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*HOTH* Respect Ride to visit Commander Will Ennis US. Navy. WWII, Korea & Vietnam. Goodyear AZ. 16 July 2016
The Arizona Patriot Guard Riders have the Honor to pay Respect to a member of The Greatest Generation. We will have an opportunity to Honor Will Ennis. Will Served our Country in 3 Wars. Will was a Navy pilot during World War II, he was shot down three times in the pacific. He also served for a time as an aid to Admiral Bull Halsey and at that time met General Eisenhower. He went on to fight in Korea and Vietnam. Will lives alone now in Goodyear. Will is 93 and in poor health. It will be a great to honor him while he is with us to demonstrate to him that America does not forget our true Heros.
Some personal stories from Will that will help us all appreciate why they are called “The Greatest Generation”
One time when Will was shot down, he was adrift in the middle of the Pacific in the dead of night, when he saw the lights of a ship heading towards him. The ship must have spotted the blinking light in his life vest. The problem was he did not know if the ship was American or Japanese. It was not until the ship came closer and he heard over the ship PA, “Attention all hands, stand by to retrieve survivor” that he knew he would be ok. After being shot down for the third time, he was called to the Admiral’s cabin and was told he had earned the right to go home. He refused saying “I have to live with myself”. Will fought in many of the battles in the Pacific including The Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Will is quoted as saying “I have great respect for the Marines, whenever I was talking to someone fighting on the ground, I was talking to a Marine”. Will is credited for shooting down many Kamikaze Pilots. Will made the transition from props to jets and continued fighting in Korea and Vietnam. He is truly a member of The Greatest Generation.
Ride Captain:
Grizz Paschke
480-241-4962
grizzzpgr@gmail.com
Flag Support Vehicle Person:
Karen Swanson
Staging Time: 0915 hours
Safeway parking lot
440 N. Estrella Pkwy
Goodyear, AZ 85338
Briefing Time: 0930 hours
We will meet up at Safeway parking lot and ride as a group to meet Richie Rich and he will lead us to the Commanders home. Upon reaching his home, we will do the song and prayer. I will have a cake made with his plane and ship on it. We will spend time talking and visiting. No flag line. Please flag up bikes.
KSU: 0940 hours
We will meet up with Richie Rich Prato and he will lead us to the Commanders home.(Short distance away) Upon reaching his home, we will do the song and prayer. I will have a cake made with his plane and ship on it. We will spend time talking and visiting. No flag line.
Due to Arizona Weather, please hydrate the day before and the day of the mission.