Cement base for Civil War Cannon monument being broken up by two county workers with sledge hammers. The cannon was removed as part of a scrap metal drive to support the war effort.
Cantor was a popular entertainer who traveled periodically during World War II to promote sales of U. S. War Bonds. He is shown here with the Lebedoff triplets; David, Jonathan and Judy. Arrangements for Cantor's visit were made by Minneapolis Hadassah.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
This was an interview conducted on February 11, 1990 by Richard Olson. Albert Wedell was born September 29, 1911 in Milaca, Minnesota. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and trained in California. He was assigned to the repair division of the U.S.S. Louisville, on which he served in the Aleutian Islands and the South Pacific. He discussed the armaments of the ship, the conditions aboard, men he met in the crew, and some of the attacks on the ship by Japanese ships and aircraft. While in the Navy, Wedell married Velma Swenson on March 14, 1945, and was honorably discharged on October 27, 1945. After the war, he ran a dairy farm near Milaca for 45 years and served on the Chase Brook School Board, the local telephone and creamery boards, and the county ASCA. Wedell passed away on March 16, 2000 and was buried in Borgholm Cemetery in Bock, Minnesota. He was survived by his wife, two sons, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
This was an interview conducted in the late 1980s to early 1990s by John Carter. Bohn E. Fawkes was born on September 2, 1919 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was part of the ROTC program when World War II began, and was called to active duty initially in antiaircraft battery, but he took up the opportunity to attend flight school and be a pilot. Fawkes was a B-17 pilot with the 8th Air Force and participated in bombing raids on a manufacturing facility at Schweinfurt, Stuttgart, and Hamburg in Germany. He flew 25 missions before returning to the United States. Fawkes was stationed at Rapid City Airbase in South Dakota as a B-17 flight instructor, and eventually transferred to a B-29 training instructor in Fairmount, Nebraska. Fawkes left the military in 1962 to become a stock broker. He passed away on February 17, 2007 and is buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
In an oral history conducted by David Overy on November 17, 1990, Carl E. Erickson discussed his experiences as a lawyer before being called to duty as a training officer and Civil Affairs officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Erickson had joined the National Guard ROTC while studying law at the University of Minnesota. In this interview, Erickson described his experiences that led him to being assigned as part of General Douglass MacArthur's staff, and how he contributed to the rebuilding of the Pacific communities destroyed by the war. Lastly, Erickson detailed being reassigned from going into service in Korea to continue being a lawyer in Tokyo while the Army engineers rebuilt the area. Erickson was born on June 22, 1911 and is believed to have passed away on January 13, 1992.
This interview was conducted on December 7, 1989 by Nancy Baker. Clara Schrom Gruber was born in Albany, Minnesota, on July 3, 1921. After graduating high school in 1939, she enrolled in St. Cloud Hospital nurses training at Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley, Kansas, finishing in 1942. In June 1943, Gruber entered the United States Army Nurse Corps as a first lieutenant. Gruber helped establish two general hospitals, one outside of London, the other near Glasgow, Scotland, where wounded soldiers were evacuated directly from the war zone. In addition to her nursing responsibilities Gruber described the German and Italian prisoners of war who were housed next to the hospital in Glasgow. Upon discharge from the Army in December 1945, Gruber returned to St. Cloud and worked as a private nurse at the St. Cloud Hospital. In 1946, she married Roland Gruber, a paratrooper during World War II, and they raised five children. She worked as a registered nurse at the St. Cloud VA Hospital from 1967 until she retired in 1981. In this interview Gruber also discussed her nurses training at the St. Cloud Hospital and being encouraged to enlist by one of the doctors, the benefits of having served, and life after returning to St. Cloud. Gruber passed away on July 5, 2002.
In an oral history conducted by David H. Overy on June 3, 1991, Claude Menzhuber discussed his experiences both in combat and post-war as a combat engineer and supply sergeant in the European Theater during World War II. Born and raised in Minnesota, Menzhuber was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942. In this interview, Menzhuber described his training experiences as a combat engineer, both in basic and combat, as well as participating in the invasion of Sicily. He described the civilian's attitudes towards the American soldiers and briefly his conversations with German solider prisoners of war. Lastly, Menzhuber discussed his feelings about the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. He married his wife, Marian, in 1943 and they had two children, Carole and Lowell. Menzhuber was born on May 12, 1909, in Spring Hill, Minnesota, and passed away on March 21, 2005, in Sartell, Minnesota.
This was an interview conducted on July 19, 1989 by David Overy. Dean H. Aarvig was born on October 15, 1920 in Wilmar, Minnesota. He graduated from high school in 1937 and was drafted into the Army in 1942. After completing basic training, Aarvig went to Officer Candidate School (OCS) and joined the 9th Armored Division in France as a platoon leader that conducted intelligence & reconnaissance missions. During his service, Aarvig participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Remagen. After the wars end, Aarvig returned to Minnesota, where he and his wife ran a newspaper in Grand Meadow, as well as farmed. In November of 1950, Aarvig was recalled into the service and served with the 25th Infantry Division as a Company Commander in Korea. He talked about his thoughts on those in Vietnam burning their draft cards and going to Canada. Aarvig was married and had two children. He passed away on July 2, 1998.
In an oral history conducted by David Lewis on April 18, 1991, Richard L. Carroll discussed his experiences in training, combat and as a prisoner of war as a heavy bomber pilot in the European Theater during World War II. Born and raised in Rosemount, Minnesota, Carroll enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1942 and was called to active duty in 1943. In this interview, Carroll described his training to become a bomber pilot and his combat missions, including his fifteenth when he had to bail-out of his airplane only to be shot and captured by Hungarian civilians. Carroll described his experiences as a prisoner of war with a bullet lodged in the muscle of his heart, including his medical complications and multiple prisoner transfers. Lastly, Carroll describes his liberation and being used in prisoner negotiations between the Soviet Union and the United States as well as a brief mention of getting married, being placed on disability, and retiring from military service, all while the bullet remained lodged in his heart. Carroll was born on October 19, 1920, in Rosemount, Minnesota.
This interview was conducted on July 7, 1989 by David Overy. Donald Dean enlisted into service on July 5, 1942 and joined the 133rd Ordinance Maintenance Battalion as a vehicle repairman. He was present at the Battle of the Bulge as well as the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp, and described the scene of the former prisoners and their actions towards their former German captors. Dean had gotten married prior to being shipped overseas and had two sons. Dean concludes the interview by sharing a personal story about his son refusing to fight in Vietnam if drafted.
This was an interview conducted on February 11, 1990 by Richard Olsen. Donald E. Anderson was born on April 5, 1922 in Milaca, Minnesota. He joined the National Guard in 1939 at the age of 16. Anderson entered World War II assigned to the 34th Division Field Artillery and spent most of his service in North Africa and Italy. Anderson discussed his frustration with ninety-day wonders. Anderson also experienced taking German prisoners, as well as interacted with civilians in Italy. He was also present when the body of Mussolini was hanging from a building. After being discharged from service in 1945, Anderson opened a restaurant as well as worked as a postal worker. Anderson passed away on August 29, 1999 at the age of 77.
This was an interview conducted on May 7, 1990 by John Carter. Donald Davis enlisted in 1942 to serve as a cadet with the Army Air Corps as a pilot. Davis participated in the College Training Detachment (CTD) in Utah. The majority of his time was spent stateside, flying trainers and fighter aircraft. This program exposed Davis to flight testing, and went to Tulare, California for pilot training in a Boeing Stearman bi-wing airplane. While in training, Davis earned the rank of flight officer and wore a blue bar. Three days prior to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Davis arrived in Spain to assist in pilot training to fight against Japanese forces. Davis was discharged in October 1945 after two and a half years of service. Davis attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a journalism degree. He worked various jobs within the water conditioning business until retirement. He married later in life. He concluded the interview by stating his favorite plane to fly was the AT-6.
This interview was conducted on March 15, 1989 by David Overy. Donald Ursus Weiler was born July 12, 1923 in St. Cloud. He was drafted in spring 1943 and served as a machine gunner in the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division of the Army National Guard in North Africa and Italy. After being wounded in the leg during the Battle of Monte Cassino, he underwent an experimental treatment using a high-calcium diet at a hospital in North Africa. He spent a significant amount of time discussing how he would climb poles to listen for enemy movements and described at length the ways in which his unit would support riflemen and vehicle convoys as they advanced through Italy. While recovering and working in a military production factory in Iowa, Weiler met Thelma Ruth Lair, whom he married on January 27, 1945. Weiler lived his entire life in St. Cloud and had a long career as a service technician at the Typewriter Shop and later retired as a sales representative of Marco Business Products. As a recipient of the Purple Heart, Weiler dedicated time to supporting wounded and sick veterans at the St. Cloud Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He passed away on March 1, 2011 at the VA Center, and is buried at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery at Camp Ripley. He was survived by two sons who followed him into the military; two daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
This interview was conducted on January 20, 1990 by David Overy. Edward T. Haats was born on February 21, 1914, in Raymond, Minnesota. He entered the military as part of the Army's 105th Infantry Division in 1942. He served in the Medical Corp Detachment. Haats saw action in Saipan and was wounded in battle on July 8, 1944. Haats told of several events he observed where Japanese military and civilians committing suicide rather than surrender. Haats was wounded on July 8, 1944, the day he said that Saipan was secured. Haats was discharged from the military on April 5, 1945, and returned to Minnesota. Haats and his wife, Muriel P. Sell, owned and operated several businesses in Echo and Winthrop, Minnesota. Haats died on January 14, 1999.
In an oral history conducted by John Carter on October 7, 1991, Edward V. Anderson discussed his experiences both in training and combat as a B-24 pilot in the European Theater during World War II. Born and raised in Illinois, Anderson enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1942. In this interview, Anderson described his training experiences to become a B-24 pilot and flying several missions to bomb German oil storage tanks. Lastly, Anderson details what the final days of the war were like and briefly describes his life post-war, which included his wife, Lucy and their five children: David, Howard, Carol, Joyce and Timothy. Anderson was born on April 14, 1923, and passed away on March 13, 2011.
In an oral history conducted by Daniel T. Lewis on December 26, 1990, Gordon C. Rogstad discussed his experiences as an Air Force mechanic during World War II. He was born on August 21, 1920, and raised in Fillmore County, Minnesota. Rogstad graduated from Preston High School in 1938 and worked as a farm laborer until he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1942. He went to airplane mechanics school in Texas before being assigned to the South West Pacific theater of World War II. Rogstad discussed the various responsibilities in plane repair, the bases he lived on, the combat conditions, and enemy raids during his tour of duty. He earned three battle stars, American Defense Medal, Phillipine Liberation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and several ribbons from serving in three military campaigns. Rogstad concluded with a description of the home front when he returned, as well as his ability to adapt away from the pressures of combat. Moreover, after he was discharged from the Air Force, Rogstad described the difficulties in finding work and the continuation of health problems from his time spent in the military, but maintains that he should have stayed in the military longer. After he was World War II, Rogstad farmed and worked for Kappers Constuction, as well as a handyman. Rogstad died on May 8, 2004 at the age of 83.
This was an interview conducted on April 7, 1990 by David Overy. Herbert Blad was born on January 12, 1920. He joined the Army on March 22, 1942 and served as a 60mm mortarman in the 32nd Infantry, 7th Division. Blad primarily spent World War II in the Pacific theater, where he participated in the Aleutians, Kwajalein, Leyte, and Okinawa campaigns. One of the most shocking things Blad witnessed was the treatment of native civilians by the Japanese military which included mass slaughter and use of civilians for bayonet practice. Blad described an incident when a kamikaze pilot struck the ship he was on, sending one man overboard. World War II concluded with Blad stationed on Okinawa, but he was sent to Pusan, Korea to police the area until the Japanese troops left. He was discharged on November 15, 1945. Blad concluded the interview with his thoughts on those draft-dodging Vietnam, and how he felt they did not appreciate America by their actions. Blad passed away on December 27, 1997.
This was an interview conducted on May 9 and June 6, 1990 by David Overy. James Grunerud was born on December 11, 1917 in Waseca, Minnesota. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved back to Saskatchewan, Canada, where he grew up on a farm. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Dragoons (First Armored Regiment) in 1940, shortly after the Battle of Dunkirk. Grunerud arrived in England during the height of the Battle of Britain and he described the aftermath of the Germans bombing an elementary school and a movie theatre filled with children. Gross was involved in military action in Sicily, Italy, France (D-Day), Germany, Belgium, and Holland. From September 1943 to May 1944, he saw action in Italy, including at Monte Cassino. He was wounded in action three times. Grunerud told of a visit to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp shortly after it was liberated. After the war was over and while waiting to be evacuated, Grunerud had the opportunity to travel in Europe.
In an oral history conducted by David Overy on June 6, 1991, James C. Graham, Sr., discussed his experiences as a bombardier in the United States Air Force during World War II. When World War II broke out, he was drafted into the United States Army in 1942, then transferred into the Army Air Corps and became a bombardier. He described his responsibilities as a bombardier - identifying ground targets, studying maps, briefings, and dealing with weather issues. On Graham's 16th mission, his plane was shot down and was taken as a prisoner of war to Stalag Luft 1 Camp in Germany, where he would spend the rest of the war. He discussed the harsh realities of being a prisoner of war, the starvation, sickness, cold weather, all while never giving up hope. Towards the end of the war, the Germans fled the prison camp because the Russian Army was advancing. As a result, the prisoners were left to fend for themselves until help arrived. After returning home, Graham maintained that his military experience was a positive one. The military provided him with discipline, physical training, and allowed him to be surrounded by like-minded people. This interview concludes with Graham's thoughts and feelings toward the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. Graham married his wife, Jeanne Sauer, in 1947. The couple had four children, Michael, James Jr., Mary, and Elizabeth. Graham was employed as a brakeman and conductor for Burlington Northern Railroad for forty-three years, he retired in 1983. James C. Graham, Sr., died on May 7, 1994, at the age of 73.
This was an interview conducted by David Overy. John Voth was born on February 9, 1921 in Fair Haven, Minnesota. After graduating from St. Cloud Technical High School in 1939, Voth attended St. Cloud Teachers College until volunteering for duty in World War II with the Army Air Corps on October 6, 1942. Voth had experience as a pilot prior to his war years, which led him to the Air Corps. Voth spent time in the south as well as in Minnesota training pilots before moving to airplane maintenance. Voth detailed how students were trained and typical reasons they would washout of school. After the war, Voth owned the St. Cloud Hobby Shop as well as earned his Doctoral Degree in Industrial Education. He taught at both Hutchinson and Sartell High Schools as well as the Minnesota State Reformatory. He was an inductee in the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. He was married to Adeline (Dickie) Dickinson and they had two children, Diane and John. Voth concluded the interview by stating he estimate
In an oral history conducted by David Overy on June 20, 1990, Joseph B. Hoppe discussed his experiences as a mechanic for the United States Air Force in World War II. He was born on February 2, 1920, and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hoppe graduated from the Dunwoody Institute in April 1941 and taught machine work there until he was drafted into World War II in December 1941. Hoppe was assigned into the 57th Air Service Squadron, part of the 332nd Air Service Group. Hoppe described how he provided repair and maintenance for fighter aircraft in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France. He recounted the repair on various types of airplanes, from welding to machine work. Hoppe described the impact his military experience had on his life. It provided not only an education, but an experience that cannot be bought. After the war, Hoppe owned and operated the Avon Machine Shop for four years, was employed as a tool and die maker for DeZurik Corporation and then Rimco Manufacturing of Rice. He married Veronica Blenker in 1950; she passed away in 1970. In 1973, Joseph married Colette Wedl; she passed away in 1989. In 1991, he married Mathilda �Babe� Maile; she passed away in 2009. Hoppe died on December 22, 2012.
This interview was conducted on October 30, 1990 and January 21, 1991 by David Overy. Joseph Plakut was born in Swan River Township, Minnesota, on March 17, 1921. He entered the Army in October 1942. Plakut was trained as an airplane mechanic and .50 caliber machine gunner on a bomber plane in England. On his first mission, his plane was shot down while trying to bomb a German plant at Bremen and he spent the remainder of the war in a German prison camp. During a camp evacuation march in 1945, Plakut and the rest of the surviving prisoners were liberated by the American 3rd Armored Division Plakut married his wife Anna Maciej on June 11, 1946 and they had four children: Richard, JoAnn, Kathleen, and David. Plakut concluded his oral history with a discussion about how his treatment as a prisoner and the treatment of prisoners in Iraq were very different experiences. Plakut passed away on June 24, 2005 at the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud.
