Lyle Moseng was born in June 1944 to Helmer and Alice (Bjerkestrand) Moseng in Smyrna, Tennessee. Helmer’s WWII Army service had pulled the young Minneota couple to Smyrna.

When Helmer’s unit shipped out to England in 1945, Lyle’s mom returned to Minneota with Lyle and his older brother, Doug. Helmer returned to Minneota in November 1945 when Lyle’s sister, Carol, was born.

Helmer worked at Minneota’s Cargill elevator until the late 1940’s when he accepted a position at Cargill’s Marshall plant and the family moved to Marshall.

Lyle recalled living in the family home on Sixth Street.

“This was the era right after the war — the baby boom. So, we always had friends we could run around with. We were [near] Swifts’ chicken or turkey plant. If a chicken got loose, the neighborhood kids would run [it] down and put it in the garage. Dad would take care of it later, but we had a good time – probably ruined a lot of gardens.”

Lyle, his siblings, and friends also went to Marshall’s municipal pool.

“As young as I can remember, we always went to the swimming pool. That would help me out when I joined the Navy. I could swim by that time.”

The family later moved to West Redwood Street near the Great Northern rail yards, a move Lyle recalled as inviting new adventures.

“At that time we had hobos who were coming into town on most trains. The hobos were always nice. We were told to stay away from them, but I don’t think we ever did. They were just people looking for work.”

Lyle described how the new location was convenient to other childhood attractions

“[I]t was a very interesting place to grow up. The stockyards, the railroad tracks, and all the kids we had in the neighborhood; we could always have a baseball game or football or something. Mom said, ‘Go out and play, or I’ll find something for you to do.’ (Lyle chuckled) So, we were always outside playing. We had a baseball field. We called it Marcotte’s pasture, but it was a ballfield that we could use.”

Lyle’s folks never knew of the daredevilry he and his friends engaged in at the railyards

“We liked to ride the train. When the train took off, we’d jump on and see how long we could hang on until we jumped off. (Lyle laughed) You didn’t jump until the first guy did.”

Lyle remembered that Marshall also had entertainment downtown.

“We had three theaters at the time. The Roxy [on Main Street] that cost us nine cents when I was really young. Mom would give us a dime and we could get in and get a penny treat. The State Theater, which cost a quarter, was just down the street. And then the big Marshall Theater, but we never went there. It was too expensive, I think.”

Lyle’s parents came from Norwegian immigrant families. Lyle said that left an imprint.

“[W]e had Norwegian Christmas; the lefse, the lutefisk, and all the cookies. Mother’s dad’s brother [an uncle] came over several times to visit his brother. But then he’d always go back to Norway. Grandpa came here [from Norway] in the late 1890’s. He started out harness making and then he went into farming. He bought a farm south of Minneota.”

Lyle worked from an early age.

“We went and got a paper route so we could support ourselves. (Lyle chuckled) I started when I was 9 years old with the St. Paul Pioneer Press. I pedaled all over town, but I had my own spending money, then.”

Later jobs included cleaning for Bisbee Plumbing and Heating; washing bottles and cans for Marshall Dairy; and grocery carry-out at the Red Owl.

Lyle’s entire public school education took place on the “school block” bounded by North 4th and 5th Streets and Lyon Street.

“When I got to school, Old Main (The 1898 school on Lyon St.) became an elementary school. Then they transferred the elementary school to East Side and West Side. Old Main became Junior High, so I stayed in the same building through the 7th and 8th grade.”

Lyle’s jobs made it difficult to participate in school sports, but he otherwise enjoyed his high school years. He graduated with the Marshall High School Class of 1962 without a plan.

“I graduated on Friday and Monday morning I was sitting in the house. Mom said, ‘You’re not going to sit around here all summer, you go and find a job.’ I left our house and ran into two friends I graduated with. They said they were going to join the Navy.”

Lyle and his friends met the Navy recruiter at the courthouse, where Lyle learned he qualified for enlistment. He was only seventeen, so he required parental consent and three references. The recruiter drove him around to obtain references from Lyle’s Lutheran pastor, his Red Owl manager, and his dad’s manager at Cargill.

Lyle recalled visiting Cargill with the recruiter.

“We went to the elevator for my dad to sign me in and the manager was there. All the men that worked at the elevator were there to meet me and tell me what a great thing this was and that I’d never regret it. We left at 8 o’clock the next morning, by bus. We picked it up at the Atlantic Hotel building.”

Lyle was heading to Navy Boot Camp less than twenty-four hours after his mom told him to go find a job. The Navy was not what she had in mind.

The Lyon County Museum is organizing an exhibit about the impact of the Vietnam War on Lyon County. If you would like to share Vietnam experiences or help with the exhibit, please contact me at prairieviewpressllc@gmail.com or call the museum at 537-6580.