SALUTING OUR SOLDIERS ON NOVEMBER 2021
SUPPORT OUR LOCAL TROOPS AND VETERANS Thames Albany Anderson
John George “Geo” Babion
1921-2010 US Army
4 Years • WW II Paratrooper in the 55st batallion and the 508th Regiment of the 82dn Airborne. He particicapted in the invasion of Southern France. He fought in the battle of the Bulge. Received Purple Heart and numerous medals.
Jack Blacklock
U.S. Army
Vietnam
Corporal
US NAVY
In 1919, President Wilson commemorated the first Armistice Day with these words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
1952-1954
Robb Bollenberg
US Coast Guard 1975 – 1979
Heavy Equipment Operator 1967-1969 USS Saratoga
Served in
WWII 1942-1945 Purple Heart Recipient
The day was originally set aside to honor the Veterans of World War I with a day of parades and remembrances as well as a pause in activities at 11am on the day.
Jerry J. Boyle
US Navy
Quarter Master 1st class
While many realize that Veterans Day, which always falls on November 11, is a day to honor our Veterans, few realize the historical significance behind the day. Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities of World War I that occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. Therefore, the day is always recognized on November 11th, regardless of the day of the week the 11th falls on.
Robert G. Bennett
US Navy
Meaning of Veterans Day
US Navy Reserve 1986 - 2003
In 1938, it was made a legal federal holiday for all. However, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress recognized a need to expand the meaning of the day to recognize all of our Veterans and not just those of World War I. In 1954, the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans” as a way to formally include all Veterans of all American wars in the day of remembrance. Today, Veterans Day is a federal holiday which many cities celebrate with parades and ceremonies.
Jack Brown
Richard Brown
Sgt. Joel D Brown
US Navy
USMC
July 1959March 1968
Army Air Forces
1969-1973
East Coast, West Coast, Africa, Europe, Mediterranean Sea, Viet Nam, Cuban Missile Crisis, crossed Equator May 8, 1961 Golden Shellback
Vietnam
Beulah
US Air Force (Ret.) Over 2,000 combat hours flying over Iraq and
US Army Air Corps Lieutenant
Sergeant 1942-1945
WW II 1944 - 1946 2 Years Service
SSGT Ryan S. Geetings
Jeri Erginkara
US Navy
US Air Force
3rd Class 1951-1955 U.S. Naval Air Station, FASRON 3 & U.S.N.S. Henry Gibbons
Served in the US Army 1951 - 1956
Desert Storm & Vietnam
Army Air Corp
20 years of
Leroy John (Jack) Drew
Proudly
Served in
1925 - 2019
US Air Force Army National Guard Air Force Reserve Family: Dianna, Marie and Patrick
Joseph N. DePalma 1933-2014
1971-1991
David Louis Degrandchamp
James Alfred Davidson
combined service
Afghanistan. Family: Celina, Tiffany and Thomas
Retired USMC
Daughters - Dolores, Valrie, Jean Wife - Virginia Kinne-Carter
Currently Living In
Norris W. Cutler
MSGT Jason Comer
Chuck Clarke
Tech 3 Medic 3 Years WW II Pacific Theater 1917 - 1984
1983 - 1989
Beulah
Currently lives in Beulah MI
Jack T. Carter
USMC
Navy Acheivement Medal Currently Living In
- Gulf War
retired as Master Sergeant
1943-1946
Sandra Card, SGT.
USMC 1983 - 1989 Beirut
from 1977-1998 (21 years including 12 years of Foreign Service) Unit Deployment Manager
Private First Class
1969-1970
DeWitt Card, SGT.
David E. Burley US Air Force
Lt. Col. 22 Years
Precision Collision & Auto Glass
Corner Store
352-6700
Open Daily Corner of M-115 & M-22 • Frankfort
352-9021
882-4342 • 882-7782
Nugent
England 2006 Family: Jessica, Aiden, Addison, Austin, Autumn Randy & Cheryl Knapp Barney & Mary Gettings Location:
Joined:
Stapleton’s Frankfort
US Air Force
10635 Main St. Honor 1-800-444-6396
487 Main St. Onekama 231-889-3456
Of Frankfort
1310 Elm St • Frankfort
Owned and Operated by the Schneider Family Most complete hardware in Benzie County
Crystal Plaza • Benzonia
882-4322
FAMILY MARKETS
Honor Family Market 10625 Main Street
325-3360
310 Main St. • Frankfort
(231) 352-9181
Open Monday - Friday 8am - 5:30pm Saturday 8am-5pm • Sunday 10am-2pm
frankforthardwareco.com
SUPPORT OUR LOCAL TROOPS AND VETERANS Frederick Goethals US Navy 1062- Sept. 1966 Subic Naval Station Japan Command Fleet Japan San Diego
Airforce
Vietnam Veteran 1967-1970
WW11
Lawrence (Larry) Hale
1951-1952
US Navy Lieutenant Vietnam 1969-1972
William (Bill) Huhnke Sr.
WWII PFC 2nd Rangers 1944 -1946 Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge
Tom LaBelle
Korea & Vietnam US Air Force 1983 - 2004
1983-1995 B-52 Crew Chief, Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm 1995-2004 Air Force Recruiting, Regional Flight Chief Meritorious Service Award 3 Air Force Commendation Medals 2 National Defense Service Medals
US Navy Korea Art Melendez
US Army
radio operator
Specialist 4 1966-1968 wurzburg,
2 Years
Troy McKinley
US Army / US Navy
SP/5 Military Police Corps 1969 - 1971
1983-1992
E-5 Combat Engineer AME-2 Egress
Gordon Mowen
Signal Corp
“Blocking Force”
5th Army, Anti Aircraft Division. Was a Captain for most of the war, but was promoted to Major at the end of the war. Was in North Africa and then up through Italy.
Lawrence McKay
Hugh McGovern
US Army
Jack LaBelle US Army WW11 1941 - 1945
MSGT Dave Kramer
30 years
He Graduated From Frankfort High School in 1944
Son of Gary & Chris Kirkpatrick of Frankfort
Served in
Captain
US Army WWII VET
3rd Class Petty Officer 1+ Year Of Service
1950 - 1971
United States Coast Guard
germany
combined service
He served at Ladd Air Force Base (now Fort Wainwright) near Fairbanks, Alaska, as a radio operator in the I & R Platoon of the 4 Infantry Regiment. Al lives in Frankfort with his wife Gerry.
US Navy
US Army
Captain James L. Knight
1951-1953
Austin J. Kirkpatrick
Jerry Kekel, MSGT.
19 June 1942 7 December 1945
US Army
US Army
3 Years 8th Div. 16th Rangers US Nat. Guard - 2 Years Driving a APC on manuevers near Stutgart Germany 1962
Army Tec Fifth
Joseph G. Knauer
Al Hyams
US Army
US Army
USS Higbee (DD 806) USS Parsons (DDG 33)
Wounded in Belgium, 1944 on way to Battle of the Bulge Lives in Honor
1969 -1975
22 years served plus 17 years civil service
Douglas E. Joy
David Jahr
36th Armored Division, 3rd Army 2nd Wave, Normandy
E4, Sergeant.
Sergeant First Class
Corporal Feb. 1952 - Feb. 1954 Active Duty 2 Years Honorable Discharge, Feb. 1960
Motor Officer 45th Infantry Division Currently living in Frankfort
Berdyll Handrath WW II
Air Force
US Army
45th Infantry Division
1991 - 1996
Ronald William Haase
Joseph Palmer Hommel
US Army Korean war
Gulf War
4 Years of service
Us Navy and US Army
Special Engineer Detachment, Manhattan Project, Inducted 9 July 1945 Discharged 26 August, 1946
US Army
Tec 4
Richard Paul Haase
US Army Sergeant
Roger Gunderson
US Army WWII
US
Edward William Haase
SGT. Don Mead
Robert H. Gum
Thomas R. Goulding
Captain Amanda Nerg
WW II Veteran
Served under General Patton and Participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Received 4 Battle Stars for his service. Now lives at Frankfort Pines.
US Air Force Married to Steven Nerg Daughter –In- Law to Michael and Julie Nerg
Shop-N-Save
Food & Family Center
Kathy@Kathy Neveu.com Crystal Plaza • Benzonia
882-4021
24 Hour Towing Serving all of Benzie County and beyond! Beulah 231-383-0221
1123 Main St. • Frankfort
352-7181 Our Brand has evolved!
231.342.0921
57 N. Michigan Ave. • Beulah/Frankfort
Eden Hill Greenhouse Flowering Plants for all Seasons
1450 US-31, Benzonia, MI (231) 882-9655
Annuals • Combo Planters • Hanging Baskets Perennials • Fall Garden Mums • Succulents Poinsettias
882-7226
2034 Eden Hill Rd., Beulah at the intersection of Lincoln & Eden Hill Rd. Hours: Mon - Sat. 10 - 5pm Sunday: 11am - 3pm
Watson Benzie 1514 Benzie Hwy. Benzonia, MI 49616
231-8824417 www.watsonbenzie.com
SUPPORT OUR LOCAL TROOPS AND VETERANS Staff Sergeant Kevin Nerg US Air Force 6yrs US Air Reserve Married to Sydney Nerg. Son of Michael & Julie Nerg. Brother to Jeremiah, Justin and Steve Nerg.
Al Popp
US Army 1988 - 1991 Spec 20th Ordinance Co. Dahm Germany
Wilhelm Parkkinen
WWI
CPL CO D 22 BN US Guards
Section US Army Vietnam 1966-1967 SP/5, 192nd Finance Ed Robinson WW II U.S. Army Tank commander
11th Armored Division 41st Tank battalion, Company D
Served 3 Years,
Honorable Discharge Awarded Purple Heart
Calvin Schlueter
US Navy
1986-1992 Married to Ruth Ann Schlueter Brother of Julie Nerg, Vic Schlueter & Bill Schlueter
James W. Stephenson US Navy (retired) Commander, Civil Engineer Corps 1974 - 1994 Camp Covington, Guam early 1976
Ronald Wardwell CPL. US Army Korea 1952-1954 Wounded Twice Purple Heart Living in Frankfort
Dennis E. Wisniewski
US Army
Private First class
Vietnam 1968 - 1969 Killed in action
US Army 1968-1969
Spec 4 Corporal Helecopter Crew Chief/ Gunner Dong Tan Base Viet Nam Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars, Acommandation Medal of Valor
Dennis A. Priddle
Bradley D. Priddle
USMC
USMC
E-5 Sergeant
SGT. E-5 Currently Serving in Japan 7th Year
Vietnam
Jack Rawls, SSGT
Gary H. Rankin
Benjamin M. Pelch III
US Army 14 years Currently owner of
Rustic Resort LLC, Benzonia, MI
Dillon Rosa
Dennis J. Rider US Air Force
Sergeant - Crew Chief vietnam
1967 - 1968
Kole Rosa
Coast guard
service
service
Roy Schlueter
US Navy
United States Navy Seabees 1955-1959 Father to Julie Nerg, Vic, Calvin & Bill Schlueter Brother to Ed Schlueter & Barb Gaylor
Thomas Stier
U.S. Navy 2nd Class Yeoman Served for 10 years
George Waters
US Army
Korea 1950-1953 William G. Wisniewski
US Army
Sergeant Germany 1968 - 1971
Major, US Medical Corp USA ARMY 1970-1971 Ehulai, Vietnam
C.O. 23rd Medical Battalion 91 EVAC MASH - General Surgeon Recipient - Bronze Star Medal
Zachariah (Zach) Edward Pyles
Sergeant May 24 1985July 11, 2014 SMSGT Tom Richmond US Air Force (Ret.)
Vietnam Veteran
Benzonia Graduate. Brothers James and Clayton, Sister Carol and many nieces and nephews. Loved Life.
Coast guard Petty Officer 2nd Class 10 years of
Anibal A. Pepper
1960 - 1983 Greg Ryan
US Navy E3 1 Year
Petty Officer 3rd Class 4 years of
Jerome J. Schmitt Jr.
Dallas Smith
US Army 2 Years
US Army WWII
Korean War
Ward Van Houten
US Navy WW II - 4 Years, Enlisted at 17 into Navy in 1942. Served aboard U.S.S. Tangiers & Stationed on Philippine Islands Korean War - 1.5 Years, Recalled to Navy in 1950. Served aboard U.S.S. Burton Islands Ice Breaker in Bering Sea at 60˚ below.
Kenneth E. Williams Jr. US Navy 1953-1972
Melvin L. Vedder
U.S. Navy PM2 (Pharmacist Mate) 1944-1945
Herbert Gail Wilson
Stationed in Great Lakes, IL., Pearl Harbor, USS Greenwich, USS Randolph, USS Hollister, USS TE Chandler and others. Retired at Albany, Georgia. Family: Wife Patricia, 2 sons and 5 step sons
sheryl zilch
US Air Force Jet Engine Mechanic Retired Sept. 30,2002 Retired as a Master Sergeant E-7
Desert Storm/ Desert Shield
THANKS to ALL our veterans for protecting ALL of America’s rights & freedoms. Especially the right to vote and the right to liberty, justice, and fair treatment. We Benzie Democrats are forever grateful; we will always support these rights for ALL Americans!
US Air Force Bombardier in the 13th Air Force during World War II involved in numerous missions. Following the war he continued his service in the Air Force Reserves and held the rank of Lt. Colonel at the time of his death in November, 2011. He was a resident of Beulah from 1942.