WWII Veteran, Merle McNutt, dies

Memories of World War II with all its terrors and triumphs are quickly fading. And in Blooming Prairie's case, they have all but disappeared with the passing of the area's last known WWII veteran.
Merle McNutt served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-45 during WWII. He died on Sept. 14 at the Heather Haus in Blooming Prairie. He was 102.
WWII veterans are dying quickly, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Of the 16 million Americans who served in the war, only about 325,000 are still alive. McNutt was one of only about 7,900 WWII vets left in Minnesota.
The National WWII Museum reports that, on average, 296 WWII veterans die every day. The WWII generation is expected to be gone entirely by 2032.
McNutt, who was always proud of his military service, routinely took part in Veteran's Day services in Blooming Prairie. He attended the dedication for the BP Veterans Memorial in November 2019, just three days before his 101st birthday. He is one of nearly 500 veterans who have their names engraved on the wall of the memorial.
Tom Peterson, who coordinated the veteran's memorial effort in Blooming Prairie, leaned on McNutt for advice on how the memorial should be. McNutt came to Peterson early in the planning stages and shared how he did not want the pavers placed in the ground like what happened at a memorial in McNutt's hometown.
"He said, 'When I go check on my buddies in winter, they're under snow and we step on them. Tommy, you have a great opportunity to really show the world how my buddies are to be honored… just don't put their pavers in the ground,'" said Peterson.
Peterson took McNutt's request to committee members, who unanimously approved the memorial to have vertical walls to keep all of McNutt's veteran buddies above the snow and never walked on.
"Thank you, Merle, for your service to our country and to the Blooming Prairie Veteran's Memorial," Peterson said.
Last year on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, McNutt shared how elated he was when the war ended on Aug. 14, 1945. "Oh, happy day," McNutt said.
He joined the Navy on Dec. 15, 1942, and was discharged on Nov. 18, 1945. While he served in the Navy, he was an airplane mechanic, a skill he first learned as a farm boy repairing equipment on the farm in northwest Iowa. McNutt said he joined the military because he figured it was his duty.
Most of McNutt's service time was spent in Jacksonville, Fla. He remembered starting out in pay at $21 per month and later advancing in rank and pay to $95 a month. As a mechanic, if he logged four hours of flying time per month, he would gain an additional $48 in salary. "It was like gold," McNutt said.
"I have always been very proud of my dad's military service," said Mace McNutt, Merle's son, who lives in St. Paul. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Mace traveled to Blooming Prairie twice a week to stay with his father.
Mace traveled with his father a few years ago as a passenger on an Honor Flight to visit the veteran's memorial in Washington, D.C. When asked how McNutt liked the trip, he said: "I didn't say a word; I just cried."
Just a few months shy of his 103rd birthday, McNutt commented in the past that his secret to longevity was no alcohol or cigarettes.
"I've been told that the first 100 is easy and now I have to get to work," said McNutt, who was always known for his quick wit.
Patriotism was always important to McNutt. He displayed his love for America by draping a large flag above the headboard of his bed. McNutt and fellow veteran Bob Prokopec placed an American flag and pole in the patio area of the Heather Haus a few years ago.
He also loved to wear his WWII cap.
McNutt lived during the terms of 19 presidents, from Woodrow Wilson to Joseph Biden.
McNutt is survived by his son and two daughters.
Funeral services will be Saturday, Oct. 2 at First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie. A complete obituary can be found on Page A11.