Dwight Dale Ekstam

Dwight Dale Ekstam, age 21, of Moline, IL, died on April 22, 1944 on the island nation of Vanuatu.
Graveside Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 14, 2012 at National Cemetery at Rock Island Arsenal. Those wishing to be part of the procession should be at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd., 6601 38th Avenue, Moline, IL, by 10 a.m. Military Honors will be performed by the United States Marine Corp.
Dwight was born on December 14, 1922 in Moline, IL, the son of Benjamin Lenus Ekstam and Elsie Carolyn (Peterson) Ekstam Nordquist. In May of 1940, Dwight graduated from Moline High School, one full year early. He attended Augustana College in Rock Island, IL from 1940-1942. In the years 1943 and 1944 he was listed in the yearbooks as "Those Who Serve". In 1943 Dwight was stationed at the U.S. Marine barracks in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was training as a Pilot in flight school with the rank of "Aviation Cadet". Dwight had been elevated in rank to USMCR(NAVC) 2nd Lieutenant after successfully completing Pilot training. He later trained with the Marines VMB 423. In March of 1944, Dwight arrived in the New Hebrides (Asia South Pacific) and began training missions with his crew in their plane PBJ-1D Mitchell Bureau #35087. They called themselves "The Seahorse Marines".
Online condolences may be left for the family by visiting his obituary at www.esterdahl.com.