35 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Rooney also appreciates volunteering with fellow veterans and being around others who have served. Rooney and his wife volunteer with several charitable community organizations that support low-income families, including Hearts For Summerville, which assists youth in Summerville. Each week they prepare 30 snack bags for children. They also volunteer through their church Bethany United Methodist, where his wife oversees senior programs. Additionally, they have previously served as drivers for East Cooper Meals on Wheels. “It’s a way to give back,” said Rooney of his impetus to volunteer. “You feel a sense of accomplishment. When you see a smile on a kid’s face, it makes it all worthwhile.” *** Bill Casassa served in the Navy during the Vietnam era and later worked with the Navy in either defense contractor or civil service roles for the next 34 years. He retired in 2016, but he couldn’t just sit still and watch TV, so Casassa started volunteering at Patriots Point in 2017. “Usually I was on destroyers, or ‘small boys’ as they call them, so the Yorktown and (USS) Laffey tend to be very comfortable places for me,” recounted Casassa. Casassa helps guide guests around the Yorktown and answers questions about daily life on the ship. Like Rooney, he relishes volunteering with other like-minded veterans. Casassa also enjoys giving visitors a new perspective on military life. “So, Patriots Point was a good fit for me because I could not only bring my expertise of having been on these ships for some time to the public, I could also help the staff some. I’m old enough to remember some of these things on these ships when they were still sparkling and lighting up and stuff. So, we can look up an answer of what something did, and I can provide another background that says ‘well, here’s what it looked like, and here’s how people operated with it on the ship at the time.’” Casassa added of why he volunteers there: “It’s given me an outlet to assist them in some of the exhibits and things like that that are on the ship. But mostly it’s because it gives me an opportunity to give the Navy a ‘thank you’ for all they did for me.” our town Art Rooney, retired from the Air Force. Bill Casassa, retired from the Navy.
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