Endl went forward alone and single-handedly lay down covering fire so his troops could rescue three of the wounded. One by one, Endl then carried three more of the wounded to safety. As he was returning with the seventh man, a burst of machine-gun fire killed them both. Rather than reduce its number of pages, many devoted to war news, the Gazette freezes circulation at 18,903 to meet the requirement, but military personnel still can sign up for the paper. The next day, a Saturday, is proclaimed a day of mourning by the new president, Harry S Truman, and Janesville stores and all Rock County taverns and amusement places close at 3 p.m., the time of FDR's funeral, and stay closed for the duration of the services.
Local churches conduct memorial services, and residents weep openly at the loss of their president.
Lt. Gen. Walter B. Smith signs the document for the Allies. A few factories close briefly, but most keep on turning out the shells, fuses, uniforms and bandages needed to continue the war against Japan. The name of the Wisconsin School for the Blind is changed to the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped to accurately reflect the students it serves. Janesville police excuse a parking ticket for an unnamed city woman who tells the desk officer that she was in line waiting to buy still-rationed meat and that she feared the meat would be gone if she left the line to put another penny in the meter. Conley volunteered for the Canadian military in 1939 and participated in the daring but doomed raid on the French port of Dieppe on Aug. 19, 1942.