Hamlet E. “Coach Pete” Peterson and World War I
by Helen Peterson Hustad and Hamlet A. Peterson, M.D.
Hamlet, the oldest boy of ten children and a fourth-generation “full-blooded” Norwegian American, was born in 1897 on a farm one mile north of Scarville, Winnebago County, Iowa. He attended Luther Academy in Albert Lea, MN. After one year at Luther College (1916-17) in Decorah, Iowa, he and his cousin, Melvin Larson, enlisted in the Army and were sent to Chickamauga Park, Georgia, arriving May 30, 1917. (Te United States had entered WW I April 6, 1917). Tey became part of the First Army Infantry Corps, 6th Division, 54th Infantry, 2nd Battalion, Company D. By August the Regiment had grown to full-strength of 1500 men and 55 ofcers. Pete played on the base’s baseball team that summer.
After a long and arduous training period, the 54th left Chickamauga by train on June 26, 1918, to Camp Mills, Long Island, New York. On July 6, the group left the Narrows, past the Statue of Liberty, in a convoy of 14 transports, escorted by a cruiser and six destroyers. After 11 days at sea, they
arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, and traveled south by train to Southampton, England, arriving on July 22. Tey crossed the English Channel, arriving at Le Havre, France, July 23. A slow-moving train took them east for two days to Bricon, France.
After another month of drilling, the 54th marched to the Vosgas Mountains, Alsace, France, and entered the fghting at Dommartin. Te trench warfare that had been going on for four years—consisting of nearly constant artillery fre, patrols in no-mans-land, trenches taken, lost, and retaken—lasted another six weeks. Te Meuse-Argonne ofensive commenced October 27 in rain and much mud. On November 2, the 54th crossed the famous Hindenburg Line, taking territory occupied by German forces for the previous four years. On November 11, the 54th Infantry found itself at Chatel Chehery, near Verdun, when the Armistice was signed.
During this brief, but intense time, Pete was promoted from Private, to Private 1st class, to Corporal, to Sargent,
After excelling at many sports during his own college career, “Pete” stayed on at Luther College for 45 years as a teacher and coach, developing a multifaceted athletic program for the school that included both men and women.
to 2nd Lieutenant. Tis rapid rank advancement in such a short time may have been an indication of Pete’s leadership skills, but unfortunately may also have been a part of leadership battlefeld attrition. His cousin Melvin Larson was not so lucky. He sustained gas injury, resulting in being unable to return to full farming and an early demise from lung complications at age 59.
Pete’s unit was assigned to the Army of Occupation, stationed in Hönnigen, Germany. On December 25, he received a letter from home informing him of the death of his next younger brother from infuenza, which was sweeping the country. Troughout the winter of 1918 and spring of 1919, Pete and other low-grade ofcers set up college-like courses for the enlisted men in an efort to help keep them occupied. Pete wrote many letters home, always using the return address “Over Here.”
On May 2, 1919, Pete’s battalion boarded a train to Brest, France, departing on the “Mount Vernon” on June 3. T debarked June 10 at Camp Mills. Five days later they boarded a train for Camp Grant, Illinois, where they were demobilized June 17.
Pete returned to Luther College, where he had success in football, basketball, and baseball, and was quarterback and captain in football his senior year. Since all his teammates were brought up speaking Norwegian, they dispensed with the huddle, with Pete calling signals out loud in Norwegian, a forerunner of today’s “audibles.” Tis was decades ahead of the no-huddle, hurry-up ofense commonly used today. Tis worked well—until they played St. Olaf!
About the Authors
After graduation Pete stayed at Luther College, teaching Latin and coaching. During his 45 year tenure at Luther College, Pete was Head Coach of the Norsemen for 40 years in basketball, 25 years in baseball, 22 years in football, and 19 years in track. Tat fgures out to 106 campaigns and includes a 762-609-9 win-loss-tie record. Te Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was formed in 1925 and, during Pete’s 45 year span as coach, Luther collected more team championships than any other IIAC school. Pete developed and became chairman of the Physical Education Department, and was Athletic Director his last 19 years. During this time, men’s tennis, golf, wrestling, cross country, and swimming and women’s tennis, golf, basketball, track, cross country, and swimming were added to Luther’s sports program. It is easy to see why Pete was always addressed as “Coach Pete” by his players, students, colleagues, friends, and opposing coaches.
On December 7, 1941, Pete was out collecting pine cones and branches for Christmas decorations with his daughter Helen, when some passersby told them of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Pete was visibly shaken, saying he thought that WW I was fought so there would be no more war. Coach Pete died in 1973 at age 76 years, having received recognition and numerous honors from sports organizations, newspapers and opposing colleges.
Uniform worn by Lt. Hamlet E. Peterson, U.S. Army, 54th Infantry, Company H, 1917-1918. Vesterheim 2015.021.001-008—Gift of Hamlet A. Peterson in memory of Hamlet E. Peterson
Helen Hustad Peterson, Pete’s daughter, attended Luther College before women’s intercollegiate sports were ofered. She majored in physical education, English and theater. Helen followed Pete’s example by teaching physical education seven years in three Minnesota high schools, and one year at the University of Minnesota, where she met and married a Lutheran Pastor, the Rev Jack Hustad. Together they served parishes in Minnesota, Kansas, and Washington. In retirement they served as interim pastor and wife in over a dozen foreign counties on four continents, and on several ELCA church boards. Helen also served two terms on Luther College’s Board of Regents.
Ham Peterson, Pete’s son, also followed Pete’s athletic tutoring. He earned 12 athletic letters in high school, setting school records in the mile run, the most career points in basketball, the most touchdowns by passing in football, and was frst team Iowa All-State quarterback his senior year. At Luther college he earned ten letters. In his senior year he was cocaptain in both football (setting all of Luther’s passing records—the one for the most touchdowns lasted 47 years) and basketball (IIAC Champions), and was a member of the tennis team that won the championship the frst year it as ofered by the IIAC (1954). He graduated from University of Iowa Medical School, was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, for three years, and spent his career as an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.