DUBLIN – Ken Serey, author of What’s The Story? – Your Ohio Neighbors Share Their War Memories: From Pearl Harbor to V-J Day, was the featured speaker at Friday night’s Ohio Veterans Services Commission meeting in Dublin, OH, attended by Darke County Veterans Services Commissioners Chris Rehmert, Scott Riffle, Gaylen Blosser, and past Ohio Veterans Services President Ted Bruner.
Among the many stories shared in Serey’s book are those of influential Ohio veterans, including former long-time Brethren Retirement Community (BRC) resident and WWII veteran Roy Weikert, whose story appears on pages 58–59. Weikert passed away at age 105 on April 11, 2019.
Weikert founded General Films in Covington in 1947, a company that grew into a national manufacturer of flexible film packaging and Bag-in-Box solutions used across food and industrial markets. His business legacy remains a key part of Miami Valley history.
“I met Mr. Roy Wiekert toward the last chapter of his life,” Serey said. “His vision was failing, and he wanted some help to maximize his remaining vision so he could continue day trading. Because of my career, I was able to help him—and in turn, I was so impressed by his life story.”
Serey emphasized his deep respect for veterans and the urgency of preserving their memories.
“The importance of history cannot be overstated,” he said. “We are losing many historical facts of all our country’s wars as each generation passes on.”
Serey, who is not a veteran himself, grew up in Riverside near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and attended St. Helens School.
“Everyone around me seemed to live over there, worked over there,” he said. “I had a paper route for years close to Wright-Patterson. In the summer, my buddy Dave Latchman and I would sneak over, get on the bus, and go into the Officers Club to go swimming. I wasn’t allowed, but I was a kid—and I got away with it.”
Serey’s passion for collecting veterans’ stories, a chance encounter that became a calling, began with a powerful moment in St. Marys, Ohio.
“I had an appointment up by Saint Marys and wasn’t paying attention to the date,” Serey recalled. “A gentleman was saluting his flag. When he came out, I could see he had been crying. He told me he had been a Captain on Pork Chop Hill, and the day was special to him—it was Veterans Day, November 11th, 1998. It reminded him of all the men he lost under his leadership.”
That encounter sparked Serey’s mission.
“I looked up how many men he lost and realized I had an opportunity to catch these men’s stories. From that point on, I started asking. Many veterans were quick to answer—some wouldn’t talk—but most did.”
Growing up around Wright-Patt meant that veterans from childhood surrounded him.
“Half the kids in school had fathers who served in World War II,” he said. “I always had a love for history, especially WWII. As I got older, I was in a profession working with these gentlemen who needed help with their vision—and that got me going.”
“When I retired in 2020, I had all these stories written down,” Serey said. “So I thought, I’m going to try and write a book—and I wrote a book. This is fun. I’ve talked at VFWs, American Legions, retirement homes, bars—wherever people want to hear stories, I’ll come chew the fat with them.”
Serey shared a unique memory, a WWII breakfast story passed down from his father, a D-Day bombardier.
“My father told me the cooks were so nervous the morning of D-Day that breakfast was bread soaked in pineapple juice,” he said. “I researched it. Pineapple juice relieves anxiety. It wasn’t that they were out of eggs and bacon—they were trying to calm the pilots and crews who didn’t know if they’d come back.”
BRC President and CEO John Warner reflected warmly on Weikert’s life and generosity.
“When I think of Roy Weikert, I always get a smile on my face,” Warner said. “Roy was part of our community for about 15 years. When he was 90 years old, he loaded up a U-Haul in California and drove across the country to move here.”
Warner described Weikert as humble, innovative, and dedicated to fitness and service.
“He made a generous donation to help fund our senior fitness area and patio addition,” Warner said. “After Roy passed in 2019, he remembered us with his estate. Each year we receive a distribution used to support residents in Roy’s memory. We are so grateful for his generosity.”
Warner said he valued Weikert as both a friend and a mentor.
“We had some very interesting business conversations. I learned a lot from Roy as a businessman, stock investor, and a human being. His Church of the Brethren values ran very deep.”
What’s The Story? is available on Amazon or by contacting the author, Ken Serey, at 937-902-8551.
