How Many 92 Year Old People can Actually Do What Mr. Hank Does?

Interview with Mr. Hank who says, "I am going on 93 in August and now matching what I was doing at 80!"     

Mr. Hank Merbler says that since he has been receiving treatments from Dr. Kathi, he is just as flexible as he has ever been. At first he was hesitant about going and wondered what this chiropractor was like. He knew that most chiros were just bone crackers; but, because he now listens to his sons and trusts their judgment, he kept the appointment. He stated, "She really didn't lay a hand on me...it was such a pleasure." Mr. Hank says that he really likes the Bstrong4Life ® therapy because it vibrates and is so easy to do, very effective, and even helped to improve his favorite activity...golf. 

After his 5th treatment Mr. Hank went to play golf with his friends, just as he does every week. But this week something was very different. Even though he is the oldest in the group of four golfers, Mr. Hank's score was improving by 3 to 10 strokes! They all made comments to Mr. Hank such as "What the heck you been doing?" "What?...are you drinking something?" "We want some of that!" "How are you doing this?"

Well, Mr. Hank has been singing the praises of Dr. Kathi ever since. He also explained how he used to work up a sweat just putting his shoes and socks on and sometimes needed help buttoning his shirt as it took him 2 minutes per button.  Moreover, at night he had to wear a sleeping cuff on his left hand to keep his hand and fingers from falling asleep. He happily says, "Now, I don't have to wear that cuff anymore and there has been great improvement with buttoning my shirt and putting on my shoes and socks!"

He also said that he is the most active person out of the 140 people who live at the assisted-living residence where he resides.  He said, "I feel very blessed and I have always wanted to help other people."

He has a genuine heart for people and even as I write this article, I can still hear the tenderness in his voice and the precise expression and intent of every word he spoke for this interview. I find it extremely encouraging that a man of his age is thinking of others and actually ventures out on Sunday mornings to deliver communion at the Arlington Memorial Hospital and sadly, oftentimes in the Hospice area. He says, "Sometimes it's the little bit that you do for others that makes the difference; and it takes time and effort which is the biggest consumer." He added softly, "That's how I want to be remembered...helping other people."

I found his life to be as interesting as it is gracious. Mr. Hank explained that when he was only 10 years old he started intensely playing baseball. In high school he was the #1 pitcher; and then played for the Heavy Semi-pro, New Jersey Iroquois Indians from 1937-1940. He pitched 9 endings and made $11. He explained that the games were viewed by 2,000 to 3,000 people and they all sat on the grassy slopes around the baseball field. No one was charged a fee to watch the game, so the ladies would gather up donations in hats.  Unfortunately, in the process of learning to throw the knuckle ball, Mr. Hank ruined his arm and could not pursue a major league baseball career as he had hoped. 

With his lifelong dream deemed impossible, he began looking into college; however, the travel would be too much and there weren't any available jobs in the area of the college at that time.  This would lead him to go to the Casey Jones School of Aeronautics, Newark, N.J., known today as the Academy of Aeronautics, LaGuardia Field, N.Y.  Mr. Hank started classes with 60 students and only 14 graduated.  He graduated with Associates in Aeronautical Engineering and took a job at Vought-Sikorsky, Stratford, Connecticut in 1941.  Shortly after that he met and  married Beatrice in 1942; they were married 65 years.  

Mr. Hank was in Design Engineering and on the design team of the F4U-1 Corsair. He also did liaison work with the Marines at Cherry Point, N.C.  When the airplanes were finished and delivered to the Marines, if they had a problem with it they called the company and Mr. Hank went to solve it. So at only 25 years old, he was fearless and knew he could fix it, no matter what. "If there was a problem with a customer's product, you fixed it here and now," explained Mr. Hank.  He also said, he thought that he had more guts than brains as he would arrive on the Marine base saying, "Here I am!"  Colonels and Lieutenants would just look at him and say, "So what are you going to do for me?"  Mr. Hank's reply, "Always find the solution to your problem!"  Which made him look really good, because he actually did find the solution; however, he gives the credit to his company team (behind the scenes) that really made it happen. Yet, Mr. Hank never failed to amaze the Marine Commanders, as they always wanted to know how and what he did to solve the problems they encountered with the planes.

To this day Mr. Hank is still involved with airplanes along with a team of 50 others (40 men and 10 women) have restored 9 planes. One of which is the V-173 Pancake (click and take a look...really cool!) which is now in the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Love Field, Dallas, Texas. It took 25,000 hours to restore the Pancake, usually 15,000 hours is the norm.  Additionally, at the encouragement from North American Vought Division and Margo Parker, V.P., Human Relations, Mr. Hank also developed a retirement club.  The club is the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation, which started out with 100 members and grew to over 5,000 members nationwide. The club has two purposes, 1) restore airplanes, 2) document our heritage on the web site (www.vought.org); additionally, Mr. Hank is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation a 501 [c][3] non-profit corporation.

Also see an amazing story with photos from Vought website:

Os2U- Kingfisher, One Saves Ten.