VFW facilitates veteran’s final wish

It was a meeting 47 years in the making, but it started with a 1,600-mile drive.

“It said it was 27 hours from my house to his house,” Kelly Cochran said. “It was worth the drive.”

She was driving to meet her dad, Fred Solt, a Vietnam veteran living in Lorimor.

Solt knew he was having a daughter, but Cochran’s mother, Debra, left Iowa to have and raise the daughter with her family in Washington.

“All I knew was his name and I had one picture of him,” Cochran said. “I still have that picture to this day.”

Anita Thompson of Granger has been friends with Debra since high school, but she’s also a friend of Solt’s.

When Cochran sent her a Facebook friend request earlier this year, she received a response just a few minutes later.

“She said, ‘do you want to meet your dad?’” Cochran said. “It took me a minute to answer her back. It had been something I had been wanting to do, but I didn’t even know where he was at.”

For the last few months, father and daughter have been reconnecting through messaging and talking on the phone.

But on Oct. 27 at Pizza Ranch in Creston, Solt got the surprise of his life -— his daughter waiting to meet him in person.

“I’m still surprised,” he said in Pizza Ranch’s meeting room. “I can’t believe she’s sitting there.”

Solt’s friends, Anita and fellow veteran Lenny Thompson, were the masterminds behind the set up, but VFW Post 1797 and the Granger American Legion helped the facilitation.

Every year, poppies are given out around North America as a part of Remembrance Day in Canada and Memorial and Veterans days in the United States.

“The red poppy is a nationally recognized symbol of sacrifice worn by Americans since World War I to honor those who served and died for our country in all wars,” the American Legion says. “It reminds Americans of the sacrifices made by our veterans while protecting our freedoms.”

Donations the local VFW receives from the poppies cannot go back to the VFW itself, they must go directly to benefit a veteran.

The Thompsons were able to coordinate with Denny Abel at the VFW who was able to procure funding to help Cochran make the trip to see Solt.

It was more than just a meeting -— it was a final wish for Solt who has been having health struggles recently.

“They don’t call it cancer, but I have legions in my lungs,” Solt explained. After reconstruction due to a stoma, his kidney function has dropped to just 20%.

“Dialysis is the next step,” Solt said, “I don’t try to think about it.”

The father-daughter meeting was a festive affair, members of the VFW and the Thompsons there to celebrate with the pair.

Solt got an extra surprise when he found out poppy donations helped fund the meeting.

“That’s the cool part of being a vet and being a part of an association as such,” Solt said. “I didn’t know that until a little bit ago. It’s like I got hit from all directions.”

Though it may have been a little awkward at first to get to see one another for the first time after nearly 50 years, there were smiles all around.

“She’s pretty cool,” Solt said of his daughter. “We’ve got a lot to find out about each other.”

The Thompsons were both quick to comment on the family resemblance, Anita saying Cochran looked like Solt’s mom.

“I knew as soon as I saw her, she looked just like him,” Lenny said. “Acted like him too!”

Being raised without the military community, Cochran was shocked at the support her father has.

“I was very, very surprised when [Anita] told me everyone was helping,” Cochran said. “I’ve never had that.”

The VFW will be selling poppies in various Creston locations and Casey’s General Store in Afton from 8 a.m. to noon.

In Creston, poppies can be purchased as Casey’s North and the 24-hour Casey’s on Taylor Street. Bomgaars, Hy-Vee and Walmart are three other options.

“Wherever you see a poppy at, buy a poppy, donate,” Anita said. “It makes last wishes come true.”