ND Veterans Affairs News: State

born Fredonia, ND 5 Aug 12; resident Burleigh County, ND; entered US Navy Mpls, MN 15 Jan 30; served Asiatic Pacific Theater; KIA 15 Oct 42 at sea; memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing on the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, PI.

born Glen Ullin, ND 28 Nov 16; resident Morton County, ND; entered AUS Ft Snelling, MN 19 Mar 42; served European African Middle Eastern Theater; KIA 4 Jul 44 Normandy, France; buried in Plot E, Row 14, Section 13, Normandy, France.

Allen Maynard Sawyer was born in Lynn Grove, Iowa, on June 13, 1906, to Matthias J and Josephine Sawyer. He was a resident Driscoll, Burleigh County, North Dakota when he entered AUS Fort Snelling, Minnesota on February 25, 1943. He served in the European African Middle Eastern Theater and was killed in action on April 14, 1945, in Dolle, Germany. He is buried in Plot 2, Row 1, Grave 3, Driscoll Lutheran Cemetery, Driscoll, ND. He was married to Mary A. Sawyer and had one child, Stephen Irwin.

Source: Ancestry

born Fargo, ND 12 Aug 24; resident Cass County, ND; entered AUS Ft Snelling, MN 26 Feb 43; died in service 8 Oct 45 Lake City, FL; buried in Saint Benedict Cemetery, Wild Rice, ND.

Floyd Henry Edward Saterlie was born in Crosby, North Dakota on December 10, 1915, to Henry and Thea Saterlie and was a resident of Divide County, North Dakota.  He entered AUS Ft Douglas, Utah on June 21, 1945, and served in Alaska. Private Saterlie died in service April 4, 1946, at Ladd Field, Alaska, and is buried in Concordia Cemetery, Crosby, North Dakota.

Technical Sergeant Melvin Edwin Sarkilahti, who entered the U.S. Air Force from Washington, was assigned to the 1st SHORAN Beacon Squadron, 502nd Tactical Control Group. He was a passenger aboard this C-46 when it went missing. No returning POWs mentioned having contact with TSgt Sarkilahti, nor was he seen at any known holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, Technical Sergeant Sarkilahti is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

born Estelline, SD 16 Nov 13; resident Sioux County, ND; entered AUS Ft Snelling, MN 22 May 42; served European African Middle Eastern Theater; KIA 23 Apr 44 Italy; burial place unknown.

born Champlin, MN 22 Aug 20; resident Burleigh County, ND; entered AUS Lubbock, TX 16 Apr 42; died in service 9 Mar 43 Moore Field, TX; burial place unknown.

George David Samson was born in Glasgow, Montana on July 24, 1921, to David Cameron Samson and Sylvia Jeannette Harvey Samson. He was resident Gilby, Grand Forks County, North Dakota and he entered the United States Army in Phoenix, Arizona on February 12, 1942.  Staff Sergeant Samson died in service on September 15, 1945, Raton, New Mexico and is cremated and placed at Greenwood Cemetery, Plot information 35-8-3-12, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona.

born Bozeman, MT 20 Sep 20; resident Kidder County, ND; entered US Army Ft Lincoln, ND 22 Nov 39; died in service 16 Oct 42 Camp Pickett, VA; burial place unknown.