Jerome C. Langel

Korean War

Jerome Langel was born near Templeton on March 7, 1931, to A.H. (Henry) and Anna (Thielen) Langel. He attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton. He later worked on the family farm.

Jerome was inducted into the US Army on July 6, 1954. He was assigned serial number 26 791 488. He was sent to Fort Bliss near El Paso, TX for basic training. By October 12, 1954, he had been assigned to training as a cook and baker at Fort Hood near Killeen, TX. There he was a member of the 4005th SU FD Service School (Class 13).

Jerome’s training at Fort Hood was completed by November, 1954. On November 26, 1954, he was sent to his permanent assignment at Bad Kissingen, Germany. There he was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion of the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Bad Kissingen is in the northern part of Bavaria and, at that time, was near the border with East Germany. US troops were a constant presence in Germany at this time as Cold War tensions continued. The 14th Armored Cavalry patrolled the border between West and East Germany from Hersfeld to Bamberg.

Jerome’s duties involved providing three meals a day to 300 men. He continued in this role through 1955 and early 1956. By the spring of 1956, he was returning to the United States. He was discharged at Fort Sheridan, IL on May 21, 1956 with the rank of Specialist 3rd Class (a variant of corporal at that time). He then returned to Templeton and resumed farming.

On May 21, 1957, Jerome was married to Ivadell Bruning at St. Bernard Church in Breda, IA. The couple lived in Templeton briefly before moving to their farm east of Templeton. They farmed there until moving into Templeton in 1995.

Jerome died in Carroll, IA on July 14, 2022 at age 91. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.