– Former Lewiston man is Veteran of Month

PARIS — Roland Samson was named Veteran of the Month at the Maine Veteran’s Home in South Paris recently.
Samson was born in Connecticut on April 19, 1924. He moved to the Little Canada neighborhood of Lewiston in his late teens and began working in the textile mills.
He married his wife, Helen, in 1944. On May 9, 1944, he entered the Navy. Samson was a seaman second class aboard the USS Iowa. During his service he was awarded the Victory Medal, American Area Campaign Ribbon, Asiatic Area Campaign Ribbon with two stars and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two stars. Samson was discharged on Jan. 19, 1946, and returned to Lewiston.
Samson continued to work in the textile mills while he and his wife raised three sons and two daughters. He was a gardener and loved to work on his yard. After his wife died in 1995, Samson began to go flying with his son, Rene. He loved to see his home from the air.
Samson came to the Maine Veteran’s Home in February 2006. He has a great sense of humor and a wonderful smile. He loves seafood and going on trips. He has five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Samson resides on the B-Unit.