101-year-old veteran of three wars shares story of service on Veterans Day

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The National WWII Museum may focus on a specific era, but on Veterans Day, the spotlight falls on U.S. veterans from virtually every walk of life. At the museum’s annual salute to service members, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Elmer Royce Williams took the stage. The 101-year-old veteran served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

“I started out in the army when I was 16, two weeks after Pearl Harbor and served for 37 years. And it wasn’t to the glory of the country, it was patriotism in my heart,” Williams said.

Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor earlier this year for his service in the Korean War. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military decoration. Williams told the crowd at the museum’s Veterans Day ceremony that the country and its people stand out like no other.

“All citizens belong to a country, and we’re blessed to be in the finest ever,” Williams said.

“I would just hope people appreciate the sacrifices that the military has made,” Sang Nguyen said.

Nguyen attended Wednesday’s (Nov. 11) ceremony. A New Orleans native and Army veteran, Nguyen said he served as a specialist for three years. The son of Vietnamese immigrants, Nguyen said he joined the military after 9/11.

“I just felt like I should do something. I wanted to serve someway, somehow, do something for our country. That’s not just me. For everyone who was around that time, everyone was like that. Their main motivation was to serve our country,” Nguyen said.

David Stidd was a sergeant in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. Stidd said he deployed to Panama and the Persian Gulf in the 1990s. He said he chose military service because he was searching for something more meaningful in life.

“I found it in the military. I wish my knees had held out. I would’ve loved to retire from the military,” Stidd said.

Stidd said each veteran is part of a collective of warriors. Every Veterans Day, he is reminded of how many of those warriors are being lost to time.

“Every veteran has a different story. If you sit down and talk to them and actually listen to the story, you’re going to find they all have the same thing involved, and that’s the duty to the country,” Stidd said.

Stidd said veterans of past wars are living history, and their stories should be heard while they’re still here.

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