BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Army veteran Ken Lair will celebrate his 98th birthday on Tues, Aug 22.
Lair is a veteran's voice that is still strong and dedicated, the same as the day he volunteered for service right after graduating high school in 1943 and his real education began.
Lair had hoped to fly but discovered his future in the Army Air Corp was solidly on the ground after he was told he was "not smart enough."
"I was slated for real gunner," said Lair, a World War II veteran. "But at that particular time, they were reducing the number of people in the Air Force and some of us were sent to the ground forces."
Lair was training at Camp Cook, now known as the Vandenberg Air Force Base, when the Allies landed in June 1944.
"Our platoon leader came in and announced that D-Day had taken place," said Lair.
Nearly five months later, Lair was in England with the 11th Armored Division, headed for the French Coast before heading to one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
"Within just a few days, that's when the Battle of the Bulge started," explained Lair. "We made a march of 500 miles through Paris into Belgium. We were green as grass, the whole division."
Lair's job was sweeping mines and building bridges but as the fighting ramped up, he was reassigned to the infantry.
"There were probably about 35 to 40 men altogether," said Lair. "We moved up on this slope on this hill. I had frostbitten toes, so I was pretty slow getting out of the half-track. The first squad, which I was in, had just gone over a little tiny ridge..."
That's when Lair's group was hit by German artillery.
"I was wounded very slightly and there was others that were killed outright," explained Lair. "Some evacuated. Some were killed right there.."
Lair was taken to the aid station and shipped back to England. By the time he returned to war, his company was in Germany and he was under attack again.
"We hear this machine gun going off and all of a sudden, a German airplane comes over on fire and I look up and there is another German airplane," said Lair. "If I use my chance, if I could just shoot this German down, I'll get out of here and go back to my home. But my gun jammed."
From there, Lair's division raced across Germany meeting little resistance. His service ended in Lenz, Austria when his unit helped to liberate a concentration camp.
"They had forced the German guards to carry those bodies out," said Lair. "They had dug this long trench with a bulldozer and they were just stacking the bodies up in that."
Lair was sent home in November 1945. He made his way to Bakersfield around five years ago following the death of his wife, Maydee. They were married for 65 years.
Lair will be part of the 47th Kern County Honor Flight in October. Sharon Dickey, an Honor Flight team leader had a chat with him, inviting him on the trip.
"I didn't expect to make this trip at all until she contacted me," said Lair. "She talked me into it."
It's a belated birthday gift for a "grunt" who gave so much so long ago.
