Last survivor of state WWII veteran's group honors comrades

KALAMAZOO (AP) — The last surviving member of a group of soldiers who left Kalamazoo for World War II has honored his 93 deceased comrades with whiskey.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that 93-year-old Fred Spencer paid tribute Sunday to the men whom he served alongside in Company C of the 126th Infantry Regiment.

Spencer poured a shot of Crown Royal Whiskey for each man into a bucket of sand, which will remain outside VFW Post 1527.

The men made a pact when they were deployed to give a bottle of whiskey to the last survivor.

The group fought in some of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific Theater.