Letter to readers: A national, and personal, hero

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##As Barbara Jenson of Oregon 45, a group that honors veterans, talks about WWII vet Peggy Lutz, the Navy WAVES member is applauded by friends, relatives, Legion family members, military personnel, government officials, Daughters of the American Revolution and others.

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##Peggy Lutz accepts congratulations from a well-wisher on her 102 birthday. The veteran was honored by a crowd at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. The party started outside when the Legion Riders motorcycle organization from McMinnville Post 21 roared by, then continued upstairs with speeches and a cake decorated like a runway and air traffic control tower where Lutz once served.

What can I say about Peggy Lutz, who served our country in the Navy WAVES during World War II?

She’s been a role model and inspiration in many ways, for me and so many others.

As one of the first Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, she was an air traffic controller at military bases in Klamath Falls and Astoria. After the war, she returned to her first profession, teaching, and for many years helped students reach their potential.

While taking care of her husband, she started a caregiver support group at the McMinnville Senior Center that helped countless others cope with the stress and fears of helping loved ones who were ill.

She’s been a writer all her life, penning good-humored memoirs of her time in the service, newspaper opinion pieces and many, many poems, including one on the occasion of her 102nd birthday on Wednesday, April 10.

Peggy read her latest poem during a birthday celebration at the Evergreen Aviation Museum that featured a huge cake decorated with a runway and air traffic control tower, along with tributes from numerous military and government officials, Daughters of the American Revolution and other organizations and representatives of her alma mater, Linfield University.

In the poem, she said she promised to celebrate her 103rd birthday next year with her friends; if not in person, then by watching from above. And she reminded them all to get along with one another and “live a good life with God’s love.”

That’s what she’s been doing for 102 years, she said. Recently, she said, she asked God why she has been chosen to live so long. She said God told her, “I have more lessons to teach you, and you are a slow learner.”

He told her to use her time caring for others, listening to them and being “a major friend.” And to keep teaching the lessons she learned in the Navy: If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well; respect yourself, which will make it easier to respect others; take care of your military family; maintain a deep-seated allegiance to country, flag and family.

Happy birthday, Peggy. I hope to see you next April 10.

Starla Pointer
Reporter and Stopping by columnist
503-687-1263
spointer@newsregister.com