Gerhard Eugene Biberdorf

Henry, SD

1934, 791, Lightning Creek, F-14,
1935, 791, Lightning Creek, F-14, Ass't Leader
1937, 791, Lightning Creek, F-14, Leader

Gerhard E. Biberdorf AKA Bieberdorf was born on August 9, 1915, at Fortuna, North Dakota. Gerhard and his family moved to Henry, South Dakota, in 1926 where he attended a local country grade school. During his teen years he helped with duties on the family farm. Gerhard then worked for other farmers in the Henry area and on a highway construction crew. After that Gerhard joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and was stationed in Custer, South Dakota, working on Black Hills Forest projects.

Gerhard moved to California in 1937. He was drafted into the Army in 1941 prior to the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. T-5 Biberdorf, as a member of the 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, participated in the landing at Morocco, North Africa. He then went across North Africa to Sicily, then took part in the Italian campaign. Army T-5 Gerhard E. Biberdorf was killed in action on June 1, 1944, during the Allied attack at Anzio, Italy.

Although initially buried at Nettuno, Italy, Gerhard was later returned home. He was reburied in 1948 in the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, South Dakota, one of the first four WW II casualties interred in the new cemetery.

Gerhard's brother, Raymond, wrote that he was always a month behind Gerhard. When Raymond's Air Force unit arrived in Italy, Gerhard came to see him. They spent three days together shortly before Gerhard's death. Another brother, Carl, also served in WW II and Korean War as a Navy man stationed on submarines. Gerhard's brother, Bernard, served in the Army during the Korean Conflict and his brother, John, served in the Navy in both WW II and Korea.

This entry was respectfully submitted to the FALLEN SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF SOUTH DAKOTA PROJECT by Adam Bierschenk, 8th Grade West, Spearfish Middle School, November 20, 2000. Information for this entry was provided by Gerhard's brothers, Raymond, Henry, SD; Bernard, Fishers, IN; and John, Los Altos, CA; and a sister, Gloria Puls of Alpine, CA.

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