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Honoring an American veteran

Register-Guard - 6/22/2020

On June 26, 1963, at the height of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, John F. Kennedy visited West Berlin and declared, "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner"), in an historic speech to a crowd of Germans gathered in the shadow of the Berlin Wall.

Then-20-year-old Army Spc. Kenneth Splinter was a demolitions expert by training but was chosen at random to be part of Kennedy's security detail during the visit. He and his unit were within feet of the president when he arrives at the airport in Berlin. Kennedy had to fly into West Berlin because the Allied-occupied part of the city was completely surrounded by Communist East Germany.

"I was overwhelmed by the honor of being in the honor guard for the commander-in-chief of the United State of America," said the 77-year-old veteran, "a man that I knew was a war hero."

"(Kennedy) was a super star. People don't know. He saved this country. We came that close to being in a nuclear war with Russia during the Cuban Missile Crisis," Splinter said, holding his fingers an inch apart.

Sunday it was Splinter who was the center of attention as members of the Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Northwest gathered to honor him for his service during an emotional ceremony in front of his home in Springfield.

Founded by Warren Williamson in 2009, the group of motorcycle riders who wanted to remember soldiers who died in the line of duty since 9/11. The group's trips, which in the earlier years were in Oregon and then the Pacific Northwest, "honor the Gold Star families and the families of every fallen service member across the United States," said Williamson, adding, "to remind them their fallen hero will never be forgotten."

In 2016, the group took the ride cross-country. The riders will set out on July 12, undeterred by COVD-19, for the annual 22-day trip to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

During the rest of the year, the group finds time to honor former soldiers still living. Splinter has been struggling with health issues recently and a plan was put together to honor him.

After learning of the plan, Springfield police Chief Richard Lewis offered a police escort for the group. Sunday morning, more than two dozen riders paraded through Springfield with U.S. flags flying from the lead bikes and drove to Splinter's home in Springfield.

Joined by four generations of his family all dressed in red, white and blue, Splinter stood at attention as the group held a brief ceremony. With his eyes welling with emotion, Williamson presented Splinter with a U.S. flag signed by 65 families of fallen soldiers who were honored during last summer's ride to Arlington. Several fellow veterans and their family's from the neighborhood joined the group as the police blocked the street.

Of the tribute, "I feel really honored, but as a Cold War veteran who was never in combat, I feel like it was a tribute not necessarily to me, but to those who served," said Splinter after the ceremony. "I wear a tribute jacket to honor all the soldiers that served."

"I was honored to serve and I wouldn't have it any other way," Splinter said to the group after the ceremony. "God bless the U.S. and God bless our servicemen."

The Fallen Soldiers Memorial Flame Ride will cross the country in 22 days. The opening ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Valley River Center Shopping Mall (Texas Roadhouse Restaurant) in Eugene. The escorted ride procession departs at 10 a.m. and plans to arrive Aug. 2 at Arlington National Cemetery for a ceremony there.

Contact reporter Chris Pietsch at chris.pietsch@registerguard.com, and follow him on Twitter @ChrisPietsch. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.

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