Hatcher’s brother, Arthur “Buck” Hatcher, was a member of the 37th but they didn’t meet. Not that it would have mattered anyway. Hatcher had lost 100 pounds while in captivity. His brother could’ve walked right by him and not recognized him. Hatcher was given medical treatment, carefully fed and given leave. He worked as an Army cook until the Pacific war ceased in November 1945. All one has to do in order to see the man is to view Hatcher’s medal case. The awards he received for his two years as a combat rifleman and a POW tell the story without Hatcher having to open his mouth. There is the Combat Infantry Badge given to soldiers who’ve fired their weapons during combat with the enemy. There is a Bronze Star given to him for participation of the January 1, 1945 battle that wiped out his company and the Purple Heart for his many wounds. Other medals hang in the case as well. The POW medal hangs apart from the others signaling the war within the war. Hatcher, who will be 93 in December, lives in Lauderdale, Mississippi. The quiet town of a few houses, stores and churches may not be too different from the village the 87th assaulted 74 years ago. However, it is a lot quieter. Hatcher’s message is that “the veterans of WWII really are an endangered species. When they’re gone, they’re gone…. that is way they should be honored and put in history for generations to come, because there aren’t that many left. The world must never forget the atrocities of World War II and that for killing 6 million Jews, Hitler was the worst terrorist of all time”.
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THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD