Honoring Itasca County Veterans. Preserving Their Stories.
More than 7,000 veteran submissions have been received, with over 4,100 profiles published online to preserve and honor the stories of those who served.
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Search for veterans and explore the archive using the search bar below.
A community project built on respect and remembrance.
The Itasca Veterans Project exists to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans from across Itasca County. Through personal profiles, historical records, photographs, and community contributions, the project helps ensure these stories are preserved and accessible for generations to come.
Your support helps preserve local veteran stories, digitize records, and build a permanent exhibit for future generations.
Harold George Aiton
Military Highlights
World War II draft registration records list Harold G. Aiton as a resident of Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota. He registered on October 16, 1940, and was employed by the Farm Security Administration at the time.
The record describes him as 5'7", 170 pounds, with a light complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes.
Civilian Life
Harold farmed west of Cohasset, Minnesota and served with the United States government until his retirement in 1968.
He was a past president of the Grand Rapids Rotary Club and a past commander of the McVeigh-Dunn Post 1720 of the American Legion in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
He was survived by his wife, Ruth; one son, John; and one brother, Edward.
These stories connect generations and preserve local history.
Thousands of Itasca County residents have served our country from the Civil War to the present day. Preserving their stories helps strengthen community pride, protect local history, and make sure the legacies of those who served are never forgotten.
Honor Service
Recognize the men and women whose military service shaped families, communities, and local history across Itasca County.
Preserve Records
Bring together archival materials, photographs, and community contributions in one meaningful and accessible place.
Share Stories
Create a living archive where future generations can learn, remember, and stay connected to the people behind the names.
Help grow the project and keep these stories alive.
Families, friends, and community members can help expand the archive by submitting veteran information, sharing photos, or contributing service records. Every new story helps preserve a piece of Itasca County history.
How you can contribute
- Submit a veteran profile to be included in the project archive.
- Share military photographs, dates of service, and historical details.
- Help preserve local stories that may otherwise be lost over time.
Submit a Veteran
Ready to contribute a story, photo, or service information? Use the button below to open the submission form.
How the Itasca Veterans Project began.
Bruce Aiton, an Itasca County Historical Society board member, turned 80 years old in 2018. He came to the board of directors and said, “the museum doesn’t have a veterans exhibit.” The board agreed with him and asked him to put a proposal together for a new exhibit.
The Itasca County Historical Society then embarked on what has become the Itasca Veterans Project with the goal of recording digital personal history of every Itasca County veteran. We are asking each veteran, spouse, or family of veteran to help us by completing a questionnaire with up to 3 pictures which will be entered in a database – all by volunteers.
This is an awesome undertaking as we have some 4500 living vets and just as many deceased in the county. The project will take many volunteer hours and some funding for software changes to the ICHS website and for the design of a permanent veteran display in the museum. Important to our success is funding and the input of veterans into the design of the display.
Volunteers are working quite diligently entering the information; pictures are being scanned; the exhibit is being built and now it’s up to everyone to gather their information and pictures.
This exhibit is an ongoing project and volunteers will document our veterans for many years to come. Future generations will know the sacrifice that many of our own local people made for our country.
Share a veteran’s story with the project.
Use the form below to submit a veteran profile for the archive.
Add a Veteran
Help preserve these stories for generations to come.
Every contribution helps us digitize records, collect stories, and build a lasting exhibit honoring Itasca County veterans.
Have a question or want to reach out?
Use the contact form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
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