Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Mayer, Reineck, Greeler
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 1/27/2016
Legion Honors Mayer Cousins for Their Military Service (Harold & Vern - 2016)
Legion Honors Mayer Cousins for Their Military Service
Cousins Harold (l) and Vern Mayer both served in the U. S. Marine Corps. They are being honored for their military service Monday, Feb. 1, during a special program at the Neillsville American Legion Club. (Contributed Photos)
By Todd Schmidt
Cousins Vern and Harold Mayer, both of Neillsville, will be honored for their military service Monday, Feb. 1, at the Neillsville American Legion Club. Social hour begins at 4:30 p.m., with a potluck meal at 5:30 p.m. and the honors program to follow. The public is cordially invited to attend.
Vern and Harold’s mothers were sisters and their fathers were brothers. They both served in the U. S. Marine Corp2.s and have continued to life their lives under the Semper Fi (Always Faithful) motto.
At the age of 17, Vern joined the 32nd National Guard Division in Neillsville. After graduation from Alma Center High School in 1952, he attended UW-River Falls, obtaining a BX degree in agriculture in 1956.
Vern received an honorable discharge from the Army Reserves. He then decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. After going through basic training, Vern obtained basic officer training during a three-month course at Quantico, VA.
After receiving his commission, Vern was transferred to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, CA, where he worked in the motor transport area. His desire was to serve overseas, so he switched to the 3rd Marine Division, which he was in a combat-ready unit.
The 3rd Division unit left Los Angeles, CA, by ship and dialed to the Pacific Rim, waiting orders to serve in a restricted area. Due to severe sickness, the ship docked in Hawaii for five days.
They then received orders to proceed to Okinawa. Vern said the unit was in the Pacific area for 27 days. Part of the detail was the sailing to South Korea for mock warfare training.
Vern made the rank of captain while there and served a total of two years in Okinawa.
“Okinawa was a small island,” Vern said. “The wind was so bad that our Quonset huts were secured by steel cables sunk in cement.”
In 1959, Vern received his honorable discharge from the Marines. He continued with the Reserves until 1966.
Vern was raised on a dairy farm in Humbird. He went to a one-room school before attending high school.
After his discharge from the Marines, Vern moved to Anoka, MN, to obtain additional schooling in finance. He then went to work for Thorp Finance.
Vern moved on to a job at PCA in Neillsville in 1961. He then worked for Farm Credit Savings until 1991.
Vern also was an insurance producer for Mid-Wisconsin Bank and a representative for Catholic Insurance. He served as a volunteer driver for Clark County Social Services, fully retiring in 2003. He and Margaret Reineck were married in 1964. They have two surviving sons and enjoy five grandchildren.
Vern’s hobbies include spending quality time with his grandchildren, gardening, landscaping, hunting and bird watching.
Vern Mayer served in the U. S. Army Reserves, the U. S. Marine Cops and the Marine Reserves from 1956 to 1966
(Contributed photo)
Harold was drafted into the military in 1952. He and a buddy went to Minneapolis, where they had a choice to join the Marines or the Army. They chose the Marines and shipped out to San Diego, CA, for basic training.
Harold contracted the measles during basic training and had to start over with another unit. He transferred to Camp Pendleton, CA, as a truck driver.
His unit then received orders to fly to Camp Lejeune, NC. The troops boarded a ship twice for journeys to Puerto Rico, where they practiced mock warfare.
“I was the first one off the ship, driving a truck onto the beach,” Harold recalled. “I also delivered food there.”
With six months left in Harold’s enlistment, the unit went to Mt. Fuji, Japan. He had been on the ship about a week and the Korean War was ending.
Harold said he would never forget the experience of a major earthquake at Mt. Fuji. One of his assignments included delivering beer from Tokyo to the PX.
Harold received his honorable discharge in 1954. He returned to Fairchild and worked at a cheese factory.
In 1957, Harold purchased trucks to haul cans of milk. He had two routes for 13 years and then purchased a truck to haul bulk milk. He added another truck and worked those milk routes for another three years.
In 1970, Harold began working for the City of Neillsville Street Department. He retired from that position in 1996.
Harold was raised on a farm in Fairchild and attended a one-room country school.
“My job was to start the fire in the stove at the school early each morning,” Harold said. “I got 25 cents each time.”
Harold graduated from Fairchild High School in 1950.
He married Janice Greeler in 1961. They enjoy three children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Harold and Janice operated a lawn mowing and snow removal service until their official retirement. They also enjoy keeping a large garden.
In the past, they enjoyed trips to Las Vegas and Laughlin, NV. Today, Harold and Janice are content playing hand-held poker and solitaire games at home.
Harold Mayer served in the U. S. Marine Corps from 1952 to 1954
(Contributed photo)
