Numerous flags and people were lined along the route to honor the veteran as the motorcade passed through. Both traveled to Washington, D.C., in 2017to meet President Trump in the White House and then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at the Pentagon. The bow sagged. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Two motorists lost their lives in Gove County, Kan., including a member of the Kansas Patriot Guard motorcycle group that was escorting Strattons coffin for burial. Per Doc's wishes, a private family service was held. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. Many honored him by sharing stories, talking about his accomplishments, or reminding everyone of his favorite saying. briggs and stratton vtwin throttle linkage diagram; patristocrat cipher tips; xpenology dsm 7 vmware workstation. You have permission to edit this article. Stratton would learn that George, who died in 1996, had defied orders to cut the Vestals line, a decision that likely cost him a commendation. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. RED CLOUD, Neb. With the Pearl Harbor attack long behind him, Stratton and the others who owed their lives to Joe George began a campaign to have the Vestal crew member honored. DONALD STRATTON OBITUARY Donald David Stratton, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2015 while vacationing in Montego Bay Jamaica. DONALD EUGENE STRATTON FUNERAL HOME Swartz Funeral Home - Flint 1225 West Hill Road Flint, MI DONALD STRATTON OBITUARY STRATTON, DONALD EUGENE STRATTON, Donald Eugene born August. Donald was burned over 65% of his body and escaped the inferno by climbing across a line to a neighboring shipthe USS Vestal. "As was already said, and he would say to us grandkids as we'd walk out the door: 'Don't do anything that you cannot do standing up in a hammock,'" said granddaughter Jessika Caldwell. 2023 Cappadona Funeral Home The Original Trusted Alternative Funeral Service. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. Sympathy Ideas . The funeral liturgy for Don will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, March 8, 2018 at St. Bernard Catholic Church, 1617 W. Pine Street in Appleton, with Fr. Donald Stratton Obituary With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Donald Stratton (Red Cloud, Nebraska), born in Inavale, Nebraska, who passed away on February 15, 2020 at the age of 97. Stratton, then a seaman 1st class, described it in his book, "All the Gallant Men, " as a "great sucking sound, like a whoosh " that rocked the ship with concussive force. Stratton, 19, and several other men were in a metal box 70 feet off the water the port side anti-aircraft "director " where they were in danger of being cooked to death. The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the motorcyclist as 65-year-old Lennie Riedel of Colby, Kan., who lost control of his Harley-Davidson and laid the bike over on Interstate 70. Mr. Stratton loved God, loved his country and loved his family. Stratton watched as the sailor waved off another man on the deck and struggled witha line. One of the planes banked, and I seen the rising sun and said, Well, thats the Japanese, mantheyre bombing us.. But, something was missing, he wanted to return to WWII. 'Don' Stratton, age 86, of Wexford, passed away on Monday, November 30, 2020 at North Hills Health and Rehabilitation in Wexford. A funeral service will be held at the North Devon Crematorium on Tuesday 28th February at 10.20am. As long as there be war, I must answer Am I worth dying for?. quest diagnostics 32791n. The Navy said George, who died in 1996, was commended in 1942 but he never received any medal for his actions. With his death, only two survivors remain from the last crew of the USS Arizona: Lou Conter, 98, of Grass Valley, California, and Ken Potts, 98, of Provo, Utah. The attack left Stratton with burns over 60 percent of his body, costing him his fingerprints and leaving permanent scars. One of Stratton's friends also spoke at his funeral on Saturday. A motorcyclist escorting the body of Pearl Harbor survivor Donald Stratton to his hometown in Nebraska died in a crash Saturday in Kansas, authorities said. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. On Dec. 7, Stratton, Bruner and Conter watched on board the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor as theNavy awarded George a posthumous Bronze Star for Valor. He wanted to be at home, Randy said. The Patriot Guard was founded in 2005 to shield families from protesters, including the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., during funerals for fallen service members. Just over a year later, he found himself in the middle of the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Don worked for Rohrer Engineering and retired from Forester Systems in 2000. Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Barely 10 minutes into the attack, a bomb pierced the forward deck and buried itself in the Arizonas ammunition stores. Funeral Home website by. His wife, Velma, and his son, Randy, were with him. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, His skills were endless and his mind was always looking for the next thing to invent, design and bring to life. After years of striving to recognize Joe for his heroism that day, Donald, Lauren Bruner and their families, stood aboard the USS Arizona Memorial December 7, 2018 to posthumously honor Joe George with a Bronze Star with a V. The courage and bravery of Joe and the grit and grace of Donald has weaved together a precious community of families that hope to keep the memory of Pearl Harbor alive. Donald Stratton - Arizona Final Salute Donald Stratton Donald was born July 14, 1922 in Invale Nebraska and grew up in Red Cloud, Nebraska. They were all yelling and pointing toward Ford Island, he said. This image is an artists recreation of the burns Donald suffered during Pearl Harbor. Eight-year-old Landon Knestrick from North Carolina spoke at the service. Following the service, the Colorado Springs Police Department escorted the family and the casket. He was reared in Westhope and graduated Westhope High School in 1968. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Nellie Stratton; and 13 siblings. to the family or plant a tree He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Jessie, daughters Gypsy Dawn and Roxane Jo and son Robert, brother Daryl and sister Norma and great grandson DJ. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Donald R. Doc Stratton, age 60 of Roseville, MN, formerly of Westhope, died Saturday in Roseville. The crew enjoyed their time in Hawaii, playing football on the beach, shore leave, and all the hospitality of the island had to offer. Enter He was united in holy matrimony to Velma DEtte on April 23, 1950. Olivet Church, and again on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 from 10:00 am until the time of the service. Donald Stratton was one of the last three remaining survivors of the USS Arizona. A year later, he reenlisted. He participated in six more invasions aboard the USS Stack. Mr. Franklin was a 1938 graduate of Osgood High School and was an Army veteran of WWII where he served in the 119th Infantry Regiment and the 30th Infantry Division. can stop at any time. He joined the USS Stack, a destroyer headed for the Pacific. Hundreds honor Donald Stratton on ground, in air, and on motorcycle for funeral, Persons of interest identified after 2 juveniles shot and killed in Falcon, New details released following shootout with suspect and El Paso County deputies near Colorado Springs, Parent speaks out against Woodland Park 6th grade changes, WATCH - Penrose Library reopened, deemed safe following further testing for meth residue. The order had been given for the Vestal to cut loose from the Arizona and head for open water, Stratton said in his book. Born May 18th, 1934, in Freedom, he was a retired engineer for Pittsburgh Gears, a member of the Shriners in Rochester, and was a veteran of the . It was there he and Randy started their campaign to recognize Joe George, the sailor who threw the line to the burning Arizona. Donald was burned over 65% of his body and escaped the inferno by climbing across a line to a neighboring shipthe USS Vestal. He is survived by a niece, Catherine Vetterly and husband Tom of New Jersey, two great nephews; Brad (Lyndsey) and Brett (Kristin) Vetterly, and two great great nephews; Max and Milo Vetterly, and one great great niece, Mia Vetterly. Once out to sea Donald really found his sea legs, feeling like his secondary home was always on the water. A fireball swallowed the control tower where Stratton had climbed minutes before. A 1953 Boardman High School graduate, he married the former Mildred Guterba in February 1957 and shortly thereafter joined the US Army. Stratton, 97, a Colorado Springs resident, died Feb. 15. Donald J. The Navy offered him a job as a chief petty officer running recruits through boot camp in Idaho. Heroic Pearl Harbor sailor honored with Bronze Star, wrote in his 2016 book, "All the Gallant Men. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Stratton and Lauren Bruner, another Arizona survivor, lobbied hard for George to be recognized. He taught. Though George had been ordered to sever the line with Arizona, he kept the two ships tied together and threw a line to the men aboard the doomed battleship. In an incredible act of courage, Donald and fellow survivor Lauren Bruner were saved by a sailor named Joe George. "We got hit with the big bomb and that exploded like a million pounds of ammunition. Copyright 2009 - 23 Nero Funeral Home. Stratton told his own story many times over the years. It indicates, "Click to perform a search". But to many, he was also a symbol of leadership and character. His actions saved the injured Stratton and five of his shipmates. On that day, 1,177 men perished in the explosion leaving just 300 alive. Donald retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than 20 years. It was quite a sight for an old flatlander like me to see a 35,000-ton battleship out of the water, he said. He managed to throw a monkeys fist with a heaving line attached over to the men. Funeral Home website by. Home / Articles / Donald Stratton, USS Arizona Survivor, Has Died. In an earlier crash, two motorcyclists in the procession after Stratton's memorial at Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Colorado Springs were injured while driving north on Interstate 25. May 18, 1934 - November 30, 2020. "If anyone deserved a Medal of Honor that day, in my opinion, it was him.". Doc began his meat processing career in Westhope and through they years he worked as a meat cutter in numerous places through out North Dakota and Minnesota.He is survived by his companion, Jo Anne Freeberg of Roseville; daughter, Michelle Lafond (Jonas) of Auburn, GA; son, Marc Stratton (Susan) of Fergus Falls, MN; grandchildren, Cody Lafond and Kyle and Rylee Stratton; brothers, Bill Stratton (LeRae) of Westhope, Duane Stratton (Nancy) of Lakeville, MN and Keith Stratton (Donna) of Westhope; sister, Tudi Henderson (Ken) of Velva; one uncle; several aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins; and step-mother, Deloras Stratton.He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Doris Stratton and niece Morgan Stratton.Arrangements were with Nero Funeral Home in Westhope. Is comparing Colorado Springs' and Denver's homeless populations fair or unfair? After leaving the Navy, Donald met Velma in Red Cloud and the two married. He was well known in Colorado Springs, a regular at car shows, where he brought his 1965 Chevrolet pickup. On the morning of December 7, 1941, six sailors were rescued from the burning and sinking USS Arizona (BB-39) by Joe George, a crew member of the repair ship USS Vestal (AR-4). "As they shot through the two openings of the enclosure, we shielded ourselves by taking shelter under some of the equipment, our hands covering our mouths and eyes. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. "The flames swallowed the foremast where we were, " the Nebraska native said in the book. Then the veterans will continue to drive all the way to Red Cloud, Nebraska, where Stratton is from. Morris MI went home October 6, 2014 in Kingwood, TX. . In an incredible act of courage, Donald and fellow survivor Lauren Bruner were saved by a sailor named Joe George. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. On Satuday, Colorado Springs said goodbye to an American hero. POLL: How will the Rockies fare this season in the NL West. Read more about the life story of Donald and share your memory. You will be my forever hero.". Men being strafed as they brought boxes of ammo up ladders to the antiaircraft guns. They had four children, two of which passed before they were just 5 days old, and 2 boys Robert and Randy. The average age of a Stratton family member is 72. Donald J. Stratton, Sr. March 14, 1928 March 4, 2019. . To send flowers Born July 14, 1922, Donald Stratton grew up in Red Cloud, NE. The funeral procession stretching. He quietly departed this life Saturday, February 15, 2020 in his Colorado Springs, CO home alongside his wife and son. Donald J. The family also learned he was never honored for his bravery on December 7th. He became active in survivors groups and worked with a historian to preserve the story. Donald A. Stratton, 60, of 560 E. 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