarth Wilfred - Corning
Evans Donald - Kansas City
Fisher Jack - Dawson, NE
Fortmeyer Virgil - Fairview
Gakle Avis - Sabetha
Gakle Gale Edward - Sabetha
Gillenwalter Paul - Houston?
Gillispie - Jim - Sabetha
Gilmore - Byron - Highland
Graden Gordon - Cotter, Ark
Gregg Albert - Hiawatha
Griffith Vernon - Bern
Grimm Jay - Sabetha
Grimm Vaughn - Sabetha
Haffner Gail - Bern
Halbert Howard - Sabetha
Hanni Arthur - Goff (formerly)
Hartman Lawrence
Hartter Eldon - Sabetha
Haselwood Leroy - Topeka
Hatfield - Graham
Haug Virgil - Vermillion
Haverkamp Carol -
Haxton Melvin - Sabetha?
Hennigh Charles F
Hiskey Reo -
Holmberg Jean - Florence
Honeyman Lawrence - Seneca
Huerter James
Huerter Leonard - Seneca
Jenkins James - Morrill
Jones John A - Highland
Keegan Vernon - Baileyville
Kelly Dale - Onaga
Kimmel Samuel - Mission, KS
Kirkham Calvin - Wetmore
Kirkland Cecil - Muscatine, IA
Knauer Donald - Indiana
Koch Cyril - Seneca
Koch Jerry - Sabetha
Kohake Daniel - Centralia
Kohake George - Harrison Township
Kohn - Formerly Sabetha
Kramer Roger
Krogman Charles -
Krotzinger Donald -
Krotzinger Jacob Jr - Seneca
Kruse Alvin - Fairview
Largent Orville (Bud) - Seneca
Linville Wayne - Collinsville, OK
Lippincott Creston - Goff
Locher Roger G - Sabetha
Long, Richard Francis - Sabetha
Luckert Edward - Sabetha
Lueze Ronald -
Luginibill Allen - Seneca
Manigal - J W - Horton
Mayer Warren - Wetmore
McGreevy Francis - Seneca
McKinnie Wayne - Morril
Melcher Dick -
Mooney Robert - Sabetha
Moyer Ralph - Onaga
Neel Gorman - Sabetha
Nicholson Kenneth
Nightingale Bryan
Nightingale Byron - Corning
Noble Lester Eugene -
Nolte, Cyril - Seneca
Parker John B - Wills Point, TX
Ralston Charles Wayne - Sabetha
Ralston - Walter -
Ralston - Wayne - Sabetha
Rhoades Robert - Anaheim, Ca
Rhodes Theodore - Frankfort
Roberts Charles D - Sabetha
Rogers Albert - Seneca
Rokey Raymond B. - Sabetha
Ross Burton - Santa Rosa CA
Ross Jesse - Grand Island NE
Rucker William Kenneth - Wetmore
Ruse Forest
Ruse Raymond B. - Goff
Ryan C. W. - Seneca
Sander Harold - Seneca
Schafer Frank - Seneca
Scheier Gerald - Kansas City
Schmidt Benedict - Baileyville
Schoff Bob - Bern
Shattuck W. A. - Ashland, KS
Shepherd Dale - Corning
Shump Henry - Battle Creek, MI
Slocum John - Seneca
Smith Leslie Allen - Atchison
Smith Wilfred - Seneca
Sobers Charles - Clinton, IA
Specht Johnnie -
Stalcup - lmer -
Stalder Frank - Sabetha
Stallbaumer James Edward -
Steck Lyle - Axtell
Stevens Arthur - Sabetha
Stine Cedric - Medford, OR
Strahm Elgin - Seneca?
Swart Carl
Tate Moses - Seneca
Thompson Cecil - Sabetha
Ulrich Robert F - Afton, IA
Unsicker Dan - Morton
Vermillion Leo - Sabetha
Vondemkampe Vincent - Axtell
Waggoner Larry K - Sabetha
Weeks, George A - Axtell
Wenger Jacob - Bern
Wessel Lawrence - Baileyville
Wichman - Bob - Seneca
Wikle -
William Hiram - Sedan, KS
Windrum Keith - Sabetha
Winkler Edwin -
Wiseman H. A. - Centralia
Wittwer Victor - Honey Creek
Woltkamp Charles - Seneca
Woltkamp Raymond B. - Seneca
Woltkamp Tony
Workman Gerald C - Burlingame