Media Diminshes Service of Greatest Generation - Brewer Responds
June 2, 2010Regarding Her Father, Wilford Drinkwine
“My father, Wilford Drinkwine, moved our family before I was born from Minnesota to Nevada to work at the Hawthorne Ammunition Depot in Western Nevada at the outset of World War II. He passed away when I was 11 years old. His death came after a long and painful battle with lung disease, contracted following years of exposure to hazardous chemicals and toxic fumes while working as a civil servant at the base.
“I loved my father and was proud to hear him tell me that he was doing his part to help fight the Nazis in Germany. It’s a similar story that I have heard from countless people from my parent’s generation -- from women who worked in the factories to other family friends I met growing up near the depot. My father and mother instilled in me an understanding that many of those defenders of freedom who lost their lives in World War II never set foot on the battlefield.
“Even in the end, when my dad struggled for breath, he never regretted serving his country, helping free Europe from Hitler’s grip. I have proudly recounted his story in many places for many years. My father’s patriotism and sacrifice needs no embellishment.”
