• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Human Interest / Veterans honored in Des Moines ceremony

Veterans honored in Des Moines ceremony

November 11, 2002 By Dar Danielson

Over 200 Iowa Veterans gathered in Des Moines for the annual Veterans Day observance. The Marine Corps hymn was one of the many patriotic songs played during the event at Veterans Auditorium. The featured speaker was Luther Smith, a Des Moines native and member of the famed World War Two Tuskegee Airmen.

Smith was severely injured and captured after his plane was damaged in a strafing run of a train on what was to be his final mission. Smith says that Friday the 13th in 1944 was the most depressing day of his life — until he came to the realization that he was almost killed four times on that day, but out of all the people who died in World War Two, he was alive.

Smith was determined to make the most of his chance to cheat death and went on to do everything he could to live a life to pay back whatever it was that kept him from dying that day. Smith says many Americans don’t understand the meaning of Veterans Day, even though there are many veterans living among us.He says nearly half of all the men and women who’ve served in our military since the Revolutionary War are still alive today.

Smith says unfortunately, the numbers for one group of veterans is dwindling. He says there are only five million World War Two veterans still alive today, He says their average age is 82, and they’re dying at a rate of 1,100 a day.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Human Interest, Military

Featured Stories

Speakers at trooper’s funeral describe Sgt. Smith as selfless, man of faith

Iowa unlikely to join 26 states with hands-free driving laws

Reynolds says Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause manageable

Iowa State Patrol tactical team leader killed in Grundy Center stand-off

Finalists chosen for the state’s top burger

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

High school sports and activities to pause for one week in July

Hawkeyes add post player

UNI’s Warren agrees to contract extension

Iowa State signs Kansas transfer

Drake elevates Pohlman to head women’s basketball coach

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC