WWII veterans share war stories, heritage

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. David D. Morton
  • Front Range Flyer
PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- --  They arrived at the Peterson Air Force Base Officers' Club armed with enough stories to last a lifetime. "They" were 10 World War II veterans from The Greatest Generation Foundation and were the center of attention for the capacity crowd from the 302nd Airlift Wing who gathered to hear their stories during the Wing's first Heritage Day event held Oct. 9.
 
The event was designed with the mindset to keep wing members in touch with those who served before them and the part they played in establishing our Air Force heritage. Each of the veterans were eager to intermingle with wing members and relay what it meant to serve our country during such a turbulent time.
 
Three veterans honored the 302nd AW members as guest speakers during the Heritage Day event. The first speaker was 1st Lieutenant Robert Evans of the 313th Troop Carrier Group. Lieutenant Evans shared his remembrance of flying with the 313th. One of those remembrances was flying out the Russian Jewish Prisoners of War from Linz, Austria after the German surrender in June 1945. 

"There were a bunch of little fires along the field as we landed and I asked one of the people what those fires were, he said those people had been in prisoner of war camps for four years and they are boiling grass to eat; they all looked like it too," said Lieutenant Evans. "When we got in the plane of the C-46 both of the cargo doors in the rear we had to leave open because the stench was so bad; you had to hold your breath from the back of the plane to get to the cockpit. When you looked at them they couldn't focus you in the eye it was just like they were staring right past you. But, the majority of them would shake your hand, pat you on the back and say something which was like thank you for taking them out of the prisoner camps and flying them to the hospital in London."
Following Lieutenant Evans was 1st Lieutenant Robert Ball of the 91st Bomb Group. Lieutenant Ball was shot down Aug. 12, 1943 after nine missions and spent 21 months as a prisoner of war during the German occupation in Europe.
 
"It's impossible to tell you what I want to tell you in 15 or 20 minutes, but I want to thank you for even asking me," said Lieutenant Ball, "I think I'm the one truly honored to speak to you a little bit today. 

"The real enemy was not the Germans, but cold, hunger, apathy and loneliness. I weighed about 180 pounds before my capture and 94 pounds when I got home. The biggest problem of all was keeping a bunch of cynical troops occupied while keeping them from saying there isn't any sense in getting excited about it, what's the use, it's over with me. You had to make sure you kept your mental faculties in shape. We knew the United States wouldn't desert us. We knew they would come for us sooner or later and they did.
 
"Never ever doubt what's in here," said Lieutenant Ball, pointing to his heart. "They can't get what's in there if you don't give it to them, and we didn't give it to them and neither will our good young men of today."
 
Before the attack on Pearl Harbor the United States was not officially involved in the war in Europe. However, there were still many young men who were serving their country unaware that Dec. 7, 1941 would change their life forever.
 
One such young man was retired Maj. Elmo Clark the final speaker and survivor of the day which would live in infamy. Major Clark was asleep in his bunk during the first wave of Japanese attacks against the island of Oahu. "As the Arizona blew it almost knocked us out of bed," said Maj. Clark, president of the Pikes Peak Chapter Pearl Harbor Survivor Association. "I remember hitting the floor during the second raid and pulling a mattress over my head hoping it would protect me.
 
"We thought the Japanese in all probability were preparing to make a landing. I was working as a teletype operator in the message center at the time, and eventually ended up on a motorcycle in blackout at night dodging vehicles while dispatching messages back and forth from the message center up to ammunition craters in a volcano where they moved the headquarters before land-lines were established," said Major Clark, "I was 18-years old, out of high school, and not prepared for something this exciting."
After the guest speakers each had their turn at the podium, Colonel James J. Muscatell Jr., 302nd AW commander, closed the afternoon's events by showing his appreciation and admiration for all the veterans in attendance.
 
"The feeling when I first enlisted came over me that the expression, the United States of America, would now and hence forth mean something different. From now on it would be the nation I would serve," said Colonel Muscatell. "I'm honored to not only to be in the presence of these veterans, but also the veterans I've been serving with the past two years. Looking at our young airmen and the airmen basic we have here. Our future is in good hands."
 
By all accounts so is the heritage of the Air Force.