Lunch with WWII veterans

The 125th Field Artillery Association will hold its monthly luncheon at the Pickwick Restaurant & Pub in Duluth at noon Tuesday - and the public is invited to join.
The World War II veterans of the 125th Field Artillery Battalion of the Minnesota National Guard have been meeting on the second Tuesday of each month since 1947.
There are just a handful of veterans of the unit left now - in their 90s, with a few centenarians - but there also are a number of honorary members of the association who attend the luncheon, reported Bob Watts of Canyon, a WWII veteran and association president. New attendees are welcome, Watts said.
Watts and the other surviving veterans of the 125th were among 600 members of the 125th inducted into federal service 75 years ago as the country neared its entry into World War II.
The members of the 125th marched in Duluth from the Armory to the train depot downtown, on their way to training. The 125th later became part of the 34th Red Bull Division, renowned for its 17 months of combat, winding from North Africa into Italy. In all, 125 soldiers from the unit were killed in service during the war, including 34 Duluthians.