Ted was born on March 9, 1921 in Farsund, Norway. His parents, Mr. Richard and Mrs. Johanna Vetland, predeceased him. Ted served honorably in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II, making combat parachute jumps into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, into Holland in Operation Market Garden Sept. 17, 1944, and received the third highest award for valor given by the United States, a Silver Star, for his heroic actions serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge.

Ted and Betty moved to Panama City in the early 1970s and became a major contributor to the community primarily though the arts and serving on different boards such as the Junior Museum (now the Science & Discovery Center).

Theodore "Ted" Vetland passed away on Jan. 6, 2014 and is now buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Panama City, Bay County, Florida, USA.