Delbert Collinsworth, World War II CasualtyPorter County Data on World War II Casualties . . . .
Delbert Collinsworth
Private First Class, 11th Armored Division, 7th Army
Date of Birth: May 16, 1920
Date of Death: April 23, 1945
Burial: Memorial Park Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Cause of Death: Killed in Action (Kicklingen, Germany)
Date of Enlistment: August 14, 1944
Monument:
Awards: Bronze Star
Hometown: Valparaiso
Newspaper Notices:
Soldier Dies In Germany; One Wounded
A Valparaiso man died of wounds received in action in Germany; another
Valparaiso soldier and a Chesterton man, both prisoners of war, have been
liberated in the European area, and a Chesterton soldier was wounded in the
Pacific.
This is the information received by next of kin from the War Dept.
Mrs. Pauline Collinsworth, 6 Dumas avenue, was apprized Friday that her husband
Pfc. Delbert Collinsworth, had died of wounds received in Germany on April 23.
Collinsworth entered the service on Aug. 19, 1944, and was sent to Camp Hood,
Texas, for infantry training. He went overseas on January 6 last with an armored
infantry battalion of the 7th army.
The dead soldier was born in Letcher county, Ky., and came to Valparaiso when
four years of age. He attended Columbia grade school and was a student at
Valparaiso high school for two years. Later he attended the Fletcher Aircraft
Corporation at Burbank, Calif., where he was called to service.
Surviving besides his wife are three children, Barbara Lee, 5; Beverly Ann, 3,
and Delbert, one month old; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Collinsworth,
Valapraiso, RFD 2; a brother, Leroy, of Westville, and a sister, Mrs. Ernest L.
Hood, of Valparaiso, RFD 2.
Mrs. Rose Tomlinson, Hammond, formerly of Valparaiso, received official word
Friday that her brother, Stanley Zywaneski, of Valparaiso, had been returned to
military status and will arrive in the U. S. in the near future. Upon arrival he
will be permitted to communicate with his relatives. Zywaneski had been a German
prisoner since Feb. 17, 1943, when he was captured in North Africa.
Pfc. Victor Lorenz, of Chesterton, husband of Mildred Garrett Lorenz reported
missing in action in Luxembourg on Dec. 20, 1944, and later reported a German
prisoner and wounded, was returned to military control April 19, his wife has
been advised. He is now in a hospital in the European area.
Cpl. Richard Skibbie, son of Mrs. Margaret Skibbie, of Chesterton, was wounded
in the invasion of Okinawa island, his mother has been informed by the War
Department. He suffered a bullet wound in the right shoulder.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
May 12, 1945; Volume 18, Page 1, Column 3
Awarded Son's Bronze Star Medal
THE BRONZE STAR medal which has been posthumously awarded P.F.C. Delbert
Collinsworth, Armored Infantry, was presented to his mother (center), Mrs. Roy
Collinsowrth, 6 Dumas Ave., Valparaiso, at a special ceremony last week at Fort
Benjamin Harrison. The presentation was made by Captain Frank J. Luchowski, post
adjutant. His wife, Pauline, is pictured above at left.
The citation was for "heroic achievement on 22 April 1945 at Kicklingen,
Germany. When the enemy attacked an outpost in the vicinity of Kicklingen, Pvt.
Collinsworth advanced to help the sentry in holding off the enemy. Outnumbered
and wounded, Pvt. Collinsworth and the other soldiers were able to hold the
position until help and reinforcements arrived. As a result of this heroic
action, Pvt. Collinsworth was seriously wounded and later died of these wounds.
His courage and devotion to duty will be a lasting inspiration to the members of
the organization with which he served."
Pvt. Collinsworth was inducted into the army at Los Angeles, Calif., on August
19, 1944. He received his basic training at Camp Hood, Texas, and was shipped
overseas, being located for a short while in France and then in Germany with the
12th Armored Division. He attended Valparaiso high school and the Fletcher
Aircraft school in Burbank, Calif., and was employed three years with Lockheed
Aircraft Corporation before entering the service. His death occurred on his
father and mother's 26th wedding anniversary.
Pvt. Collinsworth's wife, Mrs. Pauline Collinsworth, accompanied her
mother-in-law to Fort Harrison for the award. They have three children, Barbara
Lee, six, Beverly Ann, three, and Delbert Eugene, who was only six days old when
his father was killed.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
October 16, 1945; Volume 19, Page 1, Columns 2 and 3
Return Body Of War Hero
Plan Services Here For Pfc. Collinsworth, Former Resident
The body of Pfc. Delbert Collinsworth, Valparaiso man, killed in Germany April
23, 1945, while fighting with American forces, will be brought back to
Valparaiso for reburial.
Mrs. Pauline Collinsworth, his widow, of Del Vista Drive, received a telegram
Nov. 11 from the War Department, stating the body is now enroute from overseas.
It will probably be several weeks before the body arrives in Valparaiso for
funeral services and burial in Memorial Park cemetery.
Pfc. Collinsworth was a member of the 11th Armored Division, 7th Army. He
attended the Columbia grade school and Valparaiso high school before entering
the Fletcher Aircraft school in California. Later he was employed in the
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation mounting gun sights on P-38's.
Joining up with Uncle Sam's forces on Aug. 19, 1944, Pfc. Collinsworth went
overseas on Jan. 6, 1945.
The decedent was a native of Letcher county, Ky., where he was born 25 years
ago. When four years of age he came to Valparaiso with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Roy Collinsworth, who reside at 6 Dumas avenue. Surviving besides his parents,
are his widow; three children, Barbara Lee, Beverly Ann and Delbert Eugene, the
latter being six days of age when his father was killed. Also surviving are a
brother, Leroy, and sister, Mrs. Ernest Hood.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
November 16, 1948; Volume 22, Number 114, Page 3, Column 7
Collinsworth Memorial Changed To Wednesday
Memorial services for Pfc. Delbert Collinsworth, of this city, killed April 23,
1945, while fighting with American forces in Germany, scheduled for 2 p. m.
Tuesday at the LePell funeral home, have been changed to 2 p. m. Wednesday with
the Rev. Herman E. Meyer, of First Baptist church, officiating. Burial will be
in Memorial Park cemetery with Charles Pratt post, American Legion, in charge of
committal services at the grave.
Friends may call at the LePell funeral home this evening and up until time of
services.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
December 13, 1948; Volume 22, Number 136, Page 6, Column 3
Collinsworth Services Held Here Wednesday
Memorial services for Pfc. Delbert Collinsworth, of this city, whose body was
returned from Europe, were held at 2 p. m. Wednesday at the LePell funeral home,
58 Monroe street, with the Rev. H. E. Meyer, of the First Baptist church,
officiating, Miss Mae Brown played organ numbers.
Pallbearers were Earl Ward, Vernon Ward, Robert Murphy, Robert Beach, Philip
Pfersick and Lee Lane. Burial was in Memorial Park cemetery, southwest of the
city, where the American Legion was in charge of committal services.
Pfc. Collinsworth was killed April 23, 1945, while fighting with the American
forces at Klicklingen, Germany.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
December 17, 1948; Volume 22, Number 140, Page 6, Column 2
Return to
List of
Porter County World War II Casualties
Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook