By Ed Shannon, Tribune columnist

Richard Keith Sorenson became the best known Minnesotan with this last name because of a single act of bravery just over 60 years ago. Partial proof can be seen in Anoka where a statue honoring him was dedicated during 1991 in Sorenson Park

He was awarded the Medal of

Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration for an event which took place on his second day of combat action in the Central Pacific. His official citation says:

&uot;For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with an assault battalion attached to the 4th Marine Division during the battle of Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, on 1-2 February 1944. Putting up a brave defense against a particularly violent counterattack by the enemy during invasion operations, Pvt. Sorenson and five other marines occupying a shellhole were endangered by a Japanese grenade thrown into their midst. Unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Pvt. Sorenson hurled himself upon the deadly weapon, heroically taking the full impact of the explosion. As a result of his gallant action, he was severely wounded, but the lives of his comrades were saved. His great personal valor and exceptional spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.&uot;

As the headline implies, Sorenson had a part of his ancestry based in Freeborn County. And it’s with regret I use the past tense because he died on Oct. 6, 2004, in Reno, Nev.

His grandparents were Nels and Mary (Anderson) Sorenson of Emmons. His father, Carl Sorenson, was a World War I Navy veteran who eventually moved to Anoka where Richard was born on Aug. 24, 1924. An aunt and uncle, Morris and Helen Sorenson, lived in Albert Lea. I understand Morris had the nickname of &uot;Porky&uot; and worked at the Wilson plant. He also had other relatives in the area, including a second cousin named Carol Gavle. She’s the one who helped to make this column possible. She added that Richard visited this area on several occasions to see his relatives.

Sorenson had six operations to cope with the injuries caused by the Japanese grenade. He left the Marines in either late 1944 or early 1945 and became an employee of what was then the Veterans Administration (VA). In 1948 Sorenson went to St. John’s University in Collegeville and became married in 1949.

He was a member of the Marine Reserve and was recalled to active duty when the Korean War started in 1950. Sorenson served as a recruiter in the Twin Cities for several years and was in the Marines until 1955.

Sorenson went back to the VA for two more years, then became an insurance salesman. In 1964 he was elected to serve on the St. Anthony City Council.

The Sorenson family decided to move to California in 1967 where he again went to work for the VA. Sorenson later became the regional director of the VA office in Reno, Nev. Sometime during this era the VA’s designation was changed to Veterans Affairs. Anyway, he was the director for the VA region for all of Nevada and four counties in California. Sorenson retired in 1983.

His second cousin here in Albert Lea, Carol Gavle, has a special birthday present Richard sent to her in May. It’s an illustrated book based on the still living recipients of the Medal of

Honor.

Richard K. Sorenson is survived by his wife, Mildred. There are also three sons, two daughters, seven grandchildren, a brother and sister in Minnesota, plus relatives in this area.

As a footnote to this column, I’ve done some research on the Medal of Honor recipients listed for Minnesota. Since 1863 only 47 men from this state have been awarded the nation’s highest decoration for bravery.

(Feature writer Ed Shannon’s column appears each Friday.)