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Private First Class Ivan Emery Fleming

A young man in a Marine Corps uniform and glasses.
  • Unit: 4th Marine Division, 24th Marine Regiment
  • Date of Birth: April 5, 1914
  • Entered the Military: March 31, 1944
  • Date of Death: March 10, 2006
  • Hometown: Nyssa, Oregon
  • Place of Death: Boise, Idaho
  • Award(s): Purple Heart
  • Cemetery: Section 2, Row D, Site 43. Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, Boise, Idaho
Contributed by Tara and Zechariah David
Mentored by Mr. Adam Mastalski
Compass Public Charter School
2025/2026

Early Life

Ivan Fleming was born on April 5, 1914, one of nine children to parents Clive and Elise Fleming. He was born in Nyssa, Oregon, and his family moved to the Boise, Idaho area when he was five years old. Fleming graduated from Boise High School in 1931, becoming the first in his family to graduate from high school. 

He worked at the post office both before and after the war. He met his wife, Helen Claire Hughes, while working on his farm. The couple was married in 1933 and had five children before the war: Terrill, Leo, Dennis, Tasmin, and Michael. 

Ivan Fleming as a baby, held by one of his brothers. Courtesy of the Fleming family.
Fleming wearing his high school football uniform, 1931. Courtesy of the Fleming family.
Mr. Fleming’s portrait taken for his high school graduation, 1931. Courtesy of the Fleming family.

Homefront

Boise, Idaho, the state’s capital, was developing at the beginning of World War II, with a growing downtown area and some apartments, but it was still a fairly small town. Idaho was involved in the war effort in both direct and indirect ways. The first is the military base, Gowen Field, which was used to train recruits and pilots. They trained British and later American pilots on the B-17 and, later, the B-24 bombers. 

The second is the J.R. Simplot, a business that provided the war effort with many dehydrated potatoes and onions. During World War II, owner J.R. Simplot opened a plant to dry potatoes and onions for shipment to the military. 

Indirectly, rations were used, war bonds were advertised, and many groups gathered to help the war effort. Women also had a special place in the advertisement of war bonds, especially the Minute Maids, who sold stamps and bonds.

A lumber yard in Boise, showing the industry active in the area, June 1941. Library of Congress (2017690059).
A farmers’ market in Boise, Idaho, November 1941. Library of Congress (2017816356).
A Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Boise, showing businesses, residential areas, and building materials, September 1949. Library of Congress.

Military Experience

Ivan Fleming registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. His job at the post office most likely deferred his service, but in March 1944, he voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He began his training with the 7th Recruit Battalion in San Diego, California. After his initial training, he was sent to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, for additional infantry training.

In November 1944, Fleming sailed on USS General R. E. Callan from San Diego to San Francisco and then on to Maui, Hawaii. Marines trained on Maui and Oahu in January 1945, practicing amphibious invasion techniques. On January 27, Fleming and Marines from the 4th Marine Division sailed from Pearl Harbor, arriving in Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, aboard USS Mellette. 

The 4th Marine Division, 24th Marine Regiment, was one of three regiments involved in the assault on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima was an important location for the Japanese military, and controlling it would give the U.S. military a strategic location for their upcoming invasion of Okinawa. Fleming served on Iwo Jima until March 3, 1945, when he was wounded by a gunshot wound to the leg and evacuated. 

Marine forces successfully took control of Iwo Jima by March 26, 1945. 

Fleming spent the next two years in naval hospitals before finally being discharged and sent home to Boise, Idaho. He was awarded a Purple Heart for the injury he sustained.

Ivan Fleming’s World War II draft registration card, signed October 16, 1940. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.
Ivan Fleming’s enlistment photograph, April 6, 1944. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.
Ivan Fleming was awarded a Purple Heart following his injury on March 3, 1945. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.
Ivan Fleming’s wife received this letter over a month after her husband was wounded on Iwo Jima, April 12, 1945. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.
A detailed report of Fleming’s ongoing recovery from a gunshot wound and the damage done to his hip joint. As a result, he was discharged from the Marine Corps. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.
A detailed report of Fleming’s ongoing recovery from a gunshot wound and the damage done to his hip joint. As a result, he was discharged from the Marine Corps. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.

Veteran Experience

Due to the injury Fleming sustained in Iwo Jima, his hip bothered him throughout his life. However, this would not hinder the service he provided to his Boise community. 

After the war, he and Helen had one more child, a daughter named Patty, and he returned to work at the post office, eventually serving with the United States Postal Service for 36 years. He greatly enjoyed working at the post office and was known for his positivity and outgoingness. 

He continued to pursue his hobbies, such as coin and stamp collecting, landscaping with his wife, enjoying music, reading, and hunting. In his 60s, he would add another hobby to his list, becoming an announcer for local equestrian events through the Des Arab Arabian Horse Association and the Highland Saddle and Jump Club (now known as the Boise Saddle and Jump Club), continuing his legacy of being active and beloved in his community.

He was married to his wife, Helen, for over 70 years. Helen passed away on February 17, 2003.

Ian Fleming’s report of separation from the Marine Corps, noting his honorable service, March 7, 1947. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.
Mr. Fleming later in his life. Family Search.

Commemoration

Ivan Fleming died on March 10, 2006, in Boise, Idaho. He was interred at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise, Idaho, on March 16, 2006, with his wife, Helen. 

Ian Fleming’s grave at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise, Idaho, February 23, 2026. Courtesy of Zechariah David.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“Births.” The Idaho Daily Statesman [Boise, Idaho], October 3, 1950. Newsbank.com.

Boise Street Scenes. Photograph. 1940. Idaho State Archives (MS511-318E). https://idahohistory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p265501coll3/id/271. 

Female Mechanics at the University of Idaho during WWII. Photograph. Latah County Historical Society (30-17-036).

Fleming Family Photographs. 1931. Courtesy of Marilyn Fleming.

Fleming, Marilyn. Email to Marilyn Fleming. October 21, 2025.

Fleming, Marilyn. Email to Marilyn Fleming. October 23, 2025.

Gowen Field, Ammunition Assembly Building. Historic American Engineering Record. March 5, 1999. Library of Congress. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/id/id0400/id0426/data/id0426data.pdf. 

Idaho. Ada County. 1920 U.S. Census. Digital Images. https://familysearch.org/. 

Idaho. Ada County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital Images. https://familysearch.org/. 

Idaho. Ada County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital Images. https://familysearch.org/. 

Idaho. Ada County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital Images.http://ancestryclasroom.com. 

Ivan E. Fleming. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2020. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com.  

“Ivan Emery Fleming.” Idaho Statesman [Boise, Idaho], March 14, 2006. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/idahostatesman/name/ivan-fleming-obituary?id=9128220.  

Ivan Emery Fleming, Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Ivan Emery Fleming, Report of Separation, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Ivan Emery Fleming. U.S. Veterans’ Gravesites, 1914-2006. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Ivan Emery Fleming. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Ivan Fleming. U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1958. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Ivan Fleming. U.S., Marine Corps Casualty Indexes, 1940-1958. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Ivan Fleming. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Lee, Russell. [Untitled photo, possibly related to: Farmers’ market. Boise, Idaho]. Photograph. November 1941. Library of Congress (2017816356). https://www.loc.gov/item/2017816356/. 

Lumber manufacture. Boise Payette Lumber Company, Boise, Idaho. Semi-finished boards on the automatic unloader which feeds then into the automatic planner for the finished operation. Photograph. June 1941. Library of Congress (2017690059). https://www.loc.gov/item/2017690059/. 

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Boise, Ada County, Idaho. Map. 1949. Library of Congress (sanborn01569_006). https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn01569_006/.  

Secondary Sources

 “75th Anniversary Battle of Iwo Jima.” National Museum of the Marine Corps. Accessed January 29, 2026. https://www.usmcmuseum.com/battle-of-iwo-jima.html. 

Beebe, Paul. “Dehydrated Potatoes, Onions, in WWII Helped Make J.R. Simplot Rich.” Deseret News, December 15, 1991. https://www.deseret.com/1991/12/15/18956595/dehydrated-potatoes-onions-in-wwii-helped-make-j-r-simplot-rich/. 

“Boise’s Minute Maids Art and Photographs.” Boise City Department of Arts and History. Last modified 2018. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://collections.boiseartsandhistory.org/explore-collections/list/collections/18. 

Building Boise: the 1940s. Boise Architecture Project. Video [12:52]. October 9, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVHIi0xs_Ls. 

“Fighting Basques: Colonel Maria Rementeria Llona and the Women at War Together With the US.” Buber’s Basque Page. Last modified October 5, 2020. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://buber.net/Basque/2020/10/05/fighting-basques-colonel-maria-rementeria-llona-and-the-women-at-war-together-with-the-us/. 

Hart, Arthur. “Gowen Field had head start on B-17 training before World War II.” Idaho Statesman [Boise, Idaho], February 19, 2018. https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article200792959.html. 

Heit, Leo. “The story of Gowen Field, where B-17s once blackened Idaho skies.” MSN. October 3, 2025. Accessed November 13, 2025. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-story-of-gowen-field-where-b-17s-once-blackened-idaho-skies/ss-AA1PJWXq#image=3. 

“Helen Clair Hughes Fleming.” Find a Grave. Updated August 25, 2006. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15499645/helen_clair-fleming. 

“Idaho during World War II.” Ancestry. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.ancestry.com/historical-insights/war-military/wwii/idaho-during-wwii. 

“Ivan Emery Fleming.” Find a Grave. Updated April 25, 2006. Accessed October 21, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14071611/ivan-emery-fleming. 

“Ivan Emery Fleming.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed March 16, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/IVANEMERYFLEMING/726e9c. 

Kohl, Lisa. “Boise’s Historic Neighborhoods: A Blast From the Past.” We Know Boise. Updated May 19, 2020. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.weknowboise.com/blog/boise-historic-neighborhoods.html. 

Lee, Melissa. “ISU Graduate Student Studies Food History at World War II Internment Camp Located 121 Miles from ISU.” Idaho State University Magazine, spring 2018. https://www.isu.edu/magazine/s2018/in-this-issue/food-history/.

“Our History.” State of Idaho National Guard. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.imd.idaho.gov/idaho-national-guard/our-history/. 

Severts, Annika. “Minute Maids.” Boise State University. Last modified May 18, 2018. Accessed March 16, 2026. https://www.boisestate.edu/archives/2018/05/18/encyclopedia-minute-maids/. 

Sowell, John. “10 Idaho Air Guard planes have called Gowen Field home. The F-35 would make it 11.” Idaho Statesman [Boise, ID], March 13, 2017. https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/military/article138035163.html.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.