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World War II veteran Ray Daves recently went to Washington, D.C., thanks to Inland Northwest Honor Flight.
“Last week Deer Park resident Ray Daves stood in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. He closed his eyes as sobering memories filled his mind. Each gold star on the memorial’s Freedom Wall represents 100 American lives lost during World War II. There are 4,000 gold stars.
For Daves, an 89-year-old survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, those stars are personal. “I thought about men who were my age but didn’t get to enjoy life,” he said. Men like his friend, George Maybee, who was killed on the battleship USS Arizona, which sank during the Pearl Harbor attack.
Daves had wondered if he’d ever get a chance to see the memorial.”
Story here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/a-touching-tour-of-duty/
I’ve interviewed Ray several times for various stories. His humility and his abiding love for his country never fails to move me. Though he hates this label, to me he is the definition of a hero.
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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Stickman on November 12 at 5:14 p.m.
He is a hero to me as well. Thanks for the story.
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Stickman on November 12 at 5:17 p.m.
I have been to the WWll memorial, a special place for sure that was finally built. I hope all of the WWll Vets get a chance to go there, as time is running out for them.
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