‘For what they have given to the nation’: First of Idaho veteran’s three wars was WWII

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Joseph Katancik was overwhelmed with emotion.

And this is a man who has experienced a lifetime of emotion.

The veteran of three wars — World War II, Korea and Vietnam — returned to Idaho from an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., in September. He was met at the Boise Airport by his wife, Midge, who was laughing, waving and holding an American flag. His friends were holding signs. And they were all joined by his dog, Daisy.

Joseph held out his arms, and he and his wife embraced — to applause. Everyone came in for hugs. Daisy jumped at his legs, and Joseph pulled her onto his lap.

“I think (everyone coming) is wonderful,” said Midge, who met Joseph in Seattle more than 50 years ago.

An Honor Flight is a trip paid for by a nonprofit that allows veterans to go to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials that honor their service. And for Joseph, 94, who served in the Air Force, that’s no quick trip to a single memorial.

Vietnam veterans are still plentiful in the United States, numbering in the millions, according to the Pew Research Center. The conflict in Korea peaked in the early 1950s, but there are still hundreds of thousands of military service members alive who served then.

World War II, of course, is a different story, with the numbers barely exceeding 100,000.

On this Veterans Day weekend, it’s not known how many other people there are like Joseph, who stayed in the military for all three.

“I wanted to go to war,” he told the Statesman, reflecting on why he first enlisted.

Nowadays, the Fruitland resident likes to stay as active as he can in his community and in the Treasure Valley.

Joan Hernandez, an American Legion Auxiliary unit president, came with her family to the airport to welcome him back to Idaho from the D.C. trip.

She described Joseph as a “loving, generous” guy who is always willing to offer a hug.

“His dog is his life. He still likes to garden. He still drives. He goes to school assemblies. He loves to talk to kids. … He goes and visits nursing homes,” Hernandez said. “He asked to be (my kids’) honorary grandpa.”

Owen Spurling, who’s involved with Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars, said he met Joseph because they belong to the same Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

“The significance of this is, to me anyway, it’s an appreciation for what they have given to the nation,” Spurling said. “It’s an honor to be able to do that. Obviously, our heroes are dwindling. It’s great to be able to put this together.”

Another person who came to the airport, Jamie Boian, met Joseph while driving veterans to appointments in Southwest Idaho.

“For his age, I know he’s very adamant about mowing his own lawn,” Boian said. “He’s just a great guy. He’s always super grateful for even the smallest things.”