Many years have passed since the days of World War II, but for Dick Jordan, of Marion, the memories remain vivid and emotional. At almost twenty-one, Dick began serving his country in November 1942, receiving his basic training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia.
As a newlywed, he was joined there by his wife, Alice. She remembers working at a nearby restaurant for S7.20 a week, plus tips.
In mid-December, Dick was sent to New York City, where Christmas music was playing everywhere,” and sailed away on the “Queen Mary” to Scotland. This was a voyage that took seven days, during which a bad winter storm was experienced.
During this time, Alice had returned to Marion to live with Dick’s parents.
Ranger training in Scotland, followed by time spent in Ireland and Wales, before being shipped on a landing craft to Normandy Beach, Dick remembers very well.
After spending several days in combat, the 23rd Infantry Division, in which Dick served as a rifleman, found themselves “pinned down in a hedgerow,” with “bullets going over our heads.”
The sergeant in charge, surrendered to the Germans, and for a year, Dick, and his comrades, experienced the atrocities of being a prisoner of war.
Before Dick left the states, Alice had given her young husband a small metal-covered Bible to carry with him. A German soldier threw it on the ground, and Dick retrieved it. The soldier repeated his actions and again Dick picked it up. The third time, the soldier warned that he would shoot Dick, if he picked it up. The last time Dick saw the little Bible, it was lying on the ground in France.
Marching was the order of each day, as the 2,300 soldiers made their way across the French countryside to Germany. “Three days without food,” Dick remembered, and each soldier with a metal folding cup, standing in line, waiting for milk from a single cow.
The German soldiers paid a farmer for a horse, which they shot and skinned before cutting off chunks of raw flesh, to feed the soldiers.
After marching all day, they were locked in hog crates in a cramped position all night, and could hardly straighten up the next day.
Loaded into boxcars, forty-five men in each, they spent five hot July days and nights, while outside, “our planes were strafing us.”
Arriving at Stalag 4D, “We were getting smelly,” and the cold showers, without soap, were welcomed sights. Here they laundered their clothes and took baths, before putting their wrung-out wet clothing back on.
Dick has so many vivid memories, each of which stirs up deep emotions, and has a difficulty in continuing the telling of his horrendous year as a P.O.W. “For a long time I didn’t talk about it—but it helps.”
He remembered one of his fellow soldiers, who stooped to pick up a wild strawberry and was shot in the temple.
There was very little food, and Dick remembers several weeks of eating nothing but “runty little carrots” once a day.
“I saw lots of things happen,” many of which, he chose not to share.
The bodies brought in by the truckloads, which the prisoners had to separate the body parts and hand down to those working in the graves, is only one of the remembered horrors of the war.
Dick overheard fellow soldiers, speaking of him, when he was having severe physical problems, “That little guy is not going to make it.” But, he was determined.
Looking back, Dick says, “The Lord was with me all the way,” and he told of an experience with two guardian angels that appeared to him.
Although not a Christian at the time, he and Alice have been active members of the Third Baptist in Marion for some time. “During that time, everyone did lots of praying”. During this horrifying war, Alice had first received a message from the war department, listing Dick as “Missing in Action,” and two months later she was informed that he was a P.O.W.
Holly, Germany was the first location Dick remembers being, before being rescued. “Our planes were strafing us, as we waved our hands, and on the third attempt of their unanimous waving, the pilot tipped his wings in recognition, and evidently radioed tor a rescue.”
The rescue came in the form of a tank half-track, equipped with M-1 rifles, hand grenades, and K-rations. “We fought for three days.”
Then American planes arrived, landing in a farm field, and twenty-five were loaded on each plane, along with a three-man crew. The planes flew at low altitude, below radar detection. “We gobbled up all the K-rations on the plane, including the crew’s supply,” Dick recalled.
When he had left the U.S. over a year ago, he wondered if he would ever see the Statue of Liberty again. “You never saw so many boys kissing the ground!” on their return.
Sailing on merchant marine ships, a ship behind the one he was on was hit by a mine. “Our ship was leaning as we came into the harbor,” where they were welcomed by the American Red Cross.
Dick received his honorable discharge in Louisiana in 1945 and besides his memories, has also in his possession, the Purple Heart, and medals for Good Conduct, Expert Rifleman Marksman and a P.O.W. medal. All of these and other W.W. II memorabilia have been on display at Marion’s City Hall, for several weeks in honor of those who protected our country.
After spending sixty days at home, Dick and fellow P.O.W.’s were sent to Miami Beach for rehabilitation, along with their wives. Here, they were treated royally at the luxury hotels with many choices of recreation and food. The Jordan’s reminisced about their deep-sea fishing, where Alice suffered from sea-sickness while Dick was hauling in a large fish. Spending time on the fabulous beach is among their many memories of that era.
Dick would later become assistant manager of Martin Oil Company; work for Ford Motor in Detroit; was employed at the Chevrolet Plant, St. Louis; worked at Sangamo Electric; worked at Small’s Grocery, Marion; and his own trucking business; and retired from the Marion water department.
Alice worked at Sangamo Electric and Allen Industries before retiring in 1990.
The two had met at the Williamson County Fair, where Dick had driven his 1934 Ford convertible. Alice was from Creal Springs, and since there were no phones, Dick made many trips there and back.
As one of fourteen children, Alice married Dick, an only child, and though she said, “He was a little spoiled,” they will celebrate sixty years together on November 26.
Sharing this happy occasion will be the Jordan’s two daughters, plus three granddaughters, three grandsons, seven great-grandchildren, with another on the way, along with the spouses of some.
The Jordan’s have enjoyed travel, are active in their church, and spend three days each week doing volunteer work at the Marion Senior Center, where, “I love to play pool,” said Dick.
(Article extracted from a Southern Illinoisan supplement dated July 2002 by Dixie Terry)
Richard L. Jordan Obituary
Richard L. Jordan, 85, of Marion passed away at 6:01 PM, Saturday, November 17, 2007 at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at the Blue Funeral Home in Marion with Reverend Ron Orr and Dr. Jerry Ford officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at the funeral home. Burial will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion. Military rites will be held at the cemetery by VFW Post 1301, American Legion Post 147 and the National Guard.
Mr. Jordan was born December 6, 1921 in Marion, Illinois the only child of Geobel “Pete” and Lottie (Smith) Jordan. After he was born his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri returning to Marion when he was 13 years old. He married Alice Odum on November 26, 1942 in Charleston, Missouri; next Monday they would have celebrated their 65th year of marriage.
Survivors include his wife, Alice of Marion; daughters and sons-in-law, Shelia and Richard Williams of Marion and Lorraine and George Palmer of Humboldt, Tennessee; grandchildren, Debra and Alan Dallas, Richard L. and Stacy Williams, Brian and Donna Williams, Scott and Stacy Palmer, Wendy and Tony Parsons and Cindy Palmer and Wes Adkisson; and great grandchildren, Kelsie Williams, Levi Williams, Chelsea Dallas, Autumn Dallas, Will Palmer, Lane Palmer, Trent Parsons, Paige J. Parsons, Brocton Williams, Trista Williams and Bo Ryan Adkisson.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Mr. Jordan served his country with the United States Army, inducted June 6, 1943, as a PFC 2nd Division, 23rd Infantry Rifleman stationed in Germany during World War II. He was a Prisoner of War for one year in 1944 and was involved with the 2nd wave invasion on D-Day. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
He gave his heart to Jesus on March 12, 1995 and became a member of Third Baptist Church in Marion. He served as a door greeter at the church.
Mr. Jordan held several jobs in his life time, but retired from the Marion Water Department on December 6, 1985. He was a life member of the Marion VFW Post 1301, D.A.V. life member, W.O.W. Life Member and IMRF life member.
(Obituary extracted from Blue Funeral Home, Marion, Illinois; Photo from Senior Voice)