WWII veteran makes dream come true for Vietnam veteran

WWII veteran makes dream come true for Vietnam veteran
Marietta Daily Journal
by Jon Gillooly
September 28, 2012

ACWORTH — The wish of a World War II veteran made a Vietnam veteran’s dream come true on Thursday in the form of a new Habitat for Humanity house in Acworth.

Before he died in February, the late Army Lt. Col. Ashley Ivey donated a half-acre wooded lot on Womack Avenue off Cobb Parkway to Habitat for Humanity with the stipulation that any home built there go to a disabled veteran.

During the house dedication ceremony, Ivey’s niece, Beth Hoeve of Roswell, recalled how much her late uncle loved his country.

“While serving as a navigator … in WWII, he was shot down in German-occupied Holland, and the Dutch Resistance risked their lives to smuggle him to safety,” she said. “He never forgot their kindness. Col. Ashley and his (late) wife, Ruth, knew the importance of their faith in God and put it into action by serving others.”

Ivey went on to serve in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He spent his retirement as a substitute teacher at North Cobb High School and as an active member of Acworth United Methodist Church, the Southern Order of Storytellers and other civic and volunteer activities.

Ivey died just months before he could see his dream of providing homeownership to another veteran realized. He had hoped that his donation would inspire others, especially members of the military, to also donate to veterans.

The property he left went to Vietnam veteran Lt. Victor Alvarado of Acworth, a grandfather of seven. A native of Puerto Rico, Alvarado injured his back while offloading 250-pound C-130 tires at Homestead Base, south of Miami, while serving in the Air Force. Later back surgery worsened the problem, he said.
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