Oliver R. Vevle was born in Illinois in 1886. Both of Oliver’s parents were from Norway. Louise Cleveland was born in Illinois in 1884. Both of her parents were also from Norway. Oliver and Louise married on May 6, 1911 in Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa. Their first-born son, Rudolph (Rudy) Bernhardt Vevle, came along on October 22, 1912.

In 1920 (according to the federal census), Oliver and Louise Vevle lived at 334 7th Avenue North in Fort Dodge. Martha Cleveland, Louise’s mother, lived with Oliver and Louise. Oddly, Rudolph was not listed in the census record, possibly simply an oversight in recording the census. Oliver worked as a bank teller.

On December 9, 1922, twin sons Lloyd Oliver and Floyd Martin were born.

On October 19, 1925, Louise Vevle died at the age of 41, leaving her husband, Oliver, to raise their three sons. She was buried three days later, on October 22, Rudy’s thirteenth birthday. The twins, Lloyd and Floyd, had not yet reached their third birthday.

Almost four years later, on August 15, 1929, Oliver remarried. His new bride was Martha Elizabeth Richardson Vevle, born in Illinois in 1882. Like Oliver, her parents were born in Norway.

In 1930 (according to the federal census), Oliver and Martha and the rest of the Vevle family lived at 6th Avenue North in Fort Dodge. Oliver was a teller at a savings bank. At 17 years old, Rudolph worked as a grocery store clerk. The twins were 7. Martha was listed as Elizabeth M., so possibly she preferred to go by her middle name.

A 1940 census record for the family eludes my searches, but a 1940 city directory lists Lloyd as a student and Floyd as a salesman at L&L Department store. Their father, Oliver, was listed as a teller at the Fort Dodge National Bank. By the printing of the 1941 Fort Dodge city directory, Lloyd and Floyd were both listed as students. Both boys graduated from Port Washington High School in 1940.

Update, September 19, 2018

Thank you to Sarah Little, who found that a 1940 census record does exist for the Vevle family. Sarah gave me the enumeration district number, page number, and location for the record. After more research I discovered that Ancestry.com had transcribed their last name as Viole and the record was therefore not coming up in searches. In 1940, the Vevle family still lived on 6th Avenue North in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Oliver held the same job as in 1930 as a teller in a bank. Son Rudolph no longer lived at home, but Lloyd and Floyd, at 17 years old, did.

Lloyd Vevle, Senior class of 1940, Port Washington High School Yearbook photo

Lloyd’s high school strengths and accomplishments included:  English, History, Science, Mathematics, Wrestling, Debate, and Orchestra. His 1940 yearbook quote was “I am not a politician and my other habits are good.”

Floyd Vevle, Senior class of 1940, Port Washington High School Yearbook photo

Floyd’s high school strengths and accomplishments included:  English, History, Science, Mathematics, Wrestling, Student Manager, Debate, and Orchestra. His 1940 yearbook quote was “Honor lies in honest toil.”

On April 7, 1942, oldest brother, Rudy, enlisted in WWII. His residence was noted as Cook County, Illinois, and his place of enlistment as Chicago. His enlistment record states that he was single and had two years of college. He served as a technical sergeant in the US Army.

On November 4, 1942, Floyd enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. His residence was noted as Webster County, Iowa, and his place of enlistment as Minneapolis, Minnesota. His enlistment record states that he was single and had two years of college.

January 31, 1943? Lloyd also enlisted in the US Army Air Corps, but his enlistment record raises some questions. His record states that he was born in 1908, not 1922. It does note his residence as Webster County, Iowa, but incorrectly shows his highest level of education was grammar school. His place of enlistment was noted as Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. His enlistment date was noted as January 31, 1943. Lloyd’s record also noted that he was a widower without dependents, although I have not found a marriage record for him.

Both boys, Lloyd and Floyd, became co-pilots in the 8th Air Force in WWII.

Lloyd was assigned to the 545th Bomb Squadron of the 384th Bomb Group (Heavy) on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated 26 July 1944, James Joseph Brodie Crew. The 384th was based in Grafton Underwood, England. Lloyd’s first mission was as Brodie’s co-pilot on the 384th’s Mission #174 to Dugny (Paris), France. The target was a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) fuel depot.

Lloyd earned the title of First Lieutenant by his nineteenth mission on September 28, 1944, the 384th’s Mission #201 to the Krupps Steel Manufacturing Plant in Magdeburg, Germany. It was on this mission that the Brodie crew’s aircraft, Lazy Daisy, collided with the John Oliver Buslee crew’s aircraft, Lead Banana, coming off the target at Magdeburg. Lloyd Oliver Vevle was one of the eighteen crew from both flying fortresses listed as missing in action.

Floyd was assigned to the 568th Bomb Squadron of the 390th Bomb Group. The 390th was based in Framlingham, England. (Framlingham is just shy of 100 miles from Grafton Underwood.) Ten days after Lloyd was declared missing, Floyd flew his first mission. Would Floyd have gotten word by then that his twin brother was missing in action? It was the 390th’s October 7, 1944 Mission #202 to Bohlen-Biefeld, Germany. Note that each bomb group had their own unique numbering system for missions. Also note that Lloyd’s last mission was #201 and Floyd’s first mission was #202.

On January 14, 1945, Floyd flew his twenty-seventh mission with the 390th Bomb Group, Mission # 243 to Derben, Germany. He was aboard aircraft 42-8426. Floyd was killed on that mission and he still considered missing.

I estimate that the Oliver and Martha Elizabeth Vevle received word of Lloyd’s death in the September 28, 1944 mid-air collison around January 28, 1945, two weeks after his twin brother, Floyd, died. I base this date on the fact that the Buslee family learned of their son Jay’s death that date and because the identification of both Buslee and Vevle were reported on the same telegram form.

Rudy returned to the states on June 20, 1945, arriving in New York on the Queen Mary. He was released from the service on January 18, 1946.

Lloyd Vevle is buried in Plot C, Row 37, Grave 20 at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium. Lloyd earned the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Lloyd Vevle grave marker, Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium

Floyd Vevle is memorialized on the Tablet of the Missing at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. Like his twin brother, Floyd earned the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

In 1950, Oliver and Martha Elizabeth Vevle traveled abroad, possibly to visit Lloyd’s grave and find Floyd’s name on the Tablet of the Missing. A passenger list shows them returning on the Queen Elizabeth, leaving Southampton on September 29 and arriving New York October 4.

Oliver died in 1963. Martha Elizabeth died in 1987. Engraved on Oliver and Martha Elizabeth’s tombstone is:

In loving memory of our twin sons
Pilots – U.S. Army Air Corps – W.W. II
Lt. Lloyd O. (1922-1944) — Killed in combat, Mahgraten, Germany. Buried U.S. Military Cemetery Liege, Belgium.
Lt. Floyd M. (1922-1945) — Lost in combat over Berlin, Germany. Missing.

Lloyd and Floyd’s older brother, Rudy, died on June 13, 2000 at the age of eighty-seven.

Note

The 390th Memorial Museum is located on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ. The 390th’s reunion will be held October 16-17, 2015 in Tucson. The 384th’s reunion will be held later that same month, also in Tucson. On Friday, Oct 30, 2015, the 384th reunion attendees will tour the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson. I am looking forward to visiting the 390th Memorial Museum during the reunion.

Links

http://www.384thbombgroup.com

http://www.390th.org

My next post will continue with more information on Floyd Vevle gleaned from MACR11719, the missing air crew report regarding his last mission with the 390th Bomb Group. I had hoped to include the information in this post, but due to a power outage from a large thunder storm sitting over central Florida, I could not finish the job Tuesday evening. Thank you to Keith Ellefson, combat data specialist for the 384th Bomb Group research group for providing me with a copy of MACR11719.

I know Floyd Vevle did not serve with the 384th and is therefore outside of the scope of my usual posts, but being he was Lloyd Vevle’s twin brother, I determined that the information about him was pertinent to the Vevle’s and the 384th’s story.

© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2015