By Deborah Larsen
Paul Douglas Strohkirch
Paul Douglas Strohkirch was born in Pine, Minnesota, on November 20, 1916, the son of Adolph and Valida Morin Strohkirch. Paul grew up in Minnesota and moved to Rochester about 1940 with his mother after her remarriage. Before the war, he was employed as a farmhand.
In March 1941, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He was assigned to the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion of the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. Paul’s unit served in the Pacific Theater, where he participated in the battle for Guadalcanal. He was wounded in action at New Britain in Papua New Guinea on December 26, 1943, and was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
After the war, Paul and his wife lived in Los Angeles, where he worked as a truck driver.
Paul Douglas Strohkirch died at age 32 on August 17, 1949, and was laid to rest in Whittier, California.