ROCHELLE — Ralph Papke of Rochelle served in the United States Army from 1946-1947 during World War II. He was in a construction battalion that worked to rebuild Tokyo, Japan. 

Papke was born in 1928 near Gary, Indiana and lived in that state up until and after his service before moving to Rochelle in 1966. He enlisted in the Army in 1946 for two reasons: So he could take advantage of the GI Bill and go to college, and so he wouldn’t be drafted if and when a draft law was passed. 

“My minister talked my parents into it,” Papke said. “He had to come to my parents’ house and convince them to sign for me to go into the service because I was only 17. I grew up in the Army. I gained weight and height. Because I was still so young when I joined.”

Papke’s family has a history of military service. His brother was in the Air Force. His father was a World War I veteran. His brother-in-law went overseas to Germany. 

Papke’s service began when he was sent to Indianapolis, Indiana for his physical examination. He was then sent to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, which was an induction center for testing and placement of troops.  Papke underwent basic training for Army engineers at Fort Lewis in Washington state. Papke’s battalion, the 53rd, only had six weeks of what was supposed to be eight weeks of training. 

“It’s funny the way people gripe when they don’t receive something, but no one heard a comment from anyone in our battalion when we didn’t receive that two weeks of training,” Papke wrote in a recollection of his service. 

Everyone in the battalion received an 11-day furlough before they had to report to Camp Stoneman, California, the point of embarkation for troops to the Pacific Theater of War. Some went to Los Angeles from Fort Lewis, a distance of approximately 1,200 miles, in 28 hours, before going their separate ways to spend their furlough.

Papke spent that time sightseeing in southern California and Mexico. He stayed with his cousin at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California.

“I slept in the exclusive quarters and ate like a king,” Papke wrote in a recollection of his service. “The good thing about a deal like that is I didn’t have to pay for my room and board. And I had about $40 for pocket money that I picked up playing poker with Marines until the wee hours of one morning. I managed to have a very enjoyable time when I visited Hollywood, Los Angeles, Oceanside, San Diego, and Tijuana, Mexico.” 

After taking a train to San Francisco and processing for two days, Papke shipped out for Japan on Dec. 12, 1946 on the SS Pomona Victory along with another 1,300 men. The journey wasn’t easy, as the ship encountered a typhoon and Papke encountered seasickness early on in the trip. The day after Christmas, on Dec. 26, 1946, Papke laid eyes on Japan and the ship docked at 10 a.m. at Yokohama.  

“My most unique experience from my service was getting across a typhoon,” Papke said. “There were about 1,300 of us on the ship. I was really seasick. There were times I thought I wouldn't be here. But I liked the travel aspect of being in the Army. I've been on a lot of cruises since. Being in the service didn't scare me away from being on a ship again.”
In his time in Japan, Papke served as a replacement in the combat engineers. He was an automotive parts clerk and an expert in the M1 rifle. He took pride in being able to shoot proficiently. As if serving wasn’t enough, Papke accomplished another feat while in Japan. 

“I climbed Mt. Fuji,” Papke said. “It took me probably 10 stops to go up. I was up high enough to see above the clouds. That was a side note of my service.”

Papke was honorably discharged from the US Army on Dec. 24, 1947. His decorations and citations included the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal Japan.

Sticking to his plan, Papke took advantage of the GI Bill after serving and went to business school with a focus on accounting. After college, he went to Rockford to work in the lumber business, before moving to Rochelle in 1966 where he became a partner in Rochelle Lumber Company. In 1974 he then became a supervisor for Carnation, where he oversaw lift truck operators. He became father to two daughters and three sons. He’s remained involved in the Rochelle community as a member of Kiwanis Golden K and a lifetime member of the Rochelle VFW Post 3878. He is now 95 years old. 

Honoring Our American Hero is a series that will print twice a month in the News-Leader. If you know an American Hero you would like to have featured, contact Jeff Helfrich at jhelfrich@rochellenews-leader.com or call 815-561-2151.