POW shares story of survival
by Kara Stritesky
Special to the Star News
Alf Larsen was just 20 years old when his parents signed the consent form for the United States Army. By the time he was 22 he doubted he would live to see his 23rd birthday.
Larsen, now in his 80s, served in the Army Air Corps for two years from 1939 to 1941 before he was taken captive. He was held as a prisoner of war until the Japan-ese surrender in 1945.Ê
The POWs had hard days: no food except for water and rice, no medicine and stuck on a Bataan death march.
Larsen will share his experiences as a POW from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14 at the Handke Family Center in Elk River as part of District 728 Community EducationÕs WWII speaker series.
Larsen, a Duluth native,Ê was transferred to Clarke Field, which was one of the better POW camps. They had cold running water, toilets and it was relatively clean. He was there when it was first bombed. ThatÕs when Larsen describes, Òreally getting tangled up in the war.Ó ThatÕs also where he received his Purple Heart after being wounded.
However fearful for his life, Larsen credits his attitudes and beliefs for his survival of this grim time in our countryÕs life.
ÒDo what you have to do in war,Ó he said of being in war and being a POW. ÒYou got to make up your mind if you want to live or not.
ÒThat angel on your shoulder doesnÕt hurt, either.Ó
When you ask Alf about being shot at, the only word he can say to describe it is, Òterrifying.Ó
ÒYou donÕt hear the bullet Õtil after itÕs already passed you. You can hear the thump, thump, thump as they are firing it off and you know itÕs coming.Ó
Larsen tells tales of beatings and killings. HeÊ carried a small pocket-size Bible around in his trousers to grab hold and read from time to time when he got a moment of solitude. He didnÕt dare carry the Bible in his pocket for fear of it being taken.
Reason for joining
His reason for joining was simple. ÒDuring the Depression, you couldnÕt buy a job,Ó he said.
That was March 1939 after a decade of difficult times and shortlyÊ before the start of World WarÊ II. Only a few were accepted, Larsen being one of them.
Alf was a part of the 3rd Infantry from the Fort Snelling base. He spent most of his tour of duty in the Philippines. He received an honorable discharge.
On an average day before he was taken captive, Larsen was doing his duties from 6 a.m. until noon as a flight engineer. The rest of the day he spent pedaling his bike to stay in shape, or Òwhatever you felt like.ÓÊ
Married immediately after the war
Larsen was married immediately after he returned home in 1946. He saw his wife stirring gravy at a family dinner party and just knew she was the girl for him.
He was right.
They moved around a bit, living some in Louisiana before coming back to Minnesota.Ê After the service his wife kept house while Alf got a job at Ethel Corp.
Then in 1947, he re-enlisted and went back to being a flight engineer. He and his wife eventually moved to Crystal, Minn., where they raised their three children: Alf Jr., Linda, and Lora.
Nowadays
Larson spends his time at home nowadays and attends V.A. P.O.W. meetings twice a month and volunteers at Crystal Care Center one day a week.
He also often talks to school groups about his experience in World War II. In addition to addressing an Elk River audience on May 14, he will be in Elk River on May 12 to talk to local high school students.