Paul M. Scherrer
1st Marine DIV
WWII 1945-1946
Paul Melvin Scherrer was born November 15, 1917 at the Scherrer family homestead west of Riverside, Iowa and graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Riverside, Iowa in 1935. He married Dorothy Prehoda in 1936 (she passed in 1954.) He married Ida Dorothy Skubal in 1955. He was the father of five children and grandfather to 44 grand/great grand/great-great-grandchildren. After high school, he operated a Standard Oil service station on the corner of Bloomington and Gilbert Streets in Iowa City before working for the University of Iowa from 1938 and again following his military service, until retiring in 1979.
Marine PVC Scherrer was part of C Company Engineers, 1st Marine Division during WWII. He served in north China from PEI-TAI-Ho Beach to CHAO-KO-CHANG and a dozen locations in between, applying his mechanical knowledge to build Marine base infrastructures. He trained at Paris Island, South Carolina and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina shipping out to the Pacific theater on the SS Young America in 1945. He returned at the end of hostilities on the Battleship Buckner in 1946.
After retiring from the University, he enjoyed hunting, stamp collecting, card playing, and spending time with family. He was well known for his skill in woodworking and his ability to fix just about anything. Paul weathered many changes in his long life of service to his family, neighbors, and country before passing away 40 days after his 100th birthday.
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