Roman Steltenpohl to be recognized at Dubois County Memorial Day ceremony
The Dubois County Veterans Council is Honoring Pvt Roman E. Steltenpohl as the 2026 Memorial Day Deceased Veteran Recognition.
Private Roman Steltenpohl was born in Ferdinand on April 14, 1925, to Henry and Catherine Steltenpohl. He graduated from Huntingburg High School in 1943, and after high school, like most young men, including his two older brothers Bernard and Herman, he entered the US Army on November 10, 1943.
Roman attended Infantry training at Camp Wheeler, Ga., then to Fort Meade, Md. He was sent to England as an Infantryman replacement in May 1944 and assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
Private Steltenpohl and his unit landed in the first wave on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The unit was specifically targeting the Fox Green sector of Omaha Beach at approximately 6:30 a.m., facing intense German resistance and heavy casualties in the first wave of the massive invasion force.
After a slow and steady advance from D-Day on, the unit moved approximately 50 miles south of Cherbourg, France, through the thick hedgerows. On July 25, Allied bombers bombed and blasted a hole through the hedgerows and German resistance, allowing General Patton and the Third Army to advance forward and through the lines. Private Steltenpohl’s unit was in the vicinity of St Lo, France, and three days into the massive battle on July 28th, 1944, at just 19 years of age, Private Steltenpohl was counted as one of the American Soldiers killed in action fighting to clear out the remaining German resistance.
His parents were notified of his death on Aug 15, 1944, by telegram by the War Department, and received his Purple Heart Medal in Nov 1944. He was interned in the U.S. Military Cemetery at St. Laurent, France. The family desired that his body be returned after the war, and four years later, on February 10, 1948, the remains of Pvt Steltenpohl arrived on the Ferdy Flyer railroad train. Members of the Ferdinand American Legion Honor Guard received Private Steltenpohl’s remains and escorted the coffin to the Becher Funeral Home.
Assisting the Ferdinand American Legion were the Huntingburg and Jasper American Legions, the Dubois County VFW Post 673, and the Dubois County Chapter of the Purple Heart in paying their respects. On Feb 12, 1948, a solemn mass was held in the St. Ferdinand church, with a burial in the St Ferdinand Cemetery’s Soldiers Row, along with other service members killed during World War II and World War I. In Nov 1948, his parents received a Bronze Star Medal awarded to Private Steltenpohl for his eternal service to his country.
Please join the Dubois County Veterans Council and all 13 veteran organizations and citizens of the local area in honoring and remembering Private Roman E. Steltenpohl, and all of our deceased veterans on Saturday, May 23, 2026, on the Courthouse Square in downtown Jasper from 10 to 11 a.m. for a patriotic and solemn ceremony.
Family members of our honored deceased veteran will be in attendance. There will be patriotic music and solemn ceremonies conducted by numerous organizations. Our guest speaker will be Senator Mark Messmer, who will speak on America’s 250th anniversary and its impact on veterans.
A small meal and celebration will be held at the Dubois County VFW Post 673 Clubhouse from 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. after the ceremony.
On Monday, the local veterans organizations will host observances at local cemeteries. Here is a schedule for those services.
