Duane C. Broten

Duane C. Broten, 92, of Princeton< MN finished the fight on June 30, 2025 at the St. Anthony Park Home.

Duane was born October 5, 1932 in Fox, Minnesota to Gordon and Mabel Broten.  He grew up on a farm outside Roseau, Minnesota where he attended Country School and High School. While playing football as a senior, Duane separated his shoulder. Because he was no longer allowed to play football, he enlisted in the Army, where he volunteered for overseas duty.  He was sent first to Koje-do Island in Japan to guard prisoners, and then to Korea where he served with the 17th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Division in combat. On July 6, 1953 while on Pork Chop Hill, his unit was attacked by a division of North Koreans and Chinese. He was severely wounded and left for dead behind enemy lines while his comrades were taken prisoner of war by the enemy. After days of lying in the trench with almost no food or water, he woke to find no one near him. He stood up, climbed out of the trench, and started running down the hill. He was met part way up the hill by Americans who helped him the rest of the way down and then on to Seoul where he was triaged. He spent the next two weeks in Tokyo Army Hospital and then on to Letterman Army Hospital in California for six and a half months recovering from his injuries. Duane finished his military service in October of 1954 and returned to Roseau for a short time.

He went to the Chicago area to work in construction and was later hired by the US Postal System as a mail carrier. While in Illinois, he started racing motocross and won many trophies. In 1973 he moved to Princeton, MN where he served as a mail carrier for the Anoka, MN Post Office. In 1988 he retired from the Post Office and went to work as a truck driver delivering snow grooming equipment.

In 1995, after many years of competitive riding, he suffered an off-road bicycle accident resulting in a spinal cord injury in his neck initially leaving him paralyzed. After three months in the hospital in rehab he was able to re-gain some functions including slowly walking with a cane. In 2015, Duane was able to get back to riding again using a three-wheel recumbent. He was very proud of the fact that he rode over 800 miles each of the next three years. In 2017, an accident on his recumbent caused a broken heel. The wound caused by the cast necessitated amputation of his left foot. This still did not stop him from riding, and the next spring he was again on his trike using his new prosthetic.

60 years after Duane’s capture and escape from the enemy in the Korean War, his records were located to prove his time as a Prisoner of War. On April 21, 2013, he was awarded the POW medal by US Senator Al Franken. Shortly after, he was reunited with two army buddies with whom he had lost contact after they were released from the hospital, due to eye injuries sustained on Pork Chop Hill in Korea. That same year, Duane received an honorary high school diploma from Roseau High School in a special ceremony.

Duane was a very avid cross-country skier, canoe racer, and bicycle racer (both on road and off). He loved being on his tractor and lawn mower.

Duane is survived by his wife of 42 years, Monica, children Rick, Cody, Christopher, and Nicholas. He is also survived by siblings Newell, Shirley, Gordy, Edward, Diane, Sandee, Colleen, Collette, and Deland.

He was preceded in death by his parents Gordon and Mabel Broten, daughter Robyn, son Kipp, siblings Frances, Ann Marie, Eugene, and Geraldine.

Funeral Services 11AM, Saturday, July 5, 2025 at Zion Lutheran Church of Crown.  Visitation one hour prior to the service.  Interment 1PM, Monday, July 7, 2025 at MN State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.

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