107-year-old Wisconsin WWII veteran recalls trip to Normandy
Reynolds Tomter recalled spending the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France.
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Reynolds Tomter recalled spending the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France.
On this Veterans Day, we're sharing the story of the oldest World War II veteran to spend the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. Reynolds Tomter lives in western Wisconsin and as John Lauritsen found, the 107-year-old couldn't wait to get back to France.
A few months ago, Les Schrenk, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, made his first trip to Normandy, France in June. Earlier this month, he shared his thoughts on what he's calling a "once in a lifetime" experience.
A 101-year-old soldier helped win World War II, but more recently he's taken his talents to the internet.
The ceremony caps off several days of remembrance and reflection at Normandy. Minnesotans have been a big part of it — that includes 100-year-old Jim Rasmussen of East Bethel.
People from around the world gathered today in Normandy for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. That invasion put America on the path to victory in the second World War and changed the course of history. WCCO's John Lauritsen and photojournalist Tom Aviles joined Minnesota veterans, and active service members, for the ceremony to mark this milestone.
After training at Fort Des Moines, Florence Cecere became a nurse's aide at Northington General Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, taking care of the men severely injured on the front lines.
One-hundred-year-old Les Schrenk doesn't have time for his usual morning water aerobics or afternoon bike rides this week. That's because the World War II veteran is more than 4,000 miles from his Bloomington home, making his first-ever visit to Normandy.
All week, WCCO's John Lauritsen and photojournalist Tom Aviles are in Normandy, France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. They’ve been talking with World War II veterans from Minnesota who made the trip overseas. Among them is 100-year-old Les Schrenk from Bloomington. We caught up with him at Omaha Beach where the former POW honored the sacrifice of so many American soldiers who never made it home.
Virgil survived the Allied invasion, but just eight days after arriving in France, he was killed by Germans while trying to rescue a fellow soldier from a burning truck.
Virgil Tangborn is a soldier from northern Minnesota who never made it home. But as John Lauritsen and photojournalist Tom Aviles share, he left a lasting impression on the people he helped liberate.
This week marks 80 years since the D-Day invasion. It's a day many Minnesota World War II veterans will never forget. To share their stories, WCCO's John Lauritsen and photojournalist Tom Aviles traveled to France to meet up with some local veterans making the trip to Normandy 80 years later.
All week on WCCO, we'll be sharing stories from that day as reporter John Lauritsen and photojournalist Tom Aviles make their way through France, experiencing history along the way.
American paratroopers played a key role in the D-Day assault 80 years ago. Now, some U.S. congressmen are preparing to honor their sacrifice in a high-flying way.
This week marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, a turning point in World War II that helped bring victory to the allies in Europe. All week, reporter John Lauritsen and photojournalist Tom Aviles will share stories from that day as they make their way through France, experiencing history along the way.
All this week, John Lauritsen and photojournalist Tom Aviles will be in France, bringing us stories of Minnesota veterans who took part in World War II. Some of those veterans will be taking part in the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on June 6. John Lauritsen gives us a preview of the type of stories we can expect.
Three C-47 transport planes, a workhorse of World War II, dropped three long strings of jumpers, their round chutes mushrooming open in the blue skies with puffy white clouds.
A group of World War II veterans flew out of Wisconsin this week on their way Normandy, France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is in a race against time to preserve the stories of the men and women who fought in the war effort. Thanks to voice recognition software and AI, veterans will be able to "converse" with future generations.
Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, a ceremony was held honoring Robert Hanley at his hospice facility, sharing cake and stories with friends and family.
June 6 will be the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Some Americans who took part in the liberation of Europe will be going back to Normandy for the last time.
A piece of aviation and medical history hidden for nearly 80 years has been unearthed in Rochester.
It was a day filled with laughs and gratitude in Bloomington as the community celebrated a big birthday. A World War II combat veteran from Minnesota turned 100 years old.
Diane and Ron Fagen opened their museum in 2012 as a way to honor Ron's father, who fought in World War II. The hangars are filled with actual planes used in the war. On Pearl Harbor Day, the Fagens unveiled their latest exhibit.
Hundreds gathered to honor Minnesotans who served in our nations military.
The EagleCam has captivated fans of the majestic bird for 12 years.
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor chair Ken Martin, who's led the state party for more than a decade, on Tuesday announced a bid to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party looks to rebuild in wake of bruising electoral defeats this month.
The Mayo Clinic says surgeons there successfully performed a face transplant for a Michigan man who was severely injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound 10 years ago.
Temperatures will drop throughout the day Tuesday as Minnesota dries out before some potential snowfall arrives.
Texas public elementary schools could use teachings from the Bible in lessons under a proposal drawing intense opposition and praise.
The EagleCam has captivated fans of the majestic bird for 12 years.
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor chair Ken Martin, who's led the state party for more than a decade, on Tuesday announced a bid to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party looks to rebuild in wake of bruising electoral defeats this month.
There are concerns of antisemitism ahead of a Twin Cities teachers union vote to take a stance on the war in Gaza.
A state legislative study group met Monday to get feedback on plans to reduce the number of students who are chronically absent from school.
Cottage Grove has a plan to filter PFAS out of its drinking water, and a way to pay for it.
The EagleCam has captivated fans of the majestic bird for 12 years.
A state legislative study group met Monday to get feedback on plans to reduce the number of students who are chronically absent from school.
Five Minnesotans have been infected with E. coli after eating organic carrots part of a nationwide recall.
A Cambridge man is accused of shooting and killing his father at a hunting cabin on Friday evening.
The incident remains under investigation.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is grappling with a case affecting whether the swing state's nonpartisan top elections official can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
Documents say Steven Williams resigned from the Prescott, Wisconsin police force "in lieu of termination."
An attorney representing a conservative prosecutor struggled Monday to convince Wisconsin's liberal-leaning Supreme Court to reactivate the state's 175-year-old abortion ban.
Jennie-O turkey brand will display its float at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the fifth consecutive year.
Traffic is backed up on a major interstate in western Wisconsin Tuesday morning due to a crash.
A warm place to live may be taken for granted, but for a veteran taking over his family home, it's a gift.
Michael Fuller and Mahesh Mathew are finding purpose on Twin Cities running paths together.
One issue veterans face is finding a job after they finish their service. They have skills, of course, but they are not always valued as work experience. The University of Minnesota Medical School is hoping to change that.
Alan Vanhoever and Brian Neidt are honored to have served the United States. Both struggled with addiction for years before giving a specialized long-term program a try.
Retired Hugo Navy veteran Danial Daloia helps fellow veterans, first responders, health care professionals, dispatchers and more master the art form of woodworking. But it's more than that — to Daloia and his students, it's a form of therapy.
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor chair Ken Martin, who's led the state party for more than a decade, on Tuesday announced a bid to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party looks to rebuild in wake of bruising electoral defeats this month.
President-elect Donald Trump's team is defending his choice of former Congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
Texas public elementary schools could use teachings from the Bible in lessons under a proposal drawing intense opposition and praise.
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Thieves capture radio signals from your key fob by using a device that grabs that fob's signal, even from long distances. That signal can be stored and re-used.
The price of housing in Minneapolis rose less over the last five years compared to other metro areas around the U.S.
The Wild also partnered with community food shelves to give out Turkeys this holiday season.
The Minneapolis City Council voted 9-3 in favor of a proposal on Thursday that establishes a citywide labor standards board, a move that worries some small business owners.
Squeezed or not, Minneapolis shoppers are gearing up for the holidays.
Thieves capture radio signals from your key fob by using a device that grabs that fob's signal, even from long distances. That signal can be stored and re-used.
A Cambridge man is accused of shooting and killing his father at a hunting cabin on Friday evening.
An inmate at the Stillwater corrections facility and a former corrections officer who worked there have been sentenced for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
On Monday, 100% of Park Tavern's profits will go towards the Kristina Folkerts Memorial Fund.
The community came together Sunday to support two transgender women who say they were attacked near a light rail station in Minneapolis.
The Mayo Clinic says surgeons there successfully performed a face transplant for a Michigan man who was severely injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound 10 years ago.
Lifting weights specifically helps strengthen bones, and in Ronnie Laitnen's case, slows down her chronic disease from developing.
Five Minnesotans have been infected with E. coli after eating organic carrots part of a nationwide recall.
It's Infant Safe Sleep Week in Minnesota, and a new state law is helping provide free cribs for residents.
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The much-hyped fight pitting the 58-year-old Tyson against Paul, 27, shattered records but was marred by tech glitches.
With the release of part one of her new memoir, Cher talks about her relationship - on stage and off - with Sonny Bono, and why their TV partnership survived beyond their marriage.
Betty White will be honored with a stamp in 2025, the U.S. Postal Service announced on Friday.
Mike Tyson, a boxing legend, and Jake Paul, a social media legend, threw down Friday in Dallas. Financially, they both came out winners.
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The Minnesota Vikings have been hounding quarterbacks all season and often without any extra help.
Lifting weights specifically helps strengthen bones, and in Ronnie Laitnen's case, slows down her chronic disease from developing.
The Minnesota Wild (8-3-3) are one of the top teams in the league right now thanks, in part, to a great goalie tandem and one of the league's top stars.
The much-hyped fight pitting the 58-year-old Tyson against Paul, 27, shattered records but was marred by tech glitches.
Julius Randle hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cap his 35-point night and lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a wild 120-117 win over the Phoenix Suns.
In this election, Klobuchar faired much better than all other Senate Democrats — she won by a significantly larger margin.
For Democrats the postmortem continues on why Vice President Kamala Harris and her Running mate Governor Tim Walz performed more poorly with almost every demographic than Joe Biden did in 2020. In Minnesota, Senator Amy Klobuchar did much better than Harris with some of those same groups.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
Did you know that donkeys are fast, smart and can build life-long bonds with other animals and people? It's believed that donkeys are smarter than most dogs.
The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest active theater in St. Paul — but is it also haunted?
Wisconsin bars are known for their pints and their patrons. About the last thing you'd expect to discover in such a place would be 55 feet of historic American artwork.
Did you know Minnesota has a real castle? Miller Castle, near Nisswa.
In this edition of Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen takes us through the long history and evolution of the Goldy Gopher mascot.
As President-elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet, there's one department for which he's yet to announce a leader. That could be because he promised it wouldn't exist after taking office.
The tiny sensory organs that cover our tongue allow us to detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami — which is a savory, rich or meaty flavor.
Grabbing a TV for a steal-of-a-deal is a popular move during the holiday season. This year, industry experts are expecting shoppers to go big — like really big.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to have a spot in the Trump administration, feels fluoride can lead to a slew of health problems.
Though Minnesota is home to Mall of America, it's also the birthplace of the country's very first indoor mall — Southdale Center, which opened in 1956 and was developed by the Dayton family.
Regions Hospital and Children's Minnesota share photos of their tiniest patients dressed to the nines for Halloween.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Thursday night due to the arrival of a severe geomagnetic storm.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Monday night.
Storms ripped through parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday evening. There were several reports of tornadoes and trees were downed in the metro and beyond, including in Cottage Grove, Anoka, Champlin and Fridley.
A powerful thunderstorm tore through the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair on Monday night, delaying Tuesday's opening.
Temperatures will drop throughout the day Tuesday as Minnesota dries out before some potential snowfall arrives.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
Temperatures will drop throughout the day Tuesday as Minnesota dries out before some potential snowfall arrives.
Minnesota will dry out as temperatures plummet Tuesday, but snow showers may arrive later on.
WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak says temperatures will peak overnight in the mid 50s and will fall throughout the day on Tuesday.
Temperatures will drop throughout the day Tuesday as Minnesota dries out before some potential snowfall arrives.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has opened a public comment period on its draft of policies, plus more of the day’s top stories.
President-elect Donald Trump's team is defending his choice of former Congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
Minnesota will dry out as temperatures plummet Tuesday, but snow showers may arrive later on.
WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak says temperatures will peak overnight in the mid 50s and will fall throughout the day on Tuesday.