It all started when Richard Tado received a call from his friend, 105-year-old World War II U.S. Army Air Corps pilot Edward “Bud” Berthold, that his bathroom had flooded.

Tado, a U.S. Coast Guard auxiliary commander and the Algonquin Township supervisor, jumped into action. He started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for repairs. It was slow-moving at first, but he started to make connections that ultimately led him to launch a complete home-repair program.

Called “The Bud Project,” a group of supporters and contractors spearheaded by veterans-focused nonprofit VetsRoll, have collaborated on completing dozens of upgrades, repairs and refittings to make Berthold’s Fox River Grove home wheelchair-accessible.

“It’s about giving them their dignity,” Tado said.

First Lt. Berthold is a decorated B-24 bomber pilot who co-piloted a mission to bomb the town bridge of St. Lô in France on D-Day. In total, Berthold flew 35 missions over France and Germany at age 24.

Berthold was able to revisit the D-Day battlefield in Normandy, France, last year for the 80th anniversary with the nonprofit organization Best Defense Foundation.

Berthold, who will turn 106 in November, has lived in his home for more than 60 years. His daughter, who is in her 70s, is his primary caregiver, Tado said.

Through networking, Tado connected with VetsRoll President and co-founder Mark Finnegan. Finnegan knew he could use his resources and insights to plan a whole, desperately needed remodel of Berthold’s home.

“It just makes you feel good to help a veteran to stay in his home and not be put in a facility with concrete walls,” Finnegan said.

The work includes a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system; new bathroom fixtures, doors and cabinets; updated electrical wiring and plumbing; a new gas meter and lines; an Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant ramp and landings; a new roof; a new driveway; and cleaned-up landscaping.

Organizers aim to raise funds to cover the estimated total cost of $70,000. If they are able to surpass the goal, the team will donate money to a “legacy fund” for Berthold to have for future medical expenses and funeral expenses, Tado said.

“If we challenge the public, we can give him a financial safety net,” Finnegan said.

As of Nov. 3, the GoFundMe page had collected more than $8,000.

VetsRoll’s primary mission is taking veterans from across the county to Washington, D.C., to visit war memorials. This project is not sponsored by the organization. Finnegan said he is simply offering his passion and services.

When Finnegan started VetsRoll 15 years ago, it was strictly for WWII veterans. But the organization has grown over the years and can accommodate more people, especially as the WWII veteran population dwindles.

He said he finds it important to honor those who “lived history in color” and keep their memories alive.

“I am passionate about the World War II generation,” he said. “As time goes on, the database shrinks.”

Donations can be made to The Bud Project through the GoFundMe webpage at bit.ly/TheBudProject.