Macomb Heritage Days 2014

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Heritage Days 2014 Page 3

Heritage Days 2014 Schedule of Events

Thursday, June 26 - Opening Night5:00 p.m. - Opening of Heritage Days 2014

Mayor Mike Inman5:00 p.m. - Canival Opens-Wilson Family Show5-6:00 p.m. - Macomb Municipal BandMain Stage6:30-8 p.m. - Little Miss and Master PageantMain Stage7-10:00 p.m. - Carnival Arm Band Day8:30-10 p.m. - Mac's DJMain StageAll weekend - Big Idaho Potato Truck N. Lafayete St.

near Chandler Parknoon - Illinois National Guard Rock Wall - Chandler Park

Friday, June 279a.m.-4p.m. - Library Book Sale - Library Annex Lot10 a.m.-4 p.m. - Genealogical Resource Center Open

201 S. Lafayette St.Noon - Craft/Vendor Booths Open - Chandler Parknoon-1:00 p.m. - Project Dance Company - Main Stage12:30-2:30p.m. - Special Needs Carnival

(pre registration required)noon - Illinois National Guard Rock Wall - Chandler Parkall day - Amtrak Display - Chandler Park1:30-2:30 p.m. - Susan Romano & Dickie Bent

- Main Stage3-5 p.m. - Marietta M. Loehrlein - Main Stage5:00 p.m. - Carnival Opens5:00 p.m. - Walk Around the Square - (view windows on

Square) - Courthouse Square

5:30-7:30 p.m. - Patsy/Jim Reeves/Johnny Cash Tribute Show - Main Stage

6-8 p.m. - Flower Show at CNB - Morton Community Bank-(Citizens)

7:00 p.m.-???? - MHS all Class Reunion including Adair-Bardolph & Western - American Legion

8-10 p.m. - Bryce Dexter and The King Graffiti Band - Main Stage

Saturday, June 287:00 a.m. - John Bliven's Memorial Run/Samaritan Well -

Old Dairy9 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Library Book SaleLibrary Annexall day - AmTrak DispayChandler Park10:00-? - Parade Downtown and Square11:00 a.m. - Carnival Opens11:00 a.m. - Classic Car ShowDowntown and Square11 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Genealogical Resource Center Open11:30 a.m. - Richard Barbuto, PHD speak “Battle of

Plattsburgh” - Western Illinois Museum11:30-12:30 p.m. - Rona Jean & John Brierton

noon - Beef Raffle drawing - Main Stage12:45-2:15 p.m. - Jayme Larson's Dance - Main Stage2:00 p.m. - John Hallwas: “The Memory Shall be Ours”

19th-century Decoration Day re-enactment, with Civil War music by the Macomb Band,” Oakwood Cemetery

2:30-4:00 p.m. - Heritage Days GamesMain Stage4:30-6:00 p.m. - On Stage BandMain Stage6-8:00 p.m. - YMCA Fun Night admission charged $2.00

pp or $5.00 for familyYMCA Gymnasium parental supervision for under 8 years old

6:30-8:00 p.m. - Andy Avery-Journey TributeMain Stage7:00-10:30 p.m. - BB/BS Music Trivia American Legion 8:15-? - Hot Country 104.7 Country ShowdownMain Stage

Sunday, June 297:00 a.m.-noon - Colchester-Macomb Lions Fly-in/Drive-

in Pancake Breakfast Macomb Airport1:00-4:00 p.m. - “Taste of Macomb” - Chandler Park1-1:30 p.m. - Drive Dance Co. - Main Stage2-4:00 p.m. - Barnyard Steve - Main Stage

YFC “kid's games” - near Gazebo2:00 p.m. - YMCA Plastic Duck Race

YMCA Swimming Pool

Rain Location WIU Union Grand Ballroom

*We apologize for any errors or ommissions.


by John Hallwas

The theme for Macomb’sHeritage Days festival thisyear was selected becauseseveral war-related anniversaries are beingnoted in 2014.

First, this is the 200th an-niversary of the climactic yearof the War of 1812, the secondwar in which some men wholater lived in the Macomb areahad served. (A few Revolution-ary War soliders also spenttheir closing years in our coun-ty.) That conflict with GreatBritain officially began on June18, 1812, soon led to fightingin several states (and the Britishinvasion of Washington, D.C.),and closed with the Treaty ofGhent, on December 24, 1814. Veterans who came to west-

ern Illinois commonly did sobecause they received a 160-acre land grant from the U. S.government, for a parcel lo-cated here in the Military Tract,between the Illinois and Mis-sissippi rivers. Very proud ofthat connection to the War of1812, Macomb was known forgenerations as “The Hub ofthe Military Tract.” Also, the Civil War Sesqui-

centennial is continuing, and2014 marks the 150th anniver-sary of the high tide of deathand carnage during that hor-rific national struggle. Some2,700 McDonough County

men served in that war, fightingin now-famous battles atChickamauga, Stones River,Vicksburg, and other places. Oakwood Cemetery alone

has some 270 graves of CivilWar soldiers. For generations,the Macomb Decoration Dayceremony at Oakwood drewhuge crowds, and had deepmeaning for area residents,as I point out in “The Decora-tion Day Tradition and sacredUnity in Macomb,” in my bookHere to Stay (2012). On theafternoon of parade day, June28, at 2:00, the Macomb and,directed by Michael Fansler,along with Civil War re-enac-tors of the 114th Regiment,from Springfield, will portraya traditional ceremony of thatkind at Oakwood. The publicis invited to that free event, ofmusic and military remem-brance.This year also marks a cen-

tury since the start of WorldWar I, in 1914. America didnot become involved, by de-claring war on Germany, untilApril 6, 1917. Then hundredsof local men enlisted or weredrafted.In general, American men

went into that war with highideals, “to make the world safefor democracy,” only to findthe combat, facing machineguns, grenades, and poisongas, more awful than theirwildest imaginings. Lettersfrom soldiers, printed in theMacomb Journal, often recount

horrific battle conditions. Theworldwide influenza epidemicin 1918 also killed many sol-diers before the war finallyended on November 11.This is also the 75th year

since Germany invaded Poland,in 1939, starting World WarII, and the 70th year since thefamous D-Day Invasion by theAllies. Of course, Americajoined that vast conflict afterthe Japanese bombed PearlHarbor on December 7, 1941.Hundreds of men from theMacomb area served, in eitherthe European Theater or thePacific Theater, and dozens ofthem died. Germany finallysurrendered on May 7, 1945,and Japan surrendered fourmonths later, on September 2.Aside from those conflicts,

Macomb area soldiers were

also involved in the Black HawkWar (1832), the Mexican War(1846-1848), the Spanish-American War (1898-1899)—which also led to conflict withPhilippine nationalists—theKorean War (1950-1953), theVietnam War (1965-1973), andthe recent wars in Iraq (2003-2010) and Afghanistan (2001-present).Macomb has a remarkable

heritage of military participa-tion. The articles in this bookletprovide more specific infor-mation and include photo-graphs of some soldiers andgrave sites, as well as of thecommunity’s various monu-ments. The many participantsin this year’s Heritage Daysfestival are pleased to continueMacomb’s long tradition of ap-preciation for local soldiers.

Macomb’s Military Heritage

The Veterans Section of Oakwood Cemetery, establishedafter World War I, includes soldiers from that war as well asWorld War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.


By Marla Vizdal

Later this year, on Decem-ber 24 to be precise, the 200thanniversary of the signing ofthe treaty in Ghent, Belgium,will take place. This docu-ment ended the War of 1812in America. England and theUnited States had been at warfor over two years when thetreaty was signed. Even though this war oc-

curred in a part of our countryoutside of the boundaries ofIllinois (which did not attainstatehood until 1818), two he-roes of the War left their im-pression, or rather names, onMcDonough County. Thecounty’s name came fromCommodore Thomas Macdo-nough, and the city of Ma-comb from General AlexanderMacomb. Both of the menwere heroes in the Battle ofPlattsburgh, toward the endof the War of 1812. Macdonough was a naval

officer who was responsiblefor damaging the British flag-ship the HMS Confiance, andforcing its surrender. Whenthe flagship was damaged,American forces were able todestroy or capture the rest ofthe fleet. General Macomb,a military man from the age

of 16 on, was promoted to therank of colonel and appointedto command the newly or-ganized 3rd Artillery Regimentat the beginning of the war.Working with troops outnum-bered seven to one by theBritish, Macomb commandedhis men to create fake roadsleading away from the fortsin Northern New York. Hisstrategy was successful andthe British troops, under theleadership of Lieutenant Gen-eral George Prevost, were mis-directed and became easy tar-gets for the Americans. Aboutthis same time, Prevostlearned of the defeat of theBritish troops in Lake Cham-plain at the Battle of Platts-burgh, and as he was depend-ing on a number of thesetroops for his planned ad-vances, Prevost abandonedhis plans. The British troopsretreated back to Canada. Macomb and Macdonough

both became respected heroesof the Battle of Plattsburgh.Macomb was then promotedto the rank of Major General,and subsequently, both he andMacdonough were awardedthe Congressional GoldMedal.On May 6, 1812, Congress

passed an act setting asidebounty lands which would be

used as payment for thosemen who volunteered in theWar of 1812. This land waspart of the territories whichwould eventually become thestates of Arkansas, Michiganand Illinois and were usuallyawarded in 160-acre parcels.The area of Illinois, knownas the Military Tract, was bor-dered by the Mississippi Riveron the west and the IllinoisRiver on the east. The south-ern point was where the tworivers converged, and thenorthern border was a linerunning off what is now RockIsland County’s southern bor-der. The military tract con-tained just over 5.3 millionacres, of which 3.5 millionacres were set aside for mili-tary bounties. McDonoughCounty lays almost dead cen-ter in the middle of the Mili-tary Tract. Many of the soldiers of the

War of 1812 who received theirland grants never used them.The land was often seen astoo far west to be botheredwith, and the veterans couldeasily sell their tracts to landspeculators were anxious topurchase them for an agree-able price. Some men, how-ever, did come west to claim

The War of 1812and Our Local Heritage

General Alexander Macombled the land forces at theBattle of Plattsburgh, de-feating the British there inthe War of 1812, while Com-modore Macdonough ledthe nearby naval forces. Thepioneers named Macomb inhonor of this great nationalhero.

Commodore Thomas Mac-donough, who defeatedBritish naval forces at LakeChamplain in 1814, becamea revered national hero ofthe War of 1812. The countywas named for him.

WAR on page 6


their land, a few in McDo-nough County. Later, otherveterans came to claim landfor a number of reasons. A“Sketch of the Military BountyTract of Illinois,” written in1839 by the Secretary of theIllinois Land Commission,outlined the benefits of mov-ing to the Military Tract. Ac-cording to the booklet, thesoil here was of the richestkind and virtually stone free,except by the rivers. Cropsthat could be planted, suchas sugar beets, would be boun-tiful and profitable, recoupingthe cost of the land in a shorttime period. Illinois cattleproduced some of the bestbeef to be found in the world,and other domesticated ani-mals in the state producedfine meat also. There wereplenty of birds to shoot andtrap, bees to benefit from,deer to hunt, and small game

to snare. The booklet also stat-ed that the winter season start-ed in December and lastedonly to the middle of February,a desirable feature for thosetrying to establish themselvesin a new land. The bookletgoes on to point out manymore enticing aspects of theregion. Approximately 20,000 War

of 1812 veterans moved to Illi-nois, lived out their lives, andare buried in the state. Ac-cording to governmentrecords, just over 3,000 ofthese burial sites have beendocumented, with more beingfound every day. The IllinoisWar of 1812 BicentennialCommission has called uponvolunteers throughout thestate to locate these burialsites. Approximately 40gravesites of 1812 veteranshave been located and docu-mented in McDonough Coun-ty, with about another dozensoldiers buried in the countyin unmarked, or lost, graves.Of these soldiers, the majority

of them served in the militiasof Virginia, Kentucky, andOhio, with others hailing fromTennessee, Pennsylvania,Maryland and North Carolina.Their burial sites can be foundin over two dozen cemeteriesthroughout the county, withseven gravesites located inMacomb’s Oakwood Cemeteryand three more, of which twostones have been located, inOld Macomb Cemetery.Many of these veterans’ sur-

names are familiar to McDo-nough County residents.These list includes Brooking,Roswell, Bacon, Hainline,Munger, Hire, and Craig,while others are just a nameon a tombstone, such as Peak,Sarles, Walrath, and Fields.And sadly, there are those likeDavid Glenn, thought to bepenniless, who was sent by afamily member to live in thepoor house, only to die 6 hoursafter arriving. He is buriedin the Blandinsville area, inthe “old village graveyard,” hisburial site yet to be located.Needless to say, all of theseveterans proudly served dur-ing the War of 1812, and theirservice to this country, likethe men who served and/orfought in subsequent battlesand wars, is now being re-membered, recognized, andpreserved.Members of the McDo-

nough County GenealogicalSociety are continuing to re-search the lives of the veteransof the War of 1812 so theirgravesites can be located anddocumented, and their storiespreserved.

WARContinued from page 5

One of approximately fiftyWar of 1812 veterans buriedin McDonough County isMickey Hammond, whoserved in the East Ten-nessee Militia. His grave isat the Pennington PointCemetery.

The grave of GeorgeIseminger, who served inthe 1st Maryland Militia dur-ing the War of 1812, is oneof seven veterans of thatearly war who are buried atOakwood Cemetery.


By John Hallwas

Although Macomb men didserve in the Black Hawk Warand the Mexican War, nonesaw combat or died in thoseconflicts. The Civil War hadjust the opposite impact, re-sulting in significant loss oflife and injury for local sol-diers, and the Spanish-Amer-ican War, which closed the19th century, also had somelocal men on the battlefield. During the Civil War years

(1861-1865), Macomb and Mc-Donough County men wereespecially numerous in the2nd Cavalry and in the 16th,28th, 78th, and 84th Illinois In-fantry regiments. They foughtin such noted battles asChickamauga, Shiloh, StonesRiver, and Vicksburg.As the war progressed, sev-

eral men emerged as notablelocal heroes, and they providegood examples of what thesoldiers in general accom-plished and endured. CaptainDavid Wells, for example, whohad also served in the MexicanWar, developed a group ofUnion Army volunteers calledthe McDonough Guards,which became Company B ofthe 16th Illinois Infantry. Themuch-admired captain of thatcompany, Wells was the firstarea soldier to die during the

war, on April 7, 1862. (He diedof lung trouble stemming froma railroad accident while onduty in Missouri.)A celebrated hero was G. L.

Farwell. In the summer of1863, near Jackson, Missis-sippi, his regiment, the 28thInfantry, suffered more than100 casualties. As Macomb:A Pictorial History indicates,“G. L. Farwell of Macomb waswounded and left for deadduring a rebel attack. Whenword reached Macomb, thewhole town was saddened.However, Confederate soldiersdiscovered that he was aliveand sent him to be treated by

their physicians. He eventuallyarrived home, where he livedfor many years after the war,a much-admired hero.”Another notable hero was

C. V. Chandler, who had beenraised in Macomb and becamea lieutenant in the 78th In-fantry. He was wounded inthe legs at Chickamauga inSeptember 1863. After the warhe became the richest man inMcDonough County, and hismost notable gifts to the townwere the park that bears hisname and the Civil Warsoldiers’ memorial, which wasdedicated in 1899.

Our Civil War and Spanish-American War Soldiers

CIVIL WAR on page 8

The 78th Illinois Infantry Regiment included many soldiers from McDonough County andwas commanded by Colonel Carter Van Vleck from Macomb. This shows a portion of thatregiment.

This 1863 drawing showslocal hero G. L. Farwell, whowas the much-celebratedcaptain of Company D inthe 28th Infantry during theCivil War. He is buried atOakwood Cemetery.


The 84th Infantry Regimentwas organized in Quincy dur-ing the late summer of 1862by Macomb lawyer Louis H.Waters, who became thecolonel. Under his command,the regiment fought in manybattles, including Chickamau-ga, Lookout Mountain, andMissionary Ridge. The mostimportant engagement forthem was the Battle of StonesRiver, which began on De-cember 31, 1862. The 84thInfantry did much to turn thetide of battle, suffering 228casualties in the process. Theheroism of Colonel Waterswas noted by several soldierswho later wrote about thatbattle, and he was revered lo-cally for the rest of his life.The highest ranking local

soldier to die in combat wasColonel Carter Van Vleck,whose death on the battlefieldcame at Atlanta, on August11, 1864. His funeral was ahuge public event, and manytownspeople contributedmoney for his headstone, around obelisk draped with aflag, which is located in Oak-wood Cemetery.By the war’s end, a few hun-

dred other local men had alsodied, and Macomb was com-mitted for decades to holdinghuge Decoration Day cere-monies, to remember andhonor them. As I mention inHere to Stay, “local residentshad a strong sense of mean-ingful experience in connec-

tion with that war,” and thecommunity felt “connectedto the destiny of the nationand unified by a collec-tive sacred memory.”The Spanish-Amer-

ican War, whichclosed the century,was not as crucial toAmerican ideals, andin fact, many peopleopposed it. The ac-tual fighting againstSpain in Cuba andthe Philippines lastedonly from mid-Aprilthrough mid-August of1898, but it touched offa lingering guerilla warwith Philippine nationalists.Altogether, there were onlyseveral hunded Americancombat deaths, but thousandsof soldiers died of disease.One of them was William

Simmons of Macomb. He en-listd in 1899 and served formost of three years in the23rd Artillery. During the fallof 1901 he was wounded inthe Philippines, and he diedof disease in the early springof 1902. He was the only Ma-comb loss during that conflict,and his funeral was a hugecommunity event, for whichall the stores were closed. Ahundred former soldiers es-corted the wagon with his cas-ket to Oakwood Cemetery.The most notable local sol-

dier of the Spanish-AmericanWar was Captain George F.Chase, who had been raisedin Macomb, He was an 1871West Point graduate who firstserved in various Indian warsin the West. During the Span-

ish-American War he com-manded a squadron of cavalrythat captured the Philippinecommunities of Bongabongand San Fernando de Union.By 1906 he was the colonelof the 15th Cavalry, and heretired from the army as abrigadier general in 1912.As these brief comments

suggest, Macomb had muchto be proud of in the serviceof its Civil War and Spanish-American War soldiers, andlocal residents developed astrong tradition of militaryremembrance, before the mas-sive conflicts that came alongin the twentieth century.

CIVIL WARContinued from page 7

William Simmons was inthe 23rd Artillery during theSpanish-American War andwas the only local soldier todie in that conflict. He isburied at OakwoodCemetery.

Captain George Chase wasa cavalry leader in theSpanish-American War,and he later retired as abrigadier general. He isburied in the cemetery onthe grounds of the militaryacademy at West Point.

This photograph showsColonel Louis H. Waters, wholed the 84th Illinois Infantryduring the Civil War. A greathero in the Macomb area, helater moved to Kansas, tocontinue his law career.


By Kathy Nichols

Some twentieth-centurywars have had significant in-volvement by local soldiers.World War I and World WarII, the Korean War, and theVietnam War were the mostnotable, because of the lossof lives that resulted but alsobecause of the social and cul-tural changes they brought.This year we are recalling

the 100th anniversary of theonset of World War I, whichbefore it was over would in-volve more than twenty-sevennations and claim more thanthirty-seven million lives. Ofcourse, U.S. participation, asof the spring of 1917, had pro-found impact on Macomb, asit did on communities nation-wide.

An April 16, 1917, MacombJournal article announcedthat local enlistment was slowbut steady, with ten Macombmen recently signing up totake their preliminary exam-ination and their oath of duty.As the war continued, andthe public became increasinglyconcerned, more and moremen signed up.Only males were required

to register, but women wereencouraged to do so, includingby Governor Lowden of Illi-nois in an item that appearedin newspapers throughout thestate. Within a month, morethan 1,400 Macomb womenresponded to the governor’splea, volunteering to performservices such as knitting, doinghousework, gardening, keep-ing books, gardening, caring

for children, and driving au-tomobiles.Surely the most generous

offer, however, came from awidow who said to the regis-trar, “I’m a widow, and mychildren are grown and cancare for themselves. I haveone son in the service. My

health is good and I too wantto help. I can sew, knit andgo anywhere I’m needed. Yes,I could cook in an army camp,do ordinary nursing, and say,if it is ever necessary, I couldshoulder a rifle.”Macomb’s first loss in the

Macomb Soldiers in Post-Nineteenth-Century Wars

A group of Macomb men at the Fort Sheridan training campin 1917, during World War I. From left to right: O. J. Neece,G.W. Norman, Earl Flack, Ax Leander, and Harry Aldredge.

SOLDIERS on page 10

war was Emmons John Towle, a seven-teen-year-old high school student whodied during the sinking of the U.S.S. Al-cedo by a German torpedo some hoursafter it had left its French port. Thecounty’s first battlefield death was Flem-ing Foresman, the twenty-four-year-oldson of Mr. and Mrs. John Foresman ofBardolph, who was killed in France May19, 1918.It is not know how many soldiers the

people of Macomb and McDonoughCounty lost before World War I endedon November 11, 1918. Casualty noticeswere received daily by the Macomb Jour-nal and reported by state as opposed tocounty or community. What is known isthat the number was substantial andthat frequently weeks lapsed betweenthe time when families were notifiedthat their loved one was missing andwhen it was determined that he haddied or been wounded.After the end of World War I the focus

of Memorial Day was broadened fromthe Civil War to include soldiers whoserved in all wars, and local peoplemarched to Oakwood on May 30 to re-member and honor their growing numberof war dead.Soon after the outbreak of World War

I, British author and social commentatorH.G. Wells published a series of articlesin London newspapers in which he ar-gued that only the defeat of Germanmilitarism could be an end to war. Hisview came to be crystallized in the phrase,“the war to end all wars.”As we now know, World War I failed

to achieve that purpose. In the fall of1939 the Allied and Axis Powers foundthemselves at loggerheads as they strug-gled once more over the balance of powerin Europe. That war involved the majorityof the world’s nations, and resulted in

an estimated fifty to eighty-five millionfatalities, including for the first timemass civilian deaths via the Holocaustand the bombing of the cities of Hi-roshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

The United States joined the hostilitiesafter the bombing at Pearl Harbor, De-cember 7, 1941. The Macomb Journaltold of the tragedy and its impact in aseries of front page articles under the


SOLDIERSContinued from page 9

During World War I, a unit of local soldiers marches into the square from NorthLafayette Street.

In March, 1941, the National Guard Regimental Band, 123rd Field Artillery, com-monly played “Reveille” in the morning and “Retreat” in the evening, on the Ma-comb square. Soon called into active duty, they served in Europe during WorldWar II. Included in the group were Ellis Leighty, Glen Sticklen, and Alan Walker.


headline, “War DeclarationVoted: U.S. Loses Two War-ships, 3,000 Dead andWounded in Surprise Attacksby Japanese.” On page two ofthe newspaper, it stated, “Wartalk prevailed everywhere inthe city with the conversationssuddenly taking a pro-wartrend. Macomb High Schooland Western Teachers Collegeclasses, in some cases, wereinterrupted for the studentsto listen to radio accounts ofthe war.”A June 27, 1946, Macomb

Journal article stated that ac-cording to the War Depart-ment a total of sixty-five Mc-Donough County men hadlost their lives while servingtheir country, excluding thosein the navy, marines, and coastguard. Several local peopleserved in both World War Iand World War II, includingWIU faculty members HaroldAve and Ray Hanson.Born in 1900 in Cleveland,

Ave graduated from highschool in 1918, when enlist-ments in World War I were

at a peak, and he briefly servedin the army. After he com-pleted bachelor’s and master’sdegrees, he coached at EasternIllinois State Teachers Collegeand served as Athletic Directorand Assistant Dean of Menat Eureka College until 1939,when, as John Hallwas statesin Here to Stay, he joined theArmy Air Force. As a memberof that unit, he served inShanghai with the China AirService Command, first as acaptain and later as a major.As a result of his work as aSpecial Services and Infor-mation officer, he was awardeda Bronze Star.In 1946 he was hired to

coach football and wrestlingat WIU. Still dedicated to theservice of his country, he re-mained active for many yearsin the Air Force Reserve andjoined the American Legionand the VFW. When he diedin 1986, his body was donatedto medical science. However,he is memorialized by a plaquein the veterans’ section of Oak-wood Cemetery, near the mau-

soleum.After graduating from Red

Wing High School in Vasa,Minnesota, Ray Hansonworked for a year as railwaysecretary and in 1916 enlisted

in the Marine Corps. The unithe was assigned to was thelegendary 96th Company, 1stReplacement Battalion, Sixth

SOLDIERS on page 12

Harriet (Knappenberger)Wanamaker served as aWASP (Women’s Air ForceService Pilot) during WorldWar II. She flew B-17 andMitchell planes, among oth-ers, for her work in militarytraining. She died in 2005and is buried at OakwoodCemetery.

Grace (Myers) Baker servedin the WAVES during WorldWar II, working in Naval In-telligence in Washington, D.C. Not only her father buther mother as well had amilitary background, havingserved as a “Yeomanette”during World War I.

Regiment. Hanson survivedthe Battle of Belleau Wood,near the Marne River inFrance, and was awarded theNavy Cross for extraordinaryheroism in saving the life of afellow Marine who had beenseriously wounded. Hansonalso was awarded a Silver Starcitation for bravery, a FrenchCroix de Guerre, and a PurpleHeart. He was hired in 1927by President Morgan to headthe Physical Education De-partment for Men and in thatposition coached football, bas-ketball, and baseball. DuringWorld War II he served as anon-combat Marine lieu-tenant colonel. Like Ave, heremained in Macomb afterhis retirement from Westernand is also buried at OakwoodCemetery.While not sent overseas un-

til toward the end of WorldWar II, women provided im-portant services, including in

the Army and Navy NurseCorps, the WACs, the WAVES,and the WASPs, or WomenAir Force Service Pilots. Whilenot officially part of the mili-tary, WASPs were required towear uniforms and obey allmilitary rules, and they werethe first women in historytrained to fly American mili-tary aircraft. Of the 25,000women who applied for ad-mission into the WASPs, only1,830 were accepted. One ofthose was Harriet Wanamak-er, who later taught secondgrade at Logan School in Ma-comb for many years.An outgrowth of the settle-

ment of territory in southeastAsia at the culmination ofWorld War II, the KoreanWar (1950-1953) also resultedin the deaths of local people.The first was twenty-two year-old Private First Class AlbertPeters, who at the time of hisdeath was serving with the25th infantry division in thebattle zone in Korea. He diedof sleeping sickness. The sec-ond death was twenty-year-

old Sergeant First ClassRobert Roger Hillyer, whowas attached to the 27th In-fantry, 25th division, and whowas killed in action.Another veteran of the war

was LieutenantWon MooHurh, who later studied atMonmouth College, earned aPh.D. at the University of Hei-delberg, and was a professorfor many years in the Depart-ment of Sociology and An-thropology at WIU. In addi-tion, he wrote a moving ac-count of his experience as ateenager in the war entitled IWill Shoot Them from MyLoving Heart: Memoir of aSouth Korean Officer in theKorean War (2012). As JohnHallwas says in a November3, 2012, “On Community” ar-ticle, “Although he was a braveand committed soldier, Hurheventually became a critic ofwar, feeling that, all too often,leaders resort to military ac-tion when other approachesto resolving conflict need tobe attempted.” Dr. Hurh diedApril 12, 2013.The Vietnam War (1965-

1973) was part of a greatercontainment strategy, withthe stated aim of stopping thespread of communismthroughout the world. Ac-cording to the domino theory,which propelled U.S. involve-ment in Southeast Asia, thespread of communism to onestate automatically meant thatother states in the regionwould follow suit. The NorthVietnamese fought to reunifyVietnam under communistrule, viewing first the Frenchand then the Americans as

colonists attempting to estab-lish a puppet government.Disillusionment with the warby Americans led to the grad-ual withdrawal of U.S. forcesand the official end of the warApril 29, 1975.As the memorial near the

fountain in Chandler Park at-tests, a considerable numberof local soldiers died during


SOLDIERSContinued from page 11

This newspaper photographshows Private Albert Peters,who served in the 25th In-fantry Division in Korea anddied of illness. He was thefirst local soldier to die dur-ing that conflict.

Army Specialist4 Robert LeeFrakes wasamong the lastfew Americansto die in theVietnam War,

on January 26, 1973, just hours before the ceasefire. This shows hisburial ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery.


the Vietnam War. The ear-liest casualty was SergeantJerald Pendell of Macomb,who died when the U.S.Marine helicopter he wasflying in crashed in thejungle 330 miles north ofSaigon in early October,1962, long before the warofficially began. The mostdecorated of them wasLieutenant Richard Sly,an infantry platoon leaderwho was killed in actionnear Kontum City duringearly May 1969 and whoearned three Silver Starsand two Purple Hearts.The last casualty was

Army Specialist 4 RobertLee (Bobby) Frakes. Hehad graduated from Ma-comb High School in Juneof 1971, joined the armyin October of that year,and been sent to FortLewis, Washington, for hisbasic training. He was alsoa crewman in a helicopter,which was shot downabout 100 miles east of

Saigon. He was among thelast of American soldiersto die in Vietnam and thefinal one from Illinois tolose his life. He died Jan-uary 26, 1973, just hoursbefore the cease-fire tookeffect.Fortunately, American

casualties in the recentAfghanistan and Iraq warshave been light. The localnames listed on the mark-er in Chandler Park areJohn H. Stein, Ryan G.Carlock, Josh Palmer, andCheyenne Chris Willey.This year, on Heritage

Days, there will be manyveterans from several warswho will be in town, someof them visiting from out-side the county. And withthis year’s festival, the peo-ple of Macomb will havean opportunity to expressto all of them our profoundappreciation for their serv-ice to our country.

Roger Barclay,who now liveson West Jeffer-son Street, wasin the Air Forceduring theKorean War. Heserved as aweatherman inthe 23rd Divi-sion. This pho-tograph showsMarilyn Monroewith him on Feb-ruary 17, 1954,at a helicopterbase during aUSO show.


Kathy Nichols

Macomb has nine memorials to soldiers. Four are locatedin Chandler Park, including our earliest one, erected in 1899in memory of the men from McDonough County who foughtin the Civil War. The others are scattered throughout thecommunity. In addition, there is a special Veterans Area ofOakwood Cemetery located to the west of the mausoleum, aphotograph of which comes earlier in the booklet.

Macomb’s Military Monuments

Civil War Memorial in Chandler Park


Granite memorial in Chandler Park


Macomb and McDonough Memorial in Chandler Park Memorial Bench in Chandler Park


Entrance to Veterans Park


VFW memorial


WIU memorial Cenotaph in Oakwood Cemetery


American Legion Memorial


By Nick DraperStaff Reporter

MACOMB — HeritageDays is an event knownthroughout the region for itsfun carnivals, food, musicand celebration of commu-nity. This year’s theme, “Ma-

comb’s Military Heritage,” isa special celebration of themilitary persons that wouldgo on to find and live theirlives in McDonough County. “It’s the 200th anniversary

of the climactic year of theWar of 1812,” said John Hall-was, a local author who

pitched the idea to the Con-vention and Visitor’s Bureau,via email. “The year in whichGeneral Macomb and Com-modore Macdonough hadtheir victory at the Battle ofLake Champlain, for whichwe want to commemoratethat military achievement.”This year also falls into the

ongoing Civil War Sesqui-centennial, Hallwas ex-plained. Additionally, Amer-ica continues to honor the


A return to 'Heritage Days'

FILE PHOTO BY JACKIE SMITH/THE VOICE

Michelle McClure and her then-2-year-old niece, Madison,smile and wait while a clown assembles a balloon animal inChandler Park during the third day of Macomb's 2013 Her-itage Days.

Macomb combines military theme with annual series of activities

Editor’s note: A version ofthis story formerly appearedin a GateHouse Media Re-gional Summer Travel Guide.


last of our World War II vet-erans that are at a high age. To commemorate the event,

Civil War re-enactors will bepresent at the parade, typi-cally held on the third of fourdays during Heritage Daysfestivities, and will performa scripted re-enactment en-titled, “The Memory Shall BeOurs,” at Oakwood Cemeteryon the afternoon of the pa-rade, Hallwas said.Many soldiers involved with

the Civil War and the War of1812 are buried in the historicOakwood Cemetery, makingit a fitting setting for the re-enactment. Jan Armstrong, of the Ma-

comb Convention and Visi-tor’s Bureau, said that thisyear’s Heritage Days celebra-tion will be better than ever,with new and many returningattractions.“We don’t have a county

fair in McDonough County,so this is our answer to that,”Armstrong said. “This event

brings a lot of visitors becauseof family reunions and schoolreunions. It’s a free event forfamilies.” Returning to the event will

be an even larger carnival,according to Heritage DaysCo-Chair Kassie Courson,meaning kids can yet againride ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, the zipper, the orbiterand other rides to their heart’scontent.The car show will also see

an increase in size, food ven-dors will return with favoritessuch as funnel cakes andfrozen lemonade, and the lit-tle Miss and Master will becrowned as well. The Texaco Country Show-

down, a country music stylecompetition, will also makea return despite their smalleramount of venues this year,according to Courson.A new addition to Heritage

Days will be the appearanceof the Big Idaho Potato truck,a semi hauling an enormous

spud across the country. “The giant spud travels

through the United States,”Armstrong said. “It’s massive,you’ll have to Google it.” According to the Big Idaho

Potato website, the potatowould take more than 10,000years to grow, two years andnine months to bake, wouldmake 30,325 servings ofmashed potatoes and wouldeasily make more than 1.5million french fries.

Another favorite at theshow will be the inclusion ofa local flea market. Vendorswill sell all varieties of itemsincluding books, art, musicalinstruments, trinkets andmore. Musical attractions are still

being added, with a musicalvariety that will includeswing, jazz, rock and pop mu-sic, ensuring there will besomething for everyone toenjoy.

VOICE FILE PHOTO


Submitted Content

MACOMB – Plans are com-plete for the Macomb Airport2014 Fly-in/Drive-in PancakeBreakfast held in conjunctionwith Macomb’s annual Her-itage Days celebration. The event, which annually

attracts several hundred at-tendees, continues the week-end "Tribute To The Military"and takes place on Sunday,June 29, at the Macomb Air-port located three miles northof Macomb and one mile eastof U.S. 67.Special to this year’s event

will again be a visit by theCommemorative Air ForceMissouri Wing’s historic 1944World War II B-25J Mitchell

Bomber “Show Me." Area res-idents, and aviation buffs alikewill have the opportunity tosee and fly in the bombermade famous by the leg-endary Doolittle Raid onTokyo four months after theattack on Pearl Harbor. In addition, two more

WWII aircraft will be on dis-play. The Gruman TBM-3Avenger Torpedo Bomberplayed a pivotal role in manybattles in the Pacific theaterand was the type of planethat future President GeorgeH. W. Bush piloted when hewas shot down in September1944. The 1941 Aeronca L-3was pivotal in all theaters ofWWII. These unarmed small

planes were invaluable forspotting enemy troops andsupply concentrations, liaison,and short-range reconnais-

sance missions.According to CAF Col Bob

Moore of the Missouri Wing,the B-25J will remain on

Fly-in/Drive-in Pancake Breakfast June 29Historic WWII aircraft, tractor showto be on display at Macomb airport

VOICE FILE PHOTO

Brady Scalf, then age 6, of Macomb (top, right) and hismother, Lisa, laugh as they look out the window of a planewhile flying over Macomb June 30, 2013.


display and be available forvisitors to purchase ridesfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at theairport. Those interested in taking

a ride are advised to bookearly as seating is limited.Call 314-486-1205 to book aflight in advance. Rides may also be pur-

chased at the CAFMO boothbefore a regularly scheduledflight if seating is available.Payment can be made bycash, check or credit cardand is tax deductible. The Commemorative Air

Force, founded in 1957, is anon-profit organization madeup of more than 70 wings,detachments and unitsthroughout the U.S. and fourforeign countries. Its primarymission is to acquire, restoreand preserve in flying con-dition historic U.S. combataircraft for the education andenjoyment of present and fu-ture generations. For more information visit

their website atwww.cafmo.org.Also in conjunction with

the breakfast is the third an-nual American Farmer Trac-tor Show. Classic antiquefarm tractors of many makesand models will be on displayfor the public. A People’sChoice Trophy will be award-ed at noon as visitors will beable to vote for the tractorthey like the best. The public will have the

opportunity to observe a va-riety of antique and modernaircraft as the fly-in continuesthroughout the morning.Awards will be given for theoldest pilot, oldest antiqueairplane, best spot landingand pilot that traveled thelongest distance on that day.Airplane rides in a Cessna

172 are available for purchase7 a.m. to noon from CobbAviation Service and the pub-lic may register for many freerides to be given away. Thefree rides are sponsored by

many local businesses andfriends of the airport.The pancake and sausage

breakfast is served in thenew corporate hanger. Thebreakfast is cooked andserved by the Colchester Li-ons Club from 7 a.m. to noon.The cost is $5.50 in advanceand $6.50 at the door, and$3.50 for children ages 4 to10. Proceeds go toward the

support of the Lions Clubservice activities. Advancetickets for the breakfast willbe sold at the Macomb Air-port and any Colchester Li-ons Club member. Admis-sion and parking at the air-port is free. For more information on

the breakfast, contact the air-port at 309-833-3324, or forthe tractor show, contact BobChatterton at 309-833-5697.

VOICE FILE PHOTO

Pancakes are cooked at the 2013 breakfast.




14th Annual John Bliven Memorial Walk/Run

MACOMB — The 14th annual John Bliven MemorialWalk/Run will be held June 28, 2014 during Heritage Days. Registration begins at 7:00a.m. at the Old Dairy, 210 South

Lafayette Street, Macomb. The Run will start at 7:30 a.m. There will be a one mile Walk/Run for ages 12 and under.

The two and four mile Walk/Run will begin after the completionof that race. Pre-registration is $20. On-site registration is $25. Ribbons will be awarded to winners in each age group.Walkers are welcome. Registration forms may be obtained at the Macomb Area

Convention & Visitors Bureau; online at www.samaritan-wellinc.org. and by contacting the Samaritan Well at 309-837-3357 between 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Proceeds from theevent will benefit the Samaritan Well Women’s and Men’sHomeless Shelter and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

THE VOICE FILE PHOTO

Brad Deason escorts his 3-year-old daughter Elly and 8-year-old younger brother Kaden Moon off a ride duringlast year's special needs carnival. This year the time period reserved at the carnival for thosewith special needs and their families will be Friday, June 27from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required to attend this event.





Documents

Macomb Heritage Days 2014