Following the life of Melvin Wanageshik.

The quiet demeanor of Melvin Udelson Wanageshik would hardly be associated with that of a fallen war hero, nor would his average build and height.

But there can be no doubt that Wanageshik survived a challenging childhood following his mother’s death, and served his nation heroically.

Wanageshik’s name, however, cannot be found on the Vietnam Wall memorial, at least with that spelling. You’ll want to use the last name “Wangeshik” when looking up military records, from which you will still have difficulty finding accurate information about the softspoken Leelanau County native.

For instance, records state he was Caucasian, but he was a Native American who grew up attending the Indian Mission Methodist Church in Northport.

Relatives are unsure why records state he was Baptist. That hardly makes sense to his cousin, who for a time grew up with Wanageshik in the family household in Leelanau Township, or to Wanageshik’s brother, Frank.

Survival was difficult at times for all family members, said Frank Wanegeshik, whose name is spelled identical to his parents’ last name. He said family members sought different versions of their Indian names to align with the English language — or had their names misspelled — creating a confusing mix of spellings for the same family.

The Wanegeshik family had difficulty staying together in the 1950s and ‘60s after its matriarch passed away while raising a household of sons.

Elijah W. Wanegeshik was born in Northport on Oct. 24, 1913. In 1947, he married the former Elizabeth Wesley, and the couple had five sons.

Elijah was a lumberjack on South Fox Island, according to his obituary published in 1991, requiring him to leave the mainland for months at a time. Elizabeth died in 1949 when youngest son Melvin was just 2, requiring family members to eventually make some hard decisions.

Frank and another older brother moved to Charlevoix to live and attend school, while Melvin’s grandmother took him in for awhille while Elijah was off lumbering.

“Grandma” Marion Wonegeshik was that type of person, according to Valerie Maidens, Melvin’s cousin. Maidens and her mother, Josephine Wongeshik Anderson, moved to Northport from Detroit in 1955.

Maidens and Melvin were both raised for awhile in the Wonegeshik homestead off Carlson Road, which remains in family ownership.

Maidens, just entering her teenage years, was a few years younger than Melvin. She recalls growing up with happy kids who in the summer made a point every day to walk to Lake Michigan to swim.

“The place was a houseful in the summer. It was fun. We went down to the beach every day,” Maidens said.

What type of boy was Melvin?

“I remember him being very quiet, very gentlemanly, but that wasn’t the term we used as kids,” said Maidens. “He was very caring of others.”

Unlike many teenage boys — and perhaps a foretelling of his military behavior, as one of the many medals he would be awarded was for “good conduct,” Melvin stayed clear of trouble.

“He was very respectful of my mother,” remembers Maidens.

Melvin moved to Traverse City and eventually graduated from Kingsley High School. Frank Wanegeshik gives credit to his uncle and aunt, Francis and Mary Wanageshik, for raising Melvin. It was while being raised by them that Melvin likely changed the spelling of his name to that of his adopted parents.

“My dad’s brother adopted him,” said Frank Wanegeshik.

Native Americans have a tradition of helping to raise close and distant relatives, which helped the Wanegeshik children after the loss of their mother, Maidens said.

There may have been another reason Melvin moved to Grand Traverse County. “Back then there was a lot of prejudice,” Maidens said. “I think the fact he had an uncle who lived in Traverse City allowed him to move.”

Neither Maidens nor his brother knew much about Melvin’s life just prior to his being drafted. A former employer, Warren Peck, said Melvin worked for a while as a mechanic.

“He was sort of biding his time here,” Peck said. “He expected that it was only a matter of time before he would be called up to serve.”

Frank was not sure if Melvin played sports at Kingsley, and in fact because of their early separation met his brother very few times. Frank enlisted in the Army about the same time that Melvin served — but their lives never crossed in Vietnam.

By all accounts, Wanageshik died a war hero, but specifics are difficult to determine. His tour of duty in Vietnam began on March 8, 1967, and he was killed on Feb. 19, 1968, in the Province of Long An in South Vietnam.

The list of Melvin’s military awards is long, and includes the Bronze Star — the same heroic medal earned by his father while serving in World War II. Melvin also received two purple hearts, the National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Bade, Vietnam Service medal and the Gallantry Cross.

However, little detail of his military service was available for this story, and even the official military explanation for the Bronze Star was general in nature: “For distinguishing himself by outstanding meritorious service in connection with ground operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam during the period March 8, 1967, to Feb. 19, 1968.”

Vietnam-era author Bob Pisor of East Leland said the date of Melvin’s death was during the Tet Offensive that brought some of the most brutal fighting in Vietnam. The offensive began on Jan. 30, 1968, and is generally credited with turning the American conscience against the war.

Wanageshik served in “B” Troop, 1st Squadron of the 11th Armored Cavalry regiment. It is commonly referred to as the “BlackHorse regiment.”

Frank R. Cambria, known as “Captain Frank,” is secretary of the 11th Armored Calvary’s Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia organization. While none of the many veterans who returned email messages seeking information about Melvin Wanageshik knew him, Cambria went a step further. He researched the date of Wanageshik’s death hoping to learn more about the battle that took his life.

“Melvin was only 18 days short of completing his one year tour of duty,” replied Cambria. “I noted that B Troop suffered 8 KIA (killed in action) on 29 Jan ‘68, which indicates the troop had a major battle that day. It is very likely that Specialist Wanageshik also participated in that battle, which took place just three weeks before he was killed in another firefight with communist soldiers. No other B Troopers were listed as KIA on the day that Specialist Melvin Wanageshik was killed in action.”

Wanageshik’s family heard conflicting stories about how he died.

“The story we received,” said Maidens, “is Melvin had finished his tour of duty and was on his way home.”

That version has Wanageshik waiting to be picked up by a helicopter when enemy bombs came crashing down.

Frank Wanegeshik did not meet his brother in Vietnam, although their tour of duties overlapped. He served in the First Infantry from 1966-67.

“I read some place where he had died on patrol while engaged with the enemy,” said Wanegeshik.

Melvin was looking forward to coming home, said Maidens, in a letter Wanageshik’s family received post-mortem. “There was a letter in (his) father’s effects…the letter said he was coming home on a certain date, and he was excited to start planning his future,” she said.

Maiden’s recollection is that her cousin planned to attend college on the GI Bill.

Instead, he’s buried in Memorial Gardens cemetery in Traverse City, off Veterans Drive.

Wanageshik’s father worked tirelessly to have the name of his son corrected on military records and on his death certificate, Maidens said. She is executive assistant for the general manager of Leelanau Sands Casino.

“We would all feel better if it was corrected. It’s always been a pet peeve of mine,” she said.

Frank Wanegeshik, a Grand Traverse Band member, said he has much to be thankful for despite the death of his wife, Mildred, a year ago. The timing of her death prevented him from viewing his brother’s name on the Vietnam Traveling War in Peshawbestown.

Wanageshik's daughter, also named Mildred, has given him two grandchildren, which provides him great satisfaction. He retired 1½ years ago from a General Motors plant in southwest Michigan.

He’s still a Methodist.

Wanegeshik looks at his life, and wonders how it all worked out.

“Back in those days it was hard. I sit back and look at it, and wonder how I got through that all alive,” he said.

Visitors have posted messages on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial website for his brother, Melvin Udelson Wanageshik, the quiet, unassuming Northport native.

“Rest in peace brave soldier, you have not been forgotten,” reads one.