Virgie Bell's Hero: Snippets of Thought and Word

Lonnie D. McCurry

I don't know where you are going with all this info but I am glad to give you anything I can. I was not a hero. I have a bunch of campaign medals for operations in Pacific etc. Aaron was the hero in our Marines. I received Purple Heart during landing on Guam, Our recon party landed in the second wave. We were receiving fire from a cave on our flank. We called a flame thrower tank to take out the gun in the cave. It came by immediately in front of and ran over a land mine. I was barely hit but received a Purple Heart for the wound. [in a personal email to me several months ago.]

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What really impressed me was that Uncle Lonnie, serving in a command position in the Philippines, had a part in "An American Gorilla in the Philippines." It might as well have been the lead as far as I was concerned. [posted by VB this past December]

So let me tell you something about the strongest Marine I ever knew who lived to tell of it. That is my Uncle Lonnie. He survived three of the toughest battles in the South Pacific during World War 2. He was the highest ranking officer on the Philippines. He was wounded and received a Purple Heart. He served my country for twenty years in the military. He is in the Texas Tech Football Hall of Fame. Much a guy thing and much a macho thing. Makes little nieces such as De'on and myself very proud. Gives us bragging rights.

When I kept a vigil by my Grandmother’s death bed, as I promised her I would, one night Uncle Lonnie decided to stay with me. I got to visit with him and of course, I got to ask him questions that I would never have a chance otherwise. You could tell the difference in us, military and non-military. He carried himself erect and never lost his officer’s bearing ...whereas I dithered around all over the place. I remember two things we talked about. I asked him if it was right in God’s eyes to kill someone in battle. He thought about it a minute and realized that I asked because I wanted to know. He told me after the pause that yes; the Bible would back that up. I had heard that my Aunt Arlene, his wife of many years had never worn pants. This was unheard of by me. When I asked him if it was so you could hear the pride in his voice as he answered me she has never had a pair of pants on in her life. He was proud of this very, very girl thing. The feminine side of her. She was a lady... his lady. How great. [posted by VB early this month]
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Thank you for your service Uncle Lonnie. Like so many who serve, you are a humble man. I know that you know so much more about Guam than I could ever copy. But I thank you for proudly serving for twenty years and especially for serving two years overseas during WWII without ever once coming home!

Semper Fi,

De'on