thedrifter
08-30-09, 07:55 AM
August 30, 2009
Heroes Are Among Friends Here
HOMER WILSON'S MONTHLY VETERANS' LUNCHEONS
By Howard Wilkinson
hwilkinson@enquirer.com
You would think that serving in World War II with the 97th Infantry Division, the unit that fired the last shots of the war that brought the Nazi empire to its knees, coming home to raise a family and assembling a large circle of friends who think the world of you would be enough of a legacy to leave behind.
But 84-year-old Homer Wilson of Kenwood had more to do.
A year ago, the World War II veteran found himself alone for the first time; a widower who spent most of his days shooting pool and swapping stories with his buddies at the Sycamore Senior Center in Blue Ash.
Many of the men were just like him - veterans of long-ago wars, many of them widowers; men who had seen combat and who knew the price that soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines pay in the service of their country.
It gave Wilson an idea - why not organize a once-a-month lunch at the senior center for military veterans and their spouses? Why not give them a chance to get together, break bread and share their experiences with one another?
"I'm all alone now; and I know some of the other fellows are, so I thought, at least once a month, we could all get together as veterans and keep each other company," Wilson said.
He took the idea to the staff of the senior center, who enthusiastically agreed.
For the past year, on the fourth Friday of every month, veterans gather in a dining room at the center and pay $3 for a box lunch for a meeting that always features a guest speaker. They sing patriotic songs, led by Wilson's booming baritone voice; and, often, veterans are invited to get up and tell the group about their own experiences in uniform.
At one recent meeting, Wilson and the six women who volunteered to help set up the room and serve the food, scrambled around shortly before the lunch was to begin to make sure there were enough chairs and enough box lunches to handle the long line of veterans who were waiting outside for the doors to open.
Inside, Wilson chatted with Frank Hoffman of Dent, the speaker of the day, who was there to tell the group about his experiences as an Army photographer in Korea, and his years as an official government photographer at an Oak Ridge, Tenn., nuclear research facility.
"This is the biggest crowd yet," Wilson said, looking out into the senior center lobby, where the line was snaking around the pool tables, almost reaching the front door.
At the stroke of noon, the doors flung open and the veterans, many of them with their spouses, streamed in.
Pat Dilonardo, a Korean War veteran from Reading, was one of the first in the door. He said he had heard about the lunches from one of his fellow Korean War vets and decided to come see what it was all about.
"It's a great idea,'' Dilonardo said. "I like the idea of getting veterans from different eras together."
Wilson said the original idea was to have the lunches for World War II veterans, but, because there are so many Korean War veterans who come to the senior center now, it was opened up to all veterans.
"I'd love to have even some of the young ones come,'' Wilson said. "We're all veterans. We all have a lot to share."
As the veterans finished eating their lunches, Wilson called the meeting to order, welcoming the more than 80 people who had come.
"I am honored to be in your presence,'' Wilson said, snapping off a crisp salute.
He singled out one new attendee for a special welcome - Betty Bailey of Sycamore Township, who was sitting at a table near the front. Bailey was a veteran of the British Army during World War II. She married an American GI and ended up settling in Cincinnati after the war.
This was her first visit to the Sycamore Senior Center veterans' lunch.
"I come here every Tuesday to play cards and I heard about it from one of my card-playing friends,'' Bailey said. "It's a wonderful thing. I'm sure I'll come back."
At the meetings, the veterans listen intently to the speakers, but they also have a good time, joking around and telling stories.
Jack Eling, an 87-year-old Army Air Force veteran of World War II, sat at a table in the back of the room with four fellow veterans, firing off jokes like a latter-day Henny Youngman.
"A woman shows up in court,'' Eling said. "She brings her husband with her. The judge said, 'Madam, what did you do to appear before me?' 'I stole a can of peaches,' she said. Judge says, 'How many peaches were in that can?' Six, the woman says.
'Madam, I am going to sentence you to six days in jail. One for every peach in that can.'
"The woman's husband starts waving his hand. 'What do you want, sir?,' the judge says. 'I just wanted you to know, judge, she stole a can of peas, too.' "
The table erupted in belly laughs.
Wilson, walking among the tables, greeting the veterans, heard the commotion and smiled.
"That's what it's all about,'' Wilson said. "Having a good time. This lunch is going to be my legacy."
Ellie
Heroes Are Among Friends Here
HOMER WILSON'S MONTHLY VETERANS' LUNCHEONS
By Howard Wilkinson
hwilkinson@enquirer.com
You would think that serving in World War II with the 97th Infantry Division, the unit that fired the last shots of the war that brought the Nazi empire to its knees, coming home to raise a family and assembling a large circle of friends who think the world of you would be enough of a legacy to leave behind.
But 84-year-old Homer Wilson of Kenwood had more to do.
A year ago, the World War II veteran found himself alone for the first time; a widower who spent most of his days shooting pool and swapping stories with his buddies at the Sycamore Senior Center in Blue Ash.
Many of the men were just like him - veterans of long-ago wars, many of them widowers; men who had seen combat and who knew the price that soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines pay in the service of their country.
It gave Wilson an idea - why not organize a once-a-month lunch at the senior center for military veterans and their spouses? Why not give them a chance to get together, break bread and share their experiences with one another?
"I'm all alone now; and I know some of the other fellows are, so I thought, at least once a month, we could all get together as veterans and keep each other company," Wilson said.
He took the idea to the staff of the senior center, who enthusiastically agreed.
For the past year, on the fourth Friday of every month, veterans gather in a dining room at the center and pay $3 for a box lunch for a meeting that always features a guest speaker. They sing patriotic songs, led by Wilson's booming baritone voice; and, often, veterans are invited to get up and tell the group about their own experiences in uniform.
At one recent meeting, Wilson and the six women who volunteered to help set up the room and serve the food, scrambled around shortly before the lunch was to begin to make sure there were enough chairs and enough box lunches to handle the long line of veterans who were waiting outside for the doors to open.
Inside, Wilson chatted with Frank Hoffman of Dent, the speaker of the day, who was there to tell the group about his experiences as an Army photographer in Korea, and his years as an official government photographer at an Oak Ridge, Tenn., nuclear research facility.
"This is the biggest crowd yet," Wilson said, looking out into the senior center lobby, where the line was snaking around the pool tables, almost reaching the front door.
At the stroke of noon, the doors flung open and the veterans, many of them with their spouses, streamed in.
Pat Dilonardo, a Korean War veteran from Reading, was one of the first in the door. He said he had heard about the lunches from one of his fellow Korean War vets and decided to come see what it was all about.
"It's a great idea,'' Dilonardo said. "I like the idea of getting veterans from different eras together."
Wilson said the original idea was to have the lunches for World War II veterans, but, because there are so many Korean War veterans who come to the senior center now, it was opened up to all veterans.
"I'd love to have even some of the young ones come,'' Wilson said. "We're all veterans. We all have a lot to share."
As the veterans finished eating their lunches, Wilson called the meeting to order, welcoming the more than 80 people who had come.
"I am honored to be in your presence,'' Wilson said, snapping off a crisp salute.
He singled out one new attendee for a special welcome - Betty Bailey of Sycamore Township, who was sitting at a table near the front. Bailey was a veteran of the British Army during World War II. She married an American GI and ended up settling in Cincinnati after the war.
This was her first visit to the Sycamore Senior Center veterans' lunch.
"I come here every Tuesday to play cards and I heard about it from one of my card-playing friends,'' Bailey said. "It's a wonderful thing. I'm sure I'll come back."
At the meetings, the veterans listen intently to the speakers, but they also have a good time, joking around and telling stories.
Jack Eling, an 87-year-old Army Air Force veteran of World War II, sat at a table in the back of the room with four fellow veterans, firing off jokes like a latter-day Henny Youngman.
"A woman shows up in court,'' Eling said. "She brings her husband with her. The judge said, 'Madam, what did you do to appear before me?' 'I stole a can of peaches,' she said. Judge says, 'How many peaches were in that can?' Six, the woman says.
'Madam, I am going to sentence you to six days in jail. One for every peach in that can.'
"The woman's husband starts waving his hand. 'What do you want, sir?,' the judge says. 'I just wanted you to know, judge, she stole a can of peas, too.' "
The table erupted in belly laughs.
Wilson, walking among the tables, greeting the veterans, heard the commotion and smiled.
"That's what it's all about,'' Wilson said. "Having a good time. This lunch is going to be my legacy."
Ellie