Alton Dalager goes down with the SS Samuel Heintzelman, 1943

Following graduation, Alton worked at the navy shipyards in Charleston, South Carolina. During this time he met Sarah Childers whom he married on May 24, 1942 in York, S.C. Sarah was from South Carolina. As the United States was at war, Alton decided to serve his country and joined the Merchant Marine. Before he went to sea, he and his wife Sarah made a trip to Noonan, North Dakota to visit Lars, the Hansons and many other friends.

Alton shipped out as a deck engineer on the Liberty Ship, SS Samuel Heintzelman from Charleston, South Carolina on May 11, 1943. The ship carried a merchant crew of 42 and an Armed Guard of 19. The ship disappeared with all hands after leaving Fremantle, on the west coast of Australia on July 1, 1943 for Calcutta via Colombo, Sirlanka, Karachi, Pakistan and Calcutta, India loaded with munitions. The ship was due in Colombo on July 14, 1943. The ship and its crew were never heard from again. German records show that the German Submarine U-511 torpedoed the SS Samuel Heintzelman on July 9th, 1943.

Heinz Rehse, a crew member of the U-511, stated that the sub went deep after firing the torpedoes and they heard underwater explosions. Upon surfacing there was no sign of the ship or survivors. Pieces of debris were found on the deck of the sub.(4) On September 30, 1943 some wreckage was washed ashore on Diego Garcia Island 04 degrees 40 minutes South and 71 degrees 73 minutes east.

Noonan Miner

Feb. 28. 1946

Triple Memorial Service at Noonan

Sunday afternoon, March 3rd, at 3 P.M. there will be a triple memorial service in the Bethlehem Lutheran church in Noonan to honor the memory of the three young men from that congregation who lost their lives in the service of their country. The three men are: Ingval Hermanson, Alton Dalager and Wayne Erickson. Each of these young men were reported by the War Department as ‘missing’ and without any doubt they all lost their lives in the performance of their duties.