Parents: Anna Joanna (Skei) and Reno Selmer Bergeson
Burton was the oldest of the five Bergeson children which included Harold, Rudolph, Enid and Janice. He attended church regularly and was active in both summer and winter sports. While in high school, he worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad during summer vacations. He graduated from Lake Park High School with highest honors, and had begun classes at Concordia College when the war broke out. He left Concordia and was accepted into the US Merchant Marine Academy, Class of 1943.
(info from Braving the Wartime Seas, pages 93, 94)
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USMM
Service No: B 28225
Significant Medals and Awards: Atlantic War Zone Bar, Combat Bar, Mariner's Medal, Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of record: Lake Park, MN
On August 1942, the newly-built SS John Winthrop, an American cargo ship, was docked at Boston, MA. John Winthrop was a Liberty ship built under the direction of the American Maritime Commission and had recently been turned over to the War Shipping Administration.
On August 12th BURTON GALE BERGESON signed on as Deck Cadet. The first voyage for both the ship and Cadet Burgeson was to England. From there, they went to Glasgow Scotland where they joined Convoy ON-131, bound for New York. The Convoy was comprised of about 80 ships.
On the night of Sept. 21, 1942, the ship began to straggle and was left behind. On the evening of the 24th, the lone ship was spotted in the north Atlantic by German submarine U-619. The submarine fired five torpedoes, which broke the ship in two but failed to sink it. The U-boat then surfaced and sank both parts with gunfire.
There were 39 Merchant Mariners and 13 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
Burton was the oldest of the five Bergeson children which included Harold, Rudolph, Enid and Janice. He attended church regularly and was active in both summer and winter sports. While in high school, he worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad during summer vacations. He graduated from Lake Park High School with highest honors, and had begun classes at Concordia College when the war broke out. He left Concordia and was accepted into the US Merchant Marine Academy, Class of 1943.
(info from Braving the Wartime Seas, pages 93, 94)
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USMM
Service No: B 28225
Significant Medals and Awards: Atlantic War Zone Bar, Combat Bar, Mariner's Medal, Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of record: Lake Park, MN
On August 1942, the newly-built SS John Winthrop, an American cargo ship, was docked at Boston, MA. John Winthrop was a Liberty ship built under the direction of the American Maritime Commission and had recently been turned over to the War Shipping Administration.
On August 12th BURTON GALE BERGESON signed on as Deck Cadet. The first voyage for both the ship and Cadet Burgeson was to England. From there, they went to Glasgow Scotland where they joined Convoy ON-131, bound for New York. The Convoy was comprised of about 80 ships.
On the night of Sept. 21, 1942, the ship began to straggle and was left behind. On the evening of the 24th, the lone ship was spotted in the north Atlantic by German submarine U-619. The submarine fired five torpedoes, which broke the ship in two but failed to sink it. The U-boat then surfaced and sank both parts with gunfire.
There were 39 Merchant Mariners and 13 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
Parents: Anna Joanna (Skei) and Reno Selmer Bergeson
Burton was the oldest of the five Bergeson children which included Harold, Rudolph, Enid and Janice. He attended church regularly and was active in both summer and winter sports. While in high school, he worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad during summer vacations. He graduated from Lake Park High School with highest honors, and had begun classes at Concordia College when the war broke out. He left Concordia and was accepted into the US Merchant Marine Academy, Class of 1943.
(info from Braving the Wartime Seas, pages 93, 94)
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USMM
Service No: B 28225
Significant Medals and Awards: Atlantic War Zone Bar, Combat Bar, Mariner's Medal, Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of record: Lake Park, MN
On August 1942, the newly-built SS John Winthrop, an American cargo ship, was docked at Boston, MA. John Winthrop was a Liberty ship built under the direction of the American Maritime Commission and had recently been turned over to the War Shipping Administration.
On August 12th BURTON GALE BERGESON signed on as Deck Cadet. The first voyage for both the ship and Cadet Burgeson was to England. From there, they went to Glasgow Scotland where they joined Convoy ON-131, bound for New York. The Convoy was comprised of about 80 ships.
On the night of Sept. 21, 1942, the ship began to straggle and was left behind. On the evening of the 24th, the lone ship was spotted in the north Atlantic by German submarine U-619. The submarine fired five torpedoes, which broke the ship in two but failed to sink it. The U-boat then surfaced and sank both parts with gunfire.
There were 39 Merchant Mariners and 13 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
Burton was the oldest of the five Bergeson children which included Harold, Rudolph, Enid and Janice. He attended church regularly and was active in both summer and winter sports. While in high school, he worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad during summer vacations. He graduated from Lake Park High School with highest honors, and had begun classes at Concordia College when the war broke out. He left Concordia and was accepted into the US Merchant Marine Academy, Class of 1943.
(info from Braving the Wartime Seas, pages 93, 94)
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USMM
Service No: B 28225
Significant Medals and Awards: Atlantic War Zone Bar, Combat Bar, Mariner's Medal, Victory Medal, and the Presidential Testimonial Letter.
Address of record: Lake Park, MN
On August 1942, the newly-built SS John Winthrop, an American cargo ship, was docked at Boston, MA. John Winthrop was a Liberty ship built under the direction of the American Maritime Commission and had recently been turned over to the War Shipping Administration.
On August 12th BURTON GALE BERGESON signed on as Deck Cadet. The first voyage for both the ship and Cadet Burgeson was to England. From there, they went to Glasgow Scotland where they joined Convoy ON-131, bound for New York. The Convoy was comprised of about 80 ships.
On the night of Sept. 21, 1942, the ship began to straggle and was left behind. On the evening of the 24th, the lone ship was spotted in the north Atlantic by German submarine U-619. The submarine fired five torpedoes, which broke the ship in two but failed to sink it. The U-boat then surfaced and sank both parts with gunfire.
There were 39 Merchant Mariners and 13 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
Inscription
Note: This is a memorial marker only. Cadet Bergeson was on the SS John Winthrop when the ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic.
Gravesite Details
Thanks to KarenH for allowing me to provide the details of Mr. Bergeson's last voyage.
Family Members
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