Milo O. Halvorson

Milo Orvid Halvorson, 89, a veteran of WWII and Korean War, passed away October 22, 2016 of natural causes.A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2017 at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Milo was born December 27, 1926 in Montevideo, Minnesota, the only child to Oscar and Pansy Halvorson.He graduated high school in 1944 and enlisted in the US Navy August 23, 1944 at Seattle Washington. After attending boot camp in Idaho, he was assigned to the 13th Amphibious Command on the USS Estes as a radioman. Leaving port in NJ, traveled via the Panama Canal, to Pearl Harbor arriving at Iwo Jima. Three days later, on February 19, 1945, as part of a naval task group, engaged in bombardments in support of the D-day landing of the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions.After leaving Iwo Jima he arrived at Okinawa Japan and on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1945, again, as part of a naval task force, supported the landing of 65,000 Army troops (L-Day). He and his ship avoided damage five days later when 699 Japanese aircraft, nearly half of which were kamikazes, targeted the task force. Four ships were sunk and 26 other vessels were damaged.Discharged January 1, 1948. On November 18, 1948 he married Dorothy Hedlund of Brainerd Minnesota and remained there working for Mills Motor until he was called back to duty in November 1950 assigned to Shanghai China on the destroyer USS Cunningham, once again supporting landing operations off the North Korean coastline, along with Russian submarine patrols, resulting in deployment of numerous depth charges. Milo was discharged February 12, 1952. Upon his return to Brainerd, Milo continued work at Mills Motor until 1956, then worked for Fleet Farm Supply in Wadena Minnesota until 1960 when the family moved to Great Falls Montana, opening a Fleet store there and a short time later in Havre, Lewistown, Conrad and Glasgow. The family remained there until 1969 when he moved to Crookston Minnesota and the opening of another store. Milo moved to Moorhead Minnesota in 1974 and began work with A&T Supply then moved to Lewistown Montana in 1979 where he again worked at Fleet Farm and became active on the City Council and School Board. Milo and Dorothy moved back to Great Falls in 1993, where he was active in the Tax Payers Association, Employee Military Council and Sheriffs Committee. Milo is survived by his five children; daughters Nancy (Roger) Plasterer, Judy (Mike) Malone and Brenda (Steve) Tilleraas; sons Ronald (Carol) Halvorson and Guy (Deborah) Halvorson; 14 Grandchildren; 35 Great Grandchildren and 8 Great Great Grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and wife Dorothy. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Farm in the Dell, Great Falls Children’s Receiving Home, Grace Home Veterans Center or charity of your choice.