Missouri's oldest living POW marks 100th birthday

Saturday, August 1, 2009
Centenarian Floyd McComas receives congratulations from State Representative Barney Fisher on his 100th birthday. McComas is thought to be the oldest World War II POW in Missouri. -- Photo by Steve Moyer/Herald-Tribune

Nevada, Mo. -- He's tried to avoid the limelight most of his life; but on Wednesday, Floyd McComas found that hard to do. McComas celebrated his 100th birthday on that day and a multitude of people showed up to honor him. It was no ordinary centenary -- McComas, a U.S. Army veteran, is Missouri's oldest surviving World War II POW.

"We know he's the oldest Missouri POW," Steve Deal, Mc-Comas' nephew said. "We think he may be the oldest in the country but it's hard to find out anything like that. We contacted the Army, but they haven't got back to us."

At his nephew's house, where his birthday was celebrated, McComas was surrounded by tables with centerpieces of ducks carved by McComas and trophies his nephew had brought back from many hunting trips. Asked if he had contributed to the trophies McComas said, "I've never owned a gun or wanted to. Never gone hunting."

State Representative Barney Fisher, R-125th District, said, "What Floyd and his generation did benefited my generation and the generations that came after. They sacrificed and saved to build the country up after the Depression. This generation may see another depression and will need to follow the example of Floyd and his generation."

At 6 o'clock the guests all headed outside to watch the Flying Comanches overfly the party. The three planes made several passes in different configurations; in a V formation, in a straight line, in a V formation with the two outer planes splitting off and flying diagonally away from the lead plane, and one at a time.

McComas is modest about his service, and his captivity.

He went in to Omaha Beach 10 days after D-Day and was captured in October, four months later. Seven months after that, in early April, McComas was liberated from Stalag 7A, near Moosburg, Germany.

"Compared to some of the stories I've heard and the pictures I've seen, it wasn't a bit bad," McComas said. "It wasn't good but it could have been a lot worse."

McComas said that during his imprisonment, "We got a Red Cross parcel about every two weeks," McComas said. "We would have to share with another prisoner, one parcel for two prisoners."

McComas said the older guards knew the war was not going to last much longer, which may be why they treated the prisoners well.

"The older guards knew they were defeated and treated us pretty good," McComas said. "The young Germans still wanted to fight but the old men didn't want to."

During his incarceration, McComas had the option of going on work details outside of camp, and took the opportunity for some bartering.

"They would take about 1,500 men into Munich for work details every other day," McComas said.

"My bunkmate and I didn't smoke so we would take our cigarettes with us and trade them for some good bread. Then we got into business, trading cigarettes in town for bread and selling it back at the barracks to the lazy guys who didn't go on the work details for a profit."

McComas said the camp he was in was liberated by Patton's army and he was sent back to the United States in June.

"I was back in the States about the first of June and I had about a 30 day recuperation then I was shipped to Fort Smith Ark.," McComas said. "I was ready to move out and I woke up that morning and I passed some blood in my urine and the sergeant asked if I was a POW and I said yes and he told me to head over to the hospital. I had a voucher for meals at the Arlington Hotel and I could leave the hospital at 10 a.m. and not have to get back until 9 p.m. so I had it made."

Dean prompted McComas to tell a story about why he ate black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. McComas said that during his training in Texas his group was served black-eyed peas, he ate his but two of his friends didn't.

"They were killed during the war and I survived," McComas said. "Ever since then I eat black-eyed peas every year, and everyone knows they better have them for me."

McComas said that his Army experience was a definite plus, he came out in better shape than he went in.

"I can truthfully say I came out of the Army mentally and physically better than I went in," McComas said. "I was a city boy and I wasn't in that good of shape. Attitude had a lot to do with it."

After he mustered out of the Army McComas went back to the same job he held when he went in, furniture buyer for Duff and Rep furniture store.

He worked there for approximately 25 years and then opened his own furniture store for a while.

"I opened up a little Early American furniture store of my own," McComas said. "I operated it for about 10 years before I retired."

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