First Lieutenant David B. Kolding: A Legacy of Service and Family in the US Army
Before this, he attended the Armor School at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and completed the Army ROTC program at North Dakota State College, training at Fort Lewis, Washington, in 1960. Kolding graduated in May 1961 and received his 2nd Lieutenant bars at the same ceremony where General Keith Bjerke was commissioned into the Marine Corps.
Kolding was born on May 5, 1939, on a farm in Niagara Township, North Dakota. He attended rural schoolhouses and graduated from Larimore High School in 1957. He earned a degree in Agronomy from North Dakota State University, where he was part of the first graduating class under its new name. His background is deeply rooted in his family's immigrant history, with a Danish father and a Norwegian-Swedish mother. His father, a Danish immigrant, had two families and sent five sons into the military, including Vernon, who served in the Pacific during World War II, and Harold, who tragically died in a bomber training mission.
Kolding married his wife Jan on December 29, 1961, and she joined him in Germany in June 1962. Their daughter Jennifer was born in a US military hospital in Germany on May 1, 1961. During his service, Kolding witnessed significant historical events, including the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis. His experiences reflect the dedication and challenges faced by many who served during this turbulent time.
