194th Regiment Holds Family Day And Unveils Signatures Document

Family members of the Company A, 194^th Tank Battalion gathered today to honor those who fought and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the infamous Bataan Death March.

“I can remember when they first had this event, way back in the 1940s, when everyone came back,” says Don Samuelson, son of 1st Sgt. Walter Samuelson of Company A. “They vowed that they would never forget, and certainly, they have never forgotten.”

“Brainerd has been so wonderful in supporting this unit through all the years, from the time they shipped out to the time they returned, and every time, they remember and they’ve kept this alive for generations and generations,” says Chuck Weygand, son of Robert Weygand of Company A.

People shared stories about the men of the 194^th, including Walter Straka, the last surviving member of Company A.

“I haven’t seen a lot of them for years,” says Straka. “It was really nice to talk to them. We all got scattered around. They come to visit and it’s really nice to visit with them.”

“Growing up we heard all of these names as part of a family history, a family legacy,” says Weygand. “Now I see these people and some of them I’ve never met, but their names are very familiar.”

The event also featured an unveiling of a document containing the signatures of all of the men of the 34th Tank Company.

“We’re probably one of the few memorials in the country that has a signatures document with their memorial that includes every man on there,” says Larry Sovold, President of the 194th Regiment.

The document is just another way that Brainerd will honor the men of the 194th.

“We need to continue that memory alive and educate young people as to what happened, and why, and hopefully it will never happen again,” says Samuelson.