The late Kenneth Roeglin of Rochelle served in the United States Navy in World War II as a ship’s cook 3rd class aboard the USS Zaurak.

Roeglin was born May 7, 1927, in Milwaukee. In 1944, he had just turned 17. The draft was looming over high school boys like him. At his high school, Milwaukee South, former students-turned-servicemen would often return to talk about the war overseas. Roeglin was offered a scenario where he would receive eight school credits and his diploma if he were to enlist in the Navy and go to war.

In a pact among friends, Roeglin decided to enlist, with the belief that they would be drafted after their 18th birthdays anyway. A parent’s signature was required to enlist, and Roeglin’s mother, Mary, reluctantly agreed to sign, also knowing the draft was a strong possibility.

Roeglin then left Milwaukee with his high school diploma, bound for Naval Station Great Lakes in Chicago for basic training. He entered active service on Jan. 8, 1945. After Great Lakes, he was sent to San Pedro, California, for amphibious training, where he practiced making beach landings with Marines from the base in San Diego.

After training, Roeglin became a full-scale Navy serviceman and boarded a ship to take him to a small island in the South Pacific Ocean, where he would board the USS Zaurak, an AK-117 ship that carried 400 troops along with aircraft.

After sailing around many islands in the South Pacific Ocean, his ship reached its destination of Okinawa, Japan. World War II had reached its breaking point, and those aboard the USS Zaurak were given orders to prepare to invade Japan. Even the Navy servicemen like Roeglin without combat training were to be involved in the invasion.

Roeglin was then given Marine dungarees and impromptu rifle training. Having never shot a rifle in the service before, he was instructed to shoot at a buoy out in the bay. He missed every shot. Later that day, Roeglin was told 50% of servicemen would likely lose their lives if they were to invade. Just before the invasion, President Harry S. Truman made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the war was over.

After the end of the war, Roeglin’s ship sailed to China and docked in the bays of Tsingtao and Tientsien, and later anchored in a narrow river near Shanghai, China. He spent time doing shore patrol with Chinese service members and also went into the city of Shanghai.

Roeglin then returned to the United States and was honorably discharged in Bremerton, Washington, on July 8, 1946. He received the American Area Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal for his time in the service.

In 1951, Roeglin married his wife, Crystal, in Milwaukee. They had four children. Roeglin worked for Swift Co. for 34 years and moved to Rochelle with his family in 1962. He advanced from the rank of janitor to superintendent in the meat packing industry. He also worked at Fantasy Flavors in Amboy for seven years before retiring in 1991.

An active member of the Rochelle community, Roeglin was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Kiwanis Golden K in Rochelle. He was a lifetime member of VFW Post 3878 and a member of American Legion Post 403.

Kenneth Roeglin died April 13, 2017, at the age of 89, leaving behind a lifetime of service, hard work and family.

Editor’s note: Kenneth Roeglin is the late grandfather of Rochelle News-Leader Editor Jeff Helfrich. This story was written using an interview done by Helfrich in 2013 for a college paper and service documents passed down by family.

Honoring our American Hero is a feature on local veterans that runs once a month in the Rochelle News-Leader. To submit a veteran or service member for consideration, please email Jeff Helfrich at jhelfrich@shawmedia.com.