WINCENTSEN, Harold O.

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ September 28, 1945, p. 1 Lillian Wincentsen’s Husband, Missing In Action Year, Is Officially Declared Dead After many months of anxiety and hopeful waiting, Mrs. Lillian Wincentsen of Morristown, this week received word from the War Department that her husband, Pfc. Harold O. Wincentsen, has been officially recorded as dead in the department’s recorded. Maj. Gen. Edward F. Witsell, Acting Adjutant General of the Army, conveyed the news to the Morristown woman, reporting on the finding of the department and stating, “The finding does not establish an actual or probable date of death; however, as required by law it includes a presumptive date of death for the termination of pay and allowances settlement of accounts and payment of death gratuities. In the case of your husband this date has been set as September 18, 1945, the day following the expiration of twelve months’ absence.” Mrs. Wincentsen first received word that her husband was missing in action in a telegram from the War Department October 10 of last year, while she was residing in San Diego. She has been receiving communications from the department regularly since then, all to the effect that no trace had been found of him. He was serving with the 112th Infantry of the 28th or “Keyhole” Division, the organization which liberated Paris, and had gone into Germany with that division. He was in the vicinity of Wettlinger, Germany, when first reported missing in action. Born September 26, 1915, in Aniwa, Wisc., he served in the ROTC in high school and later in the Illinois National Guard. He entered the army December 10, 1941 and served for two years on the coast with the 140th Infantry before going overseas April 1, 1944. He had previously graduated from the Fort Benning, Georgia, Infantry School for Vehicle Maintainence. He took part in the D-Day invasion of France. He had earned the Infantry and Good Conduct medals. Surviving are the widow and three children, Gertrude, Dinnie and Ona, all of whom moved to Morristown from San Diego last December. Memorial services are to be held in Aniwa.