Wisconsin WWII veteran Reynolds Tomter dies at 108
One of the oldest World War II veterans in the country died on Sunday night.
Reynolds Tomter of Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin, was 108 years old.
WCCO first met Tomter a year ago. He was 107 years old then, and his memories of World War II were as sharp as ever.
Tomter was a Merchant Marine during the war and made five trips back and forth to Europe, always wondering if German U-boats had them in their sights.
"You could expect one anytime. You had to go into it with that in mind," said Tomter.
He came home to run a business and raise a family. Decades after the war, Tomter made one more trip to Europe for the 80th commemoration of D-Day in Normandy, France. That's where he met 101-year-old Les Schrenk, and the two men proved you're never too old to make a new friend.
"He is a whippersnapper. He is," said Tomter in April of 2025. "It can be a pretty lonely life if you don't have a friend. And a good friend, like this guy."
"It's really an honor to know somebody like that," said Schrenk when the two got together.
From time to time, Schrenk would make the two-hour trip from his home in Bloomington, Minnesota to visit Tomter. They would cruise around town together and have lunch at Tomter's favorite restaurant, where they were treated like celebrities.
"Everybody knew him. He was a friend to everybody. Just an all-around nice guy," said Schrenk.
A month before he died, Tomter received his high school diploma. It was major source of pride for him, and something he couldn't get during the Great Depression.
It's an accomplishment that makes Schrenk smile. He'll miss his friend, but he knows Tomter lived a life full of love, laughter and friendship.
"Naturally, I'm saddened but also I'm very, very glad that I got to know him," said Schrenk. "Happy to have him as a friend right until the very end."
Tomter's daughter Julie said he died Sunday night in Pigeon Falls, with his family by his side.
At 108, he was the oldest living Merchant Marine in the world.