Honoring our Veterans and my co-worker's history passion!

I have been honored to come to know Bill Rozek as a co-worker in our Rockville office of Embrace Home Loans. Bill has been a strong contributor and team member, sharing his many years of experience and industry contacts with our office. Aside from our business relationship, I have been touched by his passion for history and in particular his involvement with Veterans who served our country.

We are very pleased to report that Bill has been invited to attend the American Veterans Center 21st annual conference as part of their American Valor: A Salute To Our Heroes celebration. Bill will be seated with his Veteran friend and 2018 honoree Lt. Colonel Richard E. Cole, presently 103 years old and the last survivor of the infamous Doolittle Raiders.

Bill is part of the support team that exhibits The Delaware Aviation Museum's B25-J aircraft named Panchito all over the community at air shows and other events. His involvement with the Doolittle Raiders Foundation exemplifies what giving back means. From the Raider's website www.doolittleraider.com, the history of the Doolittle Raiders dates back to April 1942 when Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle, his co-pilot Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole, along with a squad of 80 volunteer servicemen took on a critical mission. The 16 B25's were to take off from the USS Hornet and drop their bombs on mainland Japan.

"The months following the attack on Pearl Harbor were among the darkest of the war, as Imperial Japanese forces extended their reach across the Pacific. By spring 1942, America needed a severe morale boost. The raid on Tokyo on April 18, 1942, certainly provided that. Yet, the Doolittle Raid meant so much more, proving to the Japanese high command that their home islands were not invulnerable to American attacks and causing them to shift vital resources to their defense. Two months later that decision would play a role in the outcome of the Battle of Midway, the American victory that would begin to turn the tide in the Pacific War."

A personal note of thanks to our Veterans, and to my co-worker Bill for sharing his passion.