Paul Donald Boeding (1925 - 1944)
Killed in Action, Dinant, Belgium
World War II, European Theater
Great great grandson of Franz Xavier Boeding (1796 - 1878)
Paul Donald Boeding as born in Seneca, Kansas on February 11, 1925. He was the son of August and Paula (Krapp) Boeding. He was baptized at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, Kansas.
His education, both grade school and high school, was at St. Peter and Paul in Seneca. Many, including myself, remember that his ability as a pupil was above the average; and that he excelled in athletics, especially basketball. One of the obituary write-ups in the Seneca newspaper mentions that he was six feet four inches tall and weighed over two hundred pounds. I have not been able to determine that he was a member of the staff of the Optimist, the school paper of St. Peter and Paul High School, but he contributed to the Optimist. As I write this, I have before me a copy of one of his contributions. After Paul's death, the Optimist memorialized him in glowing terms.
In March 1944, Paul reported to the U.S. Army for basic training. Early in August of that year, he visited his family in Seneca, previous to his "going overseas". Five letters by Paul survive, all dated after this home visit. All are addressed to "Dear Mom and Dad". The first is dated August 14 and tells of his arrival at Fort George Meade in Maryland. The others are dated August 19, August 22, August 31 and September 19. The last letter came from "Somewhere in France" and stated: "we passed through England on the way here" and "we had a very quiet trip across the waters".
Paul was killed on October 3, 1944. On that date he was in the rear of the battle zone near Dinant, Belgium, with a group of soldiers to enter the front lines as replacements. The official notice by the War Department of Paul's death stated he died in a truck accident. The truck was a personnel carrier, taking them into the battle zone. It drove over a land mine. I understand all were killed.
The official notice by the War Department is dated October 19, 1944. He is buried in the U.S. Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. Information about his grave reads as follows: Pvt. Paul D. Boeding, A.S.N. 37 786 820, Plot G, Row 7, Grave 5. The headstone is a cross.
The
memorial Mass for Paul at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca,
followed by a flag ceremony in front of the church, were held on Friday,
October 27, 1944. The celebrant of the Mass was Father Aloysius Krapp,
OSB, uncle of Paul. The homily was by Father Basil Finken, OSB. Also present
in the sanctuary were Father Henry Grosdidier, Matthew Hall, OSB and John
J. Quinlan. The flag ceremony was carried out by Ed Levick and Sammy Armstrong
from the Seneca American Legion post, assisted by members of the armed
forces who were in Seneca on home visits: James Huerter, Charles Mueting
and Louis Schmitz. Ivan Becker presented a spiritual bouquet to the family
from St. Peter and Paul High School.