John Otto Roader

Roeder was born on June 22, 1924, in Tacoma to Otto and Francis Roeder. He had two younger siblings, Arthur Thomas "Tom" and Michael. He attended Stadium High School in Tacoma from 1938-1942. His classmates referred to him as “Skip.” Roeder participated in many extracurricular activities in high school. He was active in both sports and artistic groups. He played intermural sports and was a member of Boat Club. He sung in an opera ensemble and was the vice president of the Boy’s Glee Club. In addition to singing, Roeder also had a passion for writing. He was the script writer for the school’s radio program and Sports editor of the school paper World.

After graduating high school Roeder attended WSC from September 1942 to February 1943. Roeder attempted to attend at least a full year of college by joining the Enlisted Reserve. However, he was only able to attend one semester before he was drafted into the army. While at WSC, Roeder was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He also continued his musical passions by singing in the Men’s Glee Club.

Roeder enlisted in the Reserve Corps during his second term at WSC. Roeder was member of company L of the 85th regiment of the 10th Mountain Infantry. The 10th Light Division (Alpine), later called the 10th Mountain Infantry, was constituted on July 10, 1943, and activated five days later at Camp Hale. The 10th Mountain division was originally organized during WWI in July 1918 but was demobilized with the Armistice. The 10th Mountain division's WWII debut came out of the need for troops well equipped for fighting in winter and mountain warfare. The Infantry was nicknamed the "Ski Troops" because their winter weather uniforms included skis. The 10th Mountain Division first began training at Camp Hale in Colorado and moved to Camp Swift in Texas in 1944. Roeder enlisted in December 1942, and trained at both Camps Hale and Swift. The division was stationed in Italy in the Alps. Roeder and the 85th Infantry sailed to Italy in January 1945. Roeder and the 10th Infantry participated in both offensive and defensive campaigns against German troops on multiple mountain peaks.

In the spring of 1945, Roeder went missing. Kenneth A. MacDonald, who was in company L with Roeder, recalled his death. MacDonald was tasked by his regimental captain to find three men to go and regain the bodies of the men who went missing the night before. Roeder was one of the men selected to go on the night patrol. MacDonald recalled breaking down telling him why Roeder had to go, both soldiers had been in the same company since their training at Camp Hale. According to MacDonald, Roeder was a “quiet, very dignified person.” Before Roeder left for the night patrol, he gave MacDonald his wallet in case he did not return. Roeder went missing while on the night patrol and was considered dead. MacDonald recalled,

“The patrol went out, didn’t recover the bodies, and three more men were killed, including John Roeder. I could look down the next morning from my foxhole on Della Spe, directly onto the houses at Pra del Bianco. I sobbed, knowing that I had selected John, and that his selection came of his being a Company L old-timer.”

 Later officials informed his family that Roeder had been killed while on a voluntary night patrol in one of the mountain villages. His date of death is recorded to be April 16, 1945. This would have most likely occurred while the division was fighting German forces on Mount Della Spe.

His date of death is recorded to be April 16, 1945. He was originally buried in a cemetery near Florence and later transferred to the US cemetery in San Bruno, California. Roeder was survived by his parents and both of his brothers. Roeder’s brother Tom, was a navy V-12 student at the University of Idaho’s southern branch at Pocatello. He attended the dedication of WSU’s Veteran’s Memorial to honor his brother’s memory.