It’s perhaps only fitting — albeit sad for many in the Brainerd lakes area who came to know and respect him — that the 101-year-old veteran Walt Straka died on Independence Day.

Another icon also left us in 2021: Stewart C. Mills Jr., the co-founder and owner of Mills Fleet Farm and the Mills Automotive Group, died about two months later on Sept. 24 at the age of 93.

Straka was born in 1919, lived through the Great Depression, survived years as a prisoner of war, returned home to marry his sweetheart and raised seven children during his lifetime.

READ STRAKA'S LIFE STORY> A century of heroism: The life of Brainerd's Walt Straka, Bataan Death March survivor

Stewart C. Mills Jr. and his twin brother Henry were instrumental in building Mills Fleet Farm from two employees to more than 7,000. Fleet Farm now has 47 stores located across the Midwest.

Straka was the last Minnesota survivor of the Bataan Death March, where Japanese soldiers forced American prisoners of war on a brutal and often fatal 60-mile trek through the Philippines.

EDITORIAL> Our Opinion: Stewart C. Mills Jr. leaves a lasting legacy

READ MILLS' LIFE STORY> A big, full life: Humble and magnetic, Mills Jr. was a hometown giant

Both of the men who died this year were native sons of Brainerd. And both were remembered fondly and honored at the time of their passing with accolades and anecdotes.

Mills was a local and regional business leader in addition to being a philanthropist and charitable benefactor to a number of causes in the Brainerd lakes area.

Straka lied about his birthdate when he was 17 and signed up with the U.S. Army National Guard to serve his country and its citizens, and later fought valiantly in World War II.

EDITORIAL> Our Opinion: A salute to Walt Straka

Contributed

Mills was honored by the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation in 2017 as a supporter of the Brainerd Jaycees, the Crow Wing County Fair and city parks and ballfields, to name a few.

Straka was active in numerous local nonprofits like the Elks Club and American Legion. And he was a proud veteran and regularly attended events involving the 34th Tank Company.

Mills was also a veteran and honored those in military service like Straka whenever the businessman could, including paying the tabs for veterans at local establishments.

Of the 64 Brainerd men from the tank company that went with the 194th to the Philippines, including Straka, three were killed in action and 29 died as POWs. Thirty-two survived captivity.

Mills was part of the 194th Tank Battalion and the Minnesota National Guard before he joined the Army, where he served until 1959 — or 18 years after Straka’s arrival in the Philippines.

Straka and his comrades in the 194th were among 75,000 American and Filipino troops who walked more than 60 miles to Japanese prison camps known as the Bataan Death March.

Mills handed out American flags for years along the route for Brainerd’s Fourth of July parade commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States.

Decades later after Straka’s harrowing brush with death at the hands of the Japanese during World War II, he heard he was to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Both Mills and Straka left an indelible mark in the Brainerd lakes area with their heroism, charity and love for the community, and neither will soon be forgotten despite their passing in 2021.

FRANK LEE may be reached at 218-855-5863 or at frank.lee@brainerddispatch.com . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchFL .

More Top 10 stories

• Top 2021 Stories - No. 10: Brainerd's historic water tower seems here to stay
  
• Top 2021 Stories - No. 9: Warming shelter finds its place in Brainerd
  
• Top 2021 Stories - No. 8: Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts, CTC Center open
  
• Top 2021 Stories - No. 7: Homicide ends lives of 2 local women
  
• Top 2021 Stories - No. 6: Help wanted
  
• Top 2021 Stories - No. 5: Brainerd celebrates its sesquicentennial
  

• Top 2021 Stories - No. 4: Drought changes typical summer landscape
  

• Top 2021 Stories - No. 2: Brainerd School Board, admins deal with variety of issues
  
• Top 2021 Stories - No. 1: 2nd year of pandemic offers roller coaster ride
  

1/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. and daughter Marisa Mills pose together. Marisa said her father was her best friend and her greatest inspiration. Contributed

2/48: Donning red, white and blue, Stewart C. Mills Jr. participates in a Fourth of July parade. Contributed

3/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr, wearing a Nisswa hat, gives two thumbs up. Contributed

4/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, gives bunny ears to friend Bruce Buxton. Contributed

5/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. visits a grave marker in the Philippines while traveling along the route of the Bataan Death March in 2007. Contributed

6/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. waves from a boat. Boating was one of Mills' favorite pastimes, from his youth throughout his life. Contributed

7/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. hugs his dog Max while on a trip to Florida. Contributed

8/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., second from right, poses with his children Stewart C. Mills III, left, Travis D. Mills Sr. and Marisa Mae Mills. Contributed

9/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

10/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, and former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant pose together on a hunting trip. Contributed

11/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

12/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

13/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. and daughter Marisa Mills participate in an interview at the Brainerd Dispatch office in 2016, after the elder Mills was selected as the first recipient of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber Business Legacy Award. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

14/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

15/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, donning his Green Bay Packers gear, jokes around with friend Bruce Buxton in Minnesota Vikings attire. Contributed

16/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., center, poses with members of the Minnesota Golden Gophers staff. Mills was a huge football fan and athletics booster. Contributed

17/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, and former Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant pose together on a hunting trip. Contributed

18/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, shakes hands with former Brainerd Dispatch Publisher Terry McCollough. Contributed

19/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. hands out American flags during the Fourth of July parade in Nisswa. Contributed

20/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, accepts a leadership award. Contributed

21/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

22/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

23/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, on the golf course with a vehicle from Mills Automotive Group. Contributed

24/48: Walt Straka poses with his wife Cleta on their wedding day. With Cleta, Straka shared 7 children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as 64 years together before Cleta died in 2009. Submitted photo

25/48: In an undated photo, Walt Straka poses with his wife Cleta (center), as well as Cleta's sisters Helen (left) and Marge. Submitted photo

26/48: Walt Straka (center) stands at attention during basic training at the young age of 17. Having lied about his birthdate, Straka singed up with the U.S. National Guard, a fateful decision that would ultimately change his life forever. Submitted photo

27/48: Walt Straka as a member of the 34th Tank Company based in Brainerd. Later, the 34th were merged with units from California and Missouri to form the 194th Tank Battalion. Company A of the 194th received orders to reinforce troops in the Philippines in September of 1941, three months before the United States entered WWII. It was there, on the Bataan peninsula, Straka and his comrades faced horrific atrocities that would come to be known as the Bataan Death March. Submitted photo

28/48: Walt Straka (second from left) shown in the dedication of the Brainerd National Guard Armory on Wright Street July 17, 1989. He is shown on the stage with other Bataan Death March survivors and veterans of Japanese "Hell Ships." Brained Dispatch file photo

29/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) receives a standing ovation Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 during the opening ceremony before the 22nd annual Bataan Memorial March at the Brainerd Armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

30/48: The crowd applauds Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, after former Brainerd mayor Ed Menk proclaimed the day to be Walter Straka Day. Straka is seated in the center with the plaque. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

31/48: Friends from the 194th Tank Regiment greet Walt Straka in the parking lot of the Brainerd National Guard Armory Friday, April 9, 2021, the 79th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

32/48: Walt Straka smiles at his home in 2019 while celebrating his 100th birthday in Brainerd. The Bataan Death March survivor died Sunday, July 4, 2021, in Brainerd. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

33/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka lays a wreath at the Bataan Memorial in 2019 during Bataan Remembrance Day. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

34/48: Walt Straka and Minnesota Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Larry Herke talk after he was awarded the Minnesota World War II Memorial Medallion Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at Edgewood Vista Senior Living. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

35/48: Walt Straka and Minnesota Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Larry Herke talk after he was awarded the Minnesota World War II Memorial Medallion Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at Edgewood Vista Senior Living. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

36/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka is escorted by Lt. Col. Joshua Simer of the Minnesota Army National Guard Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, during the Veterans Day program at the Brainerd High School. Straka was cheered by the crowd and honored with the day being designated Walk Straka Day in Brainerd by former Mayor Ed Menk. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

37/48: Walt Straka (left) talks to former Brainerd Mayor Ed Menk during the Veterans Day program Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, at Brainerd High School. Menk proclaimed the day was Walter Straka Day in Brainerd. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

38/48: Brainerd's last Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (second from right) shakes hands with service members shortly before the 22nd annual Bataan Memorial March Saturday, Sept. 22, 2019, at the U.S. Army National Guard Armory in south Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

39/48: Brainerd’s Walt Straka, a 99-year-old World War II prisoner of war and Bataan Death March survivor, was honored at the Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, Nov. 4. File photo by C. Morgan Engel

40/48: Brainerd’s Walt Straka, a 99-year-old World War II prisoner of war and Bataan Death March survivor, was honored at the Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, Nov. 4. File photo by C. Morgan Engel

41/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center), families of survivors and others attend an opening ceremony Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, before the 21st annual Bataan Memorial March at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

42/48: Escorted by Staff Sgt. Jade Caponi, Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka lays a wreath to remember the soldiers of the 194th Tank Battalion Company A who died in combat, as prisoners of war, or on the Death March. The April 9, 2018, ceremony included family members in the Col. E.B. Miller room at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

43/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) attends the 2016 wreath laying ceremony at the Brainerd armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

44/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) attends the 2016 wreath laying ceremony at the Brainerd armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

45/48: Sgt. 1st Class Joe Porisch (left) and Bataan survivor Walt Straka salute after placing the wreath during a Bataan Memorial wreath laying ceremony in 2016 at the National Guard armory in Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

46/48: Billy Johnson (left), American Legion national director of membership, salutes alongside Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka in April 2015 during the ceremony commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the fall of Bataan at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

47/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka places his cap over his heart during the Memorial Day Ceremony in 2015 at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

48/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka places his cap over his heart during the Memorial Day Ceremony in 2014 at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

1/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. and daughter Marisa Mills pose together. Marisa said her father was her best friend and her greatest inspiration. Contributed

2/48: Donning red, white and blue, Stewart C. Mills Jr. participates in a Fourth of July parade. Contributed

3/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr, wearing a Nisswa hat, gives two thumbs up. Contributed

4/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, gives bunny ears to friend Bruce Buxton. Contributed

5/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. visits a grave marker in the Philippines while traveling along the route of the Bataan Death March in 2007. Contributed

6/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. waves from a boat. Boating was one of Mills' favorite pastimes, from his youth throughout his life. Contributed

7/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. hugs his dog Max while on a trip to Florida. Contributed

8/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., second from right, poses with his children Stewart C. Mills III, left, Travis D. Mills Sr. and Marisa Mae Mills. Contributed

9/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

10/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, and former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant pose together on a hunting trip. Contributed

11/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

12/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

13/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. and daughter Marisa Mills participate in an interview at the Brainerd Dispatch office in 2016, after the elder Mills was selected as the first recipient of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber Business Legacy Award. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

14/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

15/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, donning his Green Bay Packers gear, jokes around with friend Bruce Buxton in Minnesota Vikings attire. Contributed

16/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., center, poses with members of the Minnesota Golden Gophers staff. Mills was a huge football fan and athletics booster. Contributed

17/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, and former Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant pose together on a hunting trip. Contributed

18/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, shakes hands with former Brainerd Dispatch Publisher Terry McCollough. Contributed

19/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. hands out American flags during the Fourth of July parade in Nisswa. Contributed

20/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, accepts a leadership award. Contributed

21/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

22/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

23/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, on the golf course with a vehicle from Mills Automotive Group. Contributed

24/48: Walt Straka poses with his wife Cleta on their wedding day. With Cleta, Straka shared 7 children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as 64 years together before Cleta died in 2009. Submitted photo

25/48: In an undated photo, Walt Straka poses with his wife Cleta (center), as well as Cleta's sisters Helen (left) and Marge. Submitted photo

26/48: Walt Straka (center) stands at attention during basic training at the young age of 17. Having lied about his birthdate, Straka singed up with the U.S. National Guard, a fateful decision that would ultimately change his life forever. Submitted photo

27/48: Walt Straka as a member of the 34th Tank Company based in Brainerd. Later, the 34th were merged with units from California and Missouri to form the 194th Tank Battalion. Company A of the 194th received orders to reinforce troops in the Philippines in September of 1941, three months before the United States entered WWII. It was there, on the Bataan peninsula, Straka and his comrades faced horrific atrocities that would come to be known as the Bataan Death March. Submitted photo

28/48: Walt Straka (second from left) shown in the dedication of the Brainerd National Guard Armory on Wright Street July 17, 1989. He is shown on the stage with other Bataan Death March survivors and veterans of Japanese "Hell Ships." Brained Dispatch file photo

29/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) receives a standing ovation Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 during the opening ceremony before the 22nd annual Bataan Memorial March at the Brainerd Armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

30/48: The crowd applauds Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, after former Brainerd mayor Ed Menk proclaimed the day to be Walter Straka Day. Straka is seated in the center with the plaque. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

31/48: Friends from the 194th Tank Regiment greet Walt Straka in the parking lot of the Brainerd National Guard Armory Friday, April 9, 2021, the 79th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

32/48: Walt Straka smiles at his home in 2019 while celebrating his 100th birthday in Brainerd. The Bataan Death March survivor died Sunday, July 4, 2021, in Brainerd. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

33/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka lays a wreath at the Bataan Memorial in 2019 during Bataan Remembrance Day. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

34/48: Walt Straka and Minnesota Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Larry Herke talk after he was awarded the Minnesota World War II Memorial Medallion Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at Edgewood Vista Senior Living. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

35/48: Walt Straka and Minnesota Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Larry Herke talk after he was awarded the Minnesota World War II Memorial Medallion Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at Edgewood Vista Senior Living. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

36/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka is escorted by Lt. Col. Joshua Simer of the Minnesota Army National Guard Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, during the Veterans Day program at the Brainerd High School. Straka was cheered by the crowd and honored with the day being designated Walk Straka Day in Brainerd by former Mayor Ed Menk. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

37/48: Walt Straka (left) talks to former Brainerd Mayor Ed Menk during the Veterans Day program Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, at Brainerd High School. Menk proclaimed the day was Walter Straka Day in Brainerd. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

38/48: Brainerd's last Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (second from right) shakes hands with service members shortly before the 22nd annual Bataan Memorial March Saturday, Sept. 22, 2019, at the U.S. Army National Guard Armory in south Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

39/48: Brainerd’s Walt Straka, a 99-year-old World War II prisoner of war and Bataan Death March survivor, was honored at the Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, Nov. 4. File photo by C. Morgan Engel

40/48: Brainerd’s Walt Straka, a 99-year-old World War II prisoner of war and Bataan Death March survivor, was honored at the Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, Nov. 4. File photo by C. Morgan Engel

41/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center), families of survivors and others attend an opening ceremony Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, before the 21st annual Bataan Memorial March at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

42/48: Escorted by Staff Sgt. Jade Caponi, Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka lays a wreath to remember the soldiers of the 194th Tank Battalion Company A who died in combat, as prisoners of war, or on the Death March. The April 9, 2018, ceremony included family members in the Col. E.B. Miller room at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

43/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) attends the 2016 wreath laying ceremony at the Brainerd armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

44/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) attends the 2016 wreath laying ceremony at the Brainerd armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

45/48: Sgt. 1st Class Joe Porisch (left) and Bataan survivor Walt Straka salute after placing the wreath during a Bataan Memorial wreath laying ceremony in 2016 at the National Guard armory in Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

46/48: Billy Johnson (left), American Legion national director of membership, salutes alongside Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka in April 2015 during the ceremony commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the fall of Bataan at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

47/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka places his cap over his heart during the Memorial Day Ceremony in 2015 at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

48/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka places his cap over his heart during the Memorial Day Ceremony in 2014 at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

1/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. and daughter Marisa Mills pose together. Marisa said her father was her best friend and her greatest inspiration. Contributed

2/48: Donning red, white and blue, Stewart C. Mills Jr. participates in a Fourth of July parade. Contributed

3/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr, wearing a Nisswa hat, gives two thumbs up. Contributed

4/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, gives bunny ears to friend Bruce Buxton. Contributed

5/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. visits a grave marker in the Philippines while traveling along the route of the Bataan Death March in 2007. Contributed

6/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. waves from a boat. Boating was one of Mills' favorite pastimes, from his youth throughout his life. Contributed

7/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. hugs his dog Max while on a trip to Florida. Contributed

8/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., second from right, poses with his children Stewart C. Mills III, left, Travis D. Mills Sr. and Marisa Mae Mills. Contributed

9/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

10/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, and former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant pose together on a hunting trip. Contributed

11/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

12/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

13/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. and daughter Marisa Mills participate in an interview at the Brainerd Dispatch office in 2016, after the elder Mills was selected as the first recipient of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber Business Legacy Award. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

14/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

15/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, donning his Green Bay Packers gear, jokes around with friend Bruce Buxton in Minnesota Vikings attire. Contributed

16/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., center, poses with members of the Minnesota Golden Gophers staff. Mills was a huge football fan and athletics booster. Contributed

17/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, and former Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant pose together on a hunting trip. Contributed

18/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, shakes hands with former Brainerd Dispatch Publisher Terry McCollough. Contributed

19/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. hands out American flags during the Fourth of July parade in Nisswa. Contributed

20/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, accepts a leadership award. Contributed

21/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

22/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr. Contributed

23/48: Stewart C. Mills Jr., right, on the golf course with a vehicle from Mills Automotive Group. Contributed

24/48: Walt Straka poses with his wife Cleta on their wedding day. With Cleta, Straka shared 7 children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as 64 years together before Cleta died in 2009. Submitted photo

25/48: In an undated photo, Walt Straka poses with his wife Cleta (center), as well as Cleta's sisters Helen (left) and Marge. Submitted photo

26/48: Walt Straka (center) stands at attention during basic training at the young age of 17. Having lied about his birthdate, Straka singed up with the U.S. National Guard, a fateful decision that would ultimately change his life forever. Submitted photo

27/48: Walt Straka as a member of the 34th Tank Company based in Brainerd. Later, the 34th were merged with units from California and Missouri to form the 194th Tank Battalion. Company A of the 194th received orders to reinforce troops in the Philippines in September of 1941, three months before the United States entered WWII. It was there, on the Bataan peninsula, Straka and his comrades faced horrific atrocities that would come to be known as the Bataan Death March. Submitted photo

28/48: Walt Straka (second from left) shown in the dedication of the Brainerd National Guard Armory on Wright Street July 17, 1989. He is shown on the stage with other Bataan Death March survivors and veterans of Japanese "Hell Ships." Brained Dispatch file photo

29/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) receives a standing ovation Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 during the opening ceremony before the 22nd annual Bataan Memorial March at the Brainerd Armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

30/48: The crowd applauds Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, after former Brainerd mayor Ed Menk proclaimed the day to be Walter Straka Day. Straka is seated in the center with the plaque. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

31/48: Friends from the 194th Tank Regiment greet Walt Straka in the parking lot of the Brainerd National Guard Armory Friday, April 9, 2021, the 79th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

32/48: Walt Straka smiles at his home in 2019 while celebrating his 100th birthday in Brainerd. The Bataan Death March survivor died Sunday, July 4, 2021, in Brainerd. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

33/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka lays a wreath at the Bataan Memorial in 2019 during Bataan Remembrance Day. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

34/48: Walt Straka and Minnesota Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Larry Herke talk after he was awarded the Minnesota World War II Memorial Medallion Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at Edgewood Vista Senior Living. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

35/48: Walt Straka and Minnesota Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Larry Herke talk after he was awarded the Minnesota World War II Memorial Medallion Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at Edgewood Vista Senior Living. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

36/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka is escorted by Lt. Col. Joshua Simer of the Minnesota Army National Guard Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, during the Veterans Day program at the Brainerd High School. Straka was cheered by the crowd and honored with the day being designated Walk Straka Day in Brainerd by former Mayor Ed Menk. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

37/48: Walt Straka (left) talks to former Brainerd Mayor Ed Menk during the Veterans Day program Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, at Brainerd High School. Menk proclaimed the day was Walter Straka Day in Brainerd. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

38/48: Brainerd's last Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (second from right) shakes hands with service members shortly before the 22nd annual Bataan Memorial March Saturday, Sept. 22, 2019, at the U.S. Army National Guard Armory in south Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

39/48: Brainerd’s Walt Straka, a 99-year-old World War II prisoner of war and Bataan Death March survivor, was honored at the Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, Nov. 4. File photo by C. Morgan Engel

40/48: Brainerd’s Walt Straka, a 99-year-old World War II prisoner of war and Bataan Death March survivor, was honored at the Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, Nov. 4. File photo by C. Morgan Engel

41/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center), families of survivors and others attend an opening ceremony Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, before the 21st annual Bataan Memorial March at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

42/48: Escorted by Staff Sgt. Jade Caponi, Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka lays a wreath to remember the soldiers of the 194th Tank Battalion Company A who died in combat, as prisoners of war, or on the Death March. The April 9, 2018, ceremony included family members in the Col. E.B. Miller room at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

43/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) attends the 2016 wreath laying ceremony at the Brainerd armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

44/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka (center) attends the 2016 wreath laying ceremony at the Brainerd armory. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

45/48: Sgt. 1st Class Joe Porisch (left) and Bataan survivor Walt Straka salute after placing the wreath during a Bataan Memorial wreath laying ceremony in 2016 at the National Guard armory in Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

46/48: Billy Johnson (left), American Legion national director of membership, salutes alongside Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka in April 2015 during the ceremony commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the fall of Bataan at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

47/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka places his cap over his heart during the Memorial Day Ceremony in 2015 at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo

48/48: Bataan Death March survivor Walt Straka places his cap over his heart during the Memorial Day Ceremony in 2014 at the Brainerd National Guard Armory. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch file photo