Helmer H. Behrens

Helmer Behrens, age 87, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, formerly of the Appleton area, died Wednesday, February 20th in the Milwaukee VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI.  Graveside services with military honors will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, March 23rd in the Appleton City Cemetery.   A luncheon will follow in the fellowship hall at Trinity Lutheran Church in Appleton.

Helmer Behrens was born on April 28, 1931 in Shible Township, Swift County Minnesota to William and Irene (Schroeder) Behrens.  He graduated from Appleton High School in 1949 and after graduation worked for local farmers for several years.

Helmer began his military career by serving in the US Army National Guard for a period of time then in 1952 enlisted in the regular Army during the Korean War.  He reached the rank of Sergeant.  Later as he was serving in Germany as a Chief Warrant Officer helicopter pilot, he received a regular commission to Second Lieutenant.  He served on active duty continuously until he retired in 1976, at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He specialized in helicopter operations, maintenance, and procurement and was qualified to fly in 10 different models.  He was in the first group of Army pilots to become instrument rated in helicopters.  His overseas service included Germany, Korea, and two combat tours in Vietnam.  His major combat awards include 3 bronze stars, 7 air medals, including 1 with valor.

Additionally, he was one of only a few soldiers to have earned all of the Army’s top proficiency awards:  expert infantry badge, aviator badge, and the parachutist badge.  One of his most challenging assignments was commanding a 330-man helicopter maintenance unit in Vietnam in 1969 as a Major.  He continued to pursue his education, earning a Bachelors Degree through the Boot Strap Program and attending the university of Tennessee in Knoxville on campus for two years to earn his Masters Degree.

Upon departing Knoxville, the Mayor presented him with a flag to the city, along with this comment, “For outstanding military and civic contributions to the community while attending graduate school”.  For those same contributions, the Governor of Tennessee named him an “Honorary Tennessee Colonel”.

After his retirement from the military in 1976, he and his family moved to a small farm north of Appleton where he farmed for 20 years.  During the same time period, he served as the Chippewa County Veterans Service Officer.  In 1986, he was awarded the first-ever Minnesota Veteran Service Officer of the Year Award, presented to him by the Minnesota Commissioner of Veteran Affairs.

On June 9, 1955, he was married to the former Joyce M. Brutlag in Dotham Alabama.  The union was blessed with three sons:  Tim, Bob, and Paul.  In his later years he and Joyce made their home in Phoenix Arizona for an additional 20 years, until moving to the Milwaukee Wisconsin area in 2017.