Penn Daniel Soland: 52 Ancestors Prompt "Easy"

Penn Daniel Soland: 1919-1944

52 Weeks, 52 Ancestors Prompt: Easy 

“Easy” searches are often tragic ones: it is easiest to sketch out the life of someone who died young—a short life has only a few pieces of information to locate. My second cousin on my father’s paternal side is one of those ancestors whose lives were cut too short and too cruelly.

Penn Daniel Soland was born December 8, 1919 in Vergas, Minnesota. He was the eighth child of the nine born to Lambert Soland and my first cousin once-removed Amanda Trosdahl. Vergas is located in Otter Tail County, and the Solands were farmers in the Candor area.

According to the 1930 census record, the family still spoke Norwegian at home, but then ten-year-old Penn attended school and would have learned to read, write and speak in English as well. By the 1940 census, Penn reported that he had completed the 7^th grade of school. In 1940, he was still living with his parents on the family farm, and was working for his father as a farm laborer, along with two of his brothers.

When WWII began, Penn registered for the draft in July of 1941. His draft card provides the only description of him that I have found: he was six feet tall, 160 pounds, had black hair, blue eyes and dark complexion. He sounds like a striking young man.

Penn joined the army, and was assigned to the 134^th Infantry Regiment in the 35^th Infantry Division. The unit trained extensively in the United States, where Penn rose to the rank of Sergeant. According to a history of the regiment, the 134th Infantry departed from New York aboard the Navy Transport USS General A.E. Anderson on May 11, 1944, and disembarked at Avonmouth, England on May 25^th. From there they moved to France in early July.

Penn’s regiment fought in numerous battles in France through that summer and into the fall. In October of 1944, his regiment was fighting for control of the town of Fossieux. They lost control of it on October 9, but regained it on the tenth. That was the day Penn lost his life.

He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his bravery in battle. Penn was buried in St. Avold, France, in the huge Lorraine American Cemetery, where over 10,000 servicemen who fell in World War II are buried. He lies beneath a white marble cross, amid rolling fields of crosses and monuments honoring the fallen.

Penn was two months shy of his 25^th birthday at his death. While it was easy to find the facts of his life, his sacrifice and the sacrifice of all those other young men was far from easy. I honor the memory of my brave second cousin.