Little Minnesota in World War II: The Stories Behind 140 Fallen Heroes from Minnesota's Littlest Towns - Paperback

by Jill A. Johnson (Author), Deane L. Johnson (Author)

Small towns. Big heroes

During World War II, men from Minnesota's smallest towns gave their lives for our country. Several were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, or Bronze Star. All received the award no one wanted: the Purple Heart. Little Minnesota in World War II, by Jill A. Johnson and Deane L. Johnson, honors 140 brave men from the smallest rural towns. From John Emery (who died December 7, 1941, on board the USS Arizona) to Herman Thelander (who was lost in the Bermuda Triangle, a mystery unsolved to this day), this unique book allows you to experience the war through personal accounts of the men and their families. Photos from the war, scans of actual letters, journal excerpts, and family memories create a one-of-a-kind book that brings history to life with stories from Pearl Harbor, the Pacific, the Invasion of Normandy, and beyond, and that combines local history with World War II nostalgia.

Author Biography

Jill A. Johnson grew up in the Minnesota towns of Strandquist, population 69, and Karlstad, population 760. In 2007, her father returned from a 50th class reunion for the first class he taught in Strandquist. His comment that "all the tiny towns would be gone in a few years," sent Jill and her husband, Deane L. Johnson, on a journey across Minnesota to write Little Minnesota. When researching the state's smallest towns, the Johnsons were astounded at the number of men who died in World War II. They both grew up listening to stories of uncles and family friends who served in World War II, a war in strange lands, unknown to many in rural Minnesota. Little Minnesota in World War II tells the story of the men who died in the war in a heroic effort to defeat Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito. Jill, a retired physical therapist, lives with Deane, a retired physician, photographer, writer, and musician, and their beagle, Kallie, the namesake of Beagle Books, the bookstore they founded in Park Rapids in 2001.