World War II

 

More than ninety Koshares and ex-Koshares served in World War II. During the war, travel was greatly restricted and the Koshares mainly performed locally - mainly for servicemen at U.S.O. clubs. As is inevitable with warriors in battle, some of the Koshares became casualties - five of them with three killed in action. Captain Dean Strain, Lieutenant Dean Kendall, and Staff Sergeant Chet Ralson were the three Koshares who did not return home from World War II.

During the war, on a night preceding a Koshare Christmas party, Buck Burshears wrote his famous "Scoutmaster's Prayer." Buck had just learned that another of his boys, one of the Koshares, was missing in action. The result was the poem which Buck spent most of the night writing. After the war, Custis Green turned up in a German prison camp and returned home safely. Green later wrote a poem entitled, "An Answer to the Scoutmaster's Prayer."

Twenty-six Koshares, participating in World War II, completed their requirements for Eagle Scout while fighting in the war. World War II not only shaped the country, but had a tremendous impact on the Koshare organization which was only nine years old when the war began. Koshare News began as a way to keep in contact with Koshares serving in World War II.