Harvey Schumacher
World War II
Harvey Schumacher was born Nov. 19, 1915, at Osmond to Carl and Anna Schumacher. Carl just happens to be an uncle to my husband’s grandmother, Edna Schumacher Lorenz, which would make Harvey her cousin.
Surprisingly, even with family connections and many of Edna’s family pictures, I wasn’t able to come up with a picture of Harvey in my own files. But luckily, I was able to contact other family members who were able to provide pictures of Harvey, and some of his military history.
Harvey was the fifth of eight children. He had one brother, Harry, and six sisters, with one dying in infancy. I found him in the 1920 census living in the Foster area south of town, but the 1930 lists their residence as Osmond.
The Carl Schumacher family history in the centennial book did say that they moved to town for a short time but then moved back to the same farm, so that must have been the time period that they had moved.
Harvey graduated from Osmond High School in 1933. According to his enlistment papers from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, he enlisted twice.
The first time, he enlisted Nov. 30, 1936 and was discharged Nov. 29, 1939; the second time, he enlisted April 16, 1950 and was discharged Sept. 1960. However, his obituary and information from his nephew Dean both say that Harvey served for more than 20 years.
According to the information I received from Dean Schumacher, Harvey served in the U.S. Army for over 20 years, enlisting in 1936. His first assignment was the 4th Cavalry Regiment. In WWII, he served in the 29th Infantry Division, 175th Regiment, 1st Battalion, B Company.
He was part of a mortar crew in the weapons platoon of that company.
During the fighting in Normandy, France, after D-Day, he was wounded twice in the space of three months, earning him two Purple Hearts. So obviously there is a discrepancy in the military records somewhere.
I found an article dated in 1937, when Harvey was stationed at Fort Meade, S.D., at the cavalry post. His siblings, Erna, Ruth and Harry, spent a week with him, visiting the Badlands and Black Hills, including many sites in the area.
One of the sites they visited was Mount Rushmore, which was being carved at that time. They also had the privilege of hearing concerts by the National Guard band of Rapid City, and the 4th Cavalry band of Fort Meade, of which Harvey was a member. The article ends by saying that Harvey and the members of the band left for Deadwood where they would participate in the celebration, “Days of ‘76.”
After his military service, Harvey spent a short time in Minnesota, then moved to California where he lived the rest of his life, mostly in the Lodi area, where his brother Harry also lived. Harvey worked as a computer operator before his retirement in 1981.
Harvey then lived in a retirement home until his health failed, and he died at Lodi Convalescent Hospital following a lengthy illness. He was buried in Cherokee Memorial Park Cemetery at Lodi. Harvey never married.
Thank you to Deb Gonzales and Dean Schumacher, grandniece and nephew of Harvey, respectively, for sending me pictures of Harvey!
Harvey in the 4th Cavalry Regiment, on the barracks porch
