Scheumann, Fred W.

FRED W. SCHEUMANN

SERGEANT
U.S. ARMY

Frederick W. Scheumann was born on the twenty-sixth of October in 1920. Frederick lived with his parents, Martin Heinrich Scheumann and Anna Henriette Scheumann, and his six siblings: Melvin, Norvin, Minnie, Della, Viola, and Vernon in Marion Township, Allen County, Indiana. As a child, he was educated at St. John's Lutheran School. He later attended Hoagland High School, graduating in 1939. In high school, Frederick, also known as "Fritz", was part of many extracurricular activities. "Fritz" played basketball for the Hoagland Wildcats his junior and senior years, softball his sophomore, junior, and senior years, glee club, "Showboat Minstrel", and art club junior year, and booster club senior year. Although Scheumann was part of many groups as an upperclassman, he was described as being shy, as noted in his senior yearbook. "He surely is a 'Schi-man'. Just win him if you can! And as a star of Hoagland High, just watch him shine. My, oh, my!" After high school, Frederick was employed by Eckrich, a meat processing and packaging company. 

Frederick was inducted into the U.S. Army on the twelfth of September in 1942 in Toledo, Ohio. He reported for service on the twenty-sixth of September and attended basic training at Camp Clairborne in Louisiana. In April of 1943, he went overseas arriving in Oran, Algeria aboard the SS Santa Rosa on May 12. In February 1944, he was transferred to Co. C. 338th Engineer General Service Regiment in Italy. Their assignment was to rebuild the damaged port at Livorno on the western coast of Italy. The port of Livorno had been heavily damaged and mined by the German army. 

Sgt. Scheumann was part of the bridge building element of the 338th Engineer Regiment. Although his group was not very experienced in rebuilding ports, no other units were available. The 338th Engineers played a critical role as they supported the Fifth Army's supply lines by repairing much needed ports, roads, and bridges. 

Sergeant Frederick Scheumann, service #35340011, was killed in action on the eleventh of June in 1944. Sgt. Scheumann is interred at the 77-acre Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, Plot J Row 15 Grave 56.

In 1946, memorial markers were erected in the St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery for four members of the church who were killed in service to our nation during WWII. The four identical markers were placed next to each other, within view of their former homes. The markers were erected for Ensign Elmer Oetting, Sgt. Frederick Scheumann, Private Arthur Berning, and Sgt. Walter Schroeder. Ensign Oetting and Private Berning are interred in their plots while the others are interred elsewhere. 

For his service and sacrifice, Frederick W. Scheumann received the Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. In addition, Sgt. Scheumann earned the Combat Infantryman Badge for combat in North Africa and Italy. 

Information researched and collected by Carrie Scott, 2016.

SOURCES

Counterman, Bruce. Interview. n.d.: n. pag.

[Decatur] 1944: n. pag. Print.

"Frederick Scheumann." American Battle Monuments Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

"Frederick W. Scheumann." Ancestry. N.p., n.d. Web. Sept. 2016.

"Frederick Scheumann." Frederick Scheumann, Sergeant from Indiana, World War II Casualty.

Crafted Knowledge, 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Inc, 2003. Web. 1 Dec. 2016.

"HEADQUARTERS." Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers About History Historical Vignettes Civil Engineering 067 - Italian Port. N.p., Apr. 2003. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

Kopacki, Ken. "Photo Galleries - Camp Claiborne Historical Research Center." Photo Galleries -Camp Claiborne Historical Research Center. N.p., 2012. Web. Oct. 2016.

Ship’s Log Hoagland High School 1939 Yearbook

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