Honoring Park County Veterans:                 A Military History

A tribute to local people who served in the military from the 1800s to present day, we generally add stories to this 2013 exhibit biannually.  Part of museum military exhibit

There are personal stories from the Civil War forward, including the Spanish American Philippine War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Iraq War. More biographies will be added.

Several World War I and World War II interpretive panels follow the biographies. The museum is conducting additional interviews with Korean      and Vietnam War veterans in spring 2021, which will then be added to this online exhibit. If you know of any Park County, MT veterans we should interview, please contact Anna Simons, asimons@nps.edu, or call 406-222-4184. 

Civil War Vets

  Spanish American Phillipine War      April 25, 1898 - August 12, 1898

Comley T. Heaton bio

World War I                                     July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918

Tommy Ray bio
Elizabeth Sandelius Benbow bio
Marvin Wright bio
Andrew Peterson bio
Gene Knoke bio
Ray Yardley bio
William Allen Hunter bio
Roland Kaiser bio
The Patriotic Kaiser Family bio

World War II                             September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945

Kenneth Asher bio
Lloyd Max Daniel Bio
K. O. Nelson bio
Rosemond Fisher bio
William Strong bio
Floyd Witthoeft bio
Richard and Theresa Witthoeft

A Rewarding Story!

While doing research for our 2015 military exhibit, volunteer Susan Kraft found photographs of Floyd Witthoeft in Yellowstone National Park's archives; he worked in the park and served in the army during World War II (see above story). I located his descendants and called his son, Allan, who lived in Michigan, and asked about his father.  My inquiry prompted Allan to discover negatives that his dad had taken during his time in Yellowstone and his service overseas during WWII. Allan developed the photos, which had been stored in a metal canister since the 1940s. He and Theresa (left) were so excited about the exhibit that they drove to Montana for the opening and they donated copies of the photos to the museum.                              --Karen Reinhart

Verna Pepper bio

A Special Tribute to Joe Garr, WWII Veteran

Joe Garr bio
Story of Joe Garr's Trunk
Joe Garr trunk photo
Spunky, Dog for Defense bio
Doug Nelson bio

Korean War                                                 June 25, 1950 - July 27, 1953

Warren Harper bio
Richard

Vietnam War                                     November 1, 1955  -  April 30, 1975

Thomas Melin bio
Bernard Rustad bio

Iraq War                                     March 20, 2003 -  December 15, 2011 

Erin Read bio

More veterans' stories will be added to this exhibit in the future.

More about World War I and Montana

Beginnings of WWI
Dig in for Democracy. Jeannette Rankin
Sedition
Don Evans bio
Park Co. Honored Dead
John C. Haberstroh photo of Troop Train in Livingston
John C. Haberstroh photo of Troop Train in Livingston

More about World War II and Montana

Montanans Who Served and YNP
The Homefront

The museum is grateful to the people who have helped with the exhibit over the years.

Dean Gilbert                                                          Susan Kraft*                                                            Norm Miller
Pat Miller                                                                Shirley Petersen                                                     Anna Simons                                                Carol Woodley                                                       Michael Yardley 

And editors: Ruth Dargis, BJ Earle, and Rosamond Stanton

*The Susan Kraft Memorial Fund has been established to support future Military Exhibits at the museum, including research, fabrication, and gala events. If you would like to donate to this fund, please mail a check to Friends of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, PO Box 815, Livingston, MT 59047 or contact Karen Reinhart, 406.222.4184. Please indicate on your check the "Susan Kraft Memorial Fund." Thank you.