Five Extraordinary Men.
This year on 9 November, at 10:00 am in Downtown Springfield, MO, we honor all Veterans with the Southwest Missouri Veterans Day Parade along with five special men. They did not ask to be in the parade, and in fact they all declined when first asked. At first glance when you see them at a grocery store, mall, or just walking down the street your impression is another 'ordinary guy'. They lead quiet lives, raising families, and privately dealing with events which led us to calling them the "The Greatest Generation" These men are anything but ordinary! These five men will tell you they did nothing special, but for me and most of you, they exemplify what America is!
Grand Marshall - George Copeland, SSgt, US Army Air Corp, POW. George Copeland was raised on a farm in Kansas. With the outbreak of WWII he joined the US Army Air Corp with hopes of becoming a pilot. While he did not fulfill his immediate goal of becoming a pilot he was successful in becoming an Armorer for B-24 Bombers. He was a member of a 10 man crew in the 448th Bomber Group, 8th Air Force in England. On his 5th mission when his plane was shot down over Germany, George was able to parachute to safety only to be captured and become a POW. He was imprisoned at Stalag Luft IV near the Baltic Sea along with 8,000 other POWS. Once it became clear that the approaching Russian army would soon arrive the Germans marched those at Stalag Luft IV and numerous other locations west in what became known as "The Black March"! On 2 May, 1945 they ran into the Allied Lines and were liberated. He never gave up his desire to become a pilot and eventually obtained his private pilots license.
Deputy Grand Marshall - Jim Vanderhoof, Sgt, US Army, Fought as part of Patton's Army in Italy and North Africa facing Germany's best General, Rommel. Earned the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star for Heroism, and the Purple Heart! Jim and his cousin Darwin joined the Army along with a lot of other young men from the small town he lived in. Jim and Darwin were the only ones to survive the war and remained best friends. To this day he still remembers General Patton on hill in Italy addressing the troops, telling them they were out manned and out gunned but General Patton was confident his men could whip them!
Deputy Grand Marshall - Bob Steffke, Corporal, US Army, Battle of Okinawa, One of the costliest battles of the war! The battle for Okinawa resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater and lasted 82 days! Bob earned his Combat Infantry Badge and then trained as part of the force preparing to invade Japan. When the war ended he spent a year in Japan as part of the Occupation Forces. Before the war Bob had every intention of becoming a pilot in the navy. While waiting for Navy Flight Training School to start he had an industrial accident in a foundry, resulting in major damage to his leg and indeed he almost lost it. After his leg healed he was drafted into the army. A week later he received his letter for admittance to the Navy V-5 Program but the Army would not release him.
Deputy Grand Marshall - Lloyd Hoover, Chief Draftsman, CPO, US Navy, 30 Years, Retired, WWII, Korea, Vietnam - There are some of us that really enjoy military life and protecting our country. Lloyd Hoover is one of the living few that has seen action in three of the most intense military campaigns of the last century. Lloyd saw action all over the Pacific during WWII and distinctly remembers the Battle of Saipan. He spent most of his time in the Navy deployed on Ships. He is a recipient of the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal in WWII, The Korean Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal.
Grand Marshall - George Copeland, SSgt, US Army Air Corp, POW. George Copeland was raised on a farm in Kansas. With the outbreak of WWII he joined the US Army Air Corp with hopes of becoming a pilot. While he did not fulfill his immediate goal of becoming a pilot he was successful in becoming an Armorer for B-24 Bombers. He was a member of a 10 man crew in the 448th Bomber Group, 8th Air Force in England. On his 5th mission when his plane was shot down over Germany, George was able to parachute to safety only to be captured and become a POW. He was imprisoned at Stalag Luft IV near the Baltic Sea along with 8,000 other POWS. Once it became clear that the approaching Russian army would soon arrive the Germans marched those at Stalag Luft IV and numerous other locations west in what became known as "The Black March"! On 2 May, 1945 they ran into the Allied Lines and were liberated. He never gave up his desire to become a pilot and eventually obtained his private pilots license.
Deputy Grand Marshall - Jim Vanderhoof, Sgt, US Army, Fought as part of Patton's Army in Italy and North Africa facing Germany's best General, Rommel. Earned the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star for Heroism, and the Purple Heart! Jim and his cousin Darwin joined the Army along with a lot of other young men from the small town he lived in. Jim and Darwin were the only ones to survive the war and remained best friends. To this day he still remembers General Patton on hill in Italy addressing the troops, telling them they were out manned and out gunned but General Patton was confident his men could whip them!
Deputy Grand Marshall - Bob Steffke, Corporal, US Army, Battle of Okinawa, One of the costliest battles of the war! The battle for Okinawa resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater and lasted 82 days! Bob earned his Combat Infantry Badge and then trained as part of the force preparing to invade Japan. When the war ended he spent a year in Japan as part of the Occupation Forces. Before the war Bob had every intention of becoming a pilot in the navy. While waiting for Navy Flight Training School to start he had an industrial accident in a foundry, resulting in major damage to his leg and indeed he almost lost it. After his leg healed he was drafted into the army. A week later he received his letter for admittance to the Navy V-5 Program but the Army would not release him.
Deputy Grand Marshall - Lloyd Hoover, Chief Draftsman, CPO, US Navy, 30 Years, Retired, WWII, Korea, Vietnam - There are some of us that really enjoy military life and protecting our country. Lloyd Hoover is one of the living few that has seen action in three of the most intense military campaigns of the last century. Lloyd saw action all over the Pacific during WWII and distinctly remembers the Battle of Saipan. He spent most of his time in the Navy deployed on Ships. He is a recipient of the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal in WWII, The Korean Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal.
Deputy Grand Marshall - Dale Irvine, PFC, US Army, One of five brothers who served during WWII, Member of the 3rd Infantry Division, Field Artillery, Battle of the Bulge, which became the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the United States in WWII. 89,000 men were casualties with over 19,000 killed. In letters home, Dale did not mention the horror he and his fellow soldiers endured, rather he tried to send them encouraging letters of his plans and thoughts so they would not worry. He received 6 Medals from the US Military and recently received the Legion of Merit, he is now a Docent of the Air & Military Museum of the Ozarks.
A special guest in the Parade who is here to Honor these great men is Major General Leslie C. Smith, Current Commanding General, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. General Smith's decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Legion of Merit (with oak leaf cluster) and Senior Parachutist Badge along with numerous other medals and badges. General Smith holds a Master of Science degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University.
Everyone who has ever served in the military either saw or made the mistake of Saluting their Drill Sargent after a frustrating day of training. Nothing makes the point more about saluting then that drill instructor in your face yelling and screaming that he works for living and you do not salute enlisted men or women! Well Sargent Kontas, I am going to disobey you this Saturday. When these five enlisted men pass me in the Parade, I will proudly stand and salute them. They Earned it!
Everyone who has ever served in the military either saw or made the mistake of Saluting their Drill Sargent after a frustrating day of training. Nothing makes the point more about saluting then that drill instructor in your face yelling and screaming that he works for living and you do not salute enlisted men or women! Well Sargent Kontas, I am going to disobey you this Saturday. When these five enlisted men pass me in the Parade, I will proudly stand and salute them. They Earned it!
Mike Cook
Chairman, Southwest Missouri Veterans Day Parade
