Korean War Veteran Donates N95 Masks To Nashua Fire And Police

NASHUA, NH — Korean War Veteran Sgt. Bob Desmond, who is a resident at the Hunt Community in Nashua, presented a donation of N95 masks to Nashua fire and police on Wednesday.

Desmond is the commander of the New Hampshire Korean War Veterans Association. The Korean government shipped 500,000 N95 masks to the United States to be distributed to Korean War veterans. Desmond coordinated getting masks brought to New Hampshire where there are only 45 Korean veterans remaining.

Desmond wanted the remaining masks to go to good use so he coordinated the donation of 600 masks to the Nashua fire and police. Additional masks will also be delivered to the Liberty House in Manchester next week.

Desmond, 89, did the presentation of the masks outside the Hunt facility. He told stories about his time serving as an air traffic controller during the war and finishing his career with the FAA Center in Nashua.

One of the memorable moments from his career he reflected on was when 52 hostages from Iran were returning to the United States in January 1981. Desmond n his wife made a recording of "America, The Beautiful," and brought it to the FAA Center. He said as the plane was returning and was 70 miles North of Bangor, Maine, they welcomed the hostages back over a speaker in the plane. The pilot of the plane then played the song America The Beautiful, and he was told: "There was not a dry eye in the plane or the FAA Center.”

NFR Chief Brian Rhodes and Assistant Chief Steve Buxton presented Desmond with a Nashua Fire Challenge Coin, and NFR mask. NPD Chief Michael Carignan and Deputy Chief Kevin Rourke presented Desmond with an NPD Challenge Coin and NPD Patch.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news