Spirit of ’45 events pay tribute to WWII veterans
During two celebrations Sunday, World War II veterans and their families were honored in an annual day of nationally recognized remembrance to remind America of “the values and accomplishments of the generation who endured the hard times of the Great Depression, fought to defeat the greatest tyranny in history, and then went on to rebuild their shattered world in an unprecedented effort to help assure a better future for both friend and former foe alike.”
The “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive” initiative was commemorated locally at Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club and VFW Post 10097. Between the two locations, many heroes from the “Greatest Generation” had a chance to socialize, listen to patriotic music, take part in ceremonial festivities and dine for free – a small price for those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during one of the most pivotal times in American history.
The masters of ceremonies at the Kelly Greens event were Eryka Aptaker, Lee County chair for the Spirit of ’45; Scott Cline, past commander at VFW Post 4254 in Bonita Springs; and Adam Prentki III, commander of the American Legion Post 303 in Bonita Springs.
Aptaker stated she spoke to most of the 88 WWII veterans among the 143 of that generation in attendance. The date of Aug. 14, 1945 marked the end of World War II.
“To the members of our ‘Greatest Generation’ I hope you know that you have touched my life and heart in more ways that you can possibly imagine,” she said. “To those that are not of the World War II generation, please understand that if Aug. 14 would have went in any other direction, life as we know it would be completely different. We would likely not be here today.”
Lee County Commissioner Larry Kiker was the master of ceremonies at VFW Post 10097.
“It is the military not the politicians that ensure our right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. We are here to serve you,” he said.
Other elected officials attended both events. Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass and U.S. Congressman Curt Clawson were among the dignitaries at the Kelley Greens event, while Lee County Commissioner Brian Hammond and FMB Councilman Alan Mandel attended the VFW event.
Each ceremony hosted an aerial salute via a helicopter fly-over by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, invocation, Color Guard, Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem, resolutions, bagpipe music and World War II veteran guest speakers. Harry Beeman, Bert Kurland, Edward “Huggy” Ellyat and Robert Hilliard spoke at the Lee County event, while Gazo Nemeth offered words at the Beach event.
“I am no more of a hero than anybody from World War II,” Nemeth said after recounting his service time in the war.
All WWII veterans sacrificed their lives during a collective commitment to service and showed courage throughout the bloodshed. Many are Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipients.
“Of the millions that served in uniform, approximately 466,000 lost their lives. This does not include the over 75,000 that are still missing or unaccounted for,” said Veterans Club of America Post 1 Commander Lou Tolleson.
In 2010, Congress unanimously passed a resolution calling for a national “Spirit of ’45 Day” to be observed on the second Sunday in August to honor the men and women who were called “the ordinary heroes” of the WWII era.
“Taps” was played simultaneously across the nation at 7 p.m.
After the WWII vets stood for applause at the Kelly Green’s event, Aptaker summed up what these events mean to present day.
“Your example needs to be followed throughout the generations to come,” she said. “This is what Spirit of ’45 is all about – making sure that our nation’s greatest generation’s legacy is passed down to our youth today.”