THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
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K CHRISTIAN ADVANCES IN GIRLS SOCCER REGIONAL
PEREGRINE PAIR HATCH CHICKS
MICHIGAN HONORS: WWII VETERANS
TODAY’S MUST READS
Melvin Van Dis recalls D-Day invasion, water ‘pink from blood’
Surviving Omaha Beach
KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP
Man facing trial on sex charges found dead A former karate instructor who was days away from his trial on criminal sexual conduct charges was found dead in his Kalamazoo Township home Tuesday in an apparent suicide. Kalamazoo Township medical responders were dispatched to 548 Nazareth Road at 4:31 p.m. Tuesday on the report of an unresponsive man, according to a news release from Kalamazoo Township Police Department. Emergency workers were unable to revive the man, identified as Robert Earle Keith, 61. Keith was set to face trial Tuesday on several counts of criminal sexual conduct. Details, A3 KALAMAZOO
Roads to close for weekend events
D-Day veteran Melvin Van Dis poses for a portrait with his purple heart, at his home in Kalamazoo. (Junfu Han/MLive.com)
Several events in downtown Kalamazoo this weekend will cause street closures. Summer kickoff known as June Jubilee features events such as the Do-Dah Parade, the Greek Festival, Art Hop and Art on the Mall. Road closures for these events start today and will run through Sunday. Details, A3
Editor’s note: This year, the Kalamazoo Gazette will chronicle the living men and women of Michigan who served during World War II. The series, Michigan Honors, will culminate on Veterans Day in November. Between now and then, you’ll see profiles of these living vets. You can help us identify living vets and tell their stories by going to bit.ly/kgvetform0604
COMSTOCK
Above is a photo from a Kalamazoo Gazette article, dated March 1946, detailing Melvin Van Dis’s return from World War II. Left, Melvin Van Dis, far left, at age 20 in his Army uniform, poses for a picture with other servicemen he toured the state of Wyoming with as the group spoke of the need for metal salvage to give to the war effort.
By Theresa Ghiloni
B
tghiloni@mlive.com
Program enables student to attend Penn When the email came in December, Alexandra Swim was afraid to open it. The message was from QuestBridge, a national program that matches high-achieving, low-income students with highly selective colleges and gives them a full scholarship to boot. If the Comstock High School senior was accepted as a Quest Scholar, it would change her life, moving Alex from a life of economic struggle to the top echelons of the American meritocracy. If she wasn’t accepted, it would be a crushing disappointment. “Congratulations,” the email said. Details, A6
DAILY QUOTE
“
People are committed to having a strong UAW.” OUTGOING UAW PRESIDENT BOB KING, ON TUESDAY’S VOTE TO INCREASE UNION MEMBERSHIP DUES BY 25 PERCENT, THE FIRST INCREASE SINCE 1967 DETAILS, A12
y the time private Melvin Van Dis went ashore at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, the battle had gone on for six hours and the momentum had turned toward the Allies after the desperate, early hours of fighting. Mortars and heavy artillery still SEE VETERAN, A4
(Submitted photos)
MARTIN
Police pledge greater vigilance at Birthday Bash By John Liberty
jlibert1@mlive.com
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office said underage drinking and excessive tailgating at the B-93 Birthday Bash last year will lead to increased enforcement for this weekend’s event. Capt. Frank Baker said the move is in response a growing problem surrounding the twoday county music concert held at the U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin. Baker said many people, including minors, were consuming alcohol in the parking lot without ever entering the concert grounds. Last year, 9-year-old
MORE INSIDE More on the Birthday Bash and an interview with Jerrod Niemann, Pages B1-B2
Jaylynn Hiler was hit by a car driven by 18-year-old Eric Roberts who police said was intoxicated and trying to pass traffic. Jaylynn suffered a fractured pelvis. The festival, put on by Grand Rapids-based country radio station WBCT-FM (93.7), attracted an estimated 70,000 people last year. It will be held Saturday and SEE BASH, A2
B-93’s Birthday Bash at US 131 Motor Sports Park in Martin in 2012. (MLive.com files)
INDEX Advice.......... A14 Classified........ C7
FEEDBACK Comics ...........B7 Local............... A3
Lottery ............ A2 Nation...........A11
Obituaries....... A9 Opinion.........A13
Sports............. C1 Stocks...........A12
TV ...................B6 Weather........A15
Send your comments to comments@mlive.com.
KA DAILY
A4 / THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE
Local
PREPARING FOR D DAY
RETURN TO DUTY
Four months after graduating from Kalamazoo Central High School, Van Dis was drafted into the Army in the fall of 1943 at the age of 18. After basic training, he was shipped to southern England, and then northern Ireland, to train for what would become known as D-Day. The invasion — Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944 — was the Allies’ massive assault to retake Europe from German forces. “We knew we were replacements, and we joined the 1st Division, which was the outfit that went through Africa and invaded Sicily,” Van Dis said. “We were so happy to be with experienced soldiers. “They were quite a quiet group and stayed more by themselves, because they knew from their other experience that they were heading for the invasion,” he added. “They knew what an invasion was like.” Once training was complete in northern Ireland, the 1st Division was sent back to England to await D-Day orders. On the morning of June 6, his company crossed the English Channel. “It was a huge armada and ships and planes going across and airplanes bombing ahead of us,” Van Dis said. “We were 18, and we were eager. We weren’t really afraid of anything, but we didn’t know what we were getting into, either.” After going ashore, Van Dis’ orders were to get to the top of the hill, off the beach where so many Americans had been gunned down. It took his unit two hours to get to the top of the hill after landing. The men spent three nights on the hill before Van Dis and his company began to push forward from the beach to the inland hedgerows. “The idea was we went from hedgerow to hedge-
Van Dis returned to his unit in St. Lo, France, then traveled through France, Belgium and the Netherlands via tanks until they reached the outskirts of Aachen, Germany. In early October, the Army invaded the streets of Aachen, going block by block through every building and house to take the first city on German soil. “When they surrounded (Aachen), it was our job to go through the city, and I had a bazooka gun,” Van Dis said. “Most of the time the women and children, because the men were off fighting somewhere, came out waving white flags and you just couldn’t help it, you felt so sorry for them. Here they are, everything they’ve got is on their shoulder, and they’ve got kids. It was just awful. War is awful.” The city of Aachen surrendered Oct. 21, 1944. “We took a lot of prisoners, but there were definitely pockets that were waiting for as many as they could and fire back,” Van Dis said. “It was just a real sad kind of thing, because in your heart, you still had a lot of sympathy for them. We had times we weren’t fighting people who we didn’t want to get rid of because they were people just like we were. But war is look(ing) out for your own self, your own life.” After Aachen, Van Dis was sent in November to the Hurtgen Forest, where the fighting reminded him of D-Day. “We dug foxholes and covered them with dirt and sand and tree branches and anything we could get a hold of because all of the artillery and mortar shells were exploding in the trees, like it was raining,” Van Dis said. After a little more than a week in the Hurtgen Forest, Van Dis said, he assisted in the capture
of a group of a German artillery liaison. Valuable maps and information were retrieved during the capture. Van Dis was told by his captain that he would be put in for the Silver Star, but he never heard more on the matter. Two days later, Van Dis developed trench foot, which occurs when feet are wet for extended periods of time, causing pain and a prickly or heavy feeling in the feet. He could not walk and was flown from Belgium to a hospital in England, where he stayed for two months before he was shipped back to the United States in late February. His fighting days were over. ‘A NORMAL LIFE’
After a short stay in New York, Van Dis was put on a Red Cross train that went through Kalamazoo to Camp Carlson in Colorado, where he was sent for rehabilitation. Shortly after, he returned to Kalamazoo for 28 days and then left again in May for a 30-day tour of Wyoming. He and a handful of other servicemen were promoting the need for metal salvage for the war effort. “These people were so grateful,” Van Dis said of the tour. “This was like a vacation. This was fabulous. We were doing something for the country, and it proved to be very successful.” Germany surrendered to the Allies on May 7, 1945, and Van Dis was discharged two months later, on July 6. He returned to Western Michigan University, then known as Western Michigan College, where he studied business administration. The 6-foot-4 Van Dis also
played three seasons as center for the basketball team. While at Western, he met Vivian Phillips, who would become his wife of 65 years. He graduated in 1948 and went on to have three daughters, Patricia, Jane and Sarah. He continued to work at his uncle’s store, V&A Bootery, where he had worked throughout high school at Kalamazoo Central and college. Then in 1961, his leg started to bother him. “I went to the doctor and he said all he could do was take an X-ray,” Van Dis said. “I went there and the X-ray showed an inch-anda-half bullet in my leg 14 inches away from my scar.” Doctors advised him to leave the bullet, in order to avoid additional nerve damage. He said the metal in his leg only bothers him every once in a while. His trench foot still gives him trouble in the cold, but he said he is grateful to have lived “a normal life.” Van Dis retired from V&A Bootery in 1990 and now spends winters with his wife in Florida. He and his wife still live in the Kalamazoo home they bought in 1977. Van Dis said he has tried to forget his Army days for the most part and didn’t talk about many of his experiences until 2000. He said he thought it was inappropriate for a father of three girls to talk about war but added it was rare for more than a few days to go by without thinking about it. “I remember that as though it were yesterday,” Van Dis said of his service. “You just won’t ever forget it, and you will recall it constantly, and it makes us very grateful for the life we’ve been able to live.”
STEVENSVILLE
Marching band to play in Normandy for 70th D-Day anniversary By Stephen Brooks sbrooks1@mlive.com
One of the traditional perks of being a member of the Lakeshore High School marching band is a trip to Disney World every other year. This year is different. The students will visit Omaha Beach, one of the D-Day landing sites for Allied troops in World War II on the shores of Normandy, France. Three flights departed from Chicago on Tuesday morning carrying 180 members of the Lancer band and color guard, along with 60 chaperones, bound for France. When they landed, they began a week of ceremonies, parades and tours highlighted by a performance at Omaha Beach on Friday’s 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, June 6, 1944. “This project as a whole is so much bigger than what we are,” said Keiley Vieau, a junior drum major. “It’s so much bigger than Lakeshore; it’s so much bigger than marching band; it’s so much bigger than the state of Michigan. It’s bigger than our country. It’s very heavy, but it’s also very humbling that we get to be a part of that in remembering the service people gave so that we could be doing this today.” Lakeshore will be the largest band and Michigan’s lone representative on the trip and will be joined by bands from two other U.S. high schools and the
You’re
invited!
University of Texas. “It’s a tremendous honor to be representing Michigan and the U.S. in France and to remember all of our veterans that have served for us,” Lakeshore High School Principal Mike Mulligan said. The trip is the product of nearly two years of planning, project chairman and band parent Eric Bauchet said. Bauchet, who was born in France, came up with the idea and spoke with band director Lori VonKoenig to get the wheels turning in terms of planning and coordinating the trip. VonKoenig admitted “at first I thought he was just crazy” proposing such an undertaking. She warmed up to the idea, but had two conditions: Every member of the band had to be able to go, and she wanted an official invitation from France to make it “something meaningful.” In September 2013, they received that invitation from the mayor of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French town liberated by Allied troops after the D-Day landings. Through a series of fundraisers, grants and donations, Lakeshore was able to raise $350,000 for the trip, which costs about $750,000 overall, VonKoenig said. Each person paid $1,250 to make the trip happen, and the fundraising subsidized the difference for the actual $3,100 cost per person.
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rained down, and Van Dis likened the scene to the aftermath of a natural disaster, with bodies and damaged equipment strewn haphazardly across the shore. The water, he recalled, was pink from blood. “We went ashore around noon to 1 o’clock, and all the fighting on the beach, per se, was over with,” said Van Dis, 88, of Kalamazoo, recalling his D-Day landing with the 1st Infantry Division. “The beach was being bombed continually from mortars and artillery because they were all zeroed in on the beach. What we did was dug foxholes and stayed near the beach for two nights in the fear of being forced back. That was on your mind continually. You don’t know what you’ve got coming.” Van Dis, a Kalamazoo native, was among more than 30,000 American troops who went ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Of those, more than 2,000 were killed. Six days after the landing, Van Dis was shot in the hip by a .50-caliber round fired from a U.S. tank that mistook him and four fellow Americans for Germans as they fought in the hedgerows 10 miles from the beach. Three of the four men Van Dis was fighting alongside were killed. After a six-week stint in a hospital in England, Van Dis was returned to his outfit to keep fighting. The bullet, to this day, remains lodged in his leg, 14 inches from the point of entry.
row trying to push (the Germans) back the first couple days. On the 12th we were 10 miles in, and we were shooting at Germans in the next hedgerow,” he said. “We were in groups of five, and maybe 50 or 70 yards away there was another group of five. One of our five said, ‘Here come the tanks behind us.’ Our tanks. “Oh, we were thrilled to see them because that would mean they would come through us, and this was a wonderful feeling momentarily ... Then they opened fire on us. They thought we were Germans. Three of our five were killed, and the other person besides myself was hit in the back and I was hit in the hip. I couldn’t walk.” Van Dis said he and the solider who had been hit in the back “stayed there and hoped” not to be taken prisoner in the middle of the field. About four hours later, the men were found by an Army medic, and Van Dis was sent to a hospital in England, still wearing the same uniform he had been wearing when he landed on the beach six days earlier. Van Dis was diagnosed with an in-and-out flesh wound. He spent six weeks at the hospital for treatment before he was sent back to his company. He was eager to return to his comrades, but when he got to his unit he did not recognize anyone. Everyone he had landed with on D-Day had either been injured or killed. “I was so anxious to go see and talk to the people that I had left,” Van Dis said, “and in our outfit, there was not a soul I recognized.”
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Veteran
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
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BIG RAPIDS
GRAND RAPIDS
ELECTION DAY
GR natives first met in 1945 at a hospital in England
They meet again
Polls are open until 8 p.m. in today’s Michigan primary election. There is one statewide ballot proposal (details, bit.ly/ MI-Prop1), along with party primaries for national, state and county seats. You must choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. To see a sample ballot and where you can cast your vote, plug in your address at this link to the Michigan Secretary of State’s website: bit.ly/ MI-ballot. To research candidates and build your own ballot, go to thevoterguide.mlive.com. Check mlive.com for complete statewide coverage as results come in. Find local coverage at The Grand Rapids Press election page: bit.ly/GR-elect
Police explain their approach to dealing with giant party By Heidi Fenton
hfenton@mlive.com
TODAY’S MUST READS
Morris Kleiman, 91, left, and Henry Zlydaszyk, 90, talk Saturday at The Grand Rapids Press hub in downtown Grand Rapids. The two unexpectedly met Saturday after first meeting in a World War II hospital nearly 70 years ago. (Cory Morse/MLive.com)
Eliza Gort is shown at the Kent County Courthouse after a settlement was reached in the Gort family’s lawsuit against Spectrum Health. (Chris Clark/
N
By Sue Thoms
sthoms1@mlive.com
early 70 years after they met in a hospital during World War II, Morris Kleiman and Henry Zlydaszyk recently had an unexpected reunion.
MLive.com)
GRAND RAPIDS
Brain injury lawsuit settled out of court A settlement was reached Monday in a lawsuit against Spectrum Health over a medical error that led to brain damage in a newborn baby, according to an attorney for the family. “No trial. The case has been resolved,” Norm “Skip” Pylman, the attorney for 4-year-old Eliza Gort and her parents, Tim and Regina Gort, said. The settlement was reached on the day the trial was set to begin. Details, A3
It happened Saturday as they were heading into an open house honoring World War II veterans at The Grand Rapids Press Hub downtown. As Kleiman and his wife, Shirley, waited on the sidewalk to enter the office, Zlydaszyk noticed Kleiman’s name, embroidered on his shirt. “Were you in a hospital in England?” asked Zlydaszyk, 90. “Yeah, I was in the hospital,” said Kleiman, 91. And that’s when Zlydaszyk shared his memories of their first meeting. In April 1945, 20-year-old Army Pfc. Henry Zlydaszyk was recovering from a shell concus-
DAILY QUOTE
“ I knew it was wrong.” JOHN BALYO, FORMER CHRISTIAN RADIO HOST WHO IS ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A CHILD. DETAILS, A3
Henry Zlydaszyk shows a picture of himself, far right, with his brothers who served during World War II.
sion at a military hospital in Oswestry, England. Just a few months earlier, he had taken part in the Battle of the Bulge, a bloody battle in the Ardennes region of Belgium in which the Americans suffered 75,000 casualties while holding
NORTHERN ERN ER IRELAND AND D
SCOTLA LAN ND N
IRELAND Dublin
Atlantic Ocean
N
Liverpool ENGLAND
Oswestry London
SEE REUNION, A2
INDEX Advice.......... C10 Classified........B7
Was rave too big to break up? Police from seven agencies who responded to a rave-style party that attracted thousands Saturday night chose to manage the situation from the perimeter, rather than moving in to hand out potentially hundreds of citations. Multiple 911 calls were made about 1:20 a.m. Sunday, about party-goers who had overdosed on drugs at 4708 70th Ave. in Mecosta County’s Hinton Township. The location is southeast of Canadian Lakes. Police and paramedics arrived to find Five Mile Road almost entirely blocked by vehicles near the party location. Dispatchers labeled the party a “mass casualty incident” response, which meant they were calling in every available deputy, officer, trooper and paramedic from Mecosta and neighboring Montcalm and and Isabella counties. But even with the large police response, the party was far more than what police could have handled from the inside, Mecosta County Sheriff Todd Purcell said. At least 2,000 people are believed to have attended. “We were so outnumbered,” Purcell said. Despite the drug use and underage drinking going on — authorities believe the majority of attendees were younger than 21 — police did not attempt to break up the party or go in to hand out citations. They chose instead to manage the scene by allowing the party to continue for several more hours, with multiple police agencies standing by. It was that or risk hundreds of intoxicated drivers fleeing on area roadways. The majority of those drivers were people who do not live in Mecosta County. They did not know the rural roads well, Purcell said. SEE RAVE, A2
(MLive.com)
FEEDBACK Comics ........... C6 Local............... A3
Lottery ............ A2 Nation...........A14
Obituaries.....A11 Opinion.........A16
Sports.............B1 Stocks...........A15
TV ................... C5 Weather........A17
Send your comments to comments@mlive.com.
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Local&More off a fierce German counteroffensive. Zlydaszyk discovered a soldier from his hometown of Grand Rapids was convalescing in the same Quonset hut. Twenty-one-year-old Pfc. Morris Kleiman had endured 90 days in the wintry Ardennes forest and also fought on the front line in the Battle of the Bulge. He had been sick for six weeks with pleurisy and was severely run down. Kleiman was so ill, he doesn’t remember much about the hospital in England — and he doesn’t remember meeting Zlydaszyk. “He was in shock.
He was in bad shape,” Zlydaszyk said. But Zlydaszyk was glad to meet another hometown boy. His parents often shopped at the clothing store Kleiman’s parents owned at Wealthy Street and South Division Avenue. And he knew both families had four sons serving in the military. “I wrote my parents and said, ‘You won’t believe this. I met Morrie Kleiman,’” he said. That was the first Kleiman’s parents knew about his illness. “I hadn’t written in six weeks,” Kleiman said. “I didn’t want them to know I was in the hospital.” Of course, the word was passed on quickly to Kleiman’s parents. And after not hearing from their son for weeks, they
GRAND RAPIDS
were relieved just to know he was still alive. “Communication wasn’t what it is now,” Zlydaszyk said. “There was no email. Nobody had money to make long-distance calls,” Shirley Kleiman said. When he saw Kleiman heading into the open house, Zlydaszyk said it took just a few moments to “put two and two together” and figure out it was the same soldier he met 69 years earlier. Seeing him alive and well felt good, he said. For Kleiman, the meeting brought back memories of the hospital in England — a place he hadn’t thought about in years. “I was awestruck,” Kleiman said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Several shots fired into car on city’s Southeast Side By Darcie Moran
dmoran@mlive.com
Police are investigating a shooting near the intersection of Hall Street, Kalamazoo Avenue and Butler Avenue. Witnesses said a person in a white hoodie approached a car at the intersection and fired five or six shots into the car before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction, according to dispatch traffic. The car then continued
OBITUARIES LIST TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
More results at MLive. com/lottery.
Complete obituaries begin on Page A11. For more information, go to MLive.com.
CONTACT US
BENSON Mary, 84, of Grand Rapids (O’Brien-EggebeenGerst Funeral Home) BOGART Larry, (Ofield Funeral Home) COOPER Louetta, 88, of Grand Rapids (O’Brien-EggebeenGerst Funeral Home) COTT Marie, 96 (Klaassen Family Funeral Home) DEJONGE Douglas, 60 (Zaagman Memorial Chapel) DEYOUNG Robert, 89, of Alma (Lux Funeral Homes) DICE Norma, of Grand Rapids (Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home) DOWNEY Ena, 97 (Pederson Funeral Home) DUNAKIN Darrell, 79, of Grand Rapids (Metcalf & Jonkhoff Funeral Service) FAASSE Martin, 99, of Grand Rapids (Heritage Life Story Funeral Home) HARRINGTON Susan, 72, of Byron Center (Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home) HAVEMAN Ronald, 65, of Allegan (Stroo Funeral Home)
Grand Rapids mlive.com/grand-rapids Julie Hoogland Editor jhoogland@mlive.com 616.222.3503 Tanda Gmiter Managing Producer for Breaking news, Public safety, Multimedia tgmiter@mlive.com 616.914.7432 Kate Nagengast Managing Producer for Business, Entertainment, Health knagenga@mlive.com 616.222.3082 Nate Reens Managing Producer for Education, Government, Sports nreens@mlive.com 616.222.3329 Zane McMillin Community Engagement Specialist zmcmilli@mlive.com 616.490.1060 By Department grnews@mlive.com grsports@mlive.com grbusiness@mlive.com grentertainment@mlive.com grphoto@mlive.com Letters grletters@mlive.com Jamie Dionne Director of Sales jdionne@mlive.com 616.780.0118 Obituaries GRobits@mlive.com 616.222.5696 Customer Service/Delivery customercare@mlive.com 800.878.1411
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A party Saturday in Mecosta County resulted in several people being hospitalized. The remnants of the party were visible Sunday afternoon with trash and liquor bottles strewn across the grass, and a “Project P” sign hanging from a barn. (Darcie Moran/MLive.com)
Rave
to be a challenge that in Purcell’s memory rivaled only a riot in the mid-90s at CONTINUED FROM A1 Ferris State University in Another concern was Big Rapids. potential injury to respondMany teens took to social ing police and paramedics. media in the hours after “We had information the rave, tweeting photos they were not in a copwith a “Project P” Twitter friendly attitude,” Purcell hashtag — modeled after said of those gathered. the 2012 movie, “Project X,” Police remained on the about a large West Coast scene until about 7:30 a.m. party. Sunday The gathering, from all The sheriff had no accounts on social media, record of traffic incidents was planned with the goal in Mecosta County directly of attracting as many peorelated to the party, but ple as possible. An open Michigan State Police invite on Twitter attracted troopers handled a crash visitors from miles around. involving a car that veered But things quickly got into a Mecosta home. out of hand. Authorities Those inside the vehicle said it’s important for reportedly told authorities teens to realize how easthey had come from the ily this can happen as 70th Avenue address. the number of attendees The party’s size proved grows. Mixed with drugs
and alcohol, it’s a recipe for serious trouble. “You have to be aware of the ... safety concerns and issues that could happen,” Purcell said. Five or six people were hospitalized for drug overdoses or other injuries suffered at the party. Among those was a man who jumped off the roof of the home and suffered a serious neck injury, Purcell said. Another 19-year-old woman was dropped off at a police staging area after reports of a sexual assault. Police continue to investigate what happened to her. A report has been forwarded to the Mecosta County Prosecutor’s Office for review and potential charges against the host.
BOYS
to Stephanie and Jason Allaire; July 30: Joel Arthur to Michelle and Andrew Styf GIRLS
Allendale: July 18: Makenzie Lynn to Erica and Ben Postma; July 25: Jordyn Grace to Kelsey and Edmond Moore Byron Center: July 23: Jaelyn Mattie to Allison and Eric Helmholdt Cedar Springs: July 9: Marlena Grace to Crystal Stuart and David Stuart Jr. Comstock Park: June 25: Charlotte Olivia to Kelly and James Hudson Grand Rapids: July 20: Lydia Maybelle to Alexis Keillor and Paul Scheer; July 21: Maggie Grace to Maria and Kirk Kauffman; July 20: Katherine Elizabeth to Barbara and William Karenko-Saxton; July 7: Alexandra Mae to Heidi and Matthew Van Kirk; July 19: Zoey Elizabeth to Stacey Robertson and Anthony Coffey; July 23: Lena Marie to Nicole and Rudy Fleminger Holland: July 25: Robin Sarah to Jennifer and Mark Finnigan Hudsonville: July 30: Harlow Mae to Emily Quigley Ionia: July 24: Madelyn Skye to Erin Ranville Jenison: May 21: Ellison Mae to Hailey and Nathaniel Allen; June 9: Madelyn Nicole to Jillian and Bradley Ledger Kent City: July 26: Dallas Jade to Amy and Edward Stein Walker: July 22: Madison Lynn to Amanda and David Nawara Wyoming: July 21: Madeline Elizabeth to Caitlin and Christo-
KELLOGG Ruth, 92, of Howard City (Heckman Funeral Home) KOSTER Walter, 88, of Grand Rapids (O’Brien-EggebeenGerst Funeral Home) KRAUT Rachel, 92 LASS Dorothy, 99 (Cook Funeral Home) LESTER Wayne, 89, of Kentwood (Stroo Funeral Home) MALSKI Kristi, 41 (Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuaries) OLEWINSKI Marie, 81, of Grand Rapids (Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuaries) PALAZZOLO Julius, 93, of Spring Hill, FL (Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuaries) PRELWITZ Barbara, (KubiakCook Funeral Home) TALSMA Josie, 90 (KubiakCook Funeral Home) TAYLOR David, 82, of Mesick (Life Story Funeral Home, Traverse City) TILMA Jean, of Caledonia (Zaagman Memorial Chapel) VEREECKEN Benjamin, 82, of Grand Rapids (Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuaries) WORKMAN Jack, 82, of Green Lake (Stroo Funeral Home) WULFF Irene, 95, of Rockford (Bliss-Witters and Pike Funeral Home)
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BIRTHS Byron Center: July 24: Ian William to Karen and Michael Hayes Coopersville: July 18: John Tyler to Katie and John Kludy Dorr: July 25: Trey Robert to Bridget and Josua Ewing Grand Rapids: July 18: Tyellus to Brytani Mitchell; June 19: Poet to Danielle and Venson Dix Greenville: July 24: Tristian Scott to Felicia Hall and Ethan Waddell Hastings: June 26: Brooks Michael to Andrea and Michael Courtright Holland: July 30: Marshall Parker to Meghan and Benjamin Lopez; July 31: Thomas Allan to Jill and Jeff Schepers Jenison: July 19: Brayden James to Kayla Smart Kentwood: July 25: Reece Jordan to Brittnee and Omari Larkins Middleville: July 23: Gabriel Alexander to Alisha Hain and Anthony Curtis Norton Shores: July 22: Brandon Zachary to Tracy and Daniel VanderHeide Rockford: July 21: Joeylee Douglas to Jackie and Allan Loveland; July 22: Jaxson Ronald to Tara Pannill and Ryan Pettey; July 17: Brennan Andrew to Brittany and Andrew Roberts Wayland: July 24: Noah Edward to Jennifer and John Schnittker Wyoming: July 24: Mason James to Sabrina Overkleeft and Jordan Yonkers; Aug. 1: Jonah Malachi to Amy and Joshua Steiner Zeeland: July 30: Tatum Michael
on before stalling. The incident was reported about 9:30 p.m. to dispatchers as a potential carjacking. A person might have been taken from the car to a hospital. A gunshot vitim arrived at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital shortly after the incident, according to dispatch traffic. Police found blood on the steering wheel and driver’s seat.
pher Marfia; July 21: Nevayah Rose to Marissa Morales and Jamie Kipp Zeeland: July 25: Emma Jean to Megan and Tyler Brondyke; July 26: Roslyn Marie to Amber and Brandon Moore; July 29: Anora Robin to Sarah and William Boes
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MICHIGAN HONORS: WWII VETERANS
TODAY’S MUST READS
Vets’ memories bitter and sweet
ANN ARBOR
Provost says high enrollment strains U-M The University of Michigan’s record freshman class put a strain on the university, provost Martha Pollack said at the regents meeting Thursday. “We had hoped to shrink the freshman class by about 250 to 300 students,” Pollack said. After receiving a record number of freshman applications — nearly 50,000 — the university admitted more than 6,500 of them, but soon found there was not enough on-campus housing to accommodate the large class, and that class sizes also were cramped. Details, A3
E
By Ben Freed
benfreed@mlive.com
ANN ARBOR
The University of Michigan Board of Regents unanimously approved a $168 million proposal Thursday to build a multi-use facility for its Division I Olympic sports. In addition to the athletic improvements, regents also approved $23.5 million for renovations at University Hospital. The hospital also will get a $4.5 million fire detection and alarm system. Details, A4
Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje, who will retire this fall, addresses the Rotary Club on Wednesday. (Ryan Stanton/MLive.com)
Mayor reflects on tenure at Rotary lunch
“
This is the first I’ve ever heard about it.” ANN ARBOR RESIDENT AND SMOKER BOB LAWSON, ABOUT AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING SMOKING AT AAATA BUS STOPS. DETAILS, A5
INSIDE Portraits capture some of the World War II veterans living in the Ann Arbor Area, A10-A11
Their stories, told to Ann Arbor News reporters, are on Page A9.
(Patrick Record/MLive.com)
ANN ARBOR
Whitmore Lake annexation divides school board By Amy Biolchini
amybiolchini@mlive.com
As the days to the November election tick away, members of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education aren’t all on the same page when it comes to annexing Whitmore Lake schools. Though voters in both districts will have the final say Nov. 4 on the proposal, some members of the Ann Arbor board are feeling the pressure of the impending
deadline and are concerned about a lack of information. Some have said publicly they don’t support annexation. Others are solidly behind it. If voters approve the annexation, AAPS will take over the 1,000-student Whitmore Lake district and its buildings. Tax rates for residents of both districts are expected to change, as would the amount of money Ann Arbor gets from the state for every pupil.
While some of the paperwork on the annexation issue has progressed rapidly in the past several months, details — such as the impact on tax rates — have been slow to develop. Three things are up in the air: • The consolidation grant: AAPS has applied for a $4.3 million grant from the state for the business costs associated with consolidation. There are 33 applications for $4.3 million worth of grant money. The results of that
INDEX Advice............ G6 Classified........D1
Hand-in-hand with the memories of World War II veterans are memorabilia from their war days. Many of those who attended The Ann Arbor News open house shared photos, medals and more along with their stories. At center, Carl Heldt holds a photo of himself when he served with the U.S. Navy. Surrounding images show items brought by Walter Gembrowski, Peter Sisoy, Betsy Chamberlain, Tom Adamson, Jim Cook, Fred Chase, Jack Trembath, Larry Jones, Ray Hakenberg, Ralph Skadsen, Bob Wilkens, James P. Wong, Bill Martin, Joseph Gerbhard, Max Garber, Wilfred Scheuer and Irving Feller. Get a closer look at the objects and the faces that go with them. All are online at mlive.com/ ann-arbor.
ONLINE Delve into MLive’s yearlong Michigan Honors project: bit.ly/mlive-veterans
James P. Wong • Dale Burgess Arnold Penney • Joseph Bohrer Norman Baker • Arthur Dersham Robert ‘Rip’ Prieskorn
ANN ARBOR
DAILY QUOTE
very veteran has a story.
They are stories that tell, in one breath, of brushes with death, massive destruction and fighting for survival. In the next, they reveal touching memories of kindness and camaraderie. On Sept. 14, The Ann Arbor News welcomed 86 World War II veterans and their families to its offices for an open house that put storytelling at the forefront. As members of the Greatest Generation came together, they began sharing memories with each other, with their families and with us. In the 1940s, these men and women did their duty and returned home to start careers, marry, build houses and raise families. Most didn’t look back. Many kept to themselves what they had done and seen. We could not capture every story during the event, but The Ann Arbor News will continue to publish profiles of these men and women over the next few months as part of MLive’s Michigan Honors project. Inside, meet seven of the veterans who attended our open house:
Board OKs athletic, hospital improvements
As he prepares to retire in November, Mayor John Hieftje is reflecting on his 14 years in office and where he hopes to see the city go from here. Hieftje, a lifelong Ann Arbor resident and the city’s longestserving mayor, gave his final speech as mayor before the Ann Arbor Rotary Club on Wednesday. Details, A12
TAILGATE WEDDING, THEN GAME
grant will be announced at the end of September. • The foundation allowance increase: As the law is written now, AAPS would receive $100 more per student per year if it annexed Whitmore Lake. There’s a bill request in to change the law to give $150 more per student per year. • The change in tax rates: The Michigan Department of SEE ANNEXATION, A6
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AN SUNDAY
THE ANN ARBOR NEWS / SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 / A9
Michigan Honors ANN ARBOR
Meet seven who served in World War II Dale Burgess
Editor’s note: Here are stories from a few of the veterans who visited The Ann Arbor News open house last Sunday, as collected by News writers Ben Freed, Lizzy Alfs, Matt Durr and Janet Miller.
A first lieutenant in the Army Air Force, Dale Burgess, 91, served a majority of his time in New Guinea and the Philippines as a bomber escort. “I always wanted to be a Burgess pilot. I always made model planes as a kid,” Burgess said. As part of his duties, Burgess flew a P-38 on bombing attacks on enemy bridges, trains and shipping routes. Burgess was sworn in May 27, 1942, and wasn’t called up to the cadets until November of that year. Once he saw action, Burgess completed 131
James P. Wong, holds photographs of himself when he was serving with the U.S. Navy. (Patrick Record/MLive.com)
James P. Wong James P. Wong enlisted in the Navy shortly after he turned 18. “I was patriotic,” said Wong, 89, a Chinese American and the only nonwhite sailor to serve on the destroyer escort USS Fieberling. “I really felt it was my duty as a young Wong guy. My three brothers all went to war.” His ship patrolled the waters in the South Pacific, guarding U.S. submarines and destroyers. His job as gunner’s mate 2nd class: to man two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and shoot down Japanese Kamikaze planes. “Our job was to be a hunter/killer group,” he said. “It was very scary. You were shooting at people who are not afraid of dying. If you didn’t hit them, they would hit you.” As the ship’s photographer, Wong was assigned to go ashore at Hiroshima
two days after the dropping of the atomic bomb. He still has pictures of the devastation he witnessed that day. “I couldn’t believe that something could do so much damage,” he said. There were no signs of life. Just the gray dust and rubble. Wong’s son, James P. Wong Jr., said his father didn’t talk much about the war when he was growing up. However, he said that has changed in recent years. The servicemen who went ashore at Hiroshima were told of the dangers of radiation. “They were young and dumb,” he said. But the younger Wong said his father’s health was impacted by his service. He has suffered a severe hearing loss owed to the loud thunder of the anti-aircraft guns he fired.
missions and flew 452 combat hours. He said he shot down only one enemy plane. Following his active-duty service, Burgess remained in the Army Reserve, obtaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. He also graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in chemical engineering. He lives in Ann Arbor, where he is an active member of American Legion Post 46. “I was glad to have served and helped. I was glad that I got home, too, that was the best part,” Burgess said about his service. Dale Burgess shows ribbons he earned with the U.S. Army Air Force. (Patrick
Norman Baker, 90, served as a U.S. Army Quartermaster for four years. (Katie McLean/MLive.com)
Norman Baker Ann Arbor resident Norman Baker, 90, is proud to have served as Army quartermaster during World War II seven decades ago. Drafted at 18, Baker said he was “young and active” and ready to serve. “My first thought when I was drafted was, ‘Me?’ But you had three meals a day and transportation. You were always taken care of,” he said. Baker’s job was to deliver supplies to Army units and soldiers, and he
Record/MLive.com)
said most of his time was spent traveling. His position took him across the U.S. and Europe. “We got supplies to people: ammunition, clothing, coats, food, water. We delivered whatever the Army was using at the time,” he said. Baker’s most memorable experience in the Army: arriving in Paris for the first time. “I made a lot of friends and got to do a lot of traveling. It was a way to see the country,” he said.
Arnold Penney, 92, served in the U.S. Army Cavalry for four years. (Katie
Arthur Dersham Like Joseph Bohrer, Arthur Dersham was based in England and flew bomber missions over continental Europe with the Army Air Force. A native of Ann Arbor, Dersham Dersham was featured in The Ann Arbor News in 1945 for returning home from “impossible missions.” “I went twice over Berlin, and that’s where we lost our engine,” he said. “We had two engines go out, one of them over the target. Our plane was badly damaged by fire, but we managed to make it back to our base. It was quite close, though.” Dersham flew 27
bomber runs over Europe before switching to weather observation flights. “We would go up 20,000 feet and have all these instruments that took readings so that they could tell what the weather was for the other planes,” he said. Dersham, 87, lives in Ann Arbor and, until 2010, traveled every year to squadron reunions. For many years, he worked as a camera repairman for Argus Camera and still is involved with the company. Despite a number of close calls in the air, Dersham said he doesn’t consider himself a hero. “The heroes are still over there,” he said.
McLean/ MLive.com)
Arnold Penney
Robert Prieskorn, 93, served 44 months in the U.S. Marine Corps. (Katie McLean/MLive.com)
Robert ‘Rip’ Prieskorn Robert I. “Rip” Prieskorn returned to Guam many decades after he helped liberate the island during WWII. He saw the regular tourist spots, but he wanted more. He wanted to find the foxhole — a dugout piece of coral near the beach — that had protected him during his tour as a signalman. He worked with Navajo code talkers during the war, setting up communications to the front line in the South Pacific. His daughter warned him the foxhole probably was long gone, replaced by a WalMart or something. But Prieskorn, 92, was determined, and remembered the exact spot. With
the help of a guide, he was able to find it — still intact. “I stood in my foxhole and cried,” said Prieskorn, who still can fit into his green wool dress uniform. “I thought about how very, very lucky I was.” While Prieskorn fought in battle, “Never once did I load my rifle,” he said, even when in harm’s way. “Each evening, the Japanese bombed the island,” he said, and one morning he and another Marine woke up to find a bomb that hadn’t detonated nestled between them, he said. “We gingerly picked up this 500-pound bomb and took it to the ocean. Then, we got the hell out of there.”
Arnold Penney wanted to follow his buddies into the Air Force, but he failed the eye test because he was color blind. His second choice was to enlist with the horse cavalry in the Army. He chose serving in the Pacific over Europe, he said. “I didn’t want to fight in the cold and snow.” But he soon discovered there wasn’t much use for horses on the jungle islands of New Guinea and Guam, and Penney found himself working reconnaissance as a platoon leader. “I worked behind the lines, in special ops,” he said. “We tried to find the enemy.” Before the war ended, he served on an amphibious tank in the Dutch East Indies, modern-day Indonesia. Penney, 91, kept piles of documents from his service days — letters home to his folks, a diary. Here are some excerpts: • Ambush with the infantry. Lost three men. Slept with water and mud up to my neck.” — Diary entry, New Guinea • “Still fighting. Went
to help infantry pinned down. Tank put out of action. Killed 110 with #1 and #3.” — Diary entry, New Guinea • “Went to hospital for a week.” — Diary entry • “Steak today. Feeling good.” There are stories of everyday life and brushes with death. “There was a guy who had a bakery in Long Island in civilian life,” Penney said. No matter where they were, the man would bake a cake for each soldier’s birthday. “But there’s no way to sugar-coat things,” Penney said. “War is hell.” One evening as Penney was bunking down, a Japanese solider attacked him. He put up a fight and killed the soldier. “It was either him or me,” Penney said. From that day on, he said, he has worn the soldier’s dog tags around his neck. “I’ve wondered, how did I make it through. Why me?” Penney said. “Every day, you were just scared, but when the battle started, you forgot being scared.”
Joseph Bohrer, 92, served in the U.S. Army Air Force for three years. He holds his customized eagle-head cane. (Katie McLean/ MLive.com)
Joseph Bohrer Joseph Bohrer wore a number of hats in the Army Air Force, including that of a radar “mickey” operator. “My job was to give fixes (course headings and bomb-dropping angles) to the pilot,” he said. Bohrer “At that time, it was usually solid cloud cover over the continent, so you had no idea where you were going. I would give the navigator fixes, and he would plot them. We were the lead crew and we had to lead the squadron around the flak placements.” One of his duties as
mickey operator was sometimes being the one to drop the bombs out of the airplane, if the pilot and navigator were occupied. Bohrer, who is 88 and lives in Ann Arbor, flew 23 missions over Europe from his base in England before coming home to Detroit at the end of the war. “When I got home, my wife said, ‘We’re getting married or I’m going to find someone else.’ She said, ‘I waited three years for you; we’re going to do this.’ So, I got married in January 1946.”
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COMEBACKS BECOMING COMMONPLACE TODAY’S MUST READS KALAMAZOO
Man sentenced for drug, firearm possession A convicted felon on parole, Octavius Snell stamped his “one-way ticket” back to prison in May when he hid drugs inside his mother’s home and fired a gun near the scene of 13-yearold Michael Day’s slaying, a Kalamazoo judge said Monday. Circuit Judge Alexander Lipsey sentenced Snell to 34 months to 10 years in prison for firearm possession by a felon in the May 26 shooting of Michael in Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood. He also sentenced Snell to a mandatory two years for felony use of a firearm. Details, A3
MARCHING BANDS EARN TOP HONORS
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Honoring veterans is our daily duty T hey are leaving us every day, FROM THE EDITOR and the youngest among them is getting close to 90 Mickey y years old. lo We knew as the 70th anniver- Ciokajlo mciokajl@mlive.com mlive.com sary of D-Day approached that now is the time to recognize our World War II veterans — those who saw Pearl Harbor attacked; those who eagerly signed up — Michigan Honors project, which sometimes even though they included the names of more than weren’t quite of age — to defend 3,000 living World War II veterour country; those who came ans in Michigan, plus dozens of home and built our country, built feature stories and eight events the middle class and became the across the state to honor them. Greatest Generation. On Thursday, we will host one MLive’s commitment to salute more event, this time at the state these veterans became our Capitol with Gov. Rick Snyder as
ESCANABA
Bell’s partners with U.P. brewery Upper Hand Brewery, a division of Bell’s Brewery Inc., held a grand opening Monday in Escanaba. The $1.3 million facility is in the Delta County Airport Renaissance Zone. The brewery contains a 20-barrel brewing system capable of producing 200,000 gallons of beer each year. Upper Hand employs five people. An open house is planned at Upper Hand from noon to 5 p.m. on Dec. 6. Details, A3
A sign alongside the road welcomes veterans to Eagle’s Healing Nest in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. (AP)
Minnesota woman helps vets heal
Today is the day set aside for the nation’s veterans. But, in a small Minnesota town, a woman has built a retreat intended to do more than honor vets — at the Eagle’s Healing Nest, they can find renewal. Details, A13
DAILY QUOTE ... proves GM has “notThis been forthright.” PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY ROBERT HILLIARD ABOUT GENERAL MOTORS ORDERING REPLACEMENT IGNITION SWITCHES BEFORE TELLING THE GOVERNMENT SOME CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED. DETAILS, A14
the keynote speaker, to recognize our veterans. In reality, the seed for this idea was planted 20 years ago. Just weeks before the 50th anniversary of D-Day, I visited Normandy while studying abroad in college. Stepping inside a German pillbox and seeing markers for fallen American soldiers near Omaha Beach put into new perspective a war that for me had previously been confined to books and movies. This is real and yet, too quickly, it is fading into history.
James Devine was photographed July 31 while visiting the Kalamazoo Gazette hub. He died 11 days later. (MLive.com files) SEE VETERANS, A2
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Disappointing deer numbers expected again as firearm season nears
The hunt is on By Ryan Shek
rshek@mlive.com
Hunters in Southwest Michigan might see more deer beginning with Saturday’s opening day of firearm season than last year, but the deer herd is still down significantly from previous years as it recovers from disease outbreaks that ravaged the population in 2012. “It takes time for a harvest to start to creep up again,” said Steve Chadwick, the regional wildlife supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural resources in Plainwell. “(In 2013), guys were having some success, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the year before — some counties saw a 50 percent drop. “It all depends on where you hunt. There are high-quality habitats down to low-quality habitats — (habitats) without food, water or cover.” “Back when we had a high number of deer, those deer were living in low-quality spots. I don’t think the deer have occupied those areas yet (this season). “I would guess harvest will be better than last year, but probably still below pre-EHD levels.” Chadwick said it should take at least one or two years for Southwest Michigan’s deer herd to fully recover from epizootic hemorrhagic disease, a viral disease transmitted by midge flies that killed Michigan deer at unprecedented levels in 2012. That year, there were nearly 15,000 reported cases of the virus, the vast majority of which came from counties in Southwest and Central Michigan. “We’d call it a major die-off,” said Sarah Schaefer, a wildlife biologist for the DNR. “Farmers and landowners
Cindy McQueer, a secretary with the DNR, pulls a buck from the bed of a truck. (Submitted photo)
would call (us out) to their property reporting (many) cases. “(Deer infected with EHD) get a high fever and need water. There are some areas with concentrated amounts of water, and deer ... would gather at one stream — we did go to some areas where deer were piled up,” Schaefer said. “The thing that really started getting your attention was the smell. You could smell the death before you saw it, and when you saw it, you knew it wasn’t right.” According to the 2013 Michigan Deer Harvest survey published by the DNR, the number of antlerless deer and antlered bucks harvested fell statewide by more than 35,000 from 2011 to 2013. EHD, combined with harsh winters in the Upper Peninsula, caused much of the decline. DNR biologist Mark Mills said
the agency expects to record similar harvest rates in 2014 as the deer population stabilizes across the region. “If you look at the history,” Mills said, “we had just got the deer herd to where we really wanted it be. “After EHD, people were saying the deer were gone, but the herd is doing pretty well this year compared to what people feared — the population is lower than what we’ve seen in the past, but we’ve been seeing more and more deer these last two years.” Mills said data from car-deer collisions, a statistic used to gauge the deer population, shows how the number of deer has increased in some counties and declined in others from 2012-13. The sporadic numbers point to the localized impact of the disease. “If you look at the new car
INDEX Advice.......... C10 Classified......A17
collision data — we’re living the aftermath of (EHD),” Mills said. “Barry (County) has a pretty high (deer) population, but collisions were down 20 percent. Kalamazoo County increased by 6 percent, (which is) an indicator that not much has happened there.” In addition, Mills said car-deer collisions were up in Branch and Van Buren Counties and down slightly in St. Joseph County. In Allegan County, car-deer collisions dropped by more than 9 percent, leading the DNR to set new hunting quotas on private and public lands there. In Allegan County, the hunting limit for private antlerless deer is down from 8,000 to 5,000 from 2013. Public land quotas are down as well. SEE DEER, A2
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KA DAILY
A2 / TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE
Local&More Midday Daily 3: 017 Midday Daily 4: 2651 Daily 3: 680 Daily 4: 6003 Fantasy 5: 4, 9, 10, 38, 39 Poker Lotto: Queen of Hearts, 2 of Clubs, 5 of Diamonds, Ace of Spades, 5 of Clubs Keno: 4, 10, 13, 22, 29, 31, 33, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 49, 51, 61, 67, 72, 74, 75, 77, 78 Monday’s Fantasy 5 jackpot was worth $123,000. Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot is worth $20 million. Wednesday’s Classic Lotto 47 jackpot is worth $1 million. Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot is worth $40 million. More results at MLive. com/lottery.
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Police find missing man’s body, cite suicide
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Imagine, I thought, if the year was 1934 and we had one last opportunity to recognize and document living Civil War veterans before we lost them to history. The Michigan Honors idea started small. I thought maybe we could do something for the Kalamazoo-area veterans. It grew into so much more. It grew into a statewide effort to document and give back to our World War II veterans. We announced Michigan Honors on April 29, informing readers of our plan to build a database in which we would recognize our living World War II veterans and give them and their families a platform to share their stories. At the same time, our reporters fanned out across the state looking for veterans to profile. The first set of stories were published June 3. We met Alfred Murphy, of Rochester Hills, who flew more than 30 missions over Germany on a B-17. And we met Clifford Kent, of Muskegon County, who was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. In Kalamazoo, we shared the story of Melvin Van Dis, who went ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day. These are but a few examples of the many stories we told from our World War II veterans. They were powerful. Hearing their voices on video put us there. And seeing their pictures, from black-and-white images of youthful men in uniform to present-day photos of white-haired civilians, helped convey the strong sense of the living history among us. At the same time, on some level, they were still just stories in the newspaper and on the website. Important and powerful stories, yes, but there they were mingled in with the other news of the day. That soon changed. On July 31, we hosted an open house in our news hub in downtown Kalamazoo and invited World War II veterans to join us. We offered to take portraits and shoot video of the veterans telling their stories. More than anything, I hoped the veterans would enjoy the opportunity to meet with each other. We weren’t sure how many people to expect. Then, about 30 minutes before the open house was scheduled to begin, veterans and their families
By Alex Mitchell
amitche5@mlive.com
The body of Fred Thomas Garnish, a 28-year-old man who was sought by Portage police last month after failing to appear for a court hearing, was located Saturday in Oceana County, according to Portage Public Safety Lt. Brian VanDenbrink. Police previously asked for the public’s help in
Deer
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“One of the hardest-hit places was the Kalamazoo River Corridor (in Allegan County),” Mills said. “It’s part of the reason why you’ve seen the (public land) antlerless deer quota drop from 900 down to 200. “(By) reducing the number of tags this year, we’re lightening some of that pressure off the antlerless deer population.” Mills said the new quotas will be in place for three years, though quota reduction isn’t the only step the DNR has taken to improve the health of the deer herd. According to Chadwick, 2012’s major outbreak of EHD gave the DNR enough reasons to restructure its Southwest Michigan Deer Management Unit into smaller county-level entities. The new structure allows the DNR to respond to specific environmental factors with local policy changes. “We had already talked about breaking the DMUs into smaller units based on regional considerations and ecological factors; (after 2012) we changed the DMU so we could better allocate licenses and adjust licenses for the harder-hit (areas). “We’re taking measures to address shrinking deer populations and have a little better ability to put hunters where we want them to be.” Chadwick said the DNR is studying EHD in eastern Ionia and western Clinton counties in an effort to protect deer populations. “We are looking at how quickly the deer herd can recover from events
James Devine is pictured during World War II. James Devine, 96, of Portage, died just days after attending the Michigan Honors open house at the Kalamazoo Gazette hub. (Submitted photo)
started showing up. And they kept coming. The next thing I knew, our office was filled with veterans and their loved ones. Some brought pictures of themselves in uniform. Others had selfpublished books they had written. Glen Atkinson carried a framed photograph of a fighter plane he had flown from an aircraft carrier. While waiting to have his picture taken, he met Don Braymer, who served as an airplane mechanic on an aircraft carrier. Little connections like that made the event such a rewarding experience on a personal level. Throughout the open house, veterans and their family members were thanking me and the Kalamazoo Gazette staff for bringing them together and giving them an opportunity to connect and share stories. It was incredibly humbling to have these veterans, who had fought for our freedom, thanking us for the open house. Similar events were held later in newsroom hubs all over the state, from Flint to Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor to Muskegon. On Thursday, we will hold one more in the Capitol building in Lansing. As our Kalamazoo hub was filled with all of those veterans who served our country in World War II, the true impact of the Michigan Honors project finally struck me.
Two months later, the daughter of one of the veterans contacted me, asking if she could get a copy of the photograph we had taken of her father. We had two. One was a picture of James Devine in the middle of the hub. Other veterans can be seen in the background talking to each other as the 96-year-old Portage man looks into the camera. The other picture is a more formal portrait. Connie Beaubien reached out to me because her father died just 11 days after he attended our veterans event. James Devine grew up in Detroit and was drafted into the Army after he graduated from the University of Detroit. He always felt blessed because he was stationed in the relatively safe location of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska during World War II. “The Lord blessed me,” Devine wrote in the Michigan Honors database. “He kept me out of harm’s way.” Beaubien told me her father had a group of friends from the war who lived all over the country, and they would reunite each year in a different location. “I believe Dad was the last man left,” she said. “They were truly a great generation.” Yes, they were. And it has been our absolute privilege to honor them. To honor them now and make sure we never forget.
Businesses pay tribute to veterans jlibert1@mlive.com
Several Kalamazoo-area restaurants will honor veterans by offering complimentary meals or discounts for Veterans Day. Here is a rundown of some of the specials today:
Portage. A military ID or proof of service is needed for the complimentary offer. For information, call 269-343-3600. TEXAS CORRAL
The Texas Roadhouse, 7039 S. Westnedge Ave. in Portage, is offering free lunch to any active, retired or former U.S. military personnel. They can choose one of 10 entrees, including a 6-ounce sirloin steak and two sides, plus a non-alcoholic beverage. The deal runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. For more information, call 269-323-7427.
Military personnel will get a free entree at the Texas Corral in Portage during Veterans Day. The restaurant, 5519 W. Main St., in Kalamazoo Township will have a special Veterans Day menu that includes a 6-ounce sirloin steak, country fried chicken, a 7-ounce pork chop and other options. The offer is good all day and for dine-in service only. A military ID or proof of service is required. For info, call 269-344-8590.
BD’S MONGOLIAN GRILL
DENNY’S
Veterans and active duty military personnel will receive a free stir fry meal at BD’s Mongolian Grill at 5311 S. Westnedge Ave. in
Veterans can receive a free Grand Slam as part of the restaurant’s celebration of Veterans Day. The location at 3817 Cork St. in
TEXAS ROADHOUSE
TUESDAY, NOV. 11, 2014 Complete obituaries are on Page A12. For more information, go to MLive.com.
Kalamazoo will offer the deal from 5 a.m. to noon today. For more information, call 269-342-4633. For more participating Denny locations in the region, go to locations.dennys.com.
EUBANK Paul, 87, Mattawan (Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, Kalamazoo) GOEBEL Joshua Douglas, 37, Traverse City, formerly of Delton (Williams-Gores Funeral Home) MARTIN Carol Ann, 64, South Branch Twp. (Sorenson-Lock-
APPLEBEE’S
The two local Applebee’s locations will offer free meals for veterans and active duty military all day. The restaurants, 5330 W. Main St. and 6675 S. Westnedge Ave., in Portage, have a Veterans Day menu featuring several options, including a burger, shrimp plate, 7-ounce sirloin steak, and more. The Kalamazoo location is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and the Portage location is open from 11 a.m. to midnight. You can view the menu online atapplebees. com/VeteransDayMenu. For more information, call 269-382-4448 (Kalamazoo) or 269-324-1496 (Portage).
Jim Mathis, 31, of Martin, shot a young buck last year on opening day. Firearm season begins Saturday. (MLive.com files)
like this,” Chadwick said. “EHD itself has been around for a long time, but relatively little is known about it. “Even though we had this devastating natural event, we are trying to capitalize and learn everything we can.” The biggest thing, biologist Sarah Schaefer said, is for hunters not to overreact to sparser herds. “It’s emotionally traumatic to see dead deer in August and September,” Schaefer said. “It does something to psyche and makes it seems (as if) the sky is falling.” “(But) the biggest thing is for people not to overreact; instead of seeing 50 to 75 deer (in a herd), people may see 25 to 30. Hunters need to know that number (is closer) to optimal population. “It’s not like people shouldn’t be out hunting and harvesting a deer for their freezers — the population is healthy here. Mostly, we just need to let (the deer) do what they do. “And if (hunters) are not seeing as many, then maybe don’t shoot as many. “It’s primarily private land owners who determine whether or not the triggers are pulled.”
OBITUARIES LIST
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
By John Liberty
locating Garnish, who was last seen Oct. 13 after failing to appear for a court hearing in Ottawa County regarding a sexual assault charge. Police, who had warned Garnish could be suicidal, confirmed Monday he ended his own life. VanDenbrink said Garnish’s body was found by hunters Saturday, but police were not able to identify him until Monday.
wood Funeral Home) TOPP Evelyn, 96, Sparta (Hessel-Cheslek Funeral Home) WHIPPLE Allen, 63, Portage, Michigan (Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home) WOODWARD Larry, Grand Rapids ZIEGELMANN Eleonore Frances, 82, Portage (Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Portage Chapel)
HONORING OUR SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN
Mlive Media Group offers a 20% discount on veteran obituaries.
4807603-06
Results from Monday:
Veterans
GSN-1310
LOTTERY
A10 / SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS
Michigan Honors
More than 100 veterans and their families fill the Capitol rotunda in Lansing for a reception in their honor. The event Thursday was part of MLive Media Group’s yearlong Michigan Honors project, chronicling the living Michigan veterans of World War II. LANSING
WWII vets honor us with their presence
T
By Emily Lawler
elawler@mlive.com
he event didn’t start until 11 a.m., but Michigan’s World War II veterans started arriving at the state Capitol hours before. Soon, they packed the building’s fourth floor with memories from the Greatest Generation. Gov. Rick Snyder spoke at the event Thursday, recalling that his cousin who served had been presumed dead until he showed up on his grandparents’ doorstep. “You were that role model for many of us,” Snyder told the veterans. More than 300 people, including more than 100 World War II veterans, attended Thursday’s event. Gov. Rick Snyder said it was the fullest he had seen the rotunda. “Over the last four years, I’ve done a number of events in the rotunda, but this is a special one,” he said. MLive Media Group started the Michigan Honors project in April to chronicle the stories and contributions of Michigan’s World War II veterans. MLive Media Group President Dan Gaydou said Thursday that MLive had chronicled more than 3,500 World War II veterans up to that point. “Your memories are real and not to be imagined. And they were stories of great sacrifice in a time of immense crisis and conflict,” Gaydou said, recounting several stories the company had gathered from talking to Michigan’s veterans this year. Jeff Barnes, director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, Debi Hollis, president of the Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial, and Carl Kentner, a vet and docent at the Capitol, also spoke at the event. The veterans had their portraits taken by MLive photographers and recounted their stories to reporters. Frank Keller, 88, came from Gould City in the Upper Peninsula to Lansing to be at the event. He served in the Navy during World War II, and his claim
World War II veteran Joseph Nowak, 90, of Taylor, raises his hat as he waves to his family on another floor.
Above, World War II veterans and their families listen as MLive Media Group President Dan Gaydou addresses the group at the Capitol. Left, Gov. Rick Snyder shakes hands with veterans.
World War II veteran Ed Roenicke, 90, of Bridgeport, gets his portrait taken during the Michigan Honors event.
É HONOR ROLL
and the American Legion, both of
Engadine. See the faces of more than His youngest daughter told 100 World War II veterans him about the event, and memMLive photographed in Lansing, bit.ly/capitolveterans bers of his family came with him.
“I’ve done a number of events in the rotunda, but this is a special one.” GOV. RICK SNYDER
to fame was not getting seasick. “We did ride out three typhoons,” he said. When the seas got too rough and his fellow servicemen were sick, he would be called on to jump into action. Now, he’s part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Asa Fortier, 90, came from Clio. “I just wanted to come where other veterans were and meet ’em,” said Fortier. He was an Army medic during the war and worked to identify the dead after the Pearl Harbor attack. He recalled getting out of the army on Halloween night. He didn’t have a costume that year. “I just went out and bought store clothes. No uniform,” he said. Bob Swanson, 88, traveled from Grand Rapids through snowy road conditions. “Last week, the weatherman said it was going to be 48 today. He’s no good,” Swanson said.
He said one thing that made an impression on him in the service was that “it was a machine.” He did construction for the Navy and was impressed with how quickly the military was able to get supplies and materials from place to place. Thursday was his first time at the state Capitol. While his hearing isn’t what it once was and he mostly uses a wheelchair, Charles Zanger’s memory still is very clear of what it was like to serve his country in WWII. “We got a letter from Uncle Sam requesting our presence,” said Zanger, 94, of East Lansing,
Photos by Jake May/MLive.com
describing the draft letter he received on Sept. 13, 1941. He was living in Hillsdale at the time. He was sent to Italy where he suffered a shrapnel wound in battle and later received the Purple Heart. Zanger said he is grateful for his opportunity to serve his country. He said he would not change one thing about going to war and would recommend that others give some form of service to the nation. “Absolutely, you should,” he said. “I was proud of the fact that I did it because, now, I’m speaking English and not Japanese. “Keep us free.”
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014
$2.00 / POWER ING MLI VE .COM
EXTRAS INSIDE TODAY’S PAPER:
High School Football Dream Team section, C1 | About Town calendars of holiday events, E1 | Holiday Gift Guide, F1 | Home Improvement section, G1
MICHIGAN HONORS: WWII VETERANS
To those who sacrificed, we say thank you An MLive Media Group editorial
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Each year on this day we give thanks. We are reminded of the Pilgrims. We think of the Native Americans who aided them in their time of need. Today we thank another group of extraordinary Americans — still with us, although their ranks are quickly depleting. They are our World War II veterans. Today we take a moment to express our gratitude to these men and women who exemplify what has become known as the Greatest Generation. These are men and women who
defeated tyranny while keeping democracy alive for generations to come. MLive’s year-long Michigan Honors project presented their stories, with videos and pictures of them then and now. We invited veterans to our news hubs around Michigan to tell their stories and share time
HONORS ONLINE What war was like: Veterans open up in video, mlive.com Connect with a year of Michigan Honors, mlive.com/veterans Add to our statewide veterans database, bit.ly/MiVetsSignup
with one another. We met veterans from every corner of the state. Soldiers and sailors, pilots and paratroopers, nurses and Navy men. Two weeks ago, we gathered with more than 120 World War II veterans at the state Capitol in Lansing. In an extraordinary ceremony in the rotunda, Gov. Rick Snyder addressed the floor crowded with veterans while their loved ones surrounded them and looked on from the balcony. This year, MLive has collected the names of more than 3,500 Michigan World War II veterans in a database that will preserve a record of their service, as well as their stories
and photographs. It feels altogether fitting, on this American holiday, to express again our deep appreciation of our World War II veterans. We do this with a special section in all eight MLive newspapers, including The Bay City Times. We do this so all of us can recognize and celebrate these men and women. We do this in honor of battles fought and lives lost. We do this to make sure we never forget. We do this knowing we can never repay the debt, and that every day — and especially on this day — we give thanks.
Meet the area’s World War II veterans in a special section, H1-12.
This is the opinion of the editorial board of MLive Media Group, the parent company of The Bay City Times. The board is made up of the company’s executive leadership, content directors and editors who oversee the 10 local markets that make up MLive Media Group.
TODAY’S MUST READS BAY CITY
Community bids soldier farewell As the body of Sgt. 1st Class Michael Cathcart was transported Wednesday from Bay City’s St. Boniface Church into a hearse that would take him to his final resting spot at Green Ridge Cemetery, a church bell rang several times, echoing in the bitter cold air. Hundreds attended the service on Bay City’s East Side, including several members of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina — the unit with which Cathcart served as a senior engineer sergeant. Outside the church, just as many people bordered McKinley Street to Trumbull Street, braving 30-degree weather to pay their respects to Cathcart. Details, A3
People line West Midland in Bay City as the the funeral procession of Michael Cathcart passes. (Jeff Schrier/MLive.com)
DAILY QUOTE
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You put in all this work for two months, and then the day comes to give it away and it’s just amazing.” VOLUNTEER MICHELLE HEADINGS, AFTER TOYS FOR TOTS SHOPPING ADVENTURE. DETAILS, A6
BAY CITY
Adoption gives Bay County families another reason to be thankful
‘We’re their forever family now’
T
By Andrew Dodson adodson@mlive.com
here was a moment three years ago when Kendra and Dan Durga’s oldest adopted son spotted a pregnant woman and asked a question that broke the Bay County woman’s heart. “Did I grow in your belly?” asked her son, who was 4 years old at the time. Kendra Durga explained to him that he grew in his birth mother’s belly, but that she is now his mom. “He cried and sobbed,” she said. “He said he wanted to be born in my belly. It breaks your heart to hear that, but all of our children understand that we’re their forever family now.” The Durgas are one of about 30 foster families licensed through Bay County’s Department of Human Services. Top, Dan Durga and Kendra Durga, along with their three adopted children, welcome 14-month-old On Tuesday, they had yet another Cooper to the family Tuesday in Bay City. Above, Kendra Durga and her husband, Dan, adopt Cooper on Tuesday in Bay County Probate Judge Karen Tighe courtroom in Bay City. The state of Michigan recogSEE ADOPTION, A2 nizes November as Adoption Month. (Amanda Ray/MLive.com)
INDEX Advice............ D6 Classified........B7
FEEDBACK Comics ...........D4 Local............... A3
Lottery ............ A2 Nation...........A10
Obituaries....... A8 Opinion........... A9
Sports.............B1 State.............A11
TV .................A12 Weather........A12
Send your comments to comments@mlive.com.
BA THANKSGIVING
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE
SECTION
MICHIGAN HONORS: WWII VETERANS
D
Thankful salute
espite the conflicts and uncertainties in the world today, it is hard to imagine a time when the future of democracy was truly in question. World War II was such a time.
From the moment the Germans invaded Poland in 1939 until the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Japan six years later, the military mobilization of nations and the resulting bloodshed were like nothing the world had seen before — or since. More than 405,000 Americans died in World War II. If you were to tally the number of Americans killed in the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, you would have to multiply that figure by four to reach the number killed in the Second World War. Decades later, it seems almost unfathomable that our main enemies were Germany and Japan, as we count those nations among our closest friends and economic partners. World War II, without question, was the central event of the 20th century. The great battles are etched in our imaginations as much as Gettysburg or Lexington and Concord: Iwo Jima, Battle of the Bulge, D-Day. The generals are household names — Patton, MacArthur, Eisenhower — as are the larger-than-life political leaders: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin. And, of course, there’s Hitler, whose power and twisted view of the world resulted in the death of millions of Jews Michigan Honors is MLive Media Group’s yearlong tribute to living World War II veterans in Michigan.
and others he deemed inferior. The world, and in particular the United States of America, would eventually respond to Hitler’s aggression. Nearly a year before the bombing of Pearl Harbor pulled the U.S. into the war, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt referred to his nation’s “arsenal of democracy” that would aid our allies in Europe who were under attack. Michigan was the backbone of that arsenal. General Motors was the leading company behind the Allied war effort, building war machines instead of cars. Ford Motor Co.’s Willow Run plant famously produced more than 8,600 B-24 Liberator bombers. The state provided so much more. An estimated 670,000 Michiganders served in the military. They stormed the beaches of Normandy, flew bombing raids over Germany and provided medical aid in the South Pacific. As the youngest of the living World War II veterans approach their 90s, the day will come when the last of them will leave us, and the war will continue its march into the history books. Today, we honor Michigan’s living World War II veterans. And we offer our respect for their service and our gratitude for keeping democracy alive.
More than 3,000 veterans and their families statewide answered our call to stand up and be counted. An area
honor roll, with information as provided by veterans and their families throughout the year, starts on F2.
F
F2 / THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE
Thank You, WWII Veterans / Muskegon Area FRUITLAND TOWNSHIP
Vet pulled burned sailors from Pearl Harbor waters By Stephen Kloosterman sklooste@mlive.com
Wayne Aebig Rothbury, Navy
Julius H. Ackerman Muskegon, Army Mary L. Adair Muskegon, Navy Normand L. Adair Muskegon, Air Force Mary Louise Adair Muskegon, Navy Paul Agrifoglio Fruitport, Army Clifton Albers Grand Haven, Coast Gaurd/ Merchant Marine
Edward Alexander Muskegon, Army
George E. Anacker North Muskegon, Navy
Small-town life, a lowly factory job and the girlfriend who dumped him were reasons Clifford Kent signed up for six years with the U.S. Navy in 1940. His girlfriend from Chicago visited when Kent was living in Fremont and earning 50 cents an hour working at a Gerber baby food plant. His girlfriend cut her visit short. Kent enlisted. The next few years of his life were not so boring. He witnessed the attack on Dec. 7, 1941, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would call “a date that will live in infamy.” Few who witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack still are living. Kent, 94, might be the last in Muskegon County. The Muskegon Chronicle is profiling Kent as part of the MLive Michigan Honors project that seeks to document and tell some of the stories of the living World War II veterans in Michigan. A database of more than 1,600 Michigan veterans, including almost 200 from the Muskegon area, has been posted on MLive.com. After more than 70 years, Kent still marvels at how Japanese forces caught the Navy unprepared in Hawaii. “All we had was target ammunition,” he said. “I still say there (was) something screwy going on there. ... I’m not accusing, but they can’t stop me from thinking it, neither.” When the Japanese attacked, Kent was assigned to the USS Whitney, a repair ship for Navy destroyers. There was no warning. “It was hot,” he said. “In the distance, I would say half a mile away from me, I could see smoke coming up. We finally woke up to the fact that we were being attacked by the Japanese.” At one point, a Japanese plane buzzed their boat. “You could practically see the wrinkles on his face,” Kent said.
Clifford Kent, of Muskegon County, still marvels at how Japanese forces caught the U.S. Navy unprepared in Hawaii. (MLive.com files)
After a second wave of attacks, Kent’s boat assisted in the rescue, pulling sailors out of the water. The USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma were among the worst hit. Some of the men they pulled out of the water were severely burned, and others were covered in oil. “I’ve seen hair burning on people’s heads, it was that close,” Kent said. “All you could do is help out all the guys you could. It went that way for four, five days.” The Navy base was on high alert for much longer. “It was a week before I could let my mother know I was all right,” Kent said. “For the next week and a half, they were hauling bodies off the Arizona.” For two weeks, schedules were disrupted -- seamen were allowed to go ashore only in the daytime. Friendships between the sailors and Japanese families living in Hawaii were strained. Many of the families were suspected of spying, Kent said. The U.S. Navy records that more than 2,400 sailors, Marines,
soldiers and civilians died in the attack. After Pearl Harbor, Kent tried minimize the danger he would face. “I didn’t want to go to any one of these islands,” he said. “I knew what it was going to be.” Instead of facing more battles in the Pacific, Kent ended up on the USS Frederick C. Davis, a destroyer in the Atlantic. Kent was restless there, too. “The gang on this ship was just green, I just knew it,” he said. Kent got off the boat in early 1944 and went to a Navy school for running diesel ships. Later that year, Frederick C. Davis sank after being attacked by a German U-boat. Kent was married during shore duty. He finished his enlistment as chauffeur to an admiral and eventually got a job at Continental Motors in Muskegon. He doesn’t regret signing up in 1940. “I’d do it over again,” he said. Kent didn’t talk about the Pearl Harbor experience with his children. “Even today, I don’t like talking about it,” he said. “My older son made a statement. ... He was superintendent of a school in Grand Haven for four years. He said, ‘Dad never mentioned Pearl Harbor.’” Out of 3,000 Muskegon County veterans profiled by area historian Richard Mullally over the last five years, Kent is the only Pearl Harbor survivor. The ranks of World War II veterans in general are thinning: The youngest in the group are in their mid-80s. With few people living who witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack, the “date that will live in infamy” is fading into just a few paragraphs of history textbooks. “If you talk to children today, they don’t know anything about Peal Harbor,” Mullally said. “You let years go by, and everything is forgotten.” — From the Muskegon Chronicle, June 5, 2014
Carl M. Bentley Ravenna, Army
Melvin Berg Muskegon, Navy
Norman L. Berg Muskegon, Army
Edward W. Bird Muskegon, Army Air Corps
John H. Bodine Spring Lake, Army Air Corps
Robert N. Boelkins Muskegon, Army Dr. William H. Bond, MD Muskegon, Army Air Corps Robert Boon Branch, Army Air Force
Carl Anderson Norton Shores, Army
Ralph F. Askam Muskegon, Navy
J.C. Anderson Muskegon, Army
Henry Baker Grand Haven, Army
Bettie E. Allard Boone Muskegon, Cadet Nurse Corps
Mary F. Pawlowski Azzarello Muskegon, Cadet Nurse Corps
Armand T. Becklin Rothbury, Army
John G. Belasco Muskegon, Navy Charles V. Bellinger Muskegon, Army
Robert L. Boone Michigan, Army Air Corps
Charles H. Benedict Muskegon, Army
Rose Mary Rogers Boone Muskegon, Cadet Nurse Corps
Joseph Benedict Muskegon, Coast Guard
Gerald O. Borreson Muskegon, Army Air Corps
Alvin S. Baker Muskegon, Army
Gorden Barrett Sr. Muskegon, Army
George Apostle Muskegon, Army 15th Air Force
Richard Beishuizen Muskegon, Navy Lawrence R. Boone Muskegon, Army
Dale W. Barnhardt Muskegon, Navy
Robert G. Anderson Muskegon, Navy
Jay Beauleaux Muskegon, Navy
Paul R. Aumiller Muskegon, Army
Seymour Barahl Spring Lake, Army
Milo G. Anderson Muskegon, Army Air Force
Virgil L. Beighley Norton Shores, Army & Air Corps
Ralph Askan Norton Shores, Navy
Edward Bancuk Muskegon, Air Force
LaVerne L. Anderson Muskegon, Army
Joseph W. Bates Muskegon, Army
David J. Bedau Montague, Army
Francis A. Baker Norton Shores, Army
Alfred H. Ardolf Ludington, Navy
William D. Beecham Muskegon, Navy Mario Leonardo Bartoli Muskegon, Army Gerald W. Baker Muskegon, Navy