An official website of the United States government. Here's how you know. 
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Unit:
79th Infantry Division, 315th Infantry Regiment
Date of Birth:
October 7, 2024
Hometown:
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Date of Death:
July 9, 1944
Place of Death:
near Montgarden, France
Awards:
Purple Heart
Cemetery:
Arvid Setran was born on October 7, 1924, to Anna (Grinden) and Eddie Setran, at 4048 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Setran had an older sister, Gladys, a younger brother, Norman, who passed away in 1987, and a younger sister named Grace.
She was three years older, but Gladys, Arvid, and friend Harold Grovender, who went to Washburn High School with them, were always together. They were described as the three musketeers. They regularly attended dances and 25-cent movies together. Gladys even recalled when she wanted to go to a local baseball game but did want to go alone, so Setran went with her, so she would not be lonely. Setran was always there.
He planned to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an auto mechanic. He planned to attend Dunwoody Institute of Technology in Minneapolis after high school.
Setran was drafted as a result of the Selective Service Act of 1940, enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. When Setran received his draft notice, there were arguments with his father at the dinner table. According to his sister, “Eddie wasn’t supportive of anything any of his kids did regarding growing up: he didn’t want them to get married, have children, or unavoidably serve in the military.” Shortly after that, Setran enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 4, 1943.
In Minneapolis, young men were expected to join the military after they graduated, and women at home were expected to marry soldiers. Gladys fell deeply in love with Harold Grovender, who became a soldier, and they married. However, due to her father’s inability to accept that his children would eventually grow up, she had to keep her marriage private. There were many secrets in the family. Despite secrets, life was ordinary on the home front. Gladys followed Harold wherever he was stationed. She followed him to Arizona, Florida, and other places. She would pick up small jobs in each location as many other wives did.
Other commonalities on the home front were various war effort projects. The Washburn High School yearbook included photographs of aluminum and book drives and war bond sales. Even an armed service committee at the school worked on a scrapbook to honor alumni who were fighting in the war.
Because of the regularity of news about the war, Washburn High School students became more informed about international affairs. Every student was required to take world history and civics courses. These new studies changed from the recent isolationist view that the United States had only years earlier. Everywhere students went, there were reminders that the war was real.
Setran enlisted on June 4, 1943. He completed basic training and was sent to England for further training before his ultimate mission to aid in France’s liberation. He was hospitalized twice for pneumonia, but despite that, he wrote letters and drew pictures for siblings Norman and “Gracie.”
Setran was a part of the 315th Infantry Regiment of the 79th Infantry Division. This division, also known as the “Cross of the Lorraine” division, was responsible for Cherbourg’s capture. Cherbourg was the largest port in Normandy and a primary strategic objective because of its location near the Cotentin Peninsula.
Cherbourg’s capture was vital because it was needed to transport materials for the Allies; the highest priority was to speed up their resupply. So the 79th Infantry Division captured Cherbourg after days of heavy fighting.
The 79th Infantry Division was ordered to advance towards Saint-Lô in early July. On this path, their next target was La Haye-du-Puits. This job was a bad one because the small city was heavily mined and dense with “concrete gun emplacements, pillboxes, tank traps, trenches, and barbed wire entanglements.” Additionally, the hedgerow fighting was ruthless because of all the automatic weapons hidden in the brush.
On July 9, Setran’s unit approached “Bloody Hill 84,” a heavily defended location near Montgardon, France. Setran was killed in this advance. During the five days of fighting for La Haye-du-Puits, 1,500 soldiers lost their lives.
Arvid Setran was buried in Normandy American Cemetery.
Arvid L. Setran. Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949. ancestry.com.
Arvid L. Setran. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. ancestry.com.
Arvid L. Setran. WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954. ancestry.com..
Arvid Leroy Setran. Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934. ancestry.com.
Arvid Leroy Setran. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. ancestry.com.
“City Mustang Pilot Killed Over Belgium.” Star Tribune. November 26, 1944. Newspapers.com (181875472).
Grovender, Gladys. Personal interview with author. June 2012.
Grovender, Karen. Personal interview with author. May 2012.
Grovender, Suzan, Personal interview and correspondence with the author. May-August 2012.
Minnesota. Hennepin County. 1930 U.S. Federal Census. ancestry.com.
Minnesota. Hennepin County. 1940 U.S. Federal Census. ancestry.com.
“Pvt. A. L. Setran Killed in France.” Star Tribune, August 9, 1944. Newspapers.com (187517012).
Setran Family Papers and Photographs. Courtesy of Suzan Grovender.
Washburn High School Yearbook. 1942.
“Arvid L. Setran.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed May 22, 2020. www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/setran%3Darvid.
The Cross Of Lorraine, A Combat History Of The 79th Infantry Division. Nashville: Battery Press, 1999.
The American Battle Monuments Commission operates and maintains 26 cemeteries and 31 federal memorials, monuments and commemorative plaques in 17 countries throughout the world, including the United States.
Since March 4, 1923, the ABMC’s sacred mission remains to honor the service, achievements, and sacrifice of more than 200,000 U.S. service members buried and memorialized at our sites.
