On September 13, 1943, Lt. Bjorklund found himself in the heart of the war in Europe. With his platoon under heavy fire on Hill 424 near Alta Villa, Italy, he ordered them to give covering fire while he crawled forward to an enemy machine gun position. He hurled a grenade into the nest, destroying the machine gun and killing three enemy soldiers. He discovered two more enemy positions further up the hill and inched his way forward to destroy them, allowing his platoon to advance and take its objective.

For his actions, Lt. Bjorklund was presented with the Distinguished Service Cross by Lt. Gen. Mark Clark. Other awards included the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and Italy’s Cross of Valor. Two days after taking the hill, Bjorklund was severely wounded and sent to a stateside hospital.

In August 1944, Bjorklund, his parents and sister Signe were invited to the While House, where President Roosevelt presented him with the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Bjorklund died in 1979 in Vancouver, Washington and was buried with full military honors at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.