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Last Updated: Mar 31, 2009 - 2:29:20 PM |
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orld War II veteran Robert Murtha of Victor looks out at the field of 4,000 stars representing the 400,000 Americans lost during the war at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Mitch Traphagen Photo
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sixty-three years after saving the world, eighteen men received a day they deserved. In the nation’s capitol, World War II veterans from Iowa County were treated as heroes and celebrities. The day began with applause and ended the same way. In between were handshakes, hugs and words of gratitude for their service to the nation and the world.
The day was set in motion when the Hawkeye Stages bus pulled into the parking area of the World War II Memorial. A group of firefighters and recovered burn victims from a nearby camp watched as they slowly offloaded their bus. As the men made their way down the walk towards the memorial, the firefighters and other visitors lined the sidewalk to welcome them with applause, cheers and handshakes. It was a spontaneous moment that brought tears to the eyes of some and lumps in the throats of almost everyone.
In the memorial, tourists and young people approached the Iowa veterans - sometimes offering a handshake and a thank you, other times asking if they could take a photograph with them. Active duty military members surrounded the men, asking of their experiences, hoping to hear their stories and speaking as peers within an exclusive vocation.
Back in Iowa, we see them in our neighborhoods and in the Casey’s - for many of us, they are as familiar as old friends. It is easy to forget, to take them for granted - and that is how they expect things to be. They never sought glory for themselves - but in their courage, dedication and selflessness, glory has come to them. Here in Washington, D.C., they are welcomed as the heroes they are.
The expansive World War II Memorial, placed in between the monuments of Lincoln and Washington, was built for these men. It is here in their honor - each man individually - from a grateful nation owing a debt that can never be repaid. Robert Murtha of Victor shrugged off that notion and pointed over to the field of stars - 4,000 of them each representing 100 men lost during the war, 400,000 in all.
“This is for them,” he said.
The day before, at Arlington National Cemetery, four men representing not only the entire group of 18 men but also everyone with whom they served six decades ago and everyone who served before and since, saluted as the young men that remain in their eyes. For Wilbur Rusk of Victor, Marvin Doschadis of Williamsburg, Jay Dee Roller of North English and George Stahl of Williamsburg, being part of the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns was a sacred honor. They will never forget the men with whom they served - regardless of when they served. The Tomb contains the remains of unknown American soldiers from World Wars I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War - all of the men are comrades in arms - all of them willing to lay down their lives for their nation and for us. Two members of the Old Guard, the 3rd United States Infantry, saluted not only the Tomb but also the four men from Iowa. The Old Guard pledges to never falter in their sacred duty before the Tomb - just as the four men before them never faltered.
Four World War II veterans from Iowa County, Marvin Doschadis, Wilbur Rusk, Jay Dee Roller and George Stahl, join the Old Guard in the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Wed., Oct. 1. Congressman Leonard Boswell, himself a veteran, described the event by saying, “It seemed to be an emotional high with, no doubt, lots of reflection and thinking about their past and what they endured.” Mitch Traphagen Photo
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On the morning after a late session of the United States Senate debating the bailout bill, Iowa senators Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley turned out to greet them. Congressman Leonard Boswell was there as well - as he was the day before to witness the Iowa County vets place the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A decorated veteran of two tours of duty in Vietnam, the congressman watched from the crowd, yet stood among them in respect. At the World War II Memorial, a television crew dispatched by Des Moines Channel 2 was there to record the event and everywhere people looked on upon these men - our neighbors - with the respect and admiration they have earned.
Despite schedules that are certainly divided into five-minute blocks, Harkin, Grassley and Boswell remained to greet everyone, to have the opportunity to speak with the veterans, to hear their stories. The pressing crises of the day paled in comparison to providing the respect that honorable men deserved.
“We’re honored to be here,” Congressman Boswell said. “It’s a wonderful thing that Iowa County has volunteered and made sure they got to see this - because it is theirs. It is their memorial and some had not seen it - and may not have been able to so I’m very, very proud that this is happening.”
In a city filled with dignitaries, power-brokers and American and world leaders, no one was more important in Washington on Thursday, Oct.2, than Leonard Zigler, Jay Dee Roller, Reno Walter, John McGarry, Robert Murtha, Wilbur Rusk, Harvey Van Ahsen, Max Grant, Jim Welsh, Vernon Sandersfeld, Lynn Kolosik, Dale Noyes, Robert Demeulenaere, Stanley Kovar, George Stahl, Marvin Doschadis, Milford Collingwood and Ivan Edwards. In Iowa they may be our neighbors but in the nation’s capitol they were celebrities.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, the Hawkeye Stages bus pulled into Williamsburg and the honor trip was over. Through the hard work and dedication of those who organized it, eighteen men were given the opportunity to see and experience the gratitude of a nation. Today, there is uncertainty in the economy, in leadership, and in the very future of the nation. One thing, however, is certain. The men on that bus once saved the world. Given the chance, they could do it again.
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