STILL SERVING

By David Sutton VETERANS HELPNET CORRESPONDENT

The crack of rifle shots could be heard in almost every corner of the cemetery as the El Katif Shrine Rifle Team began its honoring of a local veteran at the Washington Veteran’s Cemetery.

The shell casings hit the ground as the rifles were locked for the next round.

Following the firing of the final round, 94-year-old Gene Lane shouted the command for his team to return its first position and to fall out.

Lane has served for years as El Katif Shrine Rifle Team Commander, according to the riflemen, along with his service in the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other veteran organizations.

“He is probably the oldest active veteran in our area, if not the state,” noted Rifleman Dave Campanella. “He is a Life Members of all the veteran organizations, including El Katif Shrine.”

Lane is a World War II Navy veteran who served on the USS Shangri-La, an aircraft carrier that fought in several campaigns. He was a member of the maintenance team as a Power Electrician that was part of the “hook line” crew that assisted in aircraft landings. He was aboard the Shangri-La when an aircraft landed with a faulty line motor. It was a historic Navy crash where the aircraft was completely ripped in half.

“Nobody lost their life but almost everyone suffered some kind of injury,” said Lane. He attributed the lack of serious injury to the professionalism of the Navy crew. The entire crew was dressed in safety gear and had been trained for such an occasion.

Lane, a retired truck driver, began his life of volunteer activities after a tragic accident unloading a truck. He became disabled.

“I was unloading large commercial heating units when my partner and I miscommunicated and he pulled forward just about the time I was finishing my activity and a 600-pond unit fell on me and severely injured my neck.”

That ended his 38-year driving career at age 58, but began what became years of volun- teering.

Since that time four generations of the Lane family have served (many times together) on the same Honor Guard and Rifle team.

His son, Donald Lane, is the retired Police Chief of Brier, Washington. Grandson Jeff Lane is the Potentate in the Shriners and will serve through 2024. Great-grandson Dakota Lane joins Gene and the rest of the family on the Shriners Team. He manages a local grain eleva- tor.

Gene Lane proudly says he would go back in the Navy if he was needed, “and they let me,” but doubted that would happen.

His patriotism is not only heard but seen in action as a dedicated participant in many activities and his support in the community.

“I was only in the Navy a short time from Jan. 9, 1946, to Nov. 10, 1947,” he said. “Because they said they didn’t need me. The war was over, the Shangri-La was dry docked in Bremerton.”

Gene Lane continues to support and participates in veterans organizations. His memory is remarkable -- he can perfectly pinpoint World War II battle dates and activities. Plus “he out-marches most of us young fellers,” the team points out.

He also actively reads and stays up-to-date on current events. He self-describes himself as “somewhat of a news ‘junkie.’”

Lane went on the Honor Flight on June 15 and said he was most interested in the Korean Memorial.

“We visited the Arlington Na- tional Cemetery and I put a coin on the grave of Audie Murphy,” he said. “I don’t want to get into politics here, but our nation is in trouble and headed in a dangerous direction,” he said.

Off the record he continued to discuss current military and political events. Naturally, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq all were mentioned and opined.

“It is the truth, we have the strongest military force in the world and that will never change. We need to use our strength….and that’s all I have to say about that!” he said. “My health is good and that is one things people comment about. So I make the best of it. I come from a long line of old people. Mom was over 100 years old and there are others,” he said.

He is light-hearted about his age and shares, ”If there is a secret to living a long time it would be the behave yourself. I’m not sure what that exactly means, but I do know I have had a great life … and one day I am going to wake up dead!”

Once you meet him, how could you ever forget Gene Lane?