VA lunch with POW brings memories of a long time ago

As they have for years, the local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans hosted a lunch for area POWs.

Only one POW attended this year, Cecil Phipps. He brought along, as he always does, his wife Kathleen of more than 70 years.

The couple, along with Dave Thornburg of the DAV and several staff members from the VA, enjoyed lunch and memories. 

Phipps was a Soldier during the Korean War from 1950 to 1954. Of those four years, Cecil spent 33 months as a POW.

“Thanksgiving 1950 is when I was captured,” Cecil said matter of factly. “I got out of captivity on August 31, 1953.”

While the lunch is a chance for the DAV and VA to stay in contact with this former POW, they also came to admire him for his service and sacrifice.

“To hear him talk about his time in the Army and also his conditions as a POW is very powerful,” said VA Central Iowa Associate Director Brent Pharis who attended the event. “He has so much pride in his service after more than 70 years, that it makes me even more proud to be part of the VA team."

While he enjoyed sharing his experiences, it wasn’t always that way.

Cecil and his wife reminisced that when he returned home to Fort Dodge in 1954, he didn’t talk about his POW experiences.

“For 25 years, he wouldn’t talk about it,” said Kathleen. “He wouldn’t talk about it in our home. He finally got some advice that he needed to get of these things worked out.”

And he has.

“I don’t mind talking about it now,” he said. “When friends and family ask about it, I’m OK to talk about it.”

As lunch went on, Cecil shared his story growing up in northern Iowa and going off to war. He shared stories about his time in captivity and his return to meet and marry Kathleen. 

The lunch became so engaging, that the Phipps family invited the group to their home to show off their memorabilia from his days in the service and after.

At the house, memories returned, both good and bad, and the couple were moved to laughter and tears as they shared photos, newspaper clippings, and other documents.

Cecil recalled how during his time as POW, he had changed but didn’t know it.

After his 33 months in captivity, Cecil recalls returning to the United States where he was addressed as Corp. Phipps.

Cecil smiles at the memory, “Well, I didn’t respond, I didn’t know that I was a Corporal.”