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Douglas H Oaklund was born in Menekaunee and was a boyhood friend of
mine He was a fun loving boy in those days always in a happy mood
Attending Menekaunee grade school Doug fell behind me in grade But we
still played together He had some close friends that lived near him Ed
Panzram and Eugene Williams who later in 43 all three joined the Coast
Guard
During these younger years the local Salvation Army where we attended has
a large body of young boys and girls We attended summer camp at Pembine
along with kids from the Salavation Corp from Escanaba Mich The years
Doug I went to camp was from 40 to 43 and we had alot of fun there
We were lucky to be born in Menekaunee because so much we could do
Winter it was skating and ice boating Summer it was the river and Red
Arrow Park to go swimming When I think of all those friends Warren
Klienke.his brother Don,Clyde Jarman.Loren Hanson.Bob Borklund.Ray
Champion and brother Jim. We were all the same age and went on through
High School
Doug quite school and joined the Coast Guard in late summer I was a
senior and I wanted to join with him but my parents told me I had to
finish school He came home on leave that fall and he came to school and
walked around the halls and kind of laughed at us for being in school and
he was out and enjoying himself
When I inlisted in 44 in the Navy I kind of lost track of him and I knew
he was overseas on a ship and was envolved in the Battle for the
Phillipines Then in Feb of 45 I received a letter from my mother that
Doug was killed when his ship blew up This was the USS Serpens a
ammunition ship of the navy that was Coast Guard Manned She blew up at
Lunga Point Guadalcanal on Jan 29.1945 After leaving the Phillipines we
were sent to Guadalcanal to hold manuvers for another operation with the
marines and we anchored at Lunga Point and I thought of that ship what
was left lying on the bottom
In the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC area is a monument
for the memories of Coast Guard men killed in WW2 It is about six feet
high and shaped like a windlass for raising ships anchor of days of old
Has eight sides and each (Panel) has thirty names of those killed Coast
Guard and army personnel The ship was loading up with ammo when she blew
This was to be the it's final trip and with ammo and then to return to
the states for overhaul. ( total of 240 were killed on this ship
His parents later on some years later and I were talking about Doug and I
remember his mother Ruth saying I often wondered how Doug would have
turned out I told her he would have turned out great
I had a picture of Doug I and two other friends taken at Pembine when we
were sixteen of age. This picture I sent to his Mary. We had fun in Old
Menekaunee and I have alot of memories and I am thankful I was raised
there I was lucky to have so many cousins in the area Loren Hanson and
I were raised together and went into the navy together and went over seas
and there we went separate ways in the Pacific
Written memory of Douglas H Oaklund and I am glad I knew him and sorry he
lost his life so early.
Last updated on ... May 25, 2000
William J Gunderson
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