06-29-2017 Tri-City Area History Page

Benton Harbor Fruit Market

North Berrien Historical Museum is always interested in photos, stories or information sharing.  The museum can be contacted at 269-468-3330 or by email to info@northberrienhistory.org.

From the photo collection at the North Berrien Historical Museum

300 Coloma Avenue, Coloma

The Paw Paw River Journal

He finally came home

It took Billy Van Camp over 50 years to come home from World War II.  Billy, a slender blonde kid, was a little younger than I was. I knew him, but we were never close friends. A quiet guy, he quit school as soon as he was old enough. Back in the day his dad ran a taxi service out of a little hotel right across from the depot. His mom died when he was just a kid, and his younger brother, Charlie, was adopted by some relatives. But Billy’s dad would not let him go, so he grew up in a motherless household.

The war came and I lost track of him. He enlisted in the Air Force and because of his small size they sent him to gunnery school… there he became a ball turret gunner on a B-24 called Cold Iron. This is one of the least jobs I’d like to have in the flying part of a war. You were curled up in a Sperry Ball Turret on the underside of the airplane with twin machine guns and belts of ammo. Two ways out of it… either up into the ship, or straight down and use the parachute. Stuck in any other position and you were just there for whatever happened to the airplane.

The crew of Cold Iron received their orders to proceed across the Pacific and join the campaign to push Japan back through the Islands to their homeland. When they arrived and reported for duty, they were given an unusual and somewhat dangerous assignment… photo reconnaissance. That means they would fly over Japanese installations, recording everything with cameras. They had to leave behind all bombs and lighten the load so as to carry more fuel.  On one such mission they just disappeared and never returned home!

Family members of the crew were notified that they were ‘missing in action’ and later when they were never found, that was changed to finality. Years passed. Then one day in 1989 a college professor took a class into the mountains on Guadalcanal looking for rare plants. This island was the scene of horrible fighting in WWII, and was strewn with wreckage and graves… the detritus of war.

Climbing a jungle hillside, they spotted some bright metal… aluminum! It was a wrecked airplane, and on the side of the nose was painted a logo… Cold Iron! Our government sent out a team of experts to collect the bodies… 10 of them. But after 50 years, recognition was impossible. They were all sent to our lab in Hawaii, where scientists began the laborious task of sorting out DNA. And this is where I got into the picture!

The Chief Accountant and I were vacationing in Florida when we got a phone call from the Hartford Library. The U.S. Government had called looking for relatives of one William Van Camp! Would I talk to them? You bet I would. And a lady called me… she was the one in charge of finding and notifying relatives of missing servicemen. They were looking for a relative to check against Billy Van Camp’s DNA and I.D. him positively. Billy had a brother, Charlie, who had been adopted out, had been in the Navy, and was supposed to be in California. Could I help them?

I said I had a friend out there with service connections, and I would call him. Bick Beckwith was a retired Colonel in the Air Force… a Hartford boy, and a friend of long standing. Bick went to work, and finally found Billy’s brother. He was indeed a Navy veteran and spent most afternoons and evenings in the local VFW post drinking.

I said to Bick, “You’d better be careful how you approach Charlie! You know there is an old Chinese proverb, ‘If you save a man’s life, you are forever responsible for him!’” Well, Bick did get Charlie connected with the Army for a DNA sample, and they made the comparison. It matched! They were able to do this with most of the crew members, and figured it was enough to assume they were all there… ten boys who were lost so long ago!

In a postscript to that part of the story, Bick called me later and said, “Well, Bud, you were right about the Chinese proverb! Now Charlie goes to the VFW in the afternoon, gets sloshed, and then calls me almost every evening to talk about his brother… just when we are watching our favorite T.V. programs!”

So what happened to Billy Van Camp? Well, the next December on a cold wintry day, the scene at Arlington Cemetery was most somber. A black caisson pulled by black horses led a solemn procession (about a mile and a half long) through the cemetery. Only one polished wood casket… one of the crew members’ relatives said, “Those boys trained together, flew together, fought together, and died together! So they should be buried together.” All the relatives agreed to that.

A Military Chaplain eulogized the lost airmen. Then a 21-gun salute and two bugles playing taps with an echo… a most dramatic moment and one that always sends shivers down my back. Guards presented all next-of-kin with a folded American flag and display boxes with awards. In Billy’s case, they handed to his brother Charlie the Purple Heart, Air Medal, campaign medals and aircrew wings.

This young man and his crewmembers now rest for all time in most hallowed ground. They traveled half way around the world to do what they had to do. This is the best, the quietest kind of heroism. And it is what has made our country great. What it means for us is that we can honor all those lost young people, our best and brightest, by working together to keep it that way! We are all part of the golden threads woven into the tapestry of our lives in these storybook towns along the Paw Paw River.

Watervliet District Library News

 This month in our display case – North Berrien Historical Museum Paper Mill Artifacts. Share your own Paper Mill stories in our Community Memories book, to be donated to the Museum at the end of the month.

LEGO donations needed – any and all LEGOS you don’t use anymore; bring them to the library.

Summer Reading Program: Build a Better World – thru July 30, 2017 – Thursdays for all ages and Make it Mondays for K-6 graders and their families.

The events for Summer Reading Program:

June 29 – Wildlife Safari

July 6 – Dr. Tom’s Silent Theatre

July 13 – Upcycle, recycle & bicycle: Earth fest

July 20 – Build a Better World with Music Lady

July 27 – Pizza Party

The events for Make-it Mondays:

July 3 – Build it with TP rolls and straws

July 10 – Paper Towel Marble Runs

July 17 – Build it with Cups & Plates

July 24 – Inventor’s Box

This year, the library is pleased to partner with Watervliet Public Schools to provide free lunches for kids & teens, following each Thursday program.

Yoga – Monday mornings 9 – 10 a.m.; Wednesday evenings 7 – 8:00 p.m.;  Wednesday evenings 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. Chair Yoga for people with limited mobility.

COLOMA

100 years ago – 1917

The wedding of Miss Halo Ryno and George M. Ferguson was celebrated at the bride’s home in North Coloma. The bride’s costume was blue taffeta with trimmings of silver and gold.

The Coloma state troop will give a dance at Bunker’s opera house. Show your patriotism by patronizing these Coloma boys.

The grand opening of Woodward’s pavilion will take place Saturday. The popular Chicago dancing master, Prof. G.S.D. Shultz will once again act as master of ceremonies for the season.

60 years ago – 1957

Employment of a “special” teacher for slow learners was approved by school administration for the 1957-58 school year.

Postmaster Mary Kilmark tells us that Coloma’s mail service has improved with an additional delivery of mail in the afternoon from Niles.

The annual summer resort inspection program is now underway. Resort operators may request a sanitation inspection on a specific date.

Coloma children in grades seven to 12 have been invited to another dance being held in the Watervliet High School gymnasium.

The Salem Lutheran Church will have a combined Sunday school and church picnic at the Lion’s park.

30 years ago – 1987

We Asked You… What does the Declaration of Independence mean to you? Jenny Kopp says “Liberty and Justice for all.” Courtney Cullitan enjoys the freedom to make choices on how to live your life.

Glad-Peach Fest President Dale L. Stover sends the Tri-City Record a poem. “Glads are pretty, Peaches are sweet, This year’s Festival, Will be a real family treat.”

Coloma Schools Superintendent Clifford Tallman announces that the Board of Education adopted a deficit anticipated budget. A finalized budget will be made in October.

Chamber of Commerce representatives are visiting new businesses and welcoming them to the community.

HARTFORD

100 years ago – 1917

In a single day’s enthusiastic drive Hartford has responded to the appeal for contributions to the mercy fund of the American Red Cross with an over subscription of more than 50 percent.

The Fourth of July dancing party will be held at the town hall in Hartford with music by Dean’s orchestra. Matinee races at the fairgrounds, a band concert and patriotic features will be other attractions.

Two American flags, to be used as banners on Main Street, were presented to the village at the Red Cross meeting at the town hall. The flags were purchased with funds raised by subscription among Hartford people at the instigation of the ladies of the U-and-We Club.

75 years ago – 1942

Purchases of war bonds at the Hartford post office and at Van Buren State Bank during the months of May and June are positive proof that Hartford citizens are realizing the importance of supporting the war effort through the liberal purchase of U.S. Treasury savings bonds.

The Hartford Vacation Bible School, which is open to children of all denominations, will meet in the morning at the Federated church. A study will be followed by the school through the use of work books, and the work which begins this year will continue through the next four summers. The school was held for the first time last summer, with an average daily attendance of 48, and is sponsored by the First Methodist and Federated churches.

50 years ago – 1967

Sp-6 Terry L. Bisbee, son of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Bisbee recently received an award of the Army Commendation medal for heroism with “V” device. In the letter sent home to his parents, it read, Reason for the award: For heroism in connection with military operation against a hostile force. Sp-6 Bisbee distinguished himself by heroism in action on April 5, while serving as a flight engineer of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a night troop extraction near Song Mao, Republic of Vietnam. His past records show he was awarded the Purple Heart and five oak leaf clusters to the air medal. Each oak leaf cluster was awarded for participation in 25 or more combat missions in hostile territory in Vietnam and the Purple Heart was for injuries sustained when a machine gun aboard a helicopter in Vietnam exploded.

WATERVIET

90 years ago – 1927

The usual slump followed the big Fourth week crowd at the resorts but most of the summer homes and cottages around the lake are now occupied for the season and the hotels have all been entertaining a fair number of guests and all have good reservations booked from the middle of the month on to the close of the season.

Advertised on Jul 15, 1927: American Café – First door south of Nelson Bros. on Main Street

Home cooked regular dinners — .40

Special Dinner Sundays — .50

Hills Delicious Ice Cream — qt/.50

An 8-pound daughter arrived on July 7, 1927 to make her home with Mr. and Mrs. Stanley S. Monroe, Watervliet.

60 years ago – 1957

Commander Otto Helweg returned on Monday, July 1, 1957 from a two-week training course in Disaster Relief, in Los Angeles, CA.

James Harris, who graduated from Western Michigan University recently, with a physics and mathematics major, spent the weekend at his parents’ home, Mr. and Mrs. F. Harris here in Watervliet.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ambrose are the proud parents of their new baby boy, Peter Michael Jr., born June 27, 1957 and weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces.

30 years ago – 1987

Michael Grear, Jeffrey Little and Benjamin Marvin, all of Watervliet, are among the entering freshmen who will receive a share of $1 million in academic scholarships from Western Michigan University. The awards are part of WMU’s Medallion Scholarship program. The recipients were among 459 leading high school seniors from five states who competed for the funds.

Emil Piasko, age 96, and Myrtle McNees, age 100, rode on the North Berrien Historical Society entry in the Watervliet 4th of July Parade honoring Michigan’s Sesquicentennial year. They rode in an open carriage this is over a hundred years old, pulled by a horse. Both were presented certificates from the North Berrien Historical Society honoring them as oldest residents of Watervliet.