TOWN OF MERTON -- Honoring the fallen with a memorial to the living.
That was the mission for Sebastian Shaw, a 17-year-old Milwaukee Boy Scout hoping to become an Eagle Scout. Shaw's project was to refurbish a Vietnam-era Bell AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter, which has been a part of Merton's war memorial for nearly 15 years.
"I didn't have the most sincere respect for our veterans," Shaw tells TODAY'S TMJ4. "I learned I should be more gracious to them."
With help from Staff Sgt. Anthony Overby from Pewaukee's 372nd Engineer Company, Shaw recruited dozens of volunteers and sponsors for the year-long project.
Pewaukee Signarama, Ken Weber Truck Service, G&G Specialized Carriers, Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, and Kelly Industrial Coating, among others, all pitched in with supplies the professional expertise.
The project's estimated cost was $20,000, but each sponsor donated its time and resources.
"The hundreds of hours of professional work by volunteers was truly amazing," Shaw says. "I hope that my Eagle Scout project is a reminder of the incredible honor and sacrifice of our veterans and troops for many years to come."
