PARIS — Ervin Heath Prescott is being honored as the veteran of the month at the Maine Veterans’ Home.

Prescott was born July 10, 1922. He grew up on a farm in Phillips as the seventh son in a family of nine boys. The family raised and milked a herd of cows and grew acres of vegetables.

Before the end of high school, Ervin was inducted into federal service with Co. L 103rd Infantry 43rd Division ME National Guard in February 1941, for one year training at Camp Blanding, Florida. Two of his brothers, Mason and Melvin, joined him. After basic training, they participated in Army maneuvers in Louisiana and North Carolina.

After the start of WWII, Ervin and Melvin were sent to the Russell Islands not far from Guadalcanal. Mason transferred to the Army Air Corps to be a navigator. Melvin and Ervin landed on Remdova with the 3rd Battalion 103rd Infantry in early July 1943 and entered the battle line 3,000 yards from Munda Airfield.

Melvin was killed in action on July 18, 1943. Mason was listed as missing in action on Nov. 14, 1943, when his plane was shot down by enemy aircraft on a raid out of Guadalcanal Base. Ervin stayed with the 103rd Infantry through the New Guinea Campaign and Luzon. He was honorably discharged Aug. 29, 1945, at Fort Devons, Mass.

Sgt. Ervin Prescott received the Combat Infantry Award, the Pacific/Asiatic Ribbon, the Defense Ribbon and the Phillipine Liberation Medal.

When the war was over, Prescott returned to Maine along with another brother, Colby, who had been in the Navy. He later lived in Maryland and worked as a dairy herd inspector, receiving the prestigious Efficient Production Award from the National Dairy Products Corp. on two occasions.

Prescott is a man of many interests. Those interests have included hunting, fishing, gardening, mushroom foraging, rock collecting and tumbling and woodworking, to name a few. In addition, he has always treasured opportunities to gather with nieces, nephews and generations of Heaths and Prescotts.

In the 1980s he worked at Decoster Egg Farm in Turner, and met Edith Damon, a fellow worker. He and Edith spent the next 25 years in happy pursuit of their common interests, taking trips, gardening together and enjoying each other’s company, until her death in 2008. Ervin was then, and always will be, a cherished member of the Damon family.

In 2002, Ervin and two of his brothers (Colby and Melvin) who had missed graduating from high school due to the war, received their high school diplomas with the Mt. Abram High School Class of 2002.

Ervin has lived at the Maine Veterans Home since May 2011. He enjoys visits from his family and especially his little dog, Tina, who delights him with her antics. He does craft projects and likes the music programs and church services. He has developed many friendships with the staff and other residents and plays a good game of checkers. His garden and bird feeders outside his window give him pleasure as does a trip to town for an ice cream cone or dinner.

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