[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 119 (Thursday, September 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              A LONG-AGO RESCUE LENDS US COURAGE FOR TODAY

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                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 13, 2001

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, much is being made these days--and 
justifiably so--of the courage of America's ``Greatest Generation'' of 
men and women who fought and won World War II.
  Like his fellow veterans of the European Theater, former U.S. Army 
Staff Sgt. Alden T. Johnson vividly remembers witnessing countless acts 
of courage and devotion amidst falling bombs, raging fires and an often 
terrified civilian populace.
  However, until very recently, Mr. Johnson--who grew up in the 
northwestern Minnesota communities of Karlstad, Shelly and Hamlma and 
who now resides in Red Wing--never realized that his own act of courage 
years before that war had been recorded on the front page of the 
Karlstad Advocate on May 17, 1929.
  Alden's sister, Millie Peterson's--a long time aid to Minnesota 
Attorneys General Warren Spannaus and Hubert Humphrey III--discovered 
the article at the Minnesota Historical Society.
  I commend the piece to my colleagues not only because it demonstrates 
the courage that was multiplied by factor of millions in winning World 
War II--but also because this rescue so long ago evokes the brand of 
caring and determination that will being America through the terrible 
attack of this week all the stronger.
  I know my colleagues in the Congress of the United States will join 
me in extending the long-overdue recognition due to Alden T. Johnson.

         Car Rolls into Ditch on Slippery Road at Halma, Burns

       A bad accident took place on the road two miles south of 
     Halma opposite the Ulin place Friday evening when a brand new 
     Nash car driven by Conrad Jensen of Warren turned-over in the 
     ditch and burned.
       For the first-time in twenty years all of the Johnson boys, 
     Theodore, Chris, Conrad, Ben, Aksel and Eldor were together, 
     all having been at Halma Friday to attend the funeral of 
     their father. They were visiting at the Chris Johnson home at 
     Karlstad in the afternoon and in the evening they decided to 
     drive to Halma and spend an evening on the old homestead 
     where they had lived and grown to manhood. Theo., who owned a 
     big new Nash rode to Halma earlier in the afternoon with his 
     brother Aksel to help him do up the chores and suggested that 
     one of his brothers drive his car over in the evening. When 
     they left here in the evening Conrad Jensen drove the Nash 
     and with him in the car were Mr. and Mrs. Eldor Johnson, Mrs. 
     Theo. Johnson, Mrs. Conrad Jensen and Chris Johnson's oldest 
     son. Alden. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Johnson accompanied by Mr. and 
     Mrs. Chris Johnson followed them in the former's Chrysler. 
     The grade was slippery after the recent rains near the Ulin 
     place and the Nash car skidded badly altho they were driving 
     slowly and after cutting across the road from one side to the 
     other turned over in the ditch. A great deal of damage would 
     not have been done if the gasoline had not for some reason 
     caught fire. In less than two minutes after the accident the 
     whole car was a mass of flames. Chris and Ben arrived just as 
     the accident happened and opened the front door to the car 
     letting out Conrad and his wife. The back door they could not 
     open and the flames were shooting around all over when Alden 
     kicked the glass out of the door and thru this the rest of 
     the passengers were pulled out. The car burned up entirely 
     leaving only the iron frame and the engine. None of the 
     passengers of the car were hurt but the loss of the car is a 
     very hard blow to Mr. Johnson as he had no insurance on it 
     and had only run about a thousand miles.

     

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