Even after health issues sidelined Andrus and forced him to stop mid-trek, a friend took over for the final stretch to ensure Andrus’ efforts were not wasted
After four years, five months and four days, Ernie Andrus made it to the other side of America, just in time for his 100th birthday.
Andrus, who served on an LST in the South Pacific during the war, was part of a crew of veterans that traveled to Greece to help restore LST 325 and bring it back to America in 2001. Now docked in Indiana, the ship serves as a museum and memorial. “We formed our own Navy when we went over to get the ship,” Andrus said of the crew of veterans. “We were all old men.”
“They believed we were crazy old men until we got there,” Andrus said. “When the ship pulled into the harbor, we were suddenly heroes.”When a man who was running across every country came through Prescott, Arizona, where Andrus was living at the time, an idea sparked.Then after seeing the buzz he received when he completed his first 200-mile relay at 88, he thought, “Maybe I can raise some money for the ship.”, running 3 to 5 miles about three days per week.
He became the oldest person to ever run coast-to-coast, completing the feat in 999 hours, 32 minutes. He raised more than $30,000 for the LST.Aug. 22, 2016 When Andrus announced his plans to his family on his 95th birthday, he was immediately met with resistance, so he enlisted Martin to join him.Martin took an early retirement from the fire department, and seven months later, he and Andrus were on their way back across America.At Mission Beach, Ernie Andrus enjoys a moment near the surf with family. This is the second time he has made the trek across the U.S.
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