A beloved well-known community member, teacher, poet and World War II veteran Dale Faughn, of Fredonia, has died. He was 98 years old.
Officials with the Honor Flight Bluegrass announced Faughn’s death Sunday on social media, stating that they had the “honor and privilege to take him on an Honor Flight and continue the relationship throughout so many of their events in the last 6 years.” The statement went on to say that they have been “so blessed to have known him and hear his story from his childhood to Marine to family man to teaching for 60 plus years to writing literally thousands of poems.” They said he was the”epitome of the greatest generation and a Marine.”
In an interview on WPKY in April 2023, Faughn shared his life with our listeners from his childhood to joining the Marines and teaching, along with his return trip to Iwo Jima, Japan aboard the Honor Flight Bluegrass in which he was accompanied by his son Paul.
click to download audioOn the trip, Faughn said he was also able to go up toMount Seriaki to see the monument, which he noted was impressive when he first saw it and the American Flag Flying there. While on the trip, Faughn was able to read a poem “I Met the Flag at Iwo Jima” that he was inspired to write after he saw the flag raised there in 1945.
click to download audioFaughn has been recognized at several events over the years. In 2022, at the age of 96, he was recognized by Baptist Health Deaconess Hospital in Madisonville after he donated his 36th gallon of blood through the hospital’s blood bank. In 2017, the hospital noted that Faughn was officially named the Guinness World Record holder as the oldest active blood donor.
At this time, funeral arrangements have not been announced.
WWII Veteran Dale Faughn Reflects on Return Trip to Iwo Jima
