50 former troops to see war memorial for first time

Lee Zuck was in the first wave of Marines to land on Iwo Jima to fight in one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history.

Sonny Davis fought the Japanese at Corregidor in the Philippines until American troops ran out of ammunition and food and had to surrender in the early days of World War II.

On Friday, they will be among more than 50 veterans of Le Flore and Sequoyah counties traveling to the nation's capital to see for the first time the World War II Memorial to the men and women who've become known as the "greatest generation.”

The trip is being paid with money raised by the residents of those two counties so their World War II veterans can see the memorial to them and their fellow servicemen and women.

More than $80,000 has been raised to house and feed the veterans and their spouses during this weekend's trip, said Sen. Kenneth Corn, a Poteau Democrat who spearheaded the effort.

The idea for this journey was born earlier this year when Corn was in Washington with some businessmen from his state Senate district.

"Fifteen hundred World War II veterans die a day,” Corn said.

Joining Corn in helping raise money were Reps. Neil Brannon, D-Arkoma, and Glen Bud Smithson, D-Sallisaw.

The fundraising drive began in January. Donations were obtained from the private sector, from schools, from firefighters and others throughout the two counties that make up most of the legislative districts of the three lawmakers.

When he launched the program, Corn said, "I believe organizing and funding this trip for our World War II veterans is the least we can do to repay them for their tremendous sacrifice.”

Davis, who will be 85 in July, lives in Talihina.

Zuck, 85, lives in Poteau.

Davis was born in Tuskahoma, about 20 miles from Talihina.

He was a prisoner of war of the Japanese from 1942 when Corregidor fell until 1945 after the war ended. He then served on active duty with the Army for more than 22 years.

"I am just looking forward to it,” he said of his trip to the memorial.

Of his time in a Japanese prison camp, Davis said: "I am a religious fellow, and I have to forgive them.”

Zuck grew up in Arkansas.

After the war, he went to Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State University, and then taught school in Oklahoma for more than 36 years.

At Iwo Jima, Zuck, his platoon leader and another Marine got across the island in 90 minutes, he said.

But the battle was a long one.

The invasion was in February 1945. Zuck was wounded a month later.

Zuck originally didn't think money should be spent to build the memorial, he said.

"I was kind of one of these rebels. I thought we ought to spend the money on veteran hospitals,” he said.

But he's mellowed now.

"I'm excited to go see it.”