WWII Veteran Marries Karaoke Sweetheart CPT (r) Tyler Merritt November 23, 2016 Veteran Inspired 32 Many of us who have served this country in uniform know what it’s like to wait for things. Anything, really. From long lines for the DFAC to Range Control and everything in between, veterans have a crazy aptitude for patience. For one veteran, retired Navy Chief William “Wild Bill” Allen, he waited his entire life to find the woman of his dreams. A Lifetime of Service Chief Allen served for 22 years in the Navy. He joined at the young age of 16 in 1942, following the sinking of a cruiser, the USS Houston. He noted that he wanted to help prevent that tragedy from happening if at all possible and was assigned to be a radio operator for a blimp that patrolled the waters looking for enemy vessels. He touted this as a matter of pride, noting that his crew helped to escort over 80,000 ships throughout the course of the war – and didn’t lose a single one. He rounded out his career with pride and now resides in a retirement home for veterans. Meeting His Soulmate At the ripe young age of 91 years old, Chief Allen still enjoyed being social and going out on occasion in the town. One evening, he went out to the club at the retirement home for karaoke night. He had never been to a karaoke night before and thought it would be interesting to attend. Being that all of the tables were occupied, he noticed an open seat at the bar. Asking the woman next to the seat if it were available, he was never so happy to sit at a bar. The woman next to him was Jamie Simpson Shubert, a 76 year old retiree. Striking up a conversation, they realized that they both had a lot in common and seemed to get along famously. Toward the end of the evening, they found themselves sitting at a table outside, appreciating the full moon in all of its beauty. “We started talking and we started dating and something happened. We both realized we want companionship,” Chief Allen said of their courtship. And from then on, they were inseparable. They enjoyed performing karaoke together, even, a nod to how they met. His favorite song to perform is “I can’t Help Falling in Love With You,” and hers is “Moonglow.” Persistence was Key Shubert noted that she didn’t think that it was the right time for the first few attempts at a proposal. In fact, Chief Allen was turned down three times throughout the year. She was concerned that they didn’t know each other well enough to enter into such a huge commitment — especially so late in life. One day, they watched fishermen and chatted by the water all day, and Shubert recalled that being the moment that she realized she loved him. That evening, they went to dinner at Steve’s Marina, her favorite spot, and there he asked again. This time, she made his dreams come true and said “Yes.” Stars and Stripes quoted her as saying, “’we should be old enough to know better,’ she said with a laugh, ‘but we don’t.’” It’s a great thing to find love at any age, and this veteran’s tale should show us all that there are always new horizons, always new joys and new challenges worth pursuing. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and congratulations to Chief Allen and Mrs. Shubert. We at Nine Line News wish you all of the happiness in the world!
