bmonthly November 2021

Page 61

UNSUNG HEROS

Al Rohleder Quiet Bartian Scored WWII Counterintelligence Coup by Delaney Williams The obituary of Alfred H. “Al” Rohleder reads like that of an ordinary man. He worked as an engineer for Phillips Petroleum Company. He was born in Kansas. He had a wife, two sons, and two daughters. One small line reads, “He served with the U.S. Army during World War II in the European Theatre.” Such a small mention of his military service does not do justice to his remarkable achievements. Al Rohleder was born in Emmeram, Kansas on May 4, 1920 to Pete and Clare Rohleder. At the age of 20, Al went into active duty. Being brought up by German immigrants and speaking German at home, he was fluent and was able to speak and write in the language. This skillset landed him in the Counterintelligence Corps. He was handpicked to be one of four interpreters to assist General Patton during his invasion of Germany. Al was a part of the Counterintelligence Corps of the 35th Infantry Division of the 9th Army, a group tasked with sabotage, espionage, and tracking down Nazis. In April of 1945, he was tipped off about the location of a Gestapo chief hiding in a forest nearby. He assembled a small group of 11 handpicked soldiers to go on a mission to capture the man. On April 24, the team emerged from the forest with the notorious Major General Heinz Jost in tow, an accomplishment that earned Rohleder a Bronze Star. While Al was not allowed to talk about all of his experiences in the C.I.C., a newspaper article after his discharge declared: “A

Al Rohleder pictured during World War II, second row, third from left.

GESTAPO CHIEF HIS BIG PRIZE Sgt. Alfred Rohleder Captures Heinz Jost, One Worst of Nazi Tyrants.” Al was released from active duty on October 22, 1945. Shortly after, on November 27 that same year, he married Charlette Kippes. The couple made their home in Hays, Kansas, where Al owned his own appliance store. In 1953, he went to work for Phillips Petroleum Company. In 1955, he and his family relocated to Bartlesville for his job. His son, Steve Rohleder, recalls that he did not talk about his time in the military. “The only time his service was brought up was when he was at the VFW or American Legion,” said Steve. “I learned a lot more about him from his brothers later on … He was involved in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, but I don’t know to what degree … He was a part of the military police.” Al Rohleder remained in the Army Reserves until the 1960s. Steve recalls him as being a classic father figure. He was involved in the Boy Scouts with Steve and Mike as a scoutmaster. Their troop was based out of the family’s church, St. John’s. He was involved in the Little Theatre and the Frank Phillips Men’s Club and supported his children’s sports. He was also involved in the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, and the V.F.W. Steve remembers his father helping him with his Sunday morning paper route. Al passed away on April 18, 1997 in Bartlesville, at the age of 76. He was interred with all military rites in the Memorial Park Cemetery.

NOVEMBER 2021 | bmonthly

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Articles inside

Giving Back: Grave Interest in Honoring the Dead

6min
pages 83-84

Tell Me Something Good: Heaven on Earth

2min
pages 79-82

Funny You Should Ask: The Things We Do for Love

6min
pages 76-78

Knowing Nowata: Emma McGruder

3min
pages 73-75

On the Osage: Putting Fairfax on the Map

2min
pages 67-68

A Fresh Perspective: WWII Hero Lived a Quiet Life

4min
pages 65-66

Sports: Bartlesville Has Got It All

3min
pages 59-60

Unsung Heroes: Al Rohleder

3min
pages 61-62

Once Upon a Time: Taking the Right Turn

2min
pages 63-64

Business Spotlight: The Dynamic Trio

4min
pages 57-58

Entertainment: Aaron Ray Vaughan

2min
pages 55-56

Now You Know: Vietnam Fallen ... Roll Call

1min
pages 48-50

Local Business: Cosmetics that Last

2min
pages 53-54

From the Heart: Have Courage to Change

4min
page 41

Looking Back: Horse & Buggy Doctor

2min
pages 51-52

A Good Word: THANKS is life GIVING

3min
pages 42-43

Military Careers: Colonel Ken Suggs

7min
pages 36-37

Feature Sponsor Story: Rags to Riches

2min
pages 26-27

Chick-fil-A Events Calendar

11min
pages 31-34

Feature: Vietnam War

22min
pages 16-25

Meeting a Need: Veteran Resources

2min
page 35

War Stories: The First Fallen Soldier

2min
pages 13-15

Profile: Sharon Reese

4min
pages 8-10

In Memory: Chapel of Grace

3min
pages 11-12
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