BANGOR, Maine — Bill Knight, one of the three Bangor troop greeters featured in the documentary “The Way We Get By”, is recovering at Maine Veterans Home after undergoing a pair of surgeries to fix his broken hip.
The 89-year-old World War II Army and Navy veteran broke his hip in a fall at his Sunbury Village in mid-October of 2011. Knight has been in bed or using a wheelchair since, according to Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the now-husband-and-wife team that produced the documentary.
Knight did not feel well enough to be interviewed this week, according to Gaudet and Pullapilly.
Knight is a member of the Bangor Troop Greeters, a group that gathers at Bangor International Airport to welcome soldiers as they return from overseas conflicts or wish them well as they leave for deployments. Knight is the oldest of the three greeters featured in the 2009 documentary.
During filming for “The Way We Get By,” Knight battled with a spreading cancer. But the prognosis didn’t keep him from greeting troops, Gaudet said.
“I’ve never seen someone deal with pain or bumps and bruises like Bill does,” Gaudet said. “You can’t slow him down.”
Knight was at the airport the morning after he found out he had cancer to shake hands with a flight of soldiers.
Being unable get up and be active or meet troops at the airport has been tough on Knight these past few months, Gaudet and Pullapilly said.
However, they said Knight’s spirits are lifted by reading letters, notes and cards from soldiers who remember meeting him when they passed through the airport, fellow greeters or complete strangers who saw the documentary and wanted to wish him well.
“We could tell it meant a lot when he received cards or letters,” Gaudet said Friday. “It definitely brightens his day.”
Pullapilly and Gaudet said anyone interested in writing or sending a card to Knight may address mail to Maine Veterans Home, 44 Hogan Road, Bangor 04401, Attn: Bill Knight, Room C31.
The two filmmakers have moved from New York to Bar Harbor and are preparing to shoot a movie, which Gaudet described as a “coming-of-age film” based on the potato harvest in Aroostook County.
They continue to visit Knight as he works on his rehabilitation.
Bill is a real hero, along with all the US military. He fought in No. Africa during WWII, and is one of the few WWII veterans left in the Bangor area. He comes from the generation that picks themselves up after a fall and gets right back to work. I have no doubt Bill will be back at the airport greeting the troops. God Bless you, Bill!
Please get well soon!
very cool gentleman. Hope he recovers fully
Hey BDN, “Greater”? Really???
I sent him an e-mail and it is now corrected. The reporter didn’t write the headline but he did make sure it was corrected.
It still says “troop greater” here at 11:22am Sunday 01/29/2012.
And I bet you never miss-type! Why is it that people on here have to be so nasty!!!
I “Mistype” all the time. The difference. I’m not a newspaper expecting to be taken seriously. Misspelled headlines are being put there by someone being PAID. It’s not just a spelling issue by the way, “Great”, “Greet” . Two different words with two entirely different meanings.
If they thought GREET was spelled that way. then how exactly would they spell GREAT? Grate? ” Hope you have a Grate day.”
Bill is a class act. I hope all of our local youth are paying attention to the role model he presents.
you would have to text them, they don’t read the newpaper!
You can text me if you want, but I already read it right here, like I do every day.
Right and you’ll have to use a telegraph machine to get in touch with the old fogies? Right?
Get well soon Bill!
A brisk snappy salute to you Sir. Get well very soon.
What’s a “troop greater”?
Edit: And he just e-mailed me back and it is now corrected.
In this case a typo that makes more sense than the original.That said, BDN is hideously sloppy.I doubt a day goes by without an error.
I have a question to ask of troop greeters. Do you think the young patriocally conditioned German and Japanese boys who fought in World War II should also be treated in the same manner as the American boys? And if not, why not? They were simply follwing orders just like every other uniformed lad in the world, past and present, that ever fought in a battle. Thanks. I am a Veteran for Peace.
Thank you for being a VFP.I support your service and your stand.
Hope you are back on your feet soon Bill. Thank you for your service, patriotism and everything you have done for our troops.
Godspeed,sir and a well deserved salute to you and yours.Get well soon!
Bill Knight is a proud and patriotic veteran, for sure. And we should all be as PROUD of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, as he is. And do our part as he has done his, and more. Get well soon , Soldier Bill.
My husband and I wish you a speedy recovery, Bill. Thank you for your continued service for our country. You are a true hero! May God bless you.
First of all, I wish to thank you for your service to the USA Mr. Knight. Secondly, speedy recovery sir. I’m sure you will be greeting the troops soon.
God Bless you Bill and get better soon.