| Update: I asked my old Army buddy Bob Morecook, with service in both the active and reserve army, to look this story over. He had answered some questions about the stripes on Stanley's uniform and the roles of black troops. I asked about markings on the truck and the brass on Stanley's uniform. He kindly responded:
Hi Stan
Thanks for giving me some more implied questions to address.
His brass is NOT engineers. They have a small castle.
It appears to be Quartermaster Corps. The quartermasters AND transportation corps both had many black soldiers in them during WW2.
Regarding the truck markings.
I found a typical posting here
So I am going to call the marking
Advanced Section Communications Zone 398th Regiment Headquarters - Truck Company -
[TC MIGHT mean Transportation Corps but I cant find any reference to support this] - Truck 43
The 398th was probably either a quartermaster unit OR a transportation corps unit.
They often had black troopers and many officers were white.
All the best
Bob
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| Stanley Gunsten and Irene Rosengren probably in Moorhead, Minnesota in the mid-40s. His sleeve insignia indicates 18 months of overseas service, which is about how long it took to train for and complete the invasion and retaking of Europe. |
Pity.
Yesterday Stan found a page of photos his father had saved in a scrapbook of "Friends." The page was labeled "Stanley Gunsten." Fortunately, that's a very unique name, ideal for an internet search, and now we know a lot more about The Rev. Stanley G. Gunsten.
Stanley Gordon Gunsten was born Aug 18, 1917 in Fennimore, Wisconsin and died Aug 6, 2000.
In 1940, Stanley graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where Erling and Beverly earned their degrees.
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| Stan and Irene got married, we presume |
In 1944, Stanley was one of 10 Cobbers who participated in the invasion of Normandy, France, the climactic event of World War II in the European Theater. Erling was 4-F and did not serve, remaining as a married professor in charge of the commercial department at Concordia, while his wife finished her degree.
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| This photo from St. Paul Lutheran history |
Gunsten was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1949. We know this, because a Portland, Oregon, church history records: "A surprise commemorative service and reception for the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Ordination of Pastor Gunsten was observed on June 9, 1974." So far, we don't know what seminary he attended. (It was Erling's unfulfilled, yet oft-stated wish that his own Stanley be similarly ordained in the Lutheran Church.)
While a casual internet search didn't turn up a marriage announcement for Mr. Gunsten, it did reveal a newspaper item reporting that a baby shower was given for Mrs. Stanley Gunsten in 1954.
(A brief search for Irene Rosengren, the other, more common, name on the scrapbook page, was inconclusive.)
The Rev. Stanley Gunsten served the American Lutheran Church in parishes on the West Coast and his name appears as an officiant in obituaries and wedding stories in local papers. An example:
"Miss Sandra Warren, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Warren of Richland, became the bride of Wayne Hinchen, son of the late T. E. Hinchen and Mrs,. Katherine H. Moore of Spokane, the afternoon of April 23 in Christ Luthern Church in Spokane. The Rev. Stanley G. Gunsten performed the double ring ceremony and Mr. Warren gave his daughter in marriage. She was attired in a floor length gown of antique satin with bouffant overskirt of embroidered lace and net: The fitted bodice was rich with applique of the lace and was finished. . ."
In 1953, Gunsten became the pastor at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Bremerton, Washington. There are two references to him in the history section of their newsletter.
There is a blurb in the 1962 Cheney Free Press (Cheney, near Spokane) concerning a funeral service in the "Medical Lake News" column:
"The Rev Stanley Gunsten, chaplain of Fairchild, officiated at the military service."
In 1969, Pastor Gunsten accepted a call (that's what pastors do… they aren't hired) to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon, a post he held for 13 years. The official church history reports: "Pastor Gunsten ably continued the needed spiritual leadership and guidance and, in addition, brought new vitality to the church. …
"In addition to his pastorate at St. Paul, Pastor Gunsten served actively as Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) in the U.S. Army Reserve."
(Interesting side note: "At a special congregational meeting on January 7, 1973, the constitution was amended permitting women to serve on the council.")
St. Paul's history continues: "In July 1982, Pastor Gunsten retired from active parish ministry. A special retirement service banquet was held for the Gunstens at which time they were presented with a congratulatory trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Pastor and Mrs. Gunsten upon retirement, moved to a home they had purchased in suburban Spokane, Washington."
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(A brief search for Irene Rosengren, the other, more common, name on the scrapbook page, was inconclusive.)
The Rev. Stanley Gunsten served the American Lutheran Church in parishes on the West Coast and his name appears as an officiant in obituaries and wedding stories in local papers. An example:
"Miss Sandra Warren, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Warren of Richland, became the bride of Wayne Hinchen, son of the late T. E. Hinchen and Mrs,. Katherine H. Moore of Spokane, the afternoon of April 23 in Christ Luthern Church in Spokane. The Rev. Stanley G. Gunsten performed the double ring ceremony and Mr. Warren gave his daughter in marriage. She was attired in a floor length gown of antique satin with bouffant overskirt of embroidered lace and net: The fitted bodice was rich with applique of the lace and was finished. . ."
In 1953, Gunsten became the pastor at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Bremerton, Washington. There are two references to him in the history section of their newsletter.
There is a blurb in the 1962 Cheney Free Press (Cheney, near Spokane) concerning a funeral service in the "Medical Lake News" column:
"The Rev Stanley Gunsten, chaplain of Fairchild, officiated at the military service."
In 1969, Pastor Gunsten accepted a call (that's what pastors do… they aren't hired) to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon, a post he held for 13 years. The official church history reports: "Pastor Gunsten ably continued the needed spiritual leadership and guidance and, in addition, brought new vitality to the church. …
"In addition to his pastorate at St. Paul, Pastor Gunsten served actively as Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) in the U.S. Army Reserve."
(Interesting side note: "At a special congregational meeting on January 7, 1973, the constitution was amended permitting women to serve on the council.")
St. Paul's history continues: "In July 1982, Pastor Gunsten retired from active parish ministry. A special retirement service banquet was held for the Gunstens at which time they were presented with a congratulatory trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Pastor and Mrs. Gunsten upon retirement, moved to a home they had purchased in suburban Spokane, Washington."
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| This looks like a basic training formation. No one wears any stripes or labels. The man in front would be a temporary Field Grade Sgt, but the man in charge would be the white guy at left who is not standing at attention. |
Even more interesting to cold weather armchair detectives are the photographs of Mr. Gunsten in his Army uniform. There are many clues, but a clear picture does not emerge. In the two front yard photographs of what appears to be an officer on leave, Mr. Gunsten is a first (silver) or second (gold) lieutenant, it is not possible to tell in a black and white photograph. According to the Concordia records he was overseas, so that explains the "fruit salad" of medals over his breast pocket.
His uniform has three overseas stripes, one for each six months of service, which would indicate that he spent a year and a half in Europe. Perhaps the photograph was taken shortly after his return and before the birth of Erling's son in 1947?
We know that later in life Pastor Gunsten was a chaplain in the Army Reserves and earned the rank of Lt. Col. He was ordained in 1949, so did he become a chaplain at that time?
But the most interesting photographs are the other two. In an attitude that lingers to this day, black men were considered unfit for leadership roles, except for other black men. Over 125,000 blacks served overseas in World War II and 708 were killed, but usually, in the ultimate Affirmative Action program, they were under the ultimate command of a white overseer. For the most part, they were kept out of combat roles, more likely to be found in support motor pools, supply and maintenance. There were many black officers leading the all-black units -- even a rare black general. Harry Truman put an official end to segregation in the Army in 1948.
Two of Erling's photos show black men in the Army. One is a platoon-sized unit of 18 slick-sleeved privates in formation, perhaps in basic training, with one white man, we assume to be Lt. Gunsten. The other photo is with an Army vehicle, presumably being worked on by a black mechanic with Lt. Gunsten in the foreground -- although Gunsten may be a Major, or even Lt. Colonel, it's hard to see the cap insignia, but it looks roundish. If he's had a promotion, this photo was probably taken in the states, since he was a lieutenant after 18 months overseas.
We know that later in life Pastor Gunsten was a chaplain in the Army Reserves and earned the rank of Lt. Col. He was ordained in 1949, so did he become a chaplain at that time?
But the most interesting photographs are the other two. In an attitude that lingers to this day, black men were considered unfit for leadership roles, except for other black men. Over 125,000 blacks served overseas in World War II and 708 were killed, but usually, in the ultimate Affirmative Action program, they were under the ultimate command of a white overseer. For the most part, they were kept out of combat roles, more likely to be found in support motor pools, supply and maintenance. There were many black officers leading the all-black units -- even a rare black general. Harry Truman put an official end to segregation in the Army in 1948.
Two of Erling's photos show black men in the Army. One is a platoon-sized unit of 18 slick-sleeved privates in formation, perhaps in basic training, with one white man, we assume to be Lt. Gunsten. The other photo is with an Army vehicle, presumably being worked on by a black mechanic with Lt. Gunsten in the foreground -- although Gunsten may be a Major, or even Lt. Colonel, it's hard to see the cap insignia, but it looks roundish. If he's had a promotion, this photo was probably taken in the states, since he was a lieutenant after 18 months overseas.
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| Where has this truck been? Who's fixing it? Is that a Major or Lt. Col. rank insignia? |
The truck is assigned to the 398th, according to the lettering on the bumper. That could have been the 398th Engineer Regiment that distinguished itself in France and Luxembourg, building bridges, warehouses, repairing bomb damage to railroads and harbors. Was Stan Gunsten ever associated with that 398th? The 398th history doesn't mention him on its roster of officers.
So all we know for sure is that Gunsten provided white leadership to a segregated unit somewhere, maybe in basic training, maybe in the reserves, we don't know.
We do know that over his lifetime he witnessed an historic shift in attitudes about black men leading white men which culminated, shortly after his death, in a black man being chosen by a majority, twice, to be the most powerful leader in the world.
It would have been interesting to hear the old pastor's perspective on all that.
So all we know for sure is that Gunsten provided white leadership to a segregated unit somewhere, maybe in basic training, maybe in the reserves, we don't know.
We do know that over his lifetime he witnessed an historic shift in attitudes about black men leading white men which culminated, shortly after his death, in a black man being chosen by a majority, twice, to be the most powerful leader in the world.
It would have been interesting to hear the old pastor's perspective on all that.
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| She's wearing his overseas cap with a lieutenant bar on it, probably recently earned. The house may be Erling and Bev's place in Moorhead, we'll see. |
