June 28, 2025 • 15 mins
Corp Andreas was born in Illinois but registered for WW2 while leaving in Terre Haute Indiana. he was part of the 3789th Q.M. Truck Co. His letter is part of the series talking about friends of Lt. James Wisby of Morgantown IN.
During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War.
Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the soldiers or families, please reach out to me at and help me get the letters home
During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War.
Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the soldiers or families, please reach out to me at and help me get the letters home
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Welcome to Warren Family Letters Home. I'm your podcast host
Lauren mus. In this podcast, we talk about letters letters
written home by US servicemen and women in World War Two.
My mission is to return World War Two history to families,
one letter and one story at a time. As sometimes happened.
(00:48):
It's always my hope that someone will hear the podcast,
recognize family connections, and contact me. Because these letters home,
they belong home. I found today's letters at auction. Please
join me for this story and here this letter home.
(01:15):
The letter for this week's podcast was written by Corporal
Leon Harry Andreas, Junior, or Andy, as he was known
US Army. Corporal Andreas's letter is part of the batch
of letters I came across that were written from all
(01:38):
different soldiers to Lieutenant James Ugh Wispy, who was stationed
in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a quartermaster unit. Lieutenant
Whispy was from Morgantown, Indiana, and most of the soldiers
that wrote him were from this area. They intended the
same churches and social clubs, or even worked on his
(01:59):
dairy farm. I'm in Morgantown, and some developed a friendship
while training with him in Utah. Corporal Andreas appears to
have met Lieutenant Wispy at Fort Douglas, Utah. Leon Harry
Andreas Junior, or Andy, as he was known, was born
(02:21):
July twenty seventh, nineteen eighteen, in Rock Falls, Illinois. He
was the third of four children born to Leon Harry
Senior and his wife Gladys. On the nineteen twenty census,
the family is residing in Colomba, Illinois, and it is
noted that Andy's father is working in the hardware industry.
(02:44):
I found a newspaper article published in the Alexandrea Times
Tribune on October twenty first, nineteen twenty nine, that reported
a terrible accident which involved Andy and his younger brother,
Miss Milton. The article reads, William Scott, twenty, of Chesterfield,
(03:06):
was seriously injured, perhaps fatally, and Leon Andreas Andy, age eleven,
and his brother Milton, age nine, were painfully hurt when
the automobile in which they were riding in with James Brown,
also of Chesterfield, was struck by a westbound traction car
(03:27):
shortly afternoon on Sunday at the county line crossing between
Daleville and Chesterfield. Scott suffered a severe scalp wound and
several cuts about his face. Physicians at Saint John's Hospital
and Anderson, where the injured were taken, expressed doubt as
to whether Scott would live. Leon Andreas sustained a fracture
(03:51):
of the right leg and his younger brother suffered a
fracture of the left hip. Brown, who was driving the
car as escaped injury. Brown who had been driving the
automobile as they approached the traction crossing, but it was
Scott who had his foot on the accelerator as he
(04:12):
was keeping time with a jaw harp that he was playing.
Scott grabbed the emergency brake as he saw the inter
urban approaching, and the automobile turned over and landed on
the traction line. The approaching into urban hit the car
and carried it quite a distance down the track, with
(04:32):
all occupants still in it. How they escaped from being
killed was a mystery to those who saw the wreckage.
This had to have been a horrific experience for Andy
and his young brother. I can't find how the Andreas
boys knew William Scott and James Brown, so I don't
(04:53):
know how they came to be in that car. About
a year later, on the nineteen thirty census, Andy is
still listed as eleven years old and in school. His
father was working as a salesman for a furnace company
in Union, Indiana. Also on this census, we find out
(05:15):
that Andy's father was a veteran of World War One.
At some time between nineteen thirty and nineteen forty, Andy's
parents appear to have split up, or at least went
their own separate ways, and on the nineteen forty census
of Terre Haute, Indiana, we find Andy as head of
(05:36):
household and he's living with his mom and his sisters,
Melva and Maxine. Andy listed his occupation as a radio
operator at a radio station. On October sixteenth of nineteen forty,
Andy went to the local board in Terre Haute, Indiana
and registered for the draft. He was described as five
(05:59):
foot eleven and three quarter inches tall, one hundred and
eighty pounds, blue eyes, blonde hair, and a light complexion.
We already know that he was a radio operator, and
on his draft registration he notes that he's employed at
w B d W in Indiana. He's twenty two years
(06:19):
old and lists his mom as the person that will
always know his address. I did find w b d
W of Indiana back in nineteen forty and it was
a full service news and top forty station, and it
was often the leading station in the Terre Haute area.
(06:39):
It was long affiliated with NBC Radio. In July of
nineteen forty two, Andy's sister, Melva died after a serious
illness of sinus complications. The local paper reported that arrangements
for her services were put on hold until her brothers
(07:02):
Louis and Milton could arrive back from service in the army.
We find Andy called up a few months later on
October twenty eighth, nineteen forty two, and he reported to
Jefferson Barracks, Missouri for training, and he was assigned to
the thirty seven eighty ninth Quartermaster Truck Company. Over the
(07:24):
next year and a half, Andy worked stateside and at
some point was at Fort Douglas, Utah, where he met
Lieutenant James Wispy along with Corporal Chase. And if you
remember last week's letter, Corporal Chase mentions Andy a little
bit about Fort Douglas, which I found in the Utah
(07:46):
Historical Quarterly published November fourth, nineteen sixty five. As the
headquarters of the Ninth Service Command, Fort Douglas directed the
repair and salvage of military erry vehicles and implements in
all Western states. When the major emphasis of the war
(08:07):
shifted to the Pacific theater, long lines of jeeps, cargo trucks, tractors, trailers,
and cars poured into the Douglas maintenance shops. In the
single month of November nineteen forty four, the Ninth Service
Command shops repaired five thousand, four hundred and fifty four vehicles,
(08:27):
but the following month they serviced a total of thirty
one thousand, one hundred and eighty seven small arms, pieces
of artillery, and sighting and fire control instruments. In the
summer of nineteen forty four, Corporal Andreas received orders to
ship out of Utah, and on Thursday, August tenth, nineteen
(08:50):
forty four, while he was at Fort Lawton in Seattle, Washington,
he wrote to his friend Lieutenant Wisby, Dear JW. Sorry
that I didn't get back to visit with you before
I left, But it always seems that a fellow's got
a thousand things to do before he ships out. I
(09:10):
hope that everything's okay and that someone's kicked the hell
out of Pumpkinhead. I was going to, but I figured
it wasn't worth the effort House Tucker doing in the
supply room. If he'll go see Henry Lee at the warehouse,
he'll give him lots of help. So I'll give you
the lowdown about this post. First, we were all sent
(09:31):
here by mistake. That's a hell of a note. They
have nothing but general servicemen here, and they have sent
our names back for us to be reassigned to another post. Pats. Sure, fine.
So all of the duty that I have is in
bush Fatigues, and as you know, that's damned hard for me.
(09:52):
That's about all the news about the setup here. The
post is right outside the Seattle city limits, so it
isn't too bad. So I'll close for now. Give the
missus my best regards, and if I get through that way,
I'll stop and do that job as someone should. If
I don't get to see you again, then i'll meet
you in Morgantown and we'll talk over the Battle of
(10:15):
Fort Douglas. So till later, drop me a line or
two if you get the time, Sincerely, Andy. So clearly
we now know that there was some pretty big squabbling
going on down at Fort Douglas. I would love to
know who Pumpkinhead was. Shortly after writing his letter to
(10:38):
Lieutenant Wispy, Andy was admitted to the hospital. His diagnosis
on the records is arthritis chronic type unspecified. Second diagnosis
deformity due to a previous disease or injury not elsewhere
classified spine cervical vertebrae not in line of duty. Existed
(11:02):
prior to service, and I have to wonder if this
condition had something to do with that horrific auto crash
he was involved in when he was young. Corporal Andreas
was medically discharged October nineteen forty four, and I find
him in Franklin, Ohio in June of nineteen forty five,
(11:23):
where he married Elizabeth Snyder. On the nineteen fifty census,
the couple and their five children are living in Columbus, Ohio,
and Andy is working as a businessman for a retail
automotive parts equipment company. Sometime after nineteen fifty, the family
(11:44):
moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and it was there, at age seventy,
that Leon Harry Andy Andreas passed away. His obituary red
owner of Commercial Aviation sales company in West Germany. Died
October twenty ninth, born in Illinois, a World War Two
(12:05):
Army veteran. Survived by daughters Donna, Mona Miltelu Melva, and
sons William Patrick and Joseph. Also sixteen grandchildren and a
great grandchild. He was interred at the Mercer Mortuary in Phoenix.
(12:28):
In World War Two, about twenty seven percent of servicemen
served in the United States. They never went overseas. These
servicemen served vital roles on the home front, training, maintaining
training facilities, stockpiling, moving supplies overseas munitions production, so many
(12:49):
different important duties. Some didn't deploy overseas due to age
and some due to medical reasons found at the time
of their deployment physicals. Regardless of the reason they stayed
in the US, their contributions to the war effort were
very important as they helped to keep trained men, state
(13:10):
of the art equipment and armaments, and food pushing forward
to the battle areas. Thank you for joining me today
as we explore the story of Leon Harry Andreas Andy
(13:32):
as he was known. This is the fourth episode in
our podcast series highlighting the lives of men that came
to know Lieutenant Whiskey. Lieutenant Whiskey preserved these letters, giving
us a glimpse of the friendship that he had with
these men. Tune in next week to hear the story
of another of his friends. If you know anyone from
(13:57):
the Andreas family of Illinois or Arizona, please consider sharing
this podcast with them. These stories deserve to be remembered,
and I'd love to send this letter home. Warren Family
is self funded and we will never ask a family
(14:18):
for any compensation to receive a letter home. If you'd
like to contribute to my mission of returning history to families,
please contact me. You can find me on Facebook at
Warren Family Letters Home, and I can be reached via
email at Warrenfamily at outlook dot comm. All details in
(14:40):
this podcast were discovered by research funder me using public
humilitary genealogy and newspaper search sites. Only support our military,
whether active or veteran status. These men and women sacrifice
it all to serve this great country, whether in war
or peace time. And until next week, this is Lauren
(15:05):
US and you have been listening to Warren Family Letters Home.
Welcome to Warren Family Letters Home. I'm your podcast host
Lauren mus. In this podcast, we talk about letters letters
written home by US servicemen and women in World War Two.
My mission is to return World War Two history to families,
one letter and one story at a time. As sometimes happened.
(00:48):
It's always my hope that someone will hear the podcast,
recognize family connections, and contact me. Because these letters home,
they belong home. I found today's letters at auction. Please
join me for this story and here this letter home.
(01:15):
The letter for this week's podcast was written by Corporal
Leon Harry Andreas, Junior, or Andy, as he was known
US Army. Corporal Andreas's letter is part of the batch
of letters I came across that were written from all
(01:38):
different soldiers to Lieutenant James Ugh Wispy, who was stationed
in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a quartermaster unit. Lieutenant
Whispy was from Morgantown, Indiana, and most of the soldiers
that wrote him were from this area. They intended the
same churches and social clubs, or even worked on his
(01:59):
dairy farm. I'm in Morgantown, and some developed a friendship
while training with him in Utah. Corporal Andreas appears to
have met Lieutenant Wispy at Fort Douglas, Utah. Leon Harry
Andreas Junior, or Andy, as he was known, was born
(02:21):
July twenty seventh, nineteen eighteen, in Rock Falls, Illinois. He
was the third of four children born to Leon Harry
Senior and his wife Gladys. On the nineteen twenty census,
the family is residing in Colomba, Illinois, and it is
noted that Andy's father is working in the hardware industry.
(02:44):
I found a newspaper article published in the Alexandrea Times
Tribune on October twenty first, nineteen twenty nine, that reported
a terrible accident which involved Andy and his younger brother,
Miss Milton. The article reads, William Scott, twenty, of Chesterfield,
(03:06):
was seriously injured, perhaps fatally, and Leon Andreas Andy, age eleven,
and his brother Milton, age nine, were painfully hurt when
the automobile in which they were riding in with James Brown,
also of Chesterfield, was struck by a westbound traction car
(03:27):
shortly afternoon on Sunday at the county line crossing between
Daleville and Chesterfield. Scott suffered a severe scalp wound and
several cuts about his face. Physicians at Saint John's Hospital
and Anderson, where the injured were taken, expressed doubt as
to whether Scott would live. Leon Andreas sustained a fracture
(03:51):
of the right leg and his younger brother suffered a
fracture of the left hip. Brown, who was driving the
car as escaped injury. Brown who had been driving the
automobile as they approached the traction crossing, but it was
Scott who had his foot on the accelerator as he
(04:12):
was keeping time with a jaw harp that he was playing.
Scott grabbed the emergency brake as he saw the inter
urban approaching, and the automobile turned over and landed on
the traction line. The approaching into urban hit the car
and carried it quite a distance down the track, with
(04:32):
all occupants still in it. How they escaped from being
killed was a mystery to those who saw the wreckage.
This had to have been a horrific experience for Andy
and his young brother. I can't find how the Andreas
boys knew William Scott and James Brown, so I don't
(04:53):
know how they came to be in that car. About
a year later, on the nineteen thirty census, Andy is
still listed as eleven years old and in school. His
father was working as a salesman for a furnace company
in Union, Indiana. Also on this census, we find out
(05:15):
that Andy's father was a veteran of World War One.
At some time between nineteen thirty and nineteen forty, Andy's
parents appear to have split up, or at least went
their own separate ways, and on the nineteen forty census
of Terre Haute, Indiana, we find Andy as head of
(05:36):
household and he's living with his mom and his sisters,
Melva and Maxine. Andy listed his occupation as a radio
operator at a radio station. On October sixteenth of nineteen forty,
Andy went to the local board in Terre Haute, Indiana
and registered for the draft. He was described as five
(05:59):
foot eleven and three quarter inches tall, one hundred and
eighty pounds, blue eyes, blonde hair, and a light complexion.
We already know that he was a radio operator, and
on his draft registration he notes that he's employed at
w B d W in Indiana. He's twenty two years
(06:19):
old and lists his mom as the person that will
always know his address. I did find w b d
W of Indiana back in nineteen forty and it was
a full service news and top forty station, and it
was often the leading station in the Terre Haute area.
(06:39):
It was long affiliated with NBC Radio. In July of
nineteen forty two, Andy's sister, Melva died after a serious
illness of sinus complications. The local paper reported that arrangements
for her services were put on hold until her brothers
(07:02):
Louis and Milton could arrive back from service in the army.
We find Andy called up a few months later on
October twenty eighth, nineteen forty two, and he reported to
Jefferson Barracks, Missouri for training, and he was assigned to
the thirty seven eighty ninth Quartermaster Truck Company. Over the
(07:24):
next year and a half, Andy worked stateside and at
some point was at Fort Douglas, Utah, where he met
Lieutenant James Wispy along with Corporal Chase. And if you
remember last week's letter, Corporal Chase mentions Andy a little
bit about Fort Douglas, which I found in the Utah
(07:46):
Historical Quarterly published November fourth, nineteen sixty five. As the
headquarters of the Ninth Service Command, Fort Douglas directed the
repair and salvage of military erry vehicles and implements in
all Western states. When the major emphasis of the war
(08:07):
shifted to the Pacific theater, long lines of jeeps, cargo trucks, tractors, trailers,
and cars poured into the Douglas maintenance shops. In the
single month of November nineteen forty four, the Ninth Service
Command shops repaired five thousand, four hundred and fifty four vehicles,
(08:27):
but the following month they serviced a total of thirty
one thousand, one hundred and eighty seven small arms, pieces
of artillery, and sighting and fire control instruments. In the
summer of nineteen forty four, Corporal Andreas received orders to
ship out of Utah, and on Thursday, August tenth, nineteen
(08:50):
forty four, while he was at Fort Lawton in Seattle, Washington,
he wrote to his friend Lieutenant Wisby, Dear JW. Sorry
that I didn't get back to visit with you before
I left, But it always seems that a fellow's got
a thousand things to do before he ships out. I
(09:10):
hope that everything's okay and that someone's kicked the hell
out of Pumpkinhead. I was going to, but I figured
it wasn't worth the effort House Tucker doing in the
supply room. If he'll go see Henry Lee at the warehouse,
he'll give him lots of help. So I'll give you
the lowdown about this post. First, we were all sent
(09:31):
here by mistake. That's a hell of a note. They
have nothing but general servicemen here, and they have sent
our names back for us to be reassigned to another post. Pats. Sure, fine.
So all of the duty that I have is in
bush Fatigues, and as you know, that's damned hard for me.
(09:52):
That's about all the news about the setup here. The
post is right outside the Seattle city limits, so it
isn't too bad. So I'll close for now. Give the
missus my best regards, and if I get through that way,
I'll stop and do that job as someone should. If
I don't get to see you again, then i'll meet
you in Morgantown and we'll talk over the Battle of
(10:15):
Fort Douglas. So till later, drop me a line or
two if you get the time, Sincerely, Andy. So clearly
we now know that there was some pretty big squabbling
going on down at Fort Douglas. I would love to
know who Pumpkinhead was. Shortly after writing his letter to
(10:38):
Lieutenant Wispy, Andy was admitted to the hospital. His diagnosis
on the records is arthritis chronic type unspecified. Second diagnosis
deformity due to a previous disease or injury not elsewhere
classified spine cervical vertebrae not in line of duty. Existed
(11:02):
prior to service, and I have to wonder if this
condition had something to do with that horrific auto crash
he was involved in when he was young. Corporal Andreas
was medically discharged October nineteen forty four, and I find
him in Franklin, Ohio in June of nineteen forty five,
(11:23):
where he married Elizabeth Snyder. On the nineteen fifty census,
the couple and their five children are living in Columbus, Ohio,
and Andy is working as a businessman for a retail
automotive parts equipment company. Sometime after nineteen fifty, the family
(11:44):
moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and it was there, at age seventy,
that Leon Harry Andy Andreas passed away. His obituary red
owner of Commercial Aviation sales company in West Germany. Died
October twenty ninth, born in Illinois, a World War Two
(12:05):
Army veteran. Survived by daughters Donna, Mona Miltelu Melva, and
sons William Patrick and Joseph. Also sixteen grandchildren and a
great grandchild. He was interred at the Mercer Mortuary in Phoenix.
(12:28):
In World War Two, about twenty seven percent of servicemen
served in the United States. They never went overseas. These
servicemen served vital roles on the home front, training, maintaining
training facilities, stockpiling, moving supplies overseas munitions production, so many
(12:49):
different important duties. Some didn't deploy overseas due to age
and some due to medical reasons found at the time
of their deployment physicals. Regardless of the reason they stayed
in the US, their contributions to the war effort were
very important as they helped to keep trained men, state
(13:10):
of the art equipment and armaments, and food pushing forward
to the battle areas. Thank you for joining me today
as we explore the story of Leon Harry Andreas Andy
(13:32):
as he was known. This is the fourth episode in
our podcast series highlighting the lives of men that came
to know Lieutenant Whiskey. Lieutenant Whiskey preserved these letters, giving
us a glimpse of the friendship that he had with
these men. Tune in next week to hear the story
of another of his friends. If you know anyone from
(13:57):
the Andreas family of Illinois or Arizona, please consider sharing
this podcast with them. These stories deserve to be remembered,
and I'd love to send this letter home. Warren Family
is self funded and we will never ask a family
(14:18):
for any compensation to receive a letter home. If you'd
like to contribute to my mission of returning history to families,
please contact me. You can find me on Facebook at
Warren Family Letters Home, and I can be reached via
email at Warrenfamily at outlook dot comm. All details in
(14:40):
this podcast were discovered by research funder me using public
humilitary genealogy and newspaper search sites. Only support our military,
whether active or veteran status. These men and women sacrifice
it all to serve this great country, whether in war
or peace time. And until next week, this is Lauren
(15:05):
US and you have been listening to Warren Family Letters Home.
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