TORKELSON, LOREN HARVEY
Deceased

Name: Loren Harvey Torkelson
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit: 389th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Date of Birth: 22 May 1941
Home City of Record: Crosby ND (family in NE)
Loss Date: 29 April 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 205400N 1053430E (WJ598119)
        Loss coordinates Pollin: 205429N 1053430E (USG Records)
Status (in 1973): Released POW
Category:
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C

Other Personnel In Incident: George J. Pollin (remains returned)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project  from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK 2005.

REMARKS: RELEASED 730304 BY DRV

SYNOPSIS: On April 29, 1967 F4 Phantom pilot 1LT Loren H. Torkelson and
backseater 1LT George J. Pollin departed Da Nang Airbase on a strike escort
mission over North Vietnam. Their aircraft was number two in a flight of
four. The F105 fighter/bombers they were escorting were to strike the Hanoi
Bridge. The flight took the plane near a MIG fighter base and SAM missile
sites. Over the target, they encountered fire from both, and took a hit in
the rear of the plane. Torkelson's aircraft was seen to be hit by enemy
fire, roll over, crash, and exploded. One partially opened parachute was
seen by the crew of the lead aircraft. At this time, the flight was near the
Red River in Ha Tay Province,

Shortly before taking off, George Pollin had phoned his brother back home.
He told him he was volunteering for a combat mission because another
co-pilot was ill. This, he said, would just bring him that much closer to
coming home.

Pollin had already flown over 60 of the required 100 missions since joining
the Air Force in November 1965. After graduating from flight school at the
top of his class, he asked to be sent directly to Vietnam, rather than going
to Germany first as scheduled. He was certain he would go to Vietnam sooner
or later, and opted to go sooner. He didn't know how long he would have to
stay.

It was later learned that Loren Torkelson had ejected and was taken prisoner
by the Vietnamese. He was released in 1973, and in his debrief, Torkelson
stated that he did not see a second parachute, and presumed that Pollin had
gone down with the plane. Defense Department records indicate that Pollin's
ejection seat was seen near the site of the crash, lending some hope that
Pollin successfully left the plane. In the F4 aircraft, the backseater
ejects first, then the pilot.

On December 20, 1990, the U.S. announced that remains had been returned by
the Vietnamese and had been positively identified as being those of George
J. Pollin. After 23 years, Pollin was finally home.

Thousands of reports have been received by the U.S. Government that
Americans are still alive, held captive in Southeast Asia, yet official
policy is that "no conclusive proof" has been obtained. Detractors allege
the Government is debunking good information. While the possibility exists
that Americans are being held against their will, there can be no question
that we must do everything we can to secure their freedom. They deserve our
best efforts.

Loren Torkelson died of a heart attack 17 Sept 1995.

===========================
01/2005

Torkelson honored with Purple Heart
By Cecile Wehrman

   The family of the late Loren Torkelson has been given a Purple Heart in
   recognition of the injuries he endured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
   The Divide County native was captured in Hanoi in April 1967, enduring
   six years of abuse and deprivation at the hands of his captors.

The Purple Heart was recently presented to Loren's younger brother, retired
Col. Ryan Torkelson of Wyoming, and it now is in the hands of Loren's only
child, Eric, and his young sons, who live in Fargo.

"It is a way to recognize, for his son and grandsons to realize, what he
went through. He earned it, he deserves it and I wanted to make sure the
boys knew that," said Ryan, who is known to many in this area by his given
name, Truman.

Though all POWs are eligible to receive the Purple Heart, Loren declined the
honor.

"I don't think he ever wanted to draw much attention to himself," said
sister Elaine Nygaard of Crosby.

Attention was unavoidable in April 1973 when Loren was welcomed home to
North Dakota. Thousands of people turned out to meet his plane when it
landed in Bismarck, and thousands more greeted him in Minot. A 60-car
procession led by police escort then made its way to Crosby as flags,
welcome signs and well-wishers lined the streets.

Gov. Art Link spoke to a capacity crowd at Divide County High School that
day, asking Loren to remove the POW bracelet Link wore in his honor.

Speaking to the crowd, Loren expressed his appreciation for the support of
his family and the community, but closed with recognition for soldiers less
fortunate than himself.

"If I were to propose a toast at this time I would toast those who now have
no memories . . . those who died in Vietnam," he said.

His brother says statements like that typify who Loren was and may give a
clue why Loren declined the Purple Heart.

"He thought it would bring too much recognition to himself, probably."

Ryan knows first hand some of the dangers his brother faced.

"Having flown in combat over there myself, I was lucky I wasn't shot down. I
don't think my parents could have endured it."

Ryan had to sign a waiver to continue in combat after Loren's capture, as
the potential sole surviving son of Leland and Mabel Torkelson.

Though Loren was declared missing in action in May 1967, the family endured
six years of uncertainty until his release. They caught glimpses of Loren in
two films released by captors in 1967 and 1968 but never knew where in
Vietnam he was held.

Mabel became an advocate for POW/MIA families, traveling the nation to help
bring the POW issue to the forefront. Along with dozens of family members of
other POWs, she lobbied in Geneva, Switzerland, for humane treatment of
prisoners.

Following Loren's release, Ryan learned the details of his brother's
captivity.

"It was so severe. I mean, it's not printable stuff," he said.

For Nygaard, it is incomprehensible that the military didn't recognize POWs
automatically.

"The Air Force knew he was shot down, they knew he was put in prison. Why in
the world does a person have to request something like this?"

The war in Iraq served to remind Ryan of the passing of time and the need to
recognize earlier sacrifices.

"It's time this is done," he said. "I just wanted to get it in my hands so I
could get it into Eric's hands."

"Both of my kids were born long after he passed away," said Eric, who still
sometimes finds himself talking about his father in the present tense. Now
the Purple Heart can serve as a gateway for Sorn, 1, and Tristan, 3, to
learn more about him.

"It's kind of just a natural way to start talking about him."

Eric was born in 1974 after his father's release. Though Loren was able to
come home, start a family and pursue a career in law, he may have made an
even greater sacrifice in Vietnam than was initially apparent.

No one will ever know whether Loren's experiences as a POW contributed to
the heart attack that killed him suddenly at the age of 54, in 1995.

But with heart problems running in the family, Ryan said, there's no doubt
six years of malnutrition and abuse heightened his brother's risk.