Legion Honors Local Veteran

Compiled By: American Legion Post #228

The “Veteran of the Month” for June 2010 is Karl Lewis Mueller. Born Paul Henry Taylor on Jan. 30th, 1927 in Miami, Florida, he with his mother moved in May of 1927 to Petoskey, Mich. to be closer to her family. His mother met and married Emil Max Mueller and on April 11th, 1942 Mueller signed his own adoption papers legally changing his name to Karl Lewis Mueller. In 1943 he was employed by Gidley & Brudy Drug Store of Petoskey working as a sales clerk, waiting on customers, wrapping packages and stocking shelves.

In June of 1945 he graduated from Petoskey High School as a qualified apprentice machinist. On June 12th, 1945 Mueller was inducted into the Army at Fort Sheridan, Ill. and assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama for basic training where he was wounded in a training accident when hit by shrapnel from a bazooka blast.

In July of 1945 Mueller qualified with the M1 Garande Rifle and was awarded the Sharpshooter Badge. On Nov. 18th, 1945 he departed the USA arriving in the European Theater of Operations on Nov. 26th, 1945 and was assigned to the 25th Base Post Office working as a Postal Clerk where he received, distributed and inspected letters, managed the Post Exchange taking inventory and ordering supplies, managed the snack bar and kept accurate records of transactions.

On Oct. 17th, 1946 Mueller departed the European Theater of Operations arriving in the USA on Oct. 27th, 1946 and on Nov. 16th, 1946, at The Separation Center, Fort Dix, New Jersey, he received an Honorable Discharge having attained the rank of Private and was awarded the following decorations and citations: The Army of Occupation Medal (Europe) and The World War II Victory Medal.

Returning to Petoskey and Gidley & Brudy Drug Store, Mueller later moved to Grand Rapids, Mich. where he worked in a factory on production. On Jan. 15th, 1949 Mueller married Lylamae Weinrich in Petoskey and in 1950 moved to Muskegon, Mich. working on production for Continental Motors Incorporated until 1954 when he moved back to Petoskey, and later to Boyne City, Mich., going to work at Courters Products in Boyne City in the tool and die department and later in quality control.

In 1956 he went to work as an engineer designing plastic injection molds for Lexalite International Corporation in Charlevoix, Mich. where he worked until retirement in the spring of 1991 and in October of 1998, to be closer to their children, he and his wife moved to Crooked Lake, Texas Township, Barry County northeast of Kalamazoo, Mich. Mueller enjoyed bowling, hunting, golf, reading, skiing, classical and big band music, singing in a barbershop quartet and woodworking. On Nov. 22, 2008 Karl Lewis Mueller answered the final call and is being honored by his wife Lyla, children and families.

To honor a veteran, call the program chairman at (231) 536-2447 or on Saturdays call (231) 582-7811 between 3-8 p.m. The ceremony may be witnessed on the first Thursday of each month in front of The American Legion Post located on the corner of Lake and Main in Boyne City, Mich. at 6:15 p.m.