Meals-on-Wheels Celebrates the "Greatest Generation" throughout March
Ennis man part of Coast Guard crew in the Pacific during World War II

All month long, in celebration of "March for Meals," Meals-on-Wheels is honoring the clients they serve, many who are part of the "greatest generation." Edward Allesandro of Ennis is just one of many clients Meals-on-Wheels serves who is part of this group that sacrificed so much. As a veteran of World War II, Allesandro was one of the thousands of military personnel facing insurmountable odds on the Pacific Ocean. "We stayed out in the Pacific under fire all the time," Allesandro recalls.

Allesandro was a first class petty officer serving in the Coast Guard in the spring of 1941 before the war broke. He was part of the crew that made up the A.P.A. U.S.S. Cavalier – an attack transport serving as a flagship for convoys like the Seabees – projected to set up airstrips in Quagelien, Saipan, Tinian, Guam and Sumatra.  Dubbed "Hooligans' Navy," the Coast Guard came into action under the directive of the United States Secretary of State prior to World War II. Once the branch took an active role in the war, the Coast Guard was under the command of the U.S. Armed Forces. The crew of the U.S.S. Cavalier assisted and accompanied convoys throughout the Pacific. The attack transport ship also carried motorboats, ammunition, soldiers, equipments such as Jeeps and trucks to various locations throughout the Pacific. 

Allesandro recalled sailing into Subic Bay in the Philippines where the U.S.S. Cavalier would participate in the naval invasion as the Japanese frantically struggled to maintain their hold on the area. Defeated, the Japanese retreated. "We went in there at 5 o'clock in the morning and the villagers were there waving American flags and singing, 'God Bless America,'" Allesandro remembered. 

Afterward, the transport ship was ordered to Iwo Jima to provide sea strikes in preparation for the Marine invasion of the infamous island but the ship was torpedoed on New Year's Day, 1944, at Corregidor, raising the aft and ripping the ship’s midsection. "It knocked us out of the bunks," Allesandro said. "Before the bells even went off we were at battle stations." A jumpy crew continued as the boat floundered, taking more than five weeks to return to Hawaii. An Army tugboat assisted in the arduous adventure, but as they slowly navigated toward their Asian destination, a hurricane wrecked havoc on the ship and its crew – snapping the lines to the tug like thread. "They hauled it into Hawaii and repaired it and sent it back into duty in the Pacific, which absolutely was a fabulous thing in itself," Allesandro said.

During his WWII tenure on the U.S.S. Cavalier, Allesandro found himself shipmates with a flamboyant Hollywood actor who would make his unwitting mark in the entertainment industry as the ultimate nemesis to the 1960s comic book-based caped crusader – aka "Batman." Known later as "The Joker," Cesar Romero served as a winch operator and was already dubbed, "The Latin from Manhattan" thanks to a series of cinema successes prior to his military stint. "He was well liked by the crew," Allesandro recalled. "We stage a show and he did his share to entertain the crew – to break up the boredom of war."

According to reports, 28 Coast Guard and Coast Guard–manned vessels were sunk during WWII. The service's wartime deaths totaled 1,030 and included 572 killed in action. Eleven enemy submarines sank thanks to the efforts of Coast Guard cutters and Coast Guard–manned naval vessels a 12th enemy submarine went to the murky depths after it was fired upon by Coast Guard aircraft. Coast Guard crews rescued more than 4,000 survivors from sinking of sunken vessels. "The Coast Guard was the back bone in the Philippines," Allesandro added. "Three of my crew members were injured and they had Purple Hearts and then they shipped them back to the United States."

To honor those they serve – the "greatest generation" and to help raise monies for the program, Meals-on-Wheels will be hosting an evening of swing dancing, dinner, a "live" radio show featuring 1940s celebrities, and chances to win prizes at their annual fundraiser, Remember When…a Fabulous Forties' Fling.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at the National Guard Armory located at 618 N. Grand in Waxahachie, beginning at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $75 each, or tables for 8 for $1,000 which include happy hour, dinner, photos, and entertainment. Sponsorships are also available at varying levels.

"We are excited about our upcoming benefit and having Mr. Allesandro, his wife, Peggy, and family attend to celebrate with us," said Amy Jackson, director of development. "They will be some of our honored guests during the evening to share their stories, but most importantly the night will be dedicate to helping the elderly, homebound in our community," she added.  

Meals-on-Wheels is a community-based, non-profit organization serving the homebound elderly and disabled residents throughout Johnson and Ellis Counties. For more information about the "March For Meals" events or about Meals-on-Wheels services, please contact Meals-on-Wheels at 972-351-9943 or www.servingthechildrenofyesterday.org .

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"March For Meals" is a national campaign, initiated and sponsored by Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of the local community. Senior nutrition programs across the United States, like Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties, promote "March For Meals" in their local communities through public events, partnerships with local businesses, volunteer recruitment and fundraising initiatives. For more information on the 2010 "March For Meals" campaign please contact Meals on Wheels Association of America at www.mowaa.org.