MERIDIAN, Idaho — As America rings in 247 years of independence, a local World War 2 veteran is celebrating his 75th wedding anniversary with his wife.
Meridian residents Dan and Bette Heintz. married in 1948, a few years after the end of the second world war.
“We met at a dance in Michigan City, [Indiana],” says Dan.
His wife Bette recalls the days following their “After we had met on a Saturday, the following Monday at work I told all my friends, I met the man I’m gonna marry. They said ‘Oh you’re kidding,’ I said ‘No, I’m not’ and I did.”
When asked if they picked the day before independence day for their wedding date, Dan and Bette felt there was no strong correlation, they just wanted to be together.
“I didn’t even think about it,” says Bette, “we were in a world of our own.”
Dan says he enlisted in the Navy and worked as a gunner and cook on an amphibious ship. a majority of the time his ship was in the Philippines.
“Yeah, Leyte, the second one. They had two Leyte battles, I was in the second one,” says Dan.
Serving in the military became a family affair when the eldest son of Dan and Bette joined the Marines and another son served in the Navy.
“I went overseas and spent a year in Okinawa,” says Marines Veteran Darryl Heintz, “Oh I’d do it again, the Marine Corp taught me a lot of things, met a lot of good friends”
The Marines Veteran traveled from San Diego to celebrate this milestone with his family.
“To be married for 75 years in this day and age is unimaginable. We had a mass today in celebration of their anniversary, it was just wonderful! I think it made my parents' day,” says Darryl, “I have the best parents in the world.”
When asked what fighting in World War 2 meant to Dan, he says his time in the Navy meant a lot, but not quite as special as his marriage.
“That’s the best thing that ever happened," says Dan, “one of the best, [but] the best thing that happened to me is I met my wife.”
While celebrating the 4th of July is a fun way to show your appreciation for our country, you can also visit places like the Warhawk air museum to learn more about our nation's military history.
