Bittersweet Memories: The Story of Ralph Denson

“Bear with me, because I’m here to brag on Ralph for a bit,” said Ed Denton, Pastor of Lawrence Road Baptist Church and Ralph Denson’s unofficial adopted son. “This is a man who is really living a remarkable life.”

A Tale of Two Cities 

Ralph Arthur Denson was born in late February of 1926, in Duncan, North Carolina, a small town nestled outside what were then the towns of Fuquay and Varina (now merged into Fuquay-Varina). 

“I was the third of four boys,” Denson said. “Well, five, really, because we adopted my brother DC when he asked to live with us. That was during the depression years, and it wasn’t uncommon for families to do that back then.” 

Life was good, but not without hardship. To make ends meet, the Denson family raised corn, wheat, and tobacco. To keep their grocery bill down, they also tended a large garden. When he wasn’t in school, Denson worked in the fields with his parents and brothers. 

“It wasn’t all work,” says Denson. “If we finished all our chores on Saturday morning, we could go to Fuquay or Varina and watch a movie or stop by the drug store. I remember hopping the train a lot to avoid the walk to Varina.” 

Once he hit his teenage years, Denson started doing odd jobs for his neighbors to make extra money. 

“One of the locals got a new tractor,” Denson remembers. “And I wore that thing out cutting ground for the community.” 

Leaving Home

When World War II began, Denson was still in high school.  He watched as one brother shipped off to Europe and two others off to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. Then, in the summer of 1944, his turn came. 

“My father asked me if I wanted to ask for an exemption, so I could stay and help out on the farm,” Denson said. “I asked him what he wanted me to do, and he said I had to make up my own mind, and I finally chose the service.”  

Denson reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for recruit training and then shipped off to Liverpool, England. From there, it was off to France and, in December of 1944, ultimately to Belgium, where the U.S. Army’s 9th Infantry Division was being hit hard in the Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s last and desperate attempt to gain an overwhelming victory against Allied forces. 

“I can say that I’ve been to hell,” Denson said. “The cold, the hard fighting to break out of being surrounded, the loss of close friends. The Germans were desperate, and it showed.”

In March 1945, Denson’s unit reached Ludendorff Bridge on the Rhine, just in time to take part in the Battle of Remagen. The capture of the bridge, one of the few remaining bridges on the Rhine, was a crucial step if the Allies wanted to knock Germany out of the war quickly. 

“My unit was one of the first to cross over the bridge,” Denson remembers. “Try as they might, the Germans just couldn’t knock that bridge down.”  

By May, Germany had surrendered, but the horrors of war weren’t going to let him off that easily. His unit was sent to help with the liberation of the notorious concentration camp of Dachau. 

“That was a real eye-opener,” Denson said. “We had heard about what went on in those places, but it’s different when you see it for yourself.” 

Denson had expected to go home, but he was initially ordered to deploy to Japan to take part in the anticipated invasion of the Home Islands. Luckily for him, that day never came. 

“Japan surrendered before I had to go,” Denson said. “I really lucked out there.” 

Finally, in the summer of 1946, Denson rotated back home and was discharged. During his service, he attained the rank of corporal. He received a Distinguished Unit Badge, the European African–Middle Eastern Campaign Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the WWII Victory Medal, and the German Occupation Ribbon. He was also awarded the Bronze Star. 

“I could have been a sergeant, but I was a bit of a wise you-know-what,” Denson laughed. “I guess that’s what kept me from getting my third stripe.” 

Homeward Bound

Like so many others, Denson returned home to resume his life. He returned to the farm and, for a time, managed a restaurant in Durham. Eventually, he started an apprenticeship to earn his plumbing license. 

“I learned to be a pipe fitter and welder. I liked the work,” Denson said. “I landed a job with Liggett-Meyers Tobacco and stayed with them until I retired in 1987.” 

In 1952, he married Betty, whom he remained faithfully devoted to until her passing in 2023. The couple welcomed a son, Stephan, in 1955. Sadly, Stephan was born with severe cerebral palsy and would require lifetime care.  

“You love your children unconditionally,” Denson said. “We cared for him night and day, while each working a full-time job. We were also blessed to have family and friends to lend a hand when we needed it.” 

Full Circle

Sadly, Stephan passed away in 1997 at the young age of 41. To help let go of their grief, Denson and Betty traveled extensively, and he threw himself into his hobbies and community service. 

“We went to Nashville, Hawaii, Alaska, we had always worked so hard that we didn’t get out of town much,” Denson said. “I also fished and got very active in church activities and the Friendly City Civitan Club, which I had been a member of since 1955.” 

In 2011, Denson took an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., where he was honored for his service in World War II.  In 2014, Denson joined other World War II Veterans on a trip to Europe to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. His journey took him through France and back to Belgium. For Denson, Soldier, Scout Leader, husband, and father, life had taken a full circle. 

“I found myself back in Remagen, at the site of where the bridge used to be,” Denson said. “All those memories and tears came back. The loss of so many friends, the feelings of uncertainty, it was overwhelming. In the end, I could only stay a few minutes, and I had to walk away. Still, I don’t have any regrets about my service, and I’d happily do it all over again.”