Don Hollenbeck 1905-1954 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From Who's Who: Hollenbeck, Don, radio analyst, writer, journalist; b. Lincoln, Neb., March 30, 1905; s. Clyde and Clara (Davey) H.; student Univ. of Neb.; m. Angelique Dean, Aug. 8, 1941; children - Zoe, Jessie. Home:148 E. 48th St., N.Y.C. 22. Died June 22, 1954. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From Nebraska History, 1944: Don Hollenbeck in Italy Broadcasting Battles in Italy Don Hollenbeck is a Lincoln boy who began reporting news while in the University of Nebraska. His first assignment was to the Nebraska State Journal in 1926; his last to the foreign staff of NBC in London in March 1943. Thence he was sent to Algiers just in time to take a place with the British troops making the landings at Salerno. He went in with the second wave - the assault wave which took the full force of German shells, and later made a number of battle-action recordings which were broadcast to the United States. During the conquest of southern Italy Hollenbeck moved northward with the troops and was one of the first correspondents to begin broadcasting from Naples when the Army Signal Corps set up transmitters for the correspondents. But at Salerno he was stricken with malaria, then with jaundice. and ordered hack home. In Omaha early in February this year, he appeared on the Forum program of WOW; from this, through the courtesy of Ray Clark, the following extracts are taken. "The first big event for me in covering the news over there was at Salerno, just south of the town. I'll never forget it! We were on a headquarters ship and had put the commanding officer ashore, then for awhile feared we couldn't get the rest of the people off. We were under heavy fire, so had to back off and spend that morning shuttling back and forth in the bay with German aircraft overhead and German '88' guns on shore, and behind us our own destroyers and cruisers bombarding the shore positions, so it was not a very pleasant cruise we had around the gulf of Salerno. . . . I had a wire recorder with me and was on top of the landing craft trying to make some records at the time." Asked what kind of protection there is after these forces have landed, Mr. Hollenbeck replied: "You hope there is air cover. We had difficulty that way because our forces were based in Sicily. They had to fly all the way, and it didn't give them very much gas to spend over our heads. We looked for those planes most of the time." "How long were you on the beachhead in that precarious situation?" asked Mr. Clark. "Two days, then we moved north. By that time it was pretty well secured. The Americans caught the brunt of it, of course. I didn't see that fight, but it was due to the gallant efforts of the Americans that they stopped that German advance. The battle was a touch-and-go and we were extremely lucky to win it. You have to give full credit to the American divisions to the south. We didn't get into the real trouble where I was - but it was close enough for me." "You were in uniform, were you, without any guns?" "No guns! You can't shoot back. If a correspondent is armed when captured he is shot at once. Otherwise he gets the consideration of a captain as a prisoner of war. "You got some reports out from some of the other activities - the Ranger activity?" "That's right. I made a recording of the battle up there." "What about your general impressions of the war? You have been studying news for quite awhile - how does it look to you, on the whole?" "It looks like a long war yet to me, Ray. I can't he optimistic, as a lot of people are. Even on the European side. The Germans are a tough and bitter enemy. They have lots of resources yet, and I think they will hold on just as long as they can." There was an arresting item in Stars and Stripes last September 20th: "Don Hollenbeck of NBC sent back from Italy one of the most dramatic recordings we've ever heard. Against a backdrop of gunfire Don gave a vivid description of the bitter battle raging about him as he stood on the shore with microphone in hand and a portable recorder on his back. Interviews with the boys engaged in the fight were outstanding." A wire recorder was used for this broadcast from the beach at Salerno. On the hair-fine thread of steel wound on that small spool every sound of battle was inscribed, then relayed to Algiers and short-waved to the United States on September 17th. In such fashion history is chronicled today with complete fidelity even while in the making, and that in itself is history. There's history, too, in the transmitter Don Hollenbeck later used at Naples. It was Seth Parker's old transmitter, made memorable by his broadcasts from a yacht in the South Seas. Indeed, it went around the world with him, and it gave to the world the story of the sun's eclipse from the South Pacific. Engineers of the Signal Corps patched it up with bits of Italian equipment discarded in the Axis stations at Syracuse and Bari, and it found fitting resurrection and a voice that went around the world again over NBC, CBS and the Blue networks on Sunday the 14th day of November from a room in Naples so small that Red Mueller had to sit on the knee of Hollenbeck, who divided NBC time with him. The BBC was also represented in that little room - the first station opened by the Allies in liberated Europe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Lincoln Star Lincoln, Nebraska Wednesday, June 23, 1954 News Commentator Hollenbeck Ends Life Ex-Lincolnite Had Been In Ill Health NEW YORK (AP) - Don Hollenbeck, 49, CBS-TV news commentator, committed suicide by gas Tuesday in his Manhattan; apartment, He had been in ill health. Hollenbeck, a University of Nebraska graduate, worked for newspapers, the Office of War Information (OWI), NBC and ABC before joining CBS in 1946. Clad in shorts and bathrobe, he was found lying on the kitchen floor. All burners on the gas stove were open. Dr. Emanuel A. Neuran, assistant medical examiner, pronounced death suicidal. John Gude, the newscaster's agent, said Hollenbeck had been suffering from bleeding ulcers. He said Hollenbeck was too ill to present his usual 10 p. m. (EST) nationwide newscast Monday and barely had been able to finish his newscast the night before. A friend of Hollenbeck's, Milton Stern, an assistant dean of New York University, spent some time with him Monday night and prevailed on him to forego that night's newscast because of his health. Robert Trout took Hollenbeck's place. A tenant reported he had seen Hollenbeck come to the door of his apartment about 6 a. m. Tuesday to get his morning newspapers. Hollenbeck's body was discovered at about 11 a. m. after another tenant in the Middletown hotel on E. 48th. St. smelled gas and notified the hotel management. Hotel employees traced the gas to Hollenbeck's apartment and entered with a pass-key. Hollenbeck lived alone. His wife, the former Angelique Dean, maintains a separate residence in the Central Park area with the couple's daughter, Zoe, 9. Gude said Hollenbeck and his wife saw each other daily but had separate apartments because he wanted to be near the CBS studios and she wanted to be near the park and a place of business she conducts in that area. They were married in 1941. Native Of Lincoln Hollenbeck was born in Lincoln, Neb., March 30, 1905. On his graduation from the university, he joined the staff of The Nebraska State Journal, then moved to the Omaha, Neb., Bee News. In 1937 he joined the Associated Press newsphoto staff in New York. He was transferred by the AP in 1939 to San Francisco as newsphoto-editor. He went to Europe for the OWI during World War II and broadcast from London, North Africa and Italy. One of his broadcasts was a battle action report on the American landing at Salerno. Hollenbeck was sent back to the United States in 1944 to recuperate from malaria ad jaundice. He returned to Europe the next year and broadcast from Germany, France and England. Polk Award Winner He won the Polk Memorial Award in 1950 from Long Island University for his radio program, "CBS Views the Press". CBS issued a statement of regret at "the untimely death of a veteran reporter and correspondent." It said that in his eight years with CBS and his more than 25 years as a reporter he " earned the universal respect of his colleagues as a competent newsman." Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Besides his widow and daughter Zoe Hollenbeck is also survived by a daughter, Jettie, now Mrs. Gerald A. Kelly of Clifton, N. J. of his earlier marriage to the late Jessie Seacrest McIntosh, of Lincoln. He is also survived by his father, Clyde Hollenbeck, of Omaha. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Lincoln Star Lincoln, Nebraska June 24, 1954 Hollenbeck Rites In N.Y. Friday NEW YORK (AP) - Funeral services for Don Hollenbeck, CBS television news commentator who committed suicide by gas in his apartment, will be held Friday noon in the chapel of the Campbell Funeral Home. Dr. John Bell, of the Church of the Incarnation, will conduct the services. Burial will be private. John Gude, the 49-year broadcaster's agent, said Hollenbeck had been suffering severely from stomach ulcers and had been in a hospital twice in the past four months. Hollenbeck a former Lincoln and Omaha newspaperman and Associated Press picture editor leaves his widow and two daughters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Omaha World Herald February 21, 1966 Hollenbeck - Clyde E.; age 85 years; 211 S. 37th St. Mr. Hollenbeck is survived by his brother, Guy Hollenbeck. Lake Oswego, Ore.; several nieces and nephews. Services Tuesday, 2 p. m., from The Burket Chapel. Interment, 4 p. m. , Wyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, Neb. THE BURKET CHAPEL 3405 Farnam St. 345-0090 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Lincoln Star Lincoln, Nebraska August 1, 1927 Mrs. Clara Hollenbeck wife of Clyde E. Hollenbeck, died at her home, 1638 M street, early Monday morning. She is survived by her husband, one son, Don, three sisters Mrs. Anna Teal and Mrs. Lena Reynolds, both of Lincoln and Mrs. Mabel Dietch of Malcolm; and two brothers, Frank Davey and Jim Davey, both of Lincoln. The body is being held at Castle, Roper, and Matthews pending funeral arrangements. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Lincoln Star Lincoln, Nebraska June 26, 1953 Mrs. Hollenbeck Dies; Stepmother Of CBS Newsman Mrs. Grace F. Hollenbeck, step-mother of CBS radio and television newsman Don Hollenbeck, died at an Omaha hospital Wednesday night after a long illness. Funeral services will be held at Omaha Saturday afternoon, according to the Associated Press. Surviving is Mrs. Hollenbeck's husband, Clyde E., who lived in Lancaster County all his life until about 20 years ago when he in moved to Omaha. He had lived in Lincoln since about l900. Hollenbeck is the brother-in-law of Mrs. J. L. Teal of 1734 Sewell. Also surviving is a sister, Mrs. Ruth Woodrow, of Kansas City, Mo. Mrs. Hollenbeck was assistant director of planning for Companion Companies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Historical Records of Lancaster, County Nebraska MALCOLM SERVED BY LINCOLN PASTORS The pastors who came from Lincoln and were entertained in the several homes of the Ladles' Aid, secured room and board at the Malcolm hotel, which was operated by the H. D. Woodard family, were: Rev. George W. Martin came in 1902, with years of experience as pastor and also a chaplain of the state institutions. He will he remembered as the first of this group. Miss Clara G. Davey was united in marriage with Mr. Clyde Hollenbeck Wednesday evening, June 8, 1904, at 8 p.m., at the church, Rev. Martin officiating. This was the third wedding held at the church. F. C. McVay came in 1904, W. C. Brooks in 1905, M. G. Young in 1907, C. C. Smith in 1908, W. G. Gardner in 1909, L. W. Stringfellow in 1910, and C. B. Lanfest in 1911. Rev. George M. Gates came from his home in University Place to serve Malcolm church in 19l2. An active interest was created in all church activities. Mrs. Gates was very active in home missions, and several times gave inspiring talks. On several occasions the Malcolm congregation was pleasantly entertained at the Gates home. E. W. Price served from 1915 to 1917. Rev. Price was married during his pastorate. Mrs. Price organized and directed a choir for the young people, which added to the interest and inspiration of the service. Sunday school superintendents who served through this period were L. E. Cozad and Mrs. Frank Davey. Sunday school teachers were J. D. Dasenbrock, J. M. Davey, Mrs. Belden, Mrs. William Behring, Effie Belden, Nora Davey and Gertrude Otto. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Return to Hollenbeck Genealogy