Hermantown grad awarded 2025 Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor Scholarship
Michael “Mike” Colalillo, Medal of Honor recipients
(cmohs.org)
DUUTH, Min. – Ely Young of Hermantown has been awarded the 2025 Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor Scholarship.
The honor comes from the St. Louis County Historical Society.
Young wrote his winning essay about his great aunt, Shirley Hedin (nee, Armstrong), who appeared on the cover of LIFE Magazine in 1943 as part of the Women’s Land Army.
At 17, Duluth Central High School graduate Shirley joined the Women’s Land Army (WLA) to help harvest crops during World War II. While she and eight other Duluth women were working on farms near Fairmont, Minnesota, a LIFE magazine photographer captured her image—leading to her appearance on the magazine’s September 1943 cover.
To help write his essay, Ely Young researched his Great Aunt Shirley’s letters archived in the Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center within the St. Louis County Historical Society’s Veterans Memorial Hall Program.
Ely Young is a 2023 Hermantown High School graduate and a current junior at UMD pursuing a degree in Business.
He will be recognized and receive his award at the 20th Annual Remembrance Dinner, a special event dedicated to honoring our nation’s history and service members, on December 4th at 5:00 pm at the St. Louis County Depot. Tickets are available online at https://tinyurl.com/mtt9arys
Mr. Colalillo was the last known surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient in the State of Minnesota. He was born and raised in St. Louis County, attended Duluth Denfeld High School and dropped out of school when his mother died so he could help support the family. Following the war, Mr. Colalillo and his wife raised three children in Duluth, Minnesota.
