April 8th 2017 marks 72 years since the passing of a Mount Ephraim World War II veteran, Private Willis Houser. Willis Theodore Houser was born on July 10, 1906 in Millerton, Pennsylvania to parents Dr. Penrose Houser and Leda Houser. Willis was the youngest of the siblings. He had a sister, Vera born in 1900 and a brother, Verde born in 1901. Dr. Houser also had two children from a previous marriage. Celia was born in 1893 (but later died in 1918) and Hugh born a year later.

Penrose Houser was a physician who practiced medicine in Millerton and Wellsboro, PA. He had originally gone to school for music but this career had proved too difficult to earn a decent living at the time. He decided to change his profession attending Johns Hopkins and Columbia Universities where he received his medical degrees. Penrose's musical influence did not however go to unnoticed. He was a talented violinist and taught music lessons to children in the area. He also conducted a well known boys band that included Hugh on the clarinet and Willis on drums. For many years, Wellsboro is where the Houser children were raised. It was said that Dr. Houser also had a history of being abusive to his spouse and children at times. Older brother Hugh was treated cruelly by his father but decided to live with his father and Leda to look after his younger siblings. He always had a close relationship with Willis and took good care of him.

In October 1919, the Housers moved to Clermont, Florida where Penrose purchased farm land adjacent to Lake Susan to grow oranges. Willis and Hugh lived down there to run this new operation for two years until a terrible frost wiped out most of their groves. Penrose sold the property and the family returned to Wellsboro. After moving back to Pennsylvania, Leda and Dr. Houser divorced in 1922. She had made it a point to return to Florida to spend each winter for several years.

It was at this time that Willis left Wellsboro to live with his Aunt Margaret (Houser) Herman and Uncle Frederick Herman who lived at 407 Black Horse Pike in Mount Ephraim, NJ. This is the present location of the church at 6th and N. BHP. Penrose Houser passed away in July 1927 from heart disease. His obituary listed Willis as already living in the Camden area. While living in Mt. Ephraim, Willis took a job working at the Armstrong Cork Company in Camden until he enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 11, 1932. After basic training, he was sent to Panama to protect the south side (Pacific) of the Panama Canal. Houser was billeted at Fort Amador, where he served with the 4th Coastal Artillery Regiment. He returned to New York in November 1936 aboard the U.S. Army Transport ship Chateau Thierry. Not sure yet where he served upon return to the States until re-enlisting on September 6, 1939 in Camden, NJ.

On September 9th, Willis was sent to Fort Totten, NY where he briefly served with the 62nd Coastal Artillery before being transferred back to the Panama Canal Zone. Houser was promoted to Private First Class and assigned to the 72nd Coastal Artillery at Fort Randolph, in Panama where he stayed for from late 1939 to some time in 1943. By December 1943, now a corporal, Houser was back in the United States at Camp Stewart, GA, assigned to the 140th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group. After mid-February 1944, Willis was reduced in rank back to a private and serving in the 399th Infantry Regiment. 2 months later, he was transferred to Fort Meade, MD.

Some time in late 1944, Willis received orders that he was being shipped overseas. Before he left, Willis had an opportunity to travel to Ithaca, NY, to visit his mother. Leda was now remarried and residing there with her husband Arthur. Mother and son said a sad goodbye to each other at the train station in Ithaca when Willis boarded the railcar with a destination of San Francisco, CA. Where a ship transported replacement troops to the Pacific Theatre.

In a letter dated January 22, 1945, Willis wrote to Hugh from New Guinea. He had bounced around from company to company in the 5th Replacement Depot. At the time of the letter, he was in the 191st Replacement Company. He wrote of the conditions in New Guinea and how he longed to return home and help his brother with farm work. In his closing, Willis mentioned that he was doing band laundry. It is possible that Willis joined a band while in the replacement depot.

On March 15th, 1945, Willis was transferred to the 32rd Infantry Division, 126th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Company “I.” The 32d Infantry Division was conducting offensive operations to clear the Villa Verde Trail from late February to May 1945 as part of an overall effort by 1 Corps, 6th Army, to defeat the Japanese in northern Luzon, Philippines. The Division had already accrued two years of combat experience in the Pacific prior to the beginning of the operation. Facing, perhaps, its most difficult challenge of the war, the 32d Infantry Division came into this battle understrength, tired, diseased, and weary. Morale was low, and the Division's leadership had been significantly reduced prior to Villa Verde. The 32d Infantry Division found itself confronted by an experienced, dug in, and well fortified enemy in the rugged, densely vegetated mountains of northern Luzon. Consequently, the 32d Infantry Division had no alternative but to fight it out using small unit tactics under extremely difficult environmental conditions.

The following is from a paper entitled “CSI Battle Book 14-D" from the Combat Studies institute that explains the operations of the 126th infantry in Luzon on the Villa Verde Trail:

"It had become apparent by 1 April that the 32d Infantry Division on the Villa Verde Trail was engaged with the enemy's main line of resistance. The only way the Division could be reinforced was for I Corps to relieve the 126th Infantry Regiment of its mission in the Ambayabang and Arboredo River Valleys. On 5 April, 32d Infantry Division Field Order 1117 directed the movement of the 126th Infantry to the Villa Verde Trail sector.

The 126th Infantry Regiment was immediately committed in the Salacsac Pass area, on the left (north) of the 128th Infantry. Its first objectives were hills 518 and 519. To reach its objectives, the 126th Infantry was to strike off the Villa Verde Trail from a point about a mile-and-a-half west of hill 502 and push northeast along the Miliwit River Valley.

The 3d Battalion, 126th Infantry, moved east through the Miliwit River Valley to the Salacsac Pass area and contacted the enemy on hills 518 and 519. Hill 519 was captured before dark on 6 April, and hill 518 was gained the following day.

The 1st Battalion, 126th Infantry reached the much-used Japanese track which led north from the Villa Verde Trail on 6 April. On 7 April, the 1st Battalion reached the base of hill 511, and by 10 April had reached a point about 350 yards due south of hill 511.

The Japanese reacted violently to the advance of the 126th Infantry with concentrations of artillery fire, particularly on the 3d Battalion. On 8 April, 200 rounds of artillery and mortar fell within the zone of the 126th. A high casualty rate and a large number of shock cases resulted from this continual artillery pounding.”

This is where Private Houser was killed in action when he was hit in the neck by a piece of shrapnel. It was stated by a niece that he was serving as a flamethrower for this company. The only effects that he had in his possession at the time was a prayer book.

Willis was buried originally at US Armed Forces Cemetery, Santa Barbara No. 1, Luzon, Philippines on April 26, 1945. This cemetery was located 135 miles north of Manila. At the request of Leda, Willis’s remains were disinterred in November 1948 for transport back to the U.S. for burial in Wellsboro.

Houser’s remains were returned to U.S. on March 30, 1949 aboard Army Transport Sgt. Jack J. Pendleton. He was then transported from Ft. Mason, CA to Brooklyn Army Base via rail car, arriving on April 11th. He left NY on May 4th by rail, arriving at Troy, PA that evening. His casket was escorted by Corporal Vincent J. Bertolli. From there, Houser’s body was consigned to the Johnson and Tussey Funeral Home in Wellsboro. Leda was reportedly very ill and at home in Ithaca at the time of Willis’ arrival in Wellsboro. Sister, Vera took power of attorney and handled the funeral arrangements. A military funeral was held on May 6th by the W. Earle Champaign American Legion Post #84 of Wellsboro. Private Houser was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.
Willis T. Houser is buried in Section M, Lot 105, Grave 5 at the Wellsboro Cemetery in Wellsboro, PA. He was survived by his mother, Leda Whiting who passed away a year later after suffering from a long-time illness, brothers, Verde and Hugh, and sister, Vera Weaver. Willis was also survived by Aunt Margaret and Uncle Fred. Margaret and Fred’s granddaughter was Doris Whitman, whom many people from Mount Ephraim will know.

I can not thank Mr. Matt Good and his mother Ellen enough for all of the family information and the letter that Willis sent to Matt's grandfather, Hugh Houser.

May their sacrifice never be forgotten.

Willis T Houser