Island Veteran Reflects on Meaning of Holiday

As the Vineyard joins the rest of the country this morning in
observance of Veterans' Day, Curtis S. Jones of Vineyard Haven
will stand quietly on the sidelines and watch the parade in Oak Bluffs.
Mr. Jones is a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army. The
88-year-old veteran served his country in Europe for three years during
World War II and spent 26 months in a German prisoner of war camp in
Poland. The camp was called OFLAG 64.

In a brief interview with the Gazette this week, Mr. Jones reflected
on his wartime years and spoke about the importance of this day. For
him, it is a day to remember friends who were lost in the war. "It
is a sentimental time for me to remember those who are no longer with
us," he said.

He had one final thought: "I want young people who have no
idea what happened during World War II, the Korean and the Viet Nam War,
to ask someone in their family to talk about it. I think they should
know about these wars, and the lives that were lost. So much has
happened in the last 60 years."

- Text and photograph by Mark Alan Lovewell