One of the Youngest WWII Vets tells his Story at VFW Memorial Day Lunch
By: Kristin Anderson
Updated: May 28, 2012
"It's just part of giving back to our veterans and families. And a lot of support to our Abilene people," said auxiliary chair Mary Haynes. "They help us and we help them."
It was a meal to celebrate and thank all veterans. This included Dale Scott, who is not your typical World War II veteran.
"I'm one of the youngest World War II veterans going. I'm 84 years old last February. Still pretty good health," said Scott.
In 1944, Scott signed up to serve when he was just sixteen, a fact that he had to hide.
"For $5, I got me a fake ID card because I was sixteen," he said. "So I up and volunteered for the merchant marines and went to St. Petersburg."
In 1968, when he was 40 years old, he served a 7 month tour in Hoi An, Vietnam. He told many stories at lunch about constantly being shot at, including one where he drove behind a fire fight.
"I was taking laundry and mail over there to the CB unit and I drove into a fire fight in Danh Ba, which was between Da Nang and Hoi An. And so i drove the jeep behind a South Korean tank. Had to set out the fire fight behind that tank. That was my high experience in Vietnam," Scott said.
It's veterans like Scott that were the reason for today's lunch. To help honor and remember what memorial day is truly about.
"A lot of people don't know what memorial day is all about. And we need to let them know that these guys that have fought and died for our freedom shouldn't be forgotten," said Kelly Evinger, chairman of the VFW motorcycle group.
It was a meal to celebrate and thank all veterans. This included Dale Scott, who is not your typical World War II veteran.
"I'm one of the youngest World War II veterans going. I'm 84 years old last February. Still pretty good health," said Scott.
In 1944, Scott signed up to serve when he was just sixteen, a fact that he had to hide.
"For $5, I got me a fake ID card because I was sixteen," he said. "So I up and volunteered for the merchant marines and went to St. Petersburg."
In 1968, when he was 40 years old, he served a 7 month tour in Hoi An, Vietnam. He told many stories at lunch about constantly being shot at, including one where he drove behind a fire fight.
"I was taking laundry and mail over there to the CB unit and I drove into a fire fight in Danh Ba, which was between Da Nang and Hoi An. And so i drove the jeep behind a South Korean tank. Had to set out the fire fight behind that tank. That was my high experience in Vietnam," Scott said.
It's veterans like Scott that were the reason for today's lunch. To help honor and remember what memorial day is truly about.
"A lot of people don't know what memorial day is all about. And we need to let them know that these guys that have fought and died for our freedom shouldn't be forgotten," said Kelly Evinger, chairman of the VFW motorcycle group.
