World War II soldier, 97, reflects on time in military
As Veterans Day approaches, a 97-year-old World War II vet from Spencer is looking back on his service in the Pacific — honored by the respect the day brings for himself and others who donned the uniform.
“It’s a day to honor and recognize all veterans,” William A. Laventure Jr. told the Herald. “We are lucky to have the freedom we continue to have and it cannot happen without the U.S. military and the men and women in the service.”
Laventure turns 98 next month. He joined the Army in 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and served until the end of the war in 1945. He spent most of his time in the South Pacific, he said, including Hawaii, Saipan and Guam.
He was also part of a fleet steaming toward the Japanese mainland in preparation for an invasion in the final days of the war. The ships turned around after the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered.
“I said, ‘Maybe I will come back home, maybe I won’t,’ ” Laventure said, recalling his mindset as he and his fellow soldiers readied themselves for what was considered likely to be the bloodiest amphibious invasion of them all.
Laventure visited his greatgranddaughter Lena’s school yesterday to take part in an assembly to honor veterans, and plans to march in Veterans Day parades in Worcester and Spencer.
Like many vets, Laventure is reluctant to talk about the specifics of his service. His daughter, Shirley Goyette, took her dad back to Pearl Harbor two years ago, 70 years after he was last there in uniform.
“It was outstanding, my father’s goal was to go back and to pay homage to the fallen veterans of that campaign in Pearl Harbor,” Goyette said. “It was very, very, very bittersweet.”
Laventure said he choked up during the Pearl Harbor visit and used the same word, “bittersweet,” to describe the holiday, his thoughts drifting back to many of his fellow soldiers who did not return home.
After the war, he returned home to Massachusetts, went to work, and started a family. He had two children, and now has three grandsons and eight great-grandchildren. He stays active, using his recumbent bike at least once per day, lifting weights, and walking to stay in shape. He credits his longevity to avoiding junk food.
Laventure said he makes sure to thank fellow veterans for their service when he meets them, and has developed a strong bond with his brothers and sisters at the local American Legion Post. He said he appreciates the gratitude he receives on this holiday, and throughout the year.