Former POWs recognized for sacrifice

Former prisoners of war from World War II through Somalia received recognition for their service and sacrifice Friday at the annual luncheon held by the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs POW Advisory Committee.

The event was held in observance of POW Remembrance Day on April 9, which commemorates the Japanese conquest of Bataan in 1942 in which a large number of American soldiers were captured and subjected to cruelty. Veterans from as far as southern Idaho and eastern Nevada were in attendance at the Salt Lake Airport Hilton.

"No one knows what war is like unless they've been in one. I want to thank you," said Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert. "As a father and grandfather I'm concerned about the need for heroes ... I would like my children to look up to people like you. These are the real American heroes."

Event organizer Tom Aikins, chairman of the committee, said every year attendance dwindles as the names of veterans fill the obituary pages. As long as they're alive, he said, the committee wants to honor them every April.

For many the yearly luncheon is a chance to see old friends and make new acquaintances. Bob McGregor of East Millcreek said he attends every year and found out that he and the man sitting next to him were both at the same camp 63 years ago and had never met before.

McGregor jokes that they were guests at the resort in Barth, Germany, on the Baltic Sea. Stalag Luft 1 in Barth was an infamous camp which held 9,000 allied airmen shot down over Europe. He was in Barth for 15 months until being liberated by the Russians. Three of those months food was scarce, for both Germans and prisoners, and he was 55 pounds lighter when freed.

McGregor was stationed in the heel of Italy and was shot down over Austria. He is the last living member of his 450th bombing crew flying B-24 Liberators.

---

E-mail: akirk@desnews.com