Family adds bench to honor Gerald Wraa

One more bench has been added to the Clearbrook Veterans Memorial Park recently. 

The Gerald Wraa family put in a bench to honor their father’s service during World War II. Ness Granite Works from Detroit Lakes put the bench in place. They had never put in a bench for a veteran who was present when they set the tribute in place. 

The site located north of the dam in Clearbrook is a project of the Legion Post 256.   There are benches and tribute bricks for veterans both living and in memory of those who have passed away.

Gerald Wraa is 96 years old and was born on March 11, 1922. He and his wife Edna live in Clearbrook. They lived out in the country and farmed until 2015 when they moved into an apartment in Clearbrook.

Gerald served in the US Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1946.  He was on the USS Charles Ausburne (DD-570), a Fletcher-class destroyer. It was named for Charles L. Ausburne, a sailor who served during World War I and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. During the World War II campaign the ship received twelve battle Stars for serving in the South Pacific, North Africa, North Atlantic and the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1946. The mascot of Destroyer Squadron 23 is Little Beaver. That character was made famous by Fred Harmon’s Red Ryder cartoon strip. This information and a drawing of the ship was put on the bench that was placed in the park.

Some of Gerald’s family were there as the bench was being placed and afterwards.