It was his last Veterans Day, but still, he was amazing.

He piloted up to 20 missions in World War II, survived German POW camps, then worked in the oil industry until he was 82.

He earned his nickname - the Amazing Mr. Binks - by fighting first for his country, then for his health. And, juding by a very flattering photo run on the front page of the Jackson Hole News & Guide, he was quite a looker in his war hero days.

According to a Veteran's Day tale in the Guide, Gerald Binks, now 87, lay in a hospital bed on the day meant to honor the people who sacrificed and served. People like him. He looked forward to Veterans Day every year, his wife said.

For the last few years, Binks has fought a leaky heart, an ailment directly related to the scarlet fever he contracted while a prisoner of war. He fought hard, returning home when doctors told him he probably wouldn't. But this time, he really won't go home.

"It's time for me to go off to the happy hunting ground," he said Tuesday.

His wife still calls him "my hero."

Thank you for your service, your bravery, and your sacrifice, Amazing Mr. Binks. Your health may fade away, but you will never be forgotten.

Go to www.jhnewsandguide.com for Mr. Binks' whole story.

Yet another reason to register

Mike Randolph could have been elected, if only he'd registered to vote.

A write-in candidate for town council in Kirby, which has a total population of 57 people according the latest available census data, Randolph was disqualified from the position because he wasn't registered to vote in the county, said a story in the Thermopolis Independent Record.

The three candidates on the ballot, Ross R. Rhodes, Jessica Slagle and Irene "Dolly" Hurley, received 24, 11 and eight votes respectively. Randolph pulled through with 13 votes, which would have earned him the second seat on the council had he been registered.

Election rules state that you have to be registered to vote to win as a write-in candidate.

Slagle, with 11 votes, took the seat.

Contact columnist Megan Lee at (307) 266-0616 or megan.lee@trib.com