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.
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Joseph Katancik reunites with his wife Midge at the Boise airport after an honor flight to Washington, D.C. | Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman
“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.
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“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.”
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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.”
Joseph Katancik hugs his wife Midge at the Boise airport after an honor flight to Washington, D.C. | Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman
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JACKSON, Wyo. — Springtime conjures images of adorable baby animals. Unfortunately, sometimes well-meaning humans feel compelled to interfere with Mother Nature by “rescuing” baby animals who appear to be alone.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) issued a spring reminder discouraging people from intervening when they assume a wild animal is lost, abandoned or orphaned.
“While these folks typically mean well, the sad reality is they are often doing more damage than good when they intervene — and typically, mom was not far away to begin with,” IDFG shared in a press release.
“Here’s the hard truth,” the agency wrote. “Animal parents will periodically leave their young for an extended period of time for a myriad of reasons, whether it’s to search for food, to rest or to divert attention from their vulnerable offspring, especially if they sense danger. When it comes to wildlife babies, wildlife mothers know best.”
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In short, in an encounter with a lone duckling, gosling, deer fawn, baby bird, red dog or moose calf, do not disturb it. Instead, contact the state’s wildlife agency to report it. In Jackson, call the Wyoming Game and Fish Department at (307) 733-2321. In Idaho, reach IDFG at (208) 525-7290.
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I remember watching a documentary about Idaho’s wildlands. A narrator said there were probably many parts of the state where no human being has ever set foot. I believe that, but I stay relatively close to the highways. If I were 30 years younger, I would probably enjoy exploring the back country, but today, unless a plane takes me in and out, it’s not happening. I can’t say definitively that there is one spot that I find better than others. We’re surrounded by beautiful terrain, however. One place keeps calling me back.
Like a Scene from a Legendary Movie
When I go over the mountain between Gooding and Fairfield, I take time to stop at the overlook above the Camas Prairie. It reminds me of a scene in Exodus, where the Paul Newman character takes an American woman to look across a flat plain leading to Mount Tabor. He explains that’s the site where Deborah gathered her armies. It makes me feel there is something godly about the Camas Prairie. I keep going back to this spot. Sometimes I take along a folding chair and sit and look at the world below.
Slow Down and See the Work of the Creator
Fairfield may be nothing more than a blip as people speed down Route 20, but it’s their loss. On the other side of the highway is some of the prettiest country in Idaho. It’s going to be a lot less lush this spring, but drought conditions haven’t been nearly as severe in the central highlands. But if I’m granted a few more years by the Almighty, I plan to see the prairie for many more springs.
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