On this Memorial Day we remember Rick Whitt, who served in
the US Air Force during the Korean War and hated every minute of it. He served
from 1953-1957, three years, eight months and ten days, as he often reminded
us. He served in Tripoli, Libya and Roswell, New Mexico (didn't know about UFOs
there), and saw no combat because the war was almost over.
The good part was
his job in the Armed Forces Radio Service in Tripoli, and that got him started
in television and radio broadcasting in Wisconsin. Hardly anyone now remembers
his announcing on channel 15 television in Madison for several years. Even fewer remember him at WDOR Radio in Sturgeon Bay. After TV
he became a city bus driver, which was possible because in the Air Force he
drove heavy equipment. His military service served him better than he gave it
credit.
After serving in the Air Force Rick attended the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, thanks to money from the GI Bill for veterans. He
received a BS in Speech (radio and television) in 1962 and then married me. We
had five children who are now splendid adults.
Rick was born and raised on a farm west of Madison in Arena,
but he chose not to be a farmer. He wanted a more exciting life. Late in life
he became a deacon in the Episcopal Church, where he reached out to shut-ins
and occasionally preached short sermons. I wouldn’t call that exciting, but it
was good service to God and others. That isn’t counting all the sermons he
proclaimed to us as his family, which usually were not about God. He died in 2009 of kidney disease.
