THE INDEPENDENCE FUND AND THE GREATEST GENERATIONS FOUNDATION JOIN FORCES TO COMMEMORATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF WORLD WAR II WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP

September 02, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                                              

THE INDEPENDENCE FUND AND THE GREATEST GENERATIONS FOUNDATION JOIN FORCES TO COMMEMORATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF WORLD WAR II WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP

WHEN:            WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 

WHERE:           USS NORTH CAROLINA, 1 BATTLESHIP RD NE, WILMINGTON, NC

WHAT:            The Independence Fund and The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation will join President Donald J. Trump and twenty-five Veterans from WWII, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard the USS North Carolina as President Trump declares Wilmington an American World War II Heritage Center.

                        Among the heroes present will include:

  • 100 year-old Pearl Harbor Survivor Mickey Ganitch, of Oakland, CA.
  • Iwo Jima Veterans Everett “Bud” Hampton of Chapel Hill, NC, James Blane of Denver, CO and Thomas D. Gelwicks of Charleston, SC.
  • Normandy Paratroopers Eugene Deibler and Kenneth Merritt of Fayetteville, NC.
  • USMC Veteran James Bisesiof Havelock, NC, who served in WWII, Korea and two tours in Vietnam.
  • General Eisenhower Radio Operator Greg Melikian of Phoenix, AZ
  • 96 year-old U.S. Army Veteran Paul Phillips of Leland, NC served on the USS North Carolina while serving in WWII.
  • S. Army Veteran Alex Moscowitz of Supply, NC was a duck boat driver during the Battle of Okinawa and later went on to work for the NY Port Authority.
  • S. Navy Veteran Norman Meares of Supply, NC joined the National Guard at age 16 and enlisted at 17 with the help of his older sister. A high school dropout, he went on to be a naval aviator and is the former mayor of Holden Beach.
  • S. Army Veteran Geoffrey Quevedo of Temecula, CA was injured by IED in Afghanistan and lost his left leg and arm.
  • S. Army Veteran Kevin Brewington of Jonesville, SC lost both of his legs and part of his right arm when hit by IED in Afghanistan.

“The Independence Fund was born to celebrate the incredible sacrifices made by our combat Veterans,” said The Independence Fund CEO Sarah Verardo.” I can think of no finer endeavor than uniting our greatest generation of heroes with our latest generation of heroes. Decades may separate them, but the bond of brotherhood and commitment to our flag unites them all.”

“Every day, World War II memories—its sights and sounds, its terrors and triumphs—disappear,” said The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation President and CEO Timothy Davis. “ Yielding to the inalterable aging process, the men and women who fought and won the great conflict are now in their late 90s and 100s.”

It is difficult  for anyone of this generation to fully understand what this anniversary means to the Veterans who experienced it firsthand 75 years ago. As these brave men and women continue to escort our country into the future, we must not let them, their stories or their cause be forgotten upon their passing.

MORE INFO:   Interview availability for Veterans, The Independence Fund CEO Sarah Verardo and The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation President and CEO Timothy Davis available before and after the official event by RSVP only. We respectfully ask that everyone practice safe social distancing. Full Veteran bios available upon request.

ABOUT THE INDEPENDENCE FUND: 

Established in 2007, The Independence Fund is a national Veterans Service Organization dedicated to meeting the unmet needs of catastrophically wounded Veterans, Caregivers and their families through a variety of programs. To learn more, visit www.independencefund.org.

ABOUT THE GREATEST GENERATIONS FOUNDATION:        

The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation (TGGF) is an international Veterans organization dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of combat Veterans by sponsoring their return to their former battlegrounds, cemeteries and memorials to ensure that their legacies and the heroes of those that made the ultimate sacrifice are recorded and retold in perpetuity to future generations. To learn more, visit www.TGGF.org



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