761st Railway Transportation Company ~ Merle Jensen

Thanks so much to Jerry Jensen for sharing this wonderful information about his dad, Merle Jensen.

Merle Marion Jensen was born and raised on a farm in Quenemo, KS on May 26, 1918. He worked one year with the Santa Fe Railroad prior to being drafted in the US Army in 1942, serving into 1946. He served with the 761st Railway Transportation Company seeing service in the Rome-Arno Campaign, Naples-Foggia Campaign, Rhineland Campaign, and Algeria-French Morocco Campaign from Aug ’42 through Feb ’45 and then received healthcare in the Bruns Military Hospital in Santa Fe, NM. After his military service and release from the hospital, he worked as a Brakeman, then Conductor, with the Rock Island Railroad out of Herington, KS until is death in 1969. He was an avid fisherman, hunter, and greatly enjoyed helping his parents continue to farm. He was survived by his wife, Dona Lloydine Jensen, daughter, Terri L. Jensen, and sons Gerald D. Jensen and Mark L. Jensen. He received a military burial at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Quenemo, KS. 

 I do not have much more information to provide. Other than a letter from President Truman thanking him for his service and some of his original discharge and orders assigning him to the Bruns General Hospital in NM, we don’t have much information. Also, other than applauding the good trade he made while in Northern Africa (he traded a carton of cigarettes for a beautiful native knife with a carved wooden sheath wrapped in leather), he didn’t talk much about his years of service nor his hospital care following his active duty. Being a farm kid from central KS, I’m certain his travels in WWII were eye-opening. He returned to his railroad career following his medical recovery spending his entire career as a brakeman and conductor for the Rock Island Railroad serving between the Oklahoma border south of Wichita and northeasterly to Kansas City, until his early death in 1969 at the age of 51. 

Merle M. Jensen served in the 761st Railway Transportation Co, with service in the Rome-Arno Campaign, Naples-Foggia Campaign, Rhineland Campaign, and Algeria-French Morocco Campaign from Aug ’42 through Feb ’45. He was sent to the Bruns General Hospital in Santa Fe, NM with tuberculosis and afterwards to the VAF in Excelsior Springs, MO. Those soldiers in the same railcar traveling from NM to MO with my father included, Tec 5 Harold W. Furneaux, Pfc Verdie W. Williams, Pfc Ernie T. Mears, and Pvt Fred S. Copeland. Two Attendants were Ted 5 Ingvar F. Magnuson and Pfc Morton Koplik. 

I have attached six photos, two in the service, one railroading (white hat), one younger (leather jacket), and one older (black shirt), one family photo from 1919 (smallest child)