Watson remembers Patton, and we remember them all

Walt Daehn attends a Cuba, MO Veterans Day memorial service.

Cuba, Missouri: We have posted here before about the Honor Flights for World War II veterans to Washington, DC. Last year we wrote about Walt Daehn of Cuba’s flight. We also read about what his daughter Shannon had to say about it when he returned and viewed some of her photos from DC.

Yesterday, we read in the Columbia Missourian an article “Flight organizers race against age to honor WWII, Korean War veterans.” This article chronicles the WWII experiences of another Cuban Virgil Watson. Watson remembers meeting Gen. George Patton in Germany at the end of the war. Watson, now 89, made the flight with 66 other World War II and Korean War veterans to see the World War II monument in Washington DC. His nephew Doug Holen, an Army veteran of Vietnam, applied to go with him as a guardian. After his return home, Watson commented that he didn’t realize that people remembered what they had done and were so grateful.

The article goes on to say how the organizations responsible for the flights often have to convince the veterans to make the flight. It also discusses some of the positive results for the veterans after their flights. Read the Missourian article and if you know of a WW II or Korean veteran in your family who hasn’t made the flight, encourage them to do so and help them get the information they need. This is just one way to let them know that America honors their service.

Another way to honor Cuba’s veterans is to attend the annual Veterans’ Day ceremony in the Recklein Commons area on Friday, November 11 at 2 pm. There will be a patriotic musical and events. A special event this year is at 3 pm when a unit will present the State of Missouri War Medallion to 24 war veterans or their families. It is suggested that you bring a lawn chair if you need seating.

This Veterans Day, stop and remember those who left their homes and families to put themselves in harms way so that freedom could prevail. And remember those who are still doing it. Read the names of Cuba area vets from every war since WWII that are on the Veterans Monument at Recklein Commons. If you haven’t been in the History Museum, it might be a good time to go in and look at their military display.

For scenes from the 2010 Veterans Day Ceremony go here.

To read an update of the Veterans Memorial go here. It will lead you to a pretty cool tale of how the Cuba Veterans Memorial came to be.

To read about how Cuba’s Gold Star Boys Mural salutes our veterans, go here.