VonderHaar, Carl (1913-2014)

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:8568#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Carl F. VonderHaar was born on June 21, 1913, in Albertville, Minnesota, and was raised in Little Falls, Minnesota. He joined the Minnesota National Guard at age 18 and participated in the construction and operation of Camp Ripley. Activated for World War II, VonderHaar commanded a motor repair unit that was stationed in Ireland, Africa, France, and the Philippines before the war’s end. He was reactivated during the Korean conflict and commanded an African American supply battalion in France. In Little Falls, he was a business man starting Von’s Supply Company in 1946. The father of four he died on April 27, 2014, at the age of 100 in Little Falls, Minnesota.

Transcript Summary: Carl F. VanderHaar details his military experience from 1931 to 1952. He joined the Minnesota National Guard as part of the construction project at Camp Ripley where VanderHaar worked in excavating and surveying. Later, having been commissioned a lieutenant, VanderHaar oversaw the construction and quartermaster duties for the camp until activated for war duty in December 1941. He commanded a repair and maintenance unit that was stationed in Ireland and later Africa as part of the Tunisian campaign. He rotated back to the United States for more training and returned to his unit in France in 1944. With the German surrender in April 1945, VanderHaar’s unit was sent to the Philippines where, upon the Japanese surrender, he returned home. As part of the Korean conflict, VanderHaar was reactivated and commanded an ordnance unit in France made up of African American soldiers. In addition to his wartime experiences, VanderHaar described the creation of his business between the wars and the impact of his military service upon it. He also discussed his opinions on Japanese internment during World War II, the Vietnam conflict, and the first Persian Gulf War.

Interview by David Overy