An Iowa veteran who traveled to Washington, D.C. last weekend for the dedication of the World War Two Memorial is reflecting on the experience after returning to the state. Lonnie Conger of Davenport drove cross-country with his wife for the ceremony.He says it’s a beautiful memorial. Conger served aboard the aircraft carrier Wasp in the Pacific. He says he remembered the 180 fellow crewmembers who died when a bomb hit the ship, as he visited the memorial. Conger says his trip to have a cigarette kept him from being one of the victims that day.He says no sooner had he lit the cigarette when the bomb hit in the engine room. Conger says the volunteers who helped the veterans were great. He says part of the experience was almost overwhelming. He says it was almost more than he could handle to have people come up to him and say, “Thank you for saving the country.” Conger says he and fellow vets simply had a job to do, and they stayed until it was done.
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