Rudolph F. Feilmeier

World War II

Rudolph Feilmeier was born on March 27, 1920, near Templeton to Wendelin (Wenz) and Clara (Willenborg) Feilmeier. The family had moved to the Templeton area about 1890. Rudolph attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton. When he registered for the military draft, he was employed by his father as a farm worker.

Rudolph was inducted into the US Army on August 17, 1944, at Fort Leavenworth, KS and was assigned serial number 37 750 139. He was sent to basic training at the US Army Replacement Training Center at Camp Fannin near Tyler, TX. He was a part of Company A, 67th Battalion of the 14th Infantry Regiment. He continued his training there and was able to visit his parents in Templeton during March and August of 1945.

After his August visit to Templeton, he was assigned to the 69th Military Government Hq and Hq Company based in San Francisco, CA. These units were formed to conduct a wide array of services after the Japanese surrender Including:

-feeding the Japanese population
-disarmament and demobilization
-purge of wartime political officials
-education, labor and land reform
-restarting the economy
-enfranchisement of women
-punishing war criminals
-creating a constitution

The US Army conducted these activities on the Japanese mainland, Okinawa and the Korean peninsula below the 38th parallel. Other Japanese territories were administered by other governments including China and the Soviet Union. Military government units were attached to larger commands in charge of various districts. It is unclear where the 69th Military Government unit served but most likely in Korea.

Rudolph was sent overseas with his unit on September 26, 1945, after the war was over. His job was in motor transport. He served overseas until returning to the United States on August 23, 1946. He was discharged from the US Army on August 31, 1946 with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Rudolph returned to farming near Templeton. In the 1930’s, the family moved to a farm near Maple River. Rudolph never married. He farmed near Maple River until at least the 1950’s. He later moved into Carroll and worked for a road construction company. He was killed on December 1, 1970, in Fairfax, Missouri when an object fell from 15 feet above him at a construction site. He was 50 years old. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.