Veterans Day: A time to keep memories alive, remember our history

Molly Regan had a lot of memories in her hands during the Veterans Day Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 11, at Bettendorf’s Veterans Memorial Park.  She held a photo of her late father, John Regan, and a big sign honoring a late family friend, Max Wilson. Both men were World War II veterans. Ms. Regan was […]

Molly Regan had a lot of memories in her hands during the Veterans Day Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 11, at Bettendorf’s Veterans Memorial Park.  She held a photo of her late father, John Regan, and a big sign honoring a late family friend, Max Wilson. Both men were World War II veterans.

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Ms. Regan was one of about 75 people who attended the brief Veterans Day ceremony, hosted by the Bettendorf Memorial Committee.  The event had these goals in mind: Help share memories of veterans, and keep the memories of their sacrifices and hard work alive, especially for young people. “Young people need to know this. … If it wasn’t for veterans like them, we would all be speaking German and Japanese today,” Ms. Regan told the QCBJ. Those themes were echoed by many people attending Saturday’s 15-minute ceremony held at Veterans Memorial Park, located at 1645 23rd St. The event included a wreath-laying ceremony, an honor guard with flags, prayers and the playing of Taps. Event organizers said the ceremony was kept short in recognition that the weather typically on Nov. 11 could have been cold and uncomfortable for people attending an outside event. (Actually, the weather turned out to be sunny and pleasant with temperatures in the 50s during the ceremony.) Several people said they hope such events will help educate and remind people of the sacrifices made by veterans to keep the nation free. “It’s important for young people to know how blessed they are today because of the veterans,” said organizer Greg Adamson, a Bettendorf City Council alderman and a member of the city’s memorial committee. Mr. Adamson and others added that another main theme for the ceremony is to thank the community’s veterans for all their sacrifices. Michael Pace, the chaplain for VFW Post 9128 in Bettendorf, said it's important for the community to understand the important work people in the military do for the country. That work can often be tough, with long hours and requires people in the service to be away from family and friends. “This is all about reflecting on the sacrifices veterans had to endure. … It’s important the community knows this,” Mr. Pace said shortly after Saturday’s ceremony. The event took place around the memorial pillars that are a central part of the Bettendorf Veterans Memorial Park. The black granite pillars contain the names of almost 1,000 servicemen and women. When the memorial was dedicated 20 years ago, it began with about 160 names, Mr. Adamson said. During Saturday’s gathering, he passed out brochures on how to add even more names to the pillars. (For more information, call the VFW Post 9128 at (563) 355-8528 and leave a message. A memorial committee member will return the call.) Mr. Adamson also told the crowd that the City of Bettendorf has agreed to take over the maintenance and insurance expenses for the Veterans Memorial Park, which is on city-owned ground. Ms. Regan said it was great to see the park and the names on the pillars on Saturday. But one of her main goals for the day was to make sure people at the ceremony saw photos of two veterans – her father, Mr. Regan, and family friend, Mr. Wilson. She was happy to share some of the stories of the two men. She even remembers the day her father was wounded in action – Nov. 18, 1944. “My dad was shot in the leg by a Nazi in Germany. … He was only in Germany for six weeks when it happened,” Ms. Regan said about her father, who died in 1996. (His obituary can be found here.) She added that a female doctor worked to save his leg from being amputated, and it took Mr. Regan an entire year to recover from the injury. In addition to her father, Ms. Regan held up a large sign in honor of Mr. Wilson. Part of that sign points out he was part of the crew of a B-17 bomber and flew 43 missions over Europe during the war. “Thanks for bringing your crew back home. Job well done,” part of the sign reads. Mr. Wilson became a local celebrity when he was 100 years old and went on the 56th Honor Flight of the Quad Cities on April 4. Ms. Regan actually had the sign made to honor Mr. Wilson’s return from that Honor Flight. Several area newspaper stories were printed about his Honor Flight adventures. One of those stories outlined his experiences during the war. One very graphic detail pointed out that Mr. Wilson’s first job in joining the B17 crew was taking a water hose to remove the “dead bodies out of the planes.” Ms. Regan said that even though hearing and reading those stories from the war can be tough, the community needs to remember the great sacrifices needed to keep our country free. “We don’t want to forget our history,” she added.