From staff reports
Four special Beaufort veterans – two who served during World War II and two who served during the Korean War – were honored by the Rotary Club of Beaufort at its luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 18.
Ray Stocks and Robert Cummings, whose military service was during World War II, and Carl White and Guy McSweeney, who served during the Korean War, received special treatment on a day dedicated to veterans.
Rotary President Robert Bussa opened the luncheon by presenting a $1,000 check to Honor Flight Savannah, represented by two of the organization’s board members who are also Rotarians, Owen Hand and Jim Weiskopf.
The $1,000 grant recognizes the large number of Beaufort veterans who participate in the twice a year visits to Washington, D.C., sponsored by Honor Flight Savannah. Veterans do not pay for their trip to see the nation’s war memorials. Donations like the one from the Beaufort Rotary underwrite the expenses.
Then, Mrs. Margie Macready, a Beaufort resident, quilter, and the President of the local chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation – a group whose mission is to cover veterans touched by war with comforting and healing quilts of valor – presented quilts to Stocks, Cummings, White and McSweeney.
Stocks served 21 years in the Army Air Corps and later in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his career, he served in a unit that was inspected by Colonel Charles Lindberg, and he flew twice in aircraft piloted by Jimmy Stewart.
Cummings is a Marine. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1945 at age 17 and completed his recruit training at Parris Island. His service was in post-war Japan. He returned to Parris Island in 1949 for discharge, and Beaufort has remained his home.
McSweeney was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force upon his graduation from The Citadel in 1950. He trained on the military’s first jet performance combat aircraft, the F-80, and flew 100 missions in Korea without a mishap. He left the service after seven years in the rank of Captain.
White served in the Army as a Specialist 5th Class and was stationed in Korea. His service was from 1955 through 1958.
Following the quilt presentations, Beaufort County Director of Veterans Affairs Carl Wedler spoke and answered questions concerning veterans programs and benefits.
The Rotary Club of Beaufort hosts “hybrid” meetings, with its members either attending in person or virtually using Zoom.
Top: World War II and Korean War veteran Ray Stocks poses with his Quilt of Valor and his wife Jerry.
Middle: Board members Owen Hand (left) and Jim Weiskopf (middle), representing Honor Flight Savannah, received a Rotary Club of Beaufort grant for $1,000 from Rotary President Robert Bussa (right) on Thursday, Nov. 18. Photos by Jeff Johnson, Rotary Club of Beaufort.
