Road at Missouri Veterans Cemetery named for Stoddard County veteran

Stoddard County World War II Veteran Jack Matthews now has his name immortalized at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield. A road on the north side of the cemetery grounds now bares his name, as does a plaque at the door of the administration building.

On Veterans Day, the Bloomfield Assistance League, along with Matthews’ family, gathered to dedicate the road in his honor. Matthews was a driving force in the efforts to bring the Missouri Veterans Cemetery to Stoddard County.

The State of Missouri had narrowed the list of possible locations for the cemetery to Poplar Bluff, Cape Girardeau and Bloomfield. Both Poplar Bluff and Cape Girardeau had land acquired and ready to sell to the state.

Matthews, however, worked with the Stoddard County Commission, at that time consisting of Jerry Elder, Frank Sifford and Ray Coats, and acquired land to donate to the state. In addition to helping acquire the land, Matthews made numerous trips to Jefferson City to meet with officials regarding the cemetery. Ultimately, Bloomfield was selected as the site for the cemetery.

The ceremony began with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Col. Ed Gargas.

“We gather here this morning on a very special day, Veterans Day, to honor a very special veteran, Bloomfield and Stoddard County veteran Jack Matthews,” said an emotional U.S. Army Sergeant Blair Moran, president of the Bloomfield Assistance League. “The only reason we are assembled here today at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery is because of the outstanding work that Jack did in making this site a reality.”

Moran continued saying Jack and his wife Pauline belonged to what Tom Brokaw called ‘our greatest generation.’

“All of us assembled here today as baby boomers owe a great deal of gratitude to both Jack and Pauline and their generation who sacrificed so much,” said Moran. “That allowed all of us as baby boomers to grow up in a country free of tyranny that Jack helped defeat while wearing the uniform of our nation.”

Moran told those assembled that Matthews dedicated the prime of this adult life to helping veterans.

He went on to say Matthews worked through the Department of Labor on veterans employment and helped create a foundation that helps fund programs that assist Missouri state veterans. Matthews also served on the Missouri Veterans Commission for eight years.

Matthews was unable to attend the ceremony due to health reasons but his wife Pauline and son, retired Army Col. Larry Matthews, were in attendance.

Col. Matthews addressed those in attendance.

“I have always told people that the journey is more important than the destination,” said Matthews. “And even though this a destination, Dad fought a hard journey to get us where we are today.”

Matthews said when the discussion of naming the road after his father began, the organizers had to determine if the road was cemetery land or belonged to the city of Bloomfield. After doing some research, it was determined the land belonged to the cemetery.

“When Dad started this journey, he decided he wanted to try to give something back” said Matthews. “There were two other cities that wanted this cemetery real bad. One of them was Cape Girardeau and the other was Poplar Bluff. The way he got a leg up on it was working closely with the county commission, and Stoddard County wanted to donate this land.”

“I can’t tell you how many trips he made back and forth,” continued Matthews. “But was in and out of here to Jefferson City.”

Matthews said sometimes his dad would return and say they had a good trip and sometimes he would say they have more work to do.

“I said one time, ‘Dad why do you do it? What’s in it, what’s going on?’ ” said Matthews. “He said because somebody did it for me. And that is kind of how he lived his life. Somebody did it for him.”

Matthews said his dad volunteered for WWII at the age of 17. He was sworn into the army at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis and went to basic training at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Matthews said his dad shipped out on a train to Boston and took a troop transport to Glascow, Scotland. From there, he took another ship across the English Channel into France.

Matthews explained that his dad returned two years later and finished high school.

“When you think about what you were doing as a junior in high school,” said Matthews, “you probably didn’t see the carnage that those young men saw during WWII.”

Matthews said he showed his dad a picture of the new street sign with his name on it a few days prior to the event and said he was aware of what was going on there.

Matthews extended his thanks on behalf of his family, stating that Bloomfield had no better friend than Jack Matthews.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Moran presented Matthews with a plaque from the Missouri Legislature and an appreciation flag from the Bloomfield Assistance League.