Shaw Hot Rods would like to pay homage to Joshua's Grandpa, Robert Willenbrink.

 

Not only did he teach Joshua how to weld at a very early age (10yrs old) but Mr. Willenbrink was a decorated Marine who lived an Incredible life.

 

Born in Cincinnati Oh. in 1925 Robert dropped out of High School his senior year to join the Marines.  Lying about his age, he trained to be a Wire man, laying down wire so that  different outfits could communicate by Morse code.  Robert knew Morse code. His Regiment was sent to Iwo Jima and they were the first to land on Feb 19th, 1945.  While battling up the beach at one point both men he was in a fox hole with were killed.  His wire roll was shot off his back as well.  From the bottom of Mt. Surabachi Robert Willenbrink Watched the famous "raising of the flag"  (both times)

 

After Iwo Jima he went to Okinawa and Nagasaki.  They rode through Nagasaki after the US had dropped the 2nd. Atom Bomb.  Robert said that the Entire city was about 4 foot tall...   but then there would be a building still standing unhurt.  On the Ship back to the States he earned his High School diploma and graduated.

 

Once back in Cincinnati, Robert married Teddy Adamson and got a job at a toy company called "Taylor Tot"  putting bicycle spokes in wheels. After a while he got a better paying Job at GE (General Electric Aircraft Engines) as a Millwright installing big Machines.  After years of being a millwright he took a bunch of welding classes that GE offered and became a Fabricator.  While in the Fab shop Robert built lots of things including Engine stands that attached themselves to the floor for test Fireing,  and screens on the engine intake.  The screens were made up in different patterns to affect the air flow into the engine. Each Titanium screen had to welded at EVERY intersecting wire.  These screens were about the same size as a common screen door on a house.  Welding these tiny intersections was tough!  At one point Robert did some welding on a satellite fixture for NASA that is still orbiting in space today!

  

He retired from GE in 1985 and took up Paleontology.  He hunted fossils in Freshly cut cliff sides along new Highways. Robert found some VERY RARE fossils in southern Ohio.  One of his fossils was displayed at the Smithsonian Institute and was STOLEN by a Japanese Paleontologist here on a Visa!!

 

When Robert Willenbrink died at the age of 76 in 2001 he willed most of his fossils to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio so that  students could study Paleontology & Geology from his fossils.  Miami University named an entire wing of the facility after him.

 

His other interests and Hobbies were Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Wood working, and the outdoors.   He was an extraordinary man and we miss him.