On anniversary of Pearl Harbor, WWII vets recognized for their service
Pearl Harbor veteran and longtime Cheyenne
resident Roland Thomas, 97, talks during a special dinner honoring
veterans Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at First Christian Church in Cheyenne.
Thomas, a U.S. Navy veteran, is Cheyenne’s last Pearl Harbor survivor.
Two other World War II veterans, Don Edgar and Robert Palmer, were also
honored. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
CHEYENNE – Seventy-eight years ago on Dec. 7, 1941, Roland Thomas was aboard the USS Perry in Pearl Harbor when he saw a Japanese plane approaching on the horizon. As foreign bullets and bombs rained down on the U.S. armed forces, Thomas jumped into action, shuttling ammunition to different parts of the ship.
Thomas, now 97, is Cheyenne’s last Pearl Harbor survivor. He was honored Saturday alongside Robert Palmer and Don Edger, both World War II veterans, by the VFW Post 11453 at First Christian Church in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
"These events that we look at through a personal perspective when we honor the men who served, changed not only their lives, but they changed the nation’s life,” Col. John Maier, the speaker at the event, said.
Before World War II, Maier said the U.S. was not a world superpower. The country seldom intervened on the world stage – that is, until after Pearl Harbor.
He mentioned situations after the war in Bosnia and Kosovo where the U.S. forces stepped in as a force of good.
Old photos of Pearl Harbor veteran and
longtime Cheyenne resident Roland Thomas, 97, and the ships he served on
sit on a table during a special dinner honoring veterans Saturday, Dec.
7, 2019, at First Christian Church in Cheyenne. Thomas, a U.S. Navy
veteran, is Cheyenne’s last Pearl Harbor survivor. Two other WWII
veterans, Don Edgar and Robert Palmer, were also honored. Michael
Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
"We participate in those events because of what these men and women did in World War II,” Maier said. "For that, they deserve our greatest respect and admiration.”
The veterans were presented certificates and custom quilts from the local Quilts of Valor chapter. The day was even more special for the group’s leader, Marilyn Lanham because her father was also a WWII veteran.
"It definitely means something,” Lanham said.
Since its start in 2013, Cheyenne’s Quilts of Valor chapter has given out 240 quilts to veterans. Each one is custom and handmade with love by members of the group, all of whom are volunteers.
When presenting the quilts, group members drape them over the veteran’s shoulders and each person gives the veteran a hug. The quilts are meant to provide comfort and healing to those touched by war.
"For what they went through and what they gave up for us, we have to remember them,” Lanham said.
VFW Post 11453 Commander Jim Rish said that oftentimes, veterans don’t want to draw attention to themselves. When asked about being recognized at this event, Thomas said, "Personally, I just don’t like it.”
Rish said these veterans didn’t join the armed forces to receive awards or accolades, which is why it’s even more important to continue recognizing their impact.
"You don’t think about what these veterans went through on Pearl Harbor Day,” Rish said.
The ceremony now also includes awards for the Patriot Pen and Voice of Democracy writing competitions for kids in school.
Rish said this aspect of the event is just as important as recognizing the veterans because telling their stories to the next generation helps kids understand the sacrifices that were made.
"It gives these young people a chance to see a World War II survivor,” Rish said.
In his speech, Col. Maier emphasized that through their service, these veterans set the next generations up for success.
Maier said, "It’s the veterans in this room that have paved the way.”
