Mr. David Schmidt

“The two years I put in the military was one big holiday. I never lost a man. I was in charge of communications with the responsibilities of infantry and artillery,” says Mr. David. Towering at 6 feet 4 inches, David Schmidt, a veteran who served in the Korean War, was drafted at 21 years of age.

“To engage in war, your muscles and bones have to be strong,” says Mr. David. After returning from the war, he worked at Samuel’s Glass Company for 41 years. Mr. David, now 90, lives alone on the east side of San Antonio with his two cats. “My experience with Meals on Wheels has been great. My wife, Elizabeth, signed us up in 2018,” says Mr. David.

Recently, Elizabeth passed away, but her memory lives on through Mr. David and their eight children. Together, they have four boys and four girls. Mr. David continues to instill the knowledge and work ethic inherited from his Jewish upbringing to his children.

Mr. David grew up in Poth, Texas, and is a survivor of the polio epidemic as well as the 1946 flooding. “The river rose during the cloudburst. My house was next to the river and we lost all of our chickens. The river was more than five miles wide. You couldn’t cross the flooded waters for a week,” says Mr. David. He recalls his childhood as one which required strength, an adventurous spirit, and willpower. He walked several miles between home and school each day.

Most of Mr. David’s adolescence was spent farming. Despite numerous hours of physical labor, he always made time to play baseball with friends. “The farm boys used heavy pieces of wood for baseball bats and grass sacks for bases,” Mr. David recalls.

Meals on Wheels is proud to be of service to a veteran who fought for his country. “Anytime someone delivers a meal, they’re doing a good job,” says Mr. David. Meals on Wheels continues to provide nutritional entrées to almost 4,000 clients during the COVID pandemic.

Help Meals on Wheels serve more veterans like Mr. David and other seniors in the community with your future gift. Contact Vinsen Faris at 210-735-5115 or VinsenF@mowsatx.org to learn about your giving options.