Private Edwin Frank Van Der Vaart

Early Life

Edwin Frank Van Der Vaart was born to Jake and Louise Van Der Vaart on August 28, 1925, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The couple was married on Christmas Eve in 1918, and Edwin was their third child. At Edwin’s birth, his older brother, Anthony (Tony), was five, and his older sister, Elizabeth, was four. 

Unfortunately, Elizabeth died at the age of five, when Edwin was only three months old. The reason for her death is unknown. When Edwin was two years old, his parents had their fourth and final child, a daughter also named Elizabeth, who went by Betty.

Family Ancestry

In 1881, Edwin’s paternal grandfather, Peter, immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands. When Jake, Edwin’s father, was born in 1888, he became the first natural-born U.S. citizen in the family, making Edwin a second-generation American. Edwin’s father worked in the sausage-making trade for most of his life. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War I. Edwin’s maternal grandfather was also of European descent from Germany. 

In the 1930 and 1940 census documents, the Van Der Vaart family resided in rented homes in Sheboygan, with Jake working between 40 and 50 hours a week, all 52 weeks of the year, earning approximately $1,200 annually. With an average annual income of just over $1,300, the family had sufficient means to support itself.

Life Before the Army

By the 1940 census, Edwin was 14 years old, having completed eighth grade, and attended Central High School in Sheboygan. In 1941, at age 16, he can be seen in a yearbook photograph of his homeroom class. It is unclear if he graduated from high school. 

Before joining the U.S. Army, he worked for Pere Marquette shipping in Ludington, Michigan, specifically on Steamer PM 21. The Pere Marquette 21 was a car ferry that crossed Lake Michigan between Wisconsin and Michigan. Eventually, car ferries were utilized to transport troops, equipment, and supplies during World War II.

Draft Registration

On his eighteenth birthday, August 28, 1943, Edwin completed his U.S. Army draft registration card and joined the military, continuing the legacy of service his father began years earlier. At the time of his registration, he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 170 pounds, and had blonde hair and blue eyes.

Homefront

Van Der Vaart grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, a coastal community located on the shores of Lake Michigan. 

Between 1930 and 1940, Sheboygan’s population increased from 39,251 to 40,638. The infrastructure of Sheboygan improved, and tourism flourished as a result. Additionally, the city of Sheboygan played a significant role in war manufacturing during World War II. Following the outbreak of war in 1939, many of the city’s industries began producing materials for the government. 

Sheboygan’s War Contributions

The Vollrath Company, founded in 1874, joined the war effort in late 1941. The company produced over 12 million canteens for soldiers, as well as various other practical items for hospitals and dining facilities, including mess trays, meat cans, irrigators, and basins.

Other companies that participated in wartime production include: Verifine Dairy, which produced dried whole eggs; the Schreier Malting Company, which brewed alcohol that was used for making rubber, gunpowder, drugs, and plastics; the Sellinger Glove Company, which made gloves; and the Jung Shoe Company, which produced army boots and shoes.

German POWs in Sheboygan County

Starting in 1944, Sheboygan County also housed European Prisoners of War (POWs) captured by the British. Of the 425,000 German prisoners in the U.S., more than 20,000 lived in camps in the state of Wisconsin. There were two base camps near Sheboygan and 36 branch camps, including Camp Sheboygan, which was located in the Sheboygan County insane asylum. It opened in June of 1945, with 238 POWs. Due to the labor shortage, an additional 3,200 arrived over time.

Without the POW program increasing the sheer size of the workforce, the state’s agriculture and food production would have suffered. Since camps were close to farming fields and factories, many POWs volunteered to work. They were paid 80 cents per day in canteen coupons, which they could spend to buy cigarettes, candy, and beer.

The prisoners at the Sheboygan Camp worked at Lakeside Packing, Cleveland Canning, Calumet-Dutch Packing, Oostburg Canning, Geidel Canning, and Waldo Canning. The camp was open for seven months until December 1945.

Due to Wisconsin’s German immigrant population, some Americans found relatives in the camps, despite socializing being discouraged by the Army.

After the War

After the war, four Sheboygan companies received an Army-Navy “E” Award for “excellence in the production of war material,” including: Vollrath Company for their canteens and mess hall supplies; American Hydraulics for artillery shells, comb fuses, and airplane and rocket parts; Electric Sprayit Company for tank and generator assemblies, motors, and aircraft hydraulics; and finally, Garton Toy Company for bomb fins and torpedo parts. Clarence Garton, Chairman of the Garton Toy Company Board, said this about the shifts in production of the company, “. . . we will have to forego the making of toys long enough to destroy the evil forces that would make out [our] work a prison and rob our children, not only of their toys but of their lives.”

By the end of the war, Sheboygan lost 126 of its citizens in World War II, including U.S. Army Private Edwin Van Der Vaart.

Military Experience

After enlisting in the U.S. Army on his eighteenth birthday, Van Der Vaart was assigned to the 362^nd Infantry Regiment, 91^st Infantry Division. Van Der Vaart was a private and worked as a combat infantryman, which involved close ground combat with weapons, including rifles and grenades. Combat infantrymen fought on foot on the frontlines of battle, earning them the job title with the highest casualty percentage in the war. Specific details of Van Der Vaart’s travels and military endeavors are unclear, but his infantry regiment and division campaigns are well-documented.

The 362^nd Infantry Regiment, 91^st Infantry Division

The 362^nd Infantry Regiment, 91^st Infantry Division, deployed overseas in June of 1944, landing on Arzew beach in Algeria. Before deployment, Van Der Vaart participated in approximately nine months of training and preparation, spanning from his enlistment in August 1943 to his European deployment in June 1944.

The First Star 

About a month after landing in Algeria, the division traveled into central Italy. On July 12, 1944, his division experienced its first battle in Italy, starting at three in the morning. Over the next seven days, the troops traveled 18 to 19 miles north toward the Arno River. 

As they continued to travel north along the Casaglia-Capannoli road, they were stopped by German enemy fire and tanks. By July 19, 1944, they were on the south bank of the Arno River. Then, on July 29, 1944, just nine days later, Task Force Williamson, which had been working alongside the 362^nd Infantry Regiment, completed their mission and seized the cities of Leghorn and Pisa in Italy. This entire military movement, involving the multiple regiments, was deemed “The First Star.” 

The division had sought control of the port city of Leghorn since Naples was the only port city available to the Americans, which forced supplies to be trucked hundreds of miles to the front lines. During the advancement, the 91^st Division was praised with three firsts: the first to reach the Arno River, the first division into Leghorn, and the first into Pisa, earning the division commendations from the Commanding General of IV Corps.

The Second Star

By September 9, 1944, after crossing the Arno River, Van Der Vaart’s regiment was near Vaglia, Italy, preparing to advance farther north toward the Gothic Line, a German defensive line. On September 13, just a few days after military advancements, the 91^st Division faced enemies at the Gothic Line, with Mount Calvi at their left, facing the Futa Pass. On this day, Van Der Vaart died at a Battalion Aid Station near Gagliano, Italy. 

At some point during these battles in central Italy, he was wounded in action (WIA) and then transferred to an aid station. It is unclear on which day and during which battle he was injured, but sometime after sustaining those injuries, he succumbed to his wounds and died on September 13, 1944. Officially, Van Der Vaart’s status was changed from WIA to killed in action (KIA). The very next day, the 362^nd Infantry Regiment took Mount Calvi, and by September 16, 1944, the regiment and division had broken the Gothic Line, which the Germans had spent a year building and defending.

This campaign eventually earned the 362^nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division, a memorial plaque honoring the soldiers of the first units to breach the Gothic Line. The plaque is next to the Gothic Line Museum in Scarperia, Italy.

Commemoration

Van Der Vaart died about two weeks after his nineteenth birthday.

His Remains

By April 1945, the Army shipped his belongings to his family, which included: his driver’s license, a billfold, letters, photos, souvenir money, and one New Testament. The family also received a check for $10.42, representing money that belonged to their son. 

In December 1945, Van Der Vaart’s remains were temporarily interred in the U.S. Military Cemetery in Castelfiorentino, Italy. In early 1949, his family decided, through correspondence with the Army, that his remains should continue to reside in an overseas military cemetery. So, in April 1949, nearly four years after his death, he was permanently laid to rest at the Florence American Cemetery in Florence, Italy.

After Death

Unfortunately, three years after his death, his mother, Louise, passed away at the age of 46. Her obituary stated that she remained ill throughout the years since her son’s death. 

After his death, Van Der Vaart was awarded the Purple Heart, honoring military members killed in action against enemy forces. Through his death during World War II, he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, earning him the title of Silent Hero.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“362^nd Infantry Regiment Gothic Line Plaque.” American War Memorials Overseas. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=2667&MemID=3490.

“Berlin, Neenah on List of Killed in Action.” The Oshkosh Northwestern [Okhkosh, WI], December 15, 1944. Newspapers.com (476740350).

Carferry PERE MARQUETTE 21, Hull #20 . . . Photograph. c.1942-1945. Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company Collection, Wisconsin Maritime Museum at Manitowoc. https://wisconsinmaritime.pastperfectonline.com/photo/E1176151-C4D8-45B8-920B-752228500039.

Central High School Yearbook. Sheboygan Area School District, 1942. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Edwin F Van Der Vaart. World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Edwin Frank Van Der Vaart. World War II Draft Cards, 1940-1947. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Edwin Van Der Vaart. Headstone Card. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Edwin Van Der Vaart. Individual Deceased Personnel File, Department of the Army. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Kadow, Francis M. Pere Marquette Car Ferry. Photograph. Manitowoc Local History Collection, University of Wisconsin Libraries. https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ARJDTWPSBOHY5N8Z.

“Killed in Action.” Leader-Telegram [Eau Claire, WI], December 16, 1944. Newspapers.com (267197734).

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Two family house located at 626A and 626B Pennsylvania Avenue, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 1971. Photograph. 1971. Mead Library. https://content.mpl.org/digital/collection/MPL/id/22238/. 

Wisconsin. Sheboygan County. 1930 U.S. Census. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Wisconsin. Sheboygan County. 1940 U.S. Census. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Secondary Sources

91st Infantry Division World War II Unit History. Lone Sentry, 1945. https://www.lonesentry.com/91stdivision/index.html. 

City of Sheboygan, Wisconsin Architectural and Historical Intensive Survey Report. City of Sheboygan: 2006. https://www.sheboyganwi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Complete-Architectural-Historical-Intensive-Survey-Report.pdf.

Dippel, Beth. “Automobiles led to the Sheboygan camping boom in 1930’s.” Sheboygan Press [Sheboygan, WI], April 20, 2018. https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/2018/04/20/automobiles-led-sheboygan-camping-boom-1930-s-beth-dippel/521850002/.

Dippel, Beth. “In WWII, Sheboygan hosted German POWs.” Sheboygan Press [Sheboygan, WI], April 29, 2016. https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/2016/04/29/wwii-sheboygan-hosted-german-pows/83701378/.

“Edwin Van Der Vaart.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed January 3, 2025. https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/van-der-vaart%3Dedwin.  

“Edwin VanDerVaart.” National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.thepurpleheart.com/roll-of-honor/profile/default?rID=63585b65-bf39-4954-94fc-18701ba8c569.

Foster III, Hugh F. “History: Infantry Structure.” Updated April 26, 2000. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.trailblazersww2.org/history_infantrystructure.htm. 

“History.” Vollrath Company. Accessed January 31, 2025. https://vollrathcompany.com/our-company/history.

“Jake Van Der Vaart.” Find a Grave. Updated January 28, 2013. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104314763/jake-van_der_vaart.

Jones, Tara. “From a devastating fire to holding German WWII POWs, the Sheboygan County asylum facilities hold a rich history.” Sheboygan Sun [Sheboygan, WI], October 28, 2020. https://www.sheboygansun.com/things_to_do/from-a-devastating-fire-to-holding-german-wwii-pows-the-sheboygan-county-asylum-facilities-hold/article_90ea6564-1937-11eb-822e-4fe2c2986c70.html.

“Life in the Infantry.” Public Broadcasting Service. Accessed February 28, 2025.  https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/life-in-the-infantry.

“Louise Wensauer Van Der Vaart.” Find a Grave. Updated January 28, 2013. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104314742/louise-van_der_vaart.

Moskop, Roy L. On the Way: The Story of the 91st Division Artillery. Army &Navy Publishing Company: 1947 https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/ww_reg_his/article/1030/&path_info=Optimized_On_the_Way_The_Story_of_the_91st_Division_Artillery.pdf.

“Pvt Edwin Frank Van Der Vaart.” Find a Grave. Updated August 7, 2020. Accessed January 3, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56367144/edwin-frank-van_der_vaart. 

“Scarperia- PFC Andrew Biggio Square.” American War Memorials Overseas. Accessed March 28, 2025.
https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/site_details.php?SiteID=2667.

Sheboygan County Veterans Memorial Dedication. Booklet. 1994. Mead Public Library. https://content.mpl.org/digital/collection/MPL/id/19307/. 

“Ties of Great Strength: Infantry Soldiers Forge Unique Kinship in Battle.” Association of the United States Army. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.ausa.org/articles/ties-great-strength-infantry-soldiers-forge-unique-kinship-battle.

“Vollrath Wartime Contributions.” Vollrath Company. Accessed January 31, 2025.
https://vollrathcompany.com/vollrath-wartime-contributions.

This profile was researched and created through the Researching Silent Heroes program, sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Commission.