Lyman County Herald, Presho, SD - 2/25/2002

Carl Alfred Peterson was born September 3, 1911, southwest of Reliance, SD. His mother and father were Mr. and Mrs. Carl Arthur Peterson. He had four sisters- Minnie, Eunice, Lois, and Joyce and six brothers- Verle, Lyle, Walter, Clare, Ronald, and Roland.
Carl attended school in Reliance, SD, where he was in the graduating class of 1929. Carl's family often hosted the neighborhood fourth of July picnic. The boys were active in baseball games with the Monson and Hodgin families. Before Carl enlisted, he worked for his grandfather Fred Fletcher and for other farmers.
Carl enlisted in November 1942, he was placed in an infantry division. He spent about three months in Camp Wolters, Texas, and then a month in Pennsylvania. In April 1943, Carl was sent overseas.
On August 31, 1943 Carl's parents received a letter from the War Department confirming that he died on July 18, 1943. The LST-342 troop ship he was on torpedoed at 1:30 am. Part of the passengers survived and rescued but he and many others were lost in the Solomon Islands area. The search of the North Shore of Guadalcanal failed to find his remains. Memorial services were held in the Reliance Methodist Church with the Rev. Arms officiating. Members of his high school class attended in a group. His parents received letters from their other sons in the service- Verle, Lyle, and Walter, at the time of the memorial service.
Carl was the first casualty from Western Lyman County after Pearl Harbor, received a Purple Heart for losing his life in service. Johnson-Peterson Post 179 was named after Carl. Henry Boe, American Legion Post Commander, presided at the memorial in Reliance, giving the Legion Gold Star Citation honoring the memory of the son who gave his life for his country, and presenting his mother with Gold Star, which became her most valuable possession.