Hamline Magazine, Spring 2008

Hamline's Heroes

Rembering Norman Twetten

by Kelly Westhoff

Norman Twetten didn’t graduate from Hamline. Nevertheless, the univeristy honored him at football game last fall. That’s because Twetten died serving in WWII before he could ever collect his diploma. Before entering the military, Twetten attended Hamline for two years and played on the football team. His name can be found on an inconspicuous commemorative plaque hanging in Hutton Arena that lists all Hamline athletes who didn’t survive the war. While the plaque has long served as Hamline’s tribute to its WW II dead, the college recently started remembering those soldiers at present-day sporting events.

Twetten was remembered at the October 20 match up against St. John’s. Even though the home team lost, Doris Sheils considered the game a winner. Sheils journeyed from Iowa to watch the Pipers play that day and to witness Hamline honor her big brother. As the national anthem played before the start of the game, Twetten’s funeral flag was hoisted high; it flew above the stadium for the length of the game. The scoreboard called out Twetten’s name and highlighted his service.

“Norman was a sports man. Baseball, football, any kind of ball he liked,” Sheils said. “He was a real gentle person. A quiet type. He would have been real surprised to know he was being honored at a game.”

The commemorative tribute surprised Sheils as well. “I’m 89 years-old,” she said. “Norman’s death happened so long ago. I didn’t what to expect from the service. I knew it would be special but I didn’t think it would impress me that much. I didn’t realize how close it was to my heart after all these years. It was heartbreaking. I’m so thankful.”

The remainder of this article can be found in the Spring 2008 issue of Hamline Magazine.