This Memorial Day

This Memorial Day was very special for me.  No, I was not off to "celebrate."  I had to go to work, like so many other people.  I really wanted to be off with my family, but the work day turned into a surprisingly surprising day.  I had the honor of meeting a lady whose father was the last surviving member of the infamous Bataan Death March, one of the darker episodes of World War II.  The events of that terrible crime of war can be reviewed on the Internet or in the history books.  But Mr. Lyn B. Preslar, the last survivor of that terrible outrage (he passed away last year), wrote a brief, but horrific, account of his experiences as a POW.  His account can be seen on the Odessa Fire Department web site.

My blog tonight is to honor Mr. Preslar, as much for his life of service AFTER the War as for his service as a Marine.  You see, Mr. Preslar came back to Texas after his liberation.  His wife nursed him back to good health, and Mr. Preslar resumed life as a "civilian."  Mr. Preslar's idea of being a civilian was the life of continuing service to his fellow man.  He became a firefighter with the Odessa, Texas Fire Department, serving with that department for over thirty years.  His last position with the Odessa Fire Department was that of Battalion Commander.  Even as a "civilian," Mr. Preslar devoted himself to a life of service.  He was one man who was a hero both at war and at home.  He passed on his values of self-reliance and of service to others to his daughter, to whom he was most certainly a hero, bigger than life.

I honor Mr. Preslar and thank him for his service to all Americans, and to the Americans who reside in that dusty and dry city of Odessa.  There is one more thing that needs to be mentioned here.  Mr. Preslar, for reasons known only to military bureaucracy, did not receive any of the several medals he so richly deserved.  He was the type of man who worked hard and made the best of life, and did not seek recognition for himself.  An Army nurse in a VA hospital took care of Mr. Preslar and subsequently learned of his service in World War II.  Upon learning that he had received no official recognition for his services, this nurse initiated a campaign to secure for Mr. Preslar the recognition and the medals that were rightly his.  Fortunately, the United States government indeed recognized Mr. Preslar for his service and his heroism in the most horrific circumstances.  Mr. Preslar was awarded a long list of medals, including the most sacred of awards, the Navy Cross, shortly before he passed away.

Although I did not personally meet Mr. Preslar, nor the thousands of other heroes of World War II, I dedicate this blog to him, and I thank him and all our military heroes for their service, whether in the wars of the past, or the current conflicts.  As one person said, "All gave some, but some gave ALL."  God bless America, and our soldiers, wherever they may be.