Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Ray Hobbs, a 100-year-old WWII veteran, addressed students at East Ridge Elementary in Ogden on Veterans Day.
- He shared memories of Operation Chowhound, a humanitarian mission to deliver food to starving Dutch civilians who were under German occupation.
- Hobbs also emphasized the importance of respecting military service members and honoring their sacrifices.
OGDEN — After nearly 80 years, Ray Hobbs still remembers his service during World War II — helping the Dutch is among his fondest memories.
"Serving people in Holland, that's the most memorable and meaningful (event) in my life," he said Monday, Veterans Day.
Hobbs, now 100 years old, spoke to students at East Ridge Elementary in Ogden, where he lives, about his time flying B-17 bombers during the closing days of World War II. Rather than munitions, he and his U.S. Army Air Force colleagues were assisting in a humanitarian mission — hauling food to the Dutch living in the German-occupied portion of the Netherlands as the war wound down. It was called Operation Chowhound, he recalled. That was in April 1945, but the experience remains etched in his memory.
"It was a real honor and blessing to drop that food to those starving ... people," he told the students, adding that had they waited even six weeks, 3 million Dutch people could have died, "so it was critical that they get that food."
Beyond that, Hobbs — who has lived in Ogden all his life except for his three years in the military — talked about the importance of supporting people who serve the country.
"There could be a lot more respect shown for the men and women who served in the armed forces," he said. "I'm honored to be a veteran."
Hobbs' great-great-grandson, Walker Hobbs, attends East Ridge, which led to the World War II veteran's appearance at the school. But while the elder Hobbs was the marquee speaker, he wasn't the only one. East Ridge Principal Maridee Harrison said other veteran and active service family members of students at the school were also invited to speak in individual classrooms as part of their Veterans Day activities.
The aim, said Harrison, was to honor veterans and stress the importance of service.
East Ridge is a Purple Star School, meaning it focuses on helping students of service members adjust when they come to the school and when they leave if their parents move for a new military assignment. "Our school is deeply committed to honoring the sacrifices of military families and providing the best educational experience for their children," Harrison said.
Operation Chowhound came as World War II wound down in Europe and was meant to assist the Dutch still living under German occupation and facing starvation. Under an accord Allied forces reached with the Germans, Allied airmen were allowed to fly into the country via pre-designated corridors and drop rations. German forces promised they would not fire on the incoming airplanes.
Still, as Hobbs remembers, it was a nerve-wracking experience since there were no sure-fire guarantees the Germans would honor the accord. He took part in six Operation Chowhound flights. "We were just at the mercy of the Germans," he said.
As it turns out, the Germans "honored their word," reads an account of Operation Chowhound on the National WWII Museum website, "and countless Dutch civilians benefited from this 'manna from heaven.'" From April 29, 1945, through Victory in Europe Day on May 8, 1945, some 10,000 tons of food were dropped in more than 5,500 sorties.
Hobbs notes, with a measure of gratitude, that he didn't have to drop a single bomb during his Operation Chowhound missions. "That was a really good feeling to be dropping the food," he said.
Correction: An earlier version incorrectly stated the duration since Hobbs' efforts assisting with Operation Chowhound. It was nearly 80 years ago, not nearly 60 years ago. Also the operation resulted in dropping of some 10,000 tons of food, not 10,000 pounds.
