All Veterans The Same to St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiles a veteran for Veterans’ Day. Lest we think the paper might lavish some attention on an American veteran or, hell, even an ally who fought with the Americans in some war or another, don’t worry: the Post-Dispatch sepia-tones an opposing soldier from World War I:

On this Veterans Day, consider that rarest of veterans, Walter Heiman of University City.

First, he’s 105 years old and a World War I veteran.

Second, in WWI, he wore the field-gray uniform of the German army.

Funny, I don’t think the paper would have profiled a Confederate soldier or a Nazi soldier with the same affection, but World War I is just forgotten enough that the paper hopes we can help celebrate all sides and all veterans the same. Or maybe it hopes we can celebrate our opponents and keep them close to our hearts at all times.

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