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Pinellas County ceremony honors military heroes

Staff photo by MAURICE CAPOBIANCO

Reed Tomson, 88, came to the Bay Pines VA Medical Center for the annual Veterans Day celebration to pay tribute to those he served with in World War II. “I remember a lot of people who are not here,” said the St. Petersburg resident with tears in his eye. The Tennessee native enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941. He was a prisoner of war in Germany for more than two years.

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By ROD CHALLENGER

Published: November 11, 2009

BAY PINES - Reed Tomson, 88, came to the Bay Pines VA Medical Center for the annual Veterans Day celebration to pay tribute to those he served with in World War II.

"I remember a lot of people who are not here," said the St. Petersburg resident with tears in his eye.

The Tennessee native enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941. He was a prisoner of war in Germany for more than two years. And only two members of his RCAF class of 15 survived the war.

Most of the several hundred people at the Pinellas County observance were aging veterans and members of their families.

Dee Hurm, 77, remembers how Veterans Day ceremonies were more prevalent when he was growing up in Pennsylvania.

The Korean War navy veteran lamented the loss of the tradition when most Americans paid tribute to those who served in the military.

"I regret that it hasn't rubbed off on my grandchildren," he said. "I don't think that they have a great feel for the traditions or respect for what others have done for this country to keep it great."

Another Korean War veteran, David Hanson, 76, feels the same way.

"I think unfortunately today, too many of us take for granted the freedoms that we have in this country," he said.

To try and keep the tradition alive, and to show the importance of the day, Vietnam War veteran Peter Blume, 76, brought his grandchildren to the event.

"They need to know why they are living the lifestyle they're living," he said.

Keynote speaker state Rep. Bill Heller, D-St. Petersburg, said it was important for Americans to respect our veterans.

"We can be here today because for the past 223 years, whenever this nation was threatened, men and women, many of them in our audience today, stepped up to serve in the armed forces and protect our country," he said.

The holiday was originally known as Armistice Day, commemorating the official end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It became a federal holiday in 1938 when schools, government offices and businesses closed so Americans could show respect for the men and women who served in the military. Congress changed the name to Veterans Day in 1954, and while it is still a federal holiday, many schools and businesses remain open.

News Channel 8 reporter Rod Challenger can be reached at (813) 731-8102.

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