KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A program offered by Habitat for Humanity Lake County aims at helping to make home improvements specifically for the county’s large veteran population.
World War II veteran Andrew Pappas, 92, is a Kelseyville resident and one of a dwindling number of veterans from that war.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he joined the war effort by entering the U.S. Navy in 1943 at the age of 18 and served in the Pacific Arena as an aviation ordnance crewman aboard the supercarrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk.
The passage of years has taken away many of the memories of those times, but he remembers firing cannons at people and being shot at.
“Those were frightening times,” he recalls, “but we did our job. It’s what we were there for.”
After his discharge in 1946, he returned to Pennsylvania for a time where he worked for Pennsylvania General Energy for a time as a drafting engineer before moving to Southern California. There he worked for Wilson Sports as a salesman until his retirement.
During that time, Pappas met several sports celebrities and amassed a collection of more than 2,000 varieties of golf balls, which he still owns.
He eventually retired to Lake County, where he spends his time watching television and playing with his dog, Penny.
In gratitude for his service to our country, Habitat for Humanity Lake County, with financial support from the Home Depot Foundation, was honored to be able to provide numerous repairs to his home, in addition to a wheelchair lift that enables him to get in and out of his home.
“I don’t go out much,” Pappas said, “as it’s too hard to go anywhere anymore. But I’m grateful I don’t need to struggle with the stairs anymore.”
If you are a military veteran, or know a military veteran who is need of home repair services, please contact Habitat for Humanity Lake County at 707-994-1100 for information on how to apply.
Program helps veterans with home improvements
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On