On this episode of Our American Stories, Ilene Hall tells us the story of when her husband, to whom she was married in March 1943, finished his training in the Army and was about to be shipped overseas and she decided not to put an ocean between them. Joel Wegener and his wife are blessed with 10 children, 2 of which were diagnosed with Down Syndrome. In his quest to find a fun way to teach them life skills, Joel happened upon the idea of running an ice cream truck, and it grew beyond what he ever could have thought.
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Time Codes:
00:00 - Ilene Hall Joined the Army to Search for Her Husband During WWII
23:00 - Special Neat Treats: A Dad's Gift to His Children with Down Syndrome
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your stories. There are some
of our favorites. Our next story, well, it's one about service,
love and sacrifice. Let's follow Eileen Hall's incredible journey across
(00:33):
Europe as she searches for her husband in the middle
of World War Two. Eileen was a member in the
Woman's Army Corps or WHACK. We got together with Eileen
and her daughter Sherry, who both live in Kenton, Ohio.
Here's Eileen. I'm from Canton, Ohio. I was born in
(00:55):
ten eleven, twenty three and my mother and dad i'd
had a restaurant in downtown Canton, and we had a
hotel up above the restaurant, and that's where I was raised.
We lived right across the street from McKinley High School,
so all I had to do was walk for high school,
was walk across the street and go to school. After
(01:18):
my mother made it to my high school graduation, and
shortly after that she passed on and my dad remarried,
and I felt very uncomfortable at home with a different
mother really, and you were working at Keimpkin Roller Bearing Company.
So it's a long time. That's seventy five years ago,
(01:41):
you know, so I'm trying to remember a lot of it.
I'll never forget. But and there I met a girl
and we became friends, and we worked in the stationery
supply office. And she had a boyfriend from Galian, Ohio,
and every time he came up to see her, he
brought his brother. So she said, do you think you'd
(02:04):
mind dating his brother if he brings him up? And
I said, oh no, Well that was it because we
just melded together and it's just worked out. So but
he was being drafted like all that. He was going
to be sent to Oklahoma. So after my dad remarried,
(02:27):
I just didn't feel comfortable at home. So I said,
I think I always wanted to go to California. So
I said, I think I'll go to California because I've
always wanted to go there. So I bordered a train
and it stopped in Oklahoma, and I thought, well, I'll
just see you know him while i'm here. So that's
as far as I got. We got married after I
(02:50):
was there a few days. We had to go through
blood tests and it was really you know. So we
were married in a parson's office, and then it wasn't
long after that that he was sent overseas. So I thought, well,
since I'm married to him, I'll go back home and
(03:11):
see what I can do, you know. So I went
back home and I decided to enlist in the service.
So I went in downtown Campton where they had their
recruiting office, and told him I would like to join
the Army. Well, the Navy I really wanted, but you
couldn't get in that one until later. So I decided
(03:33):
I'd get in the Army if I could. So, even
though I was married, I had to get my dad's consent.
Because of my age. I couldn't do it unless I
had my parents consent. So I went to where he
worked and told him, and he said, well, if I
don't do this, you'll do something else crazy. So he signed.
He was a World War One veteran, so he signed
(03:55):
and I took it back and after that I got
into basic training in Daytona Beach, Florida. From there I
was I volunted. They said, as we were being interviewed,
the girls that had already volunteered, said you'll be sorry,
(04:16):
you know, and so. But I volunteered for everything, so
I always got to pick up things that I wanted
to do, so I thought that was a good idea.
From there, I was sent to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia for
driver training, and I led a convoy through Georgia as
(04:37):
one of our tryouts, you know, to see how we
did and so. And then we had to gwin gas
chambers and take off of the gas mask and stay
for a few minutes and then go out and catch
your breath again. So and then we had to lay
down and they fired shots over, you know, to see
(05:01):
how we'd react. And then we had to go through
other training abandoning ship. We had to go, you know,
to a top of the ship that would be and
go down the sides, and a couple of the girls
were just terrified of doing it, so I helped along
with them. And then after that was all done, I
(05:23):
was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, and I was only
there for a little while. The fellows in the barracks
weren't used to having women there, and boy, every time
we'd walk out everywhere shoe there were guys walking with us, so,
but anyway, I volunteered. They would ask for volunteers to
(05:45):
go overseas, so I volunteered, but there were too many,
so I wasn't going to get to go, but that
the last minute, one gal dropped out and so I
took her place. And then it wasn't long after that
that we were sent to Fort Dix Or, New Jersey
(06:06):
and boarded the Queen Elizabeth and headed for France. So
on a ship that in peacetime would accommodate two people,
there were twenty four whacks in one room. And then
we went on and we landed at Glasgow, Scotland and
the Isle of Clyde, and there we were met with
(06:28):
the Red Cross and the Salvation Army and they gave
us food and till they decided where we were going
to go from there, and some of us boarded a
train and headed for Sutton Coalfield, England. That's where I
was going to be stationed for a while. And we've
been listening to Eileen Hall's journey to find her husband
(06:51):
in the middle of World War two, A great backstory.
I can't wait to hear more. Sure you can't either.
When we come back. More of Eileen Whole story here
on our American Stories. Folks, if you love the stories
(07:32):
we tell about this great country, and especially the stories
of America's rich past, know that all of our stories
about American history, from war to innovation, culture and faith,
are brought to us by the great folks at Hillsdale College,
a place where students study all the things that are
beautiful in life and all the things that are good
in life. And if you can't cut to Hillsdale, Hillsdale
(07:53):
will come to you with their free and terrific online courses.
Go to Hillsdale dot du to learn more. And we
continue here on our American Stories with Eileen Hall story.
(08:17):
And what an adventure this lady was, my goodness, and
so many other women who served in the war. She
wanted to be in the theater and volunteered for it.
Let's pick up when we last left off, some of
us boarded a train and headed for Sutton Coalfield, England.
That's where I was going to be stationed for a while,
(08:39):
So that's where I had to drive a geep by.
I went through the Motor Corps so I was allowed
to drive a jeeping up to a two and a
half time truck, so I drove the everybody in Sutton
Coalfield in England had to list if they had a
room available for gis because they didn't want the women
(09:01):
staying in room as they wanted the men to be there.
So that's what I did for a while and got
them all done, and then I was sent I drove
a major there that four of us were drivers, and
we all drove an officer. So I drove a major.
(09:23):
So we were on call twenty four hours a day
for whatever reason they wanted us so, but well, I
had to drive in the fog so bad that I
had to put my foot up. They drive on the
left side on the curb so I would know where
I was going. And because of that, my left leg
(09:45):
is not as big as my right one. It took
that much. It froze, you know, and I had to
go back to the barracks and they put me behind
a bakery and so I could thaw out to my
leg was so from driving. So we had gone through
many air raids at night, and one of the gals said,
(10:07):
if I'm going to get killed, I'm going to do
it right here. And so the rest of its society
we stayed together, so that was it, because there were
nightly air raids, you know. So after I left England,
I went to France and with the post office there
as a driver. So every morning i'd drive into Paris
(10:28):
and you could see there were the streets were empty
except for people gone through garbage cans trying to get
something deed people and dogs, and that's something I'll never forget.
And as I drove to the post office so that
I was beat Just as I drove in, something cracked
on the steering wheel and I couldn't steer it. But
(10:51):
I was already there, so I was. I felt that
was a blessing because if I had done that out
in the you know, out on the streets, it would
have been something else her face. And I just felt
I'd be protected whatever I did, because if I volunteered
for something, I felt that that's what I should do.
(11:13):
So I just had a different life than some of
the other wax. But the Battle of the Balls was
going on then, and they were bringing the wounded into
the hospital in Paris, and our commanding officer was called
from from the hospital and asked her to send some
(11:35):
Wax down to help that wounded were coming in so fast.
So our commanding officer called me and said, you know,
going to take some wax to the hospital. So I
got him a ton and a half truck and loaded
it with wax and drove into the hospital in front
of the hospital and walked in and here the gis
(11:56):
are all land on the floor and you could just
walk sideways. And so they we would kneel down and
talk to him and take you know, we all went
and talked to each one and ask where they were from,
and just got him calmed downs before and then they
finally found room for him. All So, but when I
had time off, I was allowed to take the jeep
(12:19):
and I became acquainted with two fellows from Iowa, and
one had his left leg amputated below his knees, so
he was going to be sent home, and he said
he hated to see go home without seeing Paris, and
I said, well, I'll see what I can do. So
I went to my commanding officer, told her to the store,
(12:40):
and she says, you take a jeep and show him
wherever you want to go. So we're there were two
whacks in the back and me driving and him sit
beside me and I took him all over Paris, so
he was, you know, excited about that, and we kept
in touch for years after I got home. So but
(13:03):
I got a letter from my husband saying he was
going to be sent to the CBI, that's the China Burma,
and I thought, and I started crying, and the officer
was below me, and she came up and wanted to
know why I was crying, and I said, well, my
husband's going to be sent to the cb area. And
I said I'd probably never see him again, and she said,
(13:25):
I'll see what I can do. So she got me
orders attached to Mark Clark's but he never knew I
was part of his service. So but that got me
to early airport and ask if you know, if anybody
was going to Paris, and there there was a plane
just out there that was going to be going to Italy.
(13:48):
And I told my story to the guy at the desk,
and so he said, that plane right there, you can
get on. So they put down the bombay doors and
I walked out and they one on one side and
one on the other, lifted me up and put it
in where the gun tour it is and that's how
I rode from there to Italy, and I got off
(14:12):
of the plane and I was standing on the road
and I did realize right in front of me was
the Tower of Pisa, because I didn't realize it was
that big, you know. And so I walked out and
I started hitchhiking, and along came a British guy in
a truck with three soldiers in the back, and one
(14:33):
was They were attending to one and I said, what happened?
She said, he got hurt, but not by fire. I
don't know exactly how I got hurt. And they're going
into Rome, so they stopped for water, and the driver
of the truck had to come back and stand in
front of me, and so I could lean to the
back because the people just came from everywhere and they
(14:55):
wanted to touch me, and you know, and I didn't
know what to do. So they looked out for me,
and then we left and went on to Rome to
the Red Cross there, and they put me up for
the night. The next morning was a Sunday, so it
was church, so I went down and went to church,
(15:17):
and after a little while before church started, a fellow
sat down beside me and he looked at my patch.
He says, you're not from around here, guar you And
I said no, and I told him my story. He said,
I'll see what I can do. So the next day
he had gotten permission from his officer and he was
(15:37):
able to take me from Rome to Milano. And on
the way it started to rain, and the fellow didn't
know how to do the tops of the jeeps. So
I showed him how to do that, and he took
me up and my husband was waiting for me waiting there.
(16:00):
So we had our honeymoon on Lake Cono, and I
had our own villa attached to a regular one which
is owned now by George Clooney. And I'm sure George
Clooney doesn't know it, but I'm going to write a
letter to him sometime if he ever gets it. The
villa d s ST. Yeah. So yeah, that was the
(16:22):
fifth Army rest camp. So we left from Laharve on
the eb Alexander headed for the United States. As we
pulled into New York Harbor, all the lights came on
and they took us off the boat and fed us
the best Thanksgiving dinner we ever had. So and from
(16:42):
there we had to go to Fort Dix to get
released from the army, and then I boarded a train
for Canton, Ohio. And when I got to Canton, there
were my husband and my dad and just welcomed me.
He got home seven days before I did. But other
(17:04):
than that way, I think my experience was something that
not too many people have the opportunity to experience. So
that's my love story and I love to tell it,
so and thanks for the opportunity to tell it. So
that's it, and that's it, and thanks for the opportunity
(17:27):
to let us tell it, Eileen. And what a beautiful
story about so many things, particularly just a sheer sense
of adventure. Off to Europe to fight Nazis, searching for
each other, learning how to drive trucks and tanks, supply
lines to defeat one of the world's worst enemies in history.
Eileen Hall's journey to find her husband in the middle
(17:49):
of World War Two. Her story here on our American Story,
And we're back with our American stories. And up next,
(18:12):
Robbie brings us the story of Joel Wegener, an educator
and fundraiser who lives in Cincinnati, with a beautiful story
of facing the unexpected challenges life throws our way. Here's
Joel So. I grew up in southeast Kansas, went to
(18:35):
college there and became a teacher. Taught in Kansas for
a few years, then I moved to Cincinnati. Right after
I was married for one year. Then we moved from
Cincinnati to the Saint Louis area and took a teaching
position there. We stayed there about sixteen years. Many of
(18:56):
our ten children were born in Lewis area, and we
still have friends back there, and one of my daughters
is also living back in that area. Then in two
thousand and two, we moved to Cincinnati. I started a
fundraising business and was also doing some teaching at a
(19:18):
local Christian school. Now, while I was in education, and
then also now that I'm doing the fundraising business, most
of my time was filled up during the school year,
and I had time during the summers to do other
(19:38):
activities and try to make a little extra money to
support my family. I've done a lot of different things
in the summers. One of the most interesting things that
I have done before the ice cream truck was I
ran a fireworks business in Missouri, tent along Highway sixty one.
My children helped me do that, and we have a
(20:00):
lot of stories, a lot of fun, a lot of
hard work, and on a good year, made some pretty
good money doing that. I sold that business several years ago,
so over the last few years I've been looking for
something else to occupy my time. Last summer, I saw
(20:21):
an ice cream truck here locally, and that planted a
little seed in my mind of something that I might
want to do in the future. So I put it
in the back of my mind until January of this year,
and then started doing some research and trying to find
out if it was a viable business option. I joined
(20:41):
a couple of Facebook groups and was able to find
an ice cream truck in Columbus, Indiana. And because I
wasn't real sure this was going to make a go
of it, and some of my older children were not
all that support even that they thought it was maybe
another one of my crazy ideas, I went low budget.
(21:02):
But I founded an ice cream truck owned by some
people that have a special needs daughter and they had
used it to help raise money for her therapy as
well as give her something to do, and so we
went over and met them. They actually also have a
storefront where they sell hot dogs and other things and
employ special needs individuals. So it was really a neat
(21:25):
connection there. Once we went over there and really felt
that it was the right thing to do, that God
was directing us to that particular ice cream truck, so
we purchased it. It needed some repairs, it needed some cleaning.
We started doing that and working on that along with
my other responsibilities with a fundraising business. And on April fifteenth,
(21:51):
I said that as the deadline, not for taxes this year,
but the deadline to hit the streets with my ice
cream trucks. I found a local wholesaler, went through all
the licensing and all that, and Mary Kate, my twenty
one year old down syndrome daughter, and I went out
(22:11):
on April fifteenth for about an hour and we sold
seventy four dollars worth of ice cream. And I said,
we're on our way. And just to back up a
little bit about our family, we do have ten children.
(22:33):
Back in two thousand, the year two thousand, of course,
the world was shaking in their boots about y two
k that maybe all the computers were going to crash
and all that. On January first, well, we survived that.
During that time, my wife was pregnant and in March nineteen,
two thousand, my daughter Mary Kate was born, and we
(22:55):
did not know beforehand, but soon found out that she
had Down syndrome. She also had some other health issues.
I was in the hospital for about ten days and
that was a very pivotal time in our lives, and
(23:16):
we were so fortunate to have such support from our
family and friends and church. But it was a change.
We did not expect that, and we were not fully
prepared for the journey that God had chosen to places on.
But we worked through that, We worked together, and we
(23:36):
were just counted Mary Kate a blessing, like all the rest,
a blessing from God. So we went through that. And
then we had another child, which was a son, about
a year later, and he was normal. I guess I
haven't decided if any of our kids are totally normal,
(23:57):
but he was considered normal. And then we moved to Cincinnati.
Then when she delivered here in Cincinnati, our next child.
It was Josh, and he also had Down syndrome and
had some health issues heart issues. Had to have open
heart surgery at four months, but has more or less
(24:21):
fully recovered from that a little heart murmur. So we've
been blessed with two Down syndrome. It's it's been a journey,
and I've told people, I'm sure my wife and I
are better people because of this journey that God has
placed us on with Mary and Josh. So when Mary
(24:46):
was born, you know, every parent when a child is born,
wants to say, Mom's fine, baby's fine, everything is normal.
You know, that's what you want to say. That's what
people want to hear. And so when it isn't, what
(25:08):
do you say? And how do you handle that? And
how do you still accept it and have joy in
having a new baby in your life even though it's
not the baby that you would have ordered. You know,
if you had, if there was a catalog to order babies,
(25:29):
nobody would flip back to the Down syndrome section or
whatever else fill in the blank. Nobody would go back
to that section of the catalog or online, go to
that click on that tab. Now, I have a high
degree of respect for people that are willing to adopt
(25:49):
special needs kids from other nations and all that. That's
just incredible, that process of accepting that child as yours
and as a blessing from God, and for others to
see it that way. As well, and so that you
know that takes a process, you know, And we had
I worked at a school near Saint Louis, and the
(26:12):
faculty and staff were so supportive of us during that time.
Church and just family friends, and I remember my aunt
and uncle sent me a book. I think it's entitled
Sometimes Miracles Hide. And so we had people that just
came alongside us and helped us in that journey. And
(26:36):
we all know it, sometimes miracles do hide. Ten kids,
two Down syndrome children. My wife and I are better
people because of the journey with Mary, Kate and Josh.
The story of Joel Wegener continues here on our American Stories,
(27:37):
and we're back with our American Stories and the story
of Joel Wagener and Special Neat treats an ice cream Chuck.
Joel bought to run with his two adult children with
Down syndrome. When we last heard from Joel, he was
discussing the difficulties that often come with raising children with
special needs, but also the community that rallied around him
(27:57):
and his wife during those hard times. Back to Joel,
but it is an adjustment, and then it's not just
one time when they're born that you have to do that,
you have to continually process it, almost more so when
(28:20):
they get older, because when they're young, even though they
may have a disability, they're still cute people still, and
you go through kind of the normal steps at a
delayed rate. But then at some point, you know, then
you have to think about careers. You've got to think
about their long term care, their physical issues that they're
going to have as an adult, and then you know
(28:44):
we're facing now you know, their desire to get married
and have children and how that all plays out, you know,
for someone with a disability. So those are all things
They're not easy, and I'm not complaining about that. I'm
just saying, hey, that's what life is. But once you
realize and make that firm commitment that for some reason
(29:08):
that we will never fully understand, God allowed ordained however
you're you want to explain it to yourself or to
others for us to have Josh and Mary in our lives.
And people can talk about unconditional love all they want
until they've been around a down syndrome kid, they probably
(29:30):
haven't seen it, and that's they're stubborn. But they also
they have a very very good unconditional love. You know,
we get so caught up and worried about all these things,
and sometimes it's just a reminder when all Josh and
(29:52):
Mary want to know is what are we going to
have for supper? Can we watch a video? You know?
What are we going to do Friday night as a family?
You know, So they kind of keep us focused on
the things that really matter as opposed to all these
other little things that we're worried about. In the state
(30:15):
of Ohio, when they turned twenty two, they age out.
So Mary Kate will be twenty two within this school year,
so she was unable to continue with the public education.
So that is a big challenge for all special needs parents,
is what is the next step after being in the
public education. She has often mentioned that she would love
(30:39):
to work with her papa with the fundraising business. I
found a few little things periodically that she could do
to help, but nothing that I could really utilize her
in a great way. So as we developed this idea
of the ice cream truck, we started thinking this would
be ideal to bring Mary in and also Josh in
(31:00):
and let them be a part of it. We were
thinking about the name for the truck and the business
and my wife had the brilliant idea, in my opinion,
somewhat of a play on words special needs, but it's
special neat treats, and so that's what we have named
the truck. When we first started, we went to neighborhood
(31:24):
somewhat randomly, fairly close to Loveland, Ohio, where we live here.
But there was a local magazine that asked if they
could feature us. It is also an online magazine, and
so this magazine came out in July, and right after
that I started getting so much attention locally and some
(31:45):
local TV stations to ask to do features, and it
just has exploded since then. It's it's funny because you know,
when I first had this idea, I thought, well, you know,
it'd be something, you know, if I wanted to go
out find, if I wanted to stay home, Someday, I'll
see what happens. But now it's just taken off, and
(32:09):
the response has been so unbelievably positive. Seems like almost
every day that I go out to a neighborhood, I
meet families with special needs kids and just to be
able to share with them. They see Mary Kate and
our Josh working with me. But just them seeing my
(32:30):
kids in the truck working with me gives them hope
and gives them some ideas. Probably one of my all
time favorite stories that I really feel like was a
turning point in my mind as far as what the
purpose of Special Need Treats was all about. Thursday afternoon,
(32:52):
several weeks ago, I went to a school. They were
doing a summer program for special needs kids, and so
they contacted me. They had heard our story and they
went with the low budget thing, and I was fine
with that. There wasn't all that many kids, so from
a business standpoint, it wasn't a real profitable afternoon, but
(33:13):
I wanted to do it, and so I went out there.
They had the kids come out onto the parking lot
of the school, they got their treats. Everybody got their treats,
and Mary and Josh had something going on that day.
So I was by myself, but I a little girl
came back up to the truck. I asked her name.
(33:33):
She said it was Maddie. She said thanks for coming.
She said, You've made my day. So I started chatting
with her. I showed her a picture of my kids,
and she shared with me her disabilities and her diagnosis,
had several several things that she's been diagnosed with, but
she was very talkative. We just had a short little
(33:54):
visit there and without even premeditating or planning, and I
looked at her and I said, Maddie, I just want
you to know that God made you just like you are,
and He has a special plan for your life. And
I get emotional thinking about that moment because I was
(34:15):
able to make her day. I wasn't able to cure
her autism, her other disorders. I didn't cure those, but
for one day, Maddie had a good day and I
had a real small part in it. When I drove off,
I'm not generally a real emotional person, but I get it.
I got emotional. I was wiping tears and I thought,
(34:37):
you know, I made her day. But she made something
come into focus in my mind that had been somewhat
building throughout the summer. But at that point, I was like,
you know what, God has me doing this for some
unknown reason. But here's part of the reason, being able
(35:00):
one at a time to make their day, to give
them hope and courage, And boy, do we need some
hope and courage during these days. This happened even more recently.
I was up in Dayton, Ohio, north of here. I
was at an event and they had a playground there
(35:21):
for special needs kids. And after it was all over,
I had Mary Ann Josh with me, and I said,
I asked Mary and Josh, hey, do you want to
go over and see the playground? So they went over
there and they played, and I did a few things
in my truck, and then I walked over there and
Josh was on a piece of equipment and there was
a little down syndrome girl that was more or less
(35:43):
in his way, and Josh was waiting, and the mom
saw what was going on, came rushing over there and
said sorry and moved her little girl all the way,
and I said, no problem, no problem. And she looked
at Josh and Mary, and then she looked at me
and she said, are you the ones that have been
on the news with your ice cream truck? And I said, yeah,
(36:05):
that's us, and she goes, I was just showing that
article to my husband this morning or yesterday, and so
we chatted for a little better. She had this little
down syndrome daughter named Esther. And then the mom came
over to me and she told me, she said, and
she started getting choked up as she told me. She goes,
(36:27):
I was telling God this morning. I needed something to
let me know that he was still there and he
cared about our family. She said. We've been going through
a lot and she needed a reminder from God that
everything was going to be all right. And she said,
this is it. And I was like, wow, because it's
(36:47):
not me. It's a lot of work. There's hot days,
my air conditioner went down. I've had a lot of
setbacks with the equipment this summer. But I'm determined to
push through it because I I see now that there's
some real purpose in an old ice cream truck. I never,
in my wildest dream thought, yeah, buy an ice cream
(37:10):
truck and you can really make a difference in somebody's life.
But yeah, I think it's one of those things you, Yeah,
you trust God and make the best decisions and then
you just watch and see what happens. And what a
beautiful story And a special thanks to Robbie for finding it,
(37:32):
for editing it, and for producing it. And a special
thanks to Joel Wagener for sharing his story and for
just loving his down syndrome kids and doing something special
for them and himself, and in the end of his
neighborhood and all those families with special needs kids, and
frankly just people seeing unconditional love at play and miracles
(37:53):
at play. I made her day, he said about that
young girl, Maddie. But in the end, she made his two.
And that's what we're trying to do here on this show,
is spread this kind of joy and possibility. Joel Wegener's story,
Mary and Josh's story, the Wegener family story. Here on
our American story,
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your stories. There are some
of our favorites. Our next story, well, it's one about service,
love and sacrifice. Let's follow Eileen Hall's incredible journey across
(00:33):
Europe as she searches for her husband in the middle
of World War Two. Eileen was a member in the
Woman's Army Corps or WHACK. We got together with Eileen
and her daughter Sherry, who both live in Kenton, Ohio.
Here's Eileen. I'm from Canton, Ohio. I was born in
(00:55):
ten eleven, twenty three and my mother and dad i'd
had a restaurant in downtown Canton, and we had a
hotel up above the restaurant, and that's where I was raised.
We lived right across the street from McKinley High School,
so all I had to do was walk for high school,
was walk across the street and go to school. After
(01:18):
my mother made it to my high school graduation, and
shortly after that she passed on and my dad remarried,
and I felt very uncomfortable at home with a different
mother really, and you were working at Keimpkin Roller Bearing Company.
So it's a long time. That's seventy five years ago,
(01:41):
you know, so I'm trying to remember a lot of it.
I'll never forget. But and there I met a girl
and we became friends, and we worked in the stationery
supply office. And she had a boyfriend from Galian, Ohio,
and every time he came up to see her, he
brought his brother. So she said, do you think you'd
(02:04):
mind dating his brother if he brings him up? And
I said, oh no, Well that was it because we
just melded together and it's just worked out. So but
he was being drafted like all that. He was going
to be sent to Oklahoma. So after my dad remarried,
(02:27):
I just didn't feel comfortable at home. So I said,
I think I always wanted to go to California. So
I said, I think I'll go to California because I've
always wanted to go there. So I bordered a train
and it stopped in Oklahoma, and I thought, well, I'll
just see you know him while i'm here. So that's
as far as I got. We got married after I
(02:50):
was there a few days. We had to go through
blood tests and it was really you know. So we
were married in a parson's office, and then it wasn't
long after that that he was sent overseas. So I thought, well,
since I'm married to him, I'll go back home and
(03:11):
see what I can do, you know. So I went
back home and I decided to enlist in the service.
So I went in downtown Campton where they had their
recruiting office, and told him I would like to join
the Army. Well, the Navy I really wanted, but you
couldn't get in that one until later. So I decided
(03:33):
I'd get in the Army if I could. So, even
though I was married, I had to get my dad's consent.
Because of my age. I couldn't do it unless I
had my parents consent. So I went to where he
worked and told him, and he said, well, if I
don't do this, you'll do something else crazy. So he signed.
He was a World War One veteran, so he signed
(03:55):
and I took it back and after that I got
into basic training in Daytona Beach, Florida. From there I
was I volunted. They said, as we were being interviewed,
the girls that had already volunteered, said you'll be sorry,
(04:16):
you know, and so. But I volunteered for everything, so
I always got to pick up things that I wanted
to do, so I thought that was a good idea.
From there, I was sent to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia for
driver training, and I led a convoy through Georgia as
(04:37):
one of our tryouts, you know, to see how we
did and so. And then we had to gwin gas
chambers and take off of the gas mask and stay
for a few minutes and then go out and catch
your breath again. So and then we had to lay
down and they fired shots over, you know, to see
(05:01):
how we'd react. And then we had to go through
other training abandoning ship. We had to go, you know,
to a top of the ship that would be and
go down the sides, and a couple of the girls
were just terrified of doing it, so I helped along
with them. And then after that was all done, I
(05:23):
was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, and I was only
there for a little while. The fellows in the barracks
weren't used to having women there, and boy, every time
we'd walk out everywhere shoe there were guys walking with us, so,
but anyway, I volunteered. They would ask for volunteers to
(05:45):
go overseas, so I volunteered, but there were too many,
so I wasn't going to get to go, but that
the last minute, one gal dropped out and so I
took her place. And then it wasn't long after that
that we were sent to Fort Dix Or, New Jersey
(06:06):
and boarded the Queen Elizabeth and headed for France. So
on a ship that in peacetime would accommodate two people,
there were twenty four whacks in one room. And then
we went on and we landed at Glasgow, Scotland and
the Isle of Clyde, and there we were met with
(06:28):
the Red Cross and the Salvation Army and they gave
us food and till they decided where we were going
to go from there, and some of us boarded a
train and headed for Sutton Coalfield, England. That's where I
was going to be stationed for a while. And we've
been listening to Eileen Hall's journey to find her husband
(06:51):
in the middle of World War two, A great backstory.
I can't wait to hear more. Sure you can't either.
When we come back. More of Eileen Whole story here
on our American Stories. Folks, if you love the stories
(07:32):
we tell about this great country, and especially the stories
of America's rich past, know that all of our stories
about American history, from war to innovation, culture and faith,
are brought to us by the great folks at Hillsdale College,
a place where students study all the things that are
beautiful in life and all the things that are good
in life. And if you can't cut to Hillsdale, Hillsdale
(07:53):
will come to you with their free and terrific online courses.
Go to Hillsdale dot du to learn more. And we
continue here on our American Stories with Eileen Hall story.
(08:17):
And what an adventure this lady was, my goodness, and
so many other women who served in the war. She
wanted to be in the theater and volunteered for it.
Let's pick up when we last left off, some of
us boarded a train and headed for Sutton Coalfield, England.
That's where I was going to be stationed for a while,
(08:39):
So that's where I had to drive a geep by.
I went through the Motor Corps so I was allowed
to drive a jeeping up to a two and a
half time truck, so I drove the everybody in Sutton
Coalfield in England had to list if they had a
room available for gis because they didn't want the women
(09:01):
staying in room as they wanted the men to be there.
So that's what I did for a while and got
them all done, and then I was sent I drove
a major there that four of us were drivers, and
we all drove an officer. So I drove a major.
(09:23):
So we were on call twenty four hours a day
for whatever reason they wanted us so, but well, I
had to drive in the fog so bad that I
had to put my foot up. They drive on the
left side on the curb so I would know where
I was going. And because of that, my left leg
(09:45):
is not as big as my right one. It took
that much. It froze, you know, and I had to
go back to the barracks and they put me behind
a bakery and so I could thaw out to my
leg was so from driving. So we had gone through
many air raids at night, and one of the gals said,
(10:07):
if I'm going to get killed, I'm going to do
it right here. And so the rest of its society
we stayed together, so that was it, because there were
nightly air raids, you know. So after I left England,
I went to France and with the post office there
as a driver. So every morning i'd drive into Paris
(10:28):
and you could see there were the streets were empty
except for people gone through garbage cans trying to get
something deed people and dogs, and that's something I'll never forget.
And as I drove to the post office so that
I was beat Just as I drove in, something cracked
on the steering wheel and I couldn't steer it. But
(10:51):
I was already there, so I was. I felt that
was a blessing because if I had done that out
in the you know, out on the streets, it would
have been something else her face. And I just felt
I'd be protected whatever I did, because if I volunteered
for something, I felt that that's what I should do.
(11:13):
So I just had a different life than some of
the other wax. But the Battle of the Balls was
going on then, and they were bringing the wounded into
the hospital in Paris, and our commanding officer was called
from from the hospital and asked her to send some
(11:35):
Wax down to help that wounded were coming in so fast.
So our commanding officer called me and said, you know,
going to take some wax to the hospital. So I
got him a ton and a half truck and loaded
it with wax and drove into the hospital in front
of the hospital and walked in and here the gis
(11:56):
are all land on the floor and you could just
walk sideways. And so they we would kneel down and
talk to him and take you know, we all went
and talked to each one and ask where they were from,
and just got him calmed downs before and then they
finally found room for him. All So, but when I
had time off, I was allowed to take the jeep
(12:19):
and I became acquainted with two fellows from Iowa, and
one had his left leg amputated below his knees, so
he was going to be sent home, and he said
he hated to see go home without seeing Paris, and
I said, well, I'll see what I can do. So
I went to my commanding officer, told her to the store,
(12:40):
and she says, you take a jeep and show him
wherever you want to go. So we're there were two
whacks in the back and me driving and him sit
beside me and I took him all over Paris, so
he was, you know, excited about that, and we kept
in touch for years after I got home. So but
(13:03):
I got a letter from my husband saying he was
going to be sent to the CBI, that's the China Burma,
and I thought, and I started crying, and the officer
was below me, and she came up and wanted to
know why I was crying, and I said, well, my
husband's going to be sent to the cb area. And
I said I'd probably never see him again, and she said,
(13:25):
I'll see what I can do. So she got me
orders attached to Mark Clark's but he never knew I
was part of his service. So but that got me
to early airport and ask if you know, if anybody
was going to Paris, and there there was a plane
just out there that was going to be going to Italy.
(13:48):
And I told my story to the guy at the desk,
and so he said, that plane right there, you can
get on. So they put down the bombay doors and
I walked out and they one on one side and
one on the other, lifted me up and put it
in where the gun tour it is and that's how
I rode from there to Italy, and I got off
(14:12):
of the plane and I was standing on the road
and I did realize right in front of me was
the Tower of Pisa, because I didn't realize it was
that big, you know. And so I walked out and
I started hitchhiking, and along came a British guy in
a truck with three soldiers in the back, and one
(14:33):
was They were attending to one and I said, what happened?
She said, he got hurt, but not by fire. I
don't know exactly how I got hurt. And they're going
into Rome, so they stopped for water, and the driver
of the truck had to come back and stand in
front of me, and so I could lean to the
back because the people just came from everywhere and they
(14:55):
wanted to touch me, and you know, and I didn't
know what to do. So they looked out for me,
and then we left and went on to Rome to
the Red Cross there, and they put me up for
the night. The next morning was a Sunday, so it
was church, so I went down and went to church,
(15:17):
and after a little while before church started, a fellow
sat down beside me and he looked at my patch.
He says, you're not from around here, guar you And
I said no, and I told him my story. He said,
I'll see what I can do. So the next day
he had gotten permission from his officer and he was
(15:37):
able to take me from Rome to Milano. And on
the way it started to rain, and the fellow didn't
know how to do the tops of the jeeps. So
I showed him how to do that, and he took
me up and my husband was waiting for me waiting there.
(16:00):
So we had our honeymoon on Lake Cono, and I
had our own villa attached to a regular one which
is owned now by George Clooney. And I'm sure George
Clooney doesn't know it, but I'm going to write a
letter to him sometime if he ever gets it. The
villa d s ST. Yeah. So yeah, that was the
(16:22):
fifth Army rest camp. So we left from Laharve on
the eb Alexander headed for the United States. As we
pulled into New York Harbor, all the lights came on
and they took us off the boat and fed us
the best Thanksgiving dinner we ever had. So and from
(16:42):
there we had to go to Fort Dix to get
released from the army, and then I boarded a train
for Canton, Ohio. And when I got to Canton, there
were my husband and my dad and just welcomed me.
He got home seven days before I did. But other
(17:04):
than that way, I think my experience was something that
not too many people have the opportunity to experience. So
that's my love story and I love to tell it,
so and thanks for the opportunity to tell it. So
that's it, and that's it, and thanks for the opportunity
(17:27):
to let us tell it, Eileen. And what a beautiful
story about so many things, particularly just a sheer sense
of adventure. Off to Europe to fight Nazis, searching for
each other, learning how to drive trucks and tanks, supply
lines to defeat one of the world's worst enemies in history.
Eileen Hall's journey to find her husband in the middle
(17:49):
of World War Two. Her story here on our American Story,
And we're back with our American stories. And up next,
(18:12):
Robbie brings us the story of Joel Wegener, an educator
and fundraiser who lives in Cincinnati, with a beautiful story
of facing the unexpected challenges life throws our way. Here's
Joel So. I grew up in southeast Kansas, went to
(18:35):
college there and became a teacher. Taught in Kansas for
a few years, then I moved to Cincinnati. Right after
I was married for one year. Then we moved from
Cincinnati to the Saint Louis area and took a teaching
position there. We stayed there about sixteen years. Many of
(18:56):
our ten children were born in Lewis area, and we
still have friends back there, and one of my daughters
is also living back in that area. Then in two
thousand and two, we moved to Cincinnati. I started a
fundraising business and was also doing some teaching at a
(19:18):
local Christian school. Now, while I was in education, and
then also now that I'm doing the fundraising business, most
of my time was filled up during the school year,
and I had time during the summers to do other
(19:38):
activities and try to make a little extra money to
support my family. I've done a lot of different things
in the summers. One of the most interesting things that
I have done before the ice cream truck was I
ran a fireworks business in Missouri, tent along Highway sixty one.
My children helped me do that, and we have a
(20:00):
lot of stories, a lot of fun, a lot of
hard work, and on a good year, made some pretty
good money doing that. I sold that business several years ago,
so over the last few years I've been looking for
something else to occupy my time. Last summer, I saw
(20:21):
an ice cream truck here locally, and that planted a
little seed in my mind of something that I might
want to do in the future. So I put it
in the back of my mind until January of this year,
and then started doing some research and trying to find
out if it was a viable business option. I joined
(20:41):
a couple of Facebook groups and was able to find
an ice cream truck in Columbus, Indiana. And because I
wasn't real sure this was going to make a go
of it, and some of my older children were not
all that support even that they thought it was maybe
another one of my crazy ideas, I went low budget.
(21:02):
But I founded an ice cream truck owned by some
people that have a special needs daughter and they had
used it to help raise money for her therapy as
well as give her something to do, and so we
went over and met them. They actually also have a
storefront where they sell hot dogs and other things and
employ special needs individuals. So it was really a neat
(21:25):
connection there. Once we went over there and really felt
that it was the right thing to do, that God
was directing us to that particular ice cream truck, so
we purchased it. It needed some repairs, it needed some cleaning.
We started doing that and working on that along with
my other responsibilities with a fundraising business. And on April fifteenth,
(21:51):
I said that as the deadline, not for taxes this year,
but the deadline to hit the streets with my ice
cream trucks. I found a local wholesaler, went through all
the licensing and all that, and Mary Kate, my twenty
one year old down syndrome daughter, and I went out
(22:11):
on April fifteenth for about an hour and we sold
seventy four dollars worth of ice cream. And I said,
we're on our way. And just to back up a
little bit about our family, we do have ten children.
(22:33):
Back in two thousand, the year two thousand, of course,
the world was shaking in their boots about y two
k that maybe all the computers were going to crash
and all that. On January first, well, we survived that.
During that time, my wife was pregnant and in March nineteen,
two thousand, my daughter Mary Kate was born, and we
(22:55):
did not know beforehand, but soon found out that she
had Down syndrome. She also had some other health issues.
I was in the hospital for about ten days and
that was a very pivotal time in our lives, and
(23:16):
we were so fortunate to have such support from our
family and friends and church. But it was a change.
We did not expect that, and we were not fully
prepared for the journey that God had chosen to places on.
But we worked through that, We worked together, and we
(23:36):
were just counted Mary Kate a blessing, like all the rest,
a blessing from God. So we went through that. And
then we had another child, which was a son, about
a year later, and he was normal. I guess I
haven't decided if any of our kids are totally normal,
(23:57):
but he was considered normal. And then we moved to Cincinnati.
Then when she delivered here in Cincinnati, our next child.
It was Josh, and he also had Down syndrome and
had some health issues heart issues. Had to have open
heart surgery at four months, but has more or less
(24:21):
fully recovered from that a little heart murmur. So we've
been blessed with two Down syndrome. It's it's been a journey,
and I've told people, I'm sure my wife and I
are better people because of this journey that God has
placed us on with Mary and Josh. So when Mary
(24:46):
was born, you know, every parent when a child is born,
wants to say, Mom's fine, baby's fine, everything is normal.
You know, that's what you want to say. That's what
people want to hear. And so when it isn't, what
(25:08):
do you say? And how do you handle that? And
how do you still accept it and have joy in
having a new baby in your life even though it's
not the baby that you would have ordered. You know,
if you had, if there was a catalog to order babies,
(25:29):
nobody would flip back to the Down syndrome section or
whatever else fill in the blank. Nobody would go back
to that section of the catalog or online, go to
that click on that tab. Now, I have a high
degree of respect for people that are willing to adopt
(25:49):
special needs kids from other nations and all that. That's
just incredible, that process of accepting that child as yours
and as a blessing from God, and for others to
see it that way. As well, and so that you
know that takes a process, you know, And we had
I worked at a school near Saint Louis, and the
(26:12):
faculty and staff were so supportive of us during that time.
Church and just family friends, and I remember my aunt
and uncle sent me a book. I think it's entitled
Sometimes Miracles Hide. And so we had people that just
came alongside us and helped us in that journey. And
(26:36):
we all know it, sometimes miracles do hide. Ten kids,
two Down syndrome children. My wife and I are better
people because of the journey with Mary, Kate and Josh.
The story of Joel Wegener continues here on our American Stories,
(27:37):
and we're back with our American Stories and the story
of Joel Wagener and Special Neat treats an ice cream Chuck.
Joel bought to run with his two adult children with
Down syndrome. When we last heard from Joel, he was
discussing the difficulties that often come with raising children with
special needs, but also the community that rallied around him
(27:57):
and his wife during those hard times. Back to Joel,
but it is an adjustment, and then it's not just
one time when they're born that you have to do that,
you have to continually process it, almost more so when
(28:20):
they get older, because when they're young, even though they
may have a disability, they're still cute people still, and
you go through kind of the normal steps at a
delayed rate. But then at some point, you know, then
you have to think about careers. You've got to think
about their long term care, their physical issues that they're
going to have as an adult, and then you know
(28:44):
we're facing now you know, their desire to get married
and have children and how that all plays out, you know,
for someone with a disability. So those are all things
They're not easy, and I'm not complaining about that. I'm
just saying, hey, that's what life is. But once you
realize and make that firm commitment that for some reason
(29:08):
that we will never fully understand, God allowed ordained however
you're you want to explain it to yourself or to
others for us to have Josh and Mary in our lives.
And people can talk about unconditional love all they want
until they've been around a down syndrome kid, they probably
(29:30):
haven't seen it, and that's they're stubborn. But they also
they have a very very good unconditional love. You know,
we get so caught up and worried about all these things,
and sometimes it's just a reminder when all Josh and
(29:52):
Mary want to know is what are we going to
have for supper? Can we watch a video? You know?
What are we going to do Friday night as a family?
You know, So they kind of keep us focused on
the things that really matter as opposed to all these
other little things that we're worried about. In the state
(30:15):
of Ohio, when they turned twenty two, they age out.
So Mary Kate will be twenty two within this school year,
so she was unable to continue with the public education.
So that is a big challenge for all special needs parents,
is what is the next step after being in the
public education. She has often mentioned that she would love
(30:39):
to work with her papa with the fundraising business. I
found a few little things periodically that she could do
to help, but nothing that I could really utilize her
in a great way. So as we developed this idea
of the ice cream truck, we started thinking this would
be ideal to bring Mary in and also Josh in
(31:00):
and let them be a part of it. We were
thinking about the name for the truck and the business
and my wife had the brilliant idea, in my opinion,
somewhat of a play on words special needs, but it's
special neat treats, and so that's what we have named
the truck. When we first started, we went to neighborhood
(31:24):
somewhat randomly, fairly close to Loveland, Ohio, where we live here.
But there was a local magazine that asked if they
could feature us. It is also an online magazine, and
so this magazine came out in July, and right after
that I started getting so much attention locally and some
(31:45):
local TV stations to ask to do features, and it
just has exploded since then. It's it's funny because you know,
when I first had this idea, I thought, well, you know,
it'd be something, you know, if I wanted to go
out find, if I wanted to stay home, Someday, I'll
see what happens. But now it's just taken off, and
(32:09):
the response has been so unbelievably positive. Seems like almost
every day that I go out to a neighborhood, I
meet families with special needs kids and just to be
able to share with them. They see Mary Kate and
our Josh working with me. But just them seeing my
(32:30):
kids in the truck working with me gives them hope
and gives them some ideas. Probably one of my all
time favorite stories that I really feel like was a
turning point in my mind as far as what the
purpose of Special Need Treats was all about. Thursday afternoon,
(32:52):
several weeks ago, I went to a school. They were
doing a summer program for special needs kids, and so
they contacted me. They had heard our story and they
went with the low budget thing, and I was fine
with that. There wasn't all that many kids, so from
a business standpoint, it wasn't a real profitable afternoon, but
(33:13):
I wanted to do it, and so I went out there.
They had the kids come out onto the parking lot
of the school, they got their treats. Everybody got their treats,
and Mary and Josh had something going on that day.
So I was by myself, but I a little girl
came back up to the truck. I asked her name.
(33:33):
She said it was Maddie. She said thanks for coming.
She said, You've made my day. So I started chatting
with her. I showed her a picture of my kids,
and she shared with me her disabilities and her diagnosis,
had several several things that she's been diagnosed with, but
she was very talkative. We just had a short little
(33:54):
visit there and without even premeditating or planning, and I
looked at her and I said, Maddie, I just want
you to know that God made you just like you are,
and He has a special plan for your life. And
I get emotional thinking about that moment because I was
(34:15):
able to make her day. I wasn't able to cure
her autism, her other disorders. I didn't cure those, but
for one day, Maddie had a good day and I
had a real small part in it. When I drove off,
I'm not generally a real emotional person, but I get it.
I got emotional. I was wiping tears and I thought,
(34:37):
you know, I made her day. But she made something
come into focus in my mind that had been somewhat
building throughout the summer. But at that point, I was like,
you know what, God has me doing this for some
unknown reason. But here's part of the reason, being able
(35:00):
one at a time to make their day, to give
them hope and courage, And boy, do we need some
hope and courage during these days. This happened even more recently.
I was up in Dayton, Ohio, north of here. I
was at an event and they had a playground there
(35:21):
for special needs kids. And after it was all over,
I had Mary Ann Josh with me, and I said,
I asked Mary and Josh, hey, do you want to
go over and see the playground? So they went over
there and they played, and I did a few things
in my truck, and then I walked over there and
Josh was on a piece of equipment and there was
a little down syndrome girl that was more or less
(35:43):
in his way, and Josh was waiting, and the mom
saw what was going on, came rushing over there and
said sorry and moved her little girl all the way,
and I said, no problem, no problem. And she looked
at Josh and Mary, and then she looked at me
and she said, are you the ones that have been
on the news with your ice cream truck? And I said, yeah,
(36:05):
that's us, and she goes, I was just showing that
article to my husband this morning or yesterday, and so
we chatted for a little better. She had this little
down syndrome daughter named Esther. And then the mom came
over to me and she told me, she said, and
she started getting choked up as she told me. She goes,
(36:27):
I was telling God this morning. I needed something to
let me know that he was still there and he
cared about our family. She said. We've been going through
a lot and she needed a reminder from God that
everything was going to be all right. And she said,
this is it. And I was like, wow, because it's
(36:47):
not me. It's a lot of work. There's hot days,
my air conditioner went down. I've had a lot of
setbacks with the equipment this summer. But I'm determined to
push through it because I I see now that there's
some real purpose in an old ice cream truck. I never,
in my wildest dream thought, yeah, buy an ice cream
(37:10):
truck and you can really make a difference in somebody's life.
But yeah, I think it's one of those things you, Yeah,
you trust God and make the best decisions and then
you just watch and see what happens. And what a
beautiful story And a special thanks to Robbie for finding it,
(37:32):
for editing it, and for producing it. And a special
thanks to Joel Wagener for sharing his story and for
just loving his down syndrome kids and doing something special
for them and himself, and in the end of his
neighborhood and all those families with special needs kids, and
frankly just people seeing unconditional love at play and miracles
(37:53):
at play. I made her day, he said about that
young girl, Maddie. But in the end, she made his two.
And that's what we're trying to do here on this show,
is spread this kind of joy and possibility. Joel Wegener's story,
Mary and Josh's story, the Wegener family story. Here on
our American story,
Host
Lee Habeeb
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