Pvt. Arne Saari

By VIRGINIA

PAULSON

Negaunee

Historical Society

NEGAUNEE — I was in the kindergarten during World War ll and our chairs were in a semicircle and every morning we marched around our chairs waving an American flag and singing: “Soldier boy, soldier boy, where are you going, waving so proudly the red, white and blue. I’m going to my country where duty is calling, if you’ll be a soldier boy you may come too.”

We pay tribute to all who answered the call and have served, to those who suffered injuries, physical or mental and those who have given their life.

Melvin Hill, lived at 658 Lake St., in Negaunee.Melvin attended Negaunee High school with the class of 1948. He had a strong talent in the arts. His letters home always showed how much he missed hunting, fishing and being in the outdoors of the Upper Peninsula.

Melvin enlisted in the Army on July 23, 1948. He was a member of the 24th Infantry Division and was part of the first U.S. Army ground unit to enter into combat in Korea.

He was taken prisoner on July 5, 1950, one of 850 captured U.S. soldiers who were forced to walk a 108 mile death march through mountainous terrain in sub-zero weather

The March occurred on Halloween day 1950 through Nov. 8, 1950. A Korean officer named “Tiger’ led prisoners on a nine-day trek, The Tiger Death March,” that claimed the lives of 100 men. On Nov. 9, the surviving prisoners were taken to Hanjang-ni, Korea where they were imprisoned with little or no food, no heat, no medical attention.

Melvin died of malnutrition in the Pyeng-Yang prison camp on Nov. 18, 1950.

Pvt. Arne Saari was born in Palmer Oct. 29, 1924 and attended high school in Palmer. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on March 19, 1943 and was sent to Camp Robinson in Arkansas and Camp Howze in Texas.

He was sent overseas in September 1943. He was assigned to Company E, 168th Infantry. Pvt. Saari served in North Africa and later went to Italy where he was killed in action Nov. 4, 1943. He was 19 years old.

He was buried in the United States Military cemetery at Carano, Italy. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal. Pvt. Saari was reburied in the Negaunee cemetery with military honors

Merchants in Negaunee and Palmer closed their stores from 2-3 p.m. during the reburial service.

Staff Sgt. Theodore Swanson also of Palmer was reported missing in action over Hamburg, Germany. Later reported dead. Swanson was a member of the crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress which was reported to have been the American’s biggest aerial onslaught of the war.

Sgt. Swanson was one of four soldier sons of Mr. and Mrs. Emil Swanson and had been serving in the Army for seven months. He was 24 years old.

His brother John was serving in the Coast Artillery, at Richmond, California; Frank with Headquarters Company at Indian town Gap Reservation, Pa.; Charles, who was training with the Coast Artillery at Fort Fisher, N.C.

First reported as missing in action, later confirmed dead in Germany was John Nurmi also of Palmer. He entered the Army in 1943 and served with the 104th Timberwolf Division of the First Army.

Gordon McCarthy, of Palmer, 20 years of age killed during the Korean War. McCarthy was a member of the Headquarters and the Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment.

His unit was attacked in December 1950 in Reservoir Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be found. In July 2018, 55 boxes containing remains of American soldiers were identified. McCarthy will be buried in Arlington cemetery.

Donn Preston of East Clark Street, Negaunee, was killed in action in July 1952 in Korea while fighting with the 45th Infantry division. He was 22 years of age.

He was in charge of a machine gun platoon. Donn graduated from Negaunee High School in 1950 and entered the service in January 1951.

Our gratitude to those who gave their lives.