BROKEN BOW, Neb. – The Broken Bow Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion are inviting the public to participate in one last salute to WWII Veteran and Purple Heart recipient Wayne Mills on Monday along the route of his funeral procession.
Mills passed away earlier this week at the age of 99 surrounded by his family in Broken Bow. Following a celebration of life at the Broken Bow United Methodist Church at 2 PM on Monday, the public is invited to line 1st Avenue in Broken Bow with American flags during the procession to the Westerville Cemetery for graveside services with military honors.
Flags are available to be picked up at 911 South 1st Avenue and those wishing to line the street are asked to be in place by 3:45 PM.
The VFW and American Legion stated that Mills was a very humble and kind man who was not only a devoted family man but a quiet pillar of service, faith, and love.
Mills graduated from Westerville High School in 1943 and enlisted in the US Army the next year at the age of 18. He was wounded in combat in February of 1945 and was awarded the Purple Heart. He served during WWII in the European Theater and was honorably discharged in 1947 before returning to Nebraska where he devoted his life to farming and family.
In April of this year, Mills was presented with the “Celebrating 80 Years of Victory” medal at a presentation in Broken Bow, which doubled as a birthday party one day ahead of his 99th birthday complete with cake and a singing of ‘happy birthday’ by all who were in attendance.
