ND Veterans Affairs News: State

Born Bowbells, NDak 23 May 27; resident Ramsey County, NDak; entered AUS Mpls, Minn 13 Jun 45; served European African Middle Eastern Theater; sep Ft Sheridan, Ill 9 Feb 47; T/3,; entered USAF 22 Oct 51 place unk; served in Korea; KIA 26 Feb 53 Korea; buried in Grave 5448, Section P in Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, Calif. 

born Taconite, Minn 14 Sep 24; resident Divide County, NDak; entered USMC from Divide County, NDak 18 May 43; served Asiatic Pacific Theater; KIA 24 Feb 45 Iwo Jima; buried in Grave 1, in South of Lot 59, Block 1 at Concordia Lutheran Cemetery, Crosby, NDak. 

born Scranton, NDak 26 Mar 20; resident Slope County, NDak; entered AUS Ft Missoula, Mont 27 Dec 41; served European African Middle Eastern Theater; died in service 31 Dec 42 French Equatorial Africa; buried in Grave 209-210, Section E Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Ky. 

born Page, NDak 1 Aug 19; resident Cass County, NDak; entered USAF Ft Benning, Ga 6 Apr 43; served Asiatic Pacific Theater; KIA 15 Apr 45 over Kawasak, Japan; buried in Block 6, Section C, Grave 8163, Ft Snelling National Cemetery, Mpls, Minn. 

Gunnar A. Benidiktson was born on August 13, 1921 in Upham, North Dakota.  He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a Private First Class in the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He died on January 15, 1945 at the age of 23 and is now buried in Melankton Cemetery, Upham, McHenry County, North Dakota, USA.

A letter from headquarters of the 18th Infantry, in Europe, was recently received by Mrs. Runa B. Long of Upham, giving information concerning the death of her brother, Pfc. Gunnar Benidiktson. The letter in part, reads:

born Minot, NDak 22 Jul 28; resident Ward County, NDak; entered AUG Fargo, NDak 9 Nov 50; served in Germany; died in service 30 Sep 51 Hochspeyer, Germany; burial place unk. 

Staff Sergeant Ralph Bender was born in Berlin, LaMoure County, North Dakota on September 19, 1922.

Ralph served as a Staff Sergeant & Ball Turret Gunner on B-17G "Paper Doll" #42-31112, 710th Bomber Squadron, 447th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

He resided in Maricopa County, Arizona prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on October 15, 1942 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a sheet metal worker and also as Single, without dependents.

Born Lehr, NDak 25 Jan 12; resident Logan County, NDak; entered US Army Ft Lincoln, NDak 21 May 39; served Asiatic Pacific Theater; KIA 27 Nov 50 Chosin, Korea; buried/memorialized at the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial

born Fredonia, NDak 6 Jun 19; resident Logan County, NDak; entered ABS Ft Snelling, Minn 26 Apr 41; served Asiatic Pacific Theater; died in service 13 Feb 45 Southwest Pacific; buried in Block 5, Lot 6, Grave 2 at Geckle Cemetery, Geckle, NDak. 

Robert Arnold Bergman was born in Mooreton, Richland County, North Dakota on March 7, 1919, to Ben Bergman and Bertha Bjornstad Bergman. He graduated from Wahpeton High School in 1936 and entered the United States Army in Wahpeton, North Dakota on February 10, 1941. He started with Company I and continued with local company through training in Camp Clairborne, Louisiana, then guard duty in Idaho and into action in the South Pacific where he was wounded at Guadalcanal.