Sergeant Vernon Pederson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.A. served in the United States Army during the Second World War. He landed in Belfast on 26th January 1942.
Sergeant
Sergeant Vernon Pederson served in the United States Army during the Second World War. He hailed from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.A. Before the outbreak of war, Vernon worked in a bakehouse in his hometown.
Sergeant Pederson arrived in Northern Ireland on 26th January 1942 aged 27 years old as part of the first contingent of American troops. When interviewed by a reporter from the Londonderry Sentinel newspaper, he stated:
I think the British Army have treated us swell. They gave us a great show and have done all they could. We ought to feel at home among such friendly people.
As a former bakehouse worker, food was on Pederson’s mind when interviewed by a correspondent from the Belfast Telegraph newspaper:
The trip over was dandy. Naturally, the grub was not all we had in America, but we know we’re at war. The welcome we had in Northern Ireland was swell; it was just what we expected.