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“In my print column in the Coeur d’Alene Press, writes Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho, ”there’s more about these two very special North Idaho residents, Vernon Baker and Tom Norris. Coeur d’Alene was the birth place of perhaps one of the most famous Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Gregory “Pappy” Boyington. But to have two of fewer than 100 surviving Medal of Honor recipients from WWII and Vietnam living in Kootenai County is quite an honor for us all.
Question: Are you related to anyone who was honored for combat duty during a war?
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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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MamaJD on March 25 at 2:55 p.m.
Thanks, Kerri for mentioning these two men. I know Tom quite well. Actually, he is Uncle Tommy to me. “Quiet dignity” is a great way to describe him. These two men have amazing stories that many want to hear but what I’ve discovered is that they would rather hear about you or talk about “everyday” kind of stuff. I admire that quality greatly.
Fishwife on March 25 at 3:01 p.m.
If memory serves,Vernon Baker hails from Benewah County, not Kootenai-unless he moved.
Truly on March 25 at 3:06 p.m.
Bob and I know Tom also. What a guy! Boy did he ever save our butts a time or two:) Straight up dude!
JohnA on March 25 at 3:32 p.m.
For those interested, you can read about the amazing heroism of these two men. I knew of Vernon Baker’s feats, but not those of Tom Norris.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Baker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_R._Norris
Meanwhile, my father Gene, of Hayden, is a hero to me. He didn’t receive the Medal of Honor, but he did serve as an Air Force officer for 20 years, receiving several medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross. His service included flying 90 missions in a C-46 over the Hump between China and India during WWII (at 20 years of age), serving as a weapons officer during Korea and flying a B-47 for SAC after that. He wisely retired on the cusp of the Vietnam War, where he was slated to command a B-52 crew. He figured two wars were enough.
hmoffsuite on March 25 at 3:41 p.m.
JohnA Thanks for sharing that. That really was the greatest generation. No doubt about it. We all should have taken more time to get to know them. I regret I didn’t spend more time with many, including my father.
JohnA on March 25 at 3:58 p.m.
Hmoffsuite: I have lunch with my folks almost every day as their home is close to my office. It’s only recently that my dad has begun to share his war experiences. I treasure them.
hmoffsuite on March 25 at 4:10 p.m.
JohnA Cherish the time you have with them. Trust me, you will miss them more than you know, when they are gone. Sometimes with the elderly, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Stickman on March 25 at 9:32 p.m.
Thanks John, for honoring the ones that made us all free. I have a father that was a POW as a child, and an uncle who helped liberate him. To think of the Greatest Generation and not get chills, is beyond me. I also served, and did so gladly, no matter what the climate at the time.