'We have a great debt to our military families': WWII veterans remembered at a Spokane resident's new home exhibit
Spokesman-ReviewMar 14, 2024
Mar. 13—Spokane's
"I graduated in the spring of 1941. I turned 18 in March of 1942, three months after
Skinner was the keynote speaker at an event coordinated by
A flag ceremony, a gun salute and the playing of taps were performed by Spokane Area Veterans
Skinner was drafted into the navy in
"I chose to serve in the armed guard; it was very little-known at the time, because of the tremendous necessity of transporting supplies, men, weapons, ammunition and everything overseas to meet the needs of the war that was right upon us," he said.
Traveling from island to island in the Pacific, Skinner was part of an effort bringing explosives, weapons, food and medical supplies to Allied forces.
"Munitions were the main materials that had to be taken overseas at that time; we can't even begin to imagine the amount of ammunition that was consumed during that war," he said. "I remember the tensions that built up as we got into war zones ... the fact that our ship might receive a torpedo any moment was filled with more tension and uneasiness than you can imagine, and it stays with you."
This was met with expressions of empathy from the crowd.
"Any kind of duty on a cargo ship during that war left its mark on us in one way or another," Skinner said. "I was fortunate because wherever my ship went, it was always just before some action or just after some action; I was just plain lucky, in that respect. We had some close calls, but I came home uninjured."
Tuesday's event took place in an outbuilding on Baker's South Hill property. Framed posters with photos and information about each of the 10 veterans were displayed around the room.
Baker, 70, said the purpose of the event was simple.
"We're here today to thank you, right from here," he said, holding his hand over his heart. "I want to remind people that we have a great debt to our military families ... these individuals understand in ways that we can't comprehend.
"I threw myself into it," Baker said of putting the event together, "but happily."
The nine other World War II veterans honored at the event have died. Their children told their stories.
Baker told of his uncle,
"I had two family members give up their lives for our democracy," he said.
"He's not a Spokanite," Dethlefs said, but during his father's boot camp at
"The
The elder Dethlefs didn't talk about his military service but wrote down his experiences later in life.
"We learned about it largely from my grandmother," Dethlefs said.
In the water, "the long and the short of it was, he was left with one other guy,
Dethlefs' father was stung when he swam into a school of jellyfish.
The
At one point,
"These Philippine guerrilla fighters came and picked him up off the beach and took him into the jungle where he was cared for for many days," Dethlefs said. "As for
"I could never understand how a person could see the things that he saw and go through the things that he did and be the man that he was, because he was sweet, kind, just a gentle person and a great dad and grandfather," Dethlefs said.
Near the end of his speech, Skinner said he was pleased to see young people in attendance. There were several children in the room, including a
"I hope that future generations can take seriously the experience that we had to endure that we've heard about here today," Skinner said near the end of his speech. "I think it's so important never to forget the families that lost loved ones in those wars, which for them, the war never ceases."
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