William Roche

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William Roche is a Military Veteran.
Served in the US Army 1942-1946
Served in Iceland

Biography

Siebe & Roche family.

William Henry Roche, born on August 12, 1918 in Suisun, California, was the first of three sons^[1] born to Drury Ernest Roach and Anna Siebe. ^[2][3] The sudden death of their father in 1941,^[4] thrust William into the roll of being financially responsible for his mother and two younger brothers. Then WWII brought more challenges for the family, as all three sons, enlisted and were sent to varied destinations to serve.^[5]

William and Pauline (Hoiseth) Roche met as WWII ended. She was a Molly the Riveter gal, at Lewis-McChord Field in WA and the Army had sent William to Tacoma for discharge. Once there, they withheld his discharge, due to his refusal to pay a Red Cross bill for some clothing he was offered, after a ship mishap, dumped him and his comrades into the sea on their way to Iceland. He was 6’6” with a size 13 shoe and the items they provided were for a much smaller person, so he declined and air dried what he arrived in. Apparently the money couldn’t be taken from his pay without consent, so he was stuck in Tacoma for a few months during this standoff and met Pauline at a Lutheran Service Center, that was an off duty recreation facility. He was eventually granted a discharge, without paying the Red Cross bill and they were married.^[6]

They lived in Tacoma Washington for several years, before moving to California, where Bill was from, making their home in Napa CA. He worked for Basalt Rock Co. before taking a job with the Water Dept of Napa County, where he worked until his retirment. He died on January 07, 2001 in Port Townsend, Washington. ^[7] He is buried in the family plot at Rockville Cemetery, Suisun, Californina.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K96W-HSN : accessed 30 August 2015), Alfred Roche in household of Ernest Roche, Suisun, Suisun Judicial Township, Solano, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 48-21, sheet 5B, family 125, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 347.
2. ↑ "California Birth Index, 1905-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGN9-TS9 : accessed 31 August 2015), William H Roche, 12 Aug 1918; citing Solano, California, United States, Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH4R-RYS : accessed 24 August 2020), William Henry Roche in household of Ernest Drury Roche, Suisun, Solano, California, United States; citing ED 203, sheet 8B, line 61, family 166, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 150; FHL microfilm 1,820,150.
4. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPQ9-6JT : accessed 11 August 2015), Ernest Roche, 18 Sep 1941; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento
5. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMX6-7YQ : accessed 31 August 2015), William H Roche, enlisted 09 Nov 1942, Sacramento, California, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 126323, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
6. ↑ Oregon, County Marriages, 1851-1975", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V65J-S7V : accessed 31 August 2015), William Henry Roche and Pauline Isabelle Haiseth, 1946.
7. ↑ "Washington Death Index, 1965-2014," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLWS-6XY9 : 13 July 2017), William H Roche, 07 Jan 2001, Jefferson, Washington, United States; from the Department of Health, Death Index, 1907-1960; 1965-2014, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives (https://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Collections/TitleInfo/472 : n.d.); Citing Washington State Department of Healt
8. ↑ Find a Grave (has image), Find A Grave: Memorial #9743700, Memorial page for William Henry Roche (12 Aug 1918-Aug 2001), citing Rockville Cemetery, Fairfield, Solano County, California, USA (plot: OS Plot 405 Grave 4).