Signs of Spring at World War II Memorial
From the front lines!!! …Emails from George Kerestes and Kari Beasley are sure signs that Spring is on its way and the flights will soon beginning. Judy Lemmons wrote that three flights will be here April 23, 24th and 25th. The fountains are still off but the World War II Memorial is still crowded with visitors as we experience our typically early Spring weather and Spring Break is upon us. I am sure the fountains will be on soon as the experience they add to a World War II Memorial visit is significant.
George Kerestes, a National Park Service volunteer and recent successfully retired Department of Engergy employee has been volunteering while the rest of us have been hibernating: He wrote:
.…”I especially enjoyed your latest on Stan Wojtusik. I met him during his snow-bird drive at the Memorial on February 24, 2007. I was honored to meet him, although I did not immediately recognize him. He seem to like that I had information on him in one of my index cards. Photo attached.
I have been enjoying the Saturday’s in 2009, although my “thank you for your sevice and welcome to your memorial” only number about 50 in 2009. By my unofficial count is that I have extended my hand about 5,000 times in 2008–that’s my story and I am sticking with it.
Your Honor Roll had me speechless–I recognized so many of the veterans and others who support the Memorial….”
and Kari Beardsley, who works at the Brookings Institute and took some great photographs last year said:
“…I am so excited that Honor Flight is going to be starting up again in the near future. I just wanted to let you know that I am still interested in helping out if you want me to. I even bought a new camera, so I am all ready to go….”
Chicago Honor Flight has a new website and a storage system for images by Zenfolio which I recommend to any hub. Chicago’s use of zenfolio.com allows the Chicago Team to all take pictures with their digital cameras and upload them from their house. It very much increases the chances of the veterans and their families finding their pictures and I think these pictures will be a living history. They can be downloaded by the veterans for personal use for free. It’s the same website I use for almost all of my clients and allows different access settings and alphabetical or numerical display of images.