In his biography of Nimitz, E.B. Potter wrote,
"In a sense Nimitz had spent his whole life preparing for the post of Commander in Chief Pacific. He was, probably as much as any commander in history, a self-created officer. Evidence suggests . . . — — Map (db m196897) HM
Henry Lehne (1858-1931) followed the form of traditional German farmhouses in building this limestone structure in 1882. He farmed and ranched an adjoining 30 acres. As a teamster he hauled produce to San Antonio and returned with products such as . . . — — Map (db m248628) HM
Constructed shortly after Civil War on townlot grant of German Emigration Co. Bought in 1868 by Heinrich Ochs, pioneer school teacher. Owned by family 61 years. Has been home and store with floor plan virtually unchanged since erection. . . . — — Map (db m163937) HM
Log room and loft were built by German emigrant Gerhard Rorig as his home in first winter of Fredericksburg's existence, 1846- 47. Noted cabinetmaker Johann Martin Loeffler added typical rock and half-timber rooms and cooking fireplace, 1867; his . . . — — Map (db m157148) HM
Lt. Col. Jack K. Lee
Fallen Hero’s Memorial
U.S. Air Force
Nov. 16, 1924 - Aug. 5, 2004
WWII - Korea - Viet Nam
For God and Country
Capt. Andrew R. Houghton
A Troop, 3rd Plt., 1st Sqd., 4th U.S. Cav.,
1st Inf. Div., U.S. . . . — — Map (db m94094) WM
"President Roosevelt wanted his own eyes and ears in the field. I was the navy officer picked to go."
Congressman Lyndon Baines Johnson joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in June of 1940. Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he . . . — — Map (db m191113) HM
Constructed about 1860, this building was acquired by German native Anton Maier (b. 1813) in 1866. A merchant who held several Gillespie County offices, Maier deeded the property to his son-in law, August Alberthal, in 1900. The German vernacular . . . — — Map (db m197125) HM
The main mast of the USS Foote (DD-511) mounts the SC-1 air and surface search radar known as the “bedspring”.
USS Foote (DD-511), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral . . . — — Map (db m94294) HM
In Honor Of Those Gallant Marine Tank Unit Members Who Participated In The Pacific War Some Gave All Their Tomorrows So We Could Have Today — — Map (db m243114) WM
This Mark 15 quintuple torpedo tube is from the USS Foote (DD-511), a Fletcher class destroyer. The tube has five barrels each firing a 21 inch torpedo. Each torpedo weighed 3841 pounds, including the 1234 pound warhead. The torpedo had a range of . . . — — Map (db m196774) HM
This Square, originally a two-block area which included what is now called the Courthouse Square, has been at the center of Fredericksburg since the city's founding in 1846. The area was still heavily forested when the town's Vereins Kirche . . . — — Map (db m35862) HM
In 1846 the town's founder, John O. Meusebach dedicated this two-block area in the center of town to be enjoyed as a peaceful park for the use of Fredericksburg's citizens and their visitors. One can believe that Meusebach hoped this area . . . — — Map (db m196170) HM
Saddle and harness merchant Henry Meckel (1855-1909) acquired this property in 1886 and soon made improvements to a one-story, ca. 1860 stone house already on the lot. A second level of concrete blocks and a double gallery of milled wood were . . . — — Map (db m157157) HM
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nimitz took command of the Pacific Fleet aboard the submarine USS Grayling then met with his staff. Morale was low and the staff expected to be blamed for the disaster and then relieved.
Nimitz stunned . . . — — Map (db m196895) HM
Built for newlyweds Edmund (1884-1958) and Anna (1881-1968) Moritz in 1907, this house has been occupied by the descendants of three of Fredericksburg's earliest families. Edmund and his father, Joseph, used limestone from their family-owned quarry . . . — — Map (db m231128) HM
Of hand-hewn timbers, boards and native rock. Built 1856 by carpenter brought to Texas by the German Emigration Co., for Christian Crenwelge, a fellow colonist. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1964 — — Map (db m231124) HM
Johann Nicholas Mosel (1839-1904) was granted a 100’ x 200’ lot in Fredericksburg by the German Emigration Company in 1847. Here he built a rough limestone structure (now the northeast rooms), which might have served later as a Sunday house when he . . . — — Map (db m94292) HM
The original portion of this house probably was built between 1848 and 1850 by Willis Wallace, who was granted the land by the German Immigration Company. Of fachwerk construction, the two-room home later was acquired by German farmer Heinrich . . . — — Map (db m111263) HM
This property was purchased by Charles Henry Nimitz, Sr., in 1855. By 1860 the Nimitz Hotel was established, hosting frontier travelers and providing a home for the large Nimitz family. Expanded in the 1870s to feature a steamboat shaped facade, . . . — — Map (db m42425) HM
With a year of high school remaining, Chester's determination to get a higher education led him to take a competitive exam for admission to the U.S. Naval Academy, even though he had hoped to go to West Point. Hard studying and tutoring by a teacher . . . — — Map (db m196852) HM
Soldiers lived a rough life on the Texas frontier. Even though rank had its privileges, Fort Martin Scott offered few amenities. Private quarters and privies were the only noticeable luxuries officers enjoyed at the fort.
There were six . . . — — Map (db m118454) HM
Alphons Walter (1866-1957), a Swiss-born jeweler and watchmaker, had this 2-story building erected in 1905. He sold the property in 1909 to Robert G. Striegler (1874-1934), a noted Fredericksburg civic leader who operated the Central . . . — — Map (db m155634) HM
The Cherry Spring community was founded by German immigrants about 1850. Classes for schoolchildren were held in private homes. In 1859 German nobleman Wilhelm Marschall von Bieberstein deeded ten acres of land to L. Schneider, H. Bradhering, W. . . . — — Map (db m91645) HM
Erected 1881-1882 in term of County Judge Wm. Wahrmund and Commissioners J. Dechert, F. Kneese, J. Larson and J.P. Mosel. Architect was Alfred Giles. Native limestone structure is distinctive in fine balance and symmetry. Second courthouse built . . . — — Map (db m94289) HM
Four front rooms with outside stair to attic built 1849 by German settler Henry Kammlah I smokehouse and rooms at rear added 1875. Old world technique of wall plaster over woven twig supports used in interior. Henry Kammlah II and wife Amelia, . . . — — Map (db m157158) HM
St. Mary's Parish dates to 1846 with the arrival of German settlers in Fredercksburg. Construction of this building, which replaced an earlier log structure, was completed in 1863 during the pastorate of the Rev. Peter Baunach. It served as the . . . — — Map (db m156243) HM
The 25-pounder saw service throughout World War II with British and Commonwealth forces and was considered to be one of the best field guns of the war. The gun had a caliber of 87.6mm but was named for the weight of its 25-pound shell. . . . — — Map (db m196706) HM
In 1915 Fredericksburg's St. Mary's parish called the Rev. Sabastian Galarza, a Mexican refugee, to help establish a mission for the area's growing Hispanic population. This Gothic Revival structure was completed in 1917 and dedicated as Our Lady of . . . — — Map (db m197117) HM
One of the oldest structures in Fredericksburg, built by communal effort for the family of Friedrich Pape (1813-94). Pape, his wife Katherine, and a daughter arrived in Galveston in Nov. 1845 from Germany. Three Pape children died on the trip. The . . . — — Map (db m196991) HM
Dedicated to the Officers and Men of
Patrol Squadron Forty-Four
from Victory at Midway to the End of the Cold War We served with Pride
Ensign Jack H. Reid - Pilot/Navigator • Ensign Gerald Hardeman - Co-Pilot • Ensign Robert Swan - . . . — — Map (db m243224) WM
Several bands of Comanche and Lipan Apache Indians lived in the region of Texas in which the Germans established Fredericksburg. Interaction between the German immigrants and the Native Americans was inevitable and potentially hostile. The . . . — — Map (db m118487) HM
Philipp Hartmann and Elisabeth Crenwelge were married in their homeland of Bruchweiler, Prussia in 1853. They and their two children immigrated to Texas in 1855, arriving at the Port of Galveston. They settled in the Live Oak area near . . . — — Map (db m196987) HM
Origin of the Pinta Trail is attributed to nomadic Plains Indian tribes. Early Spanish and Mexican expeditions followed the general route of the trail, which extended from San Antonio de Bexar to the San Saba River near present Menard. A survey by . . . — — Map (db m126960) HM
Built before 1880, this house was purchased by John Schandua, a local merchant, shortly after his marriage to Bertha (Klein) in 1883. The front room, called "die stube", served as a bedroom and living area. The back room was used as a bedroom for . . . — — Map (db m88111) HM
June 1926 - June 2005
Enlisted: May 1944
Retired: September 1965 Chief Petty Officer Photography Department of the Navy
Buzz Sawyer proudly served in the Navy for 21 years. He joined the Navy in May of 1944, after completing Boot Camp at . . . — — Map (db m241102) WM
Born in Mounteagle, Tennessee, on May 10, 1923 Died at La Jolla, CA on October 22, 2005
Service Dates: 1941 – 1975
US Naval Academy Class of 1945
Principal At-Sea Assignments
USS Cachalot (SS-170) • USS Tirante (SS-420)
USS Raton . . . — — Map (db m243234) WM
Between 1844 and 1846, thousands of German immigrants under the auspices of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein, landed at Galveston and Indianola. Their ultimate destination was the 3,878,000 . . . — — Map (db m164039) HM
An evolution of pioneer building methods is evident in this home. The earliest part, built about 1845, is of fachwerk construction typical in early German houses. Later additions were of log and clapboard frame construction. Early area settlers . . . — — Map (db m197369) HM
"Our people have always done their best work when the odds were the greatest."
Despite the fact that Richard Nixon was a Quaker, he applied for a Navy commission when the United States entered the war. His first assignment was a Naval . . . — — Map (db m191111) HM
This simply designed vernacular home was built in 1909 by Franz Stein for Emil H. and Bertha Riley. In 1912 the home was purchased by Charles Enderlin, Sr. (1846-1931) and remained in the Enderlin family for over seventy years. A German immigrant . . . — — Map (db m197054) HM
US Army Air Corps, SSGT
Apr 1942 to Dec 1945
P-47 Thunderbolt Aircraft Mechanic
World War II
Pacific Theater
20th AAF, 7th AAC, 414 FBG, Unit 413 FBS
Guam
Saipan
Iwo Jima
Tinian
Medals . . . — — Map (db m197371) WM
Served with Pride US Army 1st Sergeant 1 Jul 1943 to 1 Feb 1946
Bronze Star Purple Hearts (2) Infantry Combat Badge Asiatic-Pacific Campaign 2 Battle Stars Army Good Conduct Medal Philippine Liberation Medal 1 Battle Star & 1 . . . — — Map (db m196395) HM WM
"Most of the millions of men who never experienced combat had an almost reverent feeling for the men who did face the enemy."
Ronald Reagan was in the early stages of his movie career in 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. . . . — — Map (db m191106) HM
Ludwig Schmidt constructed this two-story stone building in the 1860s for use as a hotel. In the early 1890s it was leased to Louis Dietz, who ran the business as the Central Hotel and later as the Dietz Hotel. His home east of the structure . . . — — Map (db m163926) HM
This home was built in the 1860s by German stonemason Lorenz Schmidt, a pioneer settler in the Adelsverein Colony and builder of many early structures, including the Vereins Kirche. Originally a story-and-a-half, the house was enlarged to two floors . . . — — Map (db m197356) HM
Built about 1870 for watchmaker and stonemason Ludwig Schneider, this home features German fachwerk construction. Owned by builder Louis Preiss from 1883 to 1890, it was acquired in 1924 by banker Arthur Klingelhoefer, who lived here from 1925 . . . — — Map (db m164010) HM
This limestone commercial building was constructed in 1907 by Charles Schwarz, a prominent early merchant of the area, and his wife Mary. Located on the site of the Louis Dietz home, it included ground floor space for Schwarz' General Merchandise . . . — — Map (db m163929) HM
1775-1998
Dedicated to All Marines Who Served Our Nation as Members of * Seagoing Marine Detachments * Aboard Naval Ships Throughout the World — — Map (db m243103) WM
In early 1941, President Roosevelt asked Nimitz to become the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet. Nimitz turned down the offer because it would have advanced him ahead of over 50 senior officers. He knew this would foster ill will and impair his . . . — — Map (db m196882) HM
Established by the United States Army
December 5, 1848
as a protection to travelers and
settlers against Indian attack.
Named in honor of Major Martin Scott,
Brevet Lieutenant Colonel,
5th United States Infantry,
killed at Molino . . . — — Map (db m126961) HM
143rd Infantry Detachment TX-ADT 2
Operation Enduring Freedom
February 13, 1977 - October 16, 2009
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life
for his friends. — — Map (db m241157) WM
Originally one of earliest homes in Fredericksburg. Built by German settler Peter Walter. Walter built log cabin on lot, then began permanent home of fachwerk construction, 1846. He owned and farmed surrounding land while plying his trade of . . . — — Map (db m164013) HM
Pioneer families of Crabapple organized this church in the 1880s. Members met in a school building before erecting this sanctuary in 1897. Elder Julius Rusche supervised the design, carpentry, and native limestone masonry construction. An excellent . . . — — Map (db m91630) HM
Rapid membership growth during the late 19th century prompted St. Mary's Church to complete plans for a new sanctuary in 1901. This Gothic-inspired native stone structure was designed by prominent San Antonio architect Leo M. Dielmann and built by . . . — — Map (db m156245) HM
In November 1883, residents of the North Grape Creek community, later known as Cave Creek, formed a German Lutheran congregation, which they named St. Paulus Evangelische Gemeinde an Nord Grape Creek. Conrad Herbort gave land for a . . . — — Map (db m155682) HM
Oldest rural Lutheran church in Gillespie County. The Rev. M. Haag served as first pastor. Charter members numbered 17. A frame building with walls of rough boxing planks was dedicated June 22, 1884. Size: 25 x 30 feet with a 40-foot . . . — — Map (db m155681) HM
Small townhouse built by German settlers who lived in distant rural areas. Used over weekends by families while they traded or attended church. A typical early Sunday House had one room with a lean-to kitchen and a half story above, which was . . . — — Map (db m163964) HM
This Plaque is Dedicated to the Survivors of the P.O.W. "Hell Ship"
The Shinyo Maru
and to those instrumental to their survival
To the crew of the U.S.S. Paddle (SS-263), who liberated them September 7, 1944, by sinking . . . — — Map (db m209025) WM
Training
Activated Fort Sill, Oklahoma • September 16, 1940
Camp Barkley, Texas • 1941
Panama Canal • 1942
Port Moresby, New Guinea • March 1943
Combat
Arawe, New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago • December 1943 . . . — — Map (db m213183) HM WM
August and Johanne Hennersdorf migrated to Fredericksburg from Prussia in 1855. In the early 1900s they constructed this frame and limestone residence for their family. Evidence indicates the floor joists under the frame portion of the home may be . . . — — Map (db m164006) HM
Hot and crowded in the summer, cold and drafty in the winter, the enlisted men's quarters faced north and were across the parade ground from Officer's Row. Each of the four sparsely furnished barracks had three rooms and could house a company . . . — — Map (db m118504) HM
In 1870, seventeen years after the Army decommissioned and abandoned Fort Martin Scott, Johann Wolfgang Braeutigam bought the 640 acre property from John Twohig for $1,650. With several of the original buildings in decline, Braeutigam set . . . — — Map (db m118473) HM
Believed to be the first boy born among the German immigrants who settled Fredericksburg, Carl Henke (1848-1928) became a skilled stonemason. He built the original portion of this structure in 1874 for John Schmitt. The two-room native limestone . . . — — Map (db m238491) HM
Το Honor, Το Memorialize, To Remember The Men Of
The Citadel
Who Served In The Pacific Theater Of World War II
The Military College of South Carolina
— — Map (db m243099) WM
Expresses profound gratitude for the skill and daring of the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II. Some of its feats in 1944 and 1945 had special meaning for us. Thanks for winning the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf, preventing the . . . — — Map (db m211510) WM
Throughout the 1700s, the Comanche Indians continually thwarted the imperial efforts of the Spaniards, who moved north from Mexico in an attempt to claim the Great Plains. After horses entered Comanche culture, a company of Spanish infantry . . . — — Map (db m118469) HM
Blazing on the hills around Fredericksburg each Easter eve, combined with a local pageant these fires recall an old tale.
In March 1847, when Comanches and whites signed a major peace treaty, the Indians lighted huge signal fires on these . . . — — Map (db m88112) HM
Frederick William Arhelger, a second generation cabinetmaker and wheelwright, constructed this building in 1898 for use as a farm implement shop. Built of quarried limestone, it was designed to accommodate wagons and large farm equipment. The front . . . — — Map (db m196250) HM
The Garden of Peace is a gift to the people of the United States from the people of Japan with prayers for everlasting world peace through the goodwill of our two nations, symbolized by the friendship and respect that existed between Admiral Togo . . . — — Map (db m196536) WM
In 1882, Frederick Baag donated this tract of land for the third Grapetown schoolhouse. Completed in 1884, the structure was built with labor and materials donated by the community. All seven grades were taught by one teacher. In 1905, the facility . . . — — Map (db m71924) HM
This stone building, with walls eighteen inches thick, is the only original structure of Fort Martin Scott. It was built in 1849 out of native limestone, and served as the post’s guardhouse where soldiers were jailed for crimes and . . . — — Map (db m118503) HM
Built of native stone in 1871, soon after Knopp and his wife Katherina (Stein) came to America. From Germany they traveled six weeks by clipper ship to Indianola and by oxcart to Fredericksburg. They bought this homesite for $70 in gold. Knopp was . . . — — Map (db m164007) HM
Members of the families of two former German noblemen, related by marriage, are buried in this cemetery. John O. Meusebach (1812-97), who came to the Republic of Texas in 1845 as leader of the German Emigration Company, established (1846) the town . . . — — Map (db m91647) HM
The original section of this two-story limestone residence was constructed about 1850 by pioneer area settlers Albert and Doris Meinhardt. A widow in 1879, Doris sold the property to her former son-in-law G. Adolph Pfeil (d. 1926), a local cotton . . . — — Map (db m94290) HM
Of the first soldiers to arrive at Fort Martin Scott, none were natives of Texas. Many came from eastern states or were from Europe. Having traded familiar surroundings for the Texas wilderness, soldiers could identify with the newly arrived . . . — — Map (db m118477) HM
Erected in 1897 of hand-hewn limestone, this structure was the home of John (d. 1900) and Bertha (Klein) Schandua (d. 1943). They lived upstairs with their children and John's hardware store was downstairs. For a time, the Masonic Lodge met upstairs . . . — — Map (db m88109) HM
Honoring the World War II Service of the Seven Sons of Samuel D. and Emma B. Grady
Benjamin F. Grady
38th Engineers, US Army
North Africa,
Europe
James G. Grady
580th A.A.A., Co "C"
9th Army
Germany . . . — — Map (db m241164) WM
At the height of activity at Fort Martin Scott, the post accommodated up to three hundred soldiers. Of the fort’s twenty buildings, the sutler’s store was among the most important to the soldiers. The sutler was a civilian merchant, licensed . . . — — Map (db m118502) HM
During their first years in Fredericksburg, the German settlers suffered terribly from poverty, hunger and disease. Fort Martin Scott proved to be the economic boon early Fredericksburg desperately needed. Local teamsters hauled wagonloads of . . . — — Map (db m118460) HM
U.S.S. DeHaven DD-469 (Fletcher Class)
U.S.S. DeHaven DD-469 was commissioned on 21 Sept. 1942. Her namesake was Lieutenant Commander Edwin Jess DeHaven, United States Navy, a renowned explorer of both the Pacific and Arctic regions from . . . — — Map (db m240922) HM WM
Gillespie County native William Rausch (1864-1939) and his wife, Olga (d. 1943), bought this property in 1894. They lived in an existing house until 1906, when they built this home. A stonemason and carpenter by trade, Rausch probably did much of . . . — — Map (db m197120) HM
When Adolph Wunderlich (d. 1935) married Martha Schumann (d. 1956) in 1883, he built the smaller of these two homes, combining log and stone construction. The family soon outgrew the first dwelling, and Adolph built the larger house of limestone . . . — — Map (db m196988) HM
Dedicated
to the Memories of all the Shipmates, Submariners, Airmen,
Marine and Army infantrymen and others who served and fought
together with the Three Feindt Boys in the South Pacific,
WWII from Guadalcanal to Tokyo . . . — — Map (db m240655) WM
This 40mm automatic cannon was originally designed by the Bofors company in Sweden and built under license in the United States by the Chrysler Corporation. This twin mount was intended for use aboard ships for antiaircraft use.
The gun fired . . . — — Map (db m196773) HM
The 105mm Howitzer M2A1 guns were the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II. They were modified from the M2 design of 1934 and entered production in 1941. They were produced in great numbers for use in both the European . . . — — Map (db m196772) HM
Dedicated to Honor and Remember All Shipmates
U.S.S. Baltimore (CA-68)
World War II Recipient of 9 Battle Stars Korean War
Laid Down: May 26, 1941
Launch: July 28, 1942
Commissioned: April 15, 1943 - Reported to the Pacific . . . — — Map (db m241111) HM WM
Commissioned March 31, 1943
Commanding Officers:
CAPT Alfred M. Pride 1/4/43-4/12/44
CAPT John A. Perry 4/12/44-1/26/45
CAPT William G. Tomlinson 1/26/45-12/15/45
CAPT John B. Moss 12/15/45-1/46 . . . — — Map (db m211462) WM
Commissioned 2/15/44 at Long Beach, California.
United States Coast Guard
Decommissioned 8/18/45 in Cold Bay, Alaska.
On September 23, 1944, for superior gunnery at Biak, the Bisbee received a Unit Citation Letter of Commendation, . . . — — Map (db m209021) WM
Dedicated to the Crew of the
U.S.S. Bougainville
CVE-100
Commissioned 18 June 1944
Decommissioned 3 November 1946
The Bougainville Awarded Battle Stars for
Iwo Jima and Okinawa
Her Crew Will Never Forget Her
***** World . . . — — Map (db m211346) WM
Commissioned 16 April 1944
Decommissioned 30 June 1947
Provided essential repair of internal combustion engines and insured the readiness Of ships vital to the success of invasion assaults in the Pacific
On 10 November 1944, five . . . — — Map (db m239771) HM WM
Dedicated to all who served aboard the Amphibious Transport U.S.S. Centaurus (AKA17)
U.S. Coast Guard Manned
★ Battle Stars ★
Kwajalein 1-31-44
Los Negros 4-5-44
Aitape 4-23-44
Guam 7-21-44
Peleliu 9-15-44 . . . — — Map (db m239774) WM
Dedicated to Those who served aboard the
U.S.S. Clinton (APA-144)
The Galloping Ghost of the China Coast
Landed 795 Marines of the 22nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division on Okinawa on May 27, 1945
Transported . . . — — Map (db m243191) WM
"The Fightin'est Ship in the Fleet" "The Oldest and the Boldest" This Plaque Is Dedicated to All Men That Served Aboard the U.S.S. Essex - CV- CVA - CVS-9
First of the Essex Class
Commissioned: 31 Dec 1942 Decommissioned: 9 Jan . . . — — Map (db m213176) WM
The Fighting Fletcher
Commissioned June 30, 1942 Decommissioned Aug. 1, 1969
Dedicated to the U.S.S. Fletcher and to the officers and crew members who served aboard during the years of World War Two in the Pacific.
Dedicated to . . . — — Map (db m208996) WM
Honoring the men of the U.S.S. Franklin (CV-13) "Big Ben"
Commissioned 31 January 1944
Received 4 Battle Stars for World War II Service
Participated in Air Strikes and Support of Marianas Invasion • Guam Invasion
Peleliu . . . — — Map (db m243238) WM