A 106-year-old veteran of World War II has received an amazing birthday gift after supporters and donors renovated his McHenry County home to assist him with his continued care.
Edward “Bud” Berthold was a B-24 bomber pilot in World War 2 who flew over 35 successful combat missions as the pilot of the famed Fort Worth Maid B-24 Liberator at the age of 24.
The bombing runs included runs on D-Day over Utah Beach.
The goal of the Bud Project was to raise money and labor needed to renovate Berthold’s home in McHenry and to make his house wheelchair accessible, according to Mark Finnegan, the President and Co-Founder of VetsRoll, which is a veteran charity non-profit.
The work included a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system and an ADA-compliant ramp to make it easier for Berthold to get around.
The work also included new bathroom fixtures, new doors, new cabinets, updated electrical wiring, a new roof and a new driveway.
Contractors contributed approximately $70,000 in donated labor and products to help with the Fox River Grove home renovation.
While the home was still structurally sound, the house was in dire need of modern upgrades and to make the bathroom accessible for Berthold to continue using.
Berthold has “very modest means,” Finnegan said, adding that the hope is for him to continue living there for the rest of his life.
Berthold moved back into his renovated home on his birthday, November 20, after the work was completed in October through November.
He has spent the last 60 years there with his daughter, who is in her 70s, being his caregiver.
Berthold has no private health care, no professional in-home care, no visiting relief care for his daughter and no funeral funds, just a “very, very loving family and friends,” Finnegan said.
A GoFundMe account has raised almost $20,000, not including a $5,000 donation from a local business.
Finnegan said the public is encouraged to make a contribution toward the account, dubbed a “legacy fund,” which will help pay for Berthold’s mortgage, assisted living expenses and funeral expenses.