Monday, May 26, 2014

Met a WW2 Vet Today

Martin Weibel, WW2 Veteran
On Mondays I volunteer at Kansas Masonic Home here in Wichita, Kansas.  I help call bingo in the afternoons in the skilled nursing campus.

I have volunteered here since October of 2011. I know residents from the independent living campus and the assisted living campus, too.

Today, Memorial Day, I was walking into the lobby and saw a gentleman wearing a navy ball cap, so I stopped to talk with him. I'm very glad that I did.

He was visiting a fellow sailor's widow, Barbara, who lives at KMH. He drove down with a relative from Minnesota in order to spend the weekend visiting with Barbara and sharing memories about his service with her husband.

I'd like you to meet Martin Weibel, age 90, who served in the navy on the USS Hadley, a destroyer.  He worked in the boiler room. 

I found a webpage about 16 reunions of the crew members, and Martin has the distinction of attending all 16. He's pictured in a group photo of the 2007 reunion.

I was late for meeting with a resident at 1:30 pm, so I didn't get to speak with him for very long, but I shook his hand and thanked him for his service to the country.  Serendipity!

Related:

Life with Father: Ship Shaped


5 comments:

  1. That is a simple, yet wonderful thing you have done for that WW2 vet, Karen. A lot of our veterans tend to just slip past us, while carrying such great histories with them. We should take a step back and notice them, then make sure that they are properly taken care of and compensated, and that they get their benefits like they should .

    Brad Post @ Jan Dils

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    1. Good reminders about how to treat our veterans well. Thanks for the comment.

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  2. The post was very thoughtful, thank you. Martin is my father and passed away this January at the age of 99.

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    1. I still remember talking with Martin. He was a complete delight. May his memory burn bright. Peace and comfort to you.

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