Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
January 20, 2002
By Dr. Dipa Sarkar
Vigo County Historical Society
Conrad answered call to serve his country
When considering the current political situation in the United States, it seems proper to review the sacrifice a young man named Lt. Alfred H. Conrad made for his country.
Conrad always wanted to be a doctor but when his country called, he enlisted and became a second lieutenant and combat engineer attached to the 82nd Airborne Division. He had parachuted into combat at Angio, St. Merre Enlise, during the market garden operation in Holland. He was killed Sept. 19, 1944, at age 22.
Going through some letters preserved in the public library and Vigo County Historical Museum, it seems Conrad was a kind, gentle, fun-loving person. While in England, he made many acquaintances. He loved photography and took a lot of pictures. He talked about his kind mother, Avice McKibben McCrael; his twin brother, Lt. Henry W. Conrad; and his sister Mary Elizabeth. He laughingly said that the baby his brother and wife were expecting should be named Buddy, which was Conrad’s pet name.
During his travels in England and Wales he met the Countess of Marlborough and was invited to dinner. He took fancy to all the swords, shields and old paintings. The Duke of Marlborough kindly gave him a sword, which was sent to his mother after his death.
While visiting Westminster Abbey, Conrad was standing beside the grave of the “unknown Warrior” when a flying bomb came down. He was frightened but then thought that was as good a place to die as any.
Conrad went to Holland. He volunteered for a mission to take “a pill box” or machine-gun nest single-handedly. He was supposed to blow it up with hand grenades and got very close. Just as he was rising up to throw it, he was spotted by the enemy and was killed before it could be released. He was found with the grenade still in his hand. His company officers mourned and praised him for his dedication. He was buried in Holland with full military honors.
Lt. Alfred Conrad was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for bravery. This was delivered to his mother. Thus ended a promising young life.
The Military Room in the Vigo County Historical Museum has a heartwarming display of many of Conrad’s personal possessions, including jackets, caps, medals, badges, insignias and letters. One of his letters was to be sent to his mother only if he did not return from his final mission. Among his medals is the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded by Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands.
Viewing this exhibit gives cause for reflection on the bravery of this young man and many who sacrificed their lives for our country.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Web site: http://web.indstate.edu/community/vchs.