Arthur Edward Balsiger

Arthur Edward Balsiger was born on October 2, 1923 in Portland, Oregon, the son of Maurice and Marian Degman Balsiger. He was the oldest of four children and the only son. The Balsiger family relocated to White Salmon in Klickitat County, Washington shortly after Arthur's birth.  He attended Columbia Union High School in Hunters, Washington. 

Balsiger attended Washington State College from 1942 to 1943, majoring in agriculture and education.  While at WSC, he entered the United States Army Reserves on October 2, 1942.  He met Carley Watkins, from Portland, Oregon and a fellow WSC student, and they were engaged to be married prior to his deployment overseas.

Balsiger was called to active duty on March 1, 1943.  He did his basic training at Camp Roberts in Northern California, then from there went to Fort Ord on Monterey Bay in August 1943. He attained the rank of sergeant, serving with the 31st Infantry division, 155th Infantry regiment. He was sent overseas in May 1944, serving in the Battle of Wakde-Sarmi in Dutch New Guinea, as well as the invasion of Morotai, southeast of the Philippine Islands, later that same year. Balsiger next served in Operation VICTOR V, the name given to the Mindanou campaign in the Philppines. He was killed in action by enemy artillery fire during an advance near Malaybalay, Mindanao on May 20, 1945. 

Balsiger is buried at the Manila American Cemetery in Taguigh City, Philippines.  A memorial service was held in July 1945 in the high auditorium in White Salmon, and he is commemorated on the Klickitat County Veterans' Memorial along with eleven other White Salmon ment who lost their lives during World War II. He posthumously received the Purple Heart.