Old Soldiers Reunited

Photobucket Talk about pictures from the past. That’s me in the middle and my army buddies Alroy Strand (L) and Roger Heesch.(R) We served in the 16th. Engineer Battalion stationed at Fort Hood Texas. Alroy was from Minnesota and we both like to hunt and fish. He told me stories about Rainy River and Lake of the Woods where he would catch huge walleye and pike. We kind of lost track of one another just before we were discharged, but wrote a couple letters to one another once we got settled back into civilian life.

Alroy soon moved his family to Alaska, where he could hunt and fish till his hearts desire. He sent me pictures of caribou and moose he had shot, and also one of an orphaned moose he was hand feeding. Well; back in the early 70’s Alaska had a major earthquake, and all my letters kept coming back saying “no such address!.” I figured Alroy would write, and let me know everything was ok, but from that point on we lost contact with one another.

Recently he has been on my mind, and I did a search on Anywho.com for an Alroy Strand in Alaska. Nothing came up, but a Mike and Jeri Ann Strand came up in Anchorage. It listed Mike as being 35 years old, and that made him eligible for being Alroy’s son. I called the phone number listed, and had a nice talk with Jeri Ann as she explained she was indeed Alroy’s daughter-in-law, and Mike was his son. She informed me that Alroy was alive and kicking, but may have moved back to Minnesota. I got his 86 year old mothers phone number, and through her was able to confirm Alroy’s where-a-bouts and phone number. He wasn’t home, so I left him a message to give me a call.

I received that call this evening. Much water has flowed over the dam since we talked to one another, as 21 year old army draftees. We are now semi old farts with the major portion of our lives behind us. Alroy has hunted and fished Alaska for 40 odd years, and spent the last 18 years working on the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay. He was a heavy equipment operator with a crew of 18 men working under him. I told him my dream hunt would of been an Alaskan grizzly hunt, and he said he could of taken me on the hunt of my life, if he would of known! Talk about being a day late and a dollar short!

Alroy still has a place in Alaska, and owns a couple places in Minnesota, where he now lives right on Rainy River. He still hunts and fishes, and has a pheasant hunt coming up in North Dakota soon. We promised to keep in touch with one another, and Lord willing are going to try and see one another before one of us croaks. Sounds like he’s in real good health, so I better start hitting the gym or cut back on the cookies! It was sure nice hearing his voice after all these years. Who knows maybe we can resume a long lost friendship and get a “hunt” in before we “fade away!”

Mike