Debi is an interior designer who lives in Royal Oak, Michigan. Her involvement with Honor Flight Michigan began in 2008 when she went on her first flight to Washington D.C. with our veterans. She remained involved in the program, becoming a board member in 2011. Once the goal became building The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial, Debi knew she had to be a part of honoring the men and women that she had come to know through the program. She feels that building this state memorial is an honor and privilege and hopes that future generations can learn about the great sacrifices that these veterans made for our sake.

Debi has also dedicated time to disaster relief and traveled three times to New Orleans to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. In her spare time Debi enjoys cooking, reading, photography, traveling and relaxing with friends. One of her favorite places to be is her family’s cottage near Chelsea, Michigan.

Contact Debi at debi.hollis@michiganww2memorial.org 

Russell is an Information Management Architect with IBM and lives in Huntington Woods, Michigan. Russell was a guardian on Honor Flight 8 in November, 2007. A frequent volunteer with Honor Flight Michigan, Russell joined the board of The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial in 2011.

The son of a wounded World War II combat infantry veteran, Russell is well versed in both a specific personal history and the general global history of that conflict, giving him a deep appreciation for the generation of Americans who literally saved the world. In his spare time, he enjoys softball, cooking and studying the heroic age of polar exploration, in particular Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition.

Contact Russell at russell.levine@michiganww2memorial.org 

John is an Assistant Chief Engineer at General Motors and lives with his wife, Judy, in Royal Oak. Their son is currently active duty in the US Army and their daughter was an officer in the Michigan National Guard. John’s father and father-in law were both Marines during the Korean War. For 32 years, John worked at the General Motors Powertrain plant in Willow Run, the site that made B-24 bombers during the war. John has traveled extensively, taking the opportunity to visit sites such as Normandy and Auschwitz to learn about the war and the sacrifices that were made in all aspects of society.

John has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, as chairman of the Royal Oak Audit Review Committee, with SAE World in Motion and as a mentor and judge at several levels of FIRST robotics competitions. During a business trip to San Diego, John had seen the Embracing Peace sculpture on a trip to San Diego and was excited to find that one was coming to Royal Oak. Through this, he learned about The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial. He feels that it is important to honor our veterans as well as everyone that contributed during WWII.

Contact John at john.maten@michiganww2memorial.org

Kim is employed by Home Depot in Utica, Michigan. Kim started with The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial as a volunteer with Team Depot in 2012. Kim’s father was a combat engineer who was wounded in action on Iwo Jima. Kim hopes the memorial will be a place where people can meet and remember our greatest generation.

Contact Kim at kim.jones@michiganww2memorial.org

Mike got involved with Honor Flight Michigan because of his father, David Cameron. His vision was to make sure that as many WWII veterans as possible were able to see their memorial in Washington D.C. He was honored to help complete his father’s vision and has now transitioned over to The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial, honoring all our Michigan WWII heroes. “I am lucky to be involved with these two projects.“

Contact Michael at michael.cameron@michiganww2memorial.org

Judy is the co-founder of Via Maria Consulting, LLC, developing and facilitating Discovering Your Gifts workshops, retreats and other events for communities of faith. Judy and her husband John have four children, two of whom are Army veterans. Judy and John love to travel and are interested in history, particularly war history. Among their travels they have visited Revolutionary and Civil War sites, Churchill’s War Rooms, Normandy, the Beach Head War Cemetery at Anzio and Auschwitz. Judy’s father, a Marine, instilled in her a love for country and service to others. Understanding the culture and people who stood out as voices of peace in times of war are a particular inspiration.

Contact Judy at judy.maten@michiganww2memorial.org

From November, 1962 through November 1964, now Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson was known as United States Army Specialist 4^th Class L. Brooks Patterson. Following 16 years as the Prosecutor of Oakland County, in 1992, he was elected County Executive. He was re-elected to a seventh term in 2016.

According to Brooks, “Michigan was the ‘Arsenal of Democracy.’ Our factories retooled rapidly to give our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen the instruments to defeat the Axis powers. We produced jeeps, M-5 tanks, and B-24 bombers. In addition, thousands of military personnel from Michigan gave their lives defending freedom during World War II and countless others were wounded. We owe it to the Greatest Generation to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten. The Michigan World War II Legacy Memorial will enable future generations to appreciate how an entire country mobilized to defeat evil in the world and the significant role Michigan played.”