LaClair Melhouse

Major General LaClair A. Melhouse, 87, Bismarck, died February 12, 2004, at a Bismarck hospital. Funeral services will be Tuesday at 2:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church in Bismarck with the Rev. Jake Kincaid officiating. Burial will be ND Veteran's Cemetery. Cremation has taken place. The family will be receiving friends and guests on Monday from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM at Eastgate Funeral Service. MG LaClair A. Melhouse Ret was born October 23, 1916, at Balfour, North Dakota, the son of John A. and Regina Melhouse. He grew up on a farm between Balfour and Kief, graduating from Kief High School in 1934. He received a standard degree from Minot State College in 1940. He entered active duty with the North Dakota National Guard on April 1, 1941. As an enlisted man, he served in the grade of corporal and later sergeant. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on December 3, 1942. LaClair was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Bliss. He married Edie Bostrom on December 10, 1942. He served with the Division in the Pacific Theater until 1946. He was with one of the first units to occupy Japan. His awards include the Legion of Merit with an oak Leaf Cluster; a Bronze Star with a citation that read, "He was constantly in the front lines, exposing himself to enemy fire to adjust artillery fire and make possible the advance of the assault troops"; the Purple Heart; the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal with four bronze stars and arrowhead; Assault landing under enemy fire the Philippine Liberation Medal with two bronze stars; the World War II Victory Medal; the Army Occupation Medal Japan; the National Defense Service Medal; the Armed Services Reserve Medal; the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award; the North Dakota Distinguished Service Medal; the North Dakota's Legion of Merit and the North Dakota's Berlin Crisis Medal. On July 9, 1995, at ceremonies at Fort Hood, Texas, during the reunion of the 1st Cavalry Division, "By order of the Secretary of the Army, he was awarded a citation that read "In recognition of his special place in the regimental continuity, tradition and esprit de corps is granted and assigned the distinction of distinguished member of the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division". LaClair was a charter member of the 1st Cavalry Division Association and a member of the 164th Infantry Association. In addition to military awards, he received the Distinguished Service Citation from the Department of Defense Civil Preparedness Agency; the Exceptional Service Award from the Selective Service System; the Exceptional Leadership and Distinguished Service Award from the American Legion; the Alumni Golden Award from Minot State University; the Bismarck Community Service Award; $1,000 in General Melhouse's name by Norwest Bank to social service agencies of his choice. He selected the Salvation Army and the United Way to each receive $500. He was awarded the Salvation Army's Others Award and the Outstanding Service Award as chairman of the Minn-Dakotas Kiwanis District Convention in 1987. LaClair is a graduate of the artillery and engineer schools of the US Army; the Command and General Staff College and the reserve component course of the Army War College. In 1982, he was invited by the commandant of the Army War College and the head of the Army Historical Branch to record five 3-hour tape interviews of his life and military career. His wife, Edie, was interviewed on one 3-hour tape. The end result was a 344 page document. He farmed and raised registered Hereford cattle near Verendrye, North Dakota, from 1946 - 1950. He served on the Oak Valley School Board from 1947 - 1950. He was ordered to active duty on September 4, 1950, during the Korean Conflict. Upon his release from active duty, he enrolled again at Minot State College, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1954. He taught at Maxbass, North Dakota, for one year. He began teaching in Minot in 1955. He was given a leave of absence in 1960 to serve in the National Guard Bureau in the Pentagon to assist rewriting the tables of organization and equipment guides for the engineer branch of the reserve components. During the Berlin Crisis, he was ordered to Fort Riley, Kansas, serving with the 164th Engineer Battalion. Shortly after arriving at Fort Riley, he was placed on special assignment by post headquarters to write an army training test for the 1st Engineer Battalion of the 1st Infantry Division and serve as the chief umpire. Governor Bill Guy with members of his staff and members of the media from North Dakota, visited the day that the test was completed. In the words of the late Carl Flagstad of Minot Daily News in the February 28, 1961 issue, "A hard bitten Colonel of the division observed to the Governor that members of the 1st Infantry tried to convince Melhouse to go on active duty with them." He had to convince Melhouse to go on active duty with them." He had declined. He was appointed Adjutant General of the State of North Dakota with the additional duty as Director of Selective Service on November 17, 1962. He was federally recognized as a Major General on November 11, 1969, and retired on March 31, 1975. He was brought back in a civilian status to close out the selective service system on a half-time basis in North Dakota on October 1, 1975. This was accomplished on October 1, 1976. While teaching, he served as president of the Minot Education Association; a member of the ND Advisory Board on math and science and served as state chairman of the math division of the ND Education Association. He also was a former member of the board of directors of the YMCA; former member of the lay advisory board of St. Alexius Hospital; former member of the Northern Lights Boy Scout Council; former state chairman for the Easter Seal Fund Drive; former member of the State Outdoor Recreation Council; past president of the Bismarck Kiwanis Club; past president of the Kiwanis International Peace Garden Association; former chairman of the Bismarck-Mandan Salvation Army Advisory Board; former member of the ND Highway Construction Arbitration Pool; former member of the Minot State University Board of Regents; emeritus member of the Bismarck-Mandan Salvation Army Advisory Board; and he is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the Midwest. He is survived by his wife, Edie of Bismarck; his son and daughter-in-law, James and Peggy Melhouse of Frisco, Colorado; his daughter and son-in-law, Dianne and Goeffrey Law of Champlin, Minnesota; his grandchildren, Kristina and Kari Melhouse, Brian and his wife Eileen, Michael, and Melissa Law; one great-granddaughter, Shae Danielle; two step-great-grandchildren, Charles and Cara; his sisters-in-law, Dorothy Bauer, Evelyn Bostrom, Linnea Fisher, and Geneva Woods; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Irene Swanbeck, Evelyn Burke, and Loretta Mettler; and his brother, John R. The family prefers memorials be given to First Presbyterian Church of the North Dakota Veteran's Cemetery.

LaClair Melhouse

October 23, 1916 - February 12, 2004