A Local WWII Veteran in Need
A few months ago we received a call from one of our local Springfield dentists. He told us the story of a 92-year-old WWII veteran named Sgt. Louis Jordan who had been without dentures for over 5 years because he had no way to pay for them. His dentist knew he had to help and took it upon himself to donate his services to Sgt. Jordan. If anyone deserved something like this, it certainly should be this WWII veteran.
The dentist reached out to Steve Edmonds about the situation and asked if Edmonds Dental Prosthetics would be willing to fabricate the dentures that Sgt. Jordan needed. Without hesitation Steve agreed and was greatly honored to have the opportunity to give back to Sgt. Louis Jordan in this way.
The Story Behind Our WWII Veteran
When we heard more about Sgt. Jordan, we asked if we could tell his story. The dentist knew his patient well and commented that Sgt. Jordan wouldn’t think he deserved the attention. He had friends who gave their lives fighting in the war, certainly they deserved the honor more than he did. However, we believe anyone who has served our country deserves to be honored and remembered. Sgt. Louis Jordan served our country well. After hearing his story, we couldn’t wait to share it with you.
Heroic at Heart
Sgt. Louis Jordan was born in Oklahoma in 1926. He and his family moved to California during the dustbowl. After moving, he attended school through 9th grade and then was drafted in the army with his brother in 1944.
Sgt. Jordan went through intense parachute training at Fort Benning in Georgia following his basic training at Fort Hunter Liggett. After training, he served in the 11th Airborne Division of the 188th Parachute Infantry Regiment until 1946. When the war ended, Sgt. Jordan served in Sendai, Japan doing office work. While he was still a Private, he was doing the work of a 1st Sergeant. To receive a promotion, he was questioned by 4 generals in one setting. They wanted to promote him to 1st Sergeant, but because of the strict order ranks are assigned, he was promoted to Tech Sgt. During his time serving our Country, Sgt. Jordan greatly enjoyed boxing, and joined a team with his peers. He did so well that he was asked to join his regiments’ official boxing league.
Life After War
Sgt. Jordan has spent his life eager to try new things and experience the world around him more fully. After leaving the military, he went to refrigeration school, married his sweetheart, and had four children. He supported his mother, and pursued a career in construction work driving heavy equipment. In 1972 Sgt. Jordan moved to Missouri and worked on his brother’s farm. He also worked with the Mid America Dairy Association until he retired at age 62. Now his passion for life is leading him on many adventures across the U.S. with his son, Wayne. When he and his son aren’t travelling, they spend their time building furniture.
From the Heart of A WWII Veteran
As a way of saying thank you for his new dentures, Sgt. Jordan and his son, Wayne, stopped by our laboratory in September to drop off gifts for Steve Edmonds and Steffen Rohrbach. They said the gifts were big and they would need both doors of our lab open so they could bring them inside. When Sgt. Jordan and Wayne arrived, we discovered they had built two beautifully crafted chairs with engraved plaques. One for Steve who partnered with the dentist, and the other for Steffen who personally worked on Sgt. Jordan’s case.
Steve and Steffen were thrilled to receive these “Forever Chairs,” as Sgt. Jordan and his son termed them. They told us how they built similar chairs for some family members as patio furniture and also commented about the high quality materials they used to make the chairs durable and weather proof. Being a man of action and adventure, Sgt. Jordan stated that “if we can find a market for this, then we’ll keep building them.”
Forever In Our Hearts
Steve and Steffen were honored to receive this thoughtful gift from Sgt. Louis Jordan. It was an exciting morning when the chairs were delivered, and we look forward to hearing more from Sgt. Jordan and his son about their new business endeavor. Both men have truly found a “forever” spot in our hearts.