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WW II vet Bellanca’s memorable Masters moment with Condi Rice
By Greg Gulas
POLAND
When former Campbell resident Jerry Rudiak Jr. scored four tickets via lottery last fall for this year’s pre-tournament Masters practice round, he made sure his grandfather, Vince Bellanca, was one of the four members comprising his group.
When Bellanca, a World War II veteran, met former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice near Augusta National Golf Club’s Amen Corner during the round, he felt as if he had hit the lottery.
It was a surreal experience for Bellanca, a proud, 90-year-old Poland resident who still gets goose bumps when thinking of how gracious Rice was as she thanked him for his military service.
“It was a great day that was made even greater for me when Ms. Rice and I had the opportunity to chat,” Bellanca said. “I was wearing a jacket which had several military logos from my time in the service, so when my grandson spotted her and asked if she would come over to meet me, she never hesitated and instead embraced the time talking to me.
“I was actually taking video on my camera of her in her cart when all of this happened. She shook my hand, I hugged her and she thanked me for my service. I just melted because it was a very humbling experience and one that I will never forget.”
A 1940 graduate of Lowellville High School, Bellanca played football for former coaches Paul V. Johnson and Dennis “Doc” Haines, yet never had the urge like some of his classmates to take up the club sport.
“Back in those days you needed to find a job in order to help out your parents and family financially because those were tough times. I worked as a greaseball for Erskine Trucking and helped out the mechanics, earning $7 a week,” he said. “I gave my mother $5, kept $2 so I could buy my snuff and other amenities, so it was tough for me to make time for any other sports.”
Rudiak, a former Campbell Memorial High School football player who currently serves as a corporate consultant in North Carolina, wanted to do something special for his grandfather on his milestone birthday.
Winning the tickets and then including him as a part of the group was — in his eyes — the perfect birthday present.
“My grandfather turned 90 on Nov. 30 and the tickets were already in hand, so the timing was absolutely great. Not everyone celebrates a 90th birthday and I wanted him to celebrate with his grandsons,” Rudiak said. “It’s the hardest ticket to get and a great way for my brothers and me to be able to show him how we feel about all that he has done for us over the years. It was just an absolutely wonderful time.”
Bellanca, who was drafted in February 1943 and honorably discharged in 1945, was a radio operator-repairman with the 157th Field Artillery Battalion and was in the Battle of the Bulge.
Upon his discharge he took what he had learned in the service and returned to the area where he began civilian life with Amreihn’s Appliances. He later starting his own company, Vince’s TV Service, where he sold and repaired televisions and installed and serviced antennae.
“When cable television came into play we were losing the antennae business and I felt that the timing was right and got out,” Bellanca said. “I closed up shop in 1983, but what I am proudest of is the fact that when we did close I had no outstanding debts and didn’t owe anyone any money.”
Jerry’s son, Elijah, was a part of the group and while brother, Mark could not make the event another brother, Eric, who lives locally, made sure that Bellanca arrived safely by joining the group and delivering his grandfather.
“We left Youngstown and drove to North Carolina on Monday of Masters week and then stayed over in Columbia, S.C., on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the day of the practice round we got up at 4:30 a.m. in order to arrive at the Augusta National Golf Club parking lot by 10:30 a.m.,” Bellanca saud. “Good thing we got there when we did because it seemed like 50,000 other people had the same idea.”
Bellanca relied on a cane since he cannot walk long distances, adding that despite the challenge of the landscape he was still able to walk the entire course.
“Their gift shop is only opened once a year during, that being during The Masters. We made the mistake of not buying anything when we first visited,” Bellanca said. “Other than that everything went off without a hitch as we got to interact with many of the pros that would be playing and even had a chance to speak with both Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
“I even saw a friend from Pleasant Valley Church back home, Shirley Liste, who is an excellent golfer. She, too, was a ticket recipient from the lottery.”