Lloyd David Luke

Jeremy Anderson2020-12-19T15:11:26-06:00

Name: Lloyd David Luke
Location of Birth: Mora, Minnesota
Date of Birth: January 20, 1920
Date of Death: July 22, 1996
Parents: Henry Luke & Mary (Marquart) Luke
High School and Class: 1939 - Greenway High School, Coleraine, Minnesota
College: 1951 Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota - Bachelor of Science degree
1954 Colorado State College of Education, Greeley, Colorado - M.A. degree
Highest Rank: CPL (Corporal)
Branch: Marine Corp
Other Branch:
Date Sworn In: January 6, 1942
Place Sworn In:
Date of Discharge: January 10, 1946
Place of Discharge:
Military Awards:

Military Highlights:
WW II Draft Registration Cards – 10/16/1940 – 03/31/1947
State: Minnesota
Name: Lloyd David Luke
Race: White
Age: 21
Birth Date: January 20, 1920
Birth Place: Mora, Minnesota, USA
Residence Place: Marble, Itasca, Minnesota, USA
Registration Date: July 1, 1941
Employer: The Mesaba Cliffs Mining Company, Marble, Itasca, Minnesota
Occupation: Mining
Weight: 175
Height: 6
Complexion: Light
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Brown
Next of Kin: Henry Luke, Marble, Minnesota

Newspaper article: The Itasca Iron News, Coleraine, Minnesota - 1944 – “Extra Shift on V-Day,” Says Man Who Figured in “Gung-Ho,” Where “240 Come Home” – Down at the bottom of a letter from somewhere in the South Pacific, The Iron News comes across this, which is the most significant paragraph of a short communication from a man who spent 23 months of combat with the U.S. Marines in the Island, and who is now back there in what the “boys” designate the “hell hole of the war.”
“I read in The Itasca Iron News where the people are going to celebrate Germany’s defeat with bonfires and street dances. It would be better if they just worked an extra shift instead. Japan’s defeat is a long way from now.”
That was a closing paragraph in a letter to a family in Coleraine at whose house Cpl. Lloyd D. Luke of Marble was a frequent visitor all thru his childhood and at whose home he paid his last call before leaving again for overseas – for the second time to the South Pacific – after a short leave in the States. He saw almost two years of constant and horrible warfare.
Cpl. Luke was one of those valiant men around whom was made the picture, “Gung Ho,” shown in Coleraine just a few weeks ago. He was one of the 240 men – out of 1,000 – who lived to tell the tale of the encounter with the Japs.
In response to Luke’s letter suggesting that men “work another shift” instead of “celebrating,” The Iron News has been told that the matter is to be taken up and that one of the leaders has volunteered to “give his extra shift,” if others will do likewise, the funds to be donated to whatever war cause the men decide upon.
Excerpts from Cpl. Luke’s Letter: “We have been on the run ever since we left the States – ‘God’s country.’ Right now we are resting a little on the beach, getting in lots of good swimming. I’ve been acting as sort of lifeguard and swimming instructor; done, of course, on my own time. One of the big reasons I want to teach every man to swim is that at least some of them will save their own lives by knowing how. It may mean that I play a small part in saving someone’s life. * * * I had to change one chap’s whole style of swimming in order that he might keep on top of the water; and after two hours he could swim 30 yards. Since he was one of the tough students, I’m very proud of that fellow! A few sharks came up during evening chow, close to shore; so we had some excitement in camp. They would be a lot of trouble if they bother us tomorrow.”

Newspaper article: The Itasca Iron News, Coleraine, Minnesota - November 1945 – “The Itasca Iron News received the following letter this week from Mrs. E. [Elwin Eugene] Kickertz of San Francisco, California. Mrs. Kickertz was formerly Eleanor Luke, and lived in Marble. Mrs. Kickertz writes: “Dear Editor: Every once in a while we read where brothers meet overseas, etc. Well my brothers met Nov. 5th in Kyushu, Japan. They are Corporal Lloyd Luke of the Marines and Pvt. Elmer Luke of the Army. (Marble boys) I received a letter from Lloyd today saying he had springs in his legs and his morale was sky high because Elmer walked in on him the day before. They are both on the Island Kyushu, Lloyd’s location being Kurume. I don’t know Elmer’s exact location. Lloyd expects to be home sometime around or soon after Christmas. My husband MOMM 2/c sailed for Sumatra the 9th of November on the SS Monitor to bring a bunch of fellows back. He expects to be back before Christmas. Then I hope not too long after that we can return to the good old Iron Range and start in where we left off, our home being Marble, that little spot on the map.”

Wars Involved:
World War II

MIA / POW:

Civilian Life:
Lloyd Luke married Janet Carter in 1953 in St. Peter, Minnesota. Lloyd served in the U.S. Marine Corps with the Fifth Division and in Col. Evan J. Carlson's Raider Battalion in the South Pacific. He received his B.S. degree in 1951 from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where he enjoyed competitive swimming. He received his M.A. degree in 1954 from Colorado State College of Education in Greeley, Colorado. He taught and coached all sports at Villard High School in Villard, Minnesota from 1951-1954; taught physical education and coached swimming in the Winona Public School System from 1954-1977, where he enjoyed a successful coaching career. In 1970 he was president of the Minnesota Swim Coaches Association and in 1981 was inducted into the Minnesota Swim Coaches Hall of Fame.

Lloyd died in Bellingham, Washington and is buried in Greenacres Memorial Park, Ferndale, Washington. He is survived by his wife, Janet; daughters, Julie (Scott) Doan and Cynthia; two grandchildren; a brother, Elmer; aunt, Helen Marquart; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by a brother, Fred; and sisters, Eleanor Kickertz and Grace McCarty.

Tribal Affiliation(s):