Message From Our Chaplain

Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460

Veteran-Owned and Serving You Since 1902

At Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460, we know how much it means to serve. As a veteran-owned organization, we are committed to meeting the needs of those in our community. We’ve been open since 1902, and that means we’ve spent over 120 years helping people right here in Solon, IA.

As part of our mission, we are open to the public for meals, special events, and more. To learn more about Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460 and what we’re all about, read this recent letter from our chaplain from December 2024.

A Message From Chaplain Doug Thompson

Tom Rice, Richard Winters, Ed Mauser, and Don Burgett are four men who all have some things in common. First, they are all World War II veterans. Second, they all participated in the D-Day airborne jump. Third, all of them were in the famed 101st Airborne Division. My connection to these men is basically from newspaper articles, except for Don Burgett. I would like to share with you a little more history about these men.

Tom Rice, at the age of 98, on June 5, 2019, made his second parachute jump over Carentan, Normandy, located in northwestern France. His first jump took place on June 5, 1944, at the age of 23 years. Tom made his second jump as part of the commemoration ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied landings on D-Day, marking the beginning of the end of Hitler's hold on most of Europe. Two years later, on his birthday, August 15th, Tom, at the age of 100, made another jump, this time to honor all of the men who did not make it home. As one of the few remaining members of the original 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Division, Tom said, “I'm carrying the weight of the entire division on my shoulders.” To help Tom complete his tribute to those killed in action, he jumped from a fully restored C-53D plane, called D-Day Doll.

Richard Winters, better known as “Dick,” took command of Easy Company after their commander, along with the entire stick of paratroopers, was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. Dick Winters and Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, took the spotlight in America's consciousness when the HBO mini-series based on the 1992 book “Band of Brothers” was first aired. I can attest that when I watched this mini-series, it wasn't hard to see these men as one family. Major Winters, at the age of 92, passed away on January 10, 2011. Even at the very end, Dick Winters was the Company Commander of Easy.

Ed Mauser served under Dick Winters, and by all accounts, Ed avoided the limelight. In fact, Ed kept his service with Easy Company a secret, even from most of his family members. Ed opened up to a select few about his service with Easy Company only after he received a copy of the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.” For nearly 67 years, Ed kept the events of his military service to himself. Ed was the oldest member of Easy Company when he passed away at 94 on January 24, 2011. He died fourteen days after his beloved Company Commander's passing.

The first time I spoke with Donald (Don) Burgett was in August of 2005. Don, at that time, had authored two previous books, “Currahee!” and “Seven Roads to Hell,” both of which I had purchased. When I learned of Don's third book, “The Road to Arnhem,” I immediately sought it out to purchase. However, much to my surprise, the third book was only available in softcover. I really wanted the book, but in hardcover, like the other two I had read, now resting on my bookshelf. I decided to take a chance, and I called Don at his home in Michigan. Don answered the phone, and I explained that I was hoping to acquire a hardcover copy of his book. Don said, “I think I may still have a couple of extra copies in hardcover. Hang on, and I'll look.” When he picked up the receiver, I heard, “Yes, I have one.” I told Don that I would send a check that would cover the book and shipping. I told him, “Don't send the book until my check clears and you are satisfied. If the shipping cost is greater, let me know, and I will send you money to cover any additional cost.” Don laughed and said I can tell you're an honest guy or a good con man. The next thing I know, he's talking to me like we were neighbors. He told me that he was working on his fourth book. He then said, “I'll make sure I get an extra hardcover for you.” When my third book arrived, I discovered that Don had written a small note on the inside cover along with his autograph. As time slipped by, we would call each other and chat about family and his fourth book. Then one day, I got a call, and it was Don; he informed me that the fourth book was in the mail. Then he told me that he has one more book left in him, and he was making an outline, but it would be a while before he would be able to flesh it out. During those intervening years, Don and I continued to call each other from time to time.

In December of 2016, I called to wish Don and Twyla a Merry Christmas and to see how his fifth book was coming along. Twyla answered the phone and said, “Oh, Doug, Don's in the hospital, he's not doing too well. I'm worried he won't be coming home to me. Maybe if you sent him a get-well card with a note, it might perk him up. He's fond of you, and I know it would mean a lot to him.” I promised her that I would get a card and letter out to him right away. Don did come home, but he passed away on March 23, 2017, at 91 years of age, never completing his fifth book. Don survived D-Day, Arnhem (Market Garden), Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge), Alsace, Ruhr Valley, Rhineland, Austria, but not the passage of time. When he came home from the war, Don described himself as a 140-pound teenager who was too young to buy a beer. Twyla passed away on September 6, 2023, married 64 years to a 140-pound teenager, a mother of five, grandmother of twelve, Great-grandmother of thirty-one, and a Great-Great-grandmother of one.

As our nation celebrates this Fourth of July, let us take a moment and remember why we are free. Thank you, Don, Dick, Ed, Tom, and the thousands of other men and women who have answered the call to military service.

Doug Thompson, Chaplain dotandjot@aol.com