Sidney Walton, 99, one of America's oldest WWII vets, was born in NYC on 2/11/19. In early 1941 he enlisted in the Army, serving a total of five years.
Before he joined the Army, Sidney missed a chance to meet some of the last remaining Civil War vets in NYC. He has regretted that his entire life.
To make up for that one regret, Sidney embarked on this full-time, National No Regrets Tour, traveling to every state for a week over the next year. He is meeting each state governor in the capital city, and thousands of patriotic Americans. His 100th birthday will be celebrated at the White House, Feb. 11.
The Rhode Island legislature passed a resolution in Sidney's honor on 4/24/18 declaring: "As the 'Greatest Generation' passes away, here is one last opportunity to thank a member of that generation who served our nation so nobly through its period of greatest need. Their contributions to our nation and to the preservation of civilization itself should never be forgotten."
"In this moment when the country has been so divisive, this is one thing that unites Democrats and Republicans alike. They revere a person who saved this beautiful country. It makes us feel like we have a national treasure," said his son Paul.
Sidney has met 16 governors so far:
- 4/24 - Gina Raimondo, Rhode Island; appointed Honorary Brigadier General of RI Militia
- 4/30 - Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker; honored on field at Fenway Park
- 5/4 - Maine Gov. Paul LePage; luncheon w/ First Lady Ann LePage
- 5/10 - Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy
- 5/18 - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo; 1-hr private meeting
- 5/24 - New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy
- 5/28 - Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb; private mtg. & Memorial Day ceremony after Indy 500
- 6/11 - Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts press conference
- 6/19 - Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam
- 6/26 - Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin
- 7/3 - Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner
- 7/11 - Florida Gov. Rick Scott
- 9/25 - Alaska Gov. Bill Walker
- 10/5 - Hawaii Gov. David Ige
- 10/17 - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
- 10/22 - Oregon Gov. Kate Brown
This one-of-a-kind tour relies on contributions - see link below. Thank you for your generosity!
