Welcome to the Washington Island Military Archives
It should be noted that the Military Archive was assembled from a trove of material, much of it in the Island Archives, as well as from family memorabilia and genealogical material. Attached to some of the names is also a set of interviews that I, John Gay, did with a number of members of the American Legion. These interviews were done in league with a major archival effort currently being conducted by the Library of Congress and where copies of these interviews are stored. They may be accessed at the Library of Congress by simple inquiry.
The Washington Island Military Archives is a result of my original effort of working with a Chicago area library on the Library of Congress initiative to record the stories of our people in service for posterity. Members of the military, from whatever war or period of service, would be interviewed for at least a half hour to tell their story of service. Most interviews were about an hour in length. These interviews were then converted by a very patient transcriber into a document which was then presented to the service member for editing and correction. The final copy was then sent in both audio and transcribed form to the Library of Congress as a repository of history. More than 100,000 have been recorded so far, some two dozen from Washington Island.
In the midst of that undertaking, it seemed that maybe an effort should also be made to record in one grouping the stories of all the Islanders who served in our military from the time of human occupation. The pictures in the American Legion hall seemed to want to tell a story, but there was no story. So we began to search the Island Archives. I called the Wisconsin Military Museum in Madison hoping for help, but was told, “No problem, there are only five who were in service.” I said, “Well there happen to be over 200 of them buried in our cemetery.” And I went to work scouring any trove of information I could find. We are above 540 at the moment with some still unaccounted for, I am sure. The material includes a tribe of Indians who were led to fight the British General Braddock in the French and Indian wars, and a few who are only names supplied by the original Island settlers and about whom there is no other information. Many were from the Civil War where documents are scarce and sometimes misleading.
This archive is incomplete. We need the input from our readers to fill out the great vacuum of facts about many of these men and women. Please do what you can to complete the small bios presented here. They deserve it. They are all important, they all served. To add to these files send or bring your material to the American Legion, to the Island Archives, or to the Island Library. Additionally, you may use the contact form below to email us. These men and women of our military will appreciate it.
Thank you for your consideration.
—John Gay | November 2016
We Need Your Help
Qualifying Precedents
- Being born and raised on the Island, or
- Being buried in the Island cemetery, or
- Whose name is on the monument near Bethel Church, or
- Who died in service but are buried in some other cemetery around the world, or
- Who came to the Island after service and lived and died here, or
- Who became an active member of the American Legion Post #402
Stories from the Archives
Cpl Paul T Goodman
Entered service 12/2/1942 Milwaukee. Discharged 1/3/1946 Camp McCoy, WI. Was in HQ battery 181st field artillery battalion. Spent some time encamped at Ft. Sheridan, IL, Camp Roberts, and Camp Stoneman. Battles included New Guinea, Southern Philippines, Aitape, Lingyan in New Guinea and Luzon Gulf and Mindanao in the Philippines.
He contracted malaria, and had to undergo treatments from 1946 to 1948. Sailed from Oakland, CA on SS Monticello, arriving Sidney 11/10/1943, and went to camp in Brisbane.
Medals include Good Conduct and the Bronze Arrowhead. He married Mildred Koebel on August 1, 1946, but had a very bad case of asthma and died. She later married Dewey Jacobsen. Paul Goodman’s parents were Thorliefur (Tom) Goodman and Amalie (Lena) K. Hansen. He had a brother and two sisters, and also had a daughter Ruth. Goodman was a shortened form of the native Goodmander.
Conrad Andersen
One of 20 charter members of the American Legion Post 402. Commander of the Post in 1943. Except for the year he was Post Commander (1943), he was Post Finance Officer from 1935 (the inception of the post to 1948. Chris Soldum’s brother.
Son of Jorgen (George) and Mitta Anderson. Married Erma Foss Feb 28, 1945 in a double ring ceremony at the Sunset Resort. Later there was a dance at Tom Nelson’s Hall.
Member of Trinity Church since 1948. Supervisor of Town for many years, and Town chairman. Went sailing in 1952 till his retirement. He then fished, farmed, grew cherries, ran the saw mill, ran the feed mill, threshed grain, did blacksmith work, and many other things.
Daughter is Barbara who married Ray Hansen. Lived all his life across from Jake and Shirley Ellefson’s place.
Pvt Roger (Roddy) A. Hagen
Serial number – 988192.
Served platoon 430 of 5th br Recruit Depot, Marine barracks, Parris Island, SC.
Known by nickname ‘Roddy’. Married Lois Engelson.
Became a commercial fisherman, and also helped at Sunset Resort. Was son of Harry and Mamie Hagen.
Children were Jo Ellen born 10/4/1943; Jay born 11/25/1944; John born 2/4/1954; Jeffrey born 3/19/1958; and Jewell Lee born 8/8/1947. (JG)
SGT Lucien “Moy” Hansen
Entered service 2/24/1943 Ft. Sheridan. Discharged 2/21/1946. Battery A 797th AAR-AW-BN, Also Battery D 864th AAR-AW-BN. Sailed from US 10/21/1944, arriving
Saipan 12/15/1944, then from Saipan 1/29/1946, arriving San Pedro, CA 2/15/1946. He joined Am Legion Post 402 1945.
He wrote from the Mariannas, “they call these islands the Garden Spot of the Pacific. For me there is only one Island that is my Garden Spot and I don’t believe I have to say which one that is.” Part of Jens and Josie Hansen family.
Brother of Frank and Ted and Ray. Ran a fish store in the Chicago area and married a nurse from Chicago, Margaret Raymond on September 26, 1953. They had a daughter, Judith Louise, born on June 2, 1954. She now lives at Velkommen. He had married Chesley Perry on November 27, 1980. (JG)
CPL Richard Elroy Perez
He moved to the Island with his parents as a young lad, Thor and Mae Williamson in the Spring of 1965. He attended the Island school, graduating with the class of 1967.
He joined the Marine Corps in March of 1968. After training he was sent to Viet Nam and was killed one year later. He was the first Island resident killed in Viet Nam.
He was given a full military funeral from Bethel church and to the cemetery on September 23, 1969. A picture of the ceremony is in the Island archives. He had three brothers, Mario who was in the Navy, Kenneth and Marty, and three sisters Beverly, Bonnie and Becky.
Cpl Alvin E. Cornell
Entered service Feb 13, 1942 at Camp Grant, IL. Discharged October 13, 1945 at Camp Grant, IL, earned the Victory Medal.
He was stationed at Ontario Field, CA; AAF Chanute Field, IL; Hunter Field, GA; Camp Robinson, Little Rock, AK, where he won a medal for being the best shot in the company. Also Auto Drivers and Maintenance School, Heavy Equipment Operator School, and refueling driver for lighter planes.
Corporal ASN #36235078. APO address was 461st Service Squadron 149, Postmaster NY. Married Edith Jensen on March 17, 1942.
Worked on the Ferry later in life. He was a commercial fisherman and had two brothers, Victor and Jim. His parents were Newell and Stella Lehner. Related to Aileen Marie and Wally who lived on Main Road. He had two sons, David, and Earl, who was a painter, and had works in the Art and Nature Center.
Collaborate With Us
The qualifying conditions are not meant to exclude other criteria, but are to keep the list to those who can claim some long term allegiance to the Island rather than just transient people who may be resident for a short time and then go to other off-Island residences. As it is, there are well over 500 names on the list and room for more as they become available.
Thus, in order to give a fuller understanding of the individual, we have undertaken to fill out a small biography of the serviceman as an individual apart from his military service. We can see him as a useful member of the Island community. We can also connect him to the rest of the Island families, and, to an extent, how they have influenced today’s residents and the development of the Island. Some families have had members involved in various wars down to the present.
We said this was a collaboration, and it is. In the upper right hand corner of each page is a small reference code. It names the various sources of information relating to each serviceman. Much of the information has been taken from the Door County Advocate (noted as DCA), The Tidings and The Observer which have been referenced and which are stored in various boxes and notebooks in the Island Archives in the town office building. References such as B10 F2 name specific files in the Island Archives. Eric Greenfeldt, Janet Berggren, Dave Raup, Steve Reiss, and Dick Purinton have been very helpful in pulling out those materials for this work. Generally birth and death dates, marriage details, etc. are derived from the database known as RootsMagic.
To those who want to use the Military Archive in hard copy form, there is a set in the Island Library, in the Island School, in the Island Archives in the Rutledge Room of the Town Building, and also in the American Legion Building on Main Road. Rick Heinemann also has a copy which he is using for historical reference.
This archive is incomplete. We need the input from our readers to fill out the great vacuum of facts about many of these men and women. Please do what you can to complete the small bios presented here. They deserve it. They are all important, they all served. To add to these files send or bring your material to the American legion, to the Island Archives or to the Island Library. Additionally, you may use the contact form below to email us. These men and women of our military will appreciate it.
Special Thanks to Eric Greenfeldt, Janet Berggren, Dave Raup, Steve Reiss, and Dick Purinton
Qualifying Precedents
- Being born and raised on the Island, or
- Being buried in the Island cemetery, or
- Whose name is on the monument near Bethel Church, or
- Who died in service but are buried in some other cemetery around the world, or
- Who came to the Island after service and lived and died here, or
- Who became an active member of the American Legion Post #402