War Stories
Stories of Minnesotans who Defended their Nation
New Pricing for "War Stories"
Volumes 2 & 3 are available!
“War Stories Vol. 3: 31 Further Accounts of Minnesotans Who Defended their Nation, World War II to Vietnam”
Two Tours In Vietnam, Six Purple Hearts
Peter Thompson left the White Earth Reservation and volunteered for the Army in 1960. He was sent to Vietnam in 1968, the first of two tours. He was wounded six times, the last one so badly he had to be sent home to heal.
{3rd Purple Heart}
The enemy had fled except for three NVA nurses who were hiding in the tall grass. When they were discovered by the Americans, Thompson said, some aggressive GI’s began threatening the women.
“War Stories Vol. 2: 35 Further Accounts of Minnesotans Who Defended their Nation, World War II to Afghanistan”
Protecting The Convoys In Iraq
Whenever an American convoy hit the road in Iraq, it was in grave danger from explosive devices or from a weapons attack. Lt John Hobot headed a platoon whose job it was to protect the convoys. Before their tour was complete, 22 months later, they had protected 80 convoys.
On June 6, one of the scout vehicles was hit by a roadside bomb. “I had to quickly assess the damage and check out the guys. They’ll be checking each other out too to see if everyone’s all right.”
In this case, the vehicle had to be transported to Baghdad International Airport for major repairs. Another unit took the convoy to its destination.
“War Stories Vol. 1: 25 Stories of Minnesotans who Defended their Nation, Civil War to Persian Gulf War”
Firing The First Shot
The USS Ward was guarding the entrance to Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7th 1941. The World War I vintage destroyer was manned by a crew of Naval Reservists from St. Paul. When a small submarine tried to sneak into the harbor, the Ward fired on and sank the Japanese vessel. The time was 0645, a full hour before the Japanese air attack that precipitated the U.S. entry into World War II.
On Dec. 5, 1941, The Ward had a big event with the coming of a new captain. Lt. W.W. Outerbridge, a Navy Veteran of 14 years, was getting his first command.
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