Thursday evening, August 29th, more than 30 Rotarians from our Club showed up to surprise Joe Turecky and present him our Club’s Lifetime of Service Above Self Award. Joe is a highly decorated war hero and longtime member of the Rotary Club of Dallas. Now in his 90’s, Joe lives in an assisted living facility in Addison.
He was wheeled into our reserved activity room and was greatly surprised when he saw our gang; but before the festivities were over, Joe was literally standing tall. He stood up and surveyed the crowd, handing out compliments and patented Joe Turecky jokes. Joe may ride around in a wheelchair, but in the most important ways, he really hasn’t lost a step.
 
Joe was a WWII pilot who flew a C-47, transporting paratroopers and dropping them into war zones; dropping supplies into the heat of battle; towing gliders; and even resupplying gasoline to General Patton’s tankers in Bastogne. Joe flew in and around Normandy on D-Day and on the days that followed. As he said about his activities the day after D-Day, “I flew in daylight, to the same area between Omaha and Utah Beaches to drop supplies to the troopers on the ground. The supplies were in 4 pararacks on our bellies and a large bundle at the side door. I saw the mayhem on the beaches and we encountered anti-aircraft firings at us, with one bullet piercing my right wing.” In short, Joe was right on the front lines helping lead four different WWII air invasions.
 
Many Dallas Rotarians will always remember Joe for welcoming us to Rotary each week and guiding us to our meeting room, which seemed to move around room to room for several years. Joe was always a steadying force for our Club and he knew how to put a smile on each member’s face as they walked in through the door. Within seconds of your arrival, you were already happy you had come. Our Club has been very lucky to have such a loyal and loving friend as Joe. This presentation for Joe was full of tears and laughter and all those things that good friends share.
 
When I think of Joe Turecky, Eleanor Roosevelt’s words come to mind: “many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”  Ted Fields