The Life of Joe Emil Lundgren

Born May 23, 1914
Died January 22, 2005

As written by Joe himself:

In 1910, Edward and Laura Lundgren applied for a homestead in Cass County - Kego Township, in the State of Minnesota. A logging company once used this ground as their headquarters. While there, they made some improvements, such as the log house that was there and the clearing of some brush and trees.

Dad (Edward) and his two oldest children, Emma and Louis, moved [there] with him. Mother (Laura), Art and Loretta came the following spring. Dorothy was born in 1911. It was a cruel country with few white neighbors close by. Wolves and Indians prowling about.

The homestead bordered on Three Island Lake, which took quite a bit of the property. I was the first to be born in the log house on May 3, 1914. I don't remember much during the first few years of my life, but remember well when the twins were born and from then on.

I went to Boe School the first three years and then to Longville through Grade 7. Then we moved in 1927 to another place and I finished at Silver Lake School.

President Roosevelt started the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933. I was in the first group to leave Cass County to join this program. Like most of the young men, it was the first time away from home for more than a few days.

After a trip to Forst Snelling, where we had our physical and were given new clothes, we were shipped to a campsite close to Bera, Minnesota, under the supervision of an Army Captain. We lived in tents that first summer while more permanent quarters were being built. A small saw mill was set up and we cut our own material. Local carpenters and people on WPA, another government program, built the buildings. This became Camp 708 Bera Minnesota. It was a worthwhile project, as we learned many things and the strict supervision kept most of us out of trouble. We did roadside cleanup, built campsites, fought fires and planted trees in the spring. Along with our work, we had fun playing sports, competing with other camps.

We received $5.00 per month plus food and clothing, $25.00 was sent to the parents. My parents used the money to drill a well. At that time, we were hauling water for home use and the cattle had a long way to go for water.

I was in the CCC for nearly two years - this project was discontinued when World War II started, as all young men were needed in the military. I was inducted into the Army on April 17, 1942, I had my basic training at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. I was sent to Camp Campbell, Kentucky, for further training.

When the hospital was finished, that's where I worked, in one of the wards. This consisted of 20 beds helping an Army Nurse, which was in charge of two wards. It was easy work, taking temperatures, blood pressure, seeing that things were neat and clean. I spent about three months there. Then 16 of us were sent to Camp George G. Mead, Baltimore, Maryland, for further training. I was there for another couple of months and then shipped to Camp Stoneman, CA, for overseas duty.

Approximately 1,800 of us were put on a Norwegian ship. Our first stop was New Caledonia, which was out of the combat zone. A couple of days later we were on the President Jackson ship heading for Guadal Canal. We joined the 23rd Infantry that had been on the island since July, replacing the Marines who made the invasion in December. The ground fighting was over when we arrived, but there were air raids every night and the patrols brought in a few prisoners. The air raids were coming from Munda Air Field on New Georgia Island.

We were sent to New Zealand for a rest cure. Our next combat was in the Phillipines. We covered all of Luzon. We were getting ready for the invasion of Japan when the war ended. I was in the service for three years, six months, and 17 days, serving as a Medical Surgeon Tech. My rank was Tech 3, which is the same grade and pay as a staff Sergeant. In 1946 I returned to Longville.

In September I married Marie A. Kline White, and we left with her son Robert for Oroville, Washington. Our daughter, Susan, was born on February 23, 1947. I worked for Dwinell Brothers in the apple industry. In 1952 we bought a small orchard and sold it in 1968. We moved into Oroville and remained working in the apple business until I retired in 1984. My wife Marie died July 23, 1993. Since July, 1999, I have been lving with my daughter in Ephrata, WA. In May of 2001 we moved to Moses Lake, and live on the lake.