A time for celebration, hope ... reflection

Walt Spaelti was one of about 36 veterans, one of five in his branch of the military, who attended the United Service Organizations Veterans Day Celebration at the Douglas County Senior Center on Wednesday.

Spaelti served in the 24th Bomber Group in the U.S. Air Force from 1941-45, during World War II.

"I served mostly in the Philippines. I wound up in Tokyo," said Spaelti, who was a staff sergeant and radio operator. "I flew in the bomber group."

Spaelti recalled the friends he made while in the service.

"Most of my friends I had are gone," said Spaelti. "I still have one old-timer that lives in Chicago."

He had been pleasantly surprised at a brief stay he had in Hawaii while stationed on a ship.

"The ship I was on, one of the boilers burned out. We went to Pearl Harbor to have the ship repaired, then went on to Leyte. It's so long ago, I can't remember," he laughed.

Another veteran, Gerald Patton and his wife Diane attended the luncheon celebration. Diane proudly displayed her husband's photo taken when he was 22 years old in 1944 while in the city of Manila on the Philippine Islands. Gerald, known as Pat, served in the U.S. Army for two years.

The morning was festive, and tearful for some, as the patriotic songs and displays reminded them of the past when they fought for their country alongside many others who were killed in action.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 8583 of Gardnerville lead the opening flag ceremony, with Commander Jack Nester heading the group.

Entertainers Diana Buffaloe of the Gardnerville Ranchos and Mark Jelen of Reno sang songs that brought the approximately 130 senior citizens back to the "good old days." Buffaloe opened with "Pennies from Heaven," and Jelen was crooning Frank Sinatra's "Oh! Look at Me Now" and other tunes by "old blue eyes."

"If he keeps that up, he'll have us all dancing on the table," said Mary Macdonald.

Joan Cummings and Esther Randazzo sang along to the music. Lips were mouthing the words and shoulders gyrated throughout the room.

Within minutes, Pat Newton, a volunteer at the senior center, could not contain herself any longer and joined Jelen for a little toe-tapping.

Gardnerville Elementary School reading instructor Kitty Murphy sang "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B."

"I learned to jitterbug to that song," Macdonald reminisced.

GES fifth-grade teacher Jacobsen lead her students in singing "America the Beautiful" and, between eating a fried chicken lunch, the crowd sang along to "God Bless America."

Louise Jenkins, who is 103, said she liked to see the children because she has a great-granddaughter the same age. To commemorate the occasion, she wore red, white and blue beads and a quarter from the year she was born around her neck.

The master of ceremonies was Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini. Other speakers were Douglas County Manager Dan Holler, commissioner Kelly Kite, governor-elect Jim Gibbon's representative Craig Hulse and U.S. Senator John Ensign's regional representative Marc De La Torre.

Present, but not speaking, was Uncle Sam, in full costume.

n Jo Rafferty can be reached at jrafferty@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 210.