U. ceremony honors 11 Utah war veterans

The University of Utah honored 11 veterans from throughout the state Thursday during a special Veterans Day commemoration.

• Cloyd O. Bowden of Taylorsville. He served in World War II in Gen. Patton's army. His unit was the first to cross the Luxembourg-German border and secure that area. He received a Purple Heart.

• Carlos Cerna of Ogden. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a radar range finder. Knocked overboard during one battle, he endured 52 hours in shark- and barracuda-infested waters before being rescued. He received a Purple Heart.

• Bryan Dell Cox of Provo was in the U.S. Air Force during three wars — World War II, plus the Korean and Vietnam wars. He bailed out of a B-24 during World War II and missing in action for 96 days, He also has a Purple Heart.

• Jonas H. Erekson of Sandy was a pioneer of underwater demolition during World War II. He was a Navy "frogman" and swam through Okinawa three days before the invasion.

• John W. Herndon Jr. of Salt Lake City. Serving in the Korean War, he was a witness to some of the fiercest battles there. His awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Stars.

• Courtney Kruger of Salt Lake City was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Forced to surrender to the Japanese, he was a prisoner of war for nearly four years as his weight dropped to 65 pounds. He's a Bronze Star recipient.

• Jack Mack of Salt Lake City was a rifleman during World War II. Serving in the British Solomon Islands, he contracted malaria, which continues to cause him health problems today.

• Chris H. Petersen of Salt Lake City served in the U.S. Marines during World War II and the Korean War. Serving in Saipan, Okinawa and the Tinian Islands, he has received a Purple Heart.

• Jim Tazoi of Garland, Box Elder County, was a member of the famed 442nd Japanese-American unit during World War II. He was wounded twice and still carried shrapnel from the fierce three-day battle during the rescue of the "Lost Battalion" in France. He has a Bronze Star and Distinguished Service Cross.

• Robert "Bob" Teran of Sandy served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. After his B-17 was shot down, he was a prisoner of war for eight months. He has a POW medal.

• Charles Richard Thompsen of Roosevelt was shot down during his first mission in World War II. He spend 21 months in German hospitals and eventually had to walk 100 miles in freezing temperatures to freedom. He has a Purple Heart.

All the past Veterans Day honorees at the U. are online at: www.veteransday.utah.edu.