GaryOsberg.com

Dad served in the Pacific during World War II. Like a lot of veterans, he did not talk about it very much. After he died, I found a notebook that he had written in, beginning with, “I have a closet full of regrets”. It was an unusual collection of thoughts, ending with a reference to December 13, 1983, the day that he finally decided to quit drinking brandy. On the final page he also noted, “I am no big believer that battle fatigue was the cause of my drinking, but there were the 2 ½ months at Okinawa that I do not care to talk about. It was so unreal, like bad television”. The battle of Okinawa proved to be the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. A total of 219,000 persons lost their lives in that battle. 12,000 of our troops died and 36,000 were wounded.

Five original 8-foot x 10-foot paintings, one for each of the five branches of the United States Military, are on display in the Committal Hall at the Minnesota Military Cemetery located on Highway 371 north of Little Falls. They were painted by a native of Little Falls, Charles Gilbert Kapsner. 

A few years ago, a coffee shop buddy and I donated a framed print of the U.S. Navy painting to the American Legion Post 328 in St. Joseph. My buddy Phil’s father served on the destroyer U.S.S Converse in the Pacific during the war and my dad served on the U.S.S Vammen, a destroyer escort. The limited-edition print was presented in honor of Norman P. Ringstrom and William E. Osberg and all other Navy Veterans. 

The legion decided to remodel their meeting room, so the print now hangs in the Upsala American Legion Post 350 military museum across from the school on Main Street in Upsala.  What might be the smallest U.S. Military Museum in America is open from 8am until 8pm daily until Labor Day.

If you are interested in visiting the Committal Hall at the cemetery, simply give Eric Sogge a call at 320-616-2527.  If you would like to purchase a print for yourself or to donate to someone, give me a call.       320-293-6771.

“Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free”. General Dwight Eisenhower