Victor T. Eklund oral history
Scope and Contents
The interview provides information and personal observations about Eklund's experiences: joining the 10th Mountain Division while serving as a member of the Coastal Division of the army infantry after meeting a senior member of the Sierra Club; receiving three letters of recommendation after time at Ft. Lewis; arrival at Camp Hale, Colo.; interaction between enlisted men and officers; acting as liaison between the 85th and 86th Infantry Regiments; preparing for an attack at Della Torraccia and being wounded during the attack; remaining unconsciouses before being taken to an aid station; limited duty and overseeing POWs; cultural difference between German and Italian POWs; after discharge being a disabled veteran; joining the National Park Service.
Dates
- Check date
Creator
- Eklund, Victor T.(Victor Terhune),Sr.,1918-2007. (Person)
- Kealy, Abbie, (Person)
- Eklund, Victor T. (Victor Terhune), Sr., 1918-2007, (Person)
Language of Materials
Material is in English unless otherwise noted.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright is retained by the author of the items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Biographical / Historical
Victor Terhune Eklund, Sr. was born on November 12, 1918 in Woodburn, Iowa. He served with the 10th Mountain Division as a 1st Lieutenant. First with Company B of the 87th Infantry Regiment, but later with Company I of the 86th Infantry Regiment. Eklund was stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash., Jolon, Calif., Camp Hale, Colo., Camp Swift, Tex., and in Italy. During combat operations in Italy Eklund received a Bronze Star medal for his actions at Mount Della Torraccia, February 20-24, 1945. He was also wounded in action on February 24, 1945 and received the Purple Heart. Eklund was a past president of the Mount Ranier Chapter of the 10th Mountain Division Association, and recipient of the National Distinguished Service Award in 2004. He died in Colorado Springs, Colo. on December 10, 2007.
Extent
1 videodiscs (DVD)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift;Abbie Kealy;2008.
Linking Entry Complexity Note
Forms part of the 10th Mountain Division Resource Center Collection.
- Camp Hale (Colo.) -- History. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- DVDs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Eklund, Victor T. (Victor Terhune), Sr., 1918-2007. -- Interviews.
- Military maneuvers -- Cold weather conditions. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mini-DV Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Oral histories (document genres) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Ski troops -- History -- Interviews. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Soldiers -- United States -- Interviews. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 86th -- Interviews.
- United States. Army. Mountain Division, 10th -- Interviews.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Victor T. Eklund oral history,[videorecording]
- Author
- Finding Aid prepared from MARC data.
- Description rules
- Anglo American Cataloguing Rules
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Repository
