Veterans Day 2017 seems like an appropriate time to revisit a story about the TWENTY grandsons of Texan J.T. Mick who fought in World War II.

One of those grandsons was Rufus Mick, son of Homer and Pearl Mick, who came to Monongah from Texas.

Rufus, either 17 or 18 years old because he was 10 in the 1940 census of the Mick family in Monongah, was in the Navy when he was killed in Europe on December 16, 1944.

That was six months after the most massive military landing in history – 160,000 Allied troops, 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft were involved -- on the beaches of Normany in France.

Rufus’ brother, Ralph Mick, served with the Army in the Pacific.

Another brother, Reuben, was in the Army Tank Corps.

Still another brother, Sgt. Roy E. Mick, was decorated with the Silver Star and was in charge of a tank destroyer crew that destroyed four enemy tanks in the Solomon Islands in October 1942.

Irene Mick Huffman, Class of 1947, was 14 years old when her brothers went off to war.

Reuben Mick, Jr., Class of 1970, is the son of Reuben R. Mick of the Army Tank Corps.

Other grandsons of Texas T.J. Mick fought on Tarawa in the Pacific.

Other Micks at Monongah High included sisters Marlene Mick Harrison, Class of 1965, and Paula Mick Webb, Class of 1966.

Paula was on Coach Gene Kendzior’s 1960 Marion County girls softball champs from Monongah. She also was in the MHS prom court, escorted by Steven Duckworth, before marrying Dick Webb and living in Monongah. Marlene became a widow, remarried and lives in North Carolina.  

Paula was a Monongah High Band feature twirler and in the class tournaments all four years. She also was on the Black Diamond Yearbook staff and in the senior class play, “Captain Kidd’s Return.”

Other Micks graduating from Monongah High:

Robert Mick, Class of 1962, and his brother, Richard Mick, Class of 1967.

Sharon States Mick, Class of 1965.

Veronica Luszcynski Mick, Class of 1941, was the sister of super Monongah High multi-sport athlete Eddie Luszcynski.

The 20 grandsons of T.J. Mick had plenty of company in World War II. 407,300 died fighting for America and freedom.

Counting civilians and the military, 60 million people died because of World War II.

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:

“We resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain . . . and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

We owe our veterans, of all wars, a debt that we can never repay.

But personally thanking those still alive for their service on Veterans Day is a small, but good, start.