Private First Class Tench Brower Aldrich

Early Life

Tench Brower Aldrich was born to Ralph and Sarah Brower in Boy River, Minnesota, on September 19, 1924. He had four younger siblings: Stuart, Clifford, Charles, and Mary. He was affectionately nicknamed “Tenny” by his family.

At approximately 11 years old, Tench and his family moved to Ione, Oregon. Ione, a small rural farming community in eastern Oregon, specialized in grain, wool, sheep, and cattle production. The Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, operating from Arlington to Ione to Heppner, was a primary form of transportation for goods shipped to market, including lumber.

Tench worked as a farmhand for local farmer Foster Odem in Morgan, Oregon. This farm work likely included the production and harvesting of wheat. His father, Ralph, also worked for local wheat farmer Earle Heliker, about six miles west of Ione.

Three of the four sons and their father, Ralph, served in the military. Tench was drafted at the age of 18 on February 17, 1943. Stuart enlisted in December 1946, and Charles enlisted in December 1950.

Home Front

During the war, community members supported the effort in several ways, including rationing, increasing agricultural production, donating blood, and storing and transporting munitions. Morrow County, Oregon, was also home to the Arlington Military Bombing Range, a 27,000-acre restricted airspace used for military training and testing. Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Pendleton Army Air Base in August 1941 in anticipation of the potential need for increased air support.

Everyone Can Help “Our Boys”

These contributions exhibited the strength of small towns in Morrow County. The vast land in the area was well utilized for farming and military operations. On the home front, rationing was important for food, electricity, and petroleum products. Community members of Ione and the nearby towns of Lexington and Heppner were encouraged to help in any way possible. This also meant taking on jobs that servicemen left behind, working longer hours, and using wages to buy war bonds when possible.

Military Experience

Private First Class Tench Brower Aldrich served in the U.S. Army’s 188^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 11^th Airborne Division, during World War II. As part of the 11^th Airborne Division, Tench trained at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. This division was activated in 1943 and participated in the campaigns in New Guinea, the Southern Philippines, Leyte, and Luzon during World War II. After the war, the 11^th Airborne Division served on occupation duty in Japan until May 1949, when it returned to the United States.

Battle of Luzon

Private First Class Aldrich and his regiment were part of the campaign to retake the Philippines from Japanese control. His unit played a key role in the January 31, 1945, landing at Nasugbu, Luzon. The 11^th Airborne Division spearheaded the 6^th Army’s assault, securing a beachhead and pushing inland to establish control over key strategic locations.

Following the landing, the 188^th Parachute Infantry Regiment was tasked with capturing high ground along Tagaytay Ridge, a crucial position overlooking Manila. The regiment encountered fierce enemy resistance, fighting through dense jungle and mountainous terrain. Their mission was to secure routes for advancing Allied forces, eliminate Japanese strongholds, and pave the way for the liberation of Manila. The regiment engaged in airborne drops and assaults, utilizing surprise and rapid maneuvering to destabilize Japanese defenses.

The battle for Manila was brutal. On February 6, 1945, they launched an assault on the southern part of Manila. On February 7, 1945, the 188th Parachute Infantry Regiment attacked the area around Nichols Field, while the 11th Airborne Division fought house to house and in the streets. The 188th Parachute Infantry Regiment was involved in heavy fighting near Nichols Field, a strategically important airstrip south of the city. Japanese forces were well-entrenched, and intense machine-gun fire pinned down Aldrich’s unit. By February 11, 1945, the Japanese firepower at Nichols Field remained unchanged. The 188th Parachute Infantry Regiment launched a full-scale attack. The regiment engaged in hand-to-hand combat, utilizing bayonets and knives. Over several days, the regiment launched repeated assaults to break enemy resistance. Fighting was often close-quarters, involving bayonets, grenades, and small arms fire.

Commemoration

On February 10, 1945, during an assault on Nichols Field, Private First Class Tench Aldrich was mortally wounded by shrapnel. His injuries were severe, and he succumbed to his wounds despite receiving medical treatment. His sacrifice was part of a larger effort that ultimately led to the liberation of Manila and the broader success of the Luzon campaign, significantly weakening Japanese control over the Philippines.

Aldrich was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for his service and sacrifice. His legacy is honored in his hometown of Ione, Oregon, where a memorial field, dedicated in 1948, bears his name, along with those of other local World War II soldiers. His bravery and dedication remain a testament to the courage of the 11^th Airborne Division and the soldiers who fought to reclaim the Pacific.

Tench Aldrich is buried in the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

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