Clemens Joseph Hoffmann: March 04, 1926 to August 07, 2004 Clemens J. Hoffmann was the son of Julius Hoffmann (born April 1885 in Pierce, NE; father from Purbach, Austria and mother from Hoslau, Bohemia) and Anna (Polt) Hoffmann (born July 1886; her family immigrated from Gebharts, Austria, in 1899, settling around Pierce, NE). Clem grew up on a farm in Pierce, NE. He graduated from Pierce High School in 1944 and attended Creighton University in Omaha. While in high school, he was employed by the Pierce newspaper, the “Leader”. Later, when stationed in Japan, he wrote letters to his former employer at the “Leader” which were published in the newspaper. Clem was the youngest of nine children and the only one to have completed high school. As a child, Clem remembers his family sitting around the radio and listening to Hitler’s speeches during the late 1930s. As a young boy, Clem spoke some German, but he especially remembered much “yelling” from Hitler. (There was the dialect difference of low German versus high German. Clem’s family spoke high German and Hitler spoke low German.) Clem was 19 years old when inducted into the Army on May 08, 1945. He was in Basic Training when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 06 and August 09, 1945 respectively. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945. Clem was in the 262 QM Bakery Company for one year state side, until March 1946, when he was reassigned to the 3064 Q.M. and Graves Registration Company, and sent to Osaka, Honshu, during the Occupation of Japan. His brother, Greg Hoffmann, was a liaison officer in Japan and they were able to see each other while stationed in Japan. Greg was an engineer, remaining in the army following the war, and later worked on the design and construction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado Springs, CO. His time in Basic Training was not pleasant initially according to some of his letters, but it was obvious through his letters how he grew to appreciate the men that he trained with, their expertise, and the mission that they all came together for in protecting their country. Included are two letters, written by Clem while stationed in Japan, that were published in the “Leader” newspaper. These are included because his time in the Occupation of Japan couldn’t be better explained than in his own words. (Attached documents) Clem Hoffmann was discharged as a Sergeant “Buck Sergeant” (E5) on January 06, 1947. Medals he received while on active duty: Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal Army of Occupation Medal World War II Victory Medal When he returned home from the war, Clem told his father, Julius Hoffmann, that he was ready to work the family farm. He grew up knowing that in Austrian/German culture, it’s traditional for the youngest son to take over the family farm. When Clem found out that his father would have to buy his eldest son, Julius “Jute” Hoffmann, a farm, he decided he did not want to burden his father with buying another farm. Clem wanted Jute to have the farm, as Jute had worked the family farm for several years. He would earn a living another way. Clem married Mary J. O’Connell (who became a nurse through the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps) on November 08, 1950 in Atkinson, NE. They established their home in Norfolk, NE, having previously lived a short time in Kearney and Grand Island, NE. They then moved to Falls City in 1965 where he purchased the Herb Bailey Insurance Agency. Clem changed the name to the Hoffmann Insurance Agency and Office Machine Repair Shop, owning the business from 1965 to 1997, when he retired and sold the agency. During this time, he maintained the typewriters for Sacred Heart School. Their six children attended Sacred Heart Grade School and High School. Daniel Hoffmann, born 1951; deceased 2008 Patrick Hoffmann, born 1952 Stephen Hoffmann, born 1954 Annette (Hoffmann) Bramhall, born 1956 Maureen (Hoffmann) Comfort, born 1957 Ronald Hoffmann, born 1965 Three of their children served in the military: Patrick Hoffmann, US Army Maureen Comfort, US Army Ronald Hoffmann, US Navy Additional Information about my father: Through the years I was told that my father, while a WWII Soldier, had articles printed in the “Leader” newspaper; however, I was never able to produce the information. In December 2023, a cousin sent our family several letters that my father’s sister-in-law had saved, that Dad had written to their family and to the newspaper. As difficult as it was to comprehend what he been through as a young man in WWII, his letters helped us to understand after all these years. He never wanted to hunt again after he returned home and he never spoke about what he saw in Japan. But he respected guns and made sure his sons knew how to properly handle and respect guns. Written October 28, 2024, by: COL Maureen M. (Hoffmann) Comfort, USA, Retired
Eisenhower Foundation
