Roger D. Hallingstad

Roger Hallingstad passed away peacefully on December 15, 2022, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, after a short illness. He was 90 years old. He was born September 8, 1932, to Chester and Edna (Peterson) Hallingstad of Sparta, Wisconsin.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother; his first wife, Joan Hallingstad; brothers Verdell and Wayne, and sister, Gertrude.

He was a member of the Wisconsin National Guard in high school where he excelled in track, setting a school record in the 440-yard dash. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force where he was trained as a mechanic for B-29’s and served in Japan. He took part in a highly classified mission known as Operation Paul Revere, President Eisenhower’s commitment to the French under the Navarre Plan to support French operations in Indochina. In the spring of 1954, the US deployed two USAF detachments to North Vietnam in support of French ground forces in combat operations. He was deployed from Japan with “Detachment 2” to Do Son, along with 200 mechanics, several aircraft (C-47 and B-26), and pilots in a “non-combat” operation in support of the French. They worked on aircraft by day and guarded prisoners by night. However, because the French were unable to guarantee the American’s safety in the war zone, the mission was cancelled in September, and he returned to Japan. It was the beginning of the American involvement in Vietnam.

Following his military service, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and held various sales and service positions. After retiring from Baraboo-Sysco Foods, he embarked on a decades long career volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels. He was proud of his Norwegian heritage. He loved sharing Norwegian jokes and serving his ludefisk, lefse, and sandbakkels at Christmas. He climbed Mt Fuji while serving in Japan. His dream of walking the St. Olav’s Way pilgrimage from Oslo to Trodheim (643 km) went unfulfilled.

In recent years, he traveled the United States visiting Veteran organizations, donating food for homeless veteran’s and dreamed of building an affordable housing project in Wisconsin for homeless veterans.

He is survived by his daughter, Martha, of Madison; and his three sons: Jon (wife Judy), of Germansville, PA; Eric (wife Deborah), of Rice Lake, and James (wife Julie), of Henderson, NV; in addition to 10 grandchildren: Dylan Hallingstad; Jon Jr., Kelsey, Kathryn, Jennifer, Daniel and Alexandra Hallingstad; Kelly, Christian, and Aaron Hallingstad, and 11 great grandchildren.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at 11am at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Sparta, Wednesday, December 28, 2022; with Father Eric Berns officiating.  Interment will be at the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spooner.

Online condolences may be offered at www.schanhoferfh.com.

Lanham-Schanhofer Funeral Home and Cremation, Sparta, is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.

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