Frederick Richard Wollenberg

Frederick "Fred" Richard Wollenberg was born to Ferdinand Frederick "F.F." and Elise Wollenberg on October 17, 1916. Both F.F. and Elise’s parents were German immigrants and, like many German immigrant families in United States, they were farmers. Elise’s father, Sebastian Ott, opened the Ritzville hotel in Ritzville, Washington while running his independent farm. Frederick, along with his brothers Lincoln and Leroy, and his sister Ella, lived their early years on the family farm in Hartline, Grant County, Washington. According to the 1920 census, F.F. personally owned the little farm in Hartline. By 1930, however, the family had moved to little Edwall, Washington. F.F. Wollenberg listed his occupation as a “Grain Buyer” for a local grain warehouse. They now rented their home, valued at $14, in Edwall. Fred, just thirteen years old in 1930, attended the tiny all-purpose school that had been donated by the railroad decades earlier. He must have been a good student, as he decided to continue his education after graduating from Edwall High School in 1934.

Fred attended Washington State College (WSC) from 1934 to 1938, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. He was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity on campus, and was also active in the Montezuma Club, the primary governing body of Stimson Hall, named after Fred S. Stimson, a founding member of the board of regents at Washington State College. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Navy on May 15, 1939. 

Fred underwent his training to become a Navy pilot, graduating from his aerial training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. In June of 1940 The Spokane Chronicle ran a story that got Fred’s father’s initials wrong, about the Edwall graduate, reporting that ““Ensign Fred R. Wollenberg of Edwall, son of Mr. and Mrs. F.S. Wallenberg, left here this week to rejoin his ship, the U.S.S Boise, from which he flies as a member of scouting squadron No. 9.” After his graduation he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. While Fred carried out his training and his duties on board the U.S.S Boise, the United States was inching closer to war in the Pacific.

The available records, and the data we have about the proximate timing of Fred’s death in combat seem to coincide with known actions of the U.S.S. Boise. In February of 1942, the U.S.S. Boise leant its planes from Scout Squadron 9 (VCS-9 in Navy lingo) to the Royal Air Force to assist in searching for Japanese patrols in Ceylon. On July 27, 1942 they departed Pearl Harbor toward the Japanese Home Islands with the intent to generate mass radio traffic, convincing the Japanese that an entire American strike force was inbound to the home islands, thus drawing attention away from American landings at Guadalcanal. The Boise was also ordered to attack small Japanese patrol vessels near Honshu if possible. On August 5, 1942 the Boise was continuing its clandestine mission to trick the Japanese. The Cruiser deployed its scout planes, Fred must have been in one of them. The mission was a failure and did not convince the Japanese of an incoming attack, causing the Boise to abandon its mission and instead move to support American Landings at Guadalcanal. The details are difficult to come by, but both planes of the Scout Squadron were lost in the August 5th mission. Fred was considered Missing in Action from that day in 1942.

Fred’s headstone marks 1942 as his official date of death, other military records show that Fred was not considered officially killed in action by the United States Navy until December 4, 1945.

Fred is memorialized in numerous locations. His official resting place is the Ritzville memorial cemetery in Ritzville, Washington. He was awarded a posthumous purple heart and is listed on the Tablets of the Missing, a “structures erected in honor of someone whose remains lie elsewhere.” at the Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu Hawaii, part of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Lastly his name is emblazoned on the World War II memorial located on the main campus of his alma mater, now called Washington State University, in Pullman, Washington.