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WWII veteran walks across country

Beauregard Daily News - 7/13/2020

Jul. 9--There may not be anything more uniquely American than Ernest Andrus. Andrus is a 96-year-old WWII veteran who is traveling across the country on foot to honor veterans and to raise money for historical preservation. While some may doubt Andrus could perform such a feat, it should be noted that he already did it once before in 2016 when he was 93.

Andrus ran through Merryville on July 4 and was greeted by many in the community who would join him on a stretch of his journey. Andrus visited with residents at the Merryville Museum. Members of the community came out with American flags in hand to meet Andrus and support his noble cause.

Andrus is raising money for the upkeep and restoration of the LST 325, a WWII era Battleship. 1,051 LSTs were built during World War II. However, The 325 is the only one left that has been restored and is still operational. His hope is to raise enough money to bring the ship to Normandy from Greece for a D-Day Memorial.

Andrus spoke to the Beauregard Daily News in 2019 when he visited the Singer area and locals joined him for a five mile stretch of his journey.

Andrus served in the Navy for the entire scope of WWII. He recalled he originally wasn't allowed to serve because he has a lazy eye. However, that wouldn't stop him from serving his country.

"So many of us wanted to enlist, and I was told I couldn't because I couldn't pass the vision test. I eventually memorized the eye chart, and they let me in," he said.

His deep respect for the military and it's rich history motivates him to inspire others through his cross country runs. This current run is expected to take Andrus five years to complete. He will be 100 years old when it is finished.

"Running is the only thing I can do that I still enjoy," he said. "I do a few stretches early in the morning, have a cup of coffee, and then hit the road."

Andrus runs about 13 miles per week and takes days to rest in between runs. He ran from California to Georgia in 2016 and now looks forward to doing it all again. His current run started in 2019 and is expected to take him five years to complete.

Andrus said many people ask him how long he wants to live. He said that he thought about it and responded by saying "In the Bible, it says that Job lived to be 140 years old. Now, all I have to do is find out what he did wrong."

Andrus is able to do his run and raise the money thanks to many volunteers and supporters who help him along the way. To find out more information on Andrus, how to donate, or to become a volunteer log on to www.coast2coastruns.com.

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