Northland Press

11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015
Blaisdell: member of 10th Mountain Division during WWII
from camp. It was ideal ski training territory and perfectly suited
for avalanches. The sun was
eye-searing when it bounced off
the snow.
In their training the men had to
climb up the mountain with snowshoes with a 90-pound pack on
their back, and then ski down.
Stan Blaisdell, WWII Veteran participates in the Emily Day Parade.
By Shirley Blaisdell
and Kate Perkins
Note: This story is a Veteran’s
Day special, written about Emily
resident Stan Blaisdell by his wife,
Shirley, and Northland Press
Correspondent Kate Perkins.
It wasn’t until the fall of 1944 that
a name was chosen for the first
army ski troop. They would be
called the 10th Mountain
Division. The men were asked to
help design a patch for their uniforms.
When World War II broke out in
Europe, the American army had
no special forces of mountain
soldiers. In November of 1941,
the 10th Mountain Division was
created to specialize in mountain
and cold weather warfare. It was
hard to find men for the new regiment.
Requirements
for
entrance were extremely high.
“We climb to conquer,” was their
motto, and they were called
“mountainers.” Stan Blaisdell, of
Emily, was one of these men. He
is now 92 years old.
Blaisdell’s time serving his country began immediately after
graduation from high school,
when he was inducted into the
U.S. Army at Fort Snelling. He
took his basic training at
Weatherford, Texas. After basic
training, he was given 300
recruits to take to camp Hale for
further training as mountain
rangers. Training was extremely
harsh. Blaisdell’s experience in
farming and country skiing, as
well as high school basketball
captain and coach, would serve
him well.
In December, 1942, the 87th regiment moved to a location high in
the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
A camp was built there. They
named it Camp Hale after
General Irving Hale from Denver.
Denver was 120 miles away
along treacherous mountain
roads that made any trip an
adventure in itself.
At Camp Hale, Blaisdell was outfitted with the necessary wool
clothing, bunny boots, skis and
snowshoes. No one could go
anywhere without snowshoes.
Camp Hale was at an altitude of
10,000 feet and it was difficult to
breathe. Climbers could look out
over dozens of 13,000 foot
peaks all within a day’s walk
“Ever ski down a hill with 90
pounds on your back? Don’t hit a
tree!” Blaisdell said with a smile.
While he jokes about the experience, his training was in
extremely harsh conditions. On
maneuvers Blaisdell and his
peers learned to eat, work, and
sleep in the snow, sometimes 10
feet deep. The men would sleep
in “mummy bags” with leather
masks to cover their faces. They
would cover themselves in snow
and sleep in temperatures that
averaged 30-40 degrees below
zero. They had no tents to sleep
in when on maneuvers.
While the camp’s mascot was
the St. Bernard, it was Alaskan
huskies that were used for hauling supplies. However, many of
the dogs became useless as
workers because they went blind
from the blazing sun and the lack
of oxygen at the high altitude.
Camp Hale was also the location
of a German prison camp, built
there because even if the prisoners escaped, the remote location
meant there was nowhere to run.
The camp was housing Hitler’s
SS Troops. SS stood for
“Schutzstaffel,” which is German
for
“Protective
Echelon.”
According to History.com, SS
troops were initially Hitler’s personal body guards, and later
became one of the most powerful and feared organizations in all
of Nazi Germany.
Blaisdell says the SS Troops
were taught one thing: how to kill
Americans. He and his peers
were on a rotation for guarding
the SS Troops at all hours of the
day and night, and Blaisdell had
to shoot at the troops when they
attempted escape.
At the headquarters on a hill,
Stan thoroughly enjoyed the job
of folding the camp’s huge flag
every night. The flag was so
large it took eight to 10 men- four
or five on either side- to fold it.
Soon the men were told they
were needed in Italy. They were
all put on a troop train and sent
to Corpus Christi where they
would board the ship. As they
waited in line, 50 or 60 men were
called to step out. Blaisdell was
one of them, because he was
found to have bronchitis. His
chest was wrapped with tape
and he was running a high fever.
He had been given special
glasses because he’d developed
snow blindness from the bright
sun bouncing off the snow and
the high altitudes.
Blaisdell was transferred to the
Indianola Firing Center at
Magnolia Beach, Texas, where
he trained men to shoot 50-caliber machine guns. He had
received a “sharp shooter”
badge in basic training.
He recalls that in the midst of
training the men, he was abruptly told to stop.
“I said, ‘I’m still teaching recruits
here.’ They said ‘We don’t need
‘em. The war’s over.’” Blaisdell
recalls. Two days later he was
given his pay and told to go
home.
Years after his return to
Minnesota, Blaisdell was one of
the founding, charter members
of the Crosslake-Fifty Lakes
American Legion. He continues
to be a member today.
Blaisdell’s training in the 10th
Mountain Division was endless
and harsh, but it was later said
“out of Camp Hell” marched one
of the most competent divisions
in modern warfare.
The Prisoner of War / Missing in Action Flag
profile, creating the basis for a
symbol that would come to
have a powerful impact on the
national conscience.
In 1971, Mrs. Michael Hoff, the
wife of a U.S. military officer
listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War, developed the idea for a national flag
to remind every American of
the U.S. servicemembers
whose fates were never
accounted for during the war.
The black and white image of a
gaunt silhouette, a strand of
barbed wire and an ominous
watchtower was designed by
Newt Heisley, a former World
War II pilot. Some claim the silhouette is a profile of Heisley’s
son, who contracted hepatitis
while training to go to Vietnam.
The virus ravaged his body,
leaving his features hallow and
emaciated. They suggest that
while staring at his son’s
sunken features, Heisley saw
the stark image of American
servicemembers held captive
under harsh conditions. Using
a pencil, he sketched his son’s
By the end of the Vietnam War,
more than 2,500 servicemembers were listed by the
Department of Defense as
Prisoner of War (POW) or
Missing in Action (MIA). In
1979, as families of the missing
pressed for full accountability,
Congress and the president
proclaimed the first National
POW/MIA Recognition Day to
acknowledge the families’ concerns and symbolize the steadfast resolve of the American
people to never forget the men
and women who gave up their
freedom protecting ours. Three
years later, in 1982, the
POW/MIA flag became the only
flag other than the Stars and
Stripes to fly over the White
House in Washington, D.C.
On August 10, 1990, Congress
passed U.S. Public Law 101355, designating the POW/MIA
flag: “The symbol of our
Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as
possible the fates of Americans
still prisoner, missing and
unaccounted for in Southeast
Asia.”
Displaying the POW/MIA Flag
Congress designated the third
Friday of September as
National
POW/MIA
Recognition Day and ordered
prominent display of the
POW/MIA flag on this day and
several other national observances,
including Armed
Forces Day, Memorial Day,
Flag Day, Independence Day
and Veterans Day. The 1998
Defense Authorization Act (P.L.
105-85) mandates that on
these national observances,
the POW/MIA flag is to be
flown over the White House,
the U.S. Capitol, the Korean
and Vietnam Veterans War
Memorials, the offices of the
Secretaries of State, Defense
and Veterans Affairs, offices of
the Director of the Selective
Service System, every major
military installation (as directed
by the Secretary of Defense),
every post office and all
Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) medical centers and
national cemeteries. The act
also directs VA medical centers
to fly the POW/MIA flag on any
day on which the flag of the
United States is displayed.
When displayed from a single
flag pole, the POW/MIA flag
should fly directly below, and
The Origin of
Veterans’
Day
be no larger than, the United
States flag. If on separate
poles, the U.S. flag should
always be placed to the right of
other flags. On the six national
observances
for
which
Congress has ordered display
of the POW/ MIA flag, it is generally flown immediately below
or adjacent to the United
States flag as second in order
of precedence.
This article is re-printed from
the United States Department
of Veterans Affairs website.
This is one of several downloadable
collection on “Celebrating
America’s Freedom”
“Let us solemnly
remember the
sacrifices of all those
who fought so
valiantly, on the seas,
in the air, and on
foreign shores, to
preserve our heritage
of freedom, and
let us reconsecrate
ourselves to the task
of promoting an
enduring peace so that
their efforts shall not
have been in vain.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
In 1921, an unknown World War I
American soldier was buried in
Arlington National Cemetery. This
site, on a hillside overlooking the
Potomac River and the city of
Washington, D.C., became the
focal point of reverence for
America’s veterans.
Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where
an unknown soldier was buried in
each nation’s highest place of
honor (in England, Westminster
Abbey; in France, the Arc de
Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November
11, giving universal recognition to
the celebrated ending of World
War I fighting at 11 a.m., November
11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th
day of the 11th month). The day
became known as “Armistice Day.”
Armistice Day officially received its
name in America in 1926 through a
Congressional
resolution.
It
became a national holiday 12
years
later
by
similar
Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that
World War I was “the War to end all
wars,” November 11 might still be
called Armistice Day. But only a
few years after the holiday was
proclaimed, war broke out in
Europe. Sixteen and one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died
in service, more than 292,000 in
battle.
Armistice Day Changed To
Honor All Veterans
The first celebration using the term
Veterans Day occurred in
Birmingham , Alabama , in 1947.
Raymond Weeks, a World War II
veteran, organized "National
Veterans Day," which included a
parade and other festivities, to
honor all veterans. The event was
held on November 11, then designated Armistice Day. Later, U.S.
Representative Edward Rees of
Kansas proposed a bill that would
change Armistice Day to Veterans
Day. In 1954, Congress passed
the bill that President Eisenhower
signed proclaiming November 11
as Veterans Day. Raymond Weeks
received the Presidential Citizens
Medal from President Reagan in
November 1982. Weeks' local
parade and ceremonies are now
an annual event celebrated nationwide.
On Memorial Day 1958, two more
unidentified American war dead
were brought from overseas and
interred in the plaza beside the
unknown soldier of World War I.
One was killed in World War II, the
other in the Korean War. In 1984,
an unknown serviceman from the
Vietnam War was placed alongside the others. The remains from
Vietnam were exhumed May 14,
1998 , identified as Air Force 1st Lt.
Michael Joseph Blassie, and
removed for burial. To honor these
men, symbolic of all Americans
who gave their lives in all wars, an
Army honor guard, the 3rd U.S.
Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps
day and night vigil.
A law passed in 1968 changed the
commemoration
of
national
Veterans Day to the fourth Monday
in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11
was a date of historic significance
to many Americans. Therefore, in
1978 Congress returned
the
observance to its
traditional date.
National Ceremonies Held at
Arlington National Cemetery
The focal point for official, national
ceremonies for Veterans Day continues to be the memorial
amphitheater built around the
Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 a.m.
on November 11, a combined color
guard representing all military services executes “Present Arms” at
the tomb. The nation’s tribute to its
war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath. The
bugler plays “taps.” The rest of the
ceremony takes place in the
amphitheater.
Veterans Day ceremonies at
Arlington and elsewhere are coordinated by the President’s
Veterans Day National Committee.
Chaired by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, the committee
represents national veterans
organizations.
Governors of many states and
U.S. territories appoint Veterans
Day chairpersons who, in cooperation with the National Committee
and the Department of Defense,
arrange and promote local ceremonies.
Additional Information
Additional information on the history of Veterans Day, the Veterans
Day National Committee, the
national ceremony, a gallery of
Veterans Day posters from 1978 to
the present and a colorful and
informative
Veterans
Day
Teacher’s Resource Guide can be
found on the Internet at:
www.va.gov/vetsday/
This article is re-printed from the
United States Department of
Veterans Affairs website. This is one
of several downloadable collection
on “Celebrating America’s Freedom”
2V
11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Danniel Kitzerow
2015 Air Force
SPC David J. Hart
SGT Richard B. Rezanka
US Army Air Force
Served in World War II, 1943-1945
8th Air Force, 34th Bomb Group,
Mendlesham, England
Dennis Ottem of Remer, US Army,
Guard, in Mainz Germany 1956
Jessica "Nordling" Beireis
Marines from 1965-1974
Lt. Col. Jack Nordling
United States Marine Corps
21 year of service
WWII and Korea War
Wedding picture with
Harriet "Larsen" Nordling 1941
PFC Richard Rezanka
US Army
Served in World War I, 1917-1918
149th Artillery, 42nd Infantry
"Rainbow" Division, France
Thomas E. Martin, Specialist E-5,
US Army 1968 – 1971,
2/10 Calvary Maintenance,
Camp Kaiser, Korea
Larry De Boer
Seargent (T), Viet Nam 1969
Bronze Star
Corporeal Hubert F Lindblad
34th Medical Battalion
Germany January 1954
Daniel Johnson, Staff Sgt. served in
Korea, Germany, Iraq Freedom in
Missouri and one year in
Afghanistan. Dan has been in the
Army since 1993. He currently
resides in Duluth and is an active
reservist. Dan is the son of Stanley
and Shirley Johnson of Outing, MN.
Corporal Jerome Anderson,
Outing, MN
1st Marine Division, Korea 1954-55
Stanley Johnson served in the U.S.
Army from 1955-1957 in Germany.
Merlyn Wayne Brandanger,
Staff Sgt, US Airforce, Dec. 1942
to Sept. 1945. POW from
March 18, 1944 to May 1945, WWII
Gary Heye Buskol was a Sergeant
E5 in the 23rd Infantry Division, also
called the American Division in Viet
Nam. He won the purple heart,
bronze star, and the air medal. He
was a door gunner. February 2005
Gary lost his battle with cancer.
Dennis Roger Johnson
U. S. Army from 1951-1953
Life member of the American Legion
in Remer. Dennis, 78, died at his
home in Remer on Oct 11, 2007.
James “Jim” Stern, Sgt E5, MP
Company
(Military Police), Ft.
Gordon, GA. Served 1984-87
CM1 Mitch Miller son of Cindy Miller
and Dave Schaumburg of Outing.
Active duty Navy May 1999-2007,
Naval Reserve May 2007-2013.
Nov., 2012 returned from deployment to Afghanistan while attached
to a Naval Special Warfare group
based out of Coronado, CA. During
this deployment he received Navy
and Army Achievement Medals, an
Afghanistan Campaign Medal,
Combat Action Ribbon, a Nato
Medal and an Expeditionary
Warfare Specialist Pin.
Relocated to MN in 2013 and is
employed by BNSF.
Josh Brustad, 2nd Lieutenant, US
Marine Corp at the basic officers
course in Quantico, VA.
Joe Stern, Specialist 4, 101st Airborn
Ft. Campbell, KY. Served 1985-87
MSGT Stephen W. Horning
Special Duty – Winnipeg, Canada
Son of Ruth Hoag
Active Duty (2008)
Glenn William Slagle
Motor Machinist’s Mate 2C V6
USNR
Norman Eutelle Frink S/SGT in
USAF - enlisted in July 1951, served
in Korea from the fall of 1953 to the
fall of 1954. He was later stationed in
Lincoln, Nebraska until his honorable discharge in July of 1955. (submitted by his sister Margarette E.
Bodle of Emily, MN)
Kerry Blaisdell
Navy Veteran 1965-68 Served
on a Missile Ship, Vietnam,
son of Stan Blaisdell, Emily, MN
Ralph W. Yeager
Staff Sgt, US Army 82nd Airborne
April 1943 – Sept. 1945 (overseas)
Sicilian, Naples, Foggia, Normandy,
Ardennes, Rhineland,
Central Europe
John Patterson on bridge
of USS Mobile Bay.
US Naval Academy graduate
Son of Jim and Landi Patterson
part-time Lake Washburn resident
Robert W. Nichols US Navy 1940’s.
Son of Bernie Nichols, Grandson of
Albert Nichols, and cousin of Milea
O’Brien, Outing.
James Patterson
Graduated from Annapolis.
Son of Jim and Landi Patterson
part-time Lake Washburn resident
Delno W. Carlton of Emily, MN
Rank: First Lieutenant, USMC
Unit: Night Fighter Squadron
VMF(N)542
Location: South Pacific
Cpl Jesse Bullock, of Remer, in his
second tour of duty in Iraq with the
1st Battallion 5th Marines.
(l-r) Dale, Bob and Gordon Siemers at the fifth annual picnic put on by the Kim
family in New Brighton, MN on September 12, 2008. Dale and Bob Siemers
served in the US Army in the ETO during WWII, Gordon served in the US
Navy, also during WWII in the Atlantic. – photo submitted by Gordon Siemers
Sgt. Angelina Kielsa, C-Company
211-Med-Vac
APO-AE 09330, Active Duty 2008.
Granddaughter of Leo Boog
Melvin “Mel” Stern, Cpl. 2nd
Division, Fort Lewis, WA
Korean War. Served 1953-55
Leonard Charles Fairbanks, US Air
Force, P-38 Pilot, Missing in Action
WWII 1945
11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • Tuesday, November 10, 2015
A Salute to Our Veterans
with Pride & Gratitude
T/Sgt Reuben E. Watlov,
US Marine,
May12,1942 to Nov. 1, 1945
Henry Tobiason of Remer;
US Air Force flew 33 missions on a
B-24 over England in 1944 as a
Nose gunner of the Hell’s Belle.
3V
Capt. Robert Paul Boblett, Sr.
US Army WWII
MSgt Eric Fischer
USAF Retired 1993-2014
Berntine Peter Brandanger,
rank- private, US Army, WWI
LT Erin Christopher, US Navy 2007
current
Capt Lorne Christopher, USMC
2003 current
Husband and wife F18 pilots
Jessica “Nordling” Beireis
Marines, 1965- 1974
Tom Julian, AK3
U.S.S America CVA66
Vietnam 1969-1971
Left: Lloyd E. Thyen, Captain, US Army, 1989-1993 and 1996-2000, Germany
and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Hometown Munich, Germany, currently Los Gatos,
CA; Right: Roger A. Thyen, Chief Warrant Officer Three, US Army, 1993-1998
and 2002-2004, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Germany and Iraq. Hometown
Munich, Germany, currently Bristow, VA.; Center: Lloyd N. Thyen, Chief
Warrant Officer Five, US Army Retired, 1965-2002, Vietnam and Germany.
Hometown St. Cloud, MN, currently, Outing, MN.
Total active duty service for all three = 52 years. Total Reserve service = 10 years.
Mel Granos of Pequot, was a
corporal in the Army's 35th infantry
regiment, 25th Division, during the
Korean War and survived the
deadly battle for Hill 682
in September 1951.
Victor Stanchfield Outing, MN
Staff Sergeant
10th Infantry Division
1955-1958 Germany
Anne B. Green
Women’s Army Corps
Corporal – TEC 5, WWII
Occupational Therapist for Veterans
injured in WWII
Timothy F. Donnay
Chief Master Sergeant
Financial Management
Superintendant
934th Airlift Wing
Minneapolis-St. Paul IAP, Minnesota
33 years of service
Albert J Nichols US Army, Civil War,
three tours of duty; Dec 1861 to
Dec 1862, Dec. 1862 to Dec. 1865,
and Dec. 1865 to 1871. Grandfather
of Milea O’Brien, Outing, MN.
Kenneth W. Green
US Navy – Served on
Destroyer/Mine Sweeper
Lieutenant Junior Grade (JG)
WWII Pacific Theater
Theodore M. Olson
Marine Corps PFC
Served Iow Jima - Guam Guadacanal
Henry Cleveland Webster
Civil War, 17th Iowa Infantry
PCF David I. Kimlicka
Fire Direction Control (FDC)
330th Field Artillery
Headquarters Battery
Nu Ulm, Germany
Hungarian-born Francis van Dan,
(Remer, MN) a member of the
Hungarian resistance, which consisted of only 781 people in the entire
nation of Hungary during WWll
David E. Hughes, Sr.
US Army Signal Corps
January 1953 Korean War Conflict
USAF Nathan Netko
Tinker Air Force Base,
Oklahoma City, OK
Son of Pat & Rick Netko
Active Duty (2008)
Chip Rankin, Major
3/31/1994 to present
Iraq 2005-2007
Afghanistan 2011-2012
David George Brandanger,
rank- sp. 5th class, US Army,
Nov.30, 1969-Nov. 8, 1970,
Viet Nam
Captain Louis A. Green
US Army Infantry - World War I
Fought in Belgium & France in
trenches
Roger Allan Morrisette of Remer
US Air Force WWII
PFC Michael Salonek
Son of Daniel Salonek
Active Duty (2008)
Taylor Smith of Outing, MN.
E-3/PFC U.S. Army National Guard
Duluth, MN
Curtis Siemers, US Army
He was killed in action on
July 10, 1953 - Korean War
Stanley Blaisdell
Army - Ski Troop 10th Mountain
Division, WWII 1943-1945
Emily, MN
Owen L. Schilling Sr. 1919-2001
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Served: 03/17/41-10/15/45
Branch: United States Army WWII
Unit: 113th Cavalry Regiment,
B Troop, Mechanized
Reconnaissance
Submitted by: William F. Schilling
Crosslake, Minnesota
(Son of Owen L. Schilling, Sr.)
Rory Emerald Bodle of Outing
US Army 1977-1981, 25th Infantry
4th Infantry Division
Dustin Bartnick with two Kurdish Police officers in Kirkuk, Iraq
SPC Dustin Bartnick arrived back in Oahu on September 26, 2007 after serving 14 months in Iraq. Dustin with the 25th Infantry Div. B Co. spent 13 months
at Kirkuk Air force base in northern Iraq and one month in Bacouba in Diayla
Province. Dustin is stationed at Schofield Barracks in Oahu and lives there
with his wife Regina and stepdaughter Stephanie. He is the son of Tracy Neil
and her husband Gary of Remer, and brother of Travis Bartnick.
4V
11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Victor Bluhm, US Army Medical
Corps Stretcher Bearer, 1943-1944,
Italy WWII. Victor is the brother of
Emma Morse, Remer, MN
Sean J. Wheeler
Specialist US Army
Based in Alaska,
currently serving in Iraq
From Waterville, MN
Grandson of Jim & Marge Wheeler
Nephew and Cousin to
Randy and Kelly Roach and Family
of Mission Township
“We Love you, come home soon”
Staff Sgt. Carl G. (Swede) Hanson,
5th Army Africa
campaign, WWII 1941-45
Fred F. Freeman, Viet Nam veteran.
Nephew of Fred F. Driver. (photo
submitted by his cousin, Margarette
E. Bodle of Emily, MN)
Remer Draft 1942 – Pictured above are the first four soldiers drafted out of
Remer in 1942. Soldiers: (l-r) Gordon Brown, Chuck Cockman, Bert Lock,
and Frank Diedrich. photo submitted by Frank Diedrich
Richard Heinzer, PFC
Army Air Corps, USA WWII
October 1942 – January 1946
Richard is a resident of Crosslake
Lester M. Locke US Army, Medic,
stationed in Germany and U.S.
Pictured with his sister Elma Locke.
Uncle of Milea O’Brien, Outing.
Fred F. Driver served in World War II
and was taken prisoner by the
Germans. After the war he was
released. Fred re-enlisted to fight in
the Korean War where he lost his
life. (Fred was a first cousin to
Ronald and Leon Frink. Submitted
by his cousin Margarette E. Bodle of
Emily, MN)
Spc. Ron A. Aamodt
2003 Army National Guard
2006-08 Operation Iraq Freedom.
Retired, living in Alabama
Aamodt is the son of LaVonne and
Ray Bruhn of Emily and the late
Ron A. Aamodt, Sr.
Conrad C. Treichler, Sergeant,
USMC 1940-45, Pearl Harbor Attack
Survivor, Invasion of Guadalcanal,
Soloman Islands - First Marine
Division August 7, 1942; battle for
Saipan, Tinian Mariana Islands 2nd
Marine Division July 1944. Conrad is
from Rockaway Beach Resort in
Boy Lake, MN.,
Lt. Col. Brain Bruckbauer, pictured in
Afghanistan in 2002. Active duty:
Luke AFB in Phoenix, AZ. Son of
Bob and Jeanette Bruckbauer of
Remer.
Hell’s Belle of the 8th Air Force- 34th Bomb Group.
Henry Tobiason of Remer is pictured far right in the back row.
SPC Shari (Kosobuski) Anderson
and her brother, Joe Kosobuski in
Saudi Arabia outside the tents
where they lived for six months from
Nov. 1990- May 1991.
Leon Emerald Frink served in the
U.S. Navy from January 1946 to
January 1948. He was assigned to
duty on the Aircraft Carrier USS
Princeton CV-37. (submitted by his
sister Margarette E. Bodle of Emily,
MN)
USAF Steven Daleiden
Qatar
Grandson of Glen & Dorothy Daleiden
Active Duty (2008)
Lawrence J. Perkins, Jr. RDM3
1943-46,
USS Poughkeepsie, Sub Chaser,
Atlantic Ocean
Major Scott Heidemann
Air Force Reserves
729th Airlift Squadron
C-17 Globemaster-Pilot
March A.F.B., Riverside, CA
Son of Warren & Marlene
Heidemann
Active Duty (2008)
SrA Katelyn Tschida, USAF
Currently Supporting Operation
Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)
Supported Operation Iraqi Freedom
in 2008
Parents: Kevin & Karla Tschida,
Remer, NHS '04 Graduate
Rosslyn E. Gresens, Hill City, MN US Army Korean Conflict, MIA
August 1952,
Uncle of Frani Hogate, Outing, MN
Hugh G. Perkins TE-3, Naval
Communications 1946-48 Shanghai, China
(Right) Staff Sgt. Kyle Tschida, USAF-Reserves, Veteran of Korean Conflict
NHS Class ‘01, Parents: Kevin & Karla Tschida, Remer and (left)
Staff Sgt. Floramie Tschida, US Air National Guard, Husband: Kyle Tschida
Ronald Merrill Frink
Enlisted U.S.A.F: July of 1951
Korea: Jan 1954- Dec 1954
Honorable discharge: 1955.
Air National Guard: 8/18/74-8/18/81
Army National Guard: thru Jan 1991
Army Retired Reserve and retired
as Army S/Sgt. 04/10/92
(submitted by his sister,
Margarette E. Bodle of Emily, MN)
Robert James Horton
1942, US Army Corp (later the US
Air Force) Stationed in Karachi,
India, where he flew “The Hump”, a
route over the Himalayas delivering
fuel to troops in China. Promoted to
Captain discharged in November
1945. Recalled in 1950 to service
during the Korean conflict, flying B26, C-46, and C-47 aircraft while
being stationed in Japan. Horton was
awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross Air Medal, presidential Flying
Cross Air Medal, Presidential Unit
Citation, and two Battle Stars for the
Asiatic Pacific Theater Medal. He
passed away in October 2006 at
home in California at the age of 86.
Logan Nichols, uncle of
Milea O’Brien, Outing.
George R. Madson, Outing, MN
1st Marine Division, South Pacific;
Australia to China 1943-1945
Marvin and Marlin Berry, Remer High School graduates. Joined Navy 1956.
“The willingness with which our young people are
likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified,
Gary DeHart of Remer joined the US Army in February 1970, and completed
basic training at Fort Campbell, Kansas and advanced Medic training at Fort
Sam Houston, Texas. He went to Vietnam on February 20, 1971. There, he
earned two Purple Hearts and the Cross of Gallantry. He also served in Korea
and served a total of 14 years and 6 months, earning several medals. The
photo is of DeHart being promoted to Sergeant First Class.
shall be directly proportional as to how they
perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated
and appreciated by their Nation.”
- President George Washington
11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • Tuesday, November 10, 2015
SPF David Saari, 1-188th Air
Defense Artillery, Grand Forks, ND.
Service in Afghanistan, providing
security for his FOB (forward operating base), and the surrounding area,
through surveillance with the
JLENS/RAID system
CPL Evan Johnson
San Diego, CA
Grandson of Kay Garin
SPC/4 William J. Sandefur
5th Inf. Div. Honor Guard
(Original Member)
Fort Carson, CO: 04-03-64/04-01-66
Currently retired and living in the
Remer area.
Staff Sergeant Shannon Myers
Skrivanie, USAF
Overseas tours of duty including
Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Daughter of Kirk Myers of Outing.
AM2 (AW/SW) Erik Jenson,
VAW-121, Norfolk VA. Son of Brad
and Connie Jenson of Nisswa.
CPT Michael Rainey
Army, 1-346th Regiment
Camp Shelby, MS
John E. Usherwood
Staff Sergeant
351st Bomb Group
8th Air Force
Pole Brook, England 1942-1944
Leonard E. Fairbanks of Outing,
US Navy 1974-77
Sgt. Andrew P. Gravdahl
194th AR, 34th Inf. Div. MNARNG
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Camp Addar at Talil Air Base and
LSA Anaconda at Balad
Deployed October 2005 -July 2007
Active Duty 2008
Son of Paul & Barb Gravdahl
Nephew of Erv & Gerry Gravdahl
Walter A. ‘Buck’ Jones, Private First
Class; Hackensack (1948-97), landed on Omaha Beach on June 6,
1944 and fought all across France.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Frank Diedrich of Remer.
Artillery Mechanic.
Based in the Dutch East Indies.
Donald Eugene Brandanger, US Army
during the Korean war. Donald was
Meryln Brandanger's younger brother
who had passed away in 2008.
(Brandanger family of Pequot Lakes)
Roy Camp, US Army, native of Boy
River and attended of Boy River High
School.
Chet Camp, US Army, native of Boy
River and attended of Boy River High
School.
Ellsworth Camp, US Army, native of
Boy River and attended of Boy River
High School.
Lyle Camp, US Army, native of Boy
River and attended of Boy River High
School.
Donald Camp, US Navy, native of Boy
River and attended of Boy River High
School.
Bruce Crandell – Army, Tom & Carol
Ottoson family of Crosslake
Leighton Crandell – Army, Vietnam,
Tom & Carol Ottoson family of
Crosslake
Kevin Crandell – Army, Vietnam, Tom &
Carol Ottoson family of Crosslake
Bob Fisher, Outing, Served in the Viet
Nam War.
Miles A. Nichols, US Army WWI, Sept.
1918 to Dec. 1918, also was a member
of the Civilian Conservation Corps
1935-1937. Miles was the son of Albert
Nichols, and father of Milea O’Brien,
Outing.
Alan Winters US Army, Served in Iraq,
now a Recruiting Officer in Minneapolis,
MN. son in-law of Harold and Milea
O’Brien, Outing
Kevin Malikowski of Outing, US
Army, served in
Vietnam in 1970-71 in Phu Hiep
Robert F. Stark (father of Steve Stark, Crosslake) pictured center back row in
above photo. Seaman 1st Class, US Coast Guard 1943 to 1945.Assigned to
USS Cambria (APA-36).Division: Beach Assualt (LCVP boat). Photo taken at
Pearl Harbor
Additional Local Area Veterans to Honor:
Burton Blaisdell, proudly served in
Japan during World War II, he was
assigned as driver for Gen. MacArthur's
staff and also for Gen. Marquette. He
passed away on October 10, 2009 at
age 89.
Gerald O. Berry 105th Cavalry,
Wisconsin National Guard,
Honorably discharged 5-1-1928
Richard G. Fairbanks, Northland
High School graduate 1979, US Air
Force 1982-86
Ted Lundgren
US Navy, 1962-1965
USS Enterprise Aircraft Carrier
Army Spc. George W. Cauley
24, of Walker, MN
Assigned to the 114th Truck
Company, Minnesota National
Guard, Duluth, MN.
Cauley died October 10, 2009 in
Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds
suffered when insurgents attacked
his vehicle with an IED on Oct. 7,
2009 in Helmand Province,
Afghanistan. He previously served a
tour in Iraq.
Cauley was born March 13, 1985 in
Crosby, MN and was a 2003
graduate of Northland High School
in Remer, MN.
SPC Jessica Gaulke Rainey
National Guard Echo Company
2-147th AHB, Operation Iraqi
Freedom. Daughter of Dave and
Annette Sorenson of Crosslake
Scott Septrick, US Army Chief
Warrant Officer 3 1st Maintenance
Co. out of Fort Riley, KS,
pictured in Somalia
5V
Wayde G. Hanson (retired), Master
Sergeant, US Air Force, Gulf War
Paul J. Herdler, US Navy 2005, trained
at Great Lakes. Grandson of Harold and
Milea O’Brien, Outing.
Emery Nelson, Nisswa, Served in the
US Navy LST 568, GM 3/C.
Cpl Oliver Ness, US Army 1942-1946,
29th Division, Medical Detachment
116th Infantry, Landed Omaha Beach D
Day June 6, 1944
Bernie E Nichols, US Army infantry
was wounded severely in WWI. Son of
Albert Nichols, uncle of Milea O’Brien,
Outing
Melvin L. O’Brien, US Navy, WWI.
Great Lakes Area and Virginia. Joined in
Aitkin, MN with brothers John and
Thomas. Father of Harold O’Brien,
Outing.
John O’Brien US Navy, 1917-1919,
Ship’s Cook 2 C WWI. Uncle of Harold
O’Brien, Outing.
Thomas O’Brien US Navy, WWI. Uncle
of Harold O’Brien, Outing
James G. O’Brien, US Army Air Corps,
1942-1943. Uncle of Harold O’Brien,
Outing.
Russell J. O’Brien, US Army WWII.
Uncle of Harold O’Brien, Outing.
Eugene O’Brien, US Army WWII, stationed in Germany and U.S. Uncle of
Harold O’Brien, Outing.
Gerald O’Brien, US Army, son of
Eugene O’Brien, nephew of Harold
O’Brien, Outing.
Frank L. Olds, US Army, nephew of
Harold O’Brien, Outing.
Timothy O’Brien, US Army, nephew of
Harold O’Brien, Outing.
Ross D. Hogate of Remer
AT3, US Navy 1986 to 1994
Gulf War, Bosnia, and Somalia.
Christopher M. Hogate of Virginia
Beach, VA. Petty Officer First Class
US Navy 1983 to 2003
6V
11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Oct. 25, 2010 - Iraq Veteran visits the Nisswa Lions. L-R: Nisswa Mayor Brian
Lehman, SFC Tavis Pike, and Lions Pres Dell Draves - photo submitted
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Edward Gessmers, Hill City, MN
US Army, WWI - served in France,
Grandfather of Frani Hogate,
Outing, MN
Bobby Archer, US Navy, Seaman
First Class. Served in the South
Pacific from December 1944 to
August 1946
Douglas D.Hogate. Stationed at Fort
Belvior, Virginia from 1955-57.
Father to Chris and Ross Hogate of
Remer
CM2 Mitch Miller son of Cindy Miller
and Dave Schaumburg of Outing.
Returned to the U.S. from 2+ year
tour in Germany August 2006.
Received Joint Service Achievement
Medal (NATO) for service in the
Balkans Operation Nov 05- Feb 06.
Stationed in Coronado, CA attached
to the Special Warfare Division.
Has been active duty in the United
States Navy since May 1999.
Lt. Col. Victor M. Sathre -US Army
Retired, Resident of Outing
Oct 1966 to May 1991 - Active Duty
Aviation Officer and Infantry Officer
Master Army Aviator
Private First Class
Kenneth Eugene Slagle
Reported MIA November 6, 1951.
A Longville, MN resident
Rolf Halstensen of Outing, US Air
Force 1971-78, Ballistic Missile
Analyst Technician, Combat Crew
S-129, McConnell AFB, Wichita
Jason Knode
photo courtesy of Kris Lang
Dan Madland, Outing, U.S. Air Force 1959-1963
Cliff Muller of Breezy Point was a
member of the 1st Air Calvary
(Airmobile) in Vietnam.
Adam Morris MM3 US Navy
Son of Ken & Mary Foty of Outing.
Served on USS Constellation 19972000
Naval Reserve 2000-2001
Recalled to Active Duty after
September 11, 2001 in Support of
Operation Noble Eagle 2001-2002
Ensign Erin Rossinger, USN
Daughter of Tim Rosinger
Active Duty 2008
Robert A. Bodle, US Navy EN2,
1950-1955.
Served on the U.S.S. L.S.T. 1080
during the Korean conflict.
Ted Pederson of Longville - US
Navy, July 1941 to October 1945.
Served aboard the USS Yorktown
and USS Charles Ausburne DD 570
Hartlin Weierke (Saluting), Sergeant,
US Army stationed in the South
pacific Islands during WWII from
May 2, 1942 to January 3, 1946.
MAJ Philip Moran returned home
from a twenty-two month deployment in Iraq on Aug. 2, 2007. MAJ
Moran was stationed with the 134th
BCT at Camp Addar, Tillil as a logistics officer in the Army National
Guard. He is returning home to his
wife Stacy and three children, in Pine
River, MN where MAJ Moran is
employed as a Police Officer.
Staff Sergeant Will Bernhjelm
A Co. 2-136 CAB
Bradley Commander and
Squad Leader while serving in Iraq.
Will Bernhjelm was welcomed home
by parents Bill and Patsy Bernhjelm
of Outing with this sign outside their
home the summer od 2007.
Jonathan Daniel Keskitalo
Corporal U.S. Marine Corp
Served in Iraq in 2007
Son of Sheila & Dan Keskitalo,
Crosslake, MN
SFC Daniel Salonek
Son of Sandy Dmytryszyn
Active Duty
Navy Petty Officer, 2nd Class Scott
B. Johnson has served four years of
active naval duty. Scott spent two
six-month tours of duty in the western Pacific aboard the USS Camden,
whose homeport is Bremerton,
Washington.
After his ship’s deployment in the
north Arabian Sea during the Persian
Gulf Crisis, Scott received a letter of
commendation for his leadership
and supervision of the diesel work
center. In navy-wide testing he was
one of 40 to receive his 2nd class
petty officer rating in three years of
service.’’ Scott entered the Navy in
1984 and is a 1981 graduate of
Northland High School. He is the son
of Lowell and Deanna Hanson.
Harold O’Brien of Outing, US Army
Korean War, 1953-1955
Roger Norlander of Outing
S/SGT US Army-Signal Corp
1970-1978
CPL Philip Perkins,
Clerical 1952-54
Korean War, Okinawa
George J. Pepek, Rank: Specialist
E-4, Branch of service Army
Jan. 26, 1970 - Oct. 18, 1971
Richard Nelles of Outing, MN served as an Instructor Boom Operator in the
98th Air Refueling Squadron at Moron Air Base in Spain in the 1950s. Nelles
used his right hand to fly the boom and left hand to extend and retract while
he refueled B52 and B47 bombers during the Cold War with Russia.
Jason and Gabriella Schaumburg (Son and Daughter in-law of David
Schaumburg and Cindy Miller Outing MN) currently are 03 Lieutenants and
are working at Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound in New Haven, CT.
Active duty 2004 to present.
Senior Airman Leanna Anderson,
U.S. Airforce. Leanna was awarded
the Army Commendation Medal
(ARCOM). She is the daughter of
Ron & Deedee Anderson of Remer.
SPC Ambrosia Anderson Eckley,
U.S. Army Reserve. Ambrosia
served a tour of duty in Iraq. She is
the daughter of Ron & Deedee
Anderson of Remer.
Pvt. Lauren Anderson, U.S. Army,
2006 NHS Graduate
She is the daughter of Ron &
Deedee Anderson of Remer.
Deedee Anderson of Remer served
her country for three years guarding
NATO sites in Germany after stints at
Ft. McCollum and Ft. Knox.
11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Charles E. Fairbanks, Remer High
School graduate of 1951,
US Navy 1951-55
Donald J. Thomas,
U.S. Naval Service, US NAS
Norfolk, VA, Philippine Liberation:
American Area: Asiatic-Pacific
(With One Star) Good Conduct
Medal: Victory Medal
Honorable Discharge 1947
Carl Lucas (Mike Lucas’ father)
US Air Force; 1948
SSGT Gary Hiles
U.S. Marine Corps 1966-70
First Marine Division
Vietnam Veteran 1969
submitted by wife Loni, sons
& grandsons
Roger J. Strenge, Sr.
Sgt. Tech 4, Army Signal Corp
May 22, 1944 - May 13, 1946
Harold Ingval Berglin, U.S. Navy
Minneapolis, MN
Nicolas J. Usherwood
Sergeant E-5
1st Reconnaissance Battalion
Iraq
2005-2007
Corporal Oliver Ness
US Army 1942-1946
29th Division
116th Infantry
Medical Detachment
Landed on Omaha Beach D Day
June 6, 1944
David I. Kimlicka of Merrifield. PFC,
US Army; Fired Direction Control
(FDC) headquarters Battery; 330th
Field Artillery (8-inch Self Propelled);
Stationed in New Ulm, Germany
from July 1953 to January 1955.
Served from February 1953 to
December 1955.
Robert O. Uppgaard, D.D.S.
SI/C WWII, 1942 – 1946. Resident
of Ideal Corners
Luke Scott
photo courtesy of Kris Lang
Robert G. Kinnan
Air Force 1953-1957
Flight Mechanic for 2233rd Air
Reserve Flying Center
Korea
Lt. Col Joseph Tichich - Active Duty
Son-in-Law of
Lowell & Hazel Jensen
Harold J Myres
US Army 1942-1946
Tech Sgt 10th Armored Division
Served in ETO
Henry Nichols US Air Force, Jet
Engine Technician and Munitions
Technician, 1961-1965. Brother of
Milea O’Brien, Outing.
S/SGT John (Jack) Schuller
USAF
616 AC&W Squadron
ULM, Germany
1952-1956
Mike Doro of Remer; US Marines,
Corporal 1968 to 1970
Albert J. Kemper
US Merchant Marines
Fireman Watertender
1943-1945
Participated in D Day Invasion
Gordon Siemers
Enlisted 1945 in the US Navy
June 1945, Great Lakes and
Norfolk,VA - stationed at various
locations along the east coast.
Gregory D. Paquette
Camp Lejeune, NC
Corporal E4 Marine Corps
1971-1973, IIMAF ASC
Lawrence L. Stenstad
Staff Sgt
Army Engineer
European Theater
April 1942 – September 1945
Everelay W. Brown
US Navy
Seaman 1C
1944-1946
Lloyd Gragert
24th Division
21st infantry
3rd Battalion
CO-K
Stationed at Leyte and Mindanao
on the Philippine Islands and Japan
in WWII. 1944-1945
7V
Mike Marcum served in the Army
Infrantry from July 12, 1969 - July
12, 1970 during the Viet Nam
war.Marcum, an area native and
Pequot Lakes grad, is associate pastor at Pequot Lakes Baptist Church photo by Kate Perkins
MK2 Kirstin (Jenson) Eaker
US Coast Guard, Active Duty,
Station Merrimack River (Mass)
Daughter of Brad & Connie Jenson,
of Nisswa. Enlisted 2002
Dennis Weierke, Sergeant, Air Force
(SAC), mechanic, B-52 Crew Chief;
stationed at Southeast Asia; served
December 1966 to December 1970.
Alben Moan PFC US ARMY
1943-46 served in the South Pacific
during World War II Victory .Father
of Douglas Moan and Grandfather
of Parker Moan of Crosslake.
Alben was proud to serve his
country. He is now deceased.
Bill Korman served four years
(1951-55) in the Navy aboard the
aircraft carrier USS Gilbert Islands
during the Korean War.
He was honorably dischared as
2nd Class Petty Officer.
GM3 Charlie Eaker
US Coast Guard Active Duty, Sector
Boston. Veteran of Operation Iraqi
Freedom, 2006-07. Enlisted 2002 present. Son-in-law of Brad and
Connie Jenson of Nisswa
Don Horbach of Remer, US Navy
1942-45, Submarines; 3rd Class
Electrician
Leon Earl Frink
U.S. Navy
HM1/USN/RET.
20+ years of service
overseas and stateside.
(Pictured above Frink was home on
leave after completion
of boot camp in 1969)
Matthew VanAuken, E4, US Army,
371st Calvary, 10th Mtn. Division.
VanAuken pictured above in the
Kornagal Valley. Served three years,
stationed at Fort Drum, served in
Afghanistan from February 2006 to
June 2007.
Gerhart Hanson
Staff Sergeant
6th Air Commando Squadron
Pleiku, Viet Nam
1967-1969
Don Young
US Marine Corps
Served 1943-1945
South and Central Pacific
8V
11th Annual Veterans’ Day Special Section • Tuesday, November 10, 2015
American Legion Post 500 Honors WWII Veterans
Crosslake-Fifty Lakes American Legion Post 500 presented Minnesota WWII Memorial Commemorative Medallions to
members that served in WWII who were unable to attend the Memorial Dedication, held June 9 at the state capitol in
St. Paul. Those honored at the last membership meeting were (l-r): Howard Friedrich, William Clark (sitting), Earl
Angell, Les McFeters, Leonard Musolf and Richard Heinzen.
American Legion Post 202 Honors WWII Veterans
American Legion Post 202, Hackensack - On October 8, 2007 Commander Chuck Hanson handed out seven medallions and certificates to World War II Veterans. Receiving medals and certificates were (l-r) Robert Zierhut, William "Bill"
Kramer, Robert "Bob" Woodruff, Robert "Bob" Peterson, Norm Tealander, and Robert "Bob" Duncan. Not pictured was
George Kight. Post 202 mailed out the remaining 32 medallions and certificates to those who did or could not make
the meeting or were out of the local area.
Delyla B. Nichols, US Air Force
1956. Sister of Robert W. Nichols.
Corporal Shem Yale Daugherty
USMC Military Police 06/88 – 06/92
Gulf War Veteran (08/98 – 03/99)
Sgt. Arthur Vadnais
747th Amphibious Tank & Tractor Btn
Camp Cook, CA, Korean War
SPC Dustin Bartnick
served in
Kirkuk AFB in Northern Iraq.
Son of Tracy Neil of Remer.
Terry Blexrud at Vietnam Veterans
Memorial in Washington DC June
2005. Pictured above with his nurse
from the 67th Evac Hospital, Ouin
Yhon, 1969.
Terry Blexrud, Outing
1st.Log. 240th QM Batt. 647th QM
CO (POL) petroleum
Pumpstation 10
Plieku Prov. Vietnam, 1968-1969
James Keyser of Outing,
US Air Force
South Pacific Air Command,
1944-1946. Stationed in Philippine
Islands and Japan.
Dave Lound of Emily, MN,
ACC (AW) Air Traffic Controller
Chief (Aviation Warfare Specialist)
1972 -1996. Forward Air Controller
(FAC) in Operation Desert Storm.
B.J. Schaumburg of Outing, Navy
Machinist Mate 3rd class 2003
Pictured with niece Meliah
Ted Pederson
Air Force 1966-1970
SSGT., Served in Korea
The Real Estate Company in
Crosslake Minnesota
Mike Lucas of Remer
Lieutenant US Air Force 1984-97
Mike Baier of Outing,MN
US Navy 2nd Class BM2 1965-69.
Six years in Naval Reserve, served
in Yokosuka, Japan, ACB1
Beachmaster Group.
Roger Olds of Outing,
US National Guard
194th Armored Cavalry Crosby, MN,
1965-1969
Corporal Michael O Osburnsen
USMC 05/25/88 to 05/25/92,
Operation Desert Shield/Desert
Storm
Brian Olds of Outing, US Army E5
Sergeant Light Wheel Vehicle
Mechanic, 1985-1994.
Corporal Donald Anderson
US Army
Dec 1948 - Dec 1951
Third Division 8th Corp MP
Korean War - Dec. 1951
Bertie Locke,
US Army. Cook 1942
AB Taylor K.Osburnsen,
Lackland AFB, TX
July 28, 2009 – 2013
(2009 NHS graduate)
Ralph Yeager of Merrifield with 75-MM Pack Howitzer M1A1-used during
WWII by parachute and glider field artillery units (319th FA, 376th FA, and
456th FA)
Don Christiansen of Emily,
US Navy Dental Technician
First Class, 1969-88
Bill and Ginny Stueber of Crosslake
attended the WWII Memorial dedication at the State Capitol in St. Paul.
Bill was a captain in the 369th
Engineer Combat Battalion and
served with general Patton starting
in North Africa. Ginny served with the
Red Cross Clubmobile throughout
Europe.
All of us at the
Northland Press
would like to thank
the Veterans, friends
and family members for
your contributions to
this 11th annual Special
Section for our local
area Veterans’ Day
Tribute.
We would also like to
thank the advertisers
for your support of this
special issue.
Eric and Jessica (Gallaway) Brownsell are stationed at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, ND. Eric (left) is a
Firefighter and Jessica (right) is a Police Officer. Jessica is the daughter of Scott and Doreen Gallaway of Crosslake.
Eric is the son of Susan and George Brownsell Eagle Bay, NY Jessica and Eric were married August 19th, 2008.
Eric is currently deployed.