textbiermannrichardgene1944.html

North High School Wall of Honor
Richard Gene Biermann
Class of June, 1944

Research done by Claradell Shedd, class of 1953. PAGE IN PROGRESS

Richard Gene Biermann

Richard (Dick) Gene Biermann graduated from North High in June, 1944. Immediately after graduation, he went to the downtown US Navy Recruitment Office and enlisted in the US Navy. His service number was 3222775. His next of kin was shown as Mr. Harry W. Biermann, 1221 21st Street, Des Moines, IA.

Richard Gene Biermann

Year	x	Rank	x	Status

June, 1944	x	x	x	Graduated from North High School, Des Moines, IA
June, 1944	x	US Navy	x	Immediately following graduation, he enlisted at the US Navy Recruitment Office in downtown Des Moines.
Several months	x	3rd class Electrician	x	Boot Camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, IL, and St. Louis, MO.
x	x	enroute to Pacific Theater	xx	On the troop ship (converted from ocean liner) USS General Billy Mitchell (AP-114), with 7th Fleet, shipped out of Treasure Island, CA (San Francisco) enroute to the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, New Guinea, ending up in the Philippines at the end of 1944. Ended up at Manicani Island (Eastern Samar, Philippines) for 1-1/2 years repairing ship damage to battleships and landing craft.
Manicani Island: It was a ship repair base. There were several floating dry docks located there. It is just off the island of Samar in the Leyte Gulf. The island of Leyte was barely visible from Manicani. It was a small island. A road went around the shoreline of the island and could be driven full circle in just few minutes. There were a couple of very small villages, one of which was near the Navy Base. Some of the personnel had taken residence there, but were ordered to return to the base. It rained for short intervals daily. It was a pretty place.The moon rising over the ocean was like what is sometimes seen in the movies about "island paradise". The natives could be seen walking along to their village with two of them carrying a long pole on their shoulders strung with fish. The native people were friendly and were always mooching cigarettes of the US troops.
Early April, 1946	x	2nd class Electrician	x	Discharged.
April, 1946	x		x	Iowa State College; Ames, IA
June 15, 1947	x	x	x	Married Lee Fay Rickabaugh, North High, Class of June, 1944. .
June, 1950	x		x	Graduated from Iowa State with degree in Electrical Engineering.
1950-1991	x	x	x	Founded Biermann Electric Company. Served as President for 41 years.
Retired	x	x	x	x
September 6, 2012	x	Deceased	x	Des Moines, IA


USS General William Mitchell, AP-114, embarking units of the 1st Marine Division at Pavuvu, Russell Island; November, 1944; Capacity: 5,289 troops	Islands of the Philippines including Manicani Island

Richard Gene Biermann
2nd Class Electrician
)
Photo (portrait) in uniform

Medals awarded Biermann

References
The comprehensive list of names from North High's 1893-2018 graduation classes are from Claradell Shedd's North Des Moines High School website. The names of all North High School graduates can be found online at http://www.ndmhs.com/. Richard Gene Biermann's class page can be viewed at (sample) http://www.ndmhs.com/pages/yearclass1944(2009.65).html

03/29/10: Living in Des Moines, IA. Died 09/06/12.

Music: "Anchors Aweigh"