You Never Know What A Day Will Bring

I didn’t want to commit to anything or be scheduled to do anything on a regular basis. I asked Jana what I would be doing and she told me that I would lead discussion in a men’s group for 40 to 60 minutes and I have to admit, I felt God’s nudging on this one, so I decided to give it a try and I have been blessed by these sessions ever since. 

Today, April 24th, many volunteers at Springfield Villa were served a free luncheon from a grateful staff. I had never met any of the other volunteers so I didn’t know what to expect. I was seated at a round table with four other gentlemen and I immediately asked them all what they did as volunteers at the Villa. 

When they asked what I did, I told them that I meet with a men’s group and sometimes we talk about old Springfield, the great depression, WWII, and living on a farm in the early years. It was then that Patsi Lisle, a supervisor at Villa, overhearing our discussion, said that two of the men seated at our table were WWII veterans. The door was now open and I was in my element. Everyone spoke of their experiences and asked questions of each other. 

Sitting on my immediate left was Sammie Baisten. Sammie is 88 years old, a WWII veteran who had fought in the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge and was a Purple Heart recipient. Sammie knew John Kunkle and Harold Deane, two other WWII veterans that have become close friends of mine over the years. 

In the next seat heading around the table was a fellow named Charles Graf, another WWII veteran who served in the U.S.Navy. Charles served as an Aviation Machinist’s Mate (AMM), 2nd Class, on the USS Yorktown, CV-10.He related incidents that happened on board that aircraft carrier that I had never heard about before, nor ever occurred to me might happen. He stated that many planes on the carriers in the Pacific War used 50 caliber machine guns, three in each wing, and oftentimes those guns would jam and get hung-up during a mission. He said that all hands on deck were warned when a plane was coming in to land on the ship, to get under cover, because oftentimes those same guns that were jammed would unjam with the jolt of the landing and the guns would fire off 50 caliber rounds aboard the ship. I had never heard that before. He also related that he and the pilots would often talk like we were talking at the table there, but when a pilot was getting ready for a mission, they would not speak. He said that he would just help him get situated to begin his mission in quiet.

Next around the table was a man named Anthony Roberts. Anthony served with the 839th Tactical Air Wing and arrived in Korea just after the ground fighting stopped.

To my immediate right was Reverend Richard Cartwright, another Korean War veteran. Richard served with the Army Signal Corps in Korea and he was stationed in country for 15 months at I Corps, 51st Signal Battalion.

We all laughed and swapped stories as veterans will do and we all thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company as we enjoyed the delicious food. 

Soon, we all shook hands and then posed for a picture and parted.

        I then walked over to another couple seated in that same room and sat down and introduced myself. I learned their names were Betty and George Sawyer and that they come and volunteer their talents of singing and playing guitar every Tuesday evening. George served under General George Patton in the 4th Armored Division in WWII. George is 91 and Betty is 77 and she told me they had been married for 11 years, both having had spouses that died.

                                                                                                         Up until last year, I never knew that Villa Springfield existed and up until today, I never knew these fine men existed. I hate to think of how many times in our lives we allow opportunities for enrichment to slip through our fingers. We just don’t take the time to discover, or risk something new. I feel there is nothing more valuable in our lives than relationships and even when you are giving, you are getting. It is a win-win situation. 

Thank-you Villa Springfield for all you do and provide. I have witnessed firsthand, your tireless efforts and your loving and caring attitudes. I am proud to be a part of it.  

– Randy Ark

* Just as an aside, this same morning I was getting my car washed at Splish Splash on Home Rd. and struck up a conversation with a man there whom I discovered was a bomber pilot in the Pacific and flew 46 missions in a B-24. He said that he and his crew, a total of 10 men, never lost a plane and never lost a man. They all remained together throughout the war. Now that is a rarity, I think.