Hargis Westerfield

Born 1909-11-01

Died 1998-03-19
Kearney, NE (USA)

Buried
Kearney, NE (USA)
St Luke's Columbarium, St. Luke's Church

Long-time professor of English at the University of Nebraska--Kearney. Westerfield was a decorated WW II veteran (Purple Heart and Bronze Star) who served as the Division historian for the U.S. Army 41st Infantry Division from 1949 until his death in 1998. He wrote several unit histories, and a history of the 41st Division and collected and edited memorabilia of the war in the Pacific theater and of the 41st Infantry, which was deactivated in 1945. His war poems were published in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Saturday Review magazine. He also wrote poems with a railway theme. There is a "Hargis Westerfield Research Collection : 41st Infantry Division, 1941-1994" at the Montana State Historical Society Archives, with an online guide at the Archives West web site.

He was married to Nebraska Poet Nancy Westerfield.

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Places Lived

Kentucky
Cincinnati, OH
Indiana
Kearney, NE

Author Of

Nonfiction

Keywords

Military History; American History--World War II era

Education

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

Occupation

Professor

Associations

Married to Nebraska poet Nancy Westerfield

Bibliography

Soldier Words. 1945.
Words into Steel. Poems. 1949.
186nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Division. 1970.
162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Division. 1970.
The Jungleers: A History of the 41st Infantry Division. 1980.

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