Bernard J. Irlbeck

Korean War

Bernard (known as Sonny) Irlbeck was born on March 4, 1931, on a farm near Templeton to Alphonse and Margaret (Underberg) Irlbeck. Sonny was the oldest of ten children and attended country school and, later, school in Dedham. He worked on the farm and then for Pape Implement in Templeton.

On July 1, 1952, Sonny was drafted into the US Army along with six other Carroll County men. He was inducted at Omaha, NE and assigned serial number 55 251 855. On July 3, 1952, he was sent to Camp Crowder in southwest Missouri for basic training. By July 30, 1952, Sonny had been ordered to additional training in the area of AAA (anti-aircraft artillery). This training was at Fort Bliss near El Paso, TX. There he was a part of Battery C of the 10th Training Battalion.

After completion of this training, he was transferred to Fort Jackson, SC for assignment. By June 23, 1953, Sonny had been sent to Camp Stewart, GA to be a part of Battery A of the newly-reactivated 550th AAA Gun Battalion. At this point, he was promoted to PFC (private first class). The fighting in Korea ended on July 27, 1953.

Sonny’s two-year requirement continued. Sometime later in 1953, he was sent to Fort Benning, GA to attend the Army Cook and Baker School. This was likely due to a need in his unit. After completion, he returned to the 550th AAA Gun Battalion at Fort Stewart.

In late 1953, Sonny’s unit was transferred to Fort Story near Virginia Beach, VA. This facility had been constructed by the US Army during World War II as a training base for amphibious landings. By January 30, 1954, Sonny had been promoted to Corporal.

Sonny remained at the base in Virginia until the completion of his service. He was discharged on June 30, 1954, at Fort Monroe, VA. Sonny returned to his job at Pape Implement. On August 3, 1954, he married Helen Schwabe at St. Bernard Church in Breda, IA. The couple lived in Templeton until moving to a farm near Westside, IA in 1957. The family moved back to a farm near Templeton in 1969. Sonny farmed and operated a custom crop sheller. They moved into Templeton in 1995.

Sonny died in Carroll on September 23, 2020 at age 89. He was buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.