Bridge to History: Remember Pearl Harbor (December 4-8, 2024)

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The first Pearl Harbor veteran I remember meeting was in a Mexican restaurant at a friends birthday party when I was about 12. He looked like an old man, so I thought I’d say hello while I waited to go inside. Turns out he was on the USS Utah and lived just down the road from me. He had helped build some of the original computers after the war and was quite adept on his iPhone. He showed me pictures of him from that day, the day our world changed forever.

Next month is the 83rd anniversary of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. Tora, Tora, Tora.

Incredibly enough, there are still a couple of survivors left to remember the day. But pretty soon the phrase, “Remember Pearl Harbor” will be have to be repeated by the generations that followed, as there will be no more witnesses left.

This is why we are especially excited to be bringing three new Bridge to History ambassadors to Hawaii for the commemoration. These three boys were not alive when the Twin Towers were bombed. But they are passionate about history, honoring their forefathers and preserving their legacy.

Unique to this trip, our ambassadors will be traveling with FIVE World War II veterans, brought over by World War II Beyond the Call. This is a dream collaboration, and it genuinely is connecting the youth of today with our past. Our students have studied and worked very hard to be included on this trip.

We are excited to share more about BRIDGE TO HISTORY: REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR in the up-and-coming days.

We are so grateful to our sponsors that are making this trip happen: Roll Call for providing airline miles to fly to each of the students over, and our generous donors and sponsors at Operation Meatball.

The phrase, “once in a lifetime experience” sometimes gets bantered about. But this will indeed be a once in a lifetime experience for these Bridge to History ambassadors. To return to that day of infamy with the veterans who would go on to serve in World War II, hold their hands, participate in the commemorations, lay wreaths of remembrance, and record stories… There will never be another experience like this.

We have a few expenses left. Would you help us take care of the last few details for Pearl Harbor 83? You can donate here. Thank you!

VIA MAIL (ADDRESS CHECKS TO: OPERATION MEATBALL)

Operation Meatball

PO Box 700182

San Antonio, Texas 78270

A Promise Made: 10 Years Later

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Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

- Ronald Reagan at the 40th Anniversary of D-Day

The countdown to the 80th anniversary of D-Day has started. We are just a couple of weeks out. An estimated 2 million people will be in attendance to commemorate 80 years since the great amphibious invasion that ushered in the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe.

10 years ago this month, my sisters and I determined to get our family to Normandy to keep a promise to an old British D-Day veteran we had met some years before. We promised him that if he “stuck around” till the 70th, we would meet him in Saint Mere Eglise. 

June 06, 2011 - JUNO BEACH WITH BRITISH VETERANS WHO CAME ASHORE SO MANY YEARS BEFORE… i was about 14 here.

Blogs were still a thing in 2014, so we started OperationMeatball.com as a way of keeping track of that trip. Before the trip was over we realized it was so much bigger than just a blog and just a trip. That promise I had determined to keep for my British Vet turned into a much bigger promise – a commitment to hundreds of WWII veterans to keep their stories and their names alive. 

Throughout the process of cataloging their stories and memorializing their legacies, these veterans became the dearest of friends. The mission of Operation Meatball grew. We learned about more than just their war service…  We learned about what it was that separated their generation from others. How growing up in the Great Depression cultivated in them a special grit which served to carry them through the hardships of World War II and beyond.

Some years ago, I jokingly told an old friend, a Vietnam vet, that it would be hard to find a man because I had grown up with such spectacular examples of masculinity and patriotism. “Liberty,” he responded quite gravely. “The character and quality you see in their 90s didn’t happen overnight. This was a lifelong process of growth. It’s the whole encompassing story of their lives. That made them what you see today.” 

That sentence stuck with me when I considered everything I learned from the World War II vets… It’s why today I try and tell their WHOLE story. The good and the bad, the growth, the hardships, the gains, the losses. Because it’s the whole story.

101st airborne sweetheart, tom rice at the 75th of dday.

We’re here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For 4 long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue.

- Ronald Reagan at the 40th Anniversary of D-Day

Next month I will be jumping into Normandy with the Round Canopy Parachute Team as we commemorate the 80th anniversary. 10 years ago, when I had just started Operation Meatball, I watched my first Parachute jump in Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont, Normandy, France. It was beautiful; it was inspiring; it was emotional.

It’s a full circle moment for me. A way of honoring and remembering the veterans who I have grown up with and who shaped my life and the future of our country. 

So many years I’ve sat at La Fiere Bridge chatting and holding the hands of veterans, paratroopers, who many moons before had made that night jump into Normandy. We watched the men fall from the sky, and they told me what it was like on that night of nights.

Now it’s my turn.

members of the oss/jedburgh team prepare to make a parachute jump into enemy occupied territory

Wanted: Volunteers for immediate overseas assignment. Knowledge of French or another European language preferred; Willingness and ability to qualify as a parachutist necessary; Likelihood of a dangerous mission guaranteed.

I will be representing a special group who jumped into France… Not on D-Day, but the days before and shortly after - the women of the OSS and SOE (Office of Strategic Services and Special Operations Executive), a select group of valiant and courageous women who volunteered to parachute under undercover of darkness into enemy occupied territory to help set up resistance movements, act as wireless operators and couriers, and over all cause as much confusion in the enemy camp as possible.

The attrition rate for these women was very high. The life expectancy for a wireless operator in France was six weeks. If caught, the women were tortured or sent to concentration camps where they were gassed and killed.

Some of these women left children at home or a husband in the service. But they knew they were highly qualified – speaking multiple languages and having a sharp acumen for learning… And it was their way of serving their country at a time when women were not allowed near the front lines, with the exception of the nurse Corps. 

The services they provided the Allies from 1942 to 1945 was invaluable. There were a few select women in particular on whom the Germans put a high bounty if caught. But nevertheless they continued tirelessly.

It’s a very special thing to be able to represent these women. They carried their jobs off with courage and femininity and they played their part in the shaping of the New World.

I have full confidence in your devotion to duty and skill in battle.
We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

General Dwight D. Eisenhower

The world today has so much going on. We have access to more information than we know how to handle. There is continual fighting with casualties around the world. We read about them and see images every day that would break the hardest of hearts. 

There is so much tragedy and loss and worry right now that perhaps one would ask why travel to France NOW? Why is the 80th important? Is this a holiday? Is this a joy trip?

Well, of course anytime one gets to travel overseas, it is a gift. But this is a critical time in our history. The world needs hope and the world needs to remember.

France remembers. England remembers. America has to remember too.

We have to remember the sacrifices of the thousands of men who lost their lives on D-Day. Of the soldiers who had the courage to continue across that beachhead, even after seeing their best friend’s body explode in front of them. Their willingness to put one foot in front of the other, day after day after day. 

“I lost my best friend during WWII. He was killed in action on or about July 10, 1944, in Normandy, France. I was in the hospital in England at the time and didn’t know he died until I rejoined my unit... He had a daughter, Sue... She was about 3 years old when her father, Raymond, was drafted in the army and she never saw him again. For 60 long years, Sue tried to find out what happened to him or if anyone knew him. I responded to a notice in an army (military) magazine that had her name... and called her right away. When she answered the phone, I told her who I was and that I was a good friend of her dad. I identified his physical features such as height, weight, color of hair, and a slight gap between his two front teeth. She let out a yell and told her granddaughter, who was nearby, that there is someone on the phone who knew him. After 60 long years she finally found someone who knew him. Liberty, I am telling you this because from the bottom of my heart it was (still is) one of the most compassionate things I ever did in my life.”

Lee Cason, 4th Infantry Division Utah Beach

Photo credit: best defense foundation / patrick mccue

13 years ago, a D-Day Vet told me how he survived without fear. “Every morning I woke up I would say, ‘Well Don, today is the day I die.’ And when I got to the end of the day and hadn’t been killed, I would say. ‘Well Don, you made it through another day. Get some sleep. You will probably die tomorrow.’” 

He did this through months of combat. He expected that death was the most likely outcome, and putting aside that fear of death, he was able to be a better soldier, he was able put one foot in front of the other, until it was time to go home.

67 years later, he returned to the beaches of Normandy. But this time he had children, grandchildren, a beautiful wife, decades of happiness, and gratitude and remembrance for each of his friends who didn’t make it to the end of that day.

Let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.”

- Ronald Reagan at the 40th Anniversary of D-Day

On the 75th anniversary, I was privileged to go with a group of D-Day veterans who were returning to Normandy with the Best Defense Foundation.

Many precious and special moments happened that trip that I hold and cherish. But one in particular, I’ll never forget. 

In our group we had a very special man named Russell Pickett. He had come ashore on Omaha Beach with the doomed A Company, 116th Infantry Regiment. We all know the story of how they were massacred on landing. How the small town of Bedford would lose 19 men on that day, becoming the highest per capita town in America for losses on D-Day.

Russell himself had been horribly wounded, and while this was his second trip back to Normandy, it was the first one where he would actually go back to the beach where his life changed forever.

Russell was a quiet, humble, Christian man. He hadn’t always been that way… He carried anger and bitterness and nightmares with him for years after the war, making his life miserable. But then one day he was saved and everything changed. He found hope and for the first time was able to handle the nightmares.

rUSSELL pICKETT

The first morning in France, Russell asked if I would come help him with something. I was happy to oblige… Quietly and almost a little embarrassed, he asked if I would help clean an open wound on his head. It needed daily attendance otherwise it would ooze a very distasteful substance.

This started our daily ritual. I would go to his room where he would be sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed neatly and very nicely. Some mornings he already had his hearing aids in and some mornings he struggled to replace the battery, so I would have to knock a little louder.

I would clean the wounds on top of his head, and we would chat. About life and about God. Pure Christian love poured from his heart, and in his gentle, southern voice, he would share wisdom gathered from a life that had been long, at times hard, but at the end of the day very fruitful.

Some mornings while I tended to him, I would just start crying, visualizing the scenes of the beach that day, and wondering how someone so gentle and kind could survive and carry so much love still.  

These few minutes were my favorite. Not the hullabaloo and the celebrations, the speeches, the music, and the fanfare… But those quiet moments with a beautiful soul, who had endured so much, and yet at the end of the day was able to say, “God is good. His grace is sufficient for me.”

I haven’t really thought about this moment in a couple of years. The last 10 years have been full and sometimes I worry about all the stories I have forgotten or didn’t manage to get written down. And honestly, the emotional taxation of almost 2 decades of spending time with these dear national treasures makes one want to pause or even run away.

But then I think about these passages of time with Russell… where I saw the face of God in a 94-year-old man. And it’s all worth it. These memories are a whisper saying, “This is still important. You have to tell people. They have to remember.”

Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief; it was loyalty and love. The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge — and pray God we have not lost it — that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

- Ronald Reagan at the 40th Anniversary of D-Day

We live in a generation of fatigue and historical amnesia. People have fallen asleep and forgotten.

This is why it’s important on the 80th anniversary of D-Day for me to go over there and meet with the very last of the last. To make this jump to commemorate and honor them. It’s my responsibility to tell their story, the story witnessed through the eyes of someone who grew from up from childhood to adulthood with these national treasures.

Faith and I will jump into Normandy and we will celebrate the gallant boys we’ve known. "Boys?” you say. Yes. Magic happens when the vets return to Normandy. The clock is turned back and they become boys again. They tell silly jokes, vie for attention, act like they’ve never seen a wheelchair before, and show off for the pretty girls.

One year we were at a friend’s chateau, talking with a couple of D-Day vets. An older man in a t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sneakers kept trying to interject. No one way paying attention to him. He walked off in a huff exclaiming, “Fine! If no one will listen to me, I’ll go put my jump jacket on and see if that helps.” He came back a few minutes later so adorned and received the attention he was looking for. The girls and I laughed so hard about it, and later would tease him endlessly.

It was Guy Whidden, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

I hope you all will join us virtually as we go back to honor and commemorate. 10 years ago, ages 14, 16, and 17, my sisters and I went around the countryside endeavoring to meet every veteran possible. Faith had a “menu” of old WWII songs she sang acapella to the veterans. I had a recorder, pen, and paper. We thought it might be the last time for a gathering like this. It wasn’t the last. But you never know when it will be. And this time, I’m pretty sure the 80th will be the last.

I asked Russell Pickett if, knowing everything he knew now; if witnessing the horrors and the bloodshed that could never be erased from his memory, and if knowing he would carry those physical and emotional scars with him his entire life, would he do it again? Would he do it again knowing everything? 

And his answer was, “Of course, Liberty. Of course, I would do it again.” 

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Paratrooper, Toccoa, Currahee

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We just wrapped an incredible weekend in Toccoa, Georgia with the Bridge to History Ambassadors studying all things Paratroopers.

One of the key aspects of the B2H program is continued mentorship and investment into the community when they return from their trip to Normandy. This weekend kicked off our first official Bridge to History Stateside Program and it couldn’t have been better.

If you have ever watched the TV show Band of Brothers or read anything about Dick Winters and the 101st in Normandy, then I am pretty sure Toccoa has popped up on your radar at some point. Nestled in the beautiful back country of northeast Georgia, Toccoa during WWII was home to the 101st Airborne. This is where the soldiers trained to become Paratroopers. They hiked the infamous Currahee Mountain. And it was here they were forged into the fighting force that would become a helping hand to the liberation of Europe.

This past weekend, Bridge to History Ambassadors from 2022, 2023, and 2024 flew and drove in from all over the country to spend a couple of days learning about these brave men of WWII.

Sleeping in the rebuilt WWII barracks at the base of Mount Currahee (on the exact location of the original camp) the ambassadors and their parents had a packed couple of days. Here are a few highlights:

“3 Miles Up, 3 Miles Down”

After a great tour at the Camp Toccoa at Currahee Museum, the ambassadors embarked on the hike up the mountain. Historically, the paratroopers would run this mountain on almost daily basis regardless of weather conditions. In Band of Brothers it infamously depicts a spaghetti dinner followed by a rigorous run up the mountain. The outcome? Yes - what you are probably thinking is correct.

The B2H ambassadors were grateful to just be hiking the mountain minus the spaghetti dinner. And they performed it with gusto.

Honoring Our Veterans

Saturday afternoon WWII veteran Andy Negra joined the Bridge to History crew for lunch and a special “fireside chat” about his experiences with the 6th Armored Division in Europe during WWII.

Andy is two months shy of 100 years of age. His spirit is effervescent. His perspective on life beautiful. And the love he still carries for his late wife (of 72 years) is inspiring.

For well over an hour, he shared his stories of the war, starting off with his childhood during the Great Depression.

Andy had called me a few days before the trip and asked what the ages of the students in attendance would be.

“10-12” I told him.

“Good.” He said, “That’s the age I was during the depression. I’ll tell them a bit about that for starters. They can relate better being similar ages.”

Andy didn’t shy away from talking about Buchenwald Concentration Camp. With careful tact, he told the students what he saw and the impact it had on his 21-year-old self.

It’s important to teach kids about the realities of war in an age-appropriate way. Film makes war glamorous. It’s easy for a 12-year-old history buff to see the uniforms and the tanks and the firearms and get excited. This is natural.

But this is why we discuss all aspects of war. Good and bad. People forget the atrocities that happened in the concentration camps. And when you forget, you repeat. It’s never too early to start teaching the value of life and honor and integrity.

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
— George Santayana, American philosopher (1863-1952)

Andy is a very special example of the character of the WWII generation. He is a national treasure. His life mission is to continue to educate the next generations about their legacy as Americans.

With his 100th birthday coming up, he told me that he just got his first passport last year. “I have 8 years left on it, so I plan on using it for the next 8 years.”

Our afternoon with Andy was a treat and a genuine honor. These boys will never forget it. I’d made my heart so happy to see the focus and attention they paid him (shout out to Winston who asked such superb questions it made Andy stop in his tracks with admiration).

Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Connecting the Ambassadors to the communities and local veterans groups is a very important part of Bridge to History Program. It means that the students have to take what they learned and implement it in the real world.

Our last night in Toccoa, VFW Post 4346 welcomed us as their guests for the evening.

When I initially reached out to the VFW about having the kids come over and have dinner and meet some of the vets, Post Commander James Williams didn’t skip a beat. “Of course!”

Williams and VFW Auxiliary President, Li’el Cohen were our gracious hosts taking meal orders and chatting with the group. Several veterans of various wars also joined our students, mingling and sharing war stories. The collective life experience in the room was incredible and the couple of hours we shared with them was just the tip of the iceberg.

One veteran of Vietnam shared an incredibly moving story of his battle with PTSD and how he learned to overcome it rather than be overcome himself. Another Navy vet had us chuckling with laughter and admiration as he passed his Navy decorated prosthetic leg around for our viewing pleasure.

Eventually we had to go back to camp, but it was hard to say goodbye. Each of the little ambassadors expressed how much they had enjoyed the evening.

Everyone talks about Southern Hospitality, but I gotta say - there’s something just a little bit extra special about Georgia hospitality. When I first stepped foot in Toccoa 10 years ago - it felt like home to me. 10 years later, it still feels that way.

Throughout the entire weekend, the B2H ambassadors and their parents experienced the very best of Toccoa hospitality. They learned about the Paratroopers through the history they left behind, and the firsthand accounts of the Toccoa folks who grew up with those paratroopers when they returned for reunions. They hiked Mt. Currahee with gusto - “3 Miles Up, 3 Miles Down.” They honored the memory of Toccoa Paratroopers who had been killed in action. They met with veterans, heard their stories, took notes and listened with their whole hearts. The students even got to help out a little at Camp Toccoa at Curahee. And they went home with full and happy hearts.

My desire is that this weekend added to the flame of interest and excitement they carry for understanding our American history and legacy. I hope they will continue to read and study and come back to Toccoa. It’s a special town with a rich history. We have so much to learn from it.

I would like to thank Steve Latham, Brad Rettig, and Camp Toccoa at Currahee, Inc.. for hosting us in their World War II barracks at the base of Mount Currahee, the same location as the original camp! They have done a phenomenal job rebuilding the barracks and provided the ambassadors with a special tour and history lesson on the paratroopers that trained at Toccoa.

I’d also like to thank Dale Moseley, Brenda Carlan, Lyn Hack, Pat Turner and the Currahee Military Museum for making our afternoon visit to the museum with Andy absolutely perfect and always going above and beyond to give young people the opportunity to learn about the history of Toccoa.

And many many thanks to VFW Post 4346 for an absolutely delightful evening. We cannot wait to come back and share this experience with more Bridge to History ambassadors and their families.

Bridge to History is a program of OPERATION MEATBALL. To learn more, participate, or donate click here:

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

62 Seconds Worth of Distance Run

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My phone sent me this reminder four years ago. That’s Gene, my third Marine division sweetie, in front of the second flag raised on Iwo Jima.

I miss Gene so much. He was one of the kindest men I ever knew. So masculine and so gentle.

A lot of the vets I grew up with felt like surrogate uncles or grandfathers. Gene felt like a second dad.

I spent my 25th birthday celebrating Gene’s life with his family and friends in the heart of Montana… toasting him with a smooth bourbon and stories for days. It was really one of the best gifts he could have given me. There was so much beauty and peace. The fulfillment of a life well lived.

A life well lived might be an understatement.

A life he thrived in, an unsatiable appetite for life, a life in Technicolor.

As long as I knew him, he was taking Edgar Guest’s line - “fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run” and filling it with 62 seconds.

The year before Gene died he suffered a heart attack while hunting with his son. "Don't worry about me," he said, "get your shot then we can go to the hospital." He didn't want to miss out on anything.

When he went on hospice and knew it was a short matter of time, he continued to make plans - just in case hospice didn’t work out. He had a date lined up for the Marine Corps Birthday in November and talked about going to our Iwo Jima reunion in February.

In the days leading up to his death, we texted constantly (he was an incredibly speedy texting machine). I sent photos of old times. Someone told me he was going through all the photos on his phone, trying to remember EVERYTHING.

Gene has been born prematurely. In the 1920s the survival rate for a preemie baby was incredibly low. He and his twin brother were kept in a shoebox by the fire to keep warm. They both made it.

He became a marine. Survived the battle of Guam and Iwo Jima. Went into law-enforcement on the Hollywood beat. Became a park ranger at Glacier National Park. He had an illustrious life. He had an epic life. But in my mind he represented masculinity, kindness, stability, and integrity.

Gene told me once that if there was ever anything I needed, he was just a phone call away. And he meant it. But he didn’t wait for me to make that call. He called me – to make sure I was OK, to make sure I had everything I needed, that I was happy, content. Just to check in.

I miss those check-in calls a lot. I’d like to tell them about my life, my love, my work. I know he would’ve been so invested.

I visited a friend on hospice this week. I work with a lady with severe dementia. I am constantly surrounded by vivid reminders of the mortality and shortness of life. And there have been several days of late where it all just felt like a lot.

Then a little memories like this pop-up. And I’m flooded with recollections of people like Gene– who shaped my perspective on kindness, how to be treated like a lady and a woman, what integrity looks like… unconditional love. These little moments make everything worthwhile.

They make my own life technicolor.

On the day that we actually have an extra 24 hours, February 29, I want to be like Gene: filling the most unforgiving minute with every second worth of distance run and saying, “You can take me to the hospital after you get that shot.”

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Iwo Jima 79

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Remembering the Battle of Iwo Jima with the Iwo Jima Association of America and Veterans.

This is my 9th year attending this reunion, and it truly is a gift to still have these National Treasures with us. Five veterans are here this week a far cry from the dozens that used to show up when I first started coming. And the shenanigans that used go on! The stories. Tall and short. I used to keep a quote book of the amusing things the vets would say to me. After nearly 10 years - it’s quite a book.

“I’m BC. They say, “What's BC?” I’m Before Computers” - Roy Earle USMC

This week the 5 veterans in attendance are all about 98 years old. Louis will be 99 in two weeks, but he only uses a wheelchair if he has too. The vets don’t complain about age or infirmities. They’re happy to be here, among their comrades and friends. We talk about Iwo, but we also talk about life. It’s a veteran’s reunion, but it feels like family.

Juan - smashing swabby and former Rodeo Cowboy - regales us with stories of his Arctic adventure with Admiral Byrd, busting broncos, and literally dozens of stories that ended with a classic fist fight. This vigorous lifestyle is no doubt the key to his youth and health.

There’s a reason they say there is no such thing as an ex-Marine. These veterans of the battle of Iwo Jima are sturdy and staunch. They are now old, the memories fade for a few, but they are fighters. And they continue to come. “As long as I am able, I will keep coming to the reunion.” Is the common line.

It is indeed a testament to the quality and mettle of their generation and their belief in the importance of remembrance.

How are you Louis?”

“I’m contrary.” - Iwo Jima Veteran, Louis B.

Always Kiss Goodnight: A Story for Valentine's Day

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Kanter+irene-and-marvin--1949.jpg

Marvin and Irene Kanter’s love story is one of my favorites. I came across it 10 years ago while searching for local WWII vets my sisters and I could invite to the first function we ever decided to host. It was to be a grand dinner at a classic car museum in San Marcos with special guest, Maurice Renaud son of the wartime mayor of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France.

I somehow managed to find Marvin’s address and sent him an invitation with an extra note saying I hoped he’d attend (his movie star looks might have encouraged us just a bit to reach out). Happily to our surprise they accepted. The couple was everything and more. Marvin was even better looking and more charming in person, and Irene was absolutely fabulous with a side of spunk. She had been the one to propose to Marving back in 1947, and time had not dimmed that quality.

"If you see a good looking man in a black sports coat, watch out. He is Navy all the way." - Irene Kanter declaring to an Army veteran

Irene passed away shortly after that dinner, but Marvin stuck around for a few more years. Their love story never gets old. Sweet and simple. Long lasting. No doubt they put the work in to make it so.

I sometimes wondered if the movie Anchors Away written based off of their meeting.

Yours to decide.

Always Kiss Goodnight

Helen Anders American-Statesman Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 

Mr. Kanter at our 2014 Veterans Dinner.

It was Halloween night 1944, and a new student at the University of Texas, Irene Wolfson, had a date to a Longhorns football game. Told a blue norther was coming in, but not knowing quite what that was because she’d just arrived from Florida, Irene dressed smartly in a one-button suit with a yellow angora sweater.

“I go out to get in the car,” Irene recalls, “and driving is this sailor with coal-black hair and a fantastic smile.” That, however, was not Irene’s date, although her date was also in the car. The sailor, Marvin Kanter, on shore leave from the Navy, had a date of his own. Still, during the evening when it became clear that Irene had under-dressed for the norther, he lent her his pea coat. The next day, Marvin left to catch a ship out of San Francisco.

“All the way to California, I was picking yellow angora off my pea coat,” he says. His memory of Irene stuck with him just like the angora, and when he was back in Austin — two years later, after World War II had ended — he tracked her down for a date. Then he went home to Missouri and she to Florida, but they corresponded. Irene’s mother saw his picture in her daughter’s room and instantly disapproved.

“He has a weak chin,” she tsked. Undeterred, Irene proposed to Marvin when they got together one weekend in 1947.

“What are your future plans?” Marvin asked Irene, who quickly answered: “I plan to marry you and settle down.” In 1949, they did just that, opting to move to Austin, where Irene quickly landed a job with a fabric store and Marvin worked for a pharmaceuticals wholesaler.

“I don’t think anyone expected the marriage to last,” Irene muses. But here they are, 64 years later. Irene wound up teaching school, then becoming an administrator, serving as assistant principal of Anderson High School for 20 years. Marvin took a job with the Texas Railroad Commission and spent 34 years of weekends officiating at football games, many of them attended by Irene and their daughter, Shelly.

“Remember that time we put hotdog wrappers on our feet to keep warm?” Shelly remembers, and both her parents laugh.

Mr. and Mrs. Kanter at our 2014 Veterans Dinner.

Mr. and Mrs. Kanter at our 2014 Veterans Dinner.

Now retired, Marvin and Irene take a swim in their pool at exactly 4 p.m. every day (unless it’s too cold) and follow that up with a 5 p.m. cocktail hour. They may be out of the business world, but they’re far from idle. They work from time to time as extras in movies shooting in Austin — in fact, they enjoyed a decent amount of screen time behind Sandra Bullock in a restaurant scene in “Miss Congeniality” — and they travel relentlessly, heading out for a tour of interior Alaska just four weeks after Irene had hip surgery. Talking about all this, they grin at each other like newlyweds.

“We have a lot of fun together,” Irene says.

“We laugh a lot, and we try to stay young,” Marvin says. “And whether the day has gone smooth or rough, at the end of the day, we kiss each other.”

“Sometimes it’s hard when you’ve had a fuss,” Irene says, “but we do.”

http://www.statesman.com/lifestyles/always-kiss-good-night/3rPiyfI7ktv4v9tooYr2RN/

Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024

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Happy New Year, friends! Yes, it’s January 20, but we reserve the right to wish everyone a happy new year through the 31st.

Last year was one for the books! The Iwo Jima Veterans reunion in February was a terrific way to jump start the year.

This was followed by the usual of events, veteran reunions, letters, phone calls, history collection, home visits etc. It felt like we blinked at the year was half spent! This year is already gearing up to be a similar whirlwind.

“Redshirt Breakfasts” are a staple of the month. Organized by Russell Minor, formally of Alamo Honor Flight. It’s my favorite way to spend Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

an evening at new york french consulate to discuss the 80th anniversary of dday

A special evening at the French Consulate in New York as the preparations for the 80th of DDay get underway.

mr. herb, ONE OF THE FIRST OPERATION MEATBALL VETERANS

A visit with my sweetie, Herb. One of the first “Operation Meatball Vets.”

THIS SUMMER, GREATER ARLINGTON LION CLUB (A LONGTIME SUPPORTER OF OM) PRESENTED A CHECK FOR BRIDGE T HISTORY

In 2023 Our children’s program: Bridge to History really took off in every way.

We continued our International children’s program, and also initiated the SECOND PART of the Bridge to History mentorship program: our stateside programs. These are events which involve the students in local community events, meeting their local military, furthering their study of history, talking about their experience in Europe, and taking what they are learning  and using it to build into our country.

Al throughout 2023, our B2H ambassadors spoke in schools and civics clubs.

BRIDGE TO HISTORY AMBASSADORS, ADAM AND DYCHE, WITH COL. TEDDY KLEISNER AT FORT BRAGG IN MAY

In May the B2H ambassadors traveled to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where they were guests of veterans of Charlie 2/504 82nd Airborne.

BRIDGE TO HISTORY AMBASSADORS, ADAM AND DYCHE, WERE PRESENTED WITH SPECIAL JUMP WINGS BY SOME VISITING GERMAN PARATROOPERS

For three days they were given a behind the scenes look at the Army base, and especially welcomed by the top leaders in the Army Airborne, and were also given life tips and exhortation regarding their education and life character.

VETERANS OF CHARLIE 2/504

SOCCER FIELD OF REMEMBRANCE

A BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF FORT BRAGG

ALL AMERICAN WEEK: DIVISION REVIEW

BRIDGE TO HISTORY AMBASSADORS, ADAM AND DYCHE, MEETING GENERAL LANEVE - COMMANDER (AT THE TIME) OF THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION

October brought our 2nd international children’s program to London and Normandy. It was a glorious 9-days with our ambassadors discovering Normandy, the history, and climbing in bunkers. Each of the children really took to heart their commission to carry in the legacy of WWII by giving presentations to schools and civics groups since getting home.

CLASS OF 2023 - BRIDGE TO HISTORY TRIP

To cap the year, ambassadors from both the 2022 and the 2023 international trip met in December in Washington, D.C. for Wreaths Across America where they joined 30,000 volunteers placing wreaths in Arlington Cemetery followed by visiting some of our very special D.C. memorials, including the World War II memorial, the Korean memorial, and the Vietnam memorial, remembering and honoring those who sacrificed for our freedom. 

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA AT ARLINGTON National cemetery

2024 is a big year for Operation Meatball. It is our TENTH ANNIVERSARY. This is exciting (and surprising) on many levels especially since at its birth back in spring 2014 the intention was ”We will do this for three years, while we three sisters are in high school.”

And here we are 10 years later, thousands of WWII veterans hugged and hands shook, hundreds of letters of personal correspondence exchanged, and now entrusting this legacy to the next generation of children.

celebrating eds 100th birthday

heroes over texas with liberty jump team

dar CHRISTMAS MEETING

DAR CHRISTMAS MEETING

WE ARE EXCITED.

And WE ARE GRATEFUL.

It has indeed been a richly blessed 10 years.

We have exciting plans over the next few months which we will keep you apprised.

The applications for future Bridge to History Ambassadors flow in. With your help, we can continue to build on the solid foundation we have started. This year, we are planning 2 international trips, and 8 stateside events, including kids on podcasts, working on a C-47 in Toccoa, All American Week, military reunions, meeting veterans, writing, reading, and much, much, more! 

BRIDGE TO HISTORY AMBASSADOR, BEN, GIVING A PRESENTATION ON HIS TRIP

It is said that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. In 20 years, our B2H ambassadors will be 30, educated and experienced, leaders who know their history and love their country! 

Will you help us prepare the forest? 

Will you help us prepare these preteens for the future? 

Please consider partnering with us this year. We are so grateful for you!

Bridge to History is a scholarship program giving history loving preteens a hands-on experience studying World War II in the battlefields and beaches of Europe.

Bridge to History is a program of Operation Meatball. If you would like to support B2H and help more students have this life-changing experience, visit www.bridge2history.com/donate or click the link in our bio.

Or, if your business is interested in being a 2024 community partner: email me at Liberty@bridge2history.com

B2H Recap and What's Next: Answering Your Questions

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Thank you all so much for all the feedback about our recent Bridge to History trip! I have been really encouraged by the messages and comments about our kids and their experience and also really excited about your questions.

I thought I’d answer a few of the most common questions here.

THE PROGRAM.

There are 2 parts to the Bridge to History program. The first is the international trip. The second is stateside community involvement and follow up. The kids who earn the scholarships for the London and Normandy trip are then expected to come back and pour into their own communities, taking what they have learned and applying it to their every day life.

This is the ambassador role and we are really proud of how seriously the kids take it. Right now the students that we took in October are writing and giving talks in their classrooms, at their schools, and in their local Lions clubs and VFWs. They are finding and meeting local veterans to learn their histories.

We also have several group stateside events planned in the coming months, and we are excited to announce them shortly.

HOW DO WE FIND OUR STUDENTS?

Word of mouth! News stories! Friends of friends! Instagram and Facebook! You can help us! If you know a 9- to 12-year-old that you think should become a Bridge to History ambassador, have them fill out an application on the website! (www.bridge2history.com/apply)

My favorite question:
HOW CAN I HELP?

First, SPREAD THE WORD! Share our social media posts. Recommend students for our programs. Talk to your kids or your nieces and nephews or your grandkids and get them connected!

Second: HELP US WITH SPONSORSHIPS!

Operation Meatball: Bridge to History is a NONPROFIT organization and runs solely on the generous donations of sponsors and our grassroots community. I cannot emphasize the significance the grassroots community has played in supporting and making B2H happen. We do not currently have a corporate sponsor and our last two programs have been funded entirely on individual and private donations. This is incredible.

No one who works for B2H receives a salary; we all have multiple jobs we run so that we can devote as much time as we possibly can to making these programs a success.

With stateside programs in the works, we are on the lookout for small businesses or individuals willing to partner with us and invest in our youth! Invest in the children of America and you invest in the future of America.

We just can’t do it without you. And it’s actually really important to us that there’s a connection between the donors and the students. It’s part of building the community. We want to see the students reporting back to the donors. We want the donors to care about the kids’ growth and community involvement.
All donations go directly to making these programs happen so that we can continue to make these trips FREE OF COST to the students.

We run an incredibly tight budget and stretch every dollar. If you or a business would like to help support Operation Meatball: Bridge to History and our stateside programs, you can donate here: www.Bridge2history.com/donate or contact me: liberty@bridge2history.com for more information.

Bridge to History Day One: Churchill

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Bridge to History Day 1 ||

This morning, bright and early, the Bridge to History students arrived in London. For some of them, it was their first flight ever! We all fought off jet lag fatigue and dove into the world of World War II era London, starting off at the Imperial War Museum, carrying on to the Churchill War Rooms, and then dinner at The Admiralty with a very special guest, DDay Royal Navy veteran, Henry Rice.

Bridge to History is a scholarship program giving history loving preteens a hands-on experience studying World War II in the battlefields and beaches of Europe.

B2H is a program of Operation Meatball. If you would like to support B2H and help more students have this life-changing experience, visit bridge2history.com/donate or click the link below.


Hometown Heroes Show

/ Operation Meatball/

A few weeks ago the HOMETOWN HEROES show had me on the podcast to talk all things Operation Meatball and Bridge to History. It was a fantastic time with Larry, Rick, and Mary.

Some of the things we discussed included the origins of OM, what it has been like to keep up a correspondence  with hundreds of WW2 vets over the years, and OM’s newest initiative the last year - BRIDGE TO HISTORY.  You can listen through the link below. Let us know what you thought!

ANNOUNCING: Bridge to History 2023

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“Bridge to History is AMAZING! It has changed my life forever. I thought I knew a lot about World War II and D-Day but there was so much more that I learned and so much more I want to learn. To me the best part was learning about people who served with the Allied forces and what they did and how they felt. I also learned how the people who were kids who lived there in the towns felt when they were liberated and what they had to go through. I wish students in America knew more and learned more about this history.”
— Adam (10), Bridge to History Ambassador 2022

We are so happy to announce that planning for the next BRIDGE TO HISTORY program is underway! The next program will be this fall. Specific dates coming soon!

Last year’s pilot program was a phenomenal success. Our seven students from five different states spent 10 days in London and Normandy meeting veterans, visiting 5 cemeteries, 5 beaches, and numerous monuments, interacting with French locals who were children during the war, and an afternoon visiting with French children, sharing experiences and understanding the two cultures.

When our Bridge to History students returned home, they jumped right into their new title of Student Ambassadors, giving presentations and sharing their experience with local news media, civics clubs, and schools, as well as the lessons they learned as ambassadors of the legacy of World War II.

We even received feedback from the President of Normandy who told me with great enthusiasm that he looked forward to our bringing more groups of young Americans over to France to learn about the war and our special friendship with the people of Normandy.

How you can help:

This trip is at no cost to the students. You cannot put a price on education, and we firmly believe in investing in the future of America. That means the cost of the trip is covered by generous sponsors and community effort.

The cost for one student scholarship $5,000. This covers the student + parent/guardian’s: flights, 2 countries, lodging for 9 days, meals, and dozens one-of-a-kind experiences. We are looking for full or partial ($2500) sponsorships.

If you would like to sponsor a student or multiple students, please go to WWW.BRIDGE2HISTORY.COM or email us at LIBERTY@BRIDGE2HISTORY.COM or DONATE online:

Stay tuned for more updates and please pass the word along!

“I also gained incredible friendships along the way with my newly discovered friends Dyche, Adam, and Winston. We met each other in London, and we all were able to really understand each other due to our shared passion of history and warfare. It further deepens my opinion that this trip has brought us together as friends; reliable to each other in times of need.”
— Ethan (10) Bridge to History Ambassador 2022

Vern Doesn’t Eat French Bread Anymore

/ Operation Meatball/

Vern was a spectacular human I used to have breakfast with once a month. At 98 he traded in his red Dodge Charger for something more age appropriate. But at 100 he bought an RV.

His early life during the Great Depression prepped him for war and the hundreds of days of consecutive combat he would experience after landing with the 29th Division on D-Day. It taught him survival and self-dependency.

“No matter how bad things got, my dad never took handouts or went on government welfare.” Vern would tell me proudly. “It was tough during the depression; we didn’t know how we’d get by - but Dad always provided.”

His father’s work ethic inspired and imbued in him a determination and tenacity for life that never left him till he died at 101.

I remember a couple of years ago when he had covid and double pneumonia; we were all pretty sure he was about to buy the farm. But Vern got it into his head that he wanted to be home for Christmas. Practically, this was an impossible wish. But impossible was not in his vocabulary. After exhausting the staff at the rehab center for nearly a month he was cleared, and Christmas Eve arrived at his home in Kerrville, Texas. It was a miracle, but in retrospect I should’ve expected nothing less from Vern.

With Vern, there was always a lot of conversation between the old war vets about what caliber pistol they preferred to carry. He told us once that when his wife would go into a store, he would spend his idle time in the car contemplating the quickest way to access his pistol out of the glove compartment if someone came up to him.

Other times he used to regale us with stories of war: how long he went without a shower (weeks at a time) and the pair of dry socks he kept in his waist band - sometimes what felt like the last element of civilization.

His memory for wartime detail was impeccable, his stories were uttered very matter-of-factly, without pomp and circumstance. Just as it was. And he didn’t glamorize it either.

But not all the stories of France were about the 23 year old who learned to kill and kill well. Sometimes they were just good old-fashioned human interest stories.

Vern Doesn’t Eat French Bread Anymore

One day during a brief respite in fighting Vern and a few buddies went by a French farmhouse looking for something to eat or drink.

The farmer was outside kneading dough vigorously. His young son was standing by watching the proceedings.

“Suddenly the farmer stopped kneading, went around the corner of the barn and took a whiz.”

At this moment Vern’s story was interrupted by Warren - a combat veteran of the Italy campaign who was completely deaf. “Did what?” Warren yelled.

Vern yelled back, “Took a whiz! Wiz!”

Warren repeated the phrase to himself very loudly and chuckled in his iconic way. Everyone laughed.

Vern continued his story:

“The farmer finished “his business” and without much ado, wiping his hands on his shirt, went back to kneading the dough.”

Vern and his buddies looked on in horror and then and there decided not to eat any more French bread.

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Old Folks + The Sea Captain

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Norman Rockwell

I’ve always had an absurd habit of taking notes about everything on anything - receipts, gum wrappers, banquet tickets, and used index cards. My phone is filled with random letters and notes, oftentimes voice texted rapidly at redlights on the drive home from an old timer's breakfast, a hospital visit, or a house check in. Usually written train of thought. Little things I want to remember.

These notes catalogue the ordinary days with my vets. The ones that don’t make it on “the gram” because they are too precious or just too - ordinary. But then I remember that this is how it all started, the driving force behind Operation Meatball. More than just a record of war, but a desire to give my future children and descendants a glimmer into what it was like to grow up surrounded by the last veterans of WWII: the charm, the humor, the idiosyncrasies… the ups and the downs. The beautiful moments and the sad ones. The phone calls, letters, and even text messages. What does a friendship look like between a 17-year-old girl and a 95-year-old man? One just beginning to experience life, the other in the twilight of his years - a few moments left before sunset.

There’s an old song from the 1930s called “Old Folks.” It’s the tale of one of the last Civil War vets. 

“Everyone knows him as old folks

Like the seasons he comes and he'll go

Just as free as a bird and as good as his word

That's why everybody loves him so.

Always leaving his spoon in his coffee

Tucks his napkin up under his chin

And his own corn cob pipe is so mellow, hits right

But you needn't be ashamed of him”

The song (look it up: Bea Wain “Old Folks”) is delightful and gives a peak into the crossover of the antebellum and pre World War era. It was actually introduced to me by a WWII vet who had heard it as a little boy and had come to the realization that he was now “Old Folks.”

One of the last civil war veterans

Next year, Operation Meatball will be turning 10 years old. In the spirit of this, I want to start sharing some of these little memories and nuggets. I’ll warn you - they are scribbles… but they tell a little of the story of my Old Folks. And they are some of my favorite memories.

The Sea Captain

Norman Rockwell

Last year one of my OG vets passed away. RW was a fascinating old sea captain who had taken a cold call from 17-year-old me, inviting him to the first event my sisters and I ever hosted.

I was nervous. Very nervous.

But he very sweetly calmed me down. “Honey,” he said in a raspy voice “Take a few breaths while I go get a pen and paper.” He listened to my pitch about why he needed to come to my party and accepted. We were steady friends after that.

He was brilliant. Always reading, always improving his mind. Before his health failed, he was reading Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire for the 3rd time. The Sea Captain also gave me some of the best life advice I ever received, “Liberty, the most important word you need to learn is ‘No.’”

In the last few weeks of his life as he valiantly fought hospice (trying to make it to 100) I would go out to visit him as regularly as I could. My poor attempts to cheer him turned into a form of therapy, and I always left feeling refreshed and renewed. A parting gift from The Sea Captain. 

Here are a few notes from one of my visits… a couple of weeks before he passed away.

Scribbled notes from 2022:

“The Sea Captain is sitting in his chair. Wrapped up in blankets. He hasn’t eaten hardly at all. He’s frustrated because he’s an active man. His whole life he’s been active. And now he feels weak and unable. I sit and chat with him for a few minutes. I remind him we’re supposed to talk about Lord Nelson and his lady friend. My note regarding this from last visit is still on his desk. “Talk to Liberty about Lord Nelson next visit.”

After I’m there for a few minutes he starts to tell me about Lord Nelson. Initially he says he’s too tired… But the storyteller in him can’t resist the opportunity. His stories are interrupted by WW2 Marine and Peleliu survivor, Mac and his wife Maggie. Maggie is impeccably dressed. Floral shirt, blue blouse, denim jeans rolled up and cuffed at the bottom. Her hair is perfectly coiffed. Mac looks good himself in gray joggers. They are a charming couple, married 76 years. They sit down and try to talk with the Sea Captain for a while but it’s a little bit chaotic. No one can hear anything. All the old people are deaf. But they sit and chat. Go over the ailments. Talk about breakfast. Before they leave, Maggie offers to make anything for The Sea Captain to eat (rumor has it she’s a spectacular cook).

I sit and talked with The Sea Captain a little bit longer. Hardly has Mac and Maggie left and he picks up the story exactly where it was interrupted. He finishes the story… Discussing the life of love of Lord Nelson and the triangle relationship he had. He’s tired. I offered to read to him. I list off of number of books in his library. Most of them he’s ready many times over - like 1776 by David McCullough.

We settle on Gulliver‘s travels. He adjusts himself and closes his eyes. I read several pages out of Gulliver‘s travels. Periodically The Sea Captain readjusts himself. His hands are cold so he puts them under the blanket. Then he gets warm and he takes him out. He stretches his legs. He’s stiff. I offered to rub his foot for him. It’s itchy. And stiff. I tell him my dad used to exchange foot rubs for cartoons. I rub his feet for a few minutes. I keep reading Gulliver’s travels. He goes in and out of dozing… But I know he hears it.

Finally, I have to get up and go. I tell him I’ll come back. I watch him drink a little bit more of the shake. I gave him a big kiss on the forehead. He brightens up and squeezes my hand. He tells me he’s looking forward to me coming back tomorrow.

As the days got shorter for the Sea Captain, it became harder for him to move to his library (which, by the way was fitted out in proper nautical style), so some mornings I’d just sit at the end of his bed and read him papers, show him old war time postcards, or help him put his socks and shoes on -even if he wasn’t going anywhere. A common element I’ve witnessed at the deathbeds of so many of my beautiful seniors is the desire to maintain one’s dignity as long as they are cognitive. Sometimes this means something as simple as combing the hair.

I remember the day my Marine Fred died, his niece and I (unaware it was the final day), decided that after two and a half weeks at the VA it was time to give him a shave. I’d never seen him with scruff before that time. Fred wasn’t able to communicate much, but his face expressed appreciation.

March 4, 2022
I popped in to see The Sea Captain for a few minutes before going to work. Timing was good… I helped him put his socks on and his shoes on. I really treasure little things like this. It makes you feel good to help out someone who can’t help themself. And I feel like they’re small decencies. I remember Colonel Skardon (A Bataan Death March Survivor) talking about his friends who would rub his feet for hours to help with the pain when he was in the hospital. Small decencies.

I sit at the end of his bed and we talk. I throw the ball for the dog. The dogs run around like crazy animals… One ball goes too far and the dog takes out a fake plant. He laughs. We talk a little bit about Bill Mauldin‘s cartoons… The whimsy of Willy and Joe. Then we just talk about stuff in general. Finally, I have to go. I hate to say goodbye… Situations like this I never know if it’s the last. But I tell him I’ll be back. I have a marathon this weekend… But after that I will be home. And I’ll come see him. He says, “thank you. No really… Thank you so much.”

I give him a kiss on the forehead and tell him I’ll be back soon. I say maybe I’ll bring so-and-so. He’s a good egg. RW says, “as opposed to rotten egg?” I say, Yes, we throw the rotten eggs out.”

Perhaps these notes and recollections seem mundane. A lot of life is mundane. I like mundane. It causes you to sit ad be still. Enjoy. Breathe. Take a few moments to see life through the eyes of someone who has already lived so much of it.

The day the Sea Captain died

The Sea Captain went home to be with his Christ and his beloved wife today. He missed his wife of 71 years so much. When I was talking with him yesterday, he kept staring ahead and saying, "Liberty, Isn't she so beautiful. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.” At first I thought he meant the watercolor painting on the wall. But then I remembered his eyesight was almost completely gone. He was blind. It was then I knew then he was going home soon - to be with his “great lady.” So much - but so little is known about the passing of life. We hear "rumors". But we'll never know till it's our turn. Still - little moments like this make death beautiful. Almost like God sends his emissary to walk the last few steps of life, fear free.

I miss my intellectual chats with the Sea Captain… discussing all things Ceasar, the Gallic Wars, George Washington’s particular sense of humor and the pros and cons of one crossing the Rubicon. We had fun, but I was definitely left with a lot of homework. The Sea Captain gave me a list of books to read, including Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. “Take your time. It’s a difficult book. I don’t normally like audiobooks, but Decline might be a good one to listen to,” he says. I have a painting hanging on my wall of Lord Nelson’s ship, “The Victory.” It reminds me of him.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite things the Sea Captain told me: At one of the last old timers breakfasts he made it to, he got into a debate with a retired Army General. The Army was advocating getting rid of scoring in a particular field of competition. “Too much pressure. People shouldn’t be forced to get the highest scores,” was the opinion.

Despite being 99.5 years old and not feeling par to the course for some time, this line of reasoning fired the Sea Captain up. “Why not?!” He rebutted with energy. “Why shouldn’t we try to be the best. Doesn’t matter if we can’t be, but we should at least try.”

And I agree.

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking."

John Masefield

O P E R A T I O N M E A T B A L L

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Vietnam: The 50th Anniversary

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A couple of days ago America remembered the 50th anniversary of the "end" of the Vietnam War. I feel like these anniversaries come and go so fast. Time flies and the memory fades.

I’ve been on quite a journey of understanding what happened in Vietnam. Growing up it frustrated me to no end: the confusion, the question of morality, the gruesome images we are inundated with, the dark stories that make better news than those of hope. Occasionally I would dabble in its history - my grandfather had been a friend of Jerry Denton and growing up I’d met a few former inmates of the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Simply put though, I wasn't that much interested in it. WWII was so much more clean cut.

That all changed when I was about 17 or 18 and a memorable 7 hours on a plane talking all things Vietnam with a salty old Marine who threatened to exchange Jack Daniel’s for me if my company became dull.

As we talked, the layers began to peel back and I started to grasp a better picture of war - more than the Hollywoodised glamour, the protests, the violent images of war crimes, or the hopelessness… It was a more intimate picture of war. A tender side. Sometimes gut wrenching. Sometimes amusing. It was human.

And from then on I tried to understand my Vietnam vets better. Without the commercialization. Just who they were, who they are, and how that shaped the generations that followed. For better or for worse.

Last year was one of the culminations of this nearly decade-long effort, when I was able to travel to Vietnam with a group of Rotorheads - Helicopter pilots. Among the group was one of my very dearest of friends - a Marine who exemplified all that was integritas, honest, and noble.

As we bussed through the hills and valleys, visited the beaches and old airfields... every emotion was felt. The mic was passed around and rotorheads shared their best "pucker factor" stories and we laughed. Only because everything turned out alright in the end.

On a rainy day we held a memorial service on the side of a mountain for a young man who never returned, but who even in his last moments on earth was sharing God's love with others. I sobbed. Our group had been strangers a few days before and now we were hugging and crying together. It was beautiful.

A year later, I still think about that experience. My month in Vietnam. I've been to a lot of battlefields with veterans. It never gets old. But sometimes it's just a little bit extra special. The stories and memories I was entrusted with that week remain in my heart. Some of them until I can put them down on paper. Others to cherish, just for myself.

I'm a few days late commemorating the anniversary, but my Vietnam vets are in my heart and mind every day. They have a special place. I worry about them. I love them. I want them to know they are special to me and to America. ||

Tips on how to grow old

/ Operation Meatball/

Years ago my sisters and I assembled a list of things required if one wanted to “do the old person thing” well. A few things on the list included:

1. Always carry change in your pocket to jingle jangle.
2. Practice taking “Secret spy photos”
3. Always wear a few crumbs from the last meal - just in case.
4. Carry a few good stories and/or stale pick up lines in your back pocket.
5. Love big and never turn down hug.

What are some of your favorite old people-isms?

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Words of an Earle

/ Operation Meatball/

It’s Iwo Jima Flag Day… the anniversary of when that beautiful sight of inspiration appeared on the top of Mt. Suribachi after 5 days of fierce fighting. More heated battle was to continue, but it was a breath of fresh air to see old Glory waving proudly.

I’m still processing notes and interviews from last week’s reunion. It was an incredible time, and even after all these years (78 since the battle) I’m still blown away by the number of survivors that make their first appearance at the reunion, and stories I’m hearing for the first time from vets I’ve grown up with. It’s a wonderful family.

A little while ago I got off the phone with Roy Earle (right), our resident 4th Marine Division veteran and comedian. Roy landed 4th wave with a radio pack and wires to lay. It was no easy task and as bubbly, gregarious, and full of witty sayings as he is today, Roy still won’t go back to Iwo.

“I think those guys who landed in the first assault, those are the ones who don’t want to go back. We saw too much.”

“Even if I push you in a wheelchair?” I asked.

“I don’t think they have roads for wheelchairs on Iwo Jima. But you could carry me on your back!” His chuckle is well known and distinct.

Roy turns 99 in a couple of days. But he’s got some years left in him. I think a lot of that has to do with his perspective. One of his favorite sayings (and mine) is, “My philosophy is people have more fun then anyone.”

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

All the Time in the World

/ Operation Meatball/

A year ago I was spending Christmas and New Years at the deathbed of my very dear friend Fred. Some of you might remember him - surrogate uncle to me, father figure to many, nomad friend, master storyteller, football coach, decorated war hero… the list goes on.

That period of time was very difficult. I basically lived at the VA for 2 ½ weeks. Without the support of his local “Fred’s Friends” I don’t know how things would have managed.

There was little sleep, little eating, and many, many long nights trying to help Fred as he struggled through the valley of the shadow of death.

It was hard. But it was also one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.

The gift of time.

More time with someone I loved.

I didn't get to be with either my grandfather or adopted Gramps when they were nearing death. Even in life I still craved more time with them.

But Fred gave that gift to me. For 2 1/2 weeks time paused. Life didn’t exist outside of the hospital. And life inside the hospital revolved around Fred. 

I took voluminous notes throughout the entire experience. I didn’t want to forget anything. I witnessed the impact of a man who spent 98 years perfecting the art of friendship and giving. The repay was tenfold.

At a time when visitors were not allowed in the hospital, the staff (who had fallen in love with Fred) made exceptions and he had a revolving door of family and friends.

I feel like in many ways the last few weeks of Fred’s life mirrored the finale scene in the Frank Capra classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Just as George Bailey looked death in the face and wondered the meaning of life, there were some nights that Fred (in and out of lucidity), would ask me the same question. “Why.”

“I love you Uncle Fred.”

“Why?” He would say. “Why do you love me?” Or “Why do these people care?” “Why do I matter?”

And just like that last scene in the movie, (which makes me bawl my eyes out without fail every time), as his life came to a close, he was surrounded and engulfed by an outpouring of love. Friends and students Fred hadn’t talked to in upwards of decades reached out to tell him “thank you”. Thanks for the impact he had on their life.

How many times did I hear former football students tell him, “You’re the first man in my life to say I love you. And you showed me what it was like to have a father.”

How many times? I lost count.

It was a wonderful life.

Because of the nature of Fred’s sickness, he should have only lasted a short while. Every day the doctors would tell us it was a matter of time.

But Fred hung in there. And the phone calls and visits continued. It was like he was trying to give us all the extra time we needed with him.

Scotty McCreery sings about wanting, “5 minutes more.” But I got more than five minutes. I got 2 ½ weeks. The time we always wish we had, but are always a little afraid of receiving.

We like to think of the New Year as a fresh start. For me, 2022 started with the end of a life. But because of the gift Fred gave to his friends, I feel like it was that fresh start - a rebirth of life and inspiration. A deeper and more unrestrained appreciation for the value and gift of time.

Entering into 2023, we’re all carrying various joys and sadness from the previous year. But I hope we all remember to treasure the simple moments. Find happiness in the mundane. And always say, “I love you.”

As my dad reminds me, “We have all the time in the world, but no time to waste.”

Happy New Year. xx Liberty

Liberty and Fred on his 98th birthday

Operation Meatball

Honoring Veterans & Connecting Them With the Youth of Today

Hearing Aids and Pearl Harbor Day Remembrances

/ Operation Meatball/

USS Arizona survivor, Lauren Bruner

Today is Pearl Harbor Day and I've seen some pretty wonderful and moving stories to commemorate this historic day. A couple of my nonagenarian dearies are currently over in Hawaii with Beyond the Call and I highly recommend you go follow their page. Tracie Hunter does simply wonderful things. 

This morning on my way to work I was going through my mental rolodex of all the spunky and tenacious Pearl Harbor vets I've known over the years. I specifically choose those two adjectives as a descriptor because I've always felt like there was a certain extra quality and mettle to the veterans who survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Many of them had signed up in the late 30s as a way to care for family, earn extra money, and have a bit of fun. My great-great Uncle, stationed at Clarke Field, Philippines, saw it as a way to escape a difficult home life and perhaps find some purpose.

Then tragedy struck, a "sneak attack."

They witnessed and experienced horrific things, (I remember my friend Lauren Bruner who suffered 70% burns on the USS Arizona), shaping the rest of their lives. But they were no quitters, responding with vigor and alacrity, the attack at Pearl Harbor gave them a drive unlike any other. In it to win it, they were the original fighting men of WWII.

uss arizona memorial. 81 years after the bombing of pearl harbor - the arizona is still leaking oil

Four years later, after fighting in fierce battles all over the Pacific - Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, Peleliu, New Guinea, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and more, what do they identify as? "Pearl Harbor Survivors." It's a striking thought. 

Now they are in their hundreds, and still returning to Pearl Harbor.

What menschen.

Some of the stories I've collected the last 15+ (really closer to 20) years would send the tears down your cheeks with LAUGHTER. The Pearl Harbor Veterans were among the first to teach me that that age has nothing to do with the maturity level. Which makes sense considering I've been called "Mom" many a time by a nonagenarian. 

 
 

Donald Long

Pearl Harbor Survivor, Donald Long

"Stu, I think they should hook up a swing to float across the lobby and you should swing back and forth on it singing 'Remember Pearl Harbor' in your white uniform for all the hotel guests to hear." This was a suggestion made by 98 year old PBY Radioman, Don Long.

Full of as much charm, elegance, and humor as he had as a young 20-something in the war. Stu, the PH Survivor in question, responded only if Don would join him. 

 
 

Ira “Ike” Schab

One of my favorite memories ever was a few years (and a different haircut) ago when I was privileged to go with the Best Defense Foundation as they took Survivors back to Hawaii for the anniversary of that Day of Infamy. One of the veterans I became closely attached to was Saxaphone player and member of the USS Dobbin Navy Band, Ira 'Ike" Schab. At the time I believe Ike was about 99 years old. His eyesight was very poor and unless you were very close, he could only make out colors and shapes generally. But he was determined to return to the island where his life changed forever.

To help him distinguish me from the rest of the blurry crowd, I made sure to wear a bright yellow watch every day so that he would know it was me. From there we struck up a great friendship. One afternoon in particular we were sitting together in the van en route to the next event. Because of his background in music I was eager to know his favorites.

"I know he's a little overrated at times, but I do love Artie Shaw." I told him. I took my phone out to play "Begin the Beguine" (my favorite), but 99 year old Ike beat me to the punch. Taking his hearing aid out of his ear and sticking it in my own ear, he proceeded to pull up Pandora and play the Artie Shaw channel.

I was dumbfounded.

The dichotomy of the moment, the anniversary, and "modern technology" in the hands of an almost centenarian musician. It was phenomenal.

 

K. P. Platt

 

Last Halloween at one of my monthly breakfasts, 101 year old K.P Platt (Schofield Barracks), presented a plastic spider ring to me and said, "With this ring I thee WEBB." 

"K.P., I'm flattered, but what would Lorena say? You've only been married 76 years."

"True." He said. And gave Lorena a pinch.

 
 

Anyways, I run long and wax elephants at this point. But these are some of the memories I have for Pearl Harbor Day. Not just the tragedy and loss of the day, but also the character, optimism, and humor that was formed - BIRTHED that day, on December 7, 1941.

And for that, and their sacrifice, we are eternally grateful.

B2H

Bridge to History‘s inaugural Children’s World War II Boot Camp is complete! If you followed along on Instagram or Facebook and saw any of the photos and videos, you will have a glimpse of just how fantastic it was. These kids – my students - were enthusiastic and engaged and articulate and so much fun! I’m so proud of how hard they worked and what great energy they gave to everything they saw, and everyone they met.

If you have been encouraged or inspired by what you have seen, and if you would like to see this program continue, would you donate to Operation Meatball today? This is a volunteer run nonprofit organization. No one takes a salary. Everything goes to cover our expenses. Whether it’s $20, $200, or $2000, every penny will help us get the next program rolling!

Bridge to History Ambassador: Ethan

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Ethan J., age 10

We have learned so much about America’s role on D-Day and throughout World War II. We saw and learned many things along the way! From the Churchill War Rooms in London to Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, this journey was a very well thought out experience.

ethan standing in “the shadow” of winston churchill at the churchill war rooms

Now that this journey is complete, I personally understand the importance of preserving and remembering this chapter of history. After visiting so many historical sites from London to Normandy, the sacrifices of over 407,000 U.S. servicemembers cannot be forgotten. We have a duty to ensure their stories survive for many generations to come. Going forward I want to share my experiences with you!

Following the path of the 1st Infantry Division with Willem Braam

Out of all the historical sites this trip offered, my favorite site was Utah Beach. Utah Beach was the most successful American beach on D-Day. Utah Beach was assaulted by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division in conjunction with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. I like Utah Beach because so many of the German fortifications are relatively intact. It is incredible to see how well the WiederstandNests at Utah Beach are remarkably preserved! This site looked exactly how a U.S. soldier would have saw it on D-Day.

the remains of WiederstandNests 62 are still open to climb in and explore

Another favorite of mine is the home of the granddaughter of General George S. Patton, the famed commander of the 3rd U.S. Army during World War II. I chose this experience as one of my favorites because I was given the privilege to hold one of General Patton’s fencing swords and sit in his favorite armchair. I felt for a moment like General Patton!

ethan stands on omaha beach in elements of a uniform that would have been worn by a soldier landing on D-Day

I also gained incredible friendships along the way with my newly discovered friends Dyche, Adam, and Winston. We met each other in London, and we all were able to really understand each other due to our shared passion of history and warfare. It further deepens my opinion that this trip has brought us together as friends; reliable to each other in times of need.

Winston, Adam, Dyche, and Ethan excited to head out on a tour of normandy in wwii jeeps and trucks

In conclusion, after this amazing journey, I understand better America’s identity, history, and what really should matter in every American’s heart. I also learned the importance of the American allies like the British and Canadians and the role they played on D-Day and throughout World War II. I gained everlasting relationships, which I will never forget.

adam in front of the grave of laurence madill, 116th infantry regiment, 29th division

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank the sponsors, without your generous support, this journey would not have been possible! Additionally, to all the parents and staff that supported our daily adventures into history, you made all the difference in the world! I hope that Bridge 2 History’s mission of creating strong ambassadors will succeed in the many years to come!

Ethan J., age 9

B2H

Bridge to History‘s inaugural Children’s World War II Boot Camp is complete! If you followed along on Instagram or Facebook and saw any of the photos and videos, you will have a glimpse of just how fantastic it was. These kids – my students - were enthusiastic and engaged and articulate and so much fun! I’m so proud of how hard they worked and what great energy they gave to everything they saw, and everyone they met.

If you have been encouraged or inspired by what you have seen, and if you would like to see this program continue, would you donate to Operation Meatball today? This is a volunteer run nonprofit organization. No one takes a salary. Everything goes to cover our expenses. Whether it’s $20, $200, or $2000, every penny will help us get the next program rolling!

Bridge to History Ambassador: Adam

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My Trip to Normandy with Bridge to History 2022

Adam B., age 9

My name is Adam Boyd and I am 9 years old. I am a 2022 Ambassador with the Bridge to History program, and I have to say IT. IS. AWESOME!!!

First of all, I want to thank everyone with Operation Meatball. Everyone that I got to be with has been the best and I miss them all. I know there’s more people that help with Operation Meatball that I don’t know but who really helped me and the other kids go on the trip and I want to especially say thank you so very much.

Bridge to History has changed my life.

I only thought I knew a lot about World War II and the D-Day landings, but I really didn’t. I thought that standing on Omaha Beach would be the best part but it was only one of a whole lot of best parts. My Mom and everyone keep asking me what was my favorite part of the trip, but I don’t have one, I have at least 4 and those are the ones I want to write about.

Adam stands at the 29th Division Monument just off Omaha Beach

One thing I will always remember is getting off the boat in Normandy and meeting Willem and Zander and driving to Sword beach. I always thought Omaha beach would be my favorite beach, but it is Sword. We got out of the car and there was Zander with soft chocolate croissants. They were so good!

Adam, Dyche, and Winston on Sword Beach.

We ate them and looked at the monument of the flame with the flags around it and the names of Free French Commandos came with the British to free their own land and who died there on June 6, 1944. Willem talked to us about the Sword beach landing while we ate and the sun was coming up. I remember walking down the path to the beach and seeing the big grains of sand and I just took off running. It was so beautiful but all those years ago it was a battlefield. I think about the morning of June 6th a lot now. I think about the men who never left that beach alive. I learned so much right there in the first part of the first morning in France. I had only thought about the British landing there and the battle, but right then I learned what it may have been like to BE from there and to come back with British soldiers and be like, “This is my country and I’m taking it back!”

Adam and Dyche stand on Omaha Beach. They take turns trying on the uniform our boys wore ashore on D-Day.

Whenever I used to think about D-Day I always thought about Omaha Beach. I watched Saving Private Ryan and would imagine being on that beach and pretend to run from the water fighting the Germans. I got to do that! I got to put on a real World War II Haversack and helmet and life belt and try to run up the Atlantic wall with my best friend, Dyche! It was crazy!

But after that I got to go to the American cemetery in Normandy and it changed everything.

The part of Saving Private Ryan when all the soldiers are being killed became real people who had real parents and family. A lot of them were the same age as my sister. Liberty told us about people she knew who told her stories about their soldier buried there and we found their grave and put a wreath with it. I can’t describe all I felt that day. I just cried. All I could think about was that they died for me. They died for freedom everywhere. They were from my state. They had my name. I cry now thinking about it. About them.

Before this visit talking and learning and acting out D-Day and World War II was all about me and what I knew and the people in my family that was in the war and what that meant to me and my family. After being at the cemetery, it’s about them and who they were and who loved them and who they loved too. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to learn about everyone I could. Now I think about what Jason, Ethan’s Dad said to us that day, “They died for you.” I’ll always remember that.

Next thing I want to talk about was the reenactment night. It was so cool! We ate dinner that night and Jason helped us put on camouflage face paint. We got dressed in warm, dark clothes and hats and gloves and left at 8:30. It was a full moon and the sky had clouds just like on the night of June 5th/6th 1944.

Adam prepared for the reenactment with a full face of camo “war paint.”

We got to go in a van that was like a C-47 and we landed in a field. When we got out we were laughing and loud but then Willem had us go silent. He told us we would have to find our way in the dark and to be quiet and on the lookout.

Adam and Dyche preparing for the night reenactment.

We started down the road and “BAM” there was gunfire! The Germans fired on us! We hit the ditch. There was a smell of gun powder and the feeling of nettles in my fingers and in my knees. When a German took my helmet off, I got really scared. I cried because I didn’t know what he was going to do. Really, I don’t even know why I cried I just did. It was so real. Before that night I had just imagined what it would be like to fight Germans in my own little trench and bunker … but they had the real thing!

A visit to the D-Day Experience Museum

I thought about how earlier that day when were at the D-Day Experience Museum and we learned about Bull Wolverton and how brave he and the men who jumped that night onto almost the same ground where I was and then faced the Germans. After being home, me and my Mom looked up more information on Bull Wolverton. We have read the prayer he prayed a lot.

The C-47 simulator experience was a highlight for everyone.

He said, “We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right.” He died just a few hours after that prayer and I know he was braver than his prayer and braver than I could ever be.

Taking notes from the days… making sure nothing is forgotten.

The last part I want to talk about is my most favorite and that’s the Chelsea Pensioners. I didn’t know who they were until right before the trip and we looked them up. I still wasn’t real sure about going to the hospital because I worried it was like the nursing home where my Meme is at and that made me really sad but on our first night in London we met Dave and Bryon and they were awesome!

Adam, Ethan, and Dyche with the darling Pensioner, Bryan Rolfe

Faith sang for us and she was amazing, but then Dave got up and sang The Gambler and I knew he was cool. The next day we got to go to the Chelsea Royal Hospital and Dave met us. He showed us around and we met a lot of the other Pensioners too. We saw them do their ceremony and inspections and that was neat. Dave showed us the dining hall and took us for Sunday service in the chapel.

A private tour of the Royal Chelsea Hospital for the B2H student Ambassadors

We visited the cemetery and saw Margaret Thatcher’s grave. Dave told us about when he worked for her and how much she cared for the Pensioners. I can see why. They are real veterans for Britain’s army and they have served their country and deserve our thanks and respect like all our veterans do. I didn’t want to leave. Dave is my favorite person I got to meet on this trip. I have his card and am emailing him.

Adam with the Chelsea Pensioners

My Mom now follows the Chelsea Pensioners on Facebook and we read their newsletters. Dave’s picture was with a group that raised money in a race for the hospital! Before this trip when I thought of redcoats I thought of the Revolutionary war and the War of 1812 but now I think of Dave and the Chelsea Pensioners and their nine buttons and 3 pointed hats and I wear the pin Dave gave me.

Next week is Veteran’s Day and I can’t wait! I’m calling a World War II Veteran named Arnold Price who lives about 20 minutes from me in Sylva, NC. He was in the Battle of the Bulge and was a commander, but sadly he was the only survivor from that awful battle.

I am now trying to study and learn more about battles on the western front and the fall of Germans to the Allied Forces. On Veteran’s Day, I am going to my brother’s school, Haywood Christian Academy and will volunteer to serve lunch to veterans. I’m going to give out more of the American flag pins that I took to Normandy. I have special gifts from Normandy of sand from all the beaches for my special Vietnam Veteran, Jerry McClure too.

My Mom is helping me write something for my online school, the North Carolina Cyber Academy for our school newsletter about the trip. I am also sending the school sand from the beaches for them to keep and display. My Mom is working with me to go through all our pictures and videos and we are making a PowerPoint presentation to help me when I talk to groups about Bridge to History and D-Day too.

We are going back and studying a lot of the stuff Willem, Liberty and all the guides taught us and putting it in writing so I can always, always remember every minute of the greatest adventure of my life. Thank you so much for picking me and letting me go on this trip. I don’t know what I will grow up to do or where I will be but I know that this history will go with me and I will always study and share it.

Adam Boyd, age 9. North Carolina

B2H

Bridge to History‘s inaugural Children’s World War II Boot Camp is complete! If you followed along on Instagram or Facebook and saw any of the photos and videos, you will have a glimpse of just how fantastic it was. These kids – my students - were enthusiastic and engaged and articulate and so much fun! I’m so proud of how hard they worked and what great energy they gave to everything they saw, and everyone they met.

If you have been encouraged or inspired by what you have seen, and if you would like to see this program continue, would you donate to Operation Meatball today? This is a volunteer run nonprofit organization. No one takes a salary. Everything goes to cover our expenses. Whether it’s $20, $200, or $2000, every penny will help us get the next program rolling!