‘We should not forget’: 3 West Seattle WWII veterans tell their stories

Take five minutes in honor of Memorial Day and those who served, by listening to three West Seattle men – all World War II veterans – tell their stories: 96-year-old Harry Rose, US Army Air Corps veteran; 95-year-old John Kelley, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers veteran; and 92-year-old Elmer Lindseth, U.S. Navy veteran. The video was produced by The Kenney – where they live – and Jaroslaw Media.

10 Replies to "'We should not forget': 3 West Seattle WWII veterans tell their stories"

  • Al May 28, 2017 (11:00 am)

    Great storys

  • emcat8 May 28, 2017 (11:06 am)

    Thank you so much for sharing this, and thank you Mr. Kelley, Mr. Lindseth, and Mr. Rose for sharing your memories and thoughts with us. My dad is gone now but he served in WWII and I always valued hearing his memories about the war, and sharing Memorial Day activities with him. It’s so important that we don’t forget their stories and their sacrifices.

  • 123 May 28, 2017 (12:52 pm)

    Thank you for your service gentlemen, and for helping build the beautiful world I grew up in. We owe much to you and your friends – you are remembered and appreciated.

  • Laura May 28, 2017 (1:20 pm)

    Thank you for sharing and thank you for the reminder of what this weekend is really all about.

  • JayDee May 28, 2017 (1:53 pm)

    My Dad was an Army Air Corp vet and serviced planes in England and France (once liberated) just like Mr. Rose.  Elmer is a former neighbor of mine and I never asked about his service much to my regret. My flag will be flying and I will wear a poppy from the VFW tomorrow.  To all the vets: I appreciate your service.

  • Mike May 29, 2017 (6:50 am)

    Thank you for sharing this.  Great reminder of why we celebrate todays holiday, it’s not just a day off from work, we honor those that died serving our country.  Thank you to all that have and currently still serve.

  • Rusty May 29, 2017 (12:03 pm)
    To all that went before we owe our freedom and liberty.
    Thank you for sharing these stories – this is a day to remember not only those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation, but also their families – who are forever altered, and live with that sacrifice every day. This is a small list of people I knew or had met while serving w/2/75 who paid that price. There is a wonderful 4-star Charity Navigator rated charity that helps the families, and offers scholarships to the children of those killed in action while serving under USASOC if anyone feels inclined to make a donation on someone’s behalf:
    Age Name 
    23   Jay Blessing                   11/14/2003 AFG

    27   Patrick Tillman              04/22/2004 AFG
    20   Nathan Stahl                  09/21/2004 IRQ
    20   Devin Peguero              12/16/2004 KIT
    23   David Gehrke                 03/29/2005 SUI
    24   Blake Samodell               09/15/2005 KIT

    24   Ricardo Barraza              03/18/2006 IRQ
    23   Dale Brehm                        03/19/2006 IRQ
    29   Jason Kessler                    07/30/2007 IRQ
    23   Nicholas Gummersall   08/06/2007 IRQ
    23   George Libby                     08/20/2007 AFG
    23   Joel Clarkson                    03/16/2008 AFG
    30   David McDowell             04/29/2008 AFG
    21   Christopher Gathercole 05/26/2008 AFG
    21   Thomas Duncan III       06/09/2008 IRQ
    22   Tyler Holtz                         09/24/2011 AFG
    29   Krisoffer Domeij           10/22/2011 AFG

    39   Joshua Wheeler            10/22/2015 IRQ

    (KIT = Killed in training, SUI = suicide)

    RLTW

  • Ellen May 29, 2017 (12:37 pm)

    Thank you West Seattle Blog for sharing this video and thank you to all the wonderful people at The Kenney and to Mark Jaroslaw for producing it.  Memorial Day serves to remind all of us of the ultimate sacrifices that so many people have made for their country and they deserve to be remembered and honored.  Memorial Day also reminds us of the continual need for all of us to work for peace, so that some day wars will be no more and we may all enjoy the benefits of freedom and peaceful solutions to conflict. 

  • Kim May 29, 2017 (8:28 pm)

    Thank you for sharing your stories with us, even though they are still so raw.  I am so grateful to brave folks like you all that put their lives on the line for millions of people they don’t even know. Words can’t express our thanks.

  • Savanna May 30, 2017 (7:39 am)

    Thank you so much, WSB for posting this. Memorial Day is an important day of reflection for all, and honoring those who are gone by those who survived it is an irreplaceable way to remind us of these stories from history.  A friend and veteran once told me that it is easiest for a person to send us into war when they have never seen a day of combat. Hearing personal stories such as these always reinforces that – 70+ years and the memories are still haunting.

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