James L. Unruh

Staff Sgt. James L. Unruh, a World War II Army veteran, died June 28, 2013 in Newton KS.

Jim was attached to the 84th Infantry Division, 333 Regiment, Co H.

The 84th landed on Omaha Beach on Nov. 1, 1944, and within two weeks were in combat in the Aachen, Germany, area until the Nazis attacked the Ardennes forests of Belgium - aka the Battle of the Bulge. They were pulled from that fight and trucked to the northern part of the Bulge, where they encountered the same conditions as fellow soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division did.

Aside from the combat with the Germans, Jim said the cold conditions were the worst part of the battles.

After the Battle of the Bulge they were again in combat back in the area around Aachen, and fought all the way to the Elbe River inside Germany, where they linked up with the Russian army.

Jim was married to Maxine (Giffen) prior to going off to war. They had two children after the war: Steven Unruh and Linda, who would end up marrying her high-school sweetheart and following the Air Force technical sergeant and aircraft technical instructor, Mike, around the world, as her mother had for the months before Jim's deployment to the ETO.

Jim returned to the United States after the war and like many of his comrades-in-arms went into business, building houses, grain elevators and serving as part owner of Pre-stressed Concrete Co. of Newton, Kan.

Jim was a loving husband and father, plus grandfather of two granddaughters who followed with their mother and dad to many different countries.

Jim and Maxine were married for more than 70 years. He will sorely missed by all who knew him. RIP Jim.