DETROIT LAKES, Minn. — He may not be able to see or hear very well these days, but that doesn't mean James Ramstad's mind has lost any of the sharpness that made him one of Detroit Lakes' top attorneys, right up until his retirement in the early 2000s.

Ramstad — who will turn 103 in December — still has remarkable recall of his years serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, more than 80 years ago ... up to and including the day he first tried to enlist.

“I was drafted in October of 1942,” he said. “It was my sophomore year at the University of Minnesota. So I went and took my physical exam to get in the army … I failed.”

Ramstad had a hernia, which led to his status being deemed “4F” — in other words, he was disqualified from serving due to a physical limitation.

“I could have fin

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