Veterans of the 11 Armored Cavalry Regiment held a reunion in New Ulm over the weekend. This year marks the 70th anniversary since the men joined the service. (L to R): Allan DeWolf, James Hill, Carl Vogt, Arden Hanson and Ken Boraas.

NEW ULM — Five veterans of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment visited New Ulm over the weekend to commemorate joining the service together 70 years ago.

Allan DeWolf, James Hill, Carl Vogt, Arden Hanson and Ken Boraas arrived in New Ulm Sunday, as part of their semi-annual regiment reunion. All five of the men joined the service in Feb. 1953. They all came from different communities, but over the next two years, they would grow close and remain in contact through the next seven decades.

They were each drafted in Feb. 1953. The Korean War was ongoing and it seemed likely they would serve overseas.

Hill remembers receiving his draft notice. He was living in South Dakota, planning to rent land from his father and become a farmer. The draft notice changed all that. By the time, he left the service two years later, his father already rented the land to someone else. Hill went to college on the G.I. bill and became an engineer. A profession he enjoyed greatly, and one he might not have had if not for his military service.

Hill said war is not a fun thing, but he was glad he could serve the country.

Hanson and Vogt were both drafted out of Watonwan County. Hason was originally from Madelia and Vogt from St. James. There were 16 men drafted from Watonwan County at that time. A St. James newspaper ran a photo of the 16 men in Feb. 1953. Hanson and Vogt still have a copy of the old clipping. The two did not know each other then but now have a 70-year and counting friendship.

All of the men would formally meet in boot camp. They all attended basic training in Carson, Colorado.

As fate would have it, the Korean ceasefire was declared on the day the men graduated from boot camp. Most of them would complete their service stateside. Most of the regiment was later transferred to Fort Knox, Kentucky before being discharged in Feb. 1955.

Boraas was deployed to Korea in 1954. He spent a year in the country helping train the South Koreans. Boraas said he would be interested in seeing Korea again as the country has gone through significant change since the war.

By 1956, the men from The 11 Cavalry were all out of the service, but wished to remain in contact. They held their first regimental reunion that year in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A special jug has a list of each reunion date and location written on it. After nearly 70 years, the jug has limited space remaining. The group has tried to hold a reunion at least every two years. The last four reunions have all taken place in New Ulm.

Part of the reason they keep returning to New Ulm is the town is centrally located for all of them. Hill lives in Sioux Falls, the rest live around Minnesota. Everyone travels around the same distance to reach New Ulm. The other reason they return to New Ulm is they like the community.

“New Ulm is a beautiful city,” Hanson said. As a Madelia native, he spent plenty of time in the area. He said his first date with his wife was at the Kaiserhoff. He also has fond memories of George’s Ballroom.

Asked how they maintain connections after seven decades, Hill said it was the old buddy system.

These days, reunions are dedicated to swapping stories and updating each other on life changes. Their memories of the service and past reunions are strong. By swapping stories they can keep the memories alive. It is also a chance to remember friends lost over the years.

Hill said when they started the reunion, there were 25 guys attending with their spouses. Now it is down to five.

Hill said they will continue holding the reunions each year as long as the guys attend. Plans for the 2024 reunion are underway.