The following story was derived from a story written by Karina Erickson about her father Ralph Erickson as a class project at Lago Vista High School. Read Karina’s original paper at the end of this Patriot Story
In 1922, RALPH D. ERICKSON was born to parents of Swedish heritage in Benesford, South Dakota. At the age of nine, in order to survive the great Depression, his family moved to Sweden for a year and upon returning decided to start over in Chicago, Illinois, where his mother had been offered a nursing position. Erickson was very proud of his heritage, spoke fluent Swedish, and he grew up to be a big six-foot-one, blond headed athlete.
Erickson was on a swimming scholarship at the University of Southern California when the United States entered World War II. He immediately attempted to enlist in various branches of the military, but his vision was less than 20/20 and initially they would not accept him. Several months later, when the Army offered the Specialized Training Program, he enlisted on December 2, 1942 for training as a ski trooper. He had skied as a little boy and enjoyed the woods and mountains. On April 10, 1943 he reported in for active duty and was sent to Camp Hale, Colorado, home of the Army Mountain Training Center and the 10th Mountain Division.
During Basic Training, he was recognized for his abilities and appointed acting squad leader. Erickson wrote, Immediately after basic training, we acting squad leaders and several others were detached and sent to NCO School, run by a West Point Captain. For months we lived in the mountains, attacked 11,000-foot mountain peaks at three in the morning, and learned all phases of being a Non Com. It was the most important military training that I received in the Army. In no way am I trying to denigrate the airborne training which was just as significant, but in a totally different manner.
After completing training at Camp Hale, Sergeant Erickson shipped out for Europe in May 1944 and arrived on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was sent, upon request, to the 82nd Airborne Division and further assigned to the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the Devils in Baggy Pants. Thirty-four days after D-Day he arrived as a replacement in Second Platoon, Company E. He later said, I dont believe anyone, NCOs or Officers, were too happy to have a green Non Com arrive in the platoon.
On September 17, 1944, Ralph Erickson made his first combat jump into Holland as Operation Market Garden began with the largest air assault operation in history. The 82nd Airborne Division Drop Zones were near Nijmegen, and a good dramatization of their actions are shown in the movie, A Bridge Too Far.
The division was moved into France following Operation Market Garden and next saw action when it was rushed forward to oppose the German advance in the St. Vith area at the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. They were committed to action on December 17, 1944 and, except for a few short breaks, would remain in combat through to the end of the war in Europe.
By late March 1945, the Allied Armies had crossed over the Rhine River and were driving rapidly eastward into Germany, having swept past 300,000 German troops that were cut off and holding out in the Rhur Pocket. On April 2nd the 82nd Airborne Division took up positions along the Rhine River, sealing off the western side of the Rhur Pocket, and began launching aggressive patrols across the river. On April 4th, Sergeant Erickson was part of a 24-man patrol from Company E. He later wrote in letters home, I was in the first boat one of the fellows ran ten yards up the shore as soon as we were on the German side of the river, to cover us in case the Germans opened up fire. Well, he set off a mine and was blown up. Then we moved 50 yards down the river where the second boat landed. We were lined single file and started to move out on our mission. Someone set off another mine, which set off even more only three or four survived I did not have to go on this patrol, but all of my close friends were going on it and so I felt I should go seeing as there was a lot of boat work involved.
He was severely wounded himself and evacuated to a general hospital. He was still hospitalized when the fighting ended for the paratroopers on May 21st with the surrender of the German 21st Army to the 82nd Airborne Division, in fact he would remain hospitalized for several more months after the war.
Sergeant Ralph Erickson shipped from Europe on December 10, 1945, having participated in the Normandy, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns. He arrived back in the United States on December 21st, was discharged from the Army at Camp Grant, Illinois on New Years Eve, 1945, and returned home to Chicago.
Following the war, he earned degrees from Northwestern University (Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1949, and Masters Degree in Education, Counseling and Guidance in 1953). Over three decades of coaching in Chicago area high schools and at Loyola University, Erickson led many swimming and water polo teams to championships. In 1966, he started the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, PADI, with the help of co-founder, John Cronin, and many professionals in that field today attribute their success to his guidance and instruction. Ralph wrote the scuba instructors book used in training, developed the course requirements for the 11 certification levels for professional divers and instructors, and wrote many articles on diving and water sports for trade journals and magazines. PADI has grown to be the largest dive training and instructor certification organization in the world, with over 130,000 members in 5,300 dive centers and resorts operating in 180 countries.
He has been recognized as a world-class leader in his professional field and was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. In 1992 he was inducted into the Diving Equipment and Marketing Assn. (DEMA) Hall of Fame, and was that years recipient of DEMAs Reaching Out Award for Education. In 2004 he received the Our World Underwater Achievement Award for his contributions to diving. On January 27, 2005, Ralph Erickson was inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.
Retired after a long career, he was an accomplished educator, writer, coach, waterman and veteran. And, as a husband, father and friend, his life influenced a community, a university, an organization and an industry. He died May 25, 2006 at home with his family, Ralph Erickson was my father.
Ralph Erickson’s Purple Heart story was presented to Chapter 1919’s regular monthly meeting in January 2008 by his daughter Karina, and then provided for publication in the February 2008 issue PATRIOT BULLETIN.
RALPH D. ERICKSON
Patriot, Chapter 1919
Army, WWII, Europe
The following story is the text written by Karina Erickson about her father Ralph Erickson as a class project at Lago Vista High School. MOPH attended the Veterans Day event at Lago Vista and first heard Karina read her story as the winner of the class project. Karina was invited to read the article, and presented to the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 1919.
“We’re all American and proud to be, for we’re the soldiers of liberty,
some ride the glider to the enemy others are sky paratroopers.
We’re all American and fight we will, till all the guns of the foe are still.
Airborne from skies of blue, were coming thru. Let’s go!
Put on your boots- your parachutes; get all those gliders ready to attack today,
for we’ll be gone into the dawn to fight them all the Eighty Second way. Yes!”
The All-American Solider-the official march of the 82nd Airborne division. One of the first songs I learned.
Ralph Erickson was born in South Dakota on June 25th 1922 to parents of Swedish heritage. At the age of nine, in order to survive the Depression, Erickson’s parents moved the family to Sweden for a year and upon returning decided to start over in Chicago, IL, where his mother had been offered a nursing position. Erickson was very proud of his heritage and spoke often of it, even learning to speak fluently in Swedish, but was even prouder to be an All American.
Erickson was on a swimming scholarship to USC when the United States engaged in World War II. Ralph Erickson attempted to enlist in various branches of the military, but his vision was less than 20/20 and they would not accept him. Several months later the Army came out with a program called Army Specialized Training Program or ASTP, but the men had to join a specific branch of the Army. Erickson enlisted in the army as a ski trooper. He had skied as a little boy and enjoyed the woods and mountains. Shortly afterwards he was called to duty.
On the first day of training camp at Camp Hale Colorado the men were instructed to fall out in front of the barracks. They then went on a Company run around the block, about 3/4th a mile. At the end of the run only three men were left-Erickson being one of them; these men were appointed acting squad leaders. Erickson writes “Immediately after basic training, we acting squad leaders and several others were detached to Non Com School run by a West Point Captain. For months we lived in the mountains, attacked 11,000 ft. Mountain peaks at three in the morning, learned all phases of being a Non Com. It was the most important military training that I received in the army. In no way am I trying to denigrate the airborne training which was just as significant, but in a totally different manner.” After completing the training to become a ski trooper; Erickson was transferred upon request to the 82ndAirborne where he became a “Devil in Baggy Pants”, a nick name given to the 82nd division. His first combat jump over Holland was, at the time, the largest air assault operation in history. Erickson jumped into Holland as a radio bearer but was later put in charge of the ammo bearers. 34 days after D-Day Erickson was assigned as replacement to the second platoon of company E. Erickson says “I don’t believe anyone, non coms or officers, were too happy to have a green non-com attached to the platoon.” Then the company was sent into the Battle of the Bulge. On April 4th 24 men crossed the Rhine. In a letter home from the hospital Erickson states “I was in the first boat- one of the fellows ran ten yards up the shore, as soon as we were on the German side of the river to cover us incase the Germans opened up fire. Well, he set off a mine and was blown up. Then we moved 50 yards down the river where the second boat landed, we were lined single file and started to move out on our mission. Some one set off another mine, which set off even more.” Only 3 or 4 survived. Sergeant Ralph D. Erickson was wounded in combat in the “Rhur Pocket;” for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. Erickson survived by many months of hospital care. He also received the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy in the European Theater of Operations.
Ralph found the war to be heart wrenching and grueling. The war changed Ralph in many ways for the better or worse some would say. Erickson always was a caring and compassionate man. In another letter home Erickson writes, “I did not have to go on this patrol, but all of my close friends were going on it and so I felt I should go seeing as there was a lot of boat work involved.”
Following the war, he attended Northwestern University, earning a Bachelors of Science Degree in Physical Education in (1949) and a Masters Degree in Education, Counseling and Guidance in (1953). Over three decades of coaching in Chicago-area high schools and at Loyola University, Erickson led many swimming and water polo teams to championships, being the toughest coach some would ever have. As being that Erickson was a teacher, he always thought that our children, our future needed to know about WWII. He spoke freely of the battles, and friends quickly learned not to ask unless they were willing to talk about the War for hours on end.
In 1966 Erickson started PADI or Professional Association of diving instructors with the help of Co-Founder John Cronin. In trying to explain how Ralph touched others lives; a quote from Pat Hammer stated “Had it not been for Ralph Erickson, I would not be where I am today. Many times I wanted to leave and move on; Ralph was there to guide me back. Ralph took time to teach me. He took time to work with me. We had a fantastic relationship. He understood so much and was able to help others as well.”
Ralph always wanted you to know the truth. He did not want the war talked about in fairy tails. He wanted us to know the cold hard facts, to teach us what becomes of war. Boys today look at war, guns and bombs and talk about them in a generalized views. Erickson never liked that. Yes he understood that it was a boy’s nature to like such things, but he realized that they just never would understand. They were not there. The Warfare today is totally different. Ralph always stood up for his fellow comrades’ whether they were in the 82nd or not. Ralph was a Sgt, but just serving in any the war was enough for a salute from Ralph.
Ralph Erickson passed away from a rare form of untreatable cancer. Ralph D. Erickson was an accomplished educator, writer, coach, waterman and veteran. And, as a husband, father and friend, his life influenced a community, a university, an organization and an industry. Ralph Erickson died on May 25th 2006 at home with his family in Lago Vista, TX. He will be remembered as charismatic, accomplished, inspirational Veteran and to some, the toughest coach they’ve ever had. Ralph was strongly individualistic and definitely lived life to the beat of his own drum – nobody else’s. Ralph is strongly missed, but his life is remembered and celebrated as a significant contribution to shaping young minds, inspiring great athletes, mentoring future leaders, and revolutionizing an industry”. Not only was Ralph Holger Dolk Erickson a veteran of World War II; Ralph was first and foremost the most important man in my life. Ralph Erickson is my father.
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