World War II veteran Don Halverson celebrated his 103rd birthday in February. As one of the remaining soldiers from World War II, Halverson was honored by Minnesota National Guard members of the 34th ‘Red Bull’ Infantry Division, headquartered in Arden Hills, Minnesota. Halverson served with the 34th Red Bull Division during World War II.
The lifelong Minnesota resident served as an Army technical sergeant in Europe from 1943 to 1945. At just 20 years old, he led a platoon of soldiers north from Naples, Italy to the Swiss border. Along the way, they fought several major campaigns, but the Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy took its heaviest toll. Here, the Allies sustained heavy casualties on their way to Rome.
“During that stretch, we lost a lot of men, and there were only five of us remaining from a platoon of 40,” said Halverson.
The young sergeant experienced a handful of close calls during his two-year military stint. Halverson’s heart skipped a beat when a live shell landed in the trench before him. The scared sergeant held his breath momentarily, “but the shell ended up being a dud, or I wouldn’t be here today,” said Halverson.
On another occasion, he was getting ready to take a drink of water out of his canteen, but instead, he discovered a bullet hole had drained out all the water!
The topic of hygiene, or lack thereof, was also fondly recalled by Halverson.
“I remember vividly showering once in November 1943, and then showering again in November 1944.” Given those circumstances, there was simply no way of staying down wind from the next guy.
After the war, the entire 34th Red Bull Infantry Division was awarded the “Croix de Guerre” with Palm, by French General and later prime minister Charles de Gaulle.
When the war came to an end, and Sgt. Halverson became Mr. Halverson, life got back to normal for him quickly. But before he returned home to Minnesota in 1945, Halverson also received the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Unit Badge, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
Life after the war
After returning home, Halverson began working at Downtown Chevrolet and Mid-Continent Engineering, eventually retiring in 1988.
The year after returning from the war, Halverson met his soon to be wife.
“We were married the following year, in 1947,” he said. About that same time, he also quit smoking. “She hated smoking,” he recalled, “so I gave away my last pack of cigarettes, and haven’t smoked since.”
The couple was married for 62 years, before she passed away in 2010. They had three children – Ronald, Nancy and Thomas – whom they raised in the home that he and Bernice bought in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota in 1959. He still lives there today.
Return to Italy
When he turned 100 years old, Halverson finally returned to Italy for the first time since WWII.
“It is very nice now that no one is shooting at me,” he said. Men from his regiment and home state who paid the ultimate price are laid to rest in the Florence American Cemetery.
Over the years, Halverson has received plenty of praise and thanks for his service. In addition to being honored on his last several birthdays, he was filled with admiration after attending a three-day Honor Flight visit to the nation’s capital. He also has been an honored guest at several Minnesota Twins baseball games.
Veterans like Halverson are a dying breed, literally. Soon, there will not be any World War II veterans alive to tell their stories, to share their realities about the war that changed the world. Recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show that of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II, just over 45,000 are still alive.
During Halverson’s recent birthday celebration, the commanding officer shared his thoughts: “It cannot be overstated how grateful we all are as a nation for Don’s service,” said Army Brig. General Joseph Sharkey, commanding general of the 34th Infantry Division. He added, “What those brave soldiers did during World War II was nothing short of remarkable. Their legacies live on, both through people like Don who continue to tell stories, and from reminding current service members who and what came before them.”
For Halverson, fighting in World War II did not define his life, but it did put a few things in perspective. He offered a suggestion that’s applicable to everyone, civilian or military, young or old: “I’m darn lucky (to have made it home alive). You’ve got to enjoy each day, because there is no guarantee for tomorrow.”
After 103 years, it’s clear that Don Halverson has nothing but enthusiasm for life. “I just renewed my driver’s license for another four years,” he said with a chuckle. That says it all.
