November 11, 2019
L..W. Gregory honored for his 'gift' toward Veterans Memorial Wall's debt
As L.W. “Dub” Gregory’s hopes for military service ended at age 19, his “heart for veterans” grew. On the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day, the now 81-year-old was honored Monday morning during a breakfast for veterans hosted by State Rep. Jeff Shawan at the United Gospel Rescue Mission...
As L.W. “Dub” Gregory’s hopes for military service ended at age 19, his “heart for veterans” grew.
On the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day, the now 81-year-old was honored Monday morning during a breakfast for veterans hosted by State Rep. Jeff Shawan at the United Gospel Rescue Mission.
The breakfast, Shawan said, was a way to “honor veterans who served,” but also to do “something extra special” for Gregory.
It is because of Gregory’s generosity, Shawan said, that the debt for the Veterans Memorial Wall in front of the Black River Coliseum is nearly paid off.
According to Shawan, the “concept of building a beautiful veterans memorial” began back in the 1980s.
The original committee, Shawan said, raised money by selling bricks and name inscriptions on the wall and had plans made for its construction, but “they languished” in their efforts because of the need to buy all the granite at once.
With only the pillars in place, Shawan said, he, as a member/chairman of the Black River Coliseum Board, and others approached local banks about securing approximately $50,000 to “purchase everything we needed to get the (wall) built.
“ … We got that done,” but as the years passed, the committee began “just making the note (interest payments).”
Feeling he had “got them into this,” Shawan said, he came up with the “crazy idea” to challenge people by bicycling the 237-mile Katy Trail, beginning on Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Billie Gene Kanell’s June birthday.
Shawan said his goal was to raise between $40,000 and $50,000, but “people didn’t seem to be responding the way I thought they would and should” and only about $8,000 to $10,000 was raised.
During a conversation with his wife, Christy, Shawan said, he told her he would “stay the course” and “look for a little bit of luck.
“ … Literally, the next day after I said that, Tucker Davis at First Midwest Bank” called him, asking if he knew Gregory, founder of Gregory Logistics.
Shawan said he did not, but subsequently contacted Gregory, who knew about the efforts to “get that wall paid off” and wanted to help.
Gregory, he said, didn’t want to write a check, but wanted to donate a Mercedes-Benz convertible to be raffled off.
The raffle, Shawan said, would raise between $11,000 and $12,000.
Some of those buying tickets, according to Shawan, didn’t want the car, so they wrote “auction the car” on their tickets.
“We had hundreds of people who bought tickets and wrote on there auction the car,” Shawan said.
When the “big day” came, “we rolled the thousands and thousands of raffle tickets,” and Kanell’s “baby sister” pulled the winning ticket, which was an “auction ticket.”
Speedy Ketcherside, Shawan said, then auctioned the car off for another approximately $11,000.
“We raised well over $20,000 from the amazing gift of Dub Gregory,” Shawan said. “This is a community that always gives, but sometimes someone very extraordinary steps up and gives at a level that should be remembered and should be acknowledged.”
Shawan thanked Gregory for his gift to the community and for “honoring our veterans by what you did, helping us get that wall paid for.”
The veterans, according to Shawn “love you and are never going to forget the depth of your generosity.
“There is a deep gratitude because you honored them. “
Shawan then presented Gregory with a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives and a Missouri flag that had flown over the state Capitol.
On behalf of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 1066, its president, Larry Kimbrow, presented Gregory with a certificate acknowledging his “valuable contribution” to the group.
“We can’t match the glory of the (resolution) and the flags of the state legislators, but this one comes from us, the Vietnam veterans, from our heart,” Kimbrow said.
As Gregory stood next to Kimbrow, he choked back tears as he said, “I never served. They wouldn’t take me. I’ve always had a heart for veterans.”
Gregory later said he felt guilty for not serving.
“I tried to join when I was 19; I got all the way to St. Louis,” but didn’t pass the physical, said Gregory, who added a “there has been a Gregory serve in every war the United States has ever had, clear back.”
As far as the car donation, Gregory said, he didn’t expect recognition for it.
“It was something I needed to do,” he said. “I had the car there, and wasn’t using it. Anytime you can help people …”
In closing Monday’s program, Shawan recognized the members of the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force who were in attendance.
“Obviously, this day is all about veterans … thank you for your service,” Shawan said.
Pastor Greg Kirk, executive director of the United Gospel Rescue Mission, said, Shawan asked him a
number of months ago about cooking for the veterans’ breakfast.
“It’s our pleasure,” said Kirk. “As a vet, I want to support my people, and I think it’s the right thing to do for the Rescue Mission.
“The mission is not just working with the homeless. It’s about our community; we want our community to be great.”
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