A few of my neighbors here in Sun City suggested that I send you information about a trip I made with VetsRoll for WWII and Korean War veterans from May 16 through May 19, 2011. The trip consisted of 200 veterans and 111 volunteers and was funded by donations from individuals and the business community mostly from Beloit, Wisconsin.
Early, and I do mean early, Monday morning on the 16th around 2 a.m. I was on my way to join VetsRoll in Beloit. Beloit is so dark at 3:30 in the morning. Here is where 200 WWII and Korean War Veterans, along with 111 volunteers, would board 10 deluxe coaches and a wheelchair lift support van for the journey to Washington, D.C. The veteranâs trip was absolutely free, whereas the volunteers paid their own way. Every bus had a registered nurse and nine others to help wherever needed.
At around 5:30 a.m. friends and families gathered in the parking lot to see the departure. It had to be an impressive site. I was on Bus 2 as was a friend of mine, Jay Wildfong, from Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Along the way when we stopped for rest or for lunch we were welcomed as heroes. Adults and children lined the walkway as we entered the restaurants, thanking us for our service. Family, friends, and schoolchildren sent mail thanking us for our service. This was a highly emotional time and many a tear was shed.
We were instructed to retire at 8 p.m. Who goes to bed that early? When we were told that reville [sic] would be at 3 a.m. the next morning, 8 p.m. did not sound that bad. Sure enough at 3 a.m. we were up and ready to continue our trip to Washington D.C. At 8 a.m. we arrived at the Arlington National Cemetery and witnessed the ceremony of 21 steps by three soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As we were leaving, we witnessed something that very few persons had the privilege of seeing. It was a funeral procession led by a company of U.S. marine in full dress uniform, a marine band, a rider-less horse, and a person walking while a 21-gun salute boomed throughout the cemetery. Our guide said that she had never seen this in her many years working at the cemetery.
At noon, all ten coaches arrived at the WWII and Korean memorials. More than 400,000 Americans gave their lives in WWII. The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors those Americans who answered the call and gave their lives for the cause of freedom. I served in the United States Navy for four years during the Korean War and three and one-half years during WWII, so each of the two memorials brought back many memories.
Early on Thursday, May 19, all the buses and the wheelchair support van, in single file, began the long journey home escorted by the state police in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. We returned to Beloit at around 8:45 p.m. to a tremendous celebration. As we arrived in town, there were fire trucks, police cars, and various other vehicles leading us through the city. Fireworks were everywhere, and it appeared that all the residents of the city of Beloit were there to welcome us home. The residents lined the walks shaking our hands and thanking us for our service. This was also very emotional.
I want to thank Mark and John Finnegan, owners of Finnegan RV Center, South Beloit, Ill., who believe that veterans of WWII and Korea should be honored for their heroic efforts and so they did something that no one had ever done before. They founded the VetsRoll program. They and hundreds of volunteers from Beloit and the surrounding areas made this trip possible. If you are interested in knowing more about this trip, go to vetsroll.org.
My one major disaster came the day after I returned, when by mistake I deleted all of the photos I took, plus my two-year-old granddaughterâs second birthday pictures. If this were not bad enough, I also deleted my grandsonâs graduation pictures from Illinois State University earlier in May. My wife, being the good wife that she is, did not put me in the dog house.
