Memorial Day 2019 The Star

Memorial Day 2019

$1.00 kpcnews.com

2

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

May 26, 2019

Remembering & Honoring All Who Served!

mley@signatureconstruction.us

Civic Projects Restorations Office Space Interior / Exterior Renovations Design - Build

• New Construction • Remodeling • Custom Craftsmanship • Over 40 Years Experience

mknowles@kpcmedia.com

Terry Housholder

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

thousholder@kpcmedia.com

Jeff Jones Michele Trowbridge Leesa Sturgis

President/Publisher

Ann Saggars asaggars@kpcmedia.com

Licensed & Insured Auburn •

Print & Design Manager

908-2290

Megan Knowles

102 N. Main Street, Kendallville, IN 46755 (260) 347-0400

Kanisha Bevins

Special Sections Editor

Memorial Day is a special supplement to The Star, which is a publication of KPC Media Group Inc. ©2019 All rights reserved

kbevins@kpcmedia.com Special Sections Graphic Designer

600 West Maple Waterloo

260-837-8841 800-538-4163 www.rpwakefield.com

1109 W. Auburn Dr., Auburn

Keith Jewel’s Cell: 260-704-5263 www.auburnhardwood.com

Add real value to your home or business ...

Remembering and Honoring all who have served!

CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS

CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS

CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS

CASINGS • BASES • HANDRAILS • PICTURE MOULDINGS • IN STOCK AT AUBURN HARDWOOD MOULDINGS

THESE COLORS DON’T RUN… Proudly honoring and remembering all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

American Legion Post #97 1729 Sprott St., Auburn 925-3297 AmericanLegionPost97.org

May 26, 2019

Memorial Day services set for Monday

KPC NEWS SERVICE Memorial Day services will take place Monday in Auburn, Garrett and rural Butler, sponsored by local veterans’ organizations.

The schedule of Monday’s services:

Auburn Auburn’s Memorial Day Service will take place Monday at 11 a.m. on the southwest corner of the courthouse square in Auburn, in front of the cannon monument.

State Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, will speak. The Auburn Elks Lodge will participate in a ceremony honoring the nation’s flag. American Legion Post 97 of Auburn will recognize Al Sherer as DeKalb County’s oldest veteran.

The American Legion Riders, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion will participate.

Garrett American Legion Post 178 of Garrett will sponsor a Memorial Day service Monday at 11 a.m. to honor all veterans.

The public is invited to attend at the post, 515 W. Fifth Ave. The guest speaker will be District Commander John Custer from Post 257 in Fremont.

Following the service The American Legion Auxiliary will serve a beef-and-noodles dinner, with donations welcome.

The American Legion color guard will meet for breakfast Monday at 6 a.m. at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1892 in Garrett. The unit then will offer memorial ceremonies at seven local cemeteries, beginning at 7 a.m. with Christian Union Cemetery on C.R. 7 north of S.R. 8.

The color guard also will conduct a brief service at 10 a.m. in the park next to City Hall in downtown Garrett, followed by a service at Altona Town Hall at 10:15 a.m.

The public is welcome to attend the services.

Butler A Memorial Day service will take place Monday at 11:30 a.m. in Butler Cemetery, on C.R. 28 east of Butler.

Pastor Scott Lanning of the Butler Church of Christ will speak at the service.

©KPC Media Group Inc. • kpcnews.com

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

3

PFC Richard E. Frakes Wayne E. Kimmell Private US Army

M/247, 3rd Battalion, 70th Infantry Division

Thought of often, missed and loved always. Your family.

Missing you today and every day. Thank you for all you gave to your country and your family. Love, Your Proud Family

Charles W. Sanders May 30, 1924 - Feb. 3, 2015 Tec 5 U.S. Army, WWII

Leonard A. Shoudel Corporal U.S. Army, Korean Conflict

Loving husband, father and grandfather

Served 1951-1953 • 7-13-29 – 7-30-02 You’ve left behind our broken hearts and precious memories but we never wanted memories, we only wanted you. Love, Dolores, Jeanne and Jim

Wayne Michael, Staff Sgt.

Jim Vordran, 863 Radarman

Wayne served in the Army from August 15, 1951 to May 15, 1953 and in Korea the year of 1952.

Korean Conflict 1948-1954 Postal worker for 34 years Passed Away 1997

4

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

May 26, 2019

How Memorial Day and Veterans Day differ from each other

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

Memorial Day and Veterans Day each honor the military, though the two holidays are not the same.

BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION Memorial Day and Veterans Day each honor the military, though the two holidays are not the same.

Memorial Day, which is celebrated annually on the last Monday in May, honors the brave men and women who lost their lives while serving in the American military. Many communities host memorial ceremonies honoring their fallen soldiers on Memorial Day, ensuring such soldiers’ bravery and sacrifices are never forgotten. While many people now view Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start of summer, the weekend should not be celebrated without also pausing to reflect on and recognize the military personnel who lost their lives in defense of freedom and the American way of life.

Veterans Day is celebrated annually on Nov. 11 and recognizes all men and women who have served in the military. It’s not uncommon for people to recognize fallen soldiers on Veterans Day, but many use the holiday to express their appreciation to existing veterans.

Honoring the achievements of women in the military (StatePoint) Many people are not aware that some 3 million women are currently serving or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, beginning with the American Revolution. Their stories are largely

Honoring our Heroes.

unknown.

“Women have served alongside men to gain and preserve liberty, from the American Revolution to today’s Global War on Terror,” says retired Army Major

General Dee Ann McWilliams, president of the Women In Service For America Memorial Foundation.

The Foundation aims to bridge the gap in the public’s understanding of women’s military service and encourages everyone to help in the following ways:

Learn their history

Learn about trailblazing military women. Here are five you should know about: • In 1782, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man to become the first woman known to enlist as a soldier in the Continental Army. The only woman to earn a full military pension for service during the American Revolution, she served as an infantryman and was wounded in action.

• Minnie Spotted-Wolf enlisted in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1943, making her the first known Native American woman to do so. Skilled at breaking horses, she described Marine boot camp as “hard but not too hard.”

• Capt. Sunita Williams, an astronaut who served 322 days as commander of the International Space Station, at one point held the record for the most cumulative hours of spacewalking. During her early Navy career, she flew helicopters in Operation Desert Shield.

• Overcoming childhood adversity, in 2010 Lt. La’Shanda Holmes became the first African-American female helicopter pilot in the history of the Coast Guard. She played a vital role in the Global War on Terror.

• During her three deployments to Afghanistan, Air Force Senior Airman Vanessa Velez drove a loaded Humvee

into enemy territory on more than 120 missions.

Pay a visit Located at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, the Women In Military Service For America Memorial (Women’s Memorial) is the only memorial dedicated to honoring the 3 million women who have served or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Preserving the details of their achievements, from clerk typist to fighter pilot, the Memorial aims to integrate military women into the public’s image of courage. When visiting the nation’s capital, consider adding this educational and inspiring institution to your itinerary.

Share your story Military women, past and present, can register their service with the Women’s Memorial and become part of the world’s largest register of U.S. servicewomen and women veterans, which now totals nearly 267,000 members. By sharing your story future generations will come to know the valuable contributions of America’s military women. To register and learn more, visit womensmemorial.org/ register-now.

At a time when the Department of Veterans’ Affairs reports that women veterans are the fastest-growing veteran population, recognizing the collective service of women is more important than ever.

“No matter what you did during your service, it’s an important part of history,” says General McWilliams. “Without your story our history will never be complete.”

©KPC Media Group Inc. • kpcnews.com

May 26, 2019

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

5

Volunteer finds ways to help fellow veterans CONTRIBUTED AUBURN — “We just hit the dirt and scrambled for our weapons,” said Marc Tjaden, reflecting on the brief moments of terror that followed a sudden burst of gunfire.

Tjaden was serving in the U.S. Army on his third deployment to Afghanistan. As a payroll agent, he enjoyed fairly comfortable circumstances and was generally removed from anything remotely dangerous.

That all changed one day when a disgruntled Afghan soldier burst into his tiny office and opened fire. Of the 10 or so people milling around the small, 12-foot-by-12-foot building, two were killed, including his friend and translator, who had thrown himself on top of Tjaden, saving his life. The Afghan soldier was killed immediately

by Army security forces just outside the office.

The incident was over in a matter of seconds, but it left Tjaden badly shaken and grieving the loss of his friend.

The psychological and emotional stress persisted, and he was officially

diagnosed with a case of post-traumatic-stress disorder. Soon after he retired, having served 40 years in the Army.

Back home in Auburn, Tjaden decided to volunteer at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, where he was introduced to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, known as RSVP, a program of Catholic Charities.

Catholic Charities recruits volunteers 55 years and older to serve at nonprofit organizations that need them most. The program helps seniors become mentors, coaches and companTjaden ions to people in need. They also contribute their job skills and expertise to community projects and organizations.

“Older Americans have a lifetime of experience to share and the desire to make a real difference in their community,” said Shirley Johnson, RSVP Project Coordinator in DeKalb County. “They have managed households, run businesses and been nurses, farmers, salespeople, artists and

executives. Now they are ready to put their unique talents and expertise to work in their communities, and enrich their own lives in the process.”

Tjaden’s volunteerism eventually led him to the VA Hospital in Fort Wayne, where he helped set up the Vets Sound Off Board, a suggestion box that allows veterans to air grievances and present ideas for improving services at the VA. Because of him, the VA recently instituted valet-parking service, which has eased congestion at the entrance to the building.

Also, the newly added Welcome Center has greatly improved the experience of the thousands of veterans who receive care at the VA every year.

“It feels good when I go back to the vet and tell him we took care of his problem,” said Tjaden, who spends 20 to 30 hours a week at the VA. Most recently, Tjaden received what he describes as his highest honor, being asked to lead a vet-to-vet support group at a nursing home in Marion.

He says fellow vets discuss bottled-up anger, frustration and depression that often plagues their lives. If they want help with their debilitating conditions, Tjaden refers them to professional mental-health counselors for assistance.

“Being asked to facilitate a PTSD group at a local nursing home is a great honor,” Tjaden said. “Of course, one of the people who benefits the most is me.”

RSVP volunteers have the flexibility to choose how they want to give back to their communities. They may volunteer only a few hours a week or as many as 40. Opportunities are available at numerous sites around northeast Indiana. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, people may send email to Johnson at sjohnson@ccfwsb.org or call 925-0917.

The service area for Catholic Charities includes the 14 counties of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, encompassing 2,236 square miles, with a population of 1,247,850 people.

Catholic Charities has offices in Fort Wayne, Auburn and South Bend.

ering & Proudly rememb made honoring all who fice for the ultimate sacrim! our freedo Proudly remembering and honoring all who have fought for our freedoms!

Celina - 1001 Havemann Rd. Van Wert - 1190 Westwood Dr. Auburn - 502 Touring Dr. Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

www.westwoodwash.com

Family Owned and Operated

1277 C.R. 56 • Garrett • 357-0444 Thomas Drzewiecki

Director/Owner

6

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

May 26, 2019

A North American P-51 Mustang (with red markings) and other squadron planes soar in the lobby of The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. [WIKIPEDIA PHOTOS]

An Ope

ABOUT

THE

NATIONAL

WWII MUSEUM 44

©KPC Media Group Inc. • kpcnews.com

May 26, 2019

An Opel staff car.

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

A Sherman Tank at the museum.

By Nick Mueller The National WWII Museum

T

he inspiration for creating The National WWII Museum — originally known as The National D-Day Museum — can be traced to a comment made to a young New Orleans historian by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the mid-1960s, when memories of the fierce world struggle were still fresh.

In a conversation with rising military historian Stephen Ambrose, the former Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force praised the Higgins landing craft and its ingenuous designer, Andrew Jackson Higgins, for making Allied victory possible in World War II. New Orleans manufacturing plants launched by the daring entrepreneur produced many thousands of the landing boats that were desperately needed to deliver soldiers and equipment to invasion beaches in the European and Pacific theaters. Before the war, America had no boats that could accomplish this feat.

Eisenhower’s remark resonated through time and planted the seed of an idea for a special institution-building effort, one that continues today.

People remain fascinated by the historic assault on June 6, 1944. And it is difficult to fathom that fewer than two decades ago, there was no national museum dedicated to the veterans who carried out the greatest amphibious invasion in world history.

Ambrose remembered Eisenhower’s bold

assertion about Higgins as he began collecting oral histories and artifacts for his book on the D-Day invasion. Ambrose was dedicated to meeting the nation’s need for a lasting tribute to the military heroes and home front workers.

For years, there was no encouragement from Congressional leaders that a WWII or D-Day museum would ever happen in Washington, D.C. Finally, in 1990, the idea of a D-Day museum in the Crescent City was born in a backyard conversation over drinks between myself and Ambrose; we were close friends and colleagues at the University of New Orleans and immediately decided we would do it. Long years were spent working to fulfill the vision in the home of Higgins Industries.

At the onset, we had modest ambitions for the institution’s scale. Overcoming many fundraising obstacles and other challenges, we opened The National D-Day Museum on June 6, 2000, a momentous celebration honoring thousands of WWII veterans who paraded through downtown. They were joined by hundreds of thousands of spectators. U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Tom Brokaw, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, other state and Congressional dignitaries, and nine NATO defense ministers took part.

We soon discovered that the grand opening was just the beginning of a building story. Visiting WWII veterans appreciated our D-Day treatments but immediately asked why other parts of the war — their WWII, in many cases — weren’t covered.

45

7

8

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

Rendering of the Liberation Pavilion, opening in 2021. [PHOTOS FROM THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM]

46

kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

May 26, 2019

One of these individuals, U.S. Sen. Theodore Stevens of Alaska, a veteran of the China-BurmaIndia campaign, offered a daunting challenge.

Telling me and Ambrose that “this was the best museum in America on the war,” he said if we and museum trustees would agree to expand and tell the complete story of the WWII experience — on land, at sea, in the air and on the home front — then he would help obtain startup funding from Congress. We agreed (with some trepidation), and in the next three years, Stevens and his close friend, WWII veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, worked with Sen. Mary Landrieu and others in our Louisiana delegation to secure funding to purchase three city blocks and develop a master plan for expansion. The state of Louisiana and private donors also provided substantial funding help.

With the land purchase and master plan complete by 2003, the museum announced a capital campaign of $288 million to develop a six-acre, 300,000-square-foot campus. Sens. Stevens, Inouye and Landrieu then gained approval of a resolution from Congress in 2004 designating The National WWII Museum as America’s official museum of the WWII experience.

Ambrose died in 2002, passing the leadership torch to me, the founding president and

©KPC Media Group Inc. • kpcnews.com

May 26, 2019

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

re rmae. est e

riome nding ad his nor ed ouise or e p. mital re, s,

’s

Another rendering of the Liberation Pavilion.

CEO. Since 2000, we weathered tremendous setbacks from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, funding challenges and the economic recession of 2008. I worked steadily with the national Board of Trustees and a talented, resilient staff to create extraordinary exhibits and programs. These efforts were rewarded with dramatic increases in visitation and donations.

The museum’s reputation reached new levels in 2009 when it premiered the 4D multimedia experience “Beyond All Boundaries,” produced by the Hettema Group and narrated by Hanks. Next came the opening of the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, in 2013, followed in 2014-15 by the permanent exhibit galleries “The Road to Berlin” and “The Road to Tokyo” housed in the Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters pavilion. “The Arsenal of Democracy: The Herman and George R. Brown Salute to the Home Front” exhibit, which opened in 2017, devotes its galleries to the citizens who supported the war effort in countless ways. By 2017, the museum was ranked by TripAdvisor readers as the No. 2 most popular museum in America.

The museum’s capstone Liberation Pavilion, opening in 2021, will focus on the war’s powerful legacies — one project driving an increase in our capital

campaign goal to $400 million. And for distant audiences unable to visit our campus, the museum has established the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy and the WWII Media and Education Center to produce online content. Both will be housed in the Hall of Democracy, opening later this year.

Meanwhile, our collection of WWII personal accounts — including many videotaped oral histories that can be viewed at ww2online.org — now total roughly 10,000. These accounts include early Ambrose interviews and will always be vital to our mission.

Led by President & CEO Stephen Watson since mid-2017, The National WWII Museum is approaching completion as the premier educational institution for WWII history. We are honoring the millions who served, in distant combat zones and at home, as we explore and teach about an epic time in world history.

Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller is president and CEO emeritus of The National WWII Museum. His new collection of personal accounts from the Allied invasion of Normandy, “‘Everything We Have’: D-Day 6.6.44,” was released in March and draws on the museum’s collection of oral histories and artifacts.

47

9

10

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

May 26, 2019

Paratroopers of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division prepare to board the C-47 transport aircraft that will fly them to Normandy.

[THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES]

obile” from M s e h c to Pea med “ arting nickna re dep o t fantry f r n e I o b p e trans achut hortly 7 r s 4 a dy y P C a h A nw orman , 505t the ru into N of the EY n s K r io A e L is sits on p B atroo ne Div GIFT OF TOM r r a o p b p ir dro nd A 44. [ ent, 82 June 5/6, 19 ] USEUM Regim f o II t W M nigh NAL W IO T A on the HE N TESY COUR

38

T

A C-47 transport

aircraft in flight.

[THE NATIONAL

ARCHIVES]

©KPC Media Group Inc. • kpcnews.com

May 26, 2019

ent,

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

Landing craft from the U.S. Coast Guard-manned USS Samuel Chase disembarks troops of the U.S. Army’s First Division on the morning of June 6, 1944. [WIKIPEDIA]

ng a to the air duri aco” glider in “W day, e -4 th CG of a g ft sport aircra aircraft towin an t tr or d by on sp ns an tr dr A C-47 not be oppe ace limitatio es that could ec rget se. Due to sp pi ci ta e er ry th le ex til to ng ar ni trai s were towed as jeeps and er ch id gl su t ss en le e power rcraft and heavy equipm by glider. Th om the tug ai ere flown in leased tow fr re ts lo pi parachute w er glid IVES] s, where the TIONAL ARCH area by C-47 lefield. [THE NA tt ba e th to on crash-landed

The sleek, highly maneuverable P51 proved ideal escort missions for long-range and an equal m atch to the Luftw Pilots who flew affe’s fighters. it praised its man euverability and during close-ord visibility er engagements wi th enemy fighter HOMESTEAD AIR s. [DOD PHOTO, RESERVE BASE]

39

11

12

Memorial Day — DeKalb County

kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.

Thank You veterans for your service and your sacrifices

American Legion Post 202 118 N. Broadway • Butler, IN

(260) 868-2260

May 26, 2019

In Proud Memoriam of all who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country!

925-1400

503 Michigan Ave., Auburn Family Owned & Operated DeKalb County’s full service parts store since 1973.

Over 150 years combined NAPA know-how!

THANK YOU DEKALB COUNTY FOR 46 YEARS OF BUSINESS

For all your Automotive, Heavy Duty Truck, Agriculture and Industrial needs!