World War II and the Home Front: Jeanne Ersland and the Des Moines Ordnance Plant
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Collection: Iowa's WWII Stories
In Ankeny, the Des Moines Ordinance Plant was already under construction when war was declared. By 1942, .30 and .50 caliber machine gun ammunition began to roll off the line. Jeanne Ersland of Ankeny, formerly Jeanne Gibson, was among the 19 thousand people who worked at the facility.
(Jeanne Ersland) I think they gave us a short indoctrination as to what we were there for. And then they took us right to the working area, and I stayed in that working area all the time that I was there. I think the patriotism came as it progressed and I was thinking of going on into the service.
After more than a year at the ordinance plant, Ersland joined the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve. Following training at Camp LeJune, she was assigned to Cherry Point North Carolina and worked as an aircraft engine mechanic
Tags:Post Date: April 12, 2007
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World War II Veteran: Jack Smith
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World War II Veteran: Vincent Martinez
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World War II Veteran: Samuel A. Vasquez
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World War II Veteran: Elizes Chaves "Al"
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World War II Veteran: James Peavey
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World War II Veteran: Ivan W. Crees
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World War II Veteran: Robert Sullivan “Bob or Sully”...
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World War II Veteran: Francis Toale
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World War II Veteran: Ben Colson
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World War II Veteran: George Temeyer
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World War II Veteran: Bill Watters
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World War II Veteran: Darwin “Dar” F. Reber
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World War II Veteran: Ed Callanan
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World War II Veteran: Willard Leon McCormick, Jr. ...
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World War II Veteran: Curt Bauer
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World War II Veteran: Edward O’Connor
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World War II Veteran: Leo Soderholm
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World War II Veteran: Michael Cervantes
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World War II Veteran: Burdette Parrott (Shorty)
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World War II Veteran: Wilbur Tiffany
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World War II Veteran: Kenneth Lubben (Ken)
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World War II Veteran: Phyllis Freymann Koopman
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World War II Veteran: Clifford Perry
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World War II Veteran: Merton L. Jessen “Stub”
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World War II Veteran: John Schnepf
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World War II Veteran: Norm Kling
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World War II Veteran: Glenn Clark Underwood
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World War II Veteran: Vince "Pete" Conners...
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World War II Veteran: Galen Kittleson
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