Wisdom of Years Passed: as told by Ralph Hutchins, World War II veteran, at the Mississippi State Veterans Home

April 22, 2015 - Hutchins waits for his medicine in the halls of the veterans 
home in Oxford, Miss.

OXFORD, Miss. – Everyday at the State Veterans Home, 92-year-old, Ralph Hutchins, sports a black baseball hat with gold embroidery that identifies him as a World War II veteran.  The deep, red blood of his veins shows blue and purple on the nearly transparent skin of his hands that cross when he begins to talk. With a memory that belies his age, Hutchins recounts his life’s story; a story that could fill the pages of an American history book.

According to the U.S. Veterans Administration, under one million World War II veterans are still alive, with 492 dying every day.  It is estimated that by 2036, none will remain to share their experiences of triumph and terror, success and sorrow. The generation referred to as the greatest is quickly fading into a past existence, threatening to bring along untold tales.      

Here is the story of Ralph Hutchins – a son of farmers, a brother to five, a father of two, a widowed husband, and a World War II veteran.