Every now and then we come in contact with someone we should know more about ... someone who, in their earlier lives, have done something spectacular. And as we approach Memorial Day it reminds us that we have many veterans around us who have had very unique experiences in various wars, situations in which they have paid a price for our freedom. People like Jim DeLong, who flew a bunch of missions over Europe, and two on D-Day. Or Bob Andrews who flew bombing missions over Europe, or Ed Jared who flew the hump into China. Or Tom Jarrard who has three sons in service right now. Then there's Bob Shaffer who flew B-29's over Japan. Or Richard Kidder, a young Navy guy who was captured early in World War II and spent 5 years in a Japanese prison, and survived. Or Lee Ellis, a prisoner of war in Vietnam for 5 years, and survived. Or Dick Eaton, who entered service as a Buck Private and came out a Brigadier General. There are many others, but the point is they are all neighbors of ours ... people we're likely to see any day at church or the Post office or the food store.
The reason this came to mind was because I got a question from a friend of mine who had voted at the Chestatee precinct last Fall, and she asked me: "Who was that nice little man that gave us our `I voted" stickers at the last election?" Well, his name is Joe Auman. He was a Navy dive bomber pilot in the South Pacific in World War II, and among other things that gentle-looking little man with the easy smile is credited with sinking a Japanese carrier. If you voted at Chestatee, you saw him and talked with him. Memorial Day is not far off. It's a good time to remember these folks along with those who did not make it back.
This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.
Wednesday
August 6th, 2025
12:25AM
