Ralph Mouw was born in 1919 to Otto and Sarah Mouw. A graduate of Northwestern Classical Academy and Northwestern Junior College, Ralph finished his 4-year degree in math and physics from Hope College, Holland, Michigan in 1940.Receiving a low draft number, he enlisted for a one-year commitment in the U.S. Army in 1941. While in officer training at the Artillery School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor ensuring that Ralph’s military commitment would be extended for a total of four years.
After two-years of extensive training stateside in the “brain work” of the long tom guns, Ralph was sent to England to prepare for D-day. Two weeks before his oversees orders came, he married his long-time love, Genevieve Slothouber.
As an executive officer, his battery supported the 4th infantry division of the VII Corp Artillery. In England, Ralph’s battery won a competition for being the best unit and thus earned the distinction of being the first artillery unit to come ashore on D-day, Utah Beach, Normandy. Ralph was proud of earning this distinction.
Though strafed by German fire, Ralph did not lose any men coming ashore onto the beach. His unit fought for 78 hours straight. His battery was the first to fire on Cherbourg, France and also the first to fire into Germany at Aachen. Ralph spent 140 days in combat status and earned 5 battle stars and a bronze arrowhead. While in combat, Ralph earned a battlefield promotion to Captain.
As the Americans advanced into Germany, Mouw was involved in the liberation of Nordhausen Concentration Camp in April 1945. He wrote home, “You probably have been reading in the papers concerning the brutal treatment in concentration camps over here – I have seen enough to last me a lifetime.”
Following release from service, Ralph came home to Iowa. He earned a master’s degree at University of Iowa and then was hired by Northwestern College to teach mathematics and physics. He taught at Northwestern College for 36 years and in 1993 was awarded an Alumnus of the Year. He was active in the Pressman-Kosters American Legion and faithfully served in Trinity Reformed Church.
Ralph passed away on August 14, 2009 at the age of 90. Former students of his, Lee and Bonnie Meier, published a book in 2014 titled Letters from Ralph: A Soldier Writes Home During World War II.
Ralph's family donated his collection of letters and other artifacts to the Northwestern College Archives.