Unidentified body found -- part two

More details revealed from 50-year cold case

By Jillian Kellerman

A story was published in the March Runestone edition of Senior Perspective about Mortician Mark Lindsey of Alexandria and his part in solving a 50-year-old cold case in Page, ND. 

The original story can be found at www.srperspective.com/post/unidentified-body-found 

This photo was attached to the death certificate, showing the unknown man being buried in 1970. It was learned last year that the man was William Howard Tate. Contributed photo

In 1970, an unidentified adult male body was found near the train tracks south of Page. Over 50 years later, this unknown male was identified as Sgt. William Howard Tate, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was reburied and provided a formal, yet simple, stone marker for his grave. As it turns out, and is often the case, there’s more to this story.

Todd Nelson from Page, now living in Cedar Creek, Texas, was classmates with Lindsey’s daughter in Page, ND, in the early 70s. He is a retired law enforcement officer for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in Minneapolis. Nelson spent over half of his 30 years in the Investigations Division and now, for the past 10 years, has been researching veterans buried in the Page Cemetery, as well as those that are from Page. All of which brings us back to… How did Sgt. Tate end up in Page and what is his connection to the area? Nelson shares his research to help shed light on the matter.

“In researching my hometown veterans, it amazes me how we are all connected,” he said.

As the story unfolds, there is another World War II veteran, PFC Edward F. Hanley, who served in a different squadron – Tate in the 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized) and Hanley in the 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized). While they served in different cavalries, they fought the same campaigns. According to Nelson, they were often in the same regions and it is speculated their paths may have crossed. Hanley was killed in action March 30, 1945, and Tate earned his Silver Star on April 24, 1945. Is it possible Tate was making the trip to Page to pay respect to a fellow veteran? We may never know the full details of his tragic fate all those years ago.

“It’s an incredible story… one that might have been lost to time,” Nelson said.

Still, the plot thickens, as there is yet another Page connection. The photo shared in the first story (also shared here) that was taken by Lindsey showing the unknown man being buried in 1970, contains more than Sgt. Tate’s remains. The two men in the picture are Pastor George Paul Gutzman and Cass County Deputy Oscar Merl England – both Korean War veterans. These two men did not know each other during the Korean War, but they ran the same path during the war, similar to PFC Hanley and Sgt. Tate. Neither PFC Gutzman nor Sgt. England is from Page, but they both ended up there later in life and spent about seven years living next to one another. Page, ND was Pastor Gutzman’s first charge after seminary.

This leads to another iconic photo, also shared (on Page 8), captured by American military photographer Al Chang (Army). There is a man depicted consoling another soldier whose friend had just been killed in action, while another soldier in the background fills out a casualty tag. The man consoling the soldier is George Gutzman. What isn’t shown here, according to Nelson’s research, is that the soldier being consoled was also killed in action mere hours after this photo was taken.

Keith Bayley, another soldier, from Page, traveled the same path through Korea as Gutzman and England did, but at different times of the war. Bayley performed the same military functions as a member of a Weapons Company as England did. All three men were part of the 1st Marine Division. Bayley was killed in action in the Korean War. Gutzman is remembered for his compassion representative of the Korean War and England returned as a Silver Star recipient. Both men have since passed away.

PFC George Paul Gutzman consoling another soldier whose friend had just been killed in action, while another soldier in the background fills out a casualty tag. The soldier being consoled was also killed in action mere hours after this photo was taken in Haktong-ni area, Korea. Public domain photo by American military photographer Al Chang (Army); Colorized by Jared Enos.

“I find some Page veterans are more battle wary than others,” Nelson said. “Gutzman and England were only a few who saw heavy fighting during their service in the military. They were not from Page, but somehow found peace and solace in Page. How fitting they were the only people paying respects to an unknown male who was later identified as a battle-experienced veteran such as Tate. Maybe Tate himself was looking for peace and solace as Gutzman and England did.”

Sgt. Tate was laid to rest over 50 years ago by two comrades that did not know one another, yet they all ended up in Page, ND. Through Nelson’s investigations, along with his own familial ties to the military, he said he has learned the importance of honor and respect. Nelson credits Lindsey, Gutzman, and England for Tate’s identification all those years later. He said it was their extreme care in handling Tate’s body that made it possible for him to be identified in the first place.

“That’s what we do here in Page. That’s who we are,” Lindsey and Nelson both agree, giving credit to their small-town values. This is precisely why Nelson has set up a GoFundMe to help offset the cost of Tate’s honorary tombstone, with remaining funds going to the Page Cemetery.

Now that Sgt. Tate has been identified, he is being recognized as the hero he is, known by the friends he made along the way, and at last with an honorary tombstone fitting of a war hero.

While this mystery continues to unfold, Sgt. Tate, PFC Hanley, Bayley, Sgt. England, PFC Gutzman, and all the others who have made the biggest sacrifice for their country – may they rest in peace.

The GoFundMe link to the Page Cemetery fund can be found at https://gofund.me/fa92d17c0