Herman B. Albers: Veteran of the Month | January 2025
Herman B. Albers was born in 1915 and grew up on a farm in the small town of Lively Grove, Illinois. Life on the farm involved hard work; he and his siblings—one brother and three sisters—spent their childhood tending to their chores on the farm and learning responsibility from a young age.
During the Great Depression, he left the farm in search of work in St. Louis, Missouri, where he began working at a dairy processing plant. There, he met a spirited young redhead named Marie. The couple soon married in 1937, when she was just 15 years old and he was 22, two years before the start of World War II.

Herman and Marie, center, on their wedding day in 1937.
The young couple quickly began their family, and Albers was able to continue working to support them through the end of the Great Depression. World War II started two years into their marriage, and by October 1940, all men between the ages of 21 and 35 were required to register with their local draft boards. Initially, the draft did not include married men with children, but that policy would soon change.
In 1945, Herman and Marie were raising four children and anticipating the arrival of a fifth when he received a draft letter from the United States Army. He was promptly sent to Fort Hood, Texas, to complete his basic training. It was tough for him to leave his young wife and kids behind, and he even missed the birth of his fifth child, who was due in June. Albers would later describe Fort Hood to his children, stating, “It was hot and dirty, the worst place in the world for me to be at the time.”

The Albers family, 1965.
After completing boot camp, Albers underwent training as a rifleman in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan, known as Operation Downfall. According to military records, this operation was scheduled to take place in two phases: in the fall of 1945 and early 1946. Fortunately, Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945, spared him and many other U.S. soldiers from this challenging campaign. With the end of the war, the U.S. Army prioritized the release of married soldiers, particularly those with families. Because Albers was married and had a growing family, he was quickly demobilized and sent home to reunite with his loved ones.
Once he returned from the Army, Albers went back to work at the dairy processing plant before pursuing further education in refrigeration. This led him to establish a successful business in Saint Louis. Albers and his wife raised a large family of 12 children—five girls and seven boys. Their legacy continues with 32 grandchildren and countless great-grandchildren.
Herman B. Albers was a devoted family man who had four of his seven sons join the military, with one serving a tour in Vietnam, three serving in the Army, and one serving in the Marine Corps. His wife, Marie, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 1974 at the age of 52 after a long battle with the illness. Despite this loss, Herman remained a strong support for his children and grandchildren. He passed away in June 1993 due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Veterans Care Coordination is proud to recognize Herman Albers for his service to our country. We are privileged to have the opportunity to share the stories of our nation’s heroes. Thank you for your service, Herman.