A couple of World War II stories caught my eye today.

The Spokesman-Review has a piece about the dog tag of a Spokane soldier killed in the battle of Guadalcanal making it to his sister 66 years after he was killed. Cpl. Walter Raymond Hahn was serving with the Washington National Guard's 161st Regiment when he was killed on Jan. 18, 1943. The story about the return of the dog tag is pretty dang interesting.

And this other story isn’t local but is interesting nonetheless: The Washington Post writes about Congolese soldiers conscripted into fighting against Germany. (Congo was then a Belgian colony.) There are legions of soldiers who have fought on behalf of other nations and often get forgotten when the war is finished. For those who fought in World War II, there numbers are swiftly dwindling.

The 56th anniversary of the ceasefire ending the Korean War will be marked Saturday with a wreathlaying at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.

The 16th annual ceremony will begin 11 a.m. The name of Cpl. William B. Morse of Keyport will be added to the memorial. All organizations and individuals are welcome to bring flowers or wreaths to place during the ceremony, the State Department of Veterans Affairs said in a press release.

The director of the primary care clinic at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System was elected to the Royal College of Physicians earlier this week during a ceremony in London, the veterans health care agency announced.

Dr. Benjamin A. Lipsky is one of 20 doctors around the world to receive the appointment. He was inducted July 15.

The Royal College of Physicians is one of the most prestigious medical societies in the world. King Henry VIII founded the organization in 1518.

It’s a lifetime appointment, and Lipsky will spend the next year on sabbatical in Oxford, where he will study foot infections in diabetics.

Anyone who has deployed to Balad, Iraq, with the Washington National Guard or other units should check out this recent Newsweek story.

We've been chasing leads on this story for the last several months. TNT reporter Scott Fontaine tried to get near the burn pit when he was embedded with the 81st Brigade earlier this year.

We'd love to talk to you if you have information or believe you have been personally affected by exposure to the Balad burn pit.

A King County man who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day will be honored Saturday during a Flag Day celebration at the Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Huston Riley is the man in this iconic photo, according to a county press release. Avter the war, he raised his family and started a sporting-goods business. He’s active with the veteran community on Mercer Island.

"When we honor the flag we are honoring those men and women who have served under it." King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer said. "Mr. Riley is a great American hero who will forever be a symbol in the pages of our country’s history. This is an opportunity to thank a man who truly exemplifies freedom and perseverance."

Click below for the release.

=> Read more!

Seattle could add veterans to a list of protected classes in its anti-discrimination laws, seattlepi.com reports.

Here's the bottom line:

State and federal law already prohibits discrimination against veterans in areas such as employment and housing. The proposed ordinance would give veterans an option within local government for filing a complaint, and possibly a more convenient route if they've been denied a job or housing in Seattle due to their military status.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has started running a mobile counseling center in the Puget Sound area. The 38-foot motor coach offers space for counseling services and will transport counselors to events across western Washington.

Click below for the press release:

=> Read more!

A monument memorializing Medal of Honor winners from Pierce County will be dedicated during a Memorial Day observance at Tacoma’s War Memorial Park on Saturday.

The Tacoma Historical Society and American Legion are co-hosting the event, which begins at 2 p.m. at the park near the intersection of 6th Avenue and MacArthur Street.

Eight Pierce County residents have received the Medal of Honor, all but one from service in World War II, according to a release from the Historical Society. The eighth name, Maj. Patrick H. Brady, was honored for actions in the Vietnam War.

We're compiling a list of Memorial Day events around the area this weekend so you can plan something fun with the kids.

Want to add your event? Email me at scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com

Friday

Model recreation of Arlington National Cemetery, Clover Park High School front lawn, 11023 Gravelly Lake Dr SW, All day through Monday.

Sunday

Vaughn Bay Cemetery, Firing detail and speaker from 555th Engineer Brigade, corner of 100th Street KPN and 186th Avenue KPN, Vaughn, 1 p.m.

Fir Lane Memorial Park, I Corps Band, color guard from 191st Infantry Brigade and firing detail from 17th Fires Brigade, 924 176th St E., Spanaway, 1 p.m.

Monday

Thurston Country Deputy Sheriff's Association Ride Around the Mountain, Rainier High School, 308 Second St. W., Rainier, registration begins at 8 a.m.

Sumner Cemetery, I Corps Band, color guard and firing detail from 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, military chaplain as speaker, 12324 Valley Ave E., Sumner, 10 a.m.

Bethany Cemetery, Color guard and speaker from 191st Infantry Brigade, firing detail from 4th Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment, 26418 Mountain Hwy E., Spanaway, 10:30 a.m.

Flying Heritage Collection, Paine Field, 3407 109th St. SW, Everett, 11 a.m.

NABVETS Day of Honor, a celebration of minority veterans who fought in World War II, Bethlehem Baptist Church, 4818 Portland Ave., Tacoma, 11 a.m.

Thurston County Veterans Council, State Capitol Rotunda, 11 a.m.

Korean War Veterans Memorial, wreathlaying, State Capitol Campus, Olympia, 11 a.m.

Milton Veteran s Memorial, Fort Lewis garrison commander Col. Cynthia Murphy as speaker, Triangle Park, Milton Way and 15th Avenue, Milton, 11 a.m.

Fort Lewis cemetery, Fort Lewis acting commander Brig. Gen. Jeff Mathis as speaker, I Corps command honor guard, I Corps Band, 11:30 a.m.

New Tacoma Cemetery, chaplain from Fort Lewis, 9212 Chambers Creek Rd W., University Place, noon

Vietnam Veterans Thunder Run 2009, wreathlaying, speakers and the addition of name to the wall, leaves from various locations, Meets at Olympia Capitol Campus Vietnam Memorial, 12:30 p.m.

Pioneer Park Pavilion, Representative from 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division to attend, 210 W. Pioneer, Puyallup, 1 p.m.

Washington Soldiers Home, Speaker from Western Air Defense Sector, Chilson Hall, 1301 Orting-Kapowsin Hwy., Orting, 2 p.m.

Vietnam Memorial, soldiers from the Republic of Vietnam to attend, State Capitol Campus, 2 p.m.

Mountain View Memorial Park, chaplain and color guard from 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood, 2 p.m.

Mills and Mills Funeral Home, speaker from 17th Fires Brigade, 5725 Littlerock Rd. SW, Tumwater, 2 p.m.

Woodlawn Cemetery, 5930 Mullen Rd. SE, Lacey, 4:30 p.m.

Fort Lewis is inviting military retirees to the American Lake Club on Friday for an annual event that focuses on health care and the status of today's Army. Military agencies and veterans groups are also on hand to provide information.

Here’s what’s on tap, courtesy of the folks at public affairs:

A Madigan Army Medical Center mini-clinic, which will conduct diagnostic tests on site, from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointments are necessary, but patients should fast for 12-hours before having blood drawn.

A Retiree Information Fair will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Booths representing state and federal, and non-profit agencies will be staffed by employees and other individuals knowledgeable about benefits and services their organization has available for military retirees.

The Fort Lewis Staff Judge Advocate's office will staff a legal advice center at the fair, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., to assist with wills, special general and medical powers of attorney, and answers to legal questions.

Maj. Gen. Patricia Horoho, Madigan Army Medical Center Commander, will be the guest speaker for this year's event. She will be introduced by Maj. Gen. (retired) Eugene L. Daniel, Fort Lewis Retiree Council chairman, at 12:30 p.m.

Complimentary refreshments (fruit, pastry, coffee, and juice) will be offered throughout the day, from 7:30 a.m. to noon. There will also be a no-host breakfast served from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and a no-host luncheon from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., with dinner music provided a pianist from the 56th Army Band.

There’s another VetsMeetVets event on tap this weekend.

The program, which aims to link younger veterans with older ones, will be at City Park in Pacific on Saturday. It kicks off at 10 a.m.

Here’s what the schedule looks like:

10-11:30 a.m.: Seasoned veterans meet for introduction and enrollment as coaches
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Recent veterans/families/guests/seasoned veterans/the whole community: A celebration/acknowledgment of our veterans with food and music and speakers
1:30-4 p.m.: Main event with seasoned veterans coaching recent veterans in groups of six

For those who enjoyed today’s article on the Paralympics camp with soldiers from the Warrior Transition Battalion, you might appreciate this e-mail from Paul Wensley. He’s the vice present of the Commencement Bay Rowing Club, which hosted the adaptive rowing event with the soldiers.

He writes:

Laura Schwanger (bronze medal adaptive rower at the Beijing Paralympics) believed this event had the largest number of AR rowers on the water of any event so far in the United States. CBRC (ironic name as we row on American Lake) has been trying for over a year to start a continuing year-round AR program for military and civilians with disabilities, and despite the success of yesterday's event we are still uncertain if this will happen.

Our main problem is not the lack of effort/support from our incredibly generous members, as you could see from the numbers of local volunteers on a weekday/workday, but simply making enough people aware of our existence.

So if you’re interested in learning more about the club, click here.