Veterans Day is Saturday, November 11. With the official end of World War II now nearly 80 years behind us, KSBY spoke to a couple of local WWII veterans as most are 100 years old or nearing the century mark.
Meet Paso Robles WWII veteran Gordon Bastien.
Born in the little town of Little Falls, Minnesota, Bastien served his country in World War II and did so with pride.
“I liked the service. I liked what I did. I had a good job,” Gordon said.
The WWII veteran served during the Korean War as well. By the time he got out of the military, he had accumulated over 16 years of service in the Army, Navy, Reserves, and active duty. Enamored by planes, Gordon got his pilot’s license shortly after and continued his work assisting the military with a company out of San Jose.
“Once a weapon was made, I had to flight test it. That was one of the reasons I got hired; I knew weapons and I could fly,” Gordon said. “When the weapon’s done and they need it tested, we’ll do the testing with you. I went around all over the West flying military planes.”
Gordon and his wife of nearly 78 years, Genevieve, had four kids. Along with several odd jobs like working at a gas station and as a correctional officer in his post-military years, Gordon and Genevieve bought and ran a seasonal lodge in Northern California for nearly a decade, offering the couple the opportunity to travel.
“We did that when we were at the lodge because we were only in the lodge 5-6 months, and we were closed [for the rest of the year]. We would travel all over. We were just looking at some pictures this morning,” Gordon said. “We’ve been in every place in the United States.”
Genevieve says being a military wife was tough at times.
“Gordon was called back into the Korean War May 1st, 1951, and our third baby was due on the 30th. So we moved from Modesto to Long Beach,” Genevieve said. “I had three little children, so it wasn’t easy, but we made it through.”
Army veteran Robert Velasquez met Gordon at mass at Old Mission San Miguel about 12 years ago. The two got to talking and as you would expect, their military backgrounds came up in conversation. Now more than a decade later, the two remain friends.
“I see him as almost being my uncle. I lost an uncle in WWII in the Philippines. He’s a wonderful person. He’s very patriotic like most WWII veterans are,” Robert said. “When you serve, you get an understanding of what this country stands for.”
