War Correspondent Documented the Lives of Hoosier Soldiers

Leo and Emma Litz moved into their brand new home at 914 North Arlington Avenue in 1938. The veteran Indianapolis News reporter had spent much of his time covering Marion County politics. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the 51-year-old journalist temporarily left his wife and his home to cover the war in the Pacific.  His column in the Indianapolis News called "Report From the Pacific" documented the stories of Hoosiers who were fighting the Japanese. Mr. Litz likely had an affinity for veterans as he had fought in World War One and had witnessed the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors in 1919.

Much in the same light as fellow correspondent and Hoosier, Ernie Pyle, Mr. Litz sought to tell the everyday kinds of stories facing the troops.  He went out of his way to get as much information about the soldiers as he could including their addresses and family members.  He told of the mundane, the humorous, and the horrible.  After the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, Mr. Litz interviewed the airmen who discovered the wreckage site and their daring efforts to save as many men from the ocean as possible. After the defeat of the Japanese, he went into Tokyo with American troops.  There he saw how desperate the Japanese had become towards the end of the war with so little food available. He traveled down to Hiroshima to see the devastation of the atomic bomb and his vivid reporting helped his readers understand the power of that weapon.  Later he found himself in the hospital in Tokyo near the cot of General Tojo, who had tried to kill himself.  While in the hospital, a fellow Irvingtonian, Captain Joseph T. Farrell, 34, of 934 North Lesley Avenue attended to both Tojo and Mr. Litz.  The two neighbors must have had a joyful reunion and could easily walk over for coffee upon their return to the States.

After the war, Leo Litz returned to Irvington and wrote a book about his experiences in the Pacific called Report From the Pacific (1946).  He enlisted a friend by the name of J. Hugh O'Donnell to illustrated his narrative.  The volume is a treasure of stories about Indiana men and women who served in the Pacific during World War II.  The chronicle should be indexed at some point so that descendants may learn more about the work and bravery of their grandfathers and mothers.  A product of his time, Mr. Litz frequently referred to the Japanese in a derogatory manner, but towards the end of the book his tone is much more sympathetic after he sees their hardships and horrors.

Below you will see a photo of Mr. Litz in the Pacific.  I have also documented all of the Irvington houses and families he notes in the book.  Of course, there are hundreds of others mentioned from towns like Rushville to Bloomington to Huntington to Gary.  Mr. Litz clearly deserves the same honors and accolades as other correspondents who risked their lives during World War II in order to tell Americans the stories of their veterans.

Indianapolis News correspondent, Leo Litz (on the right), chatted with Bill Madigen of Veedersburg, Indiana on the island of Guam.  (Report From the Pacific, 14)

After World War II, Leo Litz came home to 914 North Arlington to pen Report From the Pacific in 1946. 

Leo and Emma Litz built 914 North Arlington Avenue in 1938 and dwelled here until 1948. They later moved to Hamilton County, Indiana to manage a dairy farm.  They retired to San Diego and spent the remainder of their lives there.  

Leo Litz documented Captain Joseph T. Farrell of 934 North Lesley Avenue in his book Report From the Pacific. Captain Farrell provided medical aid to Mr. Litz in Japan.  

Major Louis A. Aull dwelled at 938 North Ritter Avenue as the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Aull.  He fell in love with an Irvington girl, Martha Lou Matthews, of 966 North Graham Avenue, and married her before shipping out to the Pacific. While stationed in the tropics, Mr. Aull received the joyful news that his wife had given birth to their son.  Leo Litz documented this touching story in his book Report From the Pacific.  

At a stop in Honolulu, Leo Litz interviewed Specialist Ned Tilman who grew up at 970 North Campbell Avenue. Mr. Tilman had been a swimming star in his youth and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Blaine Tilman.  He held down a variety of jobs in the navy including his stint as a swimming instructor.

Towards the end of World War II, Leo Litz documented the departure of Hoosier veterans. Soldiers returning from Guam, Okinawa, Saipan, and other islands had to be processed at Pearl Harbor before going home.  This procedure could take several days.  While in the processing station, Mr. Litz interviewed Louis Townsend, 27, of 5617 Lowell Avenue. Mr. Townsend was anxious to get home to see his wife and children. He had not seen them in over two years.  

 Source:  Leo M. Litz, Report From the Pacific, Indianapolis, 1946.  All of the contemporary photos were taken on March 7, 2015.

The Lockwood Family of Burgess Avenue

James A. and Martha Johnson Lockwood moved from Hamilton County to Irvington in 1924.  At 48 years-old each, both of them were making a major change in their lives. They purchased a bungalow atop a hill at 5326 Burgess Avenue. (then numbered 5316) The couple had five children although two of them were already grown and moving into careers when their parents relocated to the city. In the 1920s, several of the family members worked for the L.S. Ayres Department Store.  Mr. Lockwood stocked the shelves while his son Albert served as a receiving clerk for the company. Albert's wife, Jeanette, was employed as an Ayres inspector.  Lester, the oldest son of James and Martha Lockwood worked as a carpenter before moving to Anderson, Indiana.

By the early 1930s, Mr. Lockwood left L.S. Ayres & Company and worked as a poultry and egg salesman.  The family's backyard abutted the Butler University football field so they could easily get a view of the excitement of various sporting events by just walking out the backdoor.  The 1930 Federal Census reveals that the house was worth $3,000. The Lockwoods dwelled in the home throughout the 1930s and 1940s.  Sadly, Mrs. Lockwood passed away in 1943 leaving Mr. Lockwood a widower for many years. He eventually sold the Irvington house and moved back to Cicero, Indiana by 1950 where he ran a hardware store.

The Lockwood Family in 1919:  Top--William, Lester, Leroy; Bottom--Martha, Juanita, James, and Albert

Martha Johnson Lockwood of 5326 Burgess Avenue c1938

The Lockwood family posed on the steps of their home at 5326 Burgess Avenue around 1925. At the far right of the photo stood the matriarch of the family, Martha Johnson Lockwood.  Next to her stood her son, Lester and her daughter-in-law, Lillian Johnson Lockwood.  Her grandchild, Robert, stood next to his father, while her daughter Juanita was at the far left.

Grandchildren come for a visit:  Robert and Joseph Lockwood posed with the family dog at 5326 Burgess Avenue in 1927.  Sadly, little Joseph would be killed by a car at age nine in in 1934.  

Seen better days:  5326 Burgess Avenue was not occupied for many years. Recent work on the home shows that someone may be making improvements. Over the years some rather unsympathetic changes have slightly affected the look of the house. The beautiful blond brick porch has been painted and the home is sided in both aluminum and vinyl although the clapboard siding is still visible in places.  

The historic images are courtesy of the descendants of the James and Martha Johnson Lockwood family via Ancestry.com  

Winter Scene 1944 and Today

Norman and Lora Koepper took turns posing with two of their children, Paul and Susan, on a winter's day in 1944.  The Koeppers dwelled in a Craftsman bungalow at 5263 East Tenth Street. Behind the happy family, you can see 5256 and 5260 East Tenth Street. 71 years later, I returned to the scene after a recent snowstorm on February 21, 2015, to snap the same houses.  In 1944, Louis and Winifred Schade dwelled in the Tudor-Revival house at 5250 East Tenth Street. The Schades ran a local motel. Norine Sparks dwelled in the cottage at 5260 East Tenth Street.  Sadly, she lived alone in the house as her husband, Robert, had passed away at a very young age in 1942.  To learn more about the lives of the Koepper family, click on the label below.

Norman Koepper posed with his children, Paul and Susan Koepper, in the winter of 1944.

Lora Koepper beamed as she posed with her children, Paul and Susan Koepper. Behind the family, you can see 5256 and 5260 East Tenth Street in the winter of 1944.  

5256 and 5260 East Tenth Street on February 21, 2015

The historic images are courtesy of Steve Koepper.  

Winter in Irvington--1941-42

Irvington residents had a lot on their minds in the winter of 1941-42. The Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor and President Roosevelt had asked Congress for a declaration of war against both the Japanese and the Germans.  A beautiful snow might have come as a welcome respite from all of the gloomy news.  At the Koepper home at 5263 East Tenth Street, little Susan Koepper helped to build snowmen in the front yard perhaps at different times that winter.

Three Snow Creatures!  Susan Koepper posed in between two snowmen in the winter of 1941-42. Behind her you can see the front porch of her house at 5263 East Tenth Street and that of the Latta Family at 5261 East Tenth Street.  

Susan Koepper was the daughter of Norman and Lora Koepper.  She posed next to a snowman during the winter of 1941 in front of her home at 5263 East Tenth Street.  

Fat Snowman! Susan Koepper, who dwelled at 5263 East Tenth Street, stood next to her snowman during the winter of 1941.  Behind her, you can see the homes of the Schade family at 5256 East Tenth Street and the Sparks family at 5260 East Tenth Street.

The historic photos are courtesy of Steve Koepper.  

The Lindeman Cottage on Michigan Street

Dr. Robert and Mary Margaret Blottman Lindeman moved into their brand new brick cottage at 5234 East Michigan Street in 1938.  The young couple situated the front door to face Michigan Street, but placed a side porch and entrance along Ellenberger Parkway West Drive.  Giant picture windows on the eastern facade of the dwelling allowed them to see Ellenberger Park.  They built a matching and tasteful brick detached garage in the backyard.  The couple had three children and remained in the house for the next several decades.  Dr. Lindeman served as dentist on the east side for over 46 years with offices along East Tenth Street.

Mary Ann Lindeman posed next to Santa in December of 1939. If you look closely you can see that the mail slot had recently been placed into the front door as you can see the ghosts of the numbers 5234 around the slot.  The Lindemans dwelled at 5234 East Michigan Street for many decades. You can also see the side of 5232 East Michigan Street.

The Lindeman cottage at 5234 East Michigan Street in 2015.  The front door has no porch, but serves as the official entrance to the home.  Clearly, the lovely side porch serves as the real entrance to the home.

5234 East Michigan Street in 2015.  Note the matching brick garage in the rear of the backyard.  The Lindemans likely planted the lovely magnolia tree in the front yard.  

The historic image is courtesy of Diana Kelly.  

Butler Students Performed Booth Tarkington Play at School #57 in 1926

In March of 1926, nine members of the Pi Epsilon Delta Theater Fraternity performed "Tweedles," a comedic play written by Booth Tarkington.  Butler University lacked many facilities at its Irvington location, including a theater so local productions had to be staged in IPS #57 at 5435 East Washington Street.  Tarkington, most known for his novels, authored several plays.  "Tweedles" centered around the character of Julian Castlebury who visits a tea room.  Hilarity ensues.  The play was directed by Claude Sifritt and was a student production.  The cast performed two shows in mid-March and provided a perfect date night for Butler coeds.  It is not known if Mr. Tarkington attended the production.

"Tweedles" by Booth Tarkington was performed on March 17 and 18, 1926, by Butler University students at School #57.  Pictured left to right: Harold Magee, Volney Hampton,  Helen Pascoe, Rudolph Baker, Horace Storer, Frances Ogle, Fred Sanders, Mary Dirnberger

The Arlington Theater (1949-1985)

The Arlington Theater opened its doors at 1025 North Arlington Avenue in 1949.  For the next thirty-six years Irvingtonians flocked to the Art Moderne building to see the latest and most popular films in the country. The move theater became the place to go in the area among families because the management frequently showed Disney films.  The construction of the theater coincided with a building boom north and east of Irvington as returning World War II veterans took advantage of the GI Bill of Rights to purchase their dream homes.  By the early 1980s, independent movie houses like the Arlington struggled to compete with large megaplexes in nearby shopping malls.  The theater closed in 1985 and for a brief stint it served as venue for live music.  In the early 1990s, the local ACE Hardware Store (formerly Central Hardware) moved from its location at the southeast corner of East 10th Street and Arlington for the old theater.  Local carpenters converted the once stylish structure into a functioning hardware store by leveling out the floor. Thankfully, the management kept many remnants of the theater including the original fabric that used to cover the cinderblock walls.  All one has to do is to look up at the original ceiling to envision a lively movie theater.

A special thanks to Manager, Don Heslin and ACE employee Charles Luther for their assistance and hospitality.  

The Arlington Theater opened on October 6, 1949.  "You're My Everything" starred Anne Baxter and Dan Dailey.  (photo courtesy of cinematreasures.org)  

The very modern interior of the Arlington Theater at 1025 North Arlington Avenue in 1949.  (photo courtesy of cinematreasures.org) 

The beautiful entry of the Arlington Theater at 1025 North Arlington Avenue as it appeared in 1949. It took fifty loads of dirt to fill in the sloping theater to help level the floor for the ACE Hardware store in 1991. (photo courtesy of cinematreasures.org)   

One of the last films shown at the Arlington was "City Heat" starring Burt Reynolds in 1984. 

The Arlington Theater ceiling looks down upon an ACE Hardware Store in 2015

The original cloth fabric of the Arlington Theater can still be seen hanging on the walls of  the current ACE Hardware Store at 1025 North Arlington Avenue.  The fabric was actually hung on wood which was attached to the cinderblock walls. 

The management of ACE Hardware saved one theater sconces of the Arlington Theater for posterity.  

Part of the original fabric curtain still hangs at the west end of the former Arlington Theater at 1025 North Arlington Avenue.  

The original Art Moderne curved walls from the Arlington Theater at 1025 North Arlington Avenue still stand in 2015.