PARKERSBURG - A Parkersburg man will travel to the Washington, D.C., area to spend some time with those he served with during World War II one last time.
Gene McPherson, 84, will be attending the final reunion of the 100th Infantry Division from Thursday through Sunday.
The 100th Infantry Division Association has held regular reunions since 1946; however, time has become an issue for many.
"There aren't too many left," the former Army medic said. "I was one of the youngest who was in the outfit."
McPherson will turn 85 on Sept. 22.
The reunions used to regularly bring in 800 to 900 people. At the last reunion, there was around 160 of the veterans who attended along with family members.
"I know this will be the last reunion," McPherson said.
The 100th served throughout France and Germany in the closing days of World War II, participating in the Rhineland and Central European campaigns.
This year, the attendees will be taking a tour of Mount Vernon on Friday and the World War II Memorial on Saturday followed by a wreath laying at the grave of Lt. Gen. Withers A. Burress, the division's commanding officer during the war. A dinner will be held in Burress' honor on Saturday.
"He is the one who took the division into combat," McPherson said.
A stop at the 100th's tree and marker in Arlington National Cemetery is planned if the timing can be arranged. Other sites around Washington might be visited as time allows. A memorial service will be held this weekend for the members of the division who have passed away.
McPherson was 19 when he joined up with the division as a replacement. He traveled over on the ship the Queen Mary on his way to England. That voyage had a special passenger.
"I was on the Queen Mary and Winston Churchill went over with us," McPherson said. "We had just left port when we stopped and dropped anchor. Everyone had to go to quarters."
McPherson was part of a group who had a special duty and did not have to report to their quarters, but they had to be out of sight.
"We looked out of a porthole and saw this boat come out," he said, adding the boat came up alongside of the ship and there was some activity on it and they saw Churchill come aboard. "When he came out he was waving his two fingers for 'V For Victory.'"
McPherson had not even seen a picture of Churchill before that moment and his buddies had to tell him who it was.
"I said 'You got to be kidding me' and my buddy said that is what he does (referring to Churchill waving the V For Victory sign with his fingers)," McPherson said. "Afterward they told us we had taken on Churchill."
The ship, which had armed escort vessels traveling along with it, zig-zagged across the Atlantic.
Once he made his way to his division in Europe, McPherson regularly attended to wounded and worked to stabilize them so they could be sent to medical facilities for more involved treatment. He was a part of 325th Medical Battalion Company C.
The 100th was known as a strong group.
"I was like a drop of water in the ocean," McPherson said of others who did a lot more than he did. "I never fired a shot. I was a medic."
He saw what combat did to people, losing some people he knew. People had to be tough in order to make it through, he said.
There were 96 people in his company.
"There are only about three or four of us left that I know of," McPherson said. "One of them is supposed to be at the reunion if he can make it. He is 90 years old."
McPherson has friends who were not from his company, but were part of the division, that he has gotten to know over the years through reunions that he is hoping to see again this time.
However, there have been fewer in recent years.
"Age takes its toll," he said.
