Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Kime, Massman, Kubaskie
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 11/04/2015
Freedom Honor Flight (Mary Kime - 2015)
Freedom Honor Flight an Honor for Merrillan Veteran
WWII veteran, Mary Kime of Merrillan was honored to have been selected to take the Freedom Honor Flight to Washington D.C. The 91-year-old Kime left early Oct. 17 and returned late that same evening after visiting several of the memorials honoring U.S. veterans. (Contributed Photos)
At 91 years of age, Mary Kime was selected to take the Freedom Honor Flight. The Merrillan woman enlisted in the Army when she was just 18 years old.
“I enlisted when I was in Cleveland, OH,” shared Kime. “I lied about my height; otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten in. I had to be whole five feet, so I wore two inch heels and the guy said, OK,” she said smiling.
The WWII veteran had to go in the medics when she first entered the service. “That’s all that was open,” she remembered. “As soon as a spot opened up in the motor pool, I took it. My captain said, ‘Mary, you’re lowering yourself.’ I didn’t care. I just didn’t want to be in the medics.”
At 8 Saturday morning, Oct. 17, Kime boarded a plane at La Crosse airport after being welcomed by bands, boy and girl scouts and fellow veterans. There were 174 veterans making this most recent freedom flight.
The Freedom Honor Flight is a la Crosse-based organization founded in April 2008. Its goal is to fly veterans to Washington, D. C. to visit the memorials that stand in honor of veterans. Veterans are chosen for the trip on a first-come, first-served basis with priority given to WWII veterans and veterans with a terminal illness. The trip is made in one day during which the veterans and their chaperones visit WWII Memorial, and other Washington, D. C. landmarks.
“A better person I couldn’t have had,” said Kime of her chaperone Cheryl Massman of Holmen who accompanied her throughout the day once the plane landed in Washington.
“Of the 174 that went, 74 were permanently in wheelchairs,” said Kime. “They had special buses with lifts to help get them inside and then they set them in their seats. We never stopped for a one stoplight. We had a police escort all through the city.”
“I’d been there before, but I saw things I’d never seen before,” Kime shared. “We went to the Lincoln memorial, the Washington Memorial; we didn’t get to go by the White house. I felt bad we didn’t make it to the Wall, but the most impressive for me was the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There were 1,000 of us there and you could have heard a pin drop. You heard every click of their boots and they do that all day long, 365 days a year.”
Kime talked about how she came to enlist in the army 70-some years ago.. “My husband was drafted so I got to thinking if he’s going, I didn’t want to be back here alone, so I enlisted. We weren’t in the same place, but when he was discharged, I came home too.”
Following her duty, Kime drove an 18-wheeler for most of her life. She also worked as a home health care provider. It wasn’t long before she realized if she went to school, she could become a licensed practical nurse to make more money, so that’s what she did.
Eventually, she moved back to the Humbird/Merrillan area, where she grew up. These days, she still keeps busy. “I’m secretary for the American Legion Post 320. I got to church every Sunday, and I belong to the Eastern Star. That’s a real good group.”
Helping her along the way are her son Michael and daughter Kathyann. Making sure she made to the airport on time for the Freedom Honor Flight were Carl and Marilee Kubaskie. “They have wings,” she said. “They are angels. They came to pick me up when we got back that day, and we didn’t get back to La Crosse until 11:30 that night. They even brought my dog Cupid along, and she was so happy to see me. They drove me back here and made sure I was all settled in and then got up early the next morning and drove to Green Bay for the Packer game.”
Kime has two sisters - Margaret is 93 and Florence is 96. “Florence drives her own car and volunteers two days a week at a nursing home. Most of them are younger than she is,” Kime pointed out.
On the return flight, the lights on the plane were turned down; some started dozing off while others were just visiting. “All of a sudden the lights came on and I thought, Oh no, here we go, but it was Mail Call. I thought who would be getting a letter here. I got 10 of them. They told our families and friends they would be doing this and if they wanted to, they could send a letter ahead of time.”
Kime said she was honored to be able to go on the flight. “It was the shortest, longest, fastest day of my live. The guy announcing said to us, some on the plane are millionaires. Some drive Cadillac’s and some drive Volvos. I told them, it doesn’t matter. Six feet of earth makes us all on one side.”
The Freedom Honor Flight program is supported through donations and run by volunteers.
Kime (third from left in wheelchair) enlisted when she was 18 years old, barely tall enough to be allowed. After learning of an opening in the motor pool, Kime took the position as a truck driver. She served for three years.
