Warrensburg residents reflect on independence, Fourth of July
Jul 2, 2009, 10:52 AM
By DONNA STORY
 |
| (Photo Illustration by Cristin Hubbard, images courtesy of Google Images) |
This Independence Day, there will be more than a few Warrensburg residents reflecting on the nation's independence and celebrating its 239th birthday -- many of whom have fought for freedom and continue to fight.
Wilson Tyler, 92, a resident at the Missouri Veterans’ Home in Warrensburg, enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II.
“I was older than the other guys when I joined, about 24. My draft number had not been called up, so I went to Kansas City and enlisted in the Coast Guard, because I knew something about it,” Tyler said.
Tyler was stationed in Hawaii during World War II after the bombing at Pearl Harbor and served for three years and four months. Tyler recalls frequent blackouts during the time he spent at Pearl Hartbor. Blackouts were mandatory, and required all windows be covered and sources of light be eliminated, so the area would not attract enemy planes at night.
He said he spends a great deal of time--sometimes too much time--thinking about independence -- from John Hancock’s famous signature on the Declaration of Independence and its symbolism, to a 50-year family tradition that causes Tyler to smile.
“My wife and her mother would cook dinner, and with the neighbors, we played games--croquet and volleyball. Later, when it would get dark, we would shoot off fireworks for hours,” Tyler recalled.
This family tradition is something that Tyler misses. He said although he is no longer able to attend, his family still continues the tradition of celebrating Independence Day together.
Charlie McGaugh, 71, enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 21. McGaugh served in the Navy for more than 13 years, and completed a tour during the Vietnam War. He remembers many things from his time spent in the Navy, including one story that recently came full circle for him.
McGaugh remembers a friend he made during training. During an evening of relaxing on the ship's deck, McGaugh noticed another, smaller ship coming toward them.
“I knew something was not right about that ship and pointed it out to the others. After we helped tie the smaller ship to ours, we asked what happened. I saw what I thought was a helmet and found his head” McGaugh said.
Recently, when McGaugh was working at the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, he had a photograph of his friend on his clipboard, when an older woman approached him and asked about the photograph.
The woman, as McGaugh would find out, was his friend's mother.
Vivid memories
McGaugh remembers vividly all seven ships he served on while he was in the Navy, although he said he is the most proud to have served on the USS Constitution, which was the first ship built for the Navy and was commissioned in 1778. McGaugh said he was most proud to serve there because of the ship's historical significance. That ship, McGaugh said, fought in 44 major battles, and never lost one. He also remembers participating in a long-standing tradition of placing coins beneath the ship's mast each time it was repaired.
When he thinks about independence, McGaugh said he thinks of the soldiers on the ground and what they have already gone through -- and what they continue to go through. The holiday, he said, is a tribute to fallen heroes and the respect he has for those serving in all branches of the military.
“I think back on what the holiday stands for and those that lost their lives for the freedoms we have today,” McGaugh said.
Pfc. Christina Wilson, 29, is preparing to deploy to Baghdad, Iraq, with her Army National Guard unit, and will be leaving her three children and husband at home.
“I certainly would rather not go, but I think that it is important work. I want to show my children, especially my daughters, that I can be a great mother and a great soldier,” Wilson said.
This holiday makes her proud of the work she is doing and of her family’s military service, she said. Her husband, Mike, served in the Army and is also a member of the National Guard. Her father and older brother were also in the military.
Makes veteran proud
“I think that Independence Day is a great time for remembrance and continued support for all of those serving at home and abroad, and it makes me feel very proud,” Wilson said.
Michael Hoffmann, 42, served eight years in the U.S. Navy and served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm for 11 months. Hoffmann joined the Navy in 1985, when he was a student at State Fair Community College.
“I got out of high school, got a job and went to State Fair for a semester. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. A friend’s brother was in the Navy, and told us how much he enjoyed it, so we decided to enlist," he said.
During Desert Storm, Hoffmann served on the USS Avenger MCMI, the first mine sweeper of its type. The USS Avenger was designed to detect mines on the ocean floor that attracted other ships in the battle group.
“On our way over, the Tripoli was hit by a mine, and then the Princeton hit two more mines and suffered a lot of damage. We had to lead the Princeton out of the mine fields,” Hoffmann said.
Occasion for support, respect
Hoffmann said he is so glad that the Fourth of July has become such an important American tradition, and is so much more than remembering America's independence from Britain, but also a way to support and remember those who continue to fight for freedom and independence.
Dorothy McMeekin, the historian for the Warrensburg unit of the Daughters of the American Revolution, said she truly enjoys this holiday.
“I usually watch a patriotic movie, because this is when they are on and I look forward to the fireworks, though now I tend to watch the fireworks program from Washington D.C. on the TV,” McMeekin said.
McMeekin has an ancestor that fought in the Revolutionary War, a requirement to join the Daughters of the American Revolution; Pvt. Robert Mansfield served in the battle of Yorktown. Mansfield is the only ancestor McMeekin’s family was able to document as part of the Revolutionary War. McMeekin's family believes Mansfield was about 19 years old when he served.
McMeekin is clearly proud of her family’s heritage and of the patriotic and historical significance that comes with being a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
“I like the organization because it is patriotic and we don’t have enough of that,” McMeekin said.
