A century ago a Dorp farm boy found himself on a ship bound for the Phillippine Islands and, upon his return three years later, declared a veteran of the Spanish American War.

With the purchase of a brick in his name, Merrit Bakewell becomes the oldest veteran to be recognized in the Walk of Honor at the 20th Century Veterans' Memorial near North Platte, the town of his departure

The brick was purchased by Myron Bakewell, the only surviving of Merrit's four children. Merritt and Myron Bakewell farmed together west of Stapleton for many years. Dorp was a Logan County post office about 10 miles west of Gandy that was later closed after Stapleton came into being.

"I'm happy to contibute to the war memorial because my father had such fond memories of his turn-of-the-century service in the Phililppine Islands," said the younger Bakewell, now retired at 90 and living in North Platte.

According to his discharge papers, Merritt Bakewell qualifies as a 20th century veteran, having enlisted in the army on July 3, 1899, to be honorably discharged July 2, 1902. The entire three years were spent on the islands without furloughs, or "rest and recreation," as it's currently known.

The eldest of six children, Bakewell was described as a homebody and was admired and respected by his siblings and others throughout his life.

About the time of the Filipino Insurrection following Spain's ceding of the islands to the United States, Bakewell's father, James, a farmer and part-time preacher, took him to North Platte to "fend for himself." This was near Merritt's 21st birthday on Jan. 22, 1899.

From there, Bakewell rode a freight train to Denver to enroll in barbering school. In a biography written about his father, Myron says Merritt "was learning the trade and was quite well advanced in his apprenticeship when some army recruiters came along and persuaded him to join..."

Bakewell was assigned to Company E at Fort Logan, Colo., part of the 22nd Infantry, and shipped our from Denver within a week. Basic training probably took place during the short time at The Presidio - a garrisoned fort in the San Francisco Bay area - or on board the ship.

The size of the Pacific Ocean became a new concept to the Nebraska farm boy. Early on, Bakewell described the enlistees hanging over the side of the ship. It seems they were fed greasy food to "get the seasickness over with right away."

With the new recruits lined up along the ship's rail for inspection, Bakewell soon learned one didn't lean on that rail the slightest, no matter how long it lasted. At the Honolulu stop for refueling, each of the new soldiers was required to bring on board a wheelbarrow load of coal as they reboarded.

In 32 days from the time they left the states the new soldiers were in Manila, their new home for approximately the next three years.

Fortunately, Company E engaged in no serious battles, only minor skirmishes with the natives. During one uprising, American forces sent a ship into the harbor and turned the Gatling guns on the village. This "struck holy terror into the natives and after that there was very little trouble from them," Bakewell said in later years.

While there was little combat to deal with, loneliness and home-sickness were always present, as was the dysentery most soldiers suffered.

It was a happy homecoming for Bakewell that summer of 1902. By October 1903, Merritt was married and began a life of farming. He was elected a Justice of the Peace in Dorp precinct in 1914 and later served more than two terms as a county commissioner.

Bakewell died on March 5, 1962, and is buried in the Loup Valley Cemetery west of Stapleton. Military services were conductied graveside by the Stapleton VFW and American Legion posts. Now his name is to be permanently inscribed in a Walk of Honor.

For more information about the 20th Century Veterans' Memorial, write to PO Box 1393, North Platte 69103-1393 or call (308)532-6579.