Arthur Carl Knutson

ARTHUR CARL KNUTSON MY DAD GREW UP ON CHARLES T. KNUTSON FARM AT RAKE IOWA. HE WAS RELATED TO THE RAKE FAMILY BY HIS ANCESTER IVER SETBERG AT ARDAL NORWAY. HE WAS REAL YOUNG THE YOUNGEST OF HIS BROTHERS. HE WAS DRAFTED I BELIEVE INTO WORLD WAR II BY THE US NAVY. HE USED TO TELL ME HOW HE HAD TO PLOW THE FIELDS ON THE FARM WITH HORSES THEY STILL KEPT SHETLAND PONIES WHEN I STAYED THERE WITH GRANDMOTHER ALTHA MAY MILLS. SHE USED TO ALWAYS MAKE ME NECTAR SHE CALLED IT BUT WAS MUCH LIKE COOL-AID. I USED TO HAVE TO HELP WITH THE CORN SHELLING GETTING IT INTO THE STORAGE BARN. HIS SHIP IN THE NAVY WAS LST 683 IT HAD TO LAND ON THE BEACHES WHERE HE TOLD ME THE JAPANESE AIRCRAFT WOULD ATTACK THEM AND ENEMY SNIPERS. THERE WAS A TYPHOON AT SEA BY THE PHILIPINES THAT BENT THE FRONT OF A AIRCRAFT CARRIER WAS THAT POWERFUL DAD'S SHIP SOME HOW BUSTED THERE PROPELER DRIVE SHAFT AND ENGINES WHERE LOCKED SO DAD FIXED IT WITH A WOODEN BLOCK OR THE SHIP WOULD HAVE ROLLED OVER AND SUNK IN THE TYPHOON. THEY WERE REAL EASY ON DAD AFTER THAT. HE WAS A MOTOR MAN MICHINIST IN THE ENGINE ROOM. HE GOT HIS DIESEL ENGINE TRAINING IN THE US NAVY. I ALSO FOUND OUT ABOUT HOW MY DAD SAVED A GUY'S LIFE WHO HAD CRASHED IN A BURNING CAR AND HOW HE GOT HIM OUT IN TIME DAD WAS A PRETTY FEARLESS CHARACTER . HE USED TO RUN LANDING CRAFT ONTO THE BEACHES AND LAND THE TROOPS ON THE BEACHES SUPPOSE BECAUSE HE KNEW HOW TO RUN THE MOTORS. THEY USED TO GO IN AND OUT OF PEARL HARBOUR TO GET TANKS AND PT BOATS AND OTHER LANDING CRAFT AND JEEPS I EVEN DROVE MY OWN JEEP AT A OUTPOST ASSIGNMENT WHEN I WAS ON DUTY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. EVEN MY UNKLE EARL DROVE HIS OWN JEEP IN NORTH AFRICA AND AT BASTOGNE FRANCE DURING THE 7 DAY SIEGE BY THE GERMAN ARMY ACCORDING TO HIS DIARY OF THOSE EVENTS. HE GOT HIT BY A GERMAN MORTOR ROUND THEN ONLY HIS HELMET DAMAGED BUT THE JEEP TOOK THE HIT. MIRACULOUSLY. DAD AND EARL MY MOTHER'S BROTHER WERE REAL GOOD FRIENDS TO THE END. DAD TRAINED IN THE US NAVY AT NORFOLK NAVAL BASE VIRGINIA AND GREAT LAKES NAVAL BASE AT CHICAGO ILLINOIS SAME NAVY BASE MY BROTHER STEVEN KNUSON GRADUATED FROM I TRAINED AT FORT SHERIDAN THERE IN MY TRAINING AFTER FORT CAMPBELL KENTUCKY WHERE I DID MY BASIC TRAINIG WITH THE 101 ST AIRBORN RECRUITS. DAD WAS AT HIGUSHI IWA JIMA PUTTING IN MEN ON THE SULFUR ISLAND JAPANESE WERE TRYING TO TORPEDO THE SUPPLY SHIPS SO THEY HAD TO MAKE SMOKE SCREEN FOR COVER GUESS THE US RANDOLPH HAD BEEN TORPEDOED THE DAY BEFORE WAS A CAUSE FOR ALARM ON THE SHIP. DAD LOVED HIS SHIP HE SAID TO ME HE WOULD RATHER GO DOWN WITH THE SHIP THEN DIE IN THE OIL FIRES OR BE EATEN BY THE SHARKS BUT A LOT OF SAILORS WHO WERE STOKERS WOULD GO DOWN WITH THEIR SHIP TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AS ON THE TITANIC THEY KNEW IT. DAD WOULD TRY TO TEACH ME A LOT ABOUT SHIPS AND BOATS HE WOULD TAKE ME UP TO LAKE WINNEPEG AREA IN CANADA HE PREFERED FISHING THE CANADIAN LAKES. ODDLY IT IS NOT FAR FROM THE OLD NORWEGIAN TRAILS UP THERE WHERE IN BENDICKSON'S ANCESTER ANDERS BRAQESER WAS HE TOOK THE FRENCH NAME OF THE PLACE BUT HIS DAD WAS NORWEGIAN IN THE 1760'S. HARD TO SPELL THOSE FRENCH NAMES RIGHT ARE SO FANCY. DAD USUALLY CARRIED OARS ON HIS BOAT HARD TO PUT ALL FAITH IN ONE LITTLE SPARK PLUG AND ALSO A TROLLING MOTOR. WE HAD OUR ENGINE STALL AND QUITE ONE TIME ON THE CANADIAN LAKE PACKWASH IT WAS SNOWING BUT DAD MANAGED TO GET IT GOING AFTER MANY TRY'S WOULD HAVE TAKEN A LONG TIME TO GET BACK TO THE CABIN. BUT HE SURE LOVED TO CRUISE HIS BOAT HE GAVE ME THE TASK OF WICHING IT UP ON THE TRAILER THAT WAS HARD WORK NOW THEY GOT ELECTRIC WENCHES.