heroes 2012

Blue Earth, Minnesota November 2012

It is the Soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the

press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, who has

given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial . . .

We support our troops! We support our troops!

1201 Buccaneer Drive (by McDonald’s)

Blue Earth, MN Phone 507-526-2149

7:30-5:30 M-F; 8:00-3:00 Sat.

Congratulations Congratulations Tanner Stindtman Tanner Stindtman

3rd RECON 3rd BATTALION 3rd RECON 3rd BATTALION CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, JAPAN CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, JAPAN

November 2012 OUR HEROES Faribault County Register 33

Remember... Remember... This 10th edition of ‘Our Heroes’ features stories about six men, but honors all those who have sacrificed to preserve the freedoms we cherish so dearly.

Our heroes from Faribault County have served in America’s wars as members of all the branches of the Armed Forces. Some have given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, but all have served bravely and with honor, here and abroad, to protect our country and freedoms.

While any words of ‘thank you’ will never quite be enough, we hope these stories of six of our heroes will serve as a tribute to all of those who have – and who still are – serving in our military and putting themselves in harm’s way for all of us.

Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget

Faribault County Register OUR HEROES November 2012

Liquor • Wine

Beer • Wine Coolers

Honor and Remember Honor and Remember All Veterans All Veterans

Open Monday-Saturday • 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. 1211 Domes Drive, Blue Earth, MN

(off of Hwy. 169 next to McDonald’s)

Phone: 507-526-5013

If you wish to contact us by email: [email protected] • To view our website visit: www.becity.or g

The Area Veterans Memorial Park will honor veterans of all wars from the communities of Alden, Bricelyn, Easton, Delavan, Freeborn, Kiester, Minnesota Lake, Walters and Wells.

The memorial walls will be unveiled on November 11, 2012. There will be 686 veteran’s names, rank & branch and dates of service engraved on the granite walls. The memorial walls will have space for an additional 338 names. The centerpiece of the park will feature a 25’ flag pole flying the American Flag, a directory and four granite benches.

The next phases include, sidewalks, flag poles to display the five branches of service, a gazebo, a special memorial to honor the veterans that have been killed in action, and more. Our goal is to honor and bring awareness to the sacrifices that our men and women have given for all of us.

If you have any questions or would like to request a registration form please contact one of the committee members. The cost to have a veteran’s name, rank & branch and dates of service engraved is $175. Donations of all amounts are encouraged and are tax deductible.

Area Veterans Memorial Park

Located at 15 West Franklin, Wells, MN 56097

Area Veterans Memorial Park Committee Members

Maynard Heitner 507-553-6300 Gordon Hansen 507-553-5386 Ila Teskey 507-553-6122 Gary Kauffmann 507-553-3539 Ryan Feist 507-525-5020 Gary Hagen 507-553-5057

About the cover . . . Our cover this year features Sophie Welder, daughter of Carey and Krystal Welder of Chatfield. She is the granddaughter of Dan and Heidi Welder of Blue Earth.

The uniform belongs to Sophie’s father, Carey, a 1999 graduate of Blue Earth Area High School who served in the U.S. Army from August 1999 to August 2003. He was a sergeant in the Airborne Infantry.

After Airborne school, Welder was stationed in Fort Myer, Virginia, and served in the Honor Guard, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment.

Sgt. Welder’s unit was part of the Caisson platoon which rode the horses for the funerals in Arlington National Cemetery.

His unit was also the first to respond to the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11. They did search and rescue right away, which turned into a cleanup mission for three weeks.

The photographer for the cover shot is Mary Peterson of Silver Frame Photography of Chatfield.

We appreciate and say thanks to Mary Peterson and the Welders for sharing the photo and allowing us to use this photograph for the cover of this, our tenth edition of Our Heroes magazine.

We are sure that it is one our readers will enjoy reading and once again treasure as a keepsake for years to come.

Extra copies of ‘Our Heroes’ are available at the Faribault County Register Office.

44


Lloyd Gaylord of Blue Earth joined theMarines, switched to the U.S. Army, wasan Army baker, was discharged, called

back into service, sent to Korea, was nearly killeda dozen times, froze both feet, became an M.P.(military police officer) and finally completed hismilitary career and was sent back home.

All before his 21st birthday.“There is no doubt about it, I should have been

killed over there,” Gaylord, 82, says. “Manytimes.”

In fact, the newspaper in Blue Earth at that timereported that Gaylord was missing in action inKorea – which came as a big shock to his family.

“I wasn’t really missing,” he recalls. “But Ithink we were lost.”

Gaylord was in the 3rd Infantry and says hisworst day in Korea was his first day. North Koreahad already invaded South Korea several monthsearlier and taken over much of the country, exceptfor a small area in the south around Pusan.

“We were sent into battle with North Korearight away,” he says. “That first night the shellinglasted all night long – it was hellish, it was a hellof a deal – we didn’t know what was going on, orwhat was going to happen.”

What happened was the U.S. Army, a part of theUnited Nations forces, fought their way north,across the 38th parallel, which had divided North

Lloyd Gaylord – KoreaBlue Earth man

nearly killed a dozen times

Lloyd Gaylord, page 7

BY CHUCK HUNT________________________________________Register Editor

That first night theshelling lasted allnight long – it was

hellish.’Lloyd Gaylord

‘


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66

Korea from South Korea.“We fought the North Koreans all the way to al-

most the Yulu River (the border with China),”Gaylord says. “Under not the best conditions.”

It was late fall and it was bitterly cold. Gaylordsays his unit’s winter gear would not show up untilthe next spring.

“I froze my feet, both of them, many times,” hesays. “I get compensation for it now.”

Gaylord says he thinks one of the main reasonshe survived was because he was an excellent foxhole digger.

“I was always the first one to get my fox holedug,” he recalls. “The others would take theirtime.”

Once, shelling from enemy mortars started be-fore the holes were completed.

“They were hitting very close,” he says. “So sixor seven guys all jumped into my fox hole. I wasthe first one in and had to make room. You couldfeel the whole ground shake from the mortars, theywere so close.”

He says a hillside on his family farm site justeast of Blue Earth has always reminded him of thathillside in Korea, where he built the fox hole thatsaved his life.

The fighting in Korea went from bad to worse.Gaylord’s division fought all the way to the

North Korea-Chinese bor-der, driving the North Kore-ans back, but sufferingsevere casualties.

On Oct. 19, 1950, theycaptured the North Koreancapitol of P’youngyang.

Then on Nov. 1, 1950,200,000 Chinese soldierssnuck across the border andjoined in the battle on theside of the North Koreans.

They drove the U.N. forces all the way back outof North Korea, and into one corner of SouthKorea.

“After they crossed the border we had Chinese

on our ass all the way,” Gaylord says. “It becamejust a matter of survival.”

He says they fought the Chinese all the wayback into South Korea and back where they hadstarted, crossing the very same countryside theyhad just been fighting on earlier.

Gaylord saw men killedall around him – one soldierhad his face blown off rightbeside him.

“The Marine divisiontook a helluva beating,”Gaylord says. “We was out-numbered 1,000 to 1.”

The official numbersshow 3,000 Army soldiersand 12,000 to 15,000

Marines were killed during the retreat.It was during this time that Gaylord’s unit was

cut off and missing, not to be found until sometimelater.


Lloyd Gaylord is pictured in front of his tent barracks, above,and with comrades at a training session, upper right.

Gaylord’s official service portrait is at right.

Submitted photos

Lloyd Gaylord, from page 5 ——————————————————--——————————————————————————————————

“After they crossed the borderwe had Chinese on our ass allthe way. It became just a matterof survival.”

-Lloyd Gaylord



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Our Thanks to you . . . Our Thanks to you . . . Our Thanks to you . . . who have or are serving in the who have or are serving in the who have or are serving in the

military to keep our country free. military to keep our country free. military to keep our country free.

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88


Lloyd Gaylord in uniform in 1950, above. Pictured at right, Gaylord holdssome medals and a thank you letter from the South Korean government.

“They thought we all must have been dead,” hesays. “They were surprised anybody was left.”

Gaylord, a corporal by that time, says he had aspecial sense during a battle that kept him, and themen around him, alive.

“My instincts were so good,” he says. “Therewas so many times that I felt something waswrong, something was not quite right, and itwasn’t. That saved us.”

Gaylord says he and his men were cut off fromthe supply line and had nothing to eat.

“I found a gallon jar of pickles – sweet pickles –that had fallen off a truck and it was all we had fordays,” he recalls. “To this day, I don’t like sweetpickles.”

They also found some rice and cooked it, but itturned out to be mush.

“Some Korean women were yapping at us howto do it,” he says. “But we couldn’t understandthem.”

Besides nearly starving and freezing to death,Gaylord says they were in constant battle.

They fought all the way back to the southern tipof South Korea, at Pusan. Then they fought theirway back north, to the capital city of Seoul and re-took it – for the second time in just a few months.

There, Gaylord was finally treated for his frozenfeet, in several different hospitals.

After that he became anM.P. and patrolled theArmy base camp back atPusan.

“I also found out thenthat a friend of mine hadbeen killed in the battles,”he says.

That was Weldon Bas-sett, who lived north ofBlue Earth.

“He was a little older than me, and took meunder his wing,” Gaylord says. “It was nice tohave him around. He had been in World War II andthen was serving in Korea.”

The two were not in the same unit, but had

caught up with each other once in a while. Bothwere in the 3rd Infantry, but in different regiments.

“I felt real bad that I didn’t know he had beenkilled until later,” Gaylord says. “I still think ofhim often; his body was never found.”

Gaylord says besides almost being killed somany times in Korea that helost track, he almost didn’tmake it over there to fight.

“I was almost killed onthe flight over there,” hesays.

After being called backinto the service from the re-serves, he was given twodays to get to Washingtonstate for some refresher

training before being flown to Tokyo, Japan.“We lost one of our four engines after we left the

Aleutian Islands,” he says. “And we lost another aswe got close to Tokyo. We limped into the air

Staff photos by Chuck Hunt and submitted

Lloyd Gaylord, from page 7 —-----------——————————————

“I found a gallon jar ofpickles – sweet pickles – and itwas all we had for days. To thisday, I don’t like sweet pickles.”

-Lloyd Gaylord



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1100


Lloyd Gaylord stands on top of a large artillery cannon, above, at Ft. Bliss, Texas.Inset, Gaylord finished his time in Korea as an M.P. At right, a map of the various offensives during the Korean War – by both the U.N. forces and the Communists.

field.”From Tokyo they were flown to Korea, in the

fall of 1950. Gaylord was finally discharged in1952.

When the 20-year-old Blue Earth native re-turned home, he was too young to buy a beer in thelocal Legion, and he couldn’t find a job.

After finding work out of town for a while, heeventually returned to work at the Blue Earthschool as a custodian for 32 years.

In 1958 he married Joyce Eckhardt. They havetwo grown children, Glenn and Lynda, two grand-children, one great-grandchild and one step-great-grandchild.

Glenn Gaylord says he knows he is lucky to behere, as are the rest of the small, but close family.

“My dad should not have made it out of Korea,”he says. “He was nearly killed there. And thatmeans the rest of us would not be here.”

While Gaylord was proud to serve his countryand fight in Korea, he is somewhat bitter about afew things.

One was the reception back home. Korea hasbeen called “The Forgotten War,” which is the titleon the Korean War memorial in Washington, D.C.

Gaylord says that is true, and his cool receptioncaused him to not join the American Legion Postfor many years.

He also says that his service records were alllost in a fire at the place where they were stored.There is no official record of his service in Korea,and Gaylord has never received any official recog-nition or service medals.

“He certainly deserved them,” son Glenn Gay-lord says. “He was in a lot of battles, and is luckyhe made it through it.”

His father, however, says he really doesn’t careabout the medals, or lack of them. Or the fact thathe couldn’t order a beer when he came home, orget a job, or that his grandfather had sold his ponywhile he was gone to war – because it started bit-ing people when Lloyd was gone so long.

Not even the fact that the Blue Earth paper re-ported he was missing in action, making his

mother worry so much more.What he cares about is that he and his comrades

are remembered for their service in this bitterwar – which President Harry Truman once called“a police action.”

In actuality it was the first confrontation of theCold War period.

“We were fighting against the communists – theNorth Koreans and Chinese, who were backed bythe Russians,” Gaylord says. “It was a war in anawful rough country. It wasn’t a place that was likeour way of life at all.”

He still thinks about and misses his comradeswho did not make it back – including Weldon Bas-sett.

His wife Joyce says that he still, even after 60years, will jump in his sleep.

“I know it is because of what he went throughover there,” she says. “I know it must have beenawful.”

But she, like the rest of the family, is glad hemade it back from “The Forgotten War.”

Submitted photos

Lloyd Gaylord, from page 9 ——————----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------————————————————

“My dadshould nothave made itout of Korea.”

-GlennGaylord


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Could have. Would have. Should have.When a person reaches a certain age intheir life you hope the three “ood haves”

aren’t ingrained into one’s mind.Nearly 40 years ago, 81-year-old Darlene Oliver

of Winnebago could have attended a funeral in An-chorage, Alaska.

At the time she didn’t have the money to makethe trip, but her parents would have paid her way.

On Friday, May 19, 2012, Darlene spends theafternoon at a dining room table looking at pic-tures and military papers of her younger brotherDennis Dean Dooley.

Then she whispers, “I should have gone.”Darlene picks up and reads a faded, newspaper

obituary announcement“I didn’t go. I thought my work was so impor-

tant,” she adds.At the age of 41, Dooley lost his battle with

cancer; some two years after his return from Viet-nam.

“He was so proudto be a Marine. That’sall he ever wanted todo,” says Darlene.“Dennis was a Ma-rine all the way.”

In a house on theTok Cut-off, some260 miles from An-chorage, a poster stillhangs above NanDooley’s bed.

It’s not the simplewords of Semper Fi— short for SemperFidelis — whichmeans “always faithful.”

Nonetheless, they partly describe her late hus-band’s character when he was in the Marine Corps.

Dennis Dooley – Korea/VietnamAll he ever

wanted to dowas be a Marine

Dennis Dooley page 15

BY ANTONIO ACOSTA________________________________________Register Staff Writer


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1144


Nan Dooley takes part in a pinning-ceremony recognizing Dennis for his acts of courage and bravery during battle.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of theshadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for I am themeanest s--o-b---- in the valley.”

The words to Dennis’ son, Tom Dooley, foryears had no meaning.

They painted an image of an unknown person. Afather who died when he was only 4 years old.

“I know Dennis wanted to live to see Tom growup. But, he couldn’t fight the cancer any longer,”says Darlene.

It’s not that Dooley didn’t have the will to live.Tom knows he did. He’s heard the stories.There was the time when a hand-cranked gener-

ator that operated his dialysis machine stopped.Dooley pulls needles out of his arms, goes out-

side to restart the generator, and then staggersacross the yard into the house and hooks himselfback up and resumes treatment.

The Veteran’s Administration had given Dooleytwo small generators and a dialysis machine beforehe, his wife and son drove a jeep to a remote area

in Alaska to live out his days.John S. Connolly of Springfield, Va., is a mili-

tary buddy who visited him while he was a patient

at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.“That was the last time I saw him. It was very

sad. It’s bringing tears to my eyes right now talk-ing about it,” he says.

The 85-year-old Connolly hasn’t forgotten

about the time he served with Dooley in Singaporeand Vientiane, Laos, in 1959.

Respected by everybody, a real leader, very ded-icated and exceptional.

Just a few phrases Connolly uses when asked ifhe remembers Dooley.

“He wasn’t one of the best Marines I’ve servedwith — he was the best!” Connolly says. “Youhave a real hero in Dooley.”

After a short pause, Connolly’s seriousnessturns into laughter.

There’s a recitation of three stories when he,Dooley and S/Sgt. Lacey protect the AmericanEmbassy in Vientiane, Laos, in December of 1961,from looters after being bombarded by guerrillaforces.

When the shelling and heavy firing lets up,Dooley helps evacuate Embassy staff to a safer lo-cation at the ambassador’s residence several milesaway.

Submitted photos

Dennis Dooley, from page 13———————————————————————————————————————————-------------------------------------------

“He wasn’t one of the bestMarines I’ve served with — he wasthe best. You have a real hero inDooley.”

-John S. Connolly,Springfield, Va.

Dennis Dooley, page 17


The Ultimate The Ultimate Sacrifice Deserves Sacrifice Deserves The Ultimate Thanks The Ultimate Thanks

The following

organizations salute

those who have served.

Blue Earth American Legion Post #89 • (507) 526-2443

Bricelyn American Legion Post #165 • (507) 653-4305

Delavan American Legion Post #486 • (507) 854-3286

Easton American Legion Post #569 • (507) 787-2223

Elmore American Legion Post #192 • (507) 943-3563

Fred K Werner Post #287 Minnesota Lake (507) 462-3629

Kiester American Legion Post #454 • (507) 294-3734

Wells American Legion Post #210 • (507) 553-3012

Wells VFW Post #1778 • (507) 553-5411

Winnebago American Legion Post #82 • (507) 893-3375

1166

A half hour later, he returns to help his com-rades.

Connolly’s not surprised. As he puts it, Dooleywould never leave the side of a friend in need.

“But, he keeps asking me what’s the gameplan? What’s the plan?” Connolly recalls.

So, with the three huddled behind a barricadehe lays it out.

Since Dooley is the junior officer, he’s in-structed to politely tell anyone who comesknocking on the Embassy’s glass front doorthey’re closed for the day.

“You should have seen the look on his face. Itwas one of those, ‘Are you serious? You’ve got

to be kidding,’” saysConnolly.

The commandingofficer reassures Doo-ley he’s only joking.

A day filled withsmall arms, mortarand howitzer gunfireends with the Em-bassy eventuallycatching fire andbeing totally de-stroyed.

Dooley receives a“meritorious mast” inrecognition of his out-standing performanceof duty.

“Yes indeed. He’s ahero,” says a chokedup Connolly.

“I think about himquite a bit,” he adds.

Accolades for actsof bravery weren’t anything out of the ordinaryfor Dooley.

It’s a list that includes three Bronze Stars,three Purple Hearts and two Silver Stars.

Yet, high school buddy Marv Jenkins isn’t atall surprised with his friend’s accomplishments.

He wasn’t a big guy, says Jenkins, just 5 feet, 8inches tall and weighing not more than 160pounds.

But, on the football field he was a fearlesstackler, says Jenkins.

“Just a gutsy competitor and individual,” hesays. “He was definitely the guy you’d want to bewith in the trenches or foxhole with when thestuff hit the fan.”

Another former classmate, Ben Espeland ofWinnebago, describes Dooley as a super guy, ath-

lete and student.“We were great buddies who got into a little

trouble. But, it was all fun. We weren’t gangstersback in those days,” he says.

As a high school senior, Dooley pretty muchhas his future all planned out.

And, it doesn’t involve earning a diploma.One month before graduating, the three-sport

star decides to drop out and enlist in the MarineCorps.

“My dad was the school superintendent at thetime and he wasn’t too pleased,” says Darlene.“Dennis just had the urge to go and no one couldtalk him out of it.”

In November 1951, Dooley is sent to fight inthe Korean Conflict.

On Oct. 21, 1952, the private first class is amember of a Combat Patrol of Company D

which encounters armed enemy.There’s intense machine-gun fire and as Doo-

ley’s patrol withdraws to the base of a hill, he no-tices a fellow Marine caught on barbed wire.


Above, Nancy Houle and Dennis Dooley were united in marriage during a military wedding

at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Pierz. Right, 4-year-old Dennis plays on the swing

at his home in Thief River Falls.

Submitted photos

Dennis Dooley, from page 15 ————-----

“My dad wasthe schoolsuperintendentat the time andhe wasn’t toopleased. Dennisjust had theurge to go andno one couldtalk him outof it.”

-Darlene Oliver,sister

Dennis Dooley page 19


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1188

There’s no time to think. Perhaps the only thing running through the 18-

year-old’s mind is the military adage, “Leave noman behind.”

A Silver Star medal citation reads:Private First Class Dooley unhesitatingly re-

turned to the entangled man’s position direct in frontof a hostile machine gun, pulled him free and contin-ued to expose himself to the heavy fire to assist theMarine to safety. By his courageous initiative andselfless efforts in behalf of another, Private FirstClass Dooley served to inspire all who observed himand was instrumental in saving the life of his com-rade.

Uncommon courage, bold initiative, selfless de-votion, conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in ac-tion are descriptions of bravery found in militarycommendations.

And, Dooley has many.There’s the Bronze Star he receives 15 years later

for Operation Deckhouse VI in Quang NgaiProvince in Vietnam on Feb. 17, 1967.

While serving as a platoon commander withCompany C, First Battalion, Fourth Marines — VietCong suddenly attack a point squad he is accompa-nying with small arms fire and grenades.

Despite suffering a painful wound, the secondlieutenant is able to reorganize his men, garner armsfire support and lead them in a fierce counterattack.

Five enemy are killed and another 15 wounded.“His courage, self-discipline, determination and

leadership by example define Denny’s military ca-reer,” says Jenkins.

A month later, Company C is returning to its pa-trol base when the point platoon is ambushed byNorth Vietnamese Army soldiers firing from wellconcealed bunkers and trenchline.

It’s March 26, 1967.On an Easter Sunday, Dooley and his men have

taken part in Operation Beacon I.The Second Platoon

suffers heavy casualtiesnear the DemilitarizedZone.

A written statementfrom Second LieutenantLarry A. Dickerson saysattempts to break throughenemy lines are failing.

The situation is gettingworse.

Dickerson’s men arepinned down, receiving incoming grenades one afteranother.

That’s when Dooley volunteers himself and histhree M-79 grenadiers to try and take out the ene-

mies machine gun bunkers.The platoon is in a killing zone where several

wounded and deadMarines lie in the way ofhostile fire.

Relieving pressure andpushing back the enemyforces needs to be done,and quickly.

Realizing he needsmore support, Dooley re-cruits three riflemen, anM-79 man and a machinegun fire team from another

platoon to provide covering fire.Wounded by shrapnel from an enemy grenade,

Dooley refuses medical attention.In preparing for the attack, the second lieutenant

calmly and methodically moves from Marine toMarine building up their confidence and courage.

There’s no time to hesitate.Dooley leads a 10-member assault team through

100 meters of intense machine gun and small armsfire.

The fighting was furious as two men are killedand three are wounded, including Dooley.

After the successful assault, Dooley’s men pullback. But, a rifleman shot in the pelvis lies in thefield, unable to move.

“Second Lieutenant Dooley remained with thisman, to drag him back to safety,” writes Dickerson.

“Outstanding leadership, professional skill andfearless initiative despite grave personal risk in-spired all who served with him,” says the BronzeStar letter of citation.


Former Winnebago resident Dennis Dooley was awarded three Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts andtwo Silver Stars

Submitted photo

Dennis Dooley, from page 17 ———-------

“His courage, self-discipline,determination and leadershipby example define Denny’smilitary career.”

-Marv Jenkins,high school buddy

Dennis Dooley, page 21


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Darlene admits she cried, and still does whenshe reads what was written by those who servedwith her brother.

“My word. I had no idea. But, Dennis would doanything to help someone. He was that kind ofguy,” she says.

Patti McCreary remembers her former class-mate as one who excelled in anything he did, waswell-liked and sincere.

“He took his military career very serious andjust wanted to serve. He was such a special per-son. I really do appreciate all he did for our coun-try,” she says.

Tom also has read numerous accounts of hisdad’s heroic feats and a KA-BAR combat knifealso is a reminder of a father he didn’t get toknow.

“I regret not being able to share in his insightand experiences. It would have been cool to talkwith him about things and gain some of his fa-therly wisdom,” he says.

As Tom grew older, going through boxes ofitems stored in a garage gave him a better under-standing of the type of person his father was.

Dennis owned many self-help books, earned hisGED while in the service and started a businesscalled D.D.D. Inc., to sell an officer combat note-book he designed.

“My mother has told me he was always comingup with elaborate business schemes,” says Tom.

But, Dennis wasn’t always in a serious mode.He could be a practical joker at times.Tom says his father was notorious for being an

early-riser and maybe too cheerful when mostpeople were not.

Those who served with him, he says, got a doseof that through his musical skills.

“I heard one time that when everybody wassleeping, he starts playing his guitar to try andwake themup,” Tomsays with achuckle.

“He wasan O.K.singer, noth-ing great,”he adds.

Now liv-ing in Albu-querque, N.M., Tom had an item of his father’staken away from him.

Thieves targeting several neighborhoods stole agold watch Dennis bought in 1969 in Alaska.

Tom has an idea of what his father sounded

like, from listening to recordings of “letters”to his mother.

However, he doesn’t know where the cas-sette tapes are now.

One of them contained a rendition of “HangDown Your Head Tom Dooley.”

You can be assured that’s not going to happen ifanyone talks to Tom about his father.


Arva Dooley stands by her son’s bedsidewhile being treated for his cancer.

Right, a gravestone marks where Denniswas buried at Fort Richardson National

Cemetery in Anchorage, Alaska.

Submitted photos

Dennis Dooley, from page 19 ————--

“I regret not being able toshare in his insight andexperiences.”

-Tom Dooley,Dennis’ son


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It was two young farm boys’ dream to fightfor their country together, but by one num-ber in a count off they were separated for

life and a chair was left empty at graduation.It was 1917 and America had just declared war

on Germany in the first World War. The patrioticcampaign to stand behind the country was in fulleffect – even in Elmore, where two brothers weremoved to join the war efforts.

Sanford and Howard Eichhorn, neither one outof high school yet, were the sons of Cornelius andLolo Belle.

Sanford was 19 years old and Howard just 16years old, but their age didn’t hold back their de-termination to go to war for their country.

Parades lined the streets and optimistic towns-people shouted, “The Yanks are coming, the Yanksare coming! The war will be over soon.”

Cornelius and Lolo Belle proudly signedparental consent for young Howard and he andSanford vowed to fight side by side until the veryend.

“We went to the Elmore post office to join theWWI Army,” Howard wrote home to his sisterLaura. “If one of us didn’t pass our exams theother wasn’t going.”

But, the brothers traveled to Mankato to taketheir exams. They passed and were both sworninto the Army on April 30, 1917.

Sanford Eichhorn – WWIElmore brothersenter Army to

fight war together

Sanford Eichhorn, page 25

BY LACEY SAWATZKY________________________________________Register Staff Writer

If one of us didn’t passour exams the otherwasn’t going.’

Howard Eichhorn

‘


Blue Earth American Legion Post #89 • (507) 526-2443

Bricelyn American Legion Post #165 • (507) 653-4305

Delavan American Legion Post #486 • (507) 854-3286

Easton American Legion Post #569 • (507) 787-2223

Elmore American Legion Post #192 • (507) 943-3563

Fred K Werner Post #287

Minnesota Lake (507) 462-3629

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Post #82 • (507) 893-3375 Voiture Locale 281 - 40 et 8

Mankato, MN

2244

Sanford –valedictorian of his class –missed his high school graduation byless than a month.

Regardless, the boys boarded thetrain to begin their six weeks of trainingat Fort Snelling.

The two found that their farmingbackground gave them an upper handduring training and they became theenvy of many of the other soldiers.

“The boys from the big cities ad-mired the boys’ ability to handlehorses,” their brother Ray Eichhornlater recalled. “Much of the suppliesand artillery were moved with horses.”

After completing their training theEichhorn boys’ dream of fighting in thewar was approaching rather quickly.

The soldiers boarded a train againand were off to Camp Douglas in Ari-zona.

“It took three days by coach,”Howard wrote home many years laterto his sister Laura.

Howard recalled sleeping in theirseats or even on the floor for thosethree days of traveling.

When they arrived at Camp Douglasthe soldiers were going to be assignedto different Companys.

Name after name was called to fillthe different companies, when theyeventually came to assign soldiers toCompany D, the machine gun company.

As the spaces filled up, one spot re-mained to finish the company – San-ford’s name was announced.

And just like that, by one number,the dream to fight side by side wasover.

Howard was the first name assignedto Company E. He was sent to FortLewis Washington to train soldiers.

Sanford was sent to France and wasamong the first Americans to hit thetrenches there.

“He was behind a machine gun inFrance while his brother was trainingnew recruits,” brother Elden Eichhornsaid.

In letters home, Sanford would codehis words so his father could send himthings he needed.

The soldiers were not adequatelyequipped or trained for the battle theyentered.

Cornelius sent his son overcoats,boots and other things the Army shouldhave supplied but were not easily avail-able to the soldiers in the front line.

As the war progressed, the Eichhornfamily, along with much of America,realized the war was not the patrioticparade that had marched through thestreets of Elmore just months before.

The soldiers found themselves un-prepared – up against the tough GermanArmy.

Many young men were killed or in-jured, including young Sanford.

It was 1918 when a bullet from aGerman soldier wounded him.

A friend of Sanford’s later wroteabout the incident. An ambulance cameto take Sanford to an aid station but herefused the ride. He wanted to keep theambulance available to soldiers whowere more badly injured, so he walkedhimself to safety.

It was May 23 when the woundsfrom that battle proved to be fatal forthe young soldier from Elmore. Sanforddied and was buried in France.


Sanford, the oldest Eichhorn brother, pictured above, was sent to fight in WWI.

Howard, pictured on the right, was sent totrain new recruits in Washington.

Submitted photos

Sanford Eichhorn, from page 23 ———————————————

Sanford Eichhorn, page 27


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The temporary stage set up for Sanford Eichhorn’s funeral is pictured above. The stage wasset up outside as there wasn’t a place in town with enough room for everyone to come pay

their respects. Pictured at right is the funeral procession down the streets of Elmore.

On June 5, 1918, the family received thedreaded telegram informing them that their San-ford would not be returning home.

In 1919, Howard was discharged and sent backto Elmore on a train.

“It was a terrible blow toMa and Pa to lose their old-est son,” Ray said in 2000.“Over 80 years later theEichhorn family still car-ries the grief.”

In 1920, the casket ar-rived at the Elmore traindepot. It was Sanford’s re-mains accompanied by amilitary honor guard.

The casket was brought to his grandparentshouse where it stayed for the three days before thefuneral service.

The small town of Elmore banded together tocelebrate Eichhorn’s life. People built a stage at theschoolhouse and chairs from the school and

churches were set up around the temporary stage. “The church was entirely too small to accom-

modate the hundreds of people who wished to payhomage to the lad who was first to enlist in the

Army from Elmore, thefirst from Elmore to fall inbattle..,” a newspaper clip-ping saved by the familydescribed the funeral.

People lined the streetalong the way to the ceme-tery, waving flags in mem-ory of the young soldierwho died for his country.

“Along the 1.5 mileroute to Elmore Riverside Cemetery the fence lineswere crowded with people all along the way,” RayEichhorn writes many years later.

Eichhorn was buried at Elmore RiversideCemetery, but his name is still honored to this dayin Elmore.

The American Legion in Elmore proudly dis-

plays the name Sanford Post, named after the lostsoldier.

In January of 1952 the Elmore class of 1917,the class Eichhorn would have graduated with,held a ceremony dedicated to him.

“At the graduation ceremony, an empty chairwith a sign upon it giving his name and company,took his place,” Inona Lyons said at her speechthat day.

Eichhorn, a hero to his family, classmates andhis town, will never be forgotten as one of the firstAmerican casualties in that war.

“Because of this we, his classmates, believethere should be some lasting tribute in honor ofthis memory,” Lyons said.

The family carried grief over the loss of a youngman for years, but deemed those Eichhorn broth-ers, Sanford and Howard, heroes that would al-ways hold a place in the heart of the family forgenerations to come.

Submitted photos

Sanford Eichhorn, from page 25 —————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Along the 1.5 mile route toElmore Riverside Cemetery thefence lines were crowded withpeople all along the way.”

-Ray Eichhorn

It was a terribleblow to Maand Pa to lose

their oldestson...the Eichhornfamily still carriesthe grief.’

Ray Eichhorn

‘


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CALL 1993 Cadillac Deville - White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 975 . . . . . . $ 3,000 1977 Chev C75 Grain Truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1017 . . . . . . CALL 1972 Farmall 1466 w /loader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 988 . . . . . . $15,995 1972 Farmall 1466 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989 . . . . . . $ 6,500 1971 Ford Truck LT 900 - Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974 . . . . . . CALL 1970 International Grain Truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 992 . . . . . . CALL

– Vehicle Listing –

Wade

Truck Technician

Dave

Ag Technician

Randy

Auto Technician

Dylan

Technician Intern

Richard

Parts & Service

Mark

Auto Technician

Terry Hanson owner

Tanner

Technician Intern

Rich

Auto Technician Denise

Office Manager

We salute the veterans that have served We salute the veterans that have served We salute the veterans that have served in the past and the courageous men in the past and the courageous men in the past and the courageous men

and women who continue to serve to and women who continue to serve to and women who continue to serve to keep our nation strong and united. keep our nation strong and united. keep our nation strong and united.

2288


Abouquet of Snapdragons, EllaWeyhrauch’s favorite flower, sat on thelibrary table in her home. They were a

Mother’s Day gift from her son, Wesley. The flowers were a rather eerie gift – sent just

after Wesley’s death in World War II. Wesley Weyhrauch had spent his whole life in

Blue Earth, living with his mother, Ella, father,Rueben, and five siblings.

After he graduated from Blue Earth PublicSchool in 1939, Weyhrauch decided to pursue hisdreams of becoming a teacher.

“The first memory I have of my big brother ishim hitchhiking to school,” Julienne Teiglandsays. “Hitchhiking wasn’t uncommon for men inthose days.”

He attended three years at Mankato TeachersCollege.

“Wes became active in the church there and meta nice young lady,” Teigland says.

It didn’t take long for love to blossom andWeyhrauch decided to pop the question and pro-pose to his girlfriend, Sada.

Then, on the day of his 21st birthday, July 18,1942, he was inducted into the Army and had tosay goodbye to his lady.

He was first sent to Missouri for training wherehe became a technician for the Army.

Then a year later, August 1943, Weyhrauch de-cided to transfer to the Army Specialized TrainingSchool.

Wesley Weyhrauch – WWIIBlue Earth manenters army on

his 21st birthday

Wesley Weyhrauch, page 31

BY LACEY SAWATZKY________________________________________Register Staff Writer

It is the most tragic partof war that a fellow likeWesley must lose his

life.’W.F. Wormington

‘


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All this moving didn’t seem to affect the grow-ing relationship he had with Sada who he shared aclassic goodbye kiss with before his departure toBrookings.

“I first remember Wesas the big sergeant whowas kissing his lovely girlat the railroad station,” afriend, Raymond Getty,would later write home toWeyhrauch’s parents.

Weyhrauch’s move toBrookings bumped himdown to cadet rank and heentered into months oftraining.

“He didn’t know the move would affect hisrank,” Teigland says.

During his training in South Dakota that year,he became close friends with Getty and the two be-came like brothers.

“It was he who introduced me to my Virginia,”Getty wrote. “He was to be my best man for ourwedding.”

But a lot of that was about to change whenWeyhrauch was sent tofight in the war.

It was nearing the finalmonth of the Europeanphase of the second WorldWar and Weyhrauch wasto serve as a mobile radiooperator.

“My mother neverknew where he would be,”Teigland says.

In a V-mail sent to his youngest sister he writes,“There is blood in my shoes tonight” and she knewthat meant they were on the move.

But, that was all she knew. It was in April 1945 that Weyhrauch would be

sent to battle in Czechoslovakia.

“Wes always went above and beyond the call ofduty,” W.F. Wormington wrote to Weyhrauch’sparents after the war.

He carried a 40-pound radio on his back for afull 18 hours without rest just to ensure a constantstream of communication with headquarters.

“Wes exposed himself to enemy fire time andtime again to relay messages to and from com-manding officers,” Wormington wrote.

He wrote to Weyhrauch’s family explaining thatthe position of radio operator was always a targetfor the enemy, being it was the only form of com-munication they had in the field.

A dedicated Weyhrauch did everything he couldto make sure nothing interrupted that vital commu-nication in battle.

“Incidentally he volunteered for his last battle,”Wormington wrote.


Julienne Teigland stands in front of amural in the Blue Earth Legion. Thesoldier she is pointing at is a paintingof her brother, Wesley Weyhrauch.Above, Weyhrauch’s Bronze Star Medaland Purple Heart are displayed.

Staff photos by Lacey Sawatzky

Wesley Weyhrauch, from page 29 ————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Wes exposed himself to enemyfire time and time again to relay messages to and from commanding officers”

-W.F. Wormington

Wes alwayswent aboveand beyond

the call of duty.’W.F. Wormington

‘



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Wesley Weyhrach stands with his fiance Sada be-fore leaving to fight in World War II.

It was April 29, 1945 and Weyhrauch got into ajeep. The jeep came to a block in the road anddoing anything he could to maintain the lines ofcommunication, he took a risk and drove aroundthe roadblock.

In the blink of an eye, the life Weyhrauch hadbuilt – as a big brother, son, fiance and bestfriend – was taken away. Weyhrauch hit a landmine. His wounds sent him to a field hospitalnearby where he died on April 30.

Meanwhile, back in Blue Earth, V.E. Day, May8, came and went and the Weyhrauchs were hope-ful for their oldest son’s return home.

And, several days later, Mother’s Day had ar-rived with an arrangement of Snapdragons sentfrom Wes.

Then, a telegraph came through on May 15 thatread “...your son, Wesley Weyhrauch, was killedin action in Czechoslovakia April 30, 1945.”

The hope of their son returning was lost withone telegram.

Teigland remembers the day as if it were yes-terday.

“I came home from school for lunch that after-noon,” she says. “My dad was in the kitchen andhis eyes were red from crying and he just said thatWesley had been killed.”

His family members weren’t the only onesmourning his death.

Getty had heard of the loss of his friend andimmediately began his own search for his bestfriend’s final resting place.

Submitted photo

Wesley Weyhrauch, from page 31

“I came home from school forlunch that afternoon. My dadwas in the kitchen and his eyeswere red from crying...”

-Julienne Teigland



1949-2012

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The Angels came and the pain of war ceased In memory of

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3344


Wesley Weyhrauch’s grave marker, pictured above, is located in the Riverside Cemetery in BlueEarth. He was buried overseas but his mother decided to bring him home to Blue Earth and

have a small service here.

“The next day I went to the U.S. Army Ceme-tery at Nuremberg and found his grave,” Gettywrote. “Something seemed to draw me to Wes –his was the first marker I looked at. I kneeledand prayed for all of youand myself.”

His mother, Ella, hadplanned to keep his bodyburied overseas but de-cided in the end to bringhim home.

The family held asmall service and buriedWes at Riverside Ceme-tery in Blue Earth, hisfinal resting place.

The way Weyhrauch lived his life carried onin the lives of others, long after his brave death

in battle.“I’ve never seen a person who lived a cleaner

moral life than Wes did and I tried to copy him inthat respect,” Getty wrote to the Weyhrauch fam-

ily in June 1945.In December, the fam-

ily was informed thatWes would be receivingtwo medals, a PurpleHeart and a Bronze Starfor bravery.

Wormington wrote theWeyhrauchs in Decem-ber that year explainingWes’ bravery in battle.

“It is the most tragic part of war that a fellowlike Wesley must lose his life,” he wrote. “I stillfeel his loss deeply, Mrs. Weyhrauch.”

Sada eventually moved on from the loss of herloving fiance and married many years later.

Getty went on to marry Sada’s cousin Virgina,who he met through Weyhrauch.

The wedding took place without Wes standingnext to Getty as his best man, best friend andbrother he never had.

“You have my deepest sympathy,” Gettywrote. “Believe me, I know how you feel, for Ilost my brother.”

The Mother’s Day bouquet Weyhrauch hadarranged to be sent, even though in the middle offighting for his country, is an example of hischaracter.

“He was a great big brother and I don’t thinkour family was ever the same after his death,”Teigland says. “And I know I still can’t seeSnapdragons without thinking of Wesley.”

Staff photos by Lacey Sawatzky and submitted

Wesley Weyhrauch, from page 33 ————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Something seemed to draw meto Wes – his was the first markerI looked at.”

-Raymond Getty


Be strong in the Lord, and in his

mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

St. John’s Lutheran 3893 420th Ave., Elmore, MN

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Trinity Lutheran 203 E. North St., Elmore, MN

507-943-3348

Elmore United Methodist 311 E. Mondale St., PO Box 106

Elmore, MN • 507-943-3455

Shiloh Lutheran 108 E. Jay St., Elmore, MN

507-943-3555

Dell Lutheran 47500 97th St., Frost, MN

507-878-3391

St. Peter & Paul Catholic 214 S. Holland St., Blue Earth, MN

507-526-5626

St. Paul Lutheran 305 E. Fifth St., Blue Earth, MN

507-526-7318

Immanuel Lutheran 43103 120th St., Blue Earth, MN

507-526-2072

Faith Lutheran Brethren 15th and S. Ramsey St., Blue Earth, MN

507-526-2270

First Presbyterian 108 S. Galbraith St., Blue Earth, MN

507-526-3486

River of Life Worship Center 1329 S. Ramsey St., Blue Earth, MN

507-526-2396

Hope United Methodist 12080 380th Ave., PO Box 125

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Community Covenant Church of Huntley

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The task ahead of you, is never The task ahead of you, is never as great as the power behind you. as great as the power behind you.

3366


It was one of the craziest ideas of World WarII. It had very little chance of success. And alot of possibility for failure.

In fact, it was almost more of a publicity stuntthan an actual attack of war.

On April 18, 1942, just over four months afterthe Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor, a group of80 men in 16 B-25 bombers took off on a secretmission.

Their goal?To fly right into the heart of Japan and bomb

Tokyo, much like the Japanese had flown in andbombed Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.

One of the group – known as Doolittle’sRaiders after their leader, Lt. Col. James H.Doolittle – was from Frost, Minnesota, in Farib-ault County.

J. Royden Stork was the co-pilot of the 10th ofthe 16 B-25 bombers that took off that day on araid considered by many to be a suicide mission.

The B-25 bombers were a land-based aircraft.But, on that April day the plan was for them totake off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet.

No one was sure the big bombers could possi-bly take off from the Hornet – it had never beentried before.

One thing was certain – the planes would neverbe able to land back on the ship. They neededmuch more runway than the Hornet had available.

That was OK. The planes were never intended

Submitted photo

Frost native J. Royden Stork, on the right in the front in the photo above, is shown with the other fourmembers of his crew in front of their B-25 Bomber before taking off to bomb Tokyo. They were part ofthe 80 men and 16 planes known as Doolittle’s Raiders.

J. Royden Stork – WWIIFrost native one

of Doolittle’sRaiders

Royden Stork, page 38

BY CHUCK HUNT________________________________________Register Editor

Imust have been knockedunconscious, as I don’tremember anything.’

Royden Stork

‘


Ashley Mae Anderson

Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Army Reserves Military Police

5 1/2 Years of Service

Sergeant

S alute OUR OUR HEROES HEROES

Summer (Musegades) Bartlett

Fairmont, MN Nairobi, Kenya

U.S. Navy

12 Years of Service

CTA - E-6


Gary Bussinger Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Army E5

2 Years of Service

Operations Sergeant

Vietnam 1966-67


Lester T. Bussinger Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Army Air-Force

Received Distinguished Flying Cross

Flew 30 missions over Germany as a

bombardier and tail gunner

WWII In European Theatre


George Washington Garlick Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Army Signal Corp

June-October 1945, Tyler Texas November 1945-November 1946,

Japan

Technical Sergeant 4th Grade

Occupation Service Japan


Brent Haase Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Air Force Munitions

6 Years of Service 2001-2007

Staff Sergeant Operation Iraqi

Freedom


Lee J. Larson Elmore, MN

U.S. Navy Medical

3 Years of Service

Lieutenant

Desert Storm


3388

to return.It was a one way trip.The plan was for the 16 planes and

their 80 crew members to fly toTokyo, bomb key targets, then landin China – if they were not shotdown, or ran out of fuel first.

That wasn’t much of a plan, but itsoon became even worse.

As the aircraft carrier and otherships steamed closer to Japan, theyspotted some Japanese fishing ves-

sels. The fear was these boats had ra-dioed to Japanese forces, and theU.S. forces sank them.

This caused an earlier launch ofthe bombers than had been planned –hundreds of miles further away fromTokyo and the Chinese landingstrips.

Extra gas cans were stashed inevery available spot on the planes,but the crews were well aware theywould probably not make the Chi-

nese mainland and would have tocrash into the sea.

Of course, that was if the planescould avoid being shot down by theJapanese.

Now it was a one-way ticket forsure.

“We were No. 10 to take off, andfirst Doolittle started down the run-way, and the next thing I knew he

Royden Stork, from page 37 ——————————————————————————————————


Royden Stork, center, above, out for dinner before heading out to sea and the famous Doolittle’s Raid.Submitted photo

had popped right up in the air,”Frost’s Stork told the National Geo-graphic in 2001. “We were all hold-ing our breath and, believe me, doinga Hail Mary, because if he did it, weknew damn well we could do it.”

Stork’s plane did take off andmade it to their target, a steel worksand factory complex in Tokyo. Theyflew in a storm and encounteredJapanese fighters and anti-aircraft

fire that damaged the rear portion ofthe fuselage and a wing tip.

All five crewmen in Stork’s planesuccessfully parachuted out beforethe bomber was ditched and crashed.

In an interview with the Los Ange-les Times shortly after the raid, Lt.Stork recalled bailing out of theplane with candy bars and cigarettesstuffed in his pockets.

“Those candy bars flung in every

direction because my parachute gavesuch a flip,” he said. “It was pouringrain and in no time my chute wassoaked with water and I was fallingvery fast. I must have been knockedunconscious as I don’t rememberanything until I found myself lyingagainst a tree. I lay in the rain untilmorning before setting out.”



Submitted photos

One of Doolittle’s B-25 bombers takes off from the deck of the USS Hornet. Inset photo, the Japanese fishing boatthat was suspected of alerting the Japanese Navy and was sunk.

Ann (Mikolai) Benjamin

Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Women’s Army Corp

2 Years of Service

World War II


Eugene Mikolai Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Navy Air Department V-5 Communications

S1/c 2 1/2 Years of Service

World War II Asiatic Pacific Theater and

Iwo Jima Battle


Julia (Mikolai) Walker Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Women’s Army Corp

9 Years of Service

World War II

Staff Sergeant


Teri (Mikolai) Shirley Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Air Force Military Training

Instructor

20 Years of Service

Gulf War

Technical Sergeant


Calvin Howard Huntley, MN

U.S. Army 82nd Airborne - Army Black Hawk Helicopter

Mechanic

5 1/2 Years of Service Afghanistan - 3 tours

Sergeant


Jennifer A. (Cyphers) Howard Winnebago, MN

U.S. Army 82nd Airborne - Army Intelligence Specialist

5 1/2 Years of Service Afghanistan - 2 tours

Currently Afghanistan rear detachment

Staff Sergeant


Laura Jean Mastin Buffalo Center, Iowa

U.S. Army Patriot Missile

Operator

1 1/2 Years of Service

PFC

Stationed in South Korea


“We were all holding our breath, and believeme, doing a Hail Mary, because if he (Doolittle)did it, we knew damn well we could do it.”

-J. Royden Stork



James E. Nauman Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Air Force Missile Systems Cable Splicer

4 Years of Service

Sergeant


Shawn Prescher Delavan, MN

U.S. Army Field Artillery

18 Years of Service

Iraq and Afghanistan

Major


Robert D. (Bob) Stenzel Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Army 25th Infantry Signal Corp


Corporal

Korean War


Brandon Stevens Elmore, MN

U.S. Marines H&S, 3/9

4 Years of Service

Gulf War, Desert Shield, Desert Storm,

Honduras, Somalia

Corporal E4


Richard Stindtman Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Army

Lineman

2 Years of Service

Corporal

Korea


McRea Willmert Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Marines Tank Company

3 Years of Service

World War I

Corporal


Renwick Young Blue Earth, MN

U.S. Navy Gunner ‘O’ Division


World War II Iwo Jima and

Okinawa

Seaman 1st Class


4400

He figures his relaxed conditiondue to being unconscious saved himfrom serious injury when he hit theground.

Stork was lucky. After waking up,he walked for a day, was aided by aChinese official and made it to a ren-dezvous point three days later.

Not all of the 80 members ofDoolittle’s Raiders were as lucky.

Most of the crews bailed out whentheir planes ran out of fuel. One

crash landed, three were ditched incoastal waters, 11 came down inChina and one landed in Russia.Amazingly, none were shot down byenemy fire.

Two of the 80 men were killed inthe crashes, two were drowned, andof the eight captured by Japaneseforces in China, three were executedand one died of malnutrition inprison camp.

Stork’s military service was not

yet over. He was stationed in Indiawith the Army’s 10th Air Force andflew missions over Japanese occu-pied territory in the China-Burma-India theater for 16 months.

Then, he was suddenly groundedfrom flying missions when U.S. in-telligence learned the Japanese gov-ernment had placed a $5,000 bountyon the heads of all of the 72



Submitted photos

Some of the surviving members of the Doolittle Raiders met with the governor of Wisconsin during a reunion.


Serving with honor and bravery isn’t al-ways measured by the number of battlesyou have fought in.

In his early 20s, Gordon Hansen lies in aMunda Hospital bed in the South Pacific.

The still silence is broken with a poppingsound, off in the distance.

“I can remember hearing a pistol go off at leastthree different times. Someone had just taken theirown life,” he says.

More than 60 years later, Hansen picks up aTime magazine from a table in his living room athis home in Wells.

It’s a July 23, 2012, issue.The cover’s headline reads: One A Day — Everyday, one U.S. soldier com-

mits suicide.“It was a concern back when I served, and it

still is,” Hansen says. “It’s a major problem.”“I just read another article the number of sui-

cides could be as high as 16 a day,” he adds.Sifting through papers kept in a brown officer’s

folder, Hansen pulls out a faded piece of paper.Dated Feb. 26, 1945, the Newsweek clipping

shows red dots highlighting Fighting Frontswhere by-passed Japanese have refused to “witheron the vine” in the South Pacific islands.

On Dec, 2, 1943, Hansen graduates from mid-shipmen training at Northwestern University inEvanston, Ill.

Gordon Hansen – WWIIBattles aren’t always fought

in combat

Gordon Hansen, page 43

BY ANTONIO ACOSTA________________________________________Register Staff Writer

Ican remember hearing apistol go off at least threetimes. Someone had just

taken their own life.’Gordon Hansen

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In preparation, Hansen tookmath and science courses whileattending Winona State Univer-sity.

When he was a junior,Hansen decided to enter the V-7program, a short four-monthcourse including a month of in-doctrination, for those seeking aNavy commission.

The percentage of those mak-ing it through was small, andthey were well aware of theirchances.

“Of the 12 who stayed in theroom I did, only six of us madeit,” he says. “They told us at thestart not to bring too manyclothes because some of uswon’t be around long.”

Now an ensign, Hansenboards a train and three dayslater he was in San Francisco,reporting for deck duty.

He and some 200 other menwere shipped out immediately,heading to islands in the SouthPacific.

The next two-and-a-halfyears was spent aboard cargo and pa-trol ships along New Guinea, theSolomon Islands, Guadalcanal and theAdmiralty Islands.

Hansen was following his brother’sfootsteps, Merv, who was 2 yearsolder and aboard a submarine at thesame time.

“He got in at the start of the war, Icame in near the end. And, he was lo-cated in Japanese waters,” he says.

Hansen chuckles when he realizesone of the brothers spent his time inthe war above water, while the otherwas under.

“It had to be stressful for my par-ents. Having two boys serving over-seas must have been really tough,” hesays.

Starting out with gunnery duties,Hansen moved up to being a naviga-tor, executive officer and a commanding officer.

Cargo ships, like Hansen’s APc-33, transportedsupplies, munitions and personnel to military basesunder threats of air, sea and submarine attacks.

“I was in three battle zones, but never shot at,”he says.

“Enemy planes would fly over. So, we alwaystraveled at night with the lights off. You lived with

the thought something couldhappen,” he adds.

If a tough, determined enemyand impending danger weren’tchallenging enough, U.S. mili-tary personnel also had to fightagainst Mother Nature.

Summers saw blistering heatand clinging humidity, while themonsoon season would meandrenching rain almost every day.

And, life aboard a small shipsailing the seas was anything butcalm.

The waters had a way of af-fecting some physically andpsychologically.

As a commanding officer,Hansen saw the ill-effects oftension, anxiety, physical fatigueand depression,

“I had this guy who pleadedwith me to get off the ship be-cause he needed to go home.He’d been away 14 months,” hesays. “There was nothing Icould do.”

While in the South Pacific,Hansen passed a written testqualifying him for pilot’s train-ing back in the states.

On the way back home afterseveral months of duty, Hansen andothers on a transport ship heading tothe Panama Canal are told U.S. forcesdropped the atomic bomb on Hi-roshima and Nagasaki in August of1945.

“Everything changed. There wasno longer a need for pilots. The warwould soon be over,” he says.

By September, the Japanese wouldsurrender.

Hansen would spend six monthsassigned to the USS Bulmer, a de-stroyer in the Port Everglades inFlorida before being decommissionedin August of 1946.

A month later, Hansen would beginhis educational career in Kennedy, lo-cated in northwestern Minnesota.

From there he went to Adams,where he taught, was a football coach,a principal for 13 years and superin-

tendent for four years. His teams at one point won24 straight games.


The Hansen brothers, Merv (far left) and Gordon, spend some time with their parents Emmaand Albert while on leave. Below, a map shows where Gordon served in the South Pacific.

Submitted photos

Gordon Hansen,from page 41————-------------

Gordon Hansen page 44


In 1960, Hansen became superin-tendent of Wells schools and retiredin 1989.

Hansen credits his parents, Albertand Emma, for going to college.

His father was a butter maker inZumbro Falls and his mother, ahomemaker.

“They both stressed the impor-tance of education. My dad was onthe school board,” he says.

In honor of Hansen’s long-timeservice and contributions to Wellsschools, the high school’s auditoriumbears his name.

“I was very surprised and hum-bled. It was a nice thing for them todo,” he says.

Hansen has a handful of itemsshowing he was in the Navy.

Uniforms, pictures and other me-mentos were destroyed by a flood athis parents home in the state ofWashington.

But, he hasn’t forgotten that’s

where he learned aboutdiscipline and responsi-bility.

“It was an obligation,but I was proud to doit,” he says.

Hansen and a non-military buddy, May-nard Heitner, don’t want localresidents to forget those who haveserved.

In 2010, they attended a MemorialDay service in Wells and came upwith the idea to honor area veteranswho have served during war orpeacetime.

On Nov. 11, four 7 x 9 granitepanels located at West FranklinStreet that will bear nearly 690names were unveiled on Veterans’Day.

“I’ve always had high regard forthose in the military. The sacrificesthey and their families have made forour country,” he says. “It’s the least I

could do.”Hansen is quick not to take full

credit for the memorial being built.He says it couldn’t have been done

without the help of four other com-mittee members, Gary Hagen, IlaTeskey, Ryan Feist and Gary Kauff-mann.

“They met over two years on aregular basis and put in a lot of timeand hard work,” he says.

Like the names engraved on thepanels, Hansen meets one definitionof a soldier — a person who wentinto the military knowing the pricehe might have to pay, and chose toenter anyway.

Gordon Hansen, from page 43 ——————-----——-----—-----——-----——-----——-----——-----——------------------------------

Staff photos by Antonio Acosta

Gordon Hansen stands in front of granite panels that are partof a memorial located at West Franklin Street in Wells

dedicated to area men and women who served in the military.


A marker on a road in South Carolina salutes the daring Doolittle Raiders, above.At right, Lt. Col. James Doolittle attaches a Japanese war medal to the tail

of one of the bombs that will be dropped on Tokyo during the raid.

remaining Raiders.“The 16 planes didn’t do much damage, but we

sure screwed up their war machine,” Stork told theBoston Herald during the 60th anniversary of thebombing raid. “They had to pull back some oftheir forces to protect the (Japanese) homeland,and some of their military leaders were so humili-ated that they committed suicide.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt himself had or-chestrated the raid, not for the damage the bomberscould inflict, but to boost sagging Americanmorale – and to shock the Japanese, showing thatdespite the tremendous losses at Pearl Harbor –and then at Wake Island and the Philippines – theU.S. was still capable of striking back.

Doolittle’s raid gave Americans a sense theycould still win the war – and gave them a reason tosupport the war effort.

Stork was discharged from the Army in 1946after having attained the rank of captain. He hadmoved to San Diego, Calif., before the war to at-tend San Diego State University, and moved to the

Los Angeles area after the war.He became a well-known Hollywood make-up

artist, working on movies such as 1949’s “TwelveO’Clock High,” which starred Gregory Peck com-manding American pilots in England during thewar.

He also worked on feature films such as “ForHeaven’s Sake” in 1950 and “Gargoyles” in 1972.

He also did makeup for television shows suchas “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

One movie he did not work on was “Thirty Sec-onds Over Tokyo,” about the Doolittle Raiders andbased on a book by one of the pilots, Ted W. Lar-son.

Stork was one of eight surviving DoolittleRaiders who attended the Honolulu premiere of theblockbuster movie “Pearl Harbor.” After thescreening they were able to meet with the movie’sscriptwriter, Randall Wallace, and complained tohim that both Doolittle and the raid were not cor-rectly portrayed in the film.

Stork died in 2002 at the age of 85 of cardiac ar-

rest, according to his wife Kay, his only immediatefamily survivor.

But, he still has other relatives living in Frost. “We are proud to be relatives of Royden Stork,”

say George and Charlene Lincoln of Frost. “Hewas a heroic World War II pilot from Frost.”

Stork was indeed recognized as a hero, earningthe Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal andthe Chinese Army, Navy and Air Corps MedalClass A First Grade, which was handed to him per-sonally by Madame Chiang Kai-shek.

There is one person who disagrees that Stork isactually a hero. Stork himself.

“I just consider myself as a lucky guy,” Storktold the National Geographic. “There were plentyof fellows I graduated with from flying school thatended up in the major league, in England, wherethey’d send out 100 B-17’s and they’d get only 30back.”

“I’m not a hero.”Plenty of others who remember Doolittle’s

Raiders would beg to disagree.

Submitted photos

Royden Stork, from page 40 ———————————————————————————————-----------------------————————————————


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There can be no finer calling than serving one’s country.

Blane Maher U.S. Air Force

Sr. Airman 2008-2012

Richard Maher U.S. Air Force

Sr. Airman 1954–195 7

David Maher U.S. Air Force

Lt. Col. 1987-2007

here simply aren’t enough words to show our appreciation for those of you who have made incredible sacrifices out of love and devotion to our country. You fought to defend our freedom and have done far more than swear your allegiance. Many have given their lives or suffered in untold ways, so that we could live soundly and safely in our homes. We will never forget what you have done for us. We honor you now and always.

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