STILLMAN VALLEY — The late Bruce Glendenning served in the United States Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater.
Glendenning was born in Holcomb on June 30, 1925. He went into the Navy on Nov. 16, 1943 at age 18. He underwent basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois and later attended diesel training school in Richmond, Virginia. Upon deployment, Glendenning spent his time as a motor machinist operator’s mate in the engine room on the Landing Ship Medium (LSM) 43. The ship earned one battle star for WWII service. Aboard the LSM were five officers and 54 enlisted, supplies, and vehicles. It had the capacity to carry three heavy or five light tanks, five AMTRACs, or five ducks. LSM 43 was commissioned on July 26, 1944 and left the states Nov. 16, 1944. It made the invasion of Iwo Jima, Japan on Feb. 19, 1945. LSM 43 and Glendenning returned to the states May 12, 1945.
After Japan accepted a peace treaty, the LSM 43 left the states for the second time headed for Pearl Harbor and made it to the occupation of Japan, Wakayama, Sept. 27, 1945.
On Sept. 27, 1945 the USS LSM 293 rammed the LSM 43. It was repaired by the USS Cascade AP 16.
Glendenning then left the LSM 43 for discharge, via the LSM 439, then APL 31, then the USS Turner (DD834) to Pearl Harbor and finally an Army Sea Cat to arrive in Frisco, Texas on April 14, 1946. He was honorably discharged April 23, 1946 and his length of service was two years, five months and eight days. Bruce was awarded the Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Medal, and the American Area Campaign Medal.
“He liked being a diesel mechanic and working in the engine room,” Glendenning’s daughter, Mary Ann Ankney, said. “He was proud that his ship carried Marines. He didn’t say much about the war but at times he’d remark that ‘War is Hell’ and ‘No one wins at war.’ It was just part of who he was.”
After Bruce returned home he had his own trucking business, hauling livestock, grain along side his brothers, Jim and Gordon. He then went into farming and farmed in the Scott Township area for about 50 years. Ankney remarked that family, cattle, farming and trucks were her father’s life.
The Glendenning’s family has a history of service and a respect for it. Bruce’s father, Fred Glendenning, was in the Army in the Sixth Cavalry during World War I. Ankney’s uncle on her mother’s side, Nelmer Joesten, also served during WWII in the Army. She recalls the family attending Memorial Day services and her father making his rounds to cemeteries to visit people he knew that passed.
Soft spoken about his service, Bruce Glendenning would only mention it to his daughter in passing. He had a box that had his pictures, notebook, and some memorabilia that he would get out to show once in a while. When the family would look at going on vacations, he’d already been to many destinations due to his military time. He did have a few souvenirs he brought home from Japan. Ankney has counted that he was in over 36 different ports in the Navy.
“He’s been gone now for about 25 years and we’re coming up on what would be his 100th birthday on June 30,” Ankney said. “We have a frame in our den with all of his service information on it. We’re proud he served and we miss him every day.”
