Hero Who Served in Four Wars Laid to Rest in Washington

It was an honor to be there and to learn a little more about one of our great heroes who fought in and survived the conflicts of our nation's recent history.

Courtesy: IraqWarHeroes.org

(WASHOUGAL, Wash.) - I was fortunate this week to attend a ceremony in Washougal, Washington to help honor one of our heroes from the greatest generation.

I had no idea who this person was upon arriving there, and barely even remembered his name, but that changed when I learned a little more, just by looking at a display in the gathering area of the church.

I looked at all the hats and had read a short note about this World War Two hero named James Atkins.

What I at first didn't know, I then knew I would never forget.

United States Air Force Lt Colonel James Gorden Atkins had served in WWII as a big bomber navigator after which he went into reserve status and was called back to active duty to do the same again in the Korean War.

After that war he went back to reserve status, only to answer the call of our country to serve again, and this time it was the Vietnam War and he was still serving into the Cold War.

I thought there should have been a hat for the Cold War. I know we lost many heroes to hostiles during this war too.

These simple items represent years of dedication to the United States military service and if each could talk, they would tell stories about far away places and survival against the odds.

Photos of Lt. Col. James Atkins service by Q Madp IraqWarHeroes.org

The men who served in multiple conflicts are rare. Warfare changed a great deal over time and James Atkins served his nation with honor for many years.

I briefly spoke to a lifelong friend of his who told me the story of how James had to climb to free a stuck bomb while they were in flight.

The men of Lt. Col. Atkins' generation flew in a fast evolving variety of aircraft between the Second World War and Vietnam. Their roles and sacrifices in military aviation helped move that technology forward to where it is today. It must have been fascinating to be an active part of it the way he was.

After studying the hats, just a few of many he wore… I looked at the photograph in an acrylic holder and for a brief second I thought I was looking at President Ronald Reagan.

I saw a very honorable man. A true hero to our country.

A young Air Force Honor Guard came down from McChord AFB near Tacoma, Washington and flag bearers with the Patriot Guard Riders came to honor this American hero.

I wish there would have been young people there (OK, there were maybe 2 or 3) to hear the stories of our heroes closer than those revised history books.

Every day we are losing great treasures of our nation, along with stories that are not being passed on to the young.

It was an honor to be there and to learn a little more about one of our great heroes who fought in and survived the conflicts of our nation's recent history.

To learn more, please visit: IraqWarHeroes.org

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Q Madp is a person who has dedicated his life to preserving the integrity of those who have died fighting for their nation overseas. This is a person who has wrapped his entire life around his efforts to preserve the legacies of people who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as during other conflicts. He doesn’t think their deaths should go unrecognized, and he is right.

Q is a photographer and he has his work cut out for him as the self-appointed unofficial photographer of NW military funerals. He travels to services and he is constantly on the move. When he isn’t driving or shooting pictures, Q spends his time researching combat statistics and adding names to the vast list that he hopes will eventually include every American lost in the combat theaters and every other allied soldier as well. His Website is easy to remember, IraqWarHeroes.org is a place of memories for thousands of families who have lost a loved one.