Marcus Wassmer was called to serve in the War Between the States on August 12, 1862. His enlistment was for three years.
Andy said that Grandpa could talk for hours about the war, but my dad only told me a few stories about Grandpa in the War. He said that Marcus was used to getting his own way, so when he overslept one morning and didn't get up in time for Reveille, he was given guard duty that night as punishment. Marcus decided he'd show them, and deliberately slept in the next morning. After getting guard duty two nights in a row, he finally decided he had better get up on time, anyway. So ended his rebellion in the Union Army.
Marcus belonged to Company E, 91 Regiment Indiana Infantry. He was honorably discharged on June 26, 1865, at Salisbury, North Carolina. He had his discharge papers framed.
In World War I, Charles was deferred because he worked for the American Can Company in Portland, Oregon at the time of the draft. Uncle Sam started to draft the workers, but the Company asked that all their workers be deferred, because they needed them to process the canned food that was sent to the soldiers in Europe, fighting the war. At that time it was unheard of for women to work in the factories. The workers could enlist if they wished, so Charlie wrote home and asked Albert and Tommie, who were already in the army, if he should volunteer anyway. They quickly wrote back and told him to stay where he was.
But Albert and Tommy had no reason to be deferred, so they were drafted into the army. Actually, neither Albert nor Tommie saw any fighting, because they were on the troop ships on their way to France when the Armistice was signed. They no sooner landed than they were sent back home. Neither of them regretted it.
Then came along the next World War, and Charlie Zenthoefer was drafted into the Army Air Corp at the age of 25. He was the youngest son of Teenie Wassmer and Peter Zenthoefer.
Charlie was in the Army Air Corp 1941-1945. He reached the rank of Sergeant or E5. He was a chaufer to the Generals and other brass while stationed in New Caledonia. He was discharged from the Army Air Corp in Washington, DC.
Between the declared wars the army still had to be kept up, and we had some of our forces in Germany, in particular. Andrew Wassmer's son Clem, while not in the army himself, supplied a son to the occupying forces.
Bill Wassmer went into the army on February 16, 1956. His Basic Training took place at Fort Leonard, Mo. From there he went to Sam Houston, Tx. for sixteen weeks of Medical Training. After this training, he went to Fort Benning, Ga., and finally to Wertheim, Germany. He was attached to the 804 F.A.Bn. as a Medic. He was discharged on February 3, 1958.
And Teenie Wassmer and Peter Zenthoefer still supplied soldiers during this time, in their grandson, Bill Rettig, son of their daughter Victoria and son-in-law Pete Rettig.
Bill was in the Air Force from 1957-1961. He was Airman 2nd class. He was a clerk typist. After completing basic training at Lackland Airforce Base in Texas, he served his time at Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.
And yet again, a grandson of Teenie Wassmer and Peter Zenthoefer served his country. Another son of Victoria Zenthoefer and Pete Rettig was in the service. Joe Rettig was in the Army from February 1964 to January 1967.
Joe attended Basic Training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. He graduated from Microwave Radio Repair School and Instructor's School at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey. After teaching Microwave Radio Repair at Ft. Monmouth, he was sent to Tague, Korea. He was in Korea from July 1965 to January 1967 and worked as a Microwave Station Commander. Joe's military rank was a Specialist 5th Class or E5.