Tommy Nels Vake
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
VAKE, Thomas Nels
Tommy Nels Vake was born on March 7th 1908 to Anders Hanson & Ingebor “Isebell” [Homme] Vake in Red Lake County, Minnesota.
Mr. Vake was inducted into the Army on March 23rd 1942, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Home at entry: Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
He served as a Staff Sergeant with Company B of the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion in Tunisia, North Africa; Naples-Foggia, Italy; Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe.
SSGT Vake was awarded the following:
- Good Conduct Medal,
- American Defense Service Medal,
- European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 7 bronze battle stars, and
- World War II Victory Medal.
SSGT Vake was honorably discharged on October 30th 1945, at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. After the war he returned home and married Delores Kathleen [Sauter] and they started a family in Buhl, Minnesota.
Mr. Vake died on May 24th 1976 in Chisholm, Minnesota at 68 years of age. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Chisholm.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 329.
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center | Veterans Memorial Hall (vets-hall.org)
Page 1 WWII Draft Registration Cards - Fold3
Tommy Nels Vake (1908-1976) - Find a Grave Memorial
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 - Ancestry.com
