Terrance Anthony Vangen
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
VANGEN, Terrance Anthony
Terrance "Terry" Anthony Vangen was born on December 13th 1917 to Ben C. &d Olga [Helland] Vangen in Pengilly, Minnesota. Terry attended Greenway High School, Kansas State College, the University of Maryland, and Heidelberg University in Germany. He married Mary Gertrude [McKenna] and started a family.
Lt. Col. Terrance Vangen was a highly decorated World War II veteran when he was assigned to assist in civilian government affairs in an already tense and divided Korea.
When the Chinese Communist intervention came across the Yalu River on November 25, 1950, “we all had to get the hell out of there. It was a terrible retreat and we lost over 15,000 Americans. I suppose if I’d stayed with the combat elements, I probably wouldn’t be here today. These things you never get over, never get over."
Lt Col. Vangen retired from military service on Febreuary 28th 1959
Back in the States as a civilian, Terrance Vangen served as the regional director for the government’s Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (now part of FEMA), from which he retired in 1981.
Mr. Vangen died on December 31st 2013 in Pengilly and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Coleraine, Minnesota.
Page 1 WWII Draft Registration Cards - Fold3
Terrance Anthony “Terry” Vangen (1917-2013) - Find A Grave Memorial
