Meeting Recap Apr 26 2010
Posted by Stephen Heath
Last Meeting...
No fewer than three dozen real heroes were honored Monday by Rotary Club of Sacramento during its annual Heroes Day program at the Radisson Hotel. The best part: every one of the honorees was a Rotarian; all members of our club.
Chair of the Day Karen Diepenbrock chose to honor Rotary World War II veterans. Among them were people who had been involved in virtually every major conflict in the Pacific and European theaters. Four of them were invited to speak and received a standing ovation.
Maynard Nelson, introduced by Luann Richardson, was just 21 years old when he flew the first of his 35 combat missions as pilot of a B25. "I don't think of myself as a hero," Nelson told the audience. "I just tried to be a good pilot and to follow the leader." That not withstanding, Nelson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and other decorations for his service in Europe.
Glenn Sorensen, an RCS member since 1956, was just completing his training in Hawaii when one Sunday morning "all hell broke loose," as he put it while being interviewed by Diepenbrock. "If you've seen the movies about Pearl Harbor, well, what you saw was pretty much what it looked like," he said. His car was strafed by a Japanese fighter as he attempted to reach the air field; he still has one of the bullets. Sorensen later flew two missions in the Battle of Midway and received the Silver Star and numerous other awards and citations.
Wilbur Vaughn, introduced by Dick Noonan, was a member of the famed 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Fifth Army, which fought its way over the Apennines, into the Po Valley and on into the Alps during the Italian campaign. Vaughn, a member of our Club who spends most of his time in the Quincy area these days, recounted the campaign that incurred severe losses while destroying five elite German divisions. In 114 days of combat, 995 members of the division were killed and another 4,100 wounded. Despite that, the division secured Lake Garda just as Germany was surrendering. Vaughn received a Bronze Star, among other decorations.
Ed Willey, introduced by Jan Stohr, is another highly decorated Rotarian. He and his field artillery unit arrived in England on D-Day (June 6, 1944). That made the unit too late to participate in the D-Day landings, but Willey landed at Utah Beach two months later and not long thereafter found himself in the Battle of the Bulge, the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies. Fought during the winter of 1944-45, the battle claimed nearly 20,000 American lives.
Ludy Langer, Wesley Lasher and Al Sessarego were also honored posthumously.
Chair of the Day Karen Diepenbrock chose to honor Rotary World War II veterans. Among them were people who had been involved in virtually every major conflict in the Pacific and European theaters. Four of them were invited to speak and received a standing ovation.
Maynard Nelson, introduced by Luann Richardson, was just 21 years old when he flew the first of his 35 combat missions as pilot of a B25. "I don't think of myself as a hero," Nelson told the audience. "I just tried to be a good pilot and to follow the leader." That not withstanding, Nelson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and other decorations for his service in Europe.
Glenn Sorensen, an RCS member since 1956, was just completing his training in Hawaii when one Sunday morning "all hell broke loose," as he put it while being interviewed by Diepenbrock. "If you've seen the movies about Pearl Harbor, well, what you saw was pretty much what it looked like," he said. His car was strafed by a Japanese fighter as he attempted to reach the air field; he still has one of the bullets. Sorensen later flew two missions in the Battle of Midway and received the Silver Star and numerous other awards and citations.
Wilbur Vaughn, introduced by Dick Noonan, was a member of the famed 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Fifth Army, which fought its way over the Apennines, into the Po Valley and on into the Alps during the Italian campaign. Vaughn, a member of our Club who spends most of his time in the Quincy area these days, recounted the campaign that incurred severe losses while destroying five elite German divisions. In 114 days of combat, 995 members of the division were killed and another 4,100 wounded. Despite that, the division secured Lake Garda just as Germany was surrendering. Vaughn received a Bronze Star, among other decorations.
Ed Willey, introduced by Jan Stohr, is another highly decorated Rotarian. He and his field artillery unit arrived in England on D-Day (June 6, 1944). That made the unit too late to participate in the D-Day landings, but Willey landed at Utah Beach two months later and not long thereafter found himself in the Battle of the Bulge, the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies. Fought during the winter of 1944-45, the battle claimed nearly 20,000 American lives.
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Other Rotary World War II veterans honored Monday were: George Bayse, John Bodley, Frank Boutin, Sr., John Bowker, Don W. Brown, Fred Carnie, Jr., John Collentine, Robert Gaines, George Gibson, Charles Gray, Jr., Ed Grebitus, Herb Greydanus, Robert C. Hall, John Harris, Elmer Haskin, Jr., Dean Jacobs, Mead Kibbey, Ed Lillya, Robert Livingston, Bob McNairn, Enlow Ose, Forrest Plant, Dick Reese, Cal Setzer, Hardie Setzer, Bill Stone, Pat Taylor and Henry Teichert.Ludy Langer, Wesley Lasher and Al Sessarego were also honored posthumously.
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Also in attendance Monday was a group of four Group Study Exchange participants from Bogota, Colombia. The group was introduced by Bruce Hester.
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Past-President Tim Pinkney made a check presentation to Aerospace Museum of California representatives from the proceeds of last year's Bids for Kids event.
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Dick Ryder was the meeting sponsor, briefly talking about the benefits of reverse mortgages. Maynard Nelson provided the Thought for the Day and Bill Stone joined President Beverly Brautigam in leading the Pledge of Allegiance.