TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN:

Thomas “Tom” Lawrence Perrizo was born June 3, 1947, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Kermit and Rosamond (Travis) Perrizo. At a young age, Tom and his family moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota. He attended St. Mary’s Parochial School and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1965.

After graduation, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served aboard the USS Henderson DD785. He then was sent back stateside to Marine Corpsmen School. Upon completion of his training, he returned to Vietnam as a Marine Medic with the Third Marine Medical Battalion. After serving in Vietnam, he received a National Defense Service Medal, a Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and a Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star in Marine Combat Insignia. He was honorably discharged on April 3, 1970, and returned to Aberdeen, SD.

Tom was employed at various jobs before he started working at 3M, where he was employed for nearly 30 years until his retirement. He was a faithful lifetime member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. An avid sports fan, Tom enjoyed all Aberdeen Central High School and Northern State University sporting events, as well as the American Legion Baseball Program. He also loved hunting and fishing.

As an active member of the American Legion, Tom served in many leadership roles. He served as Post Commander five times in his tenure and was serving as Brown County Vice Commander and Athletic Commander at the time of his death. Tom took great pride in also being part of the Honor Guard for many years.

Grateful for having shared Tom’s life are his three sisters: Terry (Brad) Place of Victoria, Minnesota, Linnea (Jim) Blotsky of Fishers, Indiana, and Pat (Daven) Gile of Madison, SD; brother, Mike (Michele) Perrizo, of Aberdeen, SD; brother-in-law, Bill Bogenrief of Canon Falls, Minnesota; and five nieces and nephews.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Lynda.

From DTOM Veterans Ranch…. Our hearts are absolutely broken that we have lost Tom.  Tom was so supportive of us and our mission because he experienced it first hand. He sat with us and talked about his service, he helped us at events…Tom was our family and we will greatly miss this man.  Rest in eternal peace Tom….    

Sgt. Bradley Wayne Jobe was born on November 30, 1986 to Stacy Jobe and Leanne Buckner Jobe in Thornton, Georgia. He joined the United States Army in 2005; completing his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and specialized training in APG, Maryland as a Small Arms Specialist. He was then deployed to Iraq from 2007 through 2009 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his active duty career he was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado with the 183rd Maintenance Company as a Small Arms Specialist. After active duty, he transitioned to the Army Reserve working with the 452nd Ordinance Company as an Ammunition Specialist in Aberdeen, South Dakota.  He left the service in the fall of 2019 as a decorated veteran with many accomplishments to his name including: Army Commendation Medal (2nd award), Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon.  As a role model for new soldiers, he always wanted to help others grow and succeed.

Bradley was blessed with his first son Abram Grant Jobe on August 14, 2007. He was again blessed on February 12, 2012 with his second son, Stryker Jackson Sikkink-Jobe. He cherished his children and adored being a father. In the fall of 2017 he met his wife, Ashley (Kothe) Jobe. They married on December 8, 2018 with Stryker by his side in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Bradley leaves behind family and many friends that love and care deeply about him. He worked hard, played harder, but most importantly, loved entirely. He left a lasting impression with every person he met in his 33 years; leaving us with infinite memories and crazy stories. Words cannot describe how much he will be missed, but his memory will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone he encountered.

Grateful for sharing his life are his wife, Ashley Jobe of Harrisburg, SD; sons, Stryker Sikkink-Jobe of Harrisburg, Abram Jobe of Williamson, GA; his father, Stacy (Heidi) Jobe of Carrollton, GA; his mom, Leanne Jobe of Griffin, GA; sister, Alaina Pangburn of Sachse, TX; sister, Caitlin Jobe, brothers, Davis and Evan Jobe, all of Griffin, GA; grandmother, Pat Kimbrell of Logansville, GA; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends whom he considered family.   

Brad was preceded in death by his grandfather, LTC (Ret) Joe D. Jobe (Aka. Peepaw); grandmother, Bonnie E. Jobe; uncle, Darrell L. Jobe; his military brothers, Jacob William Dahl on October 23, 2014, Wyatt Andrew Feltman on March 9, 2017, Tel A. Iverson on September 13, 2017, Danny James, Thomas Uzialko.

We have to do better caring for our veterans, and we cannot lose another one on our watch…we have to find a way to get to our brothers and sisters before it is too late.  In honor of Sgt. Jobe, DTOM created the Bradley Jobe Memorial Gardens here at the ranch.  

United States Army

Willis "Bill" Mehlhaff was born July 25, 1930, to Fred and Lillian (Gerdes) Mehlhaff in Eureka, South Dakota. He attended school in Eureka and graduated in 1948. He played on the basketball team which was a two-time state runner-up in 1947 and 1948. He graduated from Northern State Teachers College in 1952 whereupon he entered the army and was stationed at Fort Ord CA, and Fort Meade, Maryland. He attained the rank of Corporal and was in the Military Intelligence Battalion. He was a member of the Marching Drill Color Guard for military burials at Arlington National Cemetery, VA. It was this service that prepared him to serve in the Eureka Fred Weller American Legion Post 186 Color Guard where he carried the American Flag for 40+ years. Upon his honorable discharge he returned to Eureka and married Martha Weller on June 19, 1955. Along with his father F.K. and his brother Dean, Willis was a banker in Eureka for 35 years. He then became the Hospital Administrator at the Eureka Community Hospital.

Those who knew him and loved him do not need a litany of his accomplishments; nor would he like to see them written here. The most important things in his life were his complete faith in God, his wife, his children, their wives, and his grandchildren. Each day he received much joy from all of his family, friends and all those with whom he associated. Blessed for having shared Willis' life are his wife, Martha Mehlhaff of 66 years and their four sons; Charles Mehlhaff, Stewart (Lila) Mehlhaff, Douglas (Karen) Mehlhaff, and David (Deb) Mehlhaff; grandchildren: Taylor (Ashlynn) Mehlhaff, Matthew (Jessica Hollingsworth) Mehlhaff, Arianne (Eric Klohne) Mehlhaff, Kalen (Chris) Fuentes, Jordon (Jamie Hudspeth) Mehlhaff, Aleya Mehlhaff, Isaac Mehlhaff (Meredith VanEssen) Jonah Mehlhaff, Eli Mehlhaff, Santana Mehlhaff and Jocelyn Mehlhaff; 6 great grandchildren; and his eldest sibling Shirley Croonquist. Willis was preceded in death by his parents Fred & Lillian Mehlhaff, granddaughter Maggie Grace Mehlhaff; brothers Dean Mehlhaff and Bruce Mehlhaff; sisters Margaret Lemmon and June Mehlhaff.

From Doc.  “Mr. Mehlhaff was brought out to the ranch at age 92….in a wheel chair.  When I explained the program to him, I said “sir are you ready to get started with this therapy?  He said “Let’s do it.….”  he was gone a few days later.  It can never be too late…we have to find them so it is never too late.  Rest in eternal peace sir…I will never forget you.”  Doc T. 

Duane Wilfred Bellefeuille was born to Richard Bellefeuille and Alma (Plante) Bellefeuille on October 29, 1924 in Callaway, where he was raised, and he graduated from Detroit Lakes High School in 1942. After high school he worked in the Ship Yards on the West Coast until he and his buddy decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. 

Duane completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and then was accepted for bombardier training at the University of Montana in Missoula. After just a short time he was called back into the infantry. 

He was trained in mountain combat at Camp Adair in Washington State and in December 1944, he and the rest of the 70th Infantry Division, the "Trailblazers," set sail for Europe. They landed at Marseilles France on December 20th and then drove northward to meet the Germans near "the Bulge." 

Duane was a gunner with an antitank platoon that saw their first action against a German SS Mountain Division near Wingen Sur Moder, France on Christmas Eve, 1944. 

His unit saw 79 straight days of combat and for his exemplary service under fire in the Ardennes, Duane was awarded a battlefield commission as second lieutenant. He remained in Germany with the Army of Occupation after the war and was discharged with the rank of first lieutenant in 1946.

Duane married Marian Golkowski in Fresno, Calif., on March 20, 1953. They soon decided that California wasn't for them and moved back home to Callaway. They raised seven children all of whom still reside within 50 miles of their original home in Callaway. 

Over his career, Duane worked for Johnson's Bee Farm in Callaway, as Post Master of the Callaway Post Office, as manager of the South Side Liquor store in Detroit Lakes and for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. He then worked as the USPS rural letter carrier for the Callaway route, for over 25 years.

He lived to hunt, and did so at every occasion. He loved hunting elk in Colorado and did so many times, with his family and friends. He could shoot the eye out of a squirrel at 200 yards and put much wild game on the table for his family. 

Duane was a proud member of the VFW and American Legion. He served on the Callaway Fire Department for many years. Every Memorial Day for over 30 years, he honored all veterans interred at St. Mary's Cemetery in Callaway by placing and maintaining flags on their graves. 

Surviving Duane are his wife of 59 years, Marian; his sons, Darcy (Bonnie) of Vergas, Dan of Waubun, Doug (Diane) of Detroit Lakes, Joe (Kristi) of Ogema and Paul(Kristy) of Detroit Lakes; his daughters, Gwen (Larry) Hruby of Osage and Mary (Jonis) Estrem of Fargo; 18 grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren. 

Other surviving family members include his brothers and sisters, Mary Nugent, Dick (Marilyn) Bellefeuille, Keith (Natalie) Bellefeuille, Kenneth Bellefeuille, Danielle (Jim) Dixon and David (Betty) Bellefeuille; sisters-in-law Della Bellefeuille, Marna Bellefeuille and Jeanette Jahnke; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding Duane in death were his parents; brothers Warren and Dennis Bellefeuille; brother-in-law Bernie Nugent; sister-in-law Lois Bellefeuille; grandson Ethan Bellefeuille; and son-in-law Jodi Kangas.

Duane never forgot the terrible experiences of serving in combat on the bloody fields of France in World War II and like so many soldiers of his and subsequent generations, he never thought of himself as anything other than an ordinary man. He always said that the heroes of war are the ones who don't come home.

Duane lived every day of his life with the memories of those fallen friends in his heart. Today he sees them again, to play cards, have a beer and think of only God's love and not the wars of man.

From Doc…. “Grandpa taught me to love math even though I was horrible at it…he wrote letters to me while I was in boot camp talking about his nights in a foxhole during the Battle of the Bulge….he was the only one that wrote to me.  I will miss his malted milk shakes, his fried potatoes, and his love of mathematical puzzles.  The man who taught me so much and no one ever knew.  Love you grandpa and rest in eternal peace.”  

United States Marines,

WWII: Asia Pacific, 1st Marine Division

April 17th, 1926- November 1st, 2009

Son of Tech SGT Arnold Ingebrigtson, enlisted to find his dad who was MIA in Manila (Philippines) at the time of his enlistment.  When Jerry finished bootcamp and was heading to Guadalcanal, he was notified that his father was captured and was enduring the Bataan Death March.  Jerry was later notified that his father had survived the death march but had been killed by the Japanese Army at Camp #4, Camp O'Donnell in the Philippines.  

From Doc. “Grandpa, I don’t have words to explain all of the things you taught me…and the day before I left for boot camp you handed me two SGT patches…and you did not tell me that they were your dad’s patches…. And you said “please sew these on your uniform when you become a SGT.…you taught me to always help someone if you had the ability and to never judge anyone… all of the life lessons, and I was never able to help you with your own PTSD and never understood you until you were gone…until it was too late to say…I understand.  I will always keep your memory close to my heart.”  Once a Marine…Always a Marine.”