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Interviewee

Strand, Larry

Document Type

Oral History

Date of Interview

2-18-2002

Abstract

Larry Strand was born on 17 November 1924 in St. Paul. During the early- to mid-1930s, at the height of the Depression, his family moved to a succession of farms outside the Twin Cities; in 1940 they moved to Minneapolis, where Larry attended Central High School and worked at a local gas station. In mid-1942 Larry moved with his father to Montana, where they found employment as carpenters. In December 1942 Larry volunteered for the US Marine Corps. After Basic Training in San Diego he was shipped to New Zealand, where he joined the 2nd Marine Division as a replacement. Months of additional training followed, during which time Larry became a scout-sniper. In late November 1943 Larry participated in the invasion of Tarawa Atoll, in the Gilbert Islands, for the US one of the war’s costliest actions. While in Hawaii in early 1944 for rest and refit, Larry developed chronic eczema and spent the next six months in various hospitals; when the condition failed to improve he was shipped back to the US and, in December 1944, discharged. Following military service Larry worked until 1960 for Minneapolis Moline, and then in industrial engineering for Remington Rand (later UNISYS) until retiring in 1986. Larry Strand’s private life demonstrated a deep concern for others; for many years he volunteered his time and energy with the elderly and shut-in. For this he was recognized by Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, with their “Earl Dresser Award” for volunteer service; in addition, Larry was named by the Volunteers of America as an “International Volunteer of the Year” for 2001. He was also active in his church, Aldersgate United Methodist of St. Louis Park. Larry talks openly about dealing after the war with combat related stress, sometimes referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Larry Strand lived in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with his wife Doris (Shea) Strand, until his death in November 2002.

Copyright

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without the written permission of Concordia University Library or Thomas Saylor, Department of History, Concordia University, St. Paul.

Larry Strand - Transcript.pdf (624 kB)
PDF Transcript of Interview with Larry Strand

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