WWII veteran to speak at Miami Valley Veterans Museum
TROY — D. Ralph Young, 98, who served as a gunner’s mate aboard the USS J. Franklin Bell (1943-1946) during World War II will be the speaker at 9 a.m. at the July 5 meeting of the Miami Valley Veterans Museum at 2245 S. County Road 25A in Troy.
Young says, “When media present stories about World War II, we know that invariably the focus will be on Pearl Harbor and the European Theater with attention to battles such as the Beaches of Normandy or the Battle of the Bulge. There were also battles in the Pacific Theater such as those at Peleluiu, Tinian, and Tarwara, and my intent is to present information on them.”
“As a 98-year-old, I reflect frequently on my life and on what my comrades and I did to defeat a barbaric enemy, the Japanese, and how that nation has moved from defeat to becoming highly prosperous,” continued Young. “I was 17 when I enlisted, and I am forever grateful to have had the honor of serving with those of the Greatest Generation.”
Young’s book “Forgotten Warriors II: Amphibious March Across the Pacific During World War II” will be available for purchase at the session.
Upcoming speakers at the museum for the next two months are the following: Aug. 7, Bob Allen, “The Vietnam War: Fact or Fiction” (full breakfast by Fort Pickawillany Children of the American Revolution); Sept. 6, Bev and John Titus, “Our Daughter, a Flight Attendant, Died on 9/11 Aboard United Airlines 175” (Coffee and doughnuts by Miami County Veterans Service Commission).
Veterans and friends of veterans are invited to attend.
