Private Albert Laverne Hanus was one of nearly 50 Tama County men who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. Albert’s Purple Heart, awarded posthumously, and letters he wrote during the war were donated to the Tama County Historical Society Museum in Toledo on September 15, 2021. Members of Albert’s family made the donation to memorialize his sacrifice and that of his family’s.

Albert’s war-time letters were addressed to his mother and siblings residing in Tama County. Albert was one of 10 children born to Joseph and Frances Hanus. Albert was born on October 3, 1912 on the family farm in Highland Township southwest of Tama. He grew up on the family farm and farmed here until his entry into the U.S. Army in 1942.

Albert served as an infantryman in the European theatre of the war. He was a member of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. Albert landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. At the age of 31, he was killed near Normandy by a sniper on July 9, 1944.

Originally interred in Saint Mere Eglise U.S. Military Cemetery in Carentan, France, Albert’s body was exhumed in 1948 at the request of his mother for reburial at Maple Hill Cemetery, Montour, Iowa.

Albert was survived by eight brothers, one sister, and his mother. Albert’s mother received his Purple Heart Award. When she died in 1957 the award and his letters were passed down to members of the family. Seventy-seven years after Albert’s death his memory lives on by the passing of these items from the family to the Tama County Museum.

Albert’s Purple Heart and the letters he wrote during the war are available for public viewing at the Tama County Historical Museum. The award and the letters he wrote home represent the sacrifice one Tama County family made for the freedom we enjoy today. Albert was one of 407,316 American soldiers killed in action; another 671,278 were wounded while serving in World War II.