A World War II veteran was invited to help present the American Flag during the National Anthem at the Mason County-Fleming County boys basketball game Friday.
George Carl McCormick is a 94-year-old veteran who served in the 104th Infantry in the United States Army during World War II.
On Friday night, the Mason County JROTC students presented the flag at the beginning of the game and McCormick was invited to take part.
McCormick completed his basic training in Fort Hood, Texas before being put on a United Kingdom luxury liner that he been transformed into a carrier. During the war, he was stationed in Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Germany.
He was among many soldiers who took part in the Battle of the Bulge, according to his daughter, Belinda Fay.
“He remembers spending the scariest night of his life in a tree with bullets flying past his head and body with bombs exploding in the distance,” Fay said. “He was so thankful the next morning to be alive.”
According to Fay, part of the unit’s responsibility was to infiltrate and demolish pockets of resistance in cities and towns throughout Germany.
“His unit also experienced entering one of the concentration camps,” she said. “The atrocities were unspeakable.”
After the war, McCormick returned to Cookeville, Tenn., but could not find a job. He and his cousin left for Detroit, Mich. and began working with Chrysler Automotive. That was where he met his wife, Wilma Doris Ruggles. They married on Jan. 22, 1950. They then moved to Ribolt and then Maysville.
He has worked with Hendrickson Bottling Company, Cloverleaf Dairy and Browning Manufacturing. He retired from Browning Manufacturing and worked part-time with Ryan’s Feed Mill.
Fay said McCormick never talked about his service until 2013, when the family went on a trip to Europe. They visited Paris, the Normandy beaches, Luxembourg city, Belgium and other sites.
“He didn’t start talking about the war until we took that trip,” Fay said.
Fay said she was happy to see her father taking part in the opening ceremony of the game.
“I cried,” she said. “It was a very proud moment for us.”
