Memorial Day keynoter speaks of Freeport during WWII

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There are two words that best describe America during World War II: sacrifice and teamwork. These words are easily applied to Freeporters who lived here during the war years. Between 1941 and 1945, Freeport had a population of about 20,000. Over 2,000 Freeporters were called to service in World War II, including 63 women. There were 64 Freeporters - soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen– that died as a result of this war. Their names appear on both the bronze plaque inside the Library’s Memorial Room and on the granite memorial in front of the library building. Another six Freeporters who served in the U.S. Merchant Marines also died while in service.

On this Memorial Day, we should remember the 70 Freeport soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Merchant Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice. Forty of these men are buried in the United States; 16 are buried overseas and the bodies of 14 Freeporters were never recovered.

Some of Freeport’s heroes include McKinley Blaine Taylor, Jr. who lived on Nassau Avenue and worked as a newspaper reporter before the war. Taylor was a member of the First Marine Division in the Pacific Theater. Before he died during the Guadalcanal campaign in 1942, Taylor wrote home, “I have seen action. I’m going to come through okay.”

Twenty-two-year-old bayman Warren H. Stevens, Private, U.S. Army, 4th Infantry Division, survived the D-Day invasion of Normandy at Utah Beach only to die 13 days later at the storming of Cherbourg. He grew up on Albany Avenue and was married.
Others survived. Freeporter Jim Brodbeck was stationed in the Philippines. In January 1945, the jeep he was riding in was hit by enemy machine gun fire. The driver of Jim’s jeep ran off, leaving him alone and wounded until he was rescued the next morning. Jim lost his left leg from the incident and was rehabilitated at Walter Reed Hospital. He was later awarded two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts. Jim died in 1999 at the age of 80. According to his obituary, he lived a full life and was never bitter about his war experience. In fact, most people didn’t know that he had a prosthetic leg.

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