Masters vaulter Jospeh DeBlanc passes away

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.iberianet.com/articles/2007/ ... news25.txt

Medal of Honor recipient passes

Sunday, November 25, 2007 12:57 AM CST

BY STEPHEN HEMELT, THE DAILY IBERIAN


U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) Col Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc, Sr.'s last words before his death Thursday were, "I give myself to you, Jesus."

He said it three times his daughter Barbara Romero said.

The 1946 Congressional Medal of Honor recipient will be buried following a noon mass Monday at St. Martin de Tours Roman Catholic Church in St. Martinville. He was 86. However, DeBlanc Sr.'s children said their father was so much more than war hero. In fact, it was rarely mentioned during their childhood.

"Really, the Medal of Honor was a one time tour he did," Romero, the oldest of five children and the only daughter, said. "In his life, God was first, then a duty to his country and family. I knew my Dad had a special medal, but I never knew about any of this until we were older. Dad came back from the war and lived his life."

His son, the Rev. Jefferson DeBlanc Jr. who will officiate Monday's funeral Mass, said it was only later in life that his knowledge of his father's wartime experiences came into light.

"As youngsters, I was aware he had the Medal of Honor," the younger DeBlanc said. "I was not aware of what he did to gain that medal. As I grew older, I came to a deeper knowledge of exactly what were his war experiences. As we (the children) grew older, he would talk more to us about it."

President Harry S. Truman presented the elder DeBlanc with the nation's highest decoration for valor and bravery Dec. 6, 1946. DeBlanc was the last, living World War II Medal of Honor recipient from Louisiana, according to the official site for the Medal of Honor.

He was presented the honor for his actions in 1943 when he shot down five Japanese planes in one mission before receiving fire during the engagement that forced the loss of his own aircraft, a F4F Gruman Wildcat. After parachuting to the ocean and swimming six-hours to the Japanese-held Kolombangara Island, he was found by natives and eventually returned to U.S. hands 15 days later. He returned to the site 60 years later.

"I go to be with him in the place where he fought, and I got to travel with him on the island and visit the place where he was actually shot down," the younger DeBlanc said. "That was a profound experience for me."

Another unique experience will come tomorrow when the son helps bury his father.

DeBlanc, Jr. is approaching the funeral with equal parts happiness and sadness.

"I will not be seeing anymore of him, at least not on this Earth," he said. "But (I approach the funeral) with a lot of faith, knowing he his with the peace of the Lord. We are, in a real way, still united with each other. It's sad on the one hand but happiness on the other that he is in the peace of the Lord and more fully in the mystery of eternity."

It was DeBlanc's continual outreach to others that stuck with his son, even at the end.

"It is something that really impressed me about him," DeBlanc Jr. said. "We would read him the letters from others and he would dictate responses to us and then sign them."

His sister agreed.

"He was home and had 24-hour care the last year, but he still had a full life," Romero said. "He had hobbies. He loved to tinker with electronics. He loved to ride his bike. He loved to cut grass. He loved the senior citizen Olympics, where he competed in the pole vault."

Even after his passing, DeBlanc Sr.'s legacy of giving to others will continue. The former St. Martinville teacher and administrator made plans to donate his medal of honor to the United States World War II Museum in Washington D.C.

Despite the illustrious awards, Romero remembers a loving father first and dedicated educator second.

"I was very close to my father," she said. "I could always talk to him. He taught me to drive. He taught school. He was very friendly with his students. He would come into the classroom and say, 'I lost the test.' Then he would look around and find it in the trash can. Of course he placed it in the trash can. He had a great sense of humor."

[84rules]

As a proud former Marine myself, I have three words for Col. DeBlanc:

"Semper Fi, sir."