Arthur Balsiger was an agriculture and education major at Washington State College from 1942 through 1943. While at WSC he entered the U.S. Army Reserves and was called to active duty on March 1, 1943. He was killed in action on Mindanao on May 20, 1945.
The WSC Music Education major from Colville participated in the Battle of Tarawa (November 1943) with the United States Marines before suffering mortal wounds in the landing at Saipan in June 1944. He received a posthumous Silver Star for his leadership
Charles Kirkham studied Mechanical Engineering at WSC in 1941 before joining the Navy. As a pilot on the USS Shangri-La, Kirkham’s plane went down at sea in June 1945 when he ran out of fuel while guarding his downed wingman. His body was never recovere
Harrison Hughes was a second-generation WSC student who majored in Mechanical Engineering. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940, fought during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, and became a prisoner of war in 1942. He was killed by friendly
The Spokane native Don Carlos Hempstead studied Electrical Engineering at WSC from 1940-41 before entering the Marine Corps Reserve. Second Lieutenant Hempstead won the Navy Cross for his leadership in the landing on Parry Island (Marshall Islands) in Fe
