Perfect Duluth Day

Summer of ’65: First Duluthian killed in Vietnam action

DNTCover22Aug1965

Fifty years ago — Aug. 22, 1965 — the DNT reports Marine Cpl. James Leo Dieryck, 26, was killed in action on Aug. 18 in the Chu Lai sector of Vietnam. He was the first Duluthian and the second man from the region to die during the war.

Killed July 7 was Pvt. Allen Johnson, 18, Army paratrooper, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Johnson, Esko.

Corporal Dieryck, a career Marine, had enlisted in 1959. He was born in Duluth and attended Central High School and was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Lakewood.

His wife, Linda, was killed last Oct. 23 when she was struck by a truck on the Marine Corps Base at Oceanside, Calif., where the couple were residing.

Surviving besides his parents, are a daughter, Linda, 20 months; a brother, Louis, with the U.S. Navy, and three sisters, Miss Margaret Dieryck, Mrs. Lawrence Lund and Mrs. Melvin DeBettignies, all of Duluth.

Two Area Men Vying in Rifle Matches
Two Duluth area men are members of this Minnesota National Guard Rifle team which is competing in the 1965 National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. Competition is held for teams and individuals in several categories. Minnesota team members, from left, front row are Capt. Gerald W. Johnson, Faribault; T. Sgt. James S. McIntosh, Twig; Maj. Clarence A. Trosvig, Fergus Falls; Capt. Jerome N. Motzko, Roseville; 1st Lt. Carsten D. Anderson, Rochester, and 1st Lt. Kermit L. Roux Jr., Minneapolis; and, standing, Capt. Clarence A. Gilstad, Detroit Lakes; Sgt. John R. Buley, Hollandale; Staff Sgt. Harold Prekker, Sauk Center; TSgt. Roger H. Tveit, Duluth; Staff Sgt. Omer R. Hammer, Hollandale, and Staff Sgt. John L. Wilder, Rochester.

The Charles S. Hebard in two through the Duluth harbor basin.

Chet Anderson pages through a pamphlet during one of his few leisure moments. The Duluth Central grad and University of Minnesota footballer stands 6-3 and weighs nearly 230 pounds as he heads into his junior year as a Gopher. He led Central to a state basketball championship his sophomore year there, and spearheaded a trio of successful Trojan football teams before graduating in 1963.

Anderson went on to be drafted in the 14th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1967 and had eight receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns that season. He died in 2007.

Moose Lake’s Seaway League champions, who will face Braham at 2 p.m. today at Kettle River, are, left to right: front row–Jack Halvorson, co-manager; Norm Hill, Bob Slocum, Randy Isaacson, batboy; John Brown, Mike Edwin, Dick Waisanen, co-manager. Back Row–Brad Fadness, Pete Ingram, Wade Renstrom, Bill Show, Bob Clough and Bruce Cartford.

Picking up some valuable pointers from tennis pro Bob Speed, far left, are the outstanding Duluth junior players of the season. From left, are Dave Griffith, Gretchen Bartzen, Diane Irvin, Kevin Meagher, Henry Royer and Nancy Paul.

The very young coeds area as fashion-conscious as their older sisters and their back-to-school togs are every bit as sharp aas those for the teeners. Annette Tarnowski, 7, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tarnowski, 4805 Oneida St., is making a bee-line for classes on her super-duper trike while Laura Heaslip, 9, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Heaslip, 4855 Glendale St., tries to hop a ride. Annette’s no-iron cotton plaid frock has three-quarter sleeves with button detailing at the elbows, a gathered skirt and its own matching patent belt. Laura’s modified coachman-style skirt in a healthier blend has its own straps and pearl buttons in front. Her long-sleeved crepe blouse has a collar formed by the bow tie at the neckline and a pleated bib-tuck front.

Sunset on a hot summer day silhouettes bathers at Pike Lake near Duluth. (Photo by Earl Johnson.)