MADE ARRANGEMENTS–Marinette Legion Commander Jerome “Duffy” Nast, left, is pictured with Paul Koeppler who was one of the many WWII veterans who participated in the Oct. 27 Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

Local Veterans Visit D.C. Memorials As “Old Glory Honors Flight” Guests

Veterans Day always holds a special significance for Paul Koeppler of Peshtigo, since he and many of his friends are veterans. The day was particularly significant for him this year, since he and other veterans from northeast Wisconsin had just returned from visiting national monuments in Washington, D.C.

Koeppler (Navy), Edward Strass (Navy) and Kenneth Boehmke (Army), both of Crivitz; Robert Campbell (Navy), Oconto; Frank W. George (Army) Gillett; Wilmer Helm (Army), Bob Reeners (Navy and Coast Guard), of Hobart and 88 other World War II veterans were guests on a special one-day “Old Glory Honors Flight” on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Bob Brockman of Marinette, was also with the group in Washington, but he paid his own way. Like all Honors Flight visits, their trip focused on memorials to veterans in and near the nation’s capital, particularly the World War II Memorial that opened in April of 2004. It was a full, full day.

The Honors Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s Veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport the nation’s heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at the memorials built for them and others like them. Top priority currently is given to veterans who may be terminally ill and to senior veterans, particularly World War II survivors. There is no cost to the veteran for the excursion.

Because of the age and infirmities of many of the travelers, about 50 “guardians” accompany each group to provide whatever assistance may be needed. Mary Ann Tippins was one of the guardians on the Oct. 27 plane.

Koeppler, now 86, served three years, one month and one day with the United States Navy during World War II and left the service in 1946 with the rank of Master Sergeant. He is now an active member of veterans organizations including the American Legion and the Wisconsin LST Association, Inc. It was Duffy Nast, head of the LST Association and the Marinette American Legion chapter, who encouraged him and other members to sign up for the trip. Other LST members on the trip were Brockman, Reeners and Strass.

Because of the long day planned for Oct. 27, Koeppler spent the night before and the night after at a hotel in Appleton. Arrival at the airport was scheduled for 5 a.m. They were met there with yellow tape and an honor guard.

Their flight left at 6:45 a.m. and arrived in Washington at 9:30 a.m. Shortly after 10 a.m. they boarded a tour bus for the drive to the World War II Memorial, which is located on the National Mall between the towering Washington Monument on the east and the massive Lincoln Memorial on the west. In order not to intrude on the view between the two, the World War II Memorial was built in a depression and is six feet below grade. “You go down to view it,” Koeppler commented.

The World War II Memorial, built nearly 60 years after the war ended, honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home. It is the only memorial on the central axis of the National Mall that commemorates a 20th Century event.

The Memorial is oval shaped, 384 feet wide, with pavilion towers on each end. The tower on the north commemorates the Atlantic theater and the south tower commemorates the Pacific. Below each tower lies a fountain pool and engraved on the coping of each pool is a list of the important battles fought in the theater of the war that it represents.

Framing the Memorial and the towers are 56 granite pillars, one for each state and territory existing at the time of the war. There were 48 states, seven territories and the District of Columbia, placed according to when the state it represents entered the union. The pillars, connected by a bronze rope, celebrate the unprecedented unity of the nation during the conflict.

On each of the pillars are two bronze wreaths, alternating between Oak and Wheat, symbolizing the military and civilian production required to win the conflict.

At the center of the Memorial is Rainbow Pool, 246 feet long and 148 feet wide, ringed with fountains. On the west side is Freedom Wall, with 4,000 sculpted gold stars, each of which commemorates 100 of the 400,000 servicemen and women who died in World War II. The stars are reminiscent of the Gold Star flags which hung in the windows of the families of servicemen during the war.

At the Memorial, Koeppler and his companions were greeted by Sen. Bob Dole, who is himself a wounded World War II veteran, and Congressman Steve Kagen. As they left the bus to approach the Memorial they passed through an avenue of flags.

At 1 p.m., after time for photos and contemplation, the group had lunch on the bus, which drove to the Lincoln, Korean and Vietnam Memorials, where they had the option of getting off for a closer look or staying on for a tour of the city. When the bus returned, those who stayed behind reboarded for transport closer to the Vietnam and Korean Memorials, and again had the option to stay aboard for a city tour. Those who stayed at the various memorials were picked up at 3 p.m. for the bus trip to the Iwo Jima Memorial, where again there were tours and group photos.

From there the tour went to Arlington National Cemetery, arriving at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in time to view the Changing of the Guard Ceremony.

Dinners were distributed when the group reboarded the busses at 5:45 p.m. for return to Dulles International airport and the flight back to Appleton.

Back in Appleton at 10:30 p.m. they found more yellow tape, another honor guard, and some 2,000 cheering family members and friends waiting to greet them.

It was a long and tiring day, Koeppler said, but well worth it, despite the wet and drizzly weather that went with them. He hopes all World War II veterans will sign up for one of the trips to Washington. Nast suggests veterans contact The Honor Flight Network northeast Wisconsin regional hub director Drew MacDonald at 888-635-9838 for more information, or view it on-line at honorflight.org. There is a waiting list of approximately 200, Koeppler said.

Koeppler was born and raised in Marinette, and was a Senior at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in 1942 when he dropped out to join the Navy. Since he was of draft age, he got a draft notice anyway, and he entered the Navy in January of 1943.

After basic training at Great Lakes Naval Academy he went to an amphibious base in Little Creek, VA for training on an LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel Transport). This vessel, he said, is designed to bring soldiers from ship to shore. He was promoted to coxwain (steersman) and was assigned to one of six amphibious LCVPs on a Liberty Ship out of New York. They sailed for Insto, England two weeks later.

At Insto they were trained to handle their vessels under different tides and conditions, and actually trained Army personnel for what they could do with boats.

In January or February of 1944 Koeppler and his group were transferred to LST 282, a huge vessel that carried 6 Higgins LCVP amphibious vessels on the tank deck. They trained at Splatan Sands Beach in England under various conditions, including live fire. There was talk of going to France in April.

On April 26, 1944, there was to be a huge “mockup” invasion, but six German E-boats managed to get into their convoy. “Everything was off,” Koeppler said.

When D-Day did arrive, on June 6, 1944, they headed for France without knowing which beach they were to land on. They were with the Fourth Wave, and the job of their amphibious craft, one of the six Higgins on their LST, was to bring soldiers to shore. He remembers that it was a cobblestone beach. They dropped their ramp and ruined the propeller, with 32 men aboard in full gear. Then they heard machine gun fire and tried to get off the beach but had no speed. Finally they got their craft turned around and began picking up wounded.

Koeppler said he didn’t even know he had been shot until he saw blood on the wheels. They made it back to the 282, where he received medical treatment for wounds to his hip and left arm. He went back to duty later that day. He said the ship’s log was lost during the invasions, and it was 46 years later that he received his Purple Heart.

He can still see an armored ship carrying a whole unit being struck by a bomb. Their craft almost ran over two men who were blown off the ship. He helped pull them aboard. They managed to get five wounded men off the boat, but were unable to save a sixth.

In late August of 1944 he was assigned to another boat that sailed for the Mediterranean. One of his most vivid memories is of being stranded once on a beach in the Mediterranean for two weeks with no boat.

Eventually Koeppler was given a brief leave before reporting to a ship destined for duty in the Pacific. He visited a friend in Shoemaker, Calif. While there he met a girl and decided he did not want to go back to war. He “unofficially” extended his leave for 26 days and was later court martialed for being AWOL. He was fined $236 and spent two weeks in the brig before going back to active duty. He was aboard a ship on his way to invade Japan when the world’s first atom bombs were dropped and the war was all but over, Koeppler said.

“(President Harry) Truman made the right decision,” Koeppler declared. “He probably saved my life!”

He was discharged on Feb. 2, 1946 - three years, one month and one day after he was inducted.

When Koeppler was a youngster his family lived on Green Gable Road. After returning home he spent a year sailing on the Great Lakes, until he met and married his wife, Beatrice, who was from Milwaukee. They had two children, son Mark, who lives in the old family home on Green Gable Road outside of Marinette, and daughter, Sherrie, who lives in New Berlin. Beatrice passed away in 1993.

He worked for Thunder Mountain Ranch west of Crivitz for many years and spent a lot of time trapping on the Thunder River. He retired some years ago from his job as a tool and die maker in Milwaukee, and now lives at 901 Aubin Street. He enjoys archaeology as a hobby, and said he has helped recover graves all over Wisconsin.

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