Our walk today was dedicated in honor of:
🇺🇸 Walking With Fallen Heroes — One Step At A Time 🇺🇸
Today We Walked in Honor of My Dad, Army PFC Ernest French Jr.
Army PFC Ernest French Jr.
Age 85 — Ladoga, Indiana
Died February 15, 2013
Today’s Walk: 6.06 Miles
Today’s Honks: 191
Today’s walk was a very special one for me. We walked in honor of my own dad, WWII Army Veteran Private First Class Ernest French Jr. Today was also the first time we took our new walking cart out on the road, and I’m happy to say it went very well!
🇺🇸 My Dad’s Story
Dad was born in Ladoga, Indiana, and was drafted into the United States Army on July 30, 1945. He served for 1 year and 5 months, assigned to the 2101st Area Service Unit. He attained the rank of Private First Class and was assigned to the Separation Center at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
His Military Occupational Specialty was Finance Clerk, and he qualified on the M1 rifle. His awards included the World War II Victory Ribbon and a Lapel Button issued for having no days lost under AW 107.
After leaving the Army, Dad worked in the oil fields in California for a short time before returning home to Ladoga to work on the farm with his father. He later worked at Detroit Diesel Allison in Indianapolis, Indiana, for 30 years.
After retiring, he moved to Crossville, Tennessee, where he lived for several years before returning to Indiana and settling in Thorntown.
Dad loved growing fruit trees and working in his garden. When we lived in Colfax, Indiana, he had a garden about the size of three city lots! He grew so many vegetables that he shared them with many older folks in the area who couldn’t get out themselves.
That was the kind of man Dad was. He worked hard, loved growing things, and found ways to help others.
❤️ Today’s Walk and Memories
We started out walking West Avenue and made our first stop at Veterans Memorial Park. We spent some time reading the names on the memorial, taking photos, and recording videos to remember the heroes who served our country.
From there, we headed up Water Tank Hill, capturing more photos and videos before making our way back toward the house.
As I walked, I found myself thinking about all the good times I had growing up. So many great memories came back to me today. Some walks are about honoring a hero’s service, while others also give us time to remember the people and moments that helped shape our lives. Today was both.
It was also our first day using the new walking cart. There will be a little getting used to it, but it was a great first outing, and I’m looking forward to many more miles with it!
191 HONKS OF SUPPORT! 📣
I want to thank everyone who honked their horns, waved, and saluted as we made our way along today’s route. Every honk, every wave, and every salute meant something to us. Your support made this walk even more special, and I am grateful to everyone who took a moment out of their day to help us honor my dad.
I also want to give a special thank-you to Fallen Hero SGT Logan Delanoy for helping us honor Dad today.
Today, we walked 6.06 miles. But for me, those miles carried a lifetime of memories, love, and gratitude for the man I was proud to call my dad.
Dad, you served your country, worked hard for your family, and helped others along the way. Today, I was proud to walk in your honor.
Let us never forget Army Veteran Ernest French Jr. 🇺🇸❤️
#iWalk4Them #WalkingWithFallenHeroes #OneStepAtATime #WWIIVeteran #HonorOurFallen #VeteranSuicideAwareness #LetUsNeverForget
