At 90, He Ran Across America to Honor WWII Heroes—Then He Did It Again Before His 100th Birthday

That sounds like something I’d like to do, thought 80-year-old Ernie Andrus when he cheered on a man who was running through every country in the world as he came through Ernie’s town in Prescott, Arizona. But I want to do something nobody else has ever done. The World War II Navy veteran soon discovered that if he were to run across the United States, he would become the oldest person to complete the feat.

Bursting with excitement, Ernie kept the far-fetched idea a secret, meanwhile participating in a 200-mile relay race at age 88.

I got so much attention, he mused. If I run cross-country­, maybe I can raise money for our ship! The ship was a USS LST-325, a World War II tanker similar to the one he served on in the South Pacific, and now the last one in existence. In 2000, Ernie and other veterans had traveled to Crete, where it was docked, and restored the ship. They then sailed it to Evansville, Indiana, and transformed it into a museum and memorial.

But Ernie dreamed of sailing it back to the shores of Normandy, France, for the 75th D-Day anniversary on June 6, 2019. This is going to cost millions, he thought. But what a great way to honor our heroes.

Dreaming big

The hefty sum didn’t dissuade Ernie, who has had a lifelong derring-do attitude. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the teenaged Ernie had promptly joined the Navy and eventually landed as a medic on an LST—used to carry tanks, vehicles and soldiers to shore.

After the war, Ernie married three times, worked for pharmacies and supermarkets and raised eight kids.

When Ernie announced his intention to run cross-country to his family, his children declared, “You can’t do that. That’s impossible! We’re worried you will get hurt out there!” But a confident Ernie replied, “My mother told me there’s no such thing as can’t.”

And so, two months after turning 90, on October 7, 2013, Ernie dipped his foot in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego and started his almost 3,000-mile journey.

Three days a week, Ernie ran and walked about 3 to 5 miles, always making friends along the way. He’d hitchhike back to the RV and drive it to the next day’s starting point. I know I can do it, he thought on those endless days. I am determined to finish no matter what.

On August 20, 2016, the day after his 93rd birthday and almost three years and some 2,631 miles after his first step, Ernie finished his journey by dipping his toes in the Atlantic Ocean off St. Simons Island, Georgia.

“This is great,” an exuberant Ernie told a crowd of about 2,000 supporters, many of whom had run those last miles with him. Ernie had raised $33,000 to send the LST-325 to Normandy. Though he didn’t reach his goal, he wasn’t discouraged. Ernie donated the money for upkeep of the ship and was honored to have inspired thousands of people cheering him on.

Courage to carry on

Back home, Ernie thought, I am getting bored, it’s time to run back the other way. He also wanted to raise more money for LST-325, announcing his intentions on his website (Coast2CoastRuns.com). So at 95, on March 16, 2019, Ernie left St. Simons Island and headed west to San Diego, aiming to finish before his 100th birthday. This time, retired firefighter John Martin came along to accompany him.

The pair walked about 3 miles three days a week until 2020, when heart and back issues forced Ernie to return home to recuperate. But John continued their trek.

“I’m going to finish the journey for you,” John told a grateful Ernie. And indeed he did. On Ernie’s 100th birthday in August of 2023, the centenarian joined John in San Diego to finish the cross country trek together as they walked side by side into the Pacific Ocean.

Now living in an assisted living facility in Redding, California, Ernie still has the walking spirit. For this 101st birthday celebration, he organized a 1.01-mile walk at a local mall through his Facebook page, and he’s currently doing the same for his upcoming 102nd birthday. While recent health issues have left him unable to get around easily, Ernie plans on doing the “walk” in a wheelchair. “I never doubted that I could do it,” Ernie says of his incredible feats. “Just like when I went to war, I knew I’d survive.” Indeed, honoring heroes and the past can inspire us to do anything!