The skydiving team has spent about 70 man hours recently refurbishing the home of a decorated World War II veteran who lives in Middletown. They have remodeled the bathroom and removed more than 20 shrubs, and plan to paint the outside of the home, repair the gutters and build a wheelchair ramp for Bill Wilch, 91, who lives in the 200 block of South Highview Road.
Wilch has received the Purple Heart Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and the Knight of the Legion of Honor medal, the highest honor that France can bestow upon a person.
When asked what the volunteer effort means, Wilch said: “I don’t know why me. They do everything they can for me. They have taken me under their wing. They are so courteous and they watch out for me like a hawk.”
The skydivers are doing the work in conjunction with the Tommy Tuberville Foundation, said John Hart, manager of Hook Field and owner of Start Skydiving. He met Tuberville, football coach at the University of Cincinnati, when he coached at Texas Tech, and their friendship has grown over the years.
The same could be said about Wilch. The skydivers met Wilch a few years ago, and now he’s a regular at Hook Field and Team Fastrax events. They have adopted him as one of their own, Hart said.
“He’s just an awesome guy,” Hart said. “We feel in love with him. He just has one of those personalities. He changed our lives, now in a small way, we hope to change his.”
Hart said Wilch is one of the thousands of soldiers who kept America free during WW II.
“Without him, where would we be today?” Hart asked. “It’s overwhelming to be around a hero like that.”
Tuberville’s father, Charles Tuberville, also was a war hero. He served with distinction in World War II, earning five Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He was a tank commander with the 101st Infantry and landed at Normandy Beach on D-Day and drove a tank through the streets of Paris when the U.S. forces liberated the city. He was still on active duty when he passed away more than 30 years ago at the age of 53.
A few weeks ago, members of Team Fastrax were seen cleaning up a stretch of road near the Ohio 122 and Interstate 75 interchange. Hart hopes those efforts spur volunteering throughout the city.
“Middletown is a great place that’s going to get greater,” he said.
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