Staff-Sergeant Edward Hasenhorl

As Herbert Hover once said, "Older men declare war. But it's the youth who must fight and die." Unfortunate for him, Staff-Sergeant Edward Hasenhorl was one of the 500,000 thousand young men that sacrificed his life for the country he loved. On August 10th, 1944, Staff-Sergeant Hasenhorl was wounded in combat, for which he was ultimately awarded the Purple Heart. Unfortunately, he never saw his lovely wife or family again. Staff-Sergeant Hasenhorl died from his wounds on March 16th, 1945, leaving behind Dorreen, his parents, and nine siblings to mourn for him.

When he was wounded, Edward Hasenhorl had achieved the rank of Staff-Sergeant in the United States Army. He also was a machine gunner for the 28th Division. The main difference between the rank of Sergeant and that of a Staff-Sergeant is that a Staff-Sergeant is a non-commissioned officer, or NCO. A Staff-Sergeant is usually responsible for a squad of soldiers. As an NCO, his primary responsibility would have been to see that the orders from the commissioned officers were carried out.

Because Staff Sergeant Hasenhorl was wounded in combat, he was eligible to receive the Purple Heart. The Purple Heart is awarded for military merit, and is a symbol of bravery and patriotism. No doubt Staff Sergeant Hasenhorl was proud to have served his country, and his wife and family bravely set aside their grief when they learned that Edward had been awarded this medal of valor.

Al Reeser, Student
Marshfield Junior High