Day 32, 33 Worthington MN and Mankato MN

Last Man Club

Started with 24 veterans meeting every day for lunch at Glen's Bakery and Deli in Luverne MN population less than 5000.  24 coffee mugs on the wall,  9 members remain. The last man gets the bottle of Booker's Kentucky bourbon whiskey in the center of the display.

Thanks to Gordy and Martha Fick, who arranged our lunch meeting with these men and thanks to Glen's Bakery and Deli who provided us free lunch.

From Left Ed, Tom, Pat, Warren age 92 WWII veteran of Normandy Invasion, Dave, veteran Bob Anderson, veteran Jake Boomgarder age 92 B17 bomber, Jim, Dale, Gordy

Jake, talking with Jim

Warren and Dave, Warren also known as the candy man, carries bags of chocolate that he hands out to veterans

Bob, who suffered a shrapnel metal or bullet injury to the head  at the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne

 From Wikipedia - Fierce resistance on the northern shoulder of the offensive around Elsenborn Ridge and in the south around Bastogne blocked German access to key roads to the northwest and west that they counted on for success;

Others at lunch were Jay Mana age 68 and Bill 59

  The last Man Club is a part of the documentary "The War" by Ken Burns

It was an honor visiting with them.

Gordy and Martha  kept us busy in MN. 

Mary Jane Browning Nursing Home (Good Samaritan) Visit followed by visit to SYS South Western Youth Services

Gordy and Martha arranged for a bus of Mary Jane Browning (5 over 90 group) to meet us at Gen's Bakery to follow us to the Luverne Veteran memorial then to the youth services 7 miles down the road in Marigold MN

The Luverne Memorial

The son of Last Man club member Warren, built a memorial to the veterans of the county at the old court house. At the memorial is a bronze of a soldier that bares a strong resemblance to Warren.

During Fund raising for the memorial, veterans could buy a brick in their honor.

Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Nursing Home and Southwestern Youth Services

Martha Fick who works at MJB arranged for us to meet 5 of their residents who followed us to the Youth Services. MJB and SYS work together and have a program where residents of MJB visit with the troubled youth of SYS. Strong bonds form between the generations.

Below, we discuss our adventure with the MJB residents and SYS residents 

When we arrive at Mankato, Gordy and Martha Fick arranged for dinner for us at the HyVee market who provided us with dinner for free.

In Worthington, Alyson Buschena of the Daily Globe interviews us for an article