LETTERS FROM 20th anniversary edition - THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED - The Republic
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LETTE R S F RO M
SALU T E | A T R IBUT E TO
T HOSE W HO HAV E SERV E D
20th anniversary edition
MAY 24, 2020
table of
c o n te n ts
★★★
»
HONORING
SERVICE about th e
Emails connect past to present for
family of fallen soldier
PAGE 3
HOME IS WHERE
THE HEART IS
Nortonburg man wrote 189 letters “All that we’ve been given by those who McCawley. In his popular columns,
home during WWI
PAGE 6
came before, the dream of a nation McCawley often included snippets
where freedom would endure. The work from letters that his brother sent
‘YOU JUST LIVE and prayers of centuries have brought home during World War II. Some
THROUGH THEIR us to the day. What shall be our legacy? of those letters have been read
MEMORIES’ What will our children say?
Family of Vietnam veteran
during SALUTE! concerts.
holds notes near and dear
“Let them say of me: I was one who be-
lieved in sharing the blessings I received. Letters, whether physical or elec-
PAGE 8
Let me know in my heart when my days tronic, serve many purposes. On
CHEERS TO are through, America, America, I gave top of keeping loved ones con-
20 YEARS my best to you.” nected, they offer a firsthand
Salute began as a musical thanks but
— Gene Scheer, “American Anthem” retelling of historical events by
has become community extravaganza
those who served on the front lines.
PAGE 10 While the Columbus Indiana Phil-
harmonic’s free, annual SALUTE! Our publication also takes a look
SIGNED back at 20 years of SALUTE! and
WITH LOVE
concert has been canceled amid
the stay-at-home orders caused by its impact on the community.
High school sweethearts stayed
connected through WWII COVID-19, this publication’s status We hope that you take the time
PAGE 16 was never in doubt. Our project, to honor a veteran this weekend
on the SALUTE! 20th anniversary, and thank you for helping make
KEEPING
aims to tell the stories of those SALUTE! a success every year.
CONNECTED
Vietnam veteran worked in Army who served their country. We look forward to honoring our
communications
This year’s theme is “Letters From veterans with the program for the
PAGE 18 next 20 years.
Home.” The idea is inspired by
STILL SOARING late concert founder and former — Jordan Morey,
Veteran guardsman continues Republic associate editor Harry assistant managing editor
flying in retirement
PAGE 20
★★★
PAGE 2 | Sunday, May 24, 2020 SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME
H O M E R R E E DY | ARMY STORY BY TOM JEKEL | PHOTOS BY TOM JEKEL & SUBMITTED
»
HONORING
Emails connect past
to present for family
of fallen soldier
Seventy-five years after his father was killed in action during World War II, a
Hope man has been touched by a recent gesture from a Belgian couple who
Keep your crop working for
have been tending to the soldier’s grave. As a 2-year-old in the early 1940s, Jerry
Reedy has just one vivid memory of his father. “They were standing on the porch
when he left for the service,” he said of his dad, U.S. Army Pfc. Homer E. Reedy,
you, even after the
Keepharvest.
your crop working for and mom, Jean Reedy. “I’m lucky to say I even remember that,” said the retired
you, even after the harvest.
Cummins worker, now 77. “He didn’t come back.”
(SEE SERVICE PAGE 4)
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SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME SUNDAY, May 24, 2020 | PAGE 3
SERVICE
Continued from page 3
A letter home
Homer Reedy, a Kings Taxi Co. driver in y’s letter home to
Pvt. Homer Reed
Columbus, was 21 when he enlisted on Oct. sister-in-law Joan Wilbur
9, 1942, and entered the service two weeks Dec. 28, 1942
later. He signed up at the same time as his Pvt. Homer Reedy
older brother, Charles A. Reedy, 23, with
Camp Hood, Texas
both of them reporting to Fort Benjamin
Harrison in Indianapolis. Homer Reedy Dear Joan,
just fine
eventually would be assigned to Camp I received your letter. I am
e.. . The
Hood in Texas. and hope you are the sam the
re tha n
Two years later, toward the end of WWII, mud is deeper out he
you had a
the Columbus native was part of the 612th snow is there. I suppose
I ate tur key till I looked
nice Xmas.
Tank Destroyer Battalion involved in the of my little
Battle of the Bulge. That conflict was fought
like a gobbler...Take care Jean I
Ple ase tell
jitterbug. Ha ha ha.
in eastern Belgium, northeast France and
still love her.
Luxembourg between Dec. 16, 1944, and
Jan. 25, 1945. From your brother-in-law,
On the second day of the battle, Reedy Homer
was declared missing in action. Two months
later, on Feb. 24, 1945, the War Department especially difficult time for his mother, who
notified Jean Reedy in a telegram that it had had married Homer less than a year before
sufficient evidence that her husband had Tom Jekel | For the republic
he left for the service. With Homer’s welfare
been killed in action on Dec. 17, 1944. Glenda and Jerry Reedy display the photo book they received.
uncertain, 2-year-old Jerry was critically ill
The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and hospitalized with pneumonia.
battle fought by Americans during the war, Bulge in December gained much attention grave, the cemetery in general during differ- After a week, Jean was able to bring him
with 81,000 U.S. dead. For sacrificing his in the region, with special newspaper sec- ent seasons, historic action from the Battle home from the hospital. That was one day
life, Reedy was awarded the Purple Heart. tions, festivals and parades featuring Army of the Bulge and of the caretakers taken at before she learned of her husband’s death,
Homer Reedy’s death occurred six veterans, vehicles and special exhibitions, the cemetery. according to a front-page article in the Eve-
months after his brother, Charles, was in- Marion said. “It was amazing that after all these years, ning Republican newspaper, a forerunner of
jured during combat in France and hospital- That’s when she heard of an effort by a we were contacted,” said Glenda Reedy, 71, The Republic.
ized in England. young man from The Netherlands to locate Jerry’s wife of 51 years and also a Cummins That same day, she got a letter from her
Like many other soldiers who lost their photographs of soldiers buried in area retiree. brother, Robert L. Wilbur, who was being
lives overseas during the war, Homer Reedy’s cemeteries and to place pictures on their Jerry Reedy — a Vietnam Era veteran treated for malaria in the Philippines.
remains never returned to American soil. grave markers, an idea Marion embraced. who wears a Hellcats pin on his cap to In the early years after Homer’s death,
He is buried with 7,991 other American It was at that point she began to hunt down honor his father — said he had never expe- Jean paid for tributes to publish in the local
servicemen in the 57-acre Henri-Chapelle Reedy’s family. rienced such a gesture. newspaper each Dec. 17.
American Cemetery near Liege, Belgium. With help from Sue Klakamp of the Bar- “We need to honor our heroes,” Marion This was the first: “In loving memory of
His remains are in Plot D, Row 13, Grave 56. tholomew County Veterans Service Office, explained. “We need to remember and not my husband, Pvt. Homer E. Reedy, who died
For the past three years, Reedy’s grave has Marion was able to connect by email in late forget.” in the service of his country Dec. 17, 1944.
been tended to by Math and Marion Bouv- December with Jerry, Homer’s son, and his No members of the Reedy family have Nothing can erase the memories of one so
rie, a married couple in their 60s who live in wife, Glenda, in Hope. been to Belgium to visit Homer’s grave. good and kind; he is living in my heart today
The Netherlands near the Belgium border. “We just would like to let his family know “We’d like to,” Glenda said, although recog- and is always on my mind. May God guide
Math is a retired factory production worker; that he is not alone and that there are people nizing the financial restraints of being retired my life on earth today and help me find the
Marion works for the same company in that care for him,” the Bouvries wrote. “He and having a fixed income. But the photo way to live as he would want me to, to meet
sales and service. is buried at a beautiful cemetery on a beau- book made it seem as if they were there. him some sweet day. Wife and Son.”
After applying in 2017, the Bouvries were tiful location on top of a small hill.” About five years ago, Jerry began to learn Years later when Jerry was still a boy, Jean
named cemetery sentinels by the Ameri- They took and shared digital photos of the more about his father when a cousin did began to build a new life with Carl Knapp, a
can Oversees Memorial Day Foundation. grave and requested a photo of the soldier, research to create a family tree. mailman and Navy veteran she married.
Serving as caretakers for U.S. military grave intending to add it to the grave marker. Homer was born in Columbus but moved Jean had kept a cedar chest with military
sites is common in the region, with such re- About six weeks later, the Bouvries were to Ogilville with his family while a small boy mementos of Homer, including an American
sponsibilities often passed down in families back in touch with the Reedys and provided and attended school there. He was a member flag she was given upon his death, his Purple
through generations, Marion Bouvrie said. copies of newer photos that included Hom- of Ogilville United Brethren Church. Heart and other medals. But the chest and
Their sole sentinel responsibility is to take er’s military service photo on the marker. Prior to working as a taxi driver, Homer its contents were destroyed in a malicious
care of the grave of Reedy, who was a member With that Feb. 15 email, they promised was employed by V.E. Sprouse, a heating act after she died at age 70 in 1995.
of the Hellcats armored division. They visit that a “little photo book” just back from the and ventilation company in Columbus. After 25 more years of heartbreak, the
his grave eight to 10 times a year, sometimes printer would be coming in the mail. “It’s odd that I am this old and am now photo book and correspondence from Math
just to say hello and other times to place flow- A heavy-stock, glossy book containing finding out all these things,” Jerry said. and Marion Bouvrie have given Jerry Reedy
ers on his burial plot, Marion said. 26 pages of photos arrived in Columbus a There wasn’t much shared with young a new appreciation for acts of kindness that
The 75th anniversary of the Battle of the month later. It included pictures of Homer’s Jerry early on, with February 1945 an people show, ones that won’t be forgotten.
PAGE 4 | Sunday, May 24, 2020 SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME
Coverage of Homer E. Reedy in The Evening Republican, forerunner of The Republic
Saturday, Oct. 10, 1942, Page 1 Summary: Their 14-day performance of duty in combat op- further word had been received Wednesday, March 28, 1945,
Headline: Army takes 37 of 55 furloughs ended, 37 new Bar- erations against a highly trained until the death message Saturday. Page 2
men in Friday draft tholomew County soldiers left and tenacious enemy during the Reedy was serving with a tank- Headline: Five killed on casualty
Summary: The Republican re- by train this morning for Fort battle for Brest.” Meanwhile, destroyer battalion. Reedy was the list
ports that 37 of 55 local men who Benjamin Harrison, where they Homer’s brother, Pfc. Charles father of a 2 ½-year-old son, Jerry
Summary: Casualty reports
took their final draft physical had will receive their uniforms and Reedy, continued to recover from Lee. The small boy became criti-
passed and were accepted into the issued by the Office of War Infor-
equipment for start of service wounds suffered in France on cally ill of pneumonia 10 days ago
U.S. Army. The list included two with Uncle Sam. Two brothers July 30. He received shrapnel mation bear the names of five local
and was taken to the county hos-
brothers: Charles A. Reedy, 1809 were in the group — Charles wounds in one arm, leg and his soldiers and one from Ninevah
pital. His condition is improving
College Ave., and Homer E. Reedy, Reedy, 23; and Homer Reedy, 21, side and was still under treat- and he was moved home Friday. killed in action on the European
615 Hughes St., both of Columbus. sons of Mr. and Mrs. James Reedy ment at a hospital in England. Reedy was born in Columbus but fronts. All the deaths had been re-
They were to leave Columbus on of 1809 Cottage Ave. Homer is ported earlier in messages to next
moved to the Ogilville community
Oct. 23 to begin their military Monday, Feb. 26, 1945, Page 1 of kin, published in this newspaper.
the father of a 3-month-old son. with his family while a small boy
service commitment. The list included Homer E. Reedy.
Both brothers had recently been Headline: Homer E. Reedy, first and attended school there. He was
Thursday, Oct. 22, 1942, Page 2 driving for the King Taxi com- missing, reported dead; War De- a member of the Ogilville United Tuesday, May 8, 1945, Page 1
Headline: 37 men start service pany. Ages of the group ranged partment notifies wife — former Brethren Church. Prior to working
from 20 to 44, with Leland C. Cox taxi driver killed Headline: V-E DAY PRO-
Friday as a taxi driver, he was employed
the oldest of them. CLAIMED!; 45 local men give all
Summary: The 37 men from Summary: Pvt. Homer E. Reedy, by V.E. Sprouse company here.
He was first stationed at Camp for freedom
Bartholomew entering military 23, of this city, formerly listed
service — including the Reedy Friday, Dec. 29, 1944, Page 1 as missing in Belgium since Dec. Hood, Texas. Mrs. Reedy and their Summary: With the battle in the
brothers of Columbus — will re- Headline: Reedy’s outfit blasts 17, has now been listed as killed son have been residing with her West won, Bartholomew County
LIVING LARGE
port to the Pennsylvania railroad enemy; tank destroyer company in action on that date, according parents, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond today counted a cost of 45 war
station at 9:15 a.m. for the train is praised for work at Brest to a War Department telegram Wilbur. On Saturday, a letter was heroes who died in action in the
trip to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Summary: The tank destroyer received from her brother, Robert struggle to free Europe from
received Saturday noon by his
Indianapolis.
battalion of which Pvt. Homer wife, Mrs. Imogene Reedy of at615 L. Wilbur, who is serving with the Nazi grip. The was in the
Friday, Oct. 23, 1942, Page 1 E. Reedy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hughes St. A telegram listing Army forces in the Philippines, East, still being waged against
Headline: 300 at train to see James Reedy, 1809 Cottage Private Reedy as missing in that he is under treatment for the Japanese, has cost 12 Bar-
draft off for duty; Nine married Ave., is a member, has received action the day after the start of malaria in a hospital in the Philip- tholomew County lives in action.
men, five with children leave for a commendation from Maj. Gen. the German break-through was pines. The letter was written Feb. It lists Homer E. Reedy as killed
fort; Reedy boys shove off W.M. Robertson for “outstanding received by his wife on Jan. 5. No 12, Wilbur’s 21st birthday. in Belgium on Dec. 17, 1944.
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LETTERS FROM HOME SUNDAY, May 24, 2020 | PAGE 5
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D O N N O R TO N | N AV Y STORY BY BARNEY QUICK | PHOTOS SUBMITTED
A big part of Don Norton’s heart remained D o n Norto n
in Nortonburg during his 18 months of
naval service in World War I, which took Age: 76 (1892 — 1968)
him to Virginia, Boston, the North Sea and Branch of military: Navy
Great Britain. Rank: Shipwright
During that period, he wrote 189 letters, Career: Highway maintenance,
averaging five to six pages in length, to construction
various people back home. Wife: Mary
is where He had long roots in Nortonburg, as
his grandparents moved to the area in
1832. Norton was born in 1892, during
the heart is the village’s heyday when it had about a
dozen houses, a post office, general store,
himself when denied furlough to visit his
sick mother, and his stay at the naval hospi-
blacksmith shop, grain elevator, sawmill tal in Portsmouth, Virginia, due to a case of
and train depot. the measles. He also expresses gratitude for
Nortonburg man wrote 189 A Columbus resident, Candy Carr, has food packages.
come into a treasure trove of those letters As summer 1917 turned to fall, Norton was
letters home during WWI and has painstakingly compiled a timeline of accepted into artificers’ school, a Navy pro-
his service. In fact, she has bookended that gram for training carpenters, coppersmiths
timeline with extensive research on his family and artisans. Enrollees were given access to a
history and his life as a Columbus resident wood shop, a machine shop and tools.
from his discharge to his death in 1968. In October, his letters show humor and
Her archiving efforts have made this ac- high spirits. He even draws puzzles for his
count of his experience possible. father to solve.
Norton joined the Navy in 1917 and In a seven-page letter to his father, he
arrived at Norfolk Naval Station on July describes a wooden cabinet he made in the
12. Within 10 days, he’d written four letters shop. He discusses a side business, stencil-
to his parents. The first describes his first ing and key check making, that he started
day, including the menu of his first meal, to supplement his income.
items he was issued and first impressions of An Oct. 26 letter laments the fact that
people he was meeting. fellow seamen spend their time and money
“Received two whites, one blue dress on drinking, fighting and loose women
suit and two work suits, four hats, a pair when on leave.
of shoes, four pairs sox [sic], one bathing In November, Don is notified of his
trunk, four hanks, one hammock, one mat- father’s death. A 19-day gap in his letter
tress, two wool blankets and all [necessary] writing presumably indicates a trip home
toilet articles I will need,” he wrote. “Wash- for the funeral.
ing clothes is going to be the hardest part A March 9, 1918, letter finds him aboard
of my work. Have no fears of my have [sic] the Nantucket, en route to Boston. He
Don Norton and his to go aboard a boat for some of the fellows makes note of seeing the lights of Long
dog, Bunker have been here for as much as 18 mo and Island as the ship passes by. The rough
of course the oldest men go out first. One waters give him motion sickness.
of the boys in our crowd lost his shoes to Ten days later, he wrote to his mother
day [sic] and they make no bones about about being on a crew that is re-armoring
steeling [sic] any thing you have.” the USS Aroostook. He went to sea on that
Norton’s July 23 letter, according to Carr, ship, but he doesn’t tell his mother that it is
“bemoans the fact that all the other men a minelayer.
are getting letters from multiple women, On May 19, he writes of having met a
while Don begs for letters from family and “pretty nice girl” in Boston, but on May 30,
friends from home.” he reports that her mother objected to the
It also describes daily life, both drill and relationship, so he ends it.
leisure time. By July, the Aroostook is in port in
Don and Letters throughout August to his parents Scotland, and he goes ashore. He writes to
Mary include details such as identifying himself
Norton as a shipwright, a fellow seaman shooting (SEE home PAGE 7)
PAGE 6 | Sunday, May 24, 2020 SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME
home
Continued from page 6 A letter from Don
his brother, Overton, that their father would Jan. 5, 1919 the dirty work and I get to do as I please. Columbus to even mention Co. H. I saw in
USS Aroostook He’s most tickled to pieces over the sea the Norfolk paper this evening where sev-
have enjoyed the sights he is seeing.
Dear mother, chest I made him. Thinks so much of it he’s eral destroyers were due in N.Y. today; The
The food during this portion of his going to box it up and send it home. Allen was among them so suppose Perry
service is monotonous. He writes on Sept. At last I have heard that you have heard will be back ahead of me yet and explain all
14, “You have no idea what it is to get the from me on this side. I’m not in the cabinet makers class yet but
with the aid of the machine, I get out some about his (commission) of quarter master.
same thing week in and week out. We know Well, I’m a busy man trying to get some fair work; still have that way of getting out There is no more news about discharges
just as well what will be on the table for any work done which I want to do before of patience and KH—with everything. and so far as I am, there is going to
meal a week from now as if we were looking coming home. I can’t sleep for thinking be none until they come to terms as to
how nice it’s going to be when I do finally I’m writing in the paint shop tonight, as
at it right now.” peace; it all depends on what England
get away. The first party got back today the painter is also thinking of going on
Momentum toward the war’s conclusion says about maintaining a large navy.
and now they say we are to stay here leave and is rushing the bony business
starts to gather in the fall of 1918. An Oct. he just showed me. $1.00 to split with me If she says big navy, Wilson will follow suit—
31 letter to his sister, Mary, speaks of hear- until February so I see no reason why we
won’t get several days. and has 8 others ready at $1.75 each. and we will serve our time; for if there is any
ing that Turkey has signed an armistice. On chance, Daniels will dominate England’s
I got my coffee, milk, sugar, cocoa and We had a driving snow storm this evening;
Nov. 16, he writes to his mother that the snowed so hard that they used the fog grand navy and if she does, it will take some
armistice is official. candy and we all enjoyed it immensely. ships for she has a bunch of them such as
Rop James, the 1st Lieut. said that who signals but melted as fast as it came, all
He tells his mother on Nov. 16 that “the gone now. My, but it’s quite different here they are. You should have seen the fleet of
news came to us [on Nov. 11] as we were at ever made the ginger fudge had hit on a super dreadnaughts she had in Scapa Flow
than it was in the North and I expect when
supper [and] someone struck up the Star new and fine idea. guarding the German ships; looks to me to
I get home I’ll almost freeze.
Spangled Banner on the piano and all hands We received new stores today and tonight be enough to take most any place even Lu-
Looked foolish to see all Xmas decora- cifer’s stronghold, and then to think our little
rose and sang.” the paymaster surely is sick of enlarge-
tions up in town here. I can’t bring myself old Burma Boat fleet had them bottled up.
On Dec. 31, Norton returned to the states. ment of the heart for we had a fine feed
to believe Xmas is over.
His last three letters, all written on Jan. 22, all day today. Well, I see the democrats are figuring on
On our Xmas in Bermuda, it was like July a fine lot for our next president. They say
1919, ask his mother to write his command- I’ve been working on some nonsense most and most everyone who could swim were
ing officer explaining that he is needed on of the day and night just finished; its now Wilson, Baker, McAdoo or Houston and
in swimming in the morning. How I wish if that ain’t four aces, I don’t know where
the farm. 12:30. We get to sleep to 7:00 of a morning you could see those islands, it’s a won-
so it’s not necessary to go to bed too early. they could be found.
He spent most of his years back in Bar- derland. The Azores are the same except
tholomew County living on the southeast I made a vanity box for that little girl of that they’re not American. I also see by all the papers that there is
corner of Rocky Ford and Marr roads. He ours and a gun shell locker for Jack; be- I had a letter from O.P. yesterday saying
quite a lot of talk about our government
served as a state highway maintenance side that I put in some more work on my that he would come home when I did so I ownership of the rail roads.
superintendent and then was in the employ Davy Jones chest. guess we will have some gathering shortly. I don’t know what it’s all about as I don’t
of Foss and Luke Taylor Construction. The express on my junk home I expect There are lots of men coming in here have the least idea how civil things are
In 1941, he married Mary Johnson, which will be more that its worth but I’m going to every day now. Most everyday sees from running. I know the fare is only one cent
made him a stepfather. send it all the same. 1 to 5 troop ships come in and my, what a mile for us to go home and back so why
His move from Nortonburg to the north- a wild bunch they are; sounds as if they should I worry?
Our chief has been on a furlough this week
east side of Columbus consisted of a few and I have had things to look out for and were all yells when they pass us. Well, I guess I have run out again so will
miles, but there was a period in between you may be sure I let others do the most of Not many of the real fighters are coming close. Hope this finds you in good shape.
that took him much further. the work while I worked for my own good. yet, just the useless ones from the camps Save some of the pig.
It was imposed on him as it was a great James leaves tomorrow and while he is over there. With lots of love,
many of his generation by one of history’s gone, I expect to have to lay to for the When the heroes get back no one will Don
inflection points, a swirl of events
a rea w ith
thath e
noal t hy optichief
ons folikes me like I do a snake. give a hoot about soldiers. P.S. You have never said anything about
one anticipated p ly
until in g thewere upon the
they r o
Su p When James ver 8is8round, someone else does That Republican has the nerve of Bunker lately. Is he alright or not?
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SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME SUNDAY, May 24, 2020 | PAGE 7
R OB E R T WAY N E B A R K E R | A R M Y STORY AND PHOTOS BY TOM JEKEL
‘ you just live through their ‘
»
Family of Vietnam
veteran holds notes
near and dear
More than 58,000 American service- He was drafted into the U.S. Army Expeditionary Forces. Her stepfather, booby-trapped with bombs attached
men didn’t return from Vietnam, sac- in 1967, one year after graduating Robert “Nick” Nicholson, served in to her body while she visited Ameri-
rificing their lives to limit the spread from Columbus High School, where the Air Force. can soldiers.
of communism in Southeast Asia. he was involved in the Conservation Gregory, 69, was born at Wakeman “It was a world that I don’t think
They fought with the country of Club his sophomore through senior Hospital inside Camp Atterbury near any of us would understand,” Gregory
South Vietnam, which lost more than years. Edinburgh, one of many stops on said. “He wasn’t the same afterward.
200,000 of its own soldiers, against About once a month, Kathy Nicholson’s military career. She main- There was no understanding what he
North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, Gregory of Columbus digs out the 20 tained a connection with the camp, went through.”
a communist-led army and guerrilla letters she received from her brother including doing volunteer work for Poor reception
force embedded in the South. Bobby during his military service, the local USO. As the American death toll mount-
Vietnam veteran Robert “Bob” with the first one arriving in April But like so many other soldiers in- ed and antiwar protests at home
Wayne Barker was one of the for- 1967. Gregory values them might- volved in combat, her brother Bobby dominated newspaper headlines,
tunate ones, or so it seemed, able ily, keeping them close to her heart, didn’t talk much about his time in the atrocities that occurred in the jungles
to safely return to his Columbus along with a piece of blue cloth he military, Gregory said. of Southeast Asia were shown nightly
home after spending 1967 to 1968 in sent that had been cut from a Japa- The experience left him scarred on network television. Vietnam was
Vietnam. Barker lived an additional nese kimono. emotionally, she said. Some of the the first U.S. conflict to come into the
50 years but ended up being a war “They’re just treasures you hold reasons are revealed in portions of his homes of Americans for all to see,
casualty just the same. onto,” said the Cummins retiree. letters from Vietnam. and at the time it was the longest war
With his Dec. 23, 2018, death, Bark- “Once they’re gone, you just live He once asked family members that the U.S. had ever been involved
er joined 300,000 fellow American through their memories.” to send him dolls so he could share in.
servicemen — five times the number Her family connections to the them with young Vietnamese girls “He wouldn’t talk about it,”
of combat casualties — who died military run deep. who would visit the camp. Gregory said of her brother’s personal
from exposure to Agent Orange, an Grandpa Ernest “Tate” Barker When he stopped asking for such military experiences. “He would
herbicide and defoliant chemical used was one of the original Doughboys gifts, Gregory replied that she wanted absolutely clam up.”
during the Vietnam War from 1961 to of World War I, troops deployed to know why. She learned that one
1971. Barker was 71 years old. to Europe as part of the American of the Vietnamese girls had been (SEE memories PAGE 9)
PAGE 8 | Sunday, May 24, 2020 SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME
Robert Wayne Barker obituary
Robert Wayne Barker, 71, of Columbus, died 2019, with the Pastor Jason Johnson officiating.
at 1:36 p.m., Dec. 23, 2018, at Our Hospice of Calling was at Jewell-Rittman Family funeral
South Central Indiana. home. Military Rites were performed by the Bar-
Robert was born Aug. 19, 1947 in Columbus, tholomew County Veterans Honor Guard.
the son of Ruth (Barker) Nicholson. He married Memorials were requested to American Legion
Anita (Sovern) Barker on July 25, 1988. Post 24 and Our Hospice of South Central
Bob was an avid outdoorsman, loved hunting, Indiana.
fishing and trapping. One of his favorite things to Survivors include his wife, Anita; 3 sons; 1
do in his leisure time was build furniture for his daughter; 4 granddaughters; 1 grandson; and 3
family and friends. great-grandsons.
A memorial service was held Saturday, Jan. 5, He was preceded in death by his mother.
memories One time, however, with his
younger sister’s encouragement,
of wood and make anything,”
Gregory said.
Continued from page 8 Barker agreed to visit Columbus But his tour of duty in Vietnam
High School and talk with her caught up with Barker when he
As soldiers returned home one classmates, who were just a few was diagnosed with a brain tumor
by one, replacements from just years younger. from exposure to the Agent Or-
down the street left one by one “That did him good,” Gregory ange chemical five decades earlier.
to take their places in Vietnam. said, but it was just a one-time The effects of Agent Orange took
Unlike World War II, there were boost to his spirits. hold of Barker and wouldn’t let go
no homecoming welcomes or over the final three years of his life,
ticker tape parades to celebrate an
Raising a family Gregory said.
His military days behind him, “Do I ever miss all of you people
American victory in what was de-
termined to be an unwinnable war. Barker landed a good job and start- back there,” Barker would write
“When I came home, I got ed a family with his wife, Anita from Vietnam, ending each letter
treated like I was the scum of the Jo. They raised three sons — Tate, with “Love, your big brother,”
earth,” Gregory recalls her brother Toby and Tyler — and a daughter, Gregory recalled.
saying. Elizabeth, on the northwest side Throughout the next 50 years un-
As a young man, the outdoors- of Columbus. Tate now lives in til Barker’s death from brain cancer,
man enjoyed carrying a rifle to Alabama, but the other three are there would continue to be a strong
hunt for food. But when he picked still in the Columbus area, their bond between brother and sister.
one up in Vietnam, it was to pro- aunt said. “The day that Bobby passed was
tect his own life and those of his Barker worked for 30 years on a on a Sunday. A falcon was sitting
comrades. machine line at the Cummins Fuel in my front yard, which was odd,”
“He became a shell of the person Systems plant in Columbus. she said. “He left and returned.
Away from work, he enjoyed Kathy Gregory of Columbus goes through about 20 letters sent by her broth-
he left as. I imagine it was because This sounds funny, but I think that er, Robert Barker, from 1967 to 1968 when he was a U.S. Army soldier in
of what he saw. Those guys didn’t a lifelong hobby of woodwork- was Bobby’s way of telling me it’s Vietnam. One of her mementos is a blue piece of cloth that had come from
ask to be sent there,” Gregory said. ing. “That guy could take a piece OK; it’ll work out.” a Japanese kimono.
We honor
Our Veterans
TR-35042609
TR-35043449
SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME SUNDAY, May 24, 2020 | PAGE 9
SA L UT E C O N C E RT STORY BY BRIAN BLAIR | REPUBLIC FILE PHOTOS
to 20 years
»
SALUTE! began as a musical
thanks but has become
community extravaganza
Just the juxtaposition of it all tickles such ideas as a longtime columnist. be moved to The Commons, where “Think for a second how many
Julie McCawley into good-natured “None of this would have hap- nearly 1,000 people jammed into a communities our size feature real
laughter. pened without him,” said retired two-level space meant for fewer. howitzers during that perfor-
“He couldn’t carry a tune,” she U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Pil- Most years since, the event has mance,” said Pillar, adding that such
said. “He couldn’t play an instru- lar, a SALUTE! committee member played out like a grand patriotic spectacles normally are reserved
ment. He couldn’t read a note.” and an event participant since 2005. spectacle on the courthouse lawn, for only a few of the largest metro
But her late husband, former The event featuring the Colum- like an old-fashioned Norman areas’ Memorial Day proceedings.
Republic Associate Editor Harry bus Indiana Philharmonic was Rockwell-inspired portrait of “I’d say there are very few places
McCawley, birthed a free, annual intended as a way for the commu- Americana. People don stars-and- with that, period.”
Memorial Day weekend orchestral nity at large to honor all military stripes hats, T-shirts, sunglasses, Older veterans have noticed
concert that has morphed into a veterans for their service. (McCaw- sundresses, you name it. They wave such details, including many from
community-wide extravaganza with ley surmised that nearly all other miniature flags. outside the area and some attend-
some 5,000 people attending, from events honoring veterans were basi- They sometimes shed a tear over ing from other states. They have
babies in strollers to World War cally planned and led by veterans.) excerpts of wartime letters read acknowledged that merely looking
II veterans in the twilight of their For years, he wrote of the exploits to the crowd. They smell burgers at the throng and orchestra and
lives. of Bartholomew County veterans, and brats on the grills of the local the unabashed honor has shaken
In fact, McCawley, both a partly inspired by his older brother, band boosters, adding to the scene’s them emotionally. Plus, some who
former Kentucky and Indiana Ben, who died in World War II. sizzle, and they sometimes applaud regularly have been exposed to some
National Guardsman, conceived McCawley pitched the concert wildly when soldiers from nearby of the nation’s finer orchestras have
of SALUTE!, which unfolds on the idea to David Bowden, the philhar- Camp Atterbury are seated on the said they were duly impressed by the
grounds of the Bartholomew Coun- monic’s artistic director, and the east side of the lawn. philharmonic and its vocal guests,
ty Memorial For Veterans. He also late Alice Curry, the philharmonic’s Moreover, many in the crowd who have included Grammy Award
was a catalyst for that monument executive director. They quickly jump with a start when the tra- winners such as Sylvia McNair.
itself to become a reality. The archi- embraced it. ditional four gleaming howitzers Bowden, whose father-in-law was
tectural work stands just across the The first gathering on May 25, parked on the street fire a thunder- a World War II bombardier, has
street from the former newspaper 2001, was slated for the Columbus ous salute during the orchestra’s
office where he first entertained all City Hall lawn. But rain forced it to presentation of the “1812 Overture.” (SEE cheers PAGE 11)
Pictured: The Republic associate editor Harry McCawley, left, shares a laugh with A.C. Reeves, Dec. 4, 2013, during a reception at The Commons.
PAGE 10 | Sunday, May 24, 2020 SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOMEcheers Ben McCawley’s service, told through letters
Continued from page 10
To the Catholic Archbishop of day of the return of the Harvard Your loving son, out of trouble.
included music in the con- Louisville, Ky. men and that the first call on our Ben According to Mr. Vincent, your
cert program that ranges My son, Benjamin McCawley, educational facilities will be theirs. son and four others were detailed
from the traditional songs Feb. 23, 1945
has been given the opportunity to Very sincerely, as a squad to advance on an
of the military branches to compete for one of the national Germany enemy position through a series
James B. Conant
mainstream tunes that were scholarships of Harvard College. I Dear Mother, of draws which came out into an
made popular during the am asking for your permission to Jan. 30, 1945 I am so glad that you and Daddy open field.
various wars through the allow him to go if he wins one of Somewhere in France are starting to go out. You should Mac and the platoon sergeant
years. In recent years, that these. All through his life he has Dear Mother, both really go out more and enjoy formed the men in a diamond
has included pop numbers, attended a Catholic school. We It began to thaw again today and yourselves. pattern. He was in the middle.
such as the Linda Ronstadt
can not afford to send him to col- the roofs are one steady drip. Your loving son, They were about 20 feet apart.
and James Ingram tune
lege unless he has a scholarship. Ben When they were 30 or 40 yards
“Somewhere Out There” It is funny how I can get used to
that linked troops and their Most sincerely, a new station or billet. It seems into the open field, the Germans
Dorothy Vance McCawley March 18, 1945 laid down a mortar barrage. One
families during the first as familiar to write you from this
Gulf War. Chaplain’s Office of the first shells landed directly
Undated long smoky shed as it was in my
“This is all of us coming station in the States. 271st Infantry Regiment between your son and the man
To Harvard University on the right.
together to state in a very Here in about three months, Mrs. Dear Mrs. McCawley,
obvious way the importance I have had no regular military Mr. Vincent said that Mac, the
It is my sad duty to inform you of
of all our veterans, from service. I am now in my freshman McCawley’s oldest boy will be 21. man in front of him and the man
year at Harvard University. It will have been a very happy 21 the death of your son, Benjamin
those who came home and H. McCawley, ASN35703980. on the right were killed instantly.
years thanks to you and Dad.
those who did not,” Bowden Among the jobs I have had are a I hope this helps you.
said. “This has become a big summer in a grocery store, work All my love, He was killed in action in western
Germany while advancing on an Love from both of us,
and very intentional part of in a restaurant and paper delivery. Ben
our community.” enemy position. Laura
I was not fired from any of these Feb. 14, 1945
One of the more signifi- jobs. He was buried in the American May 22, 1945
cant aspects of the gathering Belgium cemetery in Belgium with a Cath-
Benjamin H. McCawley General Accounting Office
for Bowden is that it now Dear Mother, olic priest officiating at the burial.
attracts so many youngsters Dec. 28, 1944 Washington, D.C.
I am very well and aside from Sincerely yours,
and teens among the fami- Harvard acute homesickness in a rela- To Dorothy V. and F. Holman
Joseph H. Kelley, Chaplain
lies assembled. Dear Private McCawley, tively good frame of mind. McCawley
“And one of my personal March 10, 1946 Parents of Benjamin H. Mc-
We are now entering the fourth I got yours and Dad’s St. Valen-
and primary objectives of tine message today and it actually St. Louis, Mo. Cawley...deceased.
year of the war. No one can
this concert is help kids Dear Dorothy, I have certified that there is due
predict when this struggle will be made me cry. It was the worst I
understand the cost of you from the United States,
over. have felt in a long time. We contacted Mr. Vincent at the
freedom,” he said. “That’s payable from the appropriations
been at the core of my I am writing to the 2,500 men Accommodations here depend on address given and had quite a
who have, like yourself, obtained what you can make of them. I am long talk with him. indicated, the sum of...$65.39 in
commitment — to remind pay and deposits due decedent at
people that freedom never leaves of absence from Harvard writing by a candle fashioned from He had joined Ben’s company
to enter the armed forces of the a C-ration can and a little cloth. date of death, March 1, 1945.
comes for free. It is often three weeks before his death. He
bought with the ultimate United States. Don’t worry about me at all. I am recalled several small incidents in Lindsay C. Warren
sacrifice of people’s lives.” I need hardly tell you that we in still looking forward to Christmas which “Mac” — as he called him Comptroller General of the United
the University anxiously await the 1945 at home. — had aided him and gotten him States.
Columbus York Rite Masons We Honor
Honor
Our Veterans
Our Vets
Our Vets
Columbus Chapter #10 RAM
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Columbus Council #54 CM • Columbus Commandery #14 KT
Columbus Commandery Drill Team
Columbus Masonic Temple • 4131 Rocky Ford Rd., Columbus, IN
12000 E 225 N • Hope • 372-6031
SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME SUNDAY, May 24, 2020 | PAGE 11SA L UT E C O N C E RT LETTER FROM DAVID BOWDEN | PHOTOS REPUBLIC FILE
20 years of
A letter
from david
Dear freedom-loving friends, our freedoms.
Freedom isn’t free. It is I invite you to read through
bought with a very dear price. those names carefully and be
Many individuals and their thankful, perhaps offering a
families over the centuries have prayer of gratitude for them and
paid that price with the sacrifice their families.
of their own lives, hopes and If you know someone who is
dreams for the sake of the free- currently serving or who is a
doms we enjoy (and sometimes military veteran, please express
take for granted) in the United your appreciation for their
States of America. commitment to our country
We cannot lose sight of this and the preservation of our
enormous cost that has been freedoms.
borne by so many Americans And, most of all, consider
who went before us. Memorial talking about this with the chil-
Day helps us remember that dren in your life. You might tell
freedom isn’t free. them that freedom is precious,
It is a profound disappoint- that it comes with an enormous
ment that on this, our 20th cost, that our military protects
consecutive memorial weekend us and ensures that we remain
Salute concert anniversary, we free, and that those who lost
are not able to be together as a their lives in war defending
community to honor and re- our country did so for all of
member those who came before us. They loved their country so
and who gave us the freedoms much that they gave their lives
we experience in our great for us.
country. But we can still honor Perhaps even read through
and remember them. this insert with them and
This Republic insert includes explain why our country is the
the names of those from Bar- world’s beacon on the hill.
tholomew County who have Years from now your children
given the ultimate sacrifice. and grandchildren may be tell- Clockwise from top: Members of the
434th Refueling Wing Honor Guard of the
Many of those names, along ing their children and grand- U.S. Air Force present the colors during the
with letters, are engraved on children that freedom isn’t free. SALUTE! concert in 2009. Grant Edwards
the columns of the Memorial Proud to be an American! and his grandmother, Roberta Edwards, at
for Veterans at the courthouse, the SALUTE! concert in 2004. Retired Maj.
where we traditionally hold Gen. Mark Pillar holds up his Golden Baton
David Bowden award in 2018.
our concert. Each of them died Artistic Director
serving our country to protect Columbus Indiana Philharmonic
PAGE 12 | Sunday, May 24, 2020Clockwise from top left: A
KC-135 air refueling aircraft
flies over a SALUTE! con-
cert. Members of the Indiana
State Police Honor Guard
fold two American flags in
2018. Debbie Kleinschmidt,
mother of Marine Jeremy
McQueary, hugs her grand-
son, Hadley, as McQueary’s
widow, Rae, dabs at a tear
after they were presented
a flag in his honor in 2010.
Howitzers fire during the
“1812 Overture” during the
SALUTE! Concert in 2014. A
Black Hawk helicopter lands
on Second Street in 2018.
To the men and women
who have fought, and We Support
are currently fighting for
our country, we thank you! Our Veterans
812-526-2651 • 7kfarms.com 305 Washington St., Columbus, Indiana
(812) 372-7829
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At Taylorsville 1/4 mile West of U.S. 31 on Rd 650 N. www.jwinsurance.com
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SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOME SUNDAY, May 24, 2020 | PAGE 13Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Salute! Tributes
Dede Abts The George Family Jim and Nancy Kistler Beth Booth and William Poor
In memory of Hank Abts, Cpt., USAF In honor of Kenneth R. George In memory of Harold E. Kistler and Harold In honor of William E. Poor, Navy Vietnam
Larry and Judy Alexander In memory of Frank C. George and Roy D. J. Geyer 1968 - 1971
Dan and Susan Arnholt Pottorff Gordon and Barbara Lake Christopher Price
James and Suellen Gillespie In memory of my brothers Richard and In honor of Larry Riss
Cathy and Willis Bahnsen Thomas Lake, US Army
In memory of Sgt. Charles Knotek. US Army In memory of our dear friend of 40 years, A.C. and Donna Reeves
and Sgt. Willis Bahnsen Sr., US Army E-5 Harry McCawley, USA Ryan and Blair Lauer In honor of Command Sgt. Major David
Max and Mary Jane Gordon In memory of Laurence Lauer, US Navy, lost Fields, Army Reserves, Alton C. Reeves, Army
Paul and Pat Bippen at sea
In memory of Chief Quartermaster 1966-1968 Berlin, Germany, Col. James B.
Diana S. Black Tom Lego and Pam Wells-Lego Boynton, Air Force, Retired
James Robert Hunt
In memory of John E. Black In memory of Charles R. Wells, Sr. and In memory of Alton Cory Reeves, Army WWI,
Jim and Jeanne Green
Winter Bottum William H. Lego and Donald E. Boynton, Army Air Corps WWII
In honor of William E. Hoehn
In memory of Cable G. Ball, US Army Air In memory of Walter E. Hoehn, Fred H. Laura Leonard Judith Richardson
Corps Alfele, Fred. A. Alfele, and Paul W. Alfele In memory of Charlie Hurt In memory of Lt. Col. Charles S. Richardson
David and Donna Sjaardema Bowden Victoria Griffin and Chris Raskob Jim and Pam Lienhoop Forrest A. Ritz II “Buck”
In memory of our father, Donald Sjaardema, In honor of Christopher Baldwin, Lisa Bald- In memory of Forrest A. Ritz, US Navy, WWII
Army Air Corps WWII, POW Joe and Lisa Lohmeyer
win, and Charlie Sefton In honor of Steve and Chris Lohmeyer Margaret Roush
Wilna Braun Tracy Haddad In memory of Fred and Henry Lohmeyer John and Donna Sasse
Suzi, Melissa, Jason Brown Dave and LaDonna Hall Karen Lowe In memory of Martin H. Schulz, Army WWI
In honor of Larry C. Brown In memory of Mike Hall and Howard F. Boxman, Army Air Corps WWII
In memory of David Lowe, Vietnam 1963-
J. Kevin Butler Warren and Vicki Hall 1967, US Army Joe and Lisa Shafran
In memory of James and Jean Butler In memory of Bruce H. Hall, Radioman, Navy, In memory of MSgt. Ray Shafran
Tally and Lisa Lykins Family
Jeri Cannon Vietnam, Maurice M. Fouts, Army Engineer In honor of Major Kaman Lykins Sam and Fran Simmermaker
In memory of my brothers, William and WWII, Earl Thomas Fouts, Army Combat
WWI, Max Addison Nale, Navy WWII & Carole Marshall Nancy Smith
Ronald Cannon, US Army
Korean War, Russell Hall, Jr., Army Air Corps, Greg Marshall In honor of Matt Akers
John and Jean Chambers
WWII, Robert McNaughton, Seabees WWII, In memory of Julia A. Marshall In memory of R. Stanley McClain
In honor of Vanessa Edwards
Louise Hollister Benton, Army Nurse WWII, Marilyn Mauzy Tracy Stachniak
Emily Cook David Benton. Army Air Corp Trainer WWII, In memory of Verl D. Mauzy Steve and Christi Tam
Clem Davis Edward Coquerille, Army WWII
Frank McCullough In honor of 1st Lt. Daniel Kotnik and
Tom and Kathy Dell Joyce Heckman
In memory of Sgt. Joseph N. Carson, Army Cpt. Tom Kotnik, US Army
In memory of Col. Darvin Appel In honor of all veterans and COVID-19 es- Air Corps, WWII
sential workers. Meredith L. Thompson
Laura Dodd Myron and Carol Miller In memory of Ralph Brown
In memory of Michael F. Dodd, WWII Joe and Linda Heldt
In honor of Cpl. Noah Miller, U.S. Army Jim and Bev Tibbetts
Jacque Douglas In memory of Bill Heldt, US Army WWII, Ranger serving at Arlington
Richard Banet, US Navy WWII, Al Jennens, In memory of Robert J. Tibbetts and
In memory of Robert Huffer Paul and Peggy Miner Conrad Arnett Arvin
US Army WWII
Ed and Vivian Eckerly Dick and Nancy Nyers Betty L. Tuttle
Kim and Helen Henderson
In memory of George S. Eckerly, US Army In memory of Lt. Col. Norman Bullard, Army In memory of Jean Genevieve Piccione,
In memory of our parents and all veterans.
WWII Boatswain’s Mate Andrew J. Conoley, Coast Women’s Army Corps, WWII
Toots and Jim Henderson Guard
Greg and Vanessa Edwards Mary Lou Voelker
In honor of Harry Edwards and Bob Harden Matthew and Theresa Hotek Mary and Bob Orben In memory of Charles Voelker
In honor of Tom Hotek, US Army, Vietnam,
Nancy Edwards Janet Owen and Family Don and Peggy Wampler
Lt. Col. John Hotek, US Army, Active Duty,
In honor of Cadet Elijah Edwards, USAFA In memory of Edward Halfacre, US Army, In honor of Sgt. Thomas S. Owen In honor of Mark Wampler, son, USAF, Retired
Class of 2022 WWII, Martin McCawley, US Army, Lenora and Clyde Parrott Bill and Garlene Weisner
Melissa and John Fairbanks WWII, Lucelia McCawley, US Marines, In memory of Col. Robert L. McCracken, In memory of Gregory C. Weisner and Rob-
In honor of Major General Mark A. Pillar, WWII USAF ert Lloyd Smith
USAF, Retired Ryan and Jean Hou Tom & Barbara Pickett Greg and Bettie Wessel
Sherm and Jacquie Franz In honor of Alyn and Edith Lyn In memory of Sgt. Bill Bickers, US Army,
Tom and Sara Wood
In honor of Eli Edwards, USAF Academy, Jim and Susie Huntington WWII
and Logan Putney, US Marine Corp. In memory of Lt. Colonel George Kimmel
In honor of Mark Harper Mark and Linda Hunteman Pillar
Ann Pence Fritsch In honor of our uncles who served: George
Virginia Johnson In memory of Pvt. Roy Hunteman, Army,
Mott, Bud Russell, Bob Jones, Jack Cornea,
In memory of Edward Joseph Pence LTC. George A. Pillar, USA, CPL. Paul
Gwen and Ray Keller Dr. William Johnson
Hunteman – USA, CDR. Samuel A. Pillar,
Basil Fritsch and Ann Pence Fritsch Phyllis Kinsey USN, E-7 Michael M. Pillar, USA, SFC. Ronald and Marilyn Woods
In honor of Gregory Joseph Pence In honor of Megan R. Kinsey, 2nd Lt. West Terry P. Pillar, USA, E-5 Harry McCawley, In memory of Dr. Ralph Cook Woods, Red
Dave and Betty Gallagher Point class of 2019 USA Cross, WWII and Lt. Col. Roger B. Woods
In memory of Leland L. Klein, US Marines, Richard Pitman Laurie and David Wright
WWII In memory of his sister, Joan In memory of Maj. Harold F. Mason, USAF
PAGE 14 | Sunday, May 24, 2020 SALUTE ★ LETTERS FROM HOMEThey gave their tomorrows for our todays ...
The columns of the Bartholomew County Me- Donald D. Alvis Ralph L. Denny Jackie Hulse Karl Neuert Charles Smiley
morial for Veterans bear the names of 182 men Joseph Anderson Gale Dixon James Robert Hunt Herbert Newby Billy Smith
and one woman from Bartholomew County who John Arrington Jerry Downs Arthur Hunter Millard Newsom Reed L. Smith, Jr.
were killed or died in the wars of the 20th and David Askew Franklin Dulong Edward Hunter Floyd Noe Robert L. Smith
21st centuries. The concept for the memorial is James Allen Baker Jack Durbin Jonathon Hunter Neal Noland Robert Spicer
to pay tribute to all the veterans of this commu-
Jesse Baker Gerald Eckelman George Irwin Jeanne Lewellen John Stearns
nity, with special recognition given to these 183
Rufus Baker Herschel Eckelman Jesse Jenkins Norbeck Wilbur Steinkamp
who made the ultimate sacrifice. In the words of
one observer, "The pillars offer a profound and Raymond Barbour Carl Eckelman Edgar Jones Victor Nysewander Charles Stillabower
meditative space, a solemn experience which en- Robert D. Barkes Steven C. Epperson Damon Judd John F. Ostick Walter Stillabower
genders a powerful sense of communal gratitude John A. Barlow Aaron Essex Lowell Kanouse Walter Ott, Jr. James Stout
to those who have made the ultimate sacrifices." Clarence Bell Robert Ferrenburg Arthur Keller Gary Pace James Stringer
John C. Bishop Donald Fields Frederick Keller Clarence Palmer Joseph Stroup
Edward Blair Curtis Findley Grover Kinney Harry Patrick
Joseph Stuckey
Howard Boxman William Fisher Chester Lane Virgil Phillips
Louis Tabor
Glenn Bowers, Jr. John Fuel Robert W. Langwell Leo Plunkett
Glen Tatem
James E. Brewer Frank Gaston James Larkin William Pumphrey
William Thompson
Rondal C. Brown Walter Golden Charles Leming Alan Randall
Maurice Thornburg
William Brown Jeffrey Gossett Robert Lind Homer Reedy
Ernest Trimpe
Elbert Bumbalough Fredrick Graham Hubert W. Loesch Milton Reeves
Oskar Trimpe
Forrest Burns Leonard Graham Harley Long Richard Regan
Steven Burton Avery Green John Trotter
William Lucas Howard Reno
Albert Campfield Delmar Green Joseph Macy Sherman Rhude Loren Voiles
Thomas Carmichael Wilbur Guthrie William Maddock Melvin Richeson Kent Voyles
T. Delmonte Carpenter Gordon Haggard Lowell Mahoney Floyd Robertson Everett Wagner
Garnett Cavender William Hale Cassius N. Marlin Francis Robertson William Weales
Dennis Chomel Earl Hall Carl McMillan Max Robertson Gregory Weisner
Donald G. Clark Ernest Hall Chester McNealy Bernard Ross Eldon Whitis
Harley Clark Randall Harris Jeremy McQueary Julius Roupp Frank Wilcoxson
Merle Clark Donald Harrison Jonathan Menke Frank Sachlaben John Williams
Hugo Claycamp Robert Hayes Erven Meyer Francis Scheidt Reed Williams
Jesse Cochran Carl Heagy Martin Miller David Schlehuser Sampson Willoughby
Robert Cody Russell Henderson Robert Miller Joseph Schwartzkopf Carl Wilson
Earl Colter Ralph Hill Marvin Monroe Raymond Scroghines George W. Wilson
John Cox Wayne Hill Donald Lee Moore Emmett Shackelford Alva Woodruff, Jr.
Ben Crouch Jack Hogan Max Mouser Edwin Sharp Benjamin Woehrman
John Crump George W. Horton Orville Moyer Russell Shepherd Leslie Woods
A Philharmonic trumpeter plays Taps during the Sa- Peter Daum John Hovis Paul Nading Donald Shoaf Don Wright
lute concert in 2004.
To our veterans and
The museum preserves the history of
Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum the former Bakalar Air Force Base. Displays
include an air base barracks section,
their families, we say Columbus, Indiana Municipal Airport operating WWII era rotating beacon,
home-front WWII locally manufactured
military items, large scale model military
Thank you.
aircraft, plus many other air base
historical displays. Always free admission.
The museum will reopen as soon as
possible after the threat of COVID-19
has passed. Please follow us on Facebook
for museum news and updates on
The Charlie 119 Project. Call 812-
Repp and Mundt Inc. 372-4356 for museum information or
email us at 434abmuseum@gmail.com.
Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum, Inc.
Doing Business Since 1946 4742 Ray Boll Boulevard
TR-35043452
Columbus, IN 47203
1604 Cottage Ave. • Columbus • 372–3791 www.atterburybakalarairmuseum.org
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