EARL HALVORSON MEMORIAL SERVICE TO BE HELD FRIDAY

Seventy-seven years after he was killed in action in World War II, Earl Halvorson will finally be getting any official memorial service.
Halvorson was born and raised in Minneota.
The memorial service will be held on Friday, Oct. 15 at Hemnes Cemetery south of Minneota. The service is open to the public and will include a 21-gun salute and "Taps" will be played by Tom Halvorson, Earl's nephew.
Halvorson's family held a memorial service for him in 1946, two years after his official year of death. The new memorial service will serve as the official one with the actual date of his date being Feb. 27, 1944, according to records found two years ago.
Halvorson was aboard the USS Grayback submarined when it was bombed off the coast of Japan and sank in 1,400 feet of water. All 80 crew members aboard were killed.
Because the Grayback went missing and not found until two years ago, a span of 75 years, the grave marker for Halvorson was issued after they declared him killed in action in 1946.
After Tim Taylor, who heads up Project 52 which is attempting to locate the 52 sunken U.S. submarines from World War II, located the Grayback off the coast of Japan after he was given accurate coordinates from Japanese records.
Since that discovery, Halvorson's sister, Elaine Johnson of Marshall, and her children have been trying to get a new marker from the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Association in Washington D.C.
With the help of Rep. Michelle Fischbach, a new headstone has finally been issued and arrived in late September. Fischbach is expected to be at the memorial service, as well as members of the Minneota VFW and the Lyon County Veteran's office.
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