When Bruce Cottington enlisted in 1942, he joined the Navy, but was later assigned to a new Marine Corps unit called the Amphibians. The unit fought on land and sea, and Cottington prepared battle sites in the Pacific during World War 2. (The amphibian unit was the precursor to the Navy SEALS.)
Pat, who is going on 107 years old, says she was surprised that her difficulty breathing was caused by a heart problem, not her lungs.
As the war in Vietnam escalated, so did the protests on college campuses. When Doug Bekke volunteered to fight, he was the same age as many of the students staging anti-war activities. He describes a memorable encounter at the University of Minnesota when his deeply held values were challenged and he felt at odds with his contemporaries.
In the second of a series of essays, Robert Saxton reflects on perspective and some of the unique characteristics of living in northern Minnesota. In the coming weeks Robert will explore in depth some more specific aspects related to calling this place home. This week Robert talks about driving in Minnesota.
