Saluting our Soldiers on Veterans Day

SALUTING OUR SOLDIERS ON NOVEMBER 2021

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL TROOPS AND VETERANS Thames Albany Anderson

John George “Geo” Babion

1921-2010 US Army

4 Years • WW II Paratrooper in the 55st batallion and the 508th Regiment of the 82dn Airborne. He particicapted in the invasion of Southern France.

He fought in the battle of the Bulge. Received Purple Heart and numerous medals.

Jack Blacklock

U.S. Army

Vietnam

Corporal

US NAVY

In 1919, President Wilson commemorated the first Armistice Day with these words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

1952-1954

Robb Bollenberg

US Coast Guard 1975 – 1979

Heavy Equipment Operator 1967-1969 USS Saratoga

Served in

WWII 1942-1945 Purple Heart Recipient

The day was originally set aside to honor the Veterans of World War I with a day of parades and remembrances as well as a pause in activities at 11am on the day.

Jerry J. Boyle

US Navy

Quarter Master 1st class

While many realize that Veterans Day, which always falls on November 11, is a day to honor our Veterans, few realize the historical significance behind the day.

Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities of World War I that occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. Therefore, the day is always recognized on November 11th, regardless of the day of the week the 11th falls on.

Robert G. Bennett

US Navy

Meaning of Veterans Day

US Navy Reserve 1986 - 2003

In 1938, it was made a legal federal holiday for all.

However, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress recognized a need to expand the meaning of the day to recognize all of our Veterans and not just those of World War I. In 1954, the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans” as a way to formally include all Veterans of all American wars in the day of remembrance.

Today, Veterans Day is a federal holiday which many cities celebrate with parades and ceremonies.

Jack Brown

Richard Brown

Sgt. Joel D Brown

US Navy

USMC

July 1959March 1968

Army Air Forces

1969-1973

East Coast, West Coast, Africa, Europe, Mediterranean Sea, Viet Nam, Cuban Missile Crisis, crossed Equator May 8, 1961 Golden Shellback

Vietnam

Beulah

US Air Force (Ret.) Over 2,000 combat hours flying over Iraq and

US Army Air Corps Lieutenant

Sergeant 1942-1945

WW II 1944 - 1946 2 Years Service

SSGT Ryan S. Geetings

Jeri Erginkara

US Navy

US Air Force

3rd Class 1951-1955 U.S. Naval Air Station, FASRON 3 & U.S.N.S. Henry Gibbons

Served in the US Army 1951 - 1956

Desert Storm & Vietnam

Army Air Corp

20 years of

Leroy John (Jack) Drew

Proudly

Served in

1925 - 2019

US Air Force Army National Guard Air Force Reserve Family: Dianna, Marie and Patrick

Joseph N. DePalma 1933-2014

1971-1991

David Louis Degrandchamp

James Alfred Davidson

combined service

Afghanistan.

Family: Celina, Tiffany and Thomas

Retired USMC

Daughters - Dolores, Valrie, Jean Wife - Virginia Kinne-Carter

Currently Living In

Norris W. Cutler

MSGT Jason Comer

Chuck Clarke

Tech 3 Medic 3 Years WW II Pacific Theater 1917 - 1984

1983 - 1989

Beulah

Currently lives in Beulah MI

Jack T. Carter

USMC

Navy Acheivement Medal Currently Living In

- Gulf War

retired as Master Sergeant

1943-1946

Sandra Card, SGT.

USMC 1983 - 1989 Beirut

from 1977-1998 (21 years including 12 years of Foreign Service) Unit Deployment Manager

Private First Class

1969-1970

DeWitt Card, SGT.

David E. Burley US Air Force

Lt. Col. 22 Years

Precision Collision & Auto Glass

Corner Store

352-6700

Open Daily Corner of M-115 & M-22 • Frankfort

352-9021

882-4342 • 882-7782

Nugent

England 2006 Family: Jessica, Aiden, Addison, Austin, Autumn Randy & Cheryl Knapp Barney & Mary Gettings Location:

Joined:

Stapleton’s Frankfort

US Air Force

10635 Main St. Honor 1-800-444-6396

487 Main St. Onekama 231-889-3456

Of Frankfort

1310 Elm St • Frankfort

Owned and Operated by the Schneider Family Most complete hardware in Benzie County

Crystal Plaza • Benzonia

882-4322

FAMILY MARKETS

Honor Family Market 10625 Main Street

325-3360

310 Main St. • Frankfort

(231) 352-9181

Open Monday - Friday 8am - 5:30pm Saturday 8am-5pm • Sunday 10am-2pm

frankforthardwareco.com

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL TROOPS AND VETERANS Frederick Goethals US Navy 1062- Sept. 1966 Subic Naval Station Japan Command Fleet Japan San Diego

Airforce

Vietnam Veteran 1967-1970

WW11

Lawrence (Larry) Hale

1951-1952

US Navy Lieutenant Vietnam 1969-1972

William (Bill) Huhnke Sr.

WWII PFC 2nd Rangers 1944 -1946 Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge

Tom LaBelle

Korea & Vietnam US Air Force 1983 - 2004

1983-1995 B-52 Crew Chief, Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm 1995-2004 Air Force Recruiting, Regional Flight Chief Meritorious Service Award 3 Air Force Commendation Medals 2 National Defense Service Medals

US Navy Korea Art Melendez

US Army

radio operator

Specialist 4 1966-1968 wurzburg,

2 Years

Troy McKinley

US Army / US Navy

SP/5 Military Police Corps 1969 - 1971

1983-1992

E-5 Combat Engineer AME-2 Egress

Gordon Mowen

Signal Corp

“Blocking Force”

5th Army, Anti Aircraft Division. Was a Captain for most of the war, but was promoted to Major at the end of the war. Was in North Africa and then up through Italy.

Lawrence McKay

Hugh McGovern

US Army

Jack LaBelle US Army WW11 1941 - 1945

MSGT Dave Kramer

30 years

He Graduated From Frankfort High School in 1944

Son of Gary & Chris Kirkpatrick of Frankfort

Served in

Captain

US Army WWII VET

3rd Class Petty Officer 1+ Year Of Service

1950 - 1971

United States Coast Guard

germany

combined service

He served at Ladd Air Force Base (now Fort Wainwright) near Fairbanks, Alaska, as a radio operator in the I & R Platoon of the 4 Infantry Regiment. Al lives in Frankfort with his wife Gerry.

US Navy

US Army

Captain James L. Knight

1951-1953

Austin J. Kirkpatrick

Jerry Kekel, MSGT.

19 June 1942 7 December 1945

US Army

US Army

3 Years 8th Div. 16th Rangers US Nat. Guard - 2 Years Driving a APC on manuevers near Stutgart Germany 1962

Army Tec Fifth

Joseph G. Knauer

Al Hyams

US Army

US Army

USS Higbee (DD 806) USS Parsons (DDG 33)

Wounded in Belgium, 1944 on way to Battle of the Bulge Lives in Honor

1969 -1975

22 years served plus 17 years civil service

Douglas E. Joy

David Jahr

36th Armored Division, 3rd Army 2nd Wave, Normandy

E4, Sergeant.

Sergeant First Class

Corporal Feb. 1952 - Feb. 1954 Active Duty 2 Years Honorable Discharge, Feb. 1960

Motor Officer 45th Infantry Division Currently living in Frankfort

Berdyll Handrath WW II

Air Force

US Army

45th Infantry Division

1991 - 1996

Ronald William Haase

Joseph Palmer Hommel

US Army Korean war

Gulf War

4 Years of service

Us Navy and US Army

Special Engineer Detachment, Manhattan Project, Inducted 9 July 1945 Discharged 26 August, 1946

US Army

Tec 4

Richard Paul Haase

US Army Sergeant

Roger Gunderson

US Army WWII

US

Edward William Haase

SGT. Don Mead

Robert H. Gum

Thomas R. Goulding

Captain Amanda Nerg

WW II Veteran

Served under General Patton and Participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

Received 4 Battle Stars for his service.

Now lives at Frankfort Pines.

US Air Force Married to Steven Nerg Daughter –In- Law to Michael and Julie Nerg

Shop-N-Save

Food & Family Center

Kathy@Kathy Neveu.com Crystal Plaza • Benzonia

882-4021

24 Hour Towing Serving all of Benzie County and beyond!

Beulah 231-383-0221

1123 Main St. • Frankfort

352-7181 Our Brand has evolved!

231.342.0921

57 N. Michigan Ave. • Beulah/Frankfort

Eden Hill Greenhouse Flowering Plants for all Seasons

1450 US-31, Benzonia, MI (231) 882-9655

Annuals • Combo Planters • Hanging Baskets Perennials • Fall Garden Mums • Succulents Poinsettias

882-7226

2034 Eden Hill Rd., Beulah at the intersection of Lincoln & Eden Hill Rd. Hours: Mon - Sat. 10 - 5pm Sunday: 11am - 3pm

Watson Benzie 1514 Benzie Hwy. Benzonia, MI 49616

231-8824417 www.watsonbenzie.com

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL TROOPS AND VETERANS Staff Sergeant Kevin Nerg US Air Force 6yrs US Air Reserve Married to Sydney Nerg. Son of Michael & Julie Nerg.

Brother to Jeremiah, Justin and Steve Nerg.

Al Popp

US Army 1988 - 1991 Spec 20th Ordinance Co. Dahm Germany

Wilhelm Parkkinen

WWI

CPL CO D 22 BN US Guards

Section US Army Vietnam 1966-1967 SP/5, 192nd Finance Ed Robinson WW II U.S. Army Tank commander

11th Armored Division 41st Tank battalion, Company D

Served 3 Years,

Honorable Discharge Awarded Purple Heart

Calvin Schlueter

US Navy

1986-1992 Married to Ruth Ann Schlueter Brother of Julie Nerg, Vic Schlueter & Bill Schlueter

James W. Stephenson US Navy (retired) Commander, Civil Engineer Corps 1974 - 1994 Camp Covington, Guam early 1976

Ronald Wardwell CPL. US Army Korea 1952-1954 Wounded Twice Purple Heart Living in Frankfort

Dennis E. Wisniewski

US Army

Private First class

Vietnam 1968 - 1969 Killed in action

US Army 1968-1969

Spec 4 Corporal Helecopter Crew Chief/ Gunner Dong Tan Base Viet Nam Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars, Acommandation Medal of Valor

Dennis A. Priddle

Bradley D. Priddle

USMC

USMC

E-5 Sergeant

SGT. E-5 Currently Serving in Japan 7th Year

Vietnam

Jack Rawls, SSGT

Gary H. Rankin

Benjamin M. Pelch III

US Army 14 years Currently owner of

Rustic Resort LLC, Benzonia, MI

Dillon Rosa

Dennis J. Rider US Air Force

Sergeant - Crew Chief vietnam

1967 - 1968

Kole Rosa

Coast guard

service

service

Roy Schlueter

US Navy

United States Navy Seabees 1955-1959 Father to Julie Nerg, Vic, Calvin & Bill Schlueter Brother to Ed Schlueter & Barb Gaylor

Thomas Stier

U.S. Navy 2nd Class Yeoman Served for 10 years

George Waters

US Army

Korea 1950-1953 William G. Wisniewski

US Army

Sergeant Germany 1968 - 1971

Major, US Medical Corp USA ARMY 1970-1971 Ehulai, Vietnam

C.O. 23rd Medical Battalion 91 EVAC MASH - General Surgeon Recipient - Bronze Star Medal

Zachariah (Zach) Edward Pyles

Sergeant May 24 1985July 11, 2014 SMSGT Tom Richmond US Air Force (Ret.)

Vietnam Veteran

Benzonia Graduate. Brothers James and Clayton, Sister Carol and many nieces and nephews. Loved Life.

Coast guard Petty Officer 2nd Class 10 years of

Anibal A. Pepper

1960 - 1983 Greg Ryan

US Navy E3 1 Year

Petty Officer 3rd Class 4 years of

Jerome J. Schmitt Jr.

Dallas Smith

US Army 2 Years

US Army WWII

Korean War

Ward Van Houten

US Navy WW II - 4 Years, Enlisted at 17 into Navy in 1942. Served aboard U.S.S. Tangiers & Stationed on Philippine Islands Korean War - 1.5 Years, Recalled to Navy in 1950.

Served aboard U.S.S. Burton Islands Ice Breaker in Bering Sea at 60˚ below.

Kenneth E. Williams Jr. US Navy 1953-1972

Melvin L. Vedder

U.S. Navy PM2 (Pharmacist Mate) 1944-1945

Herbert Gail Wilson

Stationed in Great Lakes, IL., Pearl Harbor, USS Greenwich, USS Randolph, USS Hollister, USS TE Chandler and others.

Retired at Albany, Georgia.

Family: Wife Patricia, 2 sons and 5 step sons

sheryl zilch

US Air Force Jet Engine Mechanic Retired Sept. 30,2002 Retired as a Master Sergeant E-7

Desert Storm/ Desert Shield

THANKS to ALL our veterans for protecting ALL of America’s rights & freedoms. Especially the right to vote and the right to liberty, justice, and fair treatment.

We Benzie Democrats are forever grateful; we will always support these rights for ALL Americans!

US Air Force Bombardier in the 13th Air Force during World War II involved in numerous missions.

Following the war he continued his service in the Air Force Reserves and held the rank of Lt. Colonel at the time of his death in November, 2011. He was a resident of Beulah from 1942.