POWs

Santo Tomas University in Manilla

Santo Tomas University in Manilla

Japanese Prison could not lock out Christmas

By Murray Montgomery Staff Writer As people around the world celebrate the Birth of Christ, I doubt if many have thought about spending Christmas as a prisoner of war (POW); unless they lived through that terrible experience.
They wasted no time bringing the recently identified remains of Korean War POW Pfc. Adelaido Mata Solis back to his home on Tuesday, Oct. 25. We caught up with them just outside El Campo.  Heading the pack on his black trike is Don Williams of Hallettsville, the same who hosts the Lavaca County Warrior Weekend deer hunt, taking place Nov. 18-19 out at his ranch. Williams ensured Pfc. Solis had a proper escort in the final leg of what’s been a 71-year-long journey back home.

They wasted no time bringing the recently identified remains of Korean War POW Pfc. Adelaido Mata Solis back to his home on Tuesday, Oct. 25. We caught up with them just outside El Campo. Heading the pack on his black trike is Don Williams of Hallettsville, the same who hosts the Lavaca County Warrior Weekend deer hunt, taking place Nov. 18-19 out at his ranch. Williams ensured Pfc. Solis had a proper escort in the final leg of what’s been a 71-year-long journey back home.

The long road back home

Sitting out on his front porch recently, U.S. Air Force veteran Don Williams started counting, right out loud, out of the blue. “Four-five-six, so six,” he said, his eyes fixed on some random chunk of ceiling, or maybe a tree branch, way up high, as he rolled back the memory reels in his head.