St Olaf College - Viking Yearbook (Northfield, MN)

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9 -f. N ..-YN .. ..-H .. ,...- X -v --af it xg' ' .W 1 . , 1 .mmap 1- 25:5- . ', ,'1 ii 1 Lji,f.lY2 4 Q. is l .V .1 . 1 if 1 V, 5 .f' 'xii 1 -Q, Il. if 1 ,. .lf A ,W .P xl' ,i JI , x 'AI l :A gp X it L, -l .ii ,Q 1 Qfj L LK. . g,. 7 1 -qi .E- i, 1 sl' jl I 4 1 l 9 'i I l ,f 2 I V I l if 'l . ,. Af7'A i 'mi' WIA ,tr 6 Y 35f'iff:22Qa - Y 'itf52ff5'ffF 'fii 6 E MI X, in g G i 1E iv 6 , iq. -- f---S Q ' .. - - A,'A .., . .lggQQ, . .1QLll. - -iiil - . . of eter -1 -f ttf'-tt W' t General Alfred W. Bjornstad Among the 650 student and ex-students of St. Olaf who took part in the World War General Bjornstad reached the most distinguished posi- tion. General Bjornstad is one of the many St. Olaf men who made good in the World War. If the term a born soldier can be applied to any man it is truly applicable to General Bjornstad. Even during his early college days he was often spoken of as the man with the fine physique and soldierly bearing. The record of General Bjornstad since he was a student at St. Olaf is one of distinguished service and rapid promotion from a private to the rank ofiBrigadie1' General. ' After four year of service in the Minnesota National Guard, he be- came Captain of I-I Company, First Minnesota, at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. With his regiment Capt. Bjornstad went to the Philippines in 1898 and made an excellent record. He was wounded twice during the day Manilla was captured, and was frequently commended for his bravery in action. At the end of the war he spent two years at the General Staff College, where he finished with honors, being at the head of a class of forty. Subsequently he was in turn, American military attache in Berlin, instructor at the General Staff College, commanding troops with Gen. Pershing's Mexican expedition, and again on the general staff at Washington. When the United States entered the World War, Bjornstad was a major. From that time his promotions were rapid and he was made a brigadier general early in 1918 after six months' service in France. Before he went across General Bjornstad organized the officers' train- ing camps in this country which turned out 25,000 officers for the army. In 1917 he was ordered to France, joining the contingent of officers who, under command of Gen. Pershing, laid the foundation for the Amer- ican Expeditionary force. In November, 1917, he organized the American Army General Staff College in France, and for six months he had charge of the training and supervision of all officers who were later attached to the general staff. A little later General Bjornstad was made chief of staff of the new Third Army Corps. After a short period in a quiet sector the Third Corps engaged in its first big battle, July 18, IQI8. In this battle its two American divisions, the First and Second, with French divisions alongside, executed the bril- liant attack between Soissons and Chateau Thierry, which inaugurated Marshal Focl71's great offensive and marked the turning point in the war. General Bjornstad was continuously with a front line unit throughout 'the allied offensive, and was the youngest infantry or cavalry general to get a command. He was fearless in action and when he returned from France he wore two wound stripes, a distinguished service medal, and the cross of St. Michael and St. George. i , ,Ai Wiixxfiu .,ff5,,5 -w auffiil i.-- , W uw' ' 02.143 Q1 ,, q , KZ ,..,,i4:.. ..f W lx Tmrsmxwwwxsffx-mmxxssgbxyISgXgq 'QQS-SX .wx X .1 ,. 1, 1 -.K5,!y,.V.,,q,.., ij , ,. JZ A V7 'W Va v 7.1 .M vw mf .- . Wim- fel ., xxxiwtwwx V. Q . ' ' J fm- ffm WMV - ivy-ex 'QW5:mmxiWsw Cz . r '21 ixxillr

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