Memorable Stories: An unopened bottle

Beacon Journal Sports Editor Larry Pantages contributed a moving Memorial Day story for A1 of todayÂ’s newspaper.

Phil Masturzo also had a great photo of Larry's father, Billy, holding a bottle of "“31" bourbon that has remained unopened since three Pantages brothers decided not to open it until all returned home from World War II. There also is a view of a gold bracelet engraved with the name, military ID and blood type of Gus Pantages who was killed Feb. 13, 1945 when his plane hit some trees and detonated the bombs under the aircraft.

There also is a photo of Gus'’ mother, Mary Pantages, who continued to operate the family business after her husband was killed by a robber in 1937 and while her sons, Jimmy, Gus and Billy went off to serve in World War II. The General Cafe closed in 1957 when the property was sold to make room for Akron'’s expressway. Mary died in 1969.

It was 60 years ago that Gus was killed and the bourbon bottle remains unopened in Billy'’s kitchen cabinet. There also is a photo of Billy, his son Larry and Larry'’s sons William and Alexander,-- three generations who remember their family'’s contribution to World War II.

Gus W. Pantages has no grave marker in Akron. His funeral service was in the Philippines. But he is remembered along with 1,529 other Summit County veterans whose names are cut into marble walls adjoining the entrance to Memorial Hall at the University of Akron. Larry made a rubbing of his uncle'’s name as did his sons.

Unfortunately, you cannot see the photos unless you get the newspaper or the digital BJ, but you can read Larry'’s story on Ohio.com by clicking on the headline above.

His story gave this blogger a little bit of renewed pride in the BJ which devoted its editorial pages today in a tribute to some 70 Ohioans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan with mug shots of all but 14 of them.

This is after all Memorial Day.