The Shawnee Dispatch / Shawnee veteran visits WWII memorial

Archive for Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Gene Amos, a Shawnee veteran who served in the Navy during the Korean War, stands near the World War II memorial. His children paid for the visit as a Father's Day gift.

By Staff Report

June 24, 2008

If he's known for anything in addition to his community involvement and his family's Shawnee-based business, Amos Family Funeral Home, Gene Amos is certainly known for his love of history.

He also is a veteran, serving in the Navy as a hospital corpsman during the Korean War. He currently serves on the Shawnee American Legion's Honor Guard at veterans' funerals - 94 just in the past year.

So Amos' three children found the perfect Father's Day trip for the 77-year-old this year: a one-day trip to Washington, D.C.

"I'd commented that I wanted to see the World War II memorial, and they made that possible," he said.

Amos made the trip alone, flying out from Kansas City in the early hours of June 17 and making it back home by 8:30 p.m. He spent an hour walking around the World War II memorial, relying on the kindness of strangers to get a few photos of himself at the site.

Amos also took a trip to the Jefferson Memorial, which he hadn't managed to see up close on a previous trip to the capital. He had a particular interest in Thomas Jefferson, as Amos's "third cousin, eight times removed," Aaron Burr, had lost out to Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election.

At 3 p.m., Amos had an appointment with 3rd District U.S. Congressman Dennis Moore, D-Lenexa, who presented with him a flag that had flown over the capital. Amos said the flag is now flying over the funeral home.