‘The spirit of ’45’: Colorado Springs veterans commemorate 80th anniversary of end of WWII
Christian Murdock, the gazette
Generations of veterans gathered Wednesday at Pikes Peak National Cemetery to remember those who fought for America’s freedom in World War II, on the day Japan surrendered to American troops 80 years ago.
A hazy day at the cemetery did not mute the tangible solitude and appreciation among the crowd. Veterans of the Vietnam War, the Korean War and family members of World War II vets lined the rows, hat in hand.
The ceremony, organized by Acting Cemetery Director Andy Santa-Pinter, featured several speakers, a bagpipe ceremony, rifle salute and wreath ceremony.
“Today we gather to commemorate the spirit of ’45. We honor the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who stood strong in the face of adversity during World War II. Their unwavering courage and dedication secured the freedoms we cherish today,” Santa-Pinter said.
“Let us remember their sacrifices and ensure that their legacy lives on in our hearts and minds.”
Though no living WWII veterans were in attendance, Betty Evans, the widow of vet George Evans, stood strongly, repping red, white and blue.
Betty Evans, whose husband George flew bombers and was shot down over France in the war, presents a wreath during the Spirit of ‘45 Commemoration remembering the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II Wednesday at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery.
She said her husband served in the Air Force for 26 years, and though he dedicated his life to our country, “if you ever spoke to him, it seemed all he did was play golf,” she said.
George flew bomber planes in World War II, and though Evans couldn’t remember the model of plane he flew, she was certain that it was the kind that dropped bombs.
On his last flight, his plane was shot down over France, which led to a long journey and a short imprisonment in Spain before he made it back safely to England.
The two were married postwar in 1967, and traveled around the world at the whim of the Air Force, she said. George’s service did not end in WWII — he also served in the Korean and Vietnam wars, staying on the ground.
During the ceremony, Evans delivered the commemoration wreath to the podium, and stood, head held low, in a moment of silence.
Another attendant, Army veteran Joe Murphy, has connections to World War II, but he himself served in Korea.
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Murphy grew up in Los Angeles and said the men in his graduating class were all deployed as soon as they were of age.
“They were drafting us, 200 to 300 a day, out of the area I lived in. Cleaned out the high school, all the boys, gone,” he said.
“My class reunion was primarily women. One asked me, ‘What happened to everyone?'” Murphy said. “She went down the list and asked if I knew their whereabouts, and nearly every single one, I said, ‘they’ve passed away.'”
Murphy doesn’t like to talk about what happened in Korea, he said, but remembers one war tactic that left him “walking away shaking his head.”
“Vietnam had Agent Orange. We had white phosphorus. It was a white powdery substance that was dropped from helicopters. It would lightly come down, hardly visible, but makes skin itch and burn. The natural reaction to this would to be to jump into water,” Murphy said. “So they’d jump in the river, and it was like liquid cremation.”
Patrick Pendergast plays taps Wednesday during the Spirit of ’45 Commemoration remembering the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs.
Murphy was visibly uneasy recalling the time he served in Korea, and to escape that discomfort, he shared the story of his uncle Carl Boyer, who served in WWII as an Air Force photographer.
One day, Boyer and his buddy — “we all had buddies,” Murphy said — landed their plane, when suddenly, his buddy was shot by a Japanese sniper.
“I don’t know, to this day, how he did it. He jumped out and took a picture of him with one of those big, old, ugly cameras with the flash,” Murphy said. “It blinded the guy, and he pulled out his .45 and killed him right there.”
After Murphy’s service in the Army, he retired to become a history teacher. Murphy recalled one student pointing to the history textbook, which only contained three sentences describing the Korean War, and saying, “That wasn’t much of a war, was it?” Murphy remembers shaking at hearing that.
“It is the forgotten war,” Barbara King said, referring to the Korean War.
Barbara and Harry King have been married for 67 years, and they were together when Harry was deployed to Vietnam — twice.
Harry said he was asked to volunteer to serve, but said, “How could I with a beautiful bride and a kid at home?”
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He was deployed once in 1963, and again from 1968 to ’69. His service did not stop there, though, and like many military families, the couple ended up in the Springs after the Air Force brought them here.
Harry King was stationed in the Rung Sat Special Zone, “136 square miles of muddy swamp,” he said, and lived with Vietnamese soldiers, who “accepted him,” helping American troops defend the land against the Viet Cong.
After returning from his second deployment, the two ended up in Colorado Springs in 1975, and have called it home ever since, finding a sanctuary in the military community.
Less than 1% of Americans who served in World War II are alive, about 66,000, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Ceremonies like the 80th commemoration of Japan’s surrender keep the memory of the lost veterans alive.
“We honor their memory and legacy that they have passed to us, a world built on principles of justice, fair dealing, tolerance, compassion and respect for democratic values,” Master Sgt. Leroy Trustee said, concluding the ceremony.
Pikes Peak National Cemetery to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII