Operation Bugle Boy hosts seminar

One of six main presenters at the Gold Star Families Memorial, Carl Landwehr, talks about the experience his family went through when his Uncle, Ssgt. Carl Landwehr, was killed in World War II. Landwehr served as a tailgunner on a B-17G when they were shot down over Germany on Oct. 7, 1944.
One of six main presenters at the Gold Star Families Memorial, Carl Landwehr, talks about the experience his family went through when his Uncle, Ssgt. Carl Landwehr, was killed in World War II. Landwehr served as a tailgunner on a B-17G when they were shot down over Germany on Oct. 7, 1944.

Why we must never forget the members of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and the families they left behind.

That was the theme for a seminar held Thursday night in St. Martins.

Operation Bugle Boy teamed up with the St. Martins Knights of Columbus to host "The Price of Freedom: Our Gold Star Families."

The night featured brief presentations from a panel of local Gold Star Family members. The name Gold Star came from the custom of families of service members hanging a banner called a service flag in the window of their homes. A Gold Star Family is the immediate family member(s) of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict.

Carl Landwehr is the nephew of Staff Sgt. Carl Landehr who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

During a mission on Oct. 7, 1944, his B-17 "Cover Girl" was struck by anti-aircraft fire while on the way to bomb a synthetic oil plant in what is now western Poland. The resulting explosion caused their right wing to catch fire and separate from the fuselage of the aircraft.

"This caused the aircraft to slip into an uncontrollable dive and explode," Landwehr said. "Three airmen, including Carl, were able to get out of the plane and pull their parachute ripcords. Carl and a fellow aviator landed in the bay and drowned."

Larry Hasenbeck, of Jefferson City, talked about his brother, Staff Sgt. Paul Hasenbeck, who served in the U.S. Army and went missing in action April 21, 1967, in Vietnam. Larry said his brother volunteered for the last mission he went on after being earlier wounded and receiving the Purple Heart.

"His personal items have been on display at the War Museum in Hanoi, Vietnam," Larry told the crowd. "So we know he was in their possession for a while. Fifty-three years later, we don't know anymore than we did the day after we got the announcement. He's still listed as missing in action, but we know the odds are slim that he would still be alive. We've had to learn to live with this, but we live in hope that his remains will be returned."

Also Thursday night, two major donations were announced for the "Leon's Tree" program. The tree is named in honor of the late Lance Corporal Leon Deraps, a 19-year-old Jamestown Marine killed in combat operations in May 2006 in the Anbar Province in Iraq. After his death, his family became supporters of Marine Parents and sending care packages to troops overseas.

Don Hentges, president of the Jefferson City Veterans Council, said VFW Post 35 in St. Martins was donating $1,000 for the program and Jefferson City Jays Hall of Fame Coach Pete Adkins said he too was donating $1,000. Adkins told the crowd it was to honor his wife, Lorraine, who started the annual Wreaths for Heroes event where volunteers lay artificial wreaths on each of the 1,587 grave sites at Jefferson City National Cemetery on East McCarty Street. Adkins said they plan to do the event Dec. 19.

"She would have wanted it this way, and we have to keep it going," Adkins said.

"All these families want is to have the public remember the sacrifices that their family members have made for our country," Operation Bugle Boy President Chris Jarboe said. "I am so proud that we were able to do this for them."