By Sarah Kuper
At 93 years old, WWII veteran Ernie Andrus is on the verge of breaking the record for the oldest person to run from one coast of the United States to the other.
Andrus isn’t running to break a record, but rather to restore a piece of WWII history.
His run is an effort to raise money to help repair the USS LST 325 so it can make the trip back across the Atlantic for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The USS LST 325 is one of the last remaining ships that landed on Normandy Beach.
After hearing of Andrus’ mission, Shades Mountain Baptist Church pastor Danny Wood wanted to meet the man running 2,000 miles at 93 years old.
“I was going to a conference and I knew it was around where he would be running at that time. I wondered if it was worth going a little out of my way to run with him, but I thought, ‘You’ve got to do this,'” Wood said.
Wood spoke about his time with Andrus at the church’s May Power Lunch event.
Through his fundraising and Facebook page, Andrus publicly invites fellow runners to meet up with him on his journey.
In February, Wood met Andrus at 7 a.m. and they ran/walked for more than two hours, traveling 5.8 miles.
Over lunch, Wood said, he learned more about Andrus’ time in the service. Wood said he learn many lessons that apply to everyone, including the importance of being resourceful.
After Pearl Harbor, Andrus decided to enlist but because of a lazy eye he failed the vision test over and over until he finally memorized the chart and passed. Designated to serve in the naval hospital corps, Andrus finagled his way into getting the assignment he wanted.
Wood said Andrus also spoke about the importance of honoring those who deserve honor.
“His purpose is to honor those who served on the LST and to honor those who didn’t make it home,” Wood said.
Besides running, Andrus also honors fellow veterans by speaking to school children and groups.
“He said the biggest surprise to him has been how many kids say they’ve never met a WWII veteran,” Wood said.
After spending time with Andrus, Wood came to several conclusions about motivation and setting goals.
“You’re never too old to pursue a dream and you have to get moving,” he said.
Andrus began his cross-country journey from the Pacific Ocean in 2013, when he was 90. He set a goal to reach Brunswick, Georgia, by August 2016.
Andrus runs an average of six miles a day, three days per week. But Wood said Andrus sets a good example by taking breaks to give relationships the attention they deserve and be present at family functions such as graduations.
Andrus’ cross-country run to see the LST 325 sail again isn’t the first time he has worked to restore the ship.
Andrus was one of more than a dozen WWII veterans who traveled to Greece in 1999 to help ready the ship for its return to the U.S. to be memorialized.
The ship arrived in Mobile Bay in 2001 for public viewing and has since traveled up the Mississippi River to dock in Evansville, Indiana.
Andrus has raised about $12,000 to put toward restoration of the ship, but it’s harder to assign a value to the attention he is bringing to WWII history and the actions of The Greatest Generation. To learn more about his run or to make a donation, visit coast2coastruns.com.