Roald Peterson, born in 1913 to Norwegian homesteaders in North Dakota, developed a deep love for nature that led him to study range science. After military service in WWII, he worked for the US Forest Service, championing environmental issues. However, during the McCarthy era, he became a target of false communist accusations. Notably, historian Bernard DeVoto defended him in a prominent Harper's Magazine article, openly criticizing government overreach and championing civil liberties amidst rising authoritarianism.
After serving stateside in the army air forces during the second world war, Peterson took a job with the US Forest Service, monitoring cattle and sheep grazing.
DeVoto delivered a bold defense of civil liberties in the face of growing authoritarianismâone of the earliest articles to criticize both J. Edgar Hoover and Senator Joseph McCarthy.
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