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Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes A Marketing Supplement of Sauk Valley Media Friday, July 1, 2016

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Inside Read about our nation’s heroes – from one of Vietnam’s first ‘hunter-killer’ pilots to a group of sisters, wives and mothers who answered the call of service.

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HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES

War through a lens World War II veteran viewed war’s impact at film library

BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers

OREGON – Richard Little saw the extent of World War II through many eyes.

The 89-year-old Oregon native was 15 when the war hit home in America in the morning hours of Dec. 7, 1941.

“Pearl Harbor, that was the most devastating of it all,” he said. “I was only 15, so there wasn’t much I could do, but we all cooperated with the war effort however we could.”

Little enlisted 2 years later in August 1944, shortly after more than 160,000 soldiers landed on a 50-mile stretch of Normandy coastline.

“It seemed like there was quite a need for soldiers then,” he said.

“D-Day had happened, and they needed a lot of help yet.”

The war had ended by the time Little had completed his training, and he was stationed as a corporal in the Army of Occupation in the German town of Bad Kissingen.

He served as second in charge of the film library, which contained thousands of photos of the war and occupation, from Air Force targets to the aftermath of bombings.

Although he worked in the photo lab, Little had no prior experience with photography.

“I didn’t know a camera from a boxing glove,” he said. “That’s just how it worked out.”

they bought an area of land that became White Pines Ranch, where thousands of children have gone to summer camp or ridden horses.

They had four children – David, Gig, Sue and Andee – who gave them seven grandchildren.

The couple ran and expanded the ranch for 38 years before handing operations over to their three daughters.

Dolores died in 2013 and Richard retired from farming in 2014.

“I had my 65th crop in 2014, and it was the best crop I had ever had, so I thought it was time to quit,” he said.

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Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

World War II veteran Richard Little, 89, of Oregon, stands next to a World War II army jeep Saturday morning at the World War II Recreated event at Elks Page Park in Dixon.

Little worked in a photo lab during the war and helped organize and archive photographs of the war.

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Of the countless photos Little encountered, he said the most striking depicted the impact from the bombings in German cities of Wurzburg and Sonneberg.

“It was quite interesting to see everything, but I came across a lot of bomb damage,” he said.

Little’s service ended in November 1946, and he began a 65-year career as a farmer when he returned to Oregon, where he grew corn and soybeans.

In 1948, Little married his wife, Dolores, whom he met in high school, and in 1955,

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HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES

‘I wanted to be part of the best’ Marine ‘sick’ at public’s reaction to war

BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra

For 2 weeks in the sticky Philippine jungles, a water canteen and a sharp knife kept an 18-year-old Marine company as he prepared for war in Vietnam.

Burt Fuller, 64, of Rock Falls, formerly of southern Illinois and St. Louis, was in an advanced survival course, learning how to avoid deadly snakes – or how to kill and eat them.

Juicy bugs and grubs also were on the menu, some as large as those that appear on the Discovery Channel, Fuller joked, although “it’s not something you really have a palate for.”

The chance for war dissipated after 2 years of service, when Fuller was honorably discharged after a training-related injury.

At home, things were different.

A cold, turbulent welcome made the Vietnam-era Marine “sick,” and pushed him into seclusion.

A patriotic Fuller volunteered at a St. Louis recruiting station in 1969, just a few days before Woodstock. He was 17.

After a 16-week boot camp in San Diego, he shipped overseas to Okinawa, Japan, and eventually attained the rank of lance corporal.

“I didn’t want to be drafted, and I didn’t want to go in the Army,” Fuller said. “I wanted to be part of the best.”

The young gun was eager to serve his country, like his father, a sailor on a supply ship during World War II. Fuller became a Marine as an insurance policy – whatever mess he would get into, he believed the expert training would get him out. It was a perfect fit.

The 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, known as “China Marines” for combat action there during the early 20th century, often used the Chinese dragon symbol on unofficial logos.

Today, the dragon appears on its official unit crest, wrapped around a dagger, just above the motto “Whatever It Takes.”

Fuller was a machine gunner who specialized in the M60, a belt-fed squad automatic weapon that was more than 3 feet long, and, when fully loaded, weighed 30 pounds.

“Of all the things they could have put in your

Tales of Valor Burt’s story, and that of many other area veterans, appears in “Tales of Valor: A Tribute to Sauk Valley Veterans” a softcover book normally available for $21.50, but on sale now for $5.34 at saukvalley. com/realdeal, at the Daily Gazette, 3200 E. Lincolnway in Sterling, and the Telegraph, 113 S. Peoria Ave. in Dixon.

Phone orders can be taken at 815-625-3600. hands, it was the M60,” he said. “It was power, man.”

The burden of carrying the weapon rested with Fuller, but the responsibility was shouldered among his crew, who strapped on multiple bandoliers in reserve.

Although some veterans cursed the government for sending them to inhospitable places, Fuller emphasized that Vietnam was more than a police action.

It was justified, and he believed there was a need to be there.

His voice began to waver and break as he described a powerful

link connecting not just Marines, but all veterans.

“Believe me … the guy,” Fuller said, trailing off. “The guy on that front line ...”

It is the spirit and loyalty of service that ties soldiers, sailors and Marines together, and through the Wounded Warrior program, encouraged him to dedicate and decorate two 30-foot blue spruce trees in front of his home as a tribute.

But Fuller hadn’t always been so vocal.

Uniformed members often faced angry mobs that spit at them at airports, he said. People who were eligible to fight burned their draft cards, and some escaped to Canada to avoid commitment.

To stay away from people when he returned, Fuller moved to Shawneetown, a tiny southern Illinois village near the Kentucky border.

There, he picked up a steady, quiet job working as a deckhand on the river.

“Did we accomplish what we wanted?” he asked. “No, but it wasn’t our fault.”

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Burt Fuller, 64, of Rock Falls, is a Vietnam veteran. After a 16-week boot camp in San Diego, he shipped overseas to Okinawa, Japan, and eventually attained the rank of lance corporal.

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HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES

Out of sacrifice, service

For 6 years, Navy veteran and Rock Falls native Jim Eshleman has been a member of the distinguished 40 & 8, a national veterans honor society whose membership is by invitation only.

40 & 8 veterans honor society looking to invite new members into its ranks ROCK FALLS – It’s a way for those who served to continue to serve.

For 6 years, Navy veteran and Rock Falls native Jim Eshleman has been a member of the distinguished 40 & 8, a national veterans honor society whose membership is by invitation only.

Among other things, the Lee County unit of the 40 & 8 supports various local charitable efforts, including nursing scholarships for Sauk Valley Community College students, child welfare and food pantries.

It also sponsors Dixon High School students attending Boys State.

“Most of the members of the organization are old, but they are very dedicated members,” said Eshleman, 79.

And, true to its original mission, it’s also a place where veterans can share experiences that, often, only they can understand.

Eshleman appreciates that social aspect.

The name 40 & 8 dates to World War I, when millions of American soldiers traveled to and from the front lines in France in boxcars that could hold only 40 men and eight horses. The cramped space made for miserable conditions for troops already embroiled in a miserable situation.

In 1920, a group of American Legion members formed the 40 & 8.

Members hand-select fellow members, called voyageurs, or voyagers, a name that represents the shared hardships they faced as a result of their military service.

Local units are called voitures, which is French for boxcar. The Lee County unit, based in Dixon, is Voiture 409; it has between 40 and 60 members, Eshleman said.

“There is a 40 & 8 organization in almost every county,” he said. “When I first joined, it was in Whiteside County before it disbanded. Now, Lee County has it.”

After graduating from Rock Falls High School in 1955, Eshleman worked for Russell, Burdsall & Ward Bolt and Nut Co. in Rock Falls for 5 months before joining the Navy.

He served from 1955 to 1959 as a damage controlman, responsible for ship stability, firefighting and fire prevention.

Glimpse a ghost of the past DIXON – Many folks might not know the good works done by the Lee County 40 & 8 unit, but they probably recognize one of the stars of patriotic parades in the Sauk Valley and around the state.

The White Ghost is Voiture 409’s wooden locomotive, built 81 years ago in Dixon by World War I veterans and their friends. It’s modeled after the locomotives that hauled boxcars to the front lines in France.

The snow-white locomotive, which rumbles along on a 1-ton Ford Econoline chassis, was built to commemorate all those who gave their lives in service to their country, and when it He didn’t see combat; that’s not required to be a 40 & 8 member. But, as the military promised, he got to see the world.

“I’ve been to almost every island in the Pacific Ocean,” Eshleman said.

After his discharge, he returned to RB&W, where he worked 42 years before retiring in 1998.

He credits his grandson, Army infantry Sgt. Brandon Law, with giving him a new respect for veterans.

“The reason I am gungho about the service and the veterans is because of my grandson, who served two tours in Iraq,” Eshleman said. “When your relation goes into the service and the war, it really

rolls down the street, it not only reminds people of that sacrifice, but it also raises awareness of the 40 & 8, and of the causes for which its members work.

There are a couple of opportunities to see it in person this Independence Day weekend: At the Petunia Festival’s Dixon Pride parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Sunday along Peoria Avenue, and at the Let Freedom Ring parade, at 2 p.m. Monday in Mount Morris Those interested in having the White Ghost grace their parades, or in just learning more about it, can call Dwight Moss at 815-440-6831 or 815-284-7645

Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com

To become one of the elite The Lee County Voiture 409 of the 40 & 8 meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the Dixon American Legion, 1120 W. First St. Membership is open to men and women, both currently enlisted and veterans.

American Legion membership is not required.

New members are encouraged, but you must be invited to join. Go to ilpost12. weebly.com/lee-county-voiture-409.html or call Dwight Moss at 815-440-6831 or 815-284-7645 to learn more.

Honoring Our Veterans

affects you. Knowing what he was going through really affected me, and I prayed for him a lot.”

Law enlisted in 2005 and served 6 years before being medically discharged.

“He was only a kid when he went in,” Eshleman said. “He was just 18 and did two tours in Iraq, and he came back a man.”

Eshleman would like to see younger service men and women participate in the 40 & 8, whose membership not only is graying, but is dwindling.

“Younger soldiers are not joiners,” he said.

“They have so many other activities. They are married, have kids, and they have to work.”

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HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES

First ones in, last ones out Dixon native among first Vietnam ‘hunter-killer’ pilots

BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra

One of the most lethal threats to U.S. aviators during the Vietnam War were surface-to-air missile stations.

They fired SAMs, as they were known, at aircraft up to 25 miles away – killing with a stealthy precision – often before pilots knew they were coming.

SAMs were Sovietmade, supersonic, finned nightmares about the size of a telephone pole.

“I went to church every day that I could,” said retired Air Force Col. Edward T. Rock, 84, of Chesterfield, Missouri, who dodged more than 100 of them in Vietnam.

The Dixon native and 1950 Dixon High graduate joined after high school as a radio operator, but fell in love with flying. He received a commission as second lieutenant in September 1953.

Rock was among the very first pilots to hunt missile sites in North Vietnam. He was a part of the “Wild Weasel” program developed by the Air Force to sniff them out using special airborne electronics.

Before 1960, planes didn’t have the ability to detect them, either at launch or while in the air, which contributed to a staggering 50 percent casualty rate among Wild Weasels. In 1965, about 1 in 15 were logging aircraft hits.

In June 1966, Rock deployed to Korat Royal Thailand Air Force Base, but was reassigned to the 355th Tactical Fighter

Wing at Takhli airbase, north of Bangkok, Thailand.

“You gotta be sh— me,” Edward T. said Capt.

Rock Jack Donovan, according to “The Hunter Killers” by New York Times bestselling author Dan Hampton. “You want me to fly in the back of a little tiny fighter aircraft with a crazy fighter pilot who thinks he’s invincible, home in on a SAM site in North Vietnam, and shoot it before it shoots me?”

Rock had to get close to stop them because Weasel-configured jets had an extremely short weapons range. SAMs could ride a radar beam up to a plane – the same beam pilots were using to target and destroy it.

The aircraft were then exposed to anti-aircraft artillery at low altitudes.

Then things got hard.

Enemy ground control radar operators, trained by Soviet advisers, shut off their sights, momentarily breaking the connection between an incoming Weasel jet looking to target it. “[We were] usually the first ones in and the last ones out,” Rock said, who completed 8- and 13-month combat tours in 1966-67 and 1972-73.

Eventually he was commander of the 17th Wild Weasel Squadron.

He flew 11 different aircraft over his 27-year career, but his workhorse was the Republic F-105 Thunderchief – nicknamed “Thud” for its

booming afterburner.

Among his 50 awards and unit citations are two Silver Stars for “gallantry in action,” the Legion of Merit for “exceptionally meritorious conduct,” three Distinguished Flying Crosses for “heroism or extraordinary achievement,” and 16 Air Medals for “meritorious achievement.”

On a mission for which he received a second Distinguished Flying Cross, Rock had been flying a “Thud” mission with a weapons officer in the back seat. They had to protect a flight of B-52 bombers by suppressing SAM guidance Radars.

“Tonto 01” was their mission codename. “[Rock] led the force to the target via the land route from the [southwest],” read a report compiled by W.H. Plunkett of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel himself, using mission reports and interviews.

“There was heavy radar-controlled [antiaircraft artillery] in the area. Several SAMs were launched, and Tonto 01 expended a Shrike (antiradar homing missile) ... in self-protection. The SAM, unguided after the [radar] went down, harmlessly detonated away from the B-52s.

“Tonto 01 then returned to his initial point to escort in the second cell of B-52s. Again, as the B-52s entered the area, SAMs were fired. Again, Tonto 01 expended a Shrike and protected the B-52s,” the report continued.

With the bomber escort

completed, Rock doubled back to attack ground control sites, which had been sending enemy jets his way.

“The [air-to-ground missile] firing circuits failed. The missile was fired using emergency circuits and ... made a probable kill,” the report said.

Rock’s official medal citation said he “repeatedly disregarded multiple surface-to-air-missile launches, heavy antiaircraft fire, and hostile interceptor aircraft ... to engage these defenses at close range,” and provided the “inspiration and leadership necessary for the success of a highly significant United States air operation.”

No bombers were shot down during that mission.

Rock retired in 1977, returned to Dixon, and worked as chief pilot and engineering test supervisor for Woods Equipment Co. in Oregon. In 1983, he moved to St. Louis and worked for McDonnell Douglas, retiring in 1997 as an engineering manager.

Rock was recognized in March with the 2016 Outstanding Aviator Award by the Wings Club Foundation and the International Aviation Women’s Association for his service at an awards’ conference in New York.

Throughout his career, Rock spent a cumulative 7 years away from his family, he said, thankful that he married a good woman.

“They hold down the homefront while you’re gone,” he said. “I would do it all over again.”

U.S. Air Force photo

This is one of several official and unofficial variations of the Wild Weasel patch. Willie the weasel is pictured. The letters at the bottom of the patch are an acronym for “You Gotta Be Sh-- Me.”

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HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES

Women of the desert Sisters, wives, mothers answered the call to service

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Brenda Mashaw (left), Barb Wertz, Larissa Lewis, Susanne Seloover, Wendy DeMay, Carin Musak, Shelley Woosley, Sheri Nichols and Sheila Dwyer were among the members of the 1644th Transportation Co. who attended the company’s 25-year reunion Sunday at Centennial Park in Rock Falls.

By Rachel Rodgers • rrodgers@saukvalley.com • 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 • @rj_rodgers

M

aster Sgt. Brenda Mashaw But she couldn’t let her husband, already had filed paperEarl, and the rest of the Illinois work to go inactive when National Guard 1644th Transportaher unit was called to serve in Oper- tion Co. go without her. ation Desert Storm.

“You train your whole life to do

Honoring those who have served, are serving, and future veterans of our armed forces.

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something, and when the opportunity comes, you better take it,” the 56-year-old Rock Falls native said.

WOMEN CONTINUED ON C7

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HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES

‘We were a family and clearly we still are’ WOMEN

CONTINUED FROM C6 t

The 160-member unit left Rock Falls in November 1990, and for the Mashaws, they were leaving much more than a city behind. “We had three kids at the time, and my mother came and stayed with them,� she said. “It certainly wasn’t easy.�

Phones were rarely available, and the mail could be lost or delayed, so communication back home proved to be a challenge, she said.

The unit contained about 20 women, including sisters Larissa Lewis and Sheri Nichols, both specialists at the time. “We had a support system,� Nichols said. “We had each other.�

Although the sisters, both of Morrison, deployed to the Middle East together in January 1991, they were separated during the ground war as Lewis transported cargo and Nichols was a dispatcher at base headquarters. “It was hard; I had no idea where she was,�

Nichols said. “When we were back together, we both went into this dead sprint for a big hug.�

They became closer through their service, and although they were 19 and 20 at the time, they felt much older when they returned, Lewis said. “The experience just changed you; it made you grow up awful quick,� Lewis said.

For Master Sgt. Sheila Dwyer of Chicago, the war provided the setting of her and her husband Leslie’s honeymoon. “It was the largest sand beach there was,� she said with a laugh. Both 38-year-old special-

ists at the time, the couple married on Dec. 14, 1990, about a month before their deployment.

They were camped together but would often be separated as she drove missions and he served as a maintenance mechanic. “It was pretty scary,� she said. “Once I left and went out on a mission, I didn’t know if I was going to get back, but he was always there waiting for me.�

She said being a woman was the most challenging aspect of the service, including carrying the same amount of equipment as a man twice her size.

Nichols and Lewis said the lack of privacy was a big adjustment. “We gave up on the whole modesty thing,�

Nichols said. “You had to.�

As drivers, the unit members hauled a variety of materials including food, water, uniforms, ammunition – and prisoners of war. All together, the unit traveled more than 100,000 miles.

Master Sgt. Barb Wertz, one of the few unit members still active in the National Guard, transported food and water, but there were also times when she had plastic explosives stacked 9 feet high in the back of the truck.

She turned 19 on Jan. 9, 1991 – the day the unit was originally scheduled for deployment – and said her youth kept her from worrying about the risk of carrying so much explosive material. “When you’re a teenager, you don’t think much [past] the nose on your face,� she said.

That mentality changed after returning home. “It was difficult relating to people my age again,�

she said. “I saw past the nose on my face and learned not to take much for granted.�

The majority of unit members came together for a reunion last weekend to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of returning home to Rock Falls and receiving a welcome parade throughout the area. “We were a family, and clearly we still are,�

Wertz said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever encountered another unit like this.�

Brenda and Earl Mashaw retired from the National Guard after 29 and 26 years of service, respectively.

They have four children: Craig, Elizabeth, Keith and Cole. Elizabeth and Keith are following the family’s military tradition, serving in active duty in Texas and Virginia.

Nichols and Lewis live in Morrison and still see each other regularly.

Nichols’ husband, Mike, also served in the unit.

Sheila Dwyer served in the Navy Reserve at the Naval Station Great Lakes as a third class petty officer and also worked at the Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet.

She and her husband retired and moved to Buda, Texas. They have five children: George, Michael, Richard, MaryKay and Sheila Jr. Wertz serves at the Illinois National Guard 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield, and she teaches special education at Eureka High School in Eureka.

She and her husband, Nathan, a master sergeant at the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in Normal, have been married 11 years.

They have three children: Miranda, Brody and Samantha.

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Dan Ruckman (left) of Dixon and Larissa Lewis of Morrison look at Ruckman’s photo album from his time serving in the 1644th Transportation Co. during the company’s 25-year reunion Sunday in Rock Falls.

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HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES

Wanted: Veterans to take a free Honor Flight Applications available; donations needed; volunteers welcome STAFF REPORT news@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5501

Do you know any World War II, Korea or Vietnam veterans who have yet to take an Honor Flight?

Well, they’ve more than earned a free trip to D.C., so let’s get them signed up.

Honor Flight is a national program that sends veterans, combat or otherwise, to Washington, D.C., on a 1-day trip to tour war memorials and other attractions, each accompanied by a volunteer guardian who assists him or her throughout the trip.

Most, but not all, of the area’s World War II veterans have made the flight, as have many of those who served during the Korean War, and applications now also are being taken for Vietnam War veterans.

Applications are available at honorflight.org, but local organizers prefer veterans and those who wish to serve as guardians go through them, so they can keep track of local requests.

In Whiteside County, applications must be returned to: Whiteside County Honor Flight Chairman Gary Farral at Gfar1949@gmail.com or 815-441-7128; Rachel or Doug Crandall, rcrandall01@frontier. com or 815-535-1219; Jerri Robinson, 815537-5395; Bob Van De Velde velderj@comcast. net or 815-499-6100 ; Terry Gaskill, gaskilltl@ gmail.com or 815-5353665; Virginia Ray, 815-

590-3464; or John Espinoza, 815-718-2625.

In Lee County, veterans can contact Rich Sanders at 815-2885872. or P.O. Box 986, Dixon, IL 61021.

Top priority is given to World War II- and Korean War-era veterans, or any veteran with a terminal illness.

Vietnam veterans must submit a copy of their DD214 forms with their application. Veterans who served before Vietnam do not.

All veterans of their respective wars are eligible to take the trip; it does not matter if he or she served stateside or in another locale, or in what capacity.

Each veteran’s flight cost $400 to $500, but is free to the veteran; guardians pay their own way.

Thanks to donations to the nonprofit group, and to its members’ fundraising efforts, Whiteside County Honor Flight has taken more than 300 veterans to see war memorials in the nation’s capital since it launched in summer 2009. Lee County Honor Flight, which was created in 2010, has sent 220 veterans; its most recent flight was in April.

Both chapters are affiliates of Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, which has a Facebook page and a website, honorflightqc.org. New members are always welcome.

HFQC’s next flight is Sept. 15; veterans within a 75-mile radius of the Quad Cities are encouraged to apply.

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

To donate to the cause Local Honor Flight chapters are affiliates of Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, and the flights leave from and return to Quad City International Airport in Moline.

By the time the plane, bus, fuel and other fees are taken into account, each flight costs about $80,000.

Tax-deductible corporate or individual donations can be made to: • Whiteside County Honor Flight, P.O. Box 400, Sterling, IL 61081, or to Gary Farral, 309-659-2628, or Bob Van De Velde, 815-499-6100.

• Lee County Honor Flight, P.O. Box 986, Dixon, IL 61021, or to Rich Sanders, 815-288-5872.

Veterans look at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the Lee County Honor Flight on April 21.

WE SUPPORT

We will always remember.

We will always be proud.

We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.

THOSE WHO DEFEND

OUR FREEDOM

FRANK’S

— Ronald Reagan

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