On what would have been his 100th birthday, a World War II veteran's son recalls timely lessons from his dad
An Iowa veteran writes passionately about his veteran father
By RAY WALTON
Guest Columnist
For The Iowa Mercury
INDIANOLA, Iowa
Nov. 22, 2024
Were my father still living he would be 100 today. Those of you who knew him remember he was an auto mechanic at the local Ford dealership for many years. You recall he always walked with a limp due a wound he received in Italy in late May 1944 where his left ball-and-socket joint was destroyed by a German bullet. He was 19 when that happened. He never lived another day without pain. I do not recall him complaining about it. Ever.
Dad was not a wealthy guy. He really never made a lot of money, but he was uncommonly generous, giving to his church and various organizations like Boys Town.
His grandkids were a source of unrelenting joy. He fixed their bikes and gave them candy when we would not. He joked with them that he couldn’t remember their names, often saying,
“What’s your name, Sam?”
When I was about a Sophomore or Junior in college, I wasn’t doing very well and really couldn’t afford school, I told him I thought I was going to drop out. He said, “What are you going to do?” I said, “Well, I guess like you I’ll be a mechanic. He said, “Ray, I don’t think you’ve got the talent for it. Better stay in school.” I did.
I remember in Cub Scouts or some such group we were in the old high school gym. The idea was to, with your Father, race from one end of the gym to the other. He knew he could not run and said he’d find someone else to race with me. We couldn’t find anyone so he did it, limping painfully the length of the court. Raw courage.
He taught me the value of hard work, honesty in the face of adversity and to look for ways to help others.
He gave unsparingly to his community. He loved our family and provided a daily beacon to light our paths as we tried to be as good a person as he was.
He lived a difficult life due to the WW II wound. He lived it unflinchingly, always giving more than he took.
We are fortunate to have known him and continue to rely on his guidance today.
About The Author
(Ray Walton of Indianola, Iowa was born in 1947 at the then Indianola Hospital to Esther and Earl Walton. He grew up in Indianola where he participated in most high school sports.
After transferring from the University in Cedar Falls to Simpson he lost a few credits in 1967/68. In those days the draft required staying on track to graduate in four years. He reported for his physical in February of ‘68 a few days after the Tet Offensive. Everyone passed.
Miraculously he was assigned to The Defense Language Institute in Monterey California. (He had never been west of Omaha prior). He successfully learned German primarily from former WW II German soldiers. Upon graduation, in a classic Army brilliant use of learned skills, his entire class was sent to Vietnam where German was only spoken by us late on beer fueled nights.
Walton met a guy named Harkin (former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin) at a Warren County fund raiser in 1972. (He, well both of them) was shy and toed the carpet and finally asked if he could help on the campaign. He did. We lost.
Harkin won in ‘74 and asked Walton to work on his first Congressional staff where he stayed for a term or two.)
The further career path included many years working primarily for General Growth in the shopping center industry in Des Moines, Minneapolis, San Diego and Chicago. He retired several times.
During one of the retirements the Iowa Governor asked him to run a state department and be in his Cabinet.
As the years went by several organizations asked Walton to step into executive roles. The Culver Center at Simpson, The Iowa Attorney General working on the mortgage settlement, lead a national organization supporting state chief administrators and eventually took a 60 day “interim” Executive Director role at the Harkin Institute at Drake. It ended up being a full year. He now Chairs the Harkin National Advisory Council.
Ray and his wife Joanne have a large multi ethnic family with lots of grandchildren. Several live in Indianola which affords lots of opportunities for fun.)
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(Douglas Burns, founder of The Iowa Mercury and a fourth-generation Iowa journalist from Carroll, is a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Read dozens of the most talented writers in Iowa in just one place. The Iowa Writers' Collaborative spans the full state. It’s one of the biggest things going in Iowa journalism and writing now — and you don’t want to miss. This collaborative is — as the outstanding Quad Cities journalist Ed Tibbetts says — YOUR SUNDAY IOWA newspaper. )
Save the Date for a Holiday Party! Friday, December 13, 2024, 5-8 p.m.
The Iowa Writers Collaborative will host a party at the Harkin Institute on the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa. The event will include appetizers and a short program. It’s a great opportunity to meet some of your favorite writers and visit the state-of-the-art home of the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement.
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Details:
When: 5-8 p.m. Dec. 13, 2024.
Where: Harkin Institute, 2800 University Ave., Des Moines.
What: Appetizers, a short program, and great conversation.
An extraordinary and timely podcast
Author and journalist Rachelle Chase, an Iowan with an eye for overlooked and brilliant books, has launched a podcast, “Reading With Rachelle,” The popular new podcast spotlights books that broaden our understanding of history and culture. Authors from around the nation are eager to speak with Chase in this engaging podcast. Few interviewers have Chase’s reach and preparation. Give it a listen. Chase is a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
Go see Iowa filmmaker Nik Heftman’s documentary “The Negro Artist” in Iowa City (other locations announcing soon)
In another Iowa Mercury piece Douglas Burns writes about fellow Iowa Writers' Collaborative member Nik Heftman's documentary. "The Negro Artist" will be shown at numerous theaters and locations around the Des Moines metro area in coming months. It's also showing at 7 p.m., Dec. 11 at Film Scene in Iowa City. For showtimes in Iowa and across the nation please visit The Seven Times website. — Or click below.
Heftman has earned a fiscal sponsorship through Creative Visions so those interested in promoting this film can do so with tax-deductible contributions.
What a great column. People like this who served in and out of uniform need to be remembered amd cherished. Doug, we should do an oral history interview with Ray and with Sen. Harkin for the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum here in Waterloo. If you can help with that I'd be indebted. I sort of knew Sen. Harkin when he was a congressman and I was at the Ames Tribune. He put one of my columns in the Congressional Record and our Collaborative colleague Barry Piatt was his press secretary at the time. Ruth Harkin was Story County attorney at the time.
Racing in a Cub Scout race. WOW! That's what made him great. NO! His WWII experiences were the baseline that established his Greatness!