‘Don’t forget their stories’

Military veterans – such as the late John Regan Jr. and Henry Langrehr – were remembered and honored during Memorial Day services across the Quad Cities region on Monday, May 26. The theme of many of those services was – Memorial Day is not just a holiday when many people celebrate with picnics and family […]

Military veterans – such as the late John Regan Jr. and Henry Langrehr – were remembered and honored during Memorial Day services across the Quad Cities region on Monday, May 26. The theme of many of those services was – Memorial Day is not just a holiday when many people celebrate with picnics and family gatherings. It is a day to remember the nation’s fallen heroes, John Weiland, commander of the VFW Post 9128 of Bettendorf, said during a Memorial Day ceremony at the Bettendorf Veterans Memorial. “Don’t forget their stories. … Don’t forget their sacrifices,” he said.

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Mr. Weiland was one of several speakers to present Memorial Day messages to a crowd of about 100 people under the picnic shelter surrounded by U.S. flags and next to the city’s Veterans Memorial Park at 1645 23rd St.  That ceremony included a wreath-laying ceremony, an honor guard with plenty of flags, prayers and the playing of “Taps.”  But the main event were the speeches to honor the nation’s fallen heroes and a call for people to remember those sacrifices. U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) gave the keynote address, asking the crowd to remember all veterans, especially those who have recently died. She pointed out that one of those veterans is Mr. Langrehr, a longtime Clinton, Iowa, resident who died at age 100 on April 23.  Mr. Langrehr, who participated in the D-Day invasion in 1944 during World War II, often spoke about his experiences during the war. He was one of the honored guests at last year’s John Deere Classic golf tournament. But most of her address centered on remembering and honoring vets because they helped ensure the preservation of the nation’s essential freedoms – such as the freedom of speech, religion, press and more. “It is the veteran, not the preacher, who defended religion. … It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who gave us the freedom of a fair trial,” said Ms. Miller-Meeks, a U.S. Army veteran herself. Monday’s ceremony also was a time when area residents honored their family members who were in the service. Molly Regan, of Bettendorf, brought along two poster boards to the ceremony in honor of a late family friend, Max Wilson, who was a World War II pilot, and her late father, Mr. Regan, who also served during that war and was seriously wounded in action.  The poster board to honor Mr. Regan displayed photos and information about the late veteran. For instance, the board had a copy of his discharge papers that listed much information about his service. He went into the Army on Nov. 18, 1942, and was discharged on Dec. 25, 1945. He was wounded in action on Nov. 18, 1944, in Germany. The pay due at his discharge was $129.23. And his time in the military was three years, one month and 15 days. Mr. Regan died in 1996 at age 74. Ms. Regan said she displayed the poster boards as a way to honor and remember all the veterans. She added that it is especially important to honor World War II vets because they are quickly disappearing. During that war, more than 16 million Americans served in the military. Today, only about 66,000 of the veterans are still alive with about 131 dying each day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “This is a way to remember all those who did not make it back alive,” she added.