World War II veteran Wayne Teeple, who will turn 91 Sunday, was honored as the Veteran of the Month at this morning’s Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting.
Teeple, Winona Lake, enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from Leesburg High School in 1942. He studied morse code and radio operations at Fort Knox before serving in the European theater with the 130th Armored Division.
They were to be the first armored unit to invade Japan but the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima before they could ship out, county Veterans Affairs Officer Rich Maron shared.
Teeple was discharged at the rank of tech sergeant and returned to Leesburg, where he got a job at Peoples State Bank. He retired as the executive vice president after 37 years, and still runs a repair shop at Grace Village in Winona Lake.
Maron also shared some statistics from Teeple’s division – they used 1.9 million gallons of gas, fired 1.2 million .30 cal. shells, and saw 253 casualties, 912 wounded, 1,556 officers taken prisoner and 14,382 enlisted men taken.
Teeple remarked the figures might not be exact but they’re “mighty close.”
Also this morning, commissioners:
• Approved action taken so far on establishing a tax increment finance district between Warsaw and Etna Green, bordered by U.S. 30 and Old 30. They will vote on approving the district at the Dec. 15 meeting.
• Signed a certificate of completion to document improvements to North CR 100E in the Trupointe TIF near Milford.
• Signed an engagement agreement with Umbaugh and Associates regarding financing of work for the North Central Cooperative TIF in Mentone.
• Restored sections of CR 300E to 55 mph by voting to repeal the 50 mph limit, which Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden said was set when the roads were in poor shape.
• Approved the Area Plan Commission’s recommendation to rezone from agricultural to industrial 5.7 acres of land between Warsaw and Mentone, bordered by U.S. 30, Old 30 and North CR 800W. The rezoning, requested by landowner C. Alan Rovenstine, was determined to be compatible with the area, Area Plan Director Dan Richard told commissioners.
(Story By The Times Union)
