194 - Co. A
The old armory in Brainerd, Minnesota that was the home of A Company before they were federalized.
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Interior of main drill court at the Old Armory in Brainerd.
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In this photo, taken in the armory in Brainerd, are the members of A Company, 194th Tank Battalion, just before they left for Fort Lewis, Washington.
First Row L to R: 1st Sgt. Carroll M. Guinn+, S/Sgt. Russell L. Swearigan, S/Sgt.Peter Clabo*, S/Sgt. Robert E. Weygand*, Capt. E. B. Miller, 1st Lt. John S. Muir, 1st Lt. Clinton D. Quinlen+,
2nd Lt. Edward L. Burke, 2nd Lt. Arthur J. Root+, S/Sgt. Charles A. Dunnell*, Sgt. Arthur W. Brown*, Sgt. Boyce W. Hyatt, Sgt. Francis D. Davis*, Sgt. Walter H. Samuelson+.
2nd Row L to R: Sgt. Frederick F. Lowe*, Sgt. David E. Karlson+, Sgt. Byron L. Veilette+, Sgt James L. Johnson*, Sgt. Harlen A. Peterson*, Cpl. Milan E. Anderson+, Cpl. Glen H. Nelson^,
Cpl. Walter B. Straka, Cpl. James F. McComas, Cpl Wallace F. Goodrich+, Cpl. Donald H. Paine+, Cpl. Paul A. Saarinen+, Cpl. Lee D. MacDonald.
3rd Row L to R: Cpl. Howard J. Larson+, Cpl. Kenneth J. Porwoll, Cpl. Herbert F. Strobel+, Cpl. Maxwell S. Dobson+, Pfc. Walter R. Davis*, Pfc. Warren T. Lackie, Pvt. Arthur B. Thomas,
Pvt. Harold A. Snell+, Pfc. Ross H. Burrows*, Pvt. Alpheus W. Brown, Pvt. Billie E. Brown+, Pvt. Claude Gilmer+.
4th Row L to R: Pvt. George H. Roth*, Pfc. John H. Falconer, Pvt. Ferdinand J. Fredrickson*, Pvt. Sid H. Saign, Pvt. John E. Pederson^, Pfc .Arthur J. Gattie+, Pvt. Wince L. Solsbee+,
Pvt. Orvin C. Carpenter*, Pvt. Lawrence R. Alberg, Pfc. Pearlie L. Clevenger+, Pfc. Kenneth R. Gorden, Pvt. Robert E. Swanson, Pvt. Harvey L. Finch+, Pvt. Frank E. South+.
5th Row L to R: Pfc. Henry F. Turner*, Pfc. James R. Clevenger+, Pvt. John C. Spornitz+, Pfc. Raymond E. Fox, Pfc. Wallace C. Lee+, Pvt. August Bender+, Pvt. John J. Allen, Pvt. Melvin D. Ahlgrim,
Pfc. Richard E. Davis+, Pvt. Wesley J. Kerrigan, Pvt. Ernest M. Gorden+, Pvt. Clifford D. Rardin, Pfc. Ralph M. Hollingsworth.
Back Row L to R: Pfc. Glen S. Oliver, Pvt. Carl M. Kramp, Pvt. Willis A. Bjornstad*, Pvt. Henry G. Homberg*, Pfc. Clarence L. Goninan*, Pvt. Ernest F. Brusseau+, Pvt. Henry G. Peck,
Pvt. Roy E. Maghan+, Pvt. Floyd T. Munger*, Pvt. John B. Joosten*, Pfc. Gerald J. Bell, Pvt Joseph P. Lamkin.
* Did not go to the Philippine Islands
+ Killed in Action or died while a Japanese POW
^ Returned to United States the first week of December 1941 to attend Officers Candidates School.
Photo courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Members of A Company perform KP at the Brainerd Armory
From left to right: Pvts. Ernest Gorden, Art Gattie, Henry Turner, Russ Burrows, and Carlton Carpenter
Of the men in the photo, only Pvt. Ernest Gorden went to the Philippines and died as a POW.
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1st Sgt. Caroll Guin, on left, and Company Clerk Cpl. Milan Anderson, on right, get the his history from Pvt. Bill Smith
1st Sgt. Carroll Guin, Pvt. Bill Smith, and Cpl. Milan Anderson died as Japanese POWs
Members of A Company stuff mattresses that they took with them to Fort Lewis, Washington
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From left to right: Capt Ernest Miller, 1st Lts. John Muir, Clinton Quinlen, 2nd Lts. Edward Burke, Arthur Root
1st Lt. Clinton Quinlen and 2nd Lt. Arthur Root died while Japanese POWs.
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PFC Harvey Finch poses for this photo in front of a M2A2 Tank at Ft. Lewis, Washington.
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Fort Lewis, Washington, during the summer of 1941.
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Sgt. Ken Porwoll poses for this picture while receiving training at "gas" school.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Cpl. Lee MacDonald on a Harley-Davidson at Ft. Lewis Washington. In all likely hold, he was assigned to the reconnaissance unit.
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Sgt. Ken Porwoll posed for this photo at Ft. Lewis, Washington.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Kenneth Porwoll poses for this picture in front of his barracks.
Courtesy of Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Ken Porwoll poses with his sidearm at Ft. Lewis. One of his jobs was training the tankers in the use of handguns on the pistol range.
Courtesy of Porwoll Family
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Tanks of the 194th Tank Battalion practice using a smoke screen at Ft. Lewis, Washington.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Tanks of the 194th Tank Battalion practice using a smoke screen at Ft. Lewis, Washington.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Barracks of the 194th Tank Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington. Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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The next three photos show 194th tanks practicing fording a river.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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From left to right: Sgt. Ken Porwoll, Pvt. Walter Straka, Pvt. Glenn Nelson, Pvt. Jim Johnson.
Glenn Nelson and Jim Johnson did not go to the Philippines. Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Kenneth Porwoll poses for this picture by the barracks of the 194th Tank Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington. Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Jim McComas poses for this picture on the porch of his barracks.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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In this picture taken at Ft. Lewis, the bottom row of soldiers are: Pvt. Roy Nordstom, Pvt. Mel Ahlgram, Sgt. Ken Porwoll. In the back row are: S/Sgt. Byron Veillette, Pvt. Glenn Nelson, Sgt. Milan Anderson.
Roy Nordstron did not go to the Philippine Islands.
Glenn Nelson went the Philippines but returned to the United States to attend Officers Candidates School. Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Tank Traps at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Since the fort was not equipped for tank training, the infrastructure was built while the battalion trained. Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Kenneth Porwoll with other members of A Company, 194th Tank Battalion, behind him while on maneuvers at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Ken Porwoll, on right, and another member of A Company pose for this picture as they prepare to graduate from "gas" school.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Capt. Ernest Miller and 1st Lt. John S. Muir pose for this photo at Ft. Lewis.
When Miller assumed command of the 194th, he was promoted to Major. Muir was promoted to Captain before going overseas.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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Members of A Company leaving camp to celebrate the Fourth of July.
To the left of the car: Ken Porwoll, Bryan Veilette, Sid Saign, Art Thomas.
To the right of car: Jim McComas (arm on roof of car), Milan Anderson, Glenn Nelson
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Mr. & Mrs. Albert Veillette with Ken Porwoll, on left, and their son, Byron, on the right. The photo was taken at Point Defiance, Tacoma, Washington. They were visiting so they could say their goodbyes to their son. The 194th was preparing to leave for the Philippine Islands.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Byron Veillette and Sgt. Glen Nelson at Clark Field in November, 1941.
Sgt. Glen Nelson returned to the United States before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Sgt. Byron Veillette died while a Japanese Prisoner of War.
Courtesy of Minnesota Military Museum
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In the fall of 1941, Donald Paine and Russell Garrison pose for this photo outside Fort Stotsenburg, Philippine Islands. Both men died while Japanese POWs. Courtesy of Jeff Sauers
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Capt. Harry "Doc" Hickman holds a python that was killed at Clark Field.
Capt. Harry Hickman died while a POW.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
Sgt. Ken Porwoll poses for this photo at Ft. Stotsenburg. He crew his mustache after a barber in Hawaii told him that he would look good with a mustache.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Cpl. Lee MacDonald (behind wheel) and Sgt. Paul Saarinen pose for this picture at Clark Field in October 1941.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
Sgt. Paul Saarinen died while a POW
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Sgt. Milan Anderson walks pass a Napa Hut located near Clark Field.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Ken Porwoll in his Class A uniform and PITH helmet.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Ken Porwoll poses for another photo
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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In the Philippines, Sgt. Kenneth Porwoll was Recreational Sergeant for the battalion and drove the jeep of 2nd Lt. Ralph Duby who was the Recreational Officer for the battalion looking for locations for the battalion to go to on leaves.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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2nd Lt. Ralph Duby and Sgt. Kenneth Porwoll, with his back to the camera, researching activities for the battalion at Batangas, Philippine Islands.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Sgt. Kenneth Porwoll at Batangas, Philippine Islands.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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In this photo, Sgt. Ken Porwoll's tank is in its position on the perimeter of Clark Field. The tank positions had been selected prior to the Japanese attack on the airfield.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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2nd Lt. Ralph Duby with two Filipino children on the way to Bontac, Philippine Islands. Bontac was the home to the headhunting Igorot people.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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2nd Lt. Ralph Duby sits in his jeep at a gatehouse on the road to Bontac. Since the road was only one lane wide and ran along the side of a mountain, the guards called the next gatehouse to see if it was clear. This was done at several points along the road.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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The road to Bontac can be seen as the small white line along the side of the cliff.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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These photos were taken by Sgt Ken Powoll while he and 2nd Lt. Ralph Kuby were visiting Bontac.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Street photo taken in Bontec.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
Another picture of Bontac.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
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Clark Field in the fall of 1941.
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A second photo of Clark Field taken in the autumn of 1941.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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Another photo of Clark Field.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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This photo was taken at Clark Field. Some of the half-tracks, in the Philippines, had .75 milometer guns and known as Self Propelled Mounts, while others had .30 or .50 milometer machine guns. Those half-tracks with .75 milometer guns were assigned to the Philippine Army with American drivers from the 200th Coast Artillery. The sergeants, who were in command of the half-tracks, were from the Philippine Scouts.
Courtesy of the Porwoll Family
Members of A Company, 194th Tank Battalion, take row call as they prepare for guard duty. The officer in charge of the detail is Lt. Arthur Root.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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Sgt. Glen Nelson, and a member of his tank crew, in front of his tank at Clark Field in November 1941. The position of the tank had been selected by Maj. Ernest Miller weeks before the Japanese attack on the airfield.
Sgt. Glen Nelson returned to the United States on the U.S.A.T. Hugh L. Scott to attend Officers Candidate School. The ship, he was on, sailed three days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
Sgt. Jim McComas, S/Sgt. Dave Karlson, and Sgt. Glen Nelson on the beach at Lingayen Gulf.
Sgt. Glen Nelson returned to the United States to attend Officers Candidate School escaping the attack on Clark Field.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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S/Sgt. Byron Veilette on a native outrigger at Lingayen Gulf.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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Sgt. Lee McDonald, Sgt. John Pederson, Sgt. Bernard Fitzpatrick, and T/Sgt. Clarence Thomas in Manila. All four men where there to interview to see if any of them would be selected to fill to slots to attend Officers Candidate School. Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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From the left: Byron Veillette, Jim McComas, Glen Nelson, and John Pederson pose for this photo as Nelson and Pederson waited to board a truck that took them to Manila and transport back to the United States to attend Officers Candidate School.
Their ship left Manila on December 5, 1941.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Military Museum
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