Local veterans served with honor

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. 1918. World War I came to an end and Americans celebrated victory along with their allies. In 1954, this historic date would become the national holiday known as Veteran's Day. The holiday was legislated to occur on the fourth Monday in October in 1968. However, it was returned to its original observance in 1978 due to the profound significance of Nov. 11th to American veterans who fought one of the greatest conflicts of modern times.

Hardly more than a generation, World War II found Americans once again fighting overseas. They carried with them the ideals forged in the hearts of the first patriots to land in the free world.

Montanans have always been proud to serve their country and veterans account for approximately 16 percent of the adult population in Montana. Native Americans make up 196,000 veterans in this country and 1.6 million veterans are women.

We're fortunate to have an elite group of combat veterans living in and around the Mission Valley.

Here are a few of their stories.

Otto Buchmann of Polson served in the Army during World War II. He was part of the 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion, created especially for WWII. Otto served 550 days of active combat during the period 1941-45. Most notable is the Bronze Star he received for rescuing General Patton from a disabled tank in Africa. Buchmann managed to crawl three-quarters of a mile on his stomach, under enemy fire, to repair Patton's tank and then ride with him to safety.

Delmer Horner, originally of Ronan and now living in Polson, served in the Army Air Forces from 1942-45. He piloted P-47s in the Pacific. On one such mission, his plane was shot down by the Japanese. He parachuted into the ocean where he spent four hours before being rescued by an American seaplane. He says he sure was lucky, because hour upon hour he was moving closer to the Japanese shore. Horner served as Polson's postmaster upon returning, retiring in the 1980's.

Lloy Griffing, Sr., of Missoula served in the Navy from 1941-46. Griffing was stationed on the destroyer, USS Stephen Earle, an escort to merchant freighters and tankers. At Marseille, D-Day, the Earle was 10 to 12 miles out, firing toward shore, the sound of artillery like thunder in the distance.

In a later incident, Griffing was injured when the Earle fired on a U-Boat that had been disabled in Canadian waters. Temporarily blinded and burned, he spent three months in a hospital in Newport, RI. His enlisting buddy, Dwayne "Webby" Webster, wasn't so lucky, stationed aboard the Battleship Arizona; he is memorialized at Pearl Harbor.

Ben Frickson of Polson served his country in the United States Air Force beginning in 1958. He retired an officer in 1985. Stationed in DaNang from January 1966 to January 1967, Frickson joined the military to learn a skill - electronics, and obtain an education in Management & Psychology. He continues working with veterans today as a counselor for combat vets. He and his wife, Patricia, operate Northern Lights Counseling in Polson.

Lorin Jacobson, originally of South Dakota and living in Polson since 1960, served in the Army in the South Pacific from 1943-45. He was present when Japan surrendered and worked the next six months in General MacArthur's headquarters in Tokyo. He remembers how the Philippine people hated the Japanese, lining up along the road to throw rocks at the prisoners being marched to camps. Jacobson owned the Flathead Courier and Ronan Pioneer, along with Paul Fugleberg, another Polson veteran, for 14 years and was Lake County Clerk and Recorder for eight. He continues service today as part of the Honor Guard, a group of veterans that is available for funeral services. Lorin still gets choked up every time Taps is played for a veteran who has passed on.

These are just a few of the men from Montana who have served their country. Most of them have fond memories of the nurses who aided them and their fellow soldiers when wounded. But, they also carry the pain of war. It's evident in their eyes, in the way they frequently look down when speaking of their experiences and in their memories of those who didn't survive.

The conflicts may be different, the times more modern, weapons "smarter", but one thing remains constant: the courage and sacrifice of men and women willing to fight for their country.

Otto Buchmann's Bronze Star Award states the following: "The superior manner in which this soldier aided the operations of his organization is deserving of the highest praise and a credit to the Armed Forces." We could say the same for the vast majority of servicemen and women.

Take time today to remember those who have fought for freedom, peace and democracy. Say a prayer for the hundreds upon thousands who never return home and thank a veteran today for the tremendous personal sacrifice made for our country.