{"id":12817,"date":"2024-08-10T23:03:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-10T23:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=12817"},"modified":"2024-08-10T23:03:57","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T23:03:57","slug":"100-year-old-wwii-veteran-breaks-down-in-tears-this-isnt-the-country-we-fought-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=12817","title":{"rendered":"100-year-old WWII veteran breaks down in tears; \u2018This isn\u2019t the country we fought for\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to U.S. Marine Carl Spurlin Dekel, much of what American soldiers fought for in World War II has \u201cgone down the drain.\u201d Dekel, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, stated that serving his country in WWII was the most significant thing he ever did. Despite his willingness to put his life on the line again, he expressed regret that the U.S. has strayed from the ideals he once knew.
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\nDekel shared his concerns with Fox 13, saying, \u201cPeople don\u2019t realize what they have. The things we did and the things we fought for and the boys that died for it, it\u2019s all gone down the drain.\u201d He lamented the changes in the country, noting, \u201cWe haven\u2019t got the country we had when I was raised, not at all. Nobody will have the fun I had. Nobody will have the opportunity I had. It\u2019s just not the same, and that\u2019s not what our boys died for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loss of a Hero<\/p>\n

On the same day as Dekel\u2019s remarks, the U.S. lost its last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from WWII, Hershel \u201cWoody\u201d Williams, who passed away at 98 years old. Williams, a fellow Marine, received his medal for heroism during the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. He died surrounded by his family in a hospital named after him in West Virginia.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, America\u2019s 63 living Medal of Honor recipients honored Williams. They reflected on his life, stating, \u201cFriends and family of Woody Williams knew him as a West Virginia farmer\u2019s son and the youngest of 11 children who dutifully supported his family after his father died. Fellow Marines knew him as the corporal who volunteered for a mission on Iwo Jima to clear a lane through enemy pillboxes that were destroying American tanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also highlighted his post-war contributions, noting, \u201cVeterans in West Virginia knew him as their advocate through his work as a Veterans Service Representative. Gold Star families knew Woody through his work raising money for scholarships and other programs through the Woody Williams Foundation. We, his fellow Medal of Honor Recipients, knew him as our friend and one of our heroes. We will miss him greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hope for Resurgence<\/p>\n

Williams shared Dekel\u2019s sense of loss regarding patriotism in the U.S. During a Memorial Day interview, he expressed hope for a resurgence of patriotic spirit. \u201cI\u2019ve been at this probably 25 to 30 times, but I believe today we had more honor wreaths than we\u2019ve ever had before, and that\u2019s encouraging,\u201d Williams told WSAZ during a veterans\u2019 event. \u201cIt gives me encouragement that we\u2019re coming back and that we will again be that United States of America that had so much patriotism and love of country.\u201d
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