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