Former board chairman and Vietnam veteran pleased to see War Memorial in good condition

Not everyone who serves in the military is involved in combat situations. In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense states that approximately 27% of Vietnam veterans served in a combat zone, with others working in support roles. Dr. Bill Jennings falls into the latter category. His name is listed on the Vietnam War Honor Roll plaque located inside the Alger at the War Memorial.

Jennings, a 78-year-old resident of Grosse Pointe Woods, enlisted in the Navy in January 1968. While in the Navy Reserve from 1968 to 1971, he attended dental school at the University of Michigan. He graduated from dental school in 1971, was on active duty from 1971 to 1973, then inactive reserves until 1978.

“Being in a dental program, I had a deferment going through school as long as my grades were up and I was going to be graduating on schedule,” he said. “In the draft board’s mind, I was of more use to them as a dentist or a doctor than I would be as a foot soldier. “While I was in college and dental school, the draft evolved. After I enlisted in 1968, the lottery came about, and the draft was abolished by the time I left the military in 1978.”    

In 1971, Jennings received basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. For the majority of his active-duty service, Lt. Jennings was stationed with a nuclear submarine squadron at Holy Loch, Scotland. He worked as an assistant dental officer aboard the USS Canopus, a ballistic submarine tender measuring 650 feet long and 13 decks high. As one of three dentists, Jennings was responsible for dental care of the ship’s personnel and submarine crews of the 10 subs in the squadron, as they rotated to and from the United States.

Jennings explained that the Canopus crews' job was to keep ballistic submarines in action, without having to return to the states.

“We had everything from foundries to canvas and machine shops, and missile and torpedo repair shops” he shared. “Behind the tender was a floating warehouse connected to a floating dry dock. There were 1,200 servicemen on the entire floating base at Holy Loch.”

Jennings was recognized for his volunteer efforts on dental care for families of crew and dental care education for the squadron. He used sports to improve local community involvement through sailing, bowling and basketball activities. He also was qualifying as Assistant Navigator when not in the clinic.

In response to what he wants younger folks to know about the Vietnam War and that period of American history, Jennings said the population was very divided on feelings about the war.

“When I came home on leave, I was instructed not to travel in military uniform. It felt funny that I would be that unpopular stateside, that service to our country would be so misunderstood and unappreciated,” he said. “What I experienced was nothing compared to what some others went through. This is what lead me to my involvement in support of all returning veterans, from all military actions.”

In civilian life, he spent over 45 years as a dentist. He had his own practice, retiring in 2018 from Jennings Dental Associates in Grosse Pointe.

Jennings was on The War Memorial Board of Directors from 2007 to 2015, serving as Chairman from 2012 to 2014.

“The organization went through major restructuring during my tenure on the board,” he said. “I’m happy to see The War Memorial in such good condition now, with a solid financial foundation and broad community appeal.”

He has since been involved with the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Community Council, the International Shipmasters Association, Dossins Great Lakes Museum, and the Grosse Pointe Sunrise Rotary.

Jennings and his wife Anne were married in 1985 and have two children and three grandchildren.

To learn more about The War Memorial’s Vietnam War Commemoration Celebration, click here. 

Vietnam veteran and storyteller ready for appearance at The War Memorial

He’s a decorated veteran, an acclaimed author, and soon, he’ll be at The War Memorial.   

On April 9, best-selling author and Vietnam War veteran Karl Marlantes appears at The War Memorial for an evening that includes insightful discussion about his life, military service, and literary career. 

“I’m a good storyteller with all kinds of stories,” Marlantes said in speaking with the nonprofit organization in March. “I’m someone who was there at the time and has some perspective. I’ve thought about Vietnam pretty deeply and am settled with it.”        

Highlights of An Evening with Karl Marlantes: Echoes of the Vietnam War include a VIP reception, a moderated conversation with audience question and answer period, and a photo opportunity. Victoria Stewart, assistant director of the Wayne State University Humanities Center, will serve as moderator. Marlantes is set to share his insights on war, service, and storytelling, including his 2009 novel “Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War.” This book is set in Vietnam in 1969 and draws from his experiences.     

“It’s going to be a moderated question and answer, so it will be open to the audience,” he said. “I’ll stay there as long as there are questions. Someone’s going to have to cut it off.”    

A Yale graduate and Rhodes Scholar, Marlantes served as a Marine in Vietnam, earning the Navy Cross, Bronze Star, and other honors. His celebrated novel “Matterhorn” was hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most profound and devastating novels ever to come out of Vietnam—or any war.” His other works include “Deep River,” exploring Finnish immigrants in the Pacific Northwest, and his latest release, “Cold Victory,” which examines Finland's political climate after World War II.   

Diving into his military service, it was in the summer of 1967 after he earned a degree from Oxford University that Marlantes was faced with what he calls a horrible choice, either “hide behind the privilege of having a Rhodes Scholarship” or fight in the Vietnam War. He chose the latter.  

In the early months of 1968, Marlantes was assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, part of the infantry.  

As a first lieutenant, Marlantes was in Vietnam from October 1968 to October 1969, primarily stationed in Northern I Corps where the Demilitarized Zone met the border of Laos.   

“We’d be out in the bush maybe 30-40 days at a time and guys would so much jungle rot and rashes that we would come back to Vandegrift Combat Base and stay in tents to get ourselves back in order,” he said.  

The 1st Battalion, 4th Marines in Vietnam were assigned to a tactical area of responsibility, interjecting supply lines coming down from the north and uncover any supply depots, hospitals, and ammunition dumps.

“We were in the jungle all the time looking to interrupt the NVAs (North Vietnamese Army) activities,” he said. “We would be dropped in and as soon as we got artillery in, we would use that as a cover to go out and do our job.”  

One story that appears in “Matterhorn” is Marlantes’ description of the battles of Hill 484 and Hill 400 which occurred in March 1969 in Vietnam’s Quảng Trị Province.  

“We were dropped in to rescue a recon team, and the team ran into a company that was skedaddling toward Mutter’s Ridge,” he said. “It was decided to take on this company. One of the faults I give to the war is there was no military objective. It was just body count.”  

In the battle, a whole regiment of NVA, which he estimates to have been around 60 soldiers strong, surrounded Marlantes’ unit.   

“We would end up with assaults on fortified positions like that,” he said. “If we found an NVA position, we would take it out, or we would be in the jungle trying to figure out where they were hiding ammunition.”   

It was during the first week of March 1969 that Marlantes was involved in combat situations that resulted in him receiving the Navy Cross, the Navy’s second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. 

“We were asked to assault an NVA position. We could see them on Muter’s Ridge and there were two hills next to each other, 400 and 484. The number of meters is how you designated hills,” Marlantes explained.  

The first assault came on Hill 400, which resulted in about eight Americans being killed in action. The following day was the attack on Hill 484.  

“We lost a lot more then,” Marlantes said. “We were getting hit with mortars all around us. When I saw that, I knew it wasn’t a company we were up against, it was a regiment. We had to pull off 484 and move to 400. I can remember picking up a handful of dirt and starting to cry because I’d never see anything as beautiful as a handful of dirt again. I knew we would die. There was no getting out.”  

After defending themselves for about three nights, the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines were just about out of ammunition.  

“I thought I don’t want to die here,” he said. “The clouds cleared that evening and we got tons of ammunition and water. The next day, we were ordered to take Hill 484.”  

With two platoons alongside, Marlantes led the assault on Hill 484.   

“That’s where they said I got the medal,” he said. “I was wounded there. I sometimes burst into tears when I think of how young Marines are. The average age in my platoon was 18 years and 10 months.”  

On the side of Hill 484, exposed to enemy fire, Marlantes was faced with a line of bunkers setup with machine guns.   

“Everybody hit the ground and the whole assault was stopped,” he said.   

It was at that time when Marlantes remembered being in a class led by a major who said that a day will come when he would earn his pay.  

“And he said ‘you’ll know when that day is because you’ll have to step up and lead,’” he shared. “I remember laying on the ground and thinking this is the day.”  

Marlantes gathered troops – a machine gunner on one bunker and a M79 man on another bunker - to try and suppress the fire.  

“I stood up and ran up the hill all by myself,” he said. “I thought I’d be dead, but knew it had to be done.”  

Spotting a movement off to his right, Marlantes rolled over to shoot.  

“It was an 18-year-old squad leader and the entire two platoons were coming up the hill behind me,” he said. “I couldn’t tell what that felt like. We took the hill, and held it again that night. I was wounded, and ended up on a hospital ship.”  

When he received the Navy Cross, Marlantes knew he could never throw it away, something that members of the group Vietnam Veterans Against the War were doing.     

Speaking about his journey as an author, Marlantes said that he’s always wanted to write. 

“I had written in college and won a big prize for writing short stories,” he said. “When I came back from the war, I thought I would write the great American novel of the Vietnam War. It was the summer after I got out and I spit out 1,700 pages. I thought novel writing was easy. It was actually more like journaling.”  

Marlantes learned the craft of writing novels and how to develop characters, going from first to third person style. Discussing the process of writing “Matterhorn,” he said it wasn’t until 35 years after he finished writing it that the fictional book was published.   

“I got over 100 hundred rejections,” he said. “The thought was we lost the war and nobody is interested in reading about it.” 

Reflecting on his time in Vietnam and what he hopes folks will take away from the event at The War Memorial, Marlantes said “We were really young and out there without much support. When we came home, we were vilified. I hope Americans take it to heart. There’s nothing worse than seeing your friends killed and coming back and having people throw things at you. The worst part of Vietnam was how we were treated.”     

Premium tickets to the event are $55, with general admission on sale for $30, and student tickets for $15. Discounts are available for veteran and active military. Premium tickets include the VIP reception, a designated seating section nearest the stage, first access to the photo opportunity, and a special discount on copies of “Matterhorn” and “What It Is Like to Go to War.” General admission and student tickets include open seating at the at the main event and a photo opportunity with Marlantes. To purchase tickets, click here. To learn more about The War Memorial’s Vietnam War Commemoration Celebration, click here. 

Stress management and service: The Bob Rabe story

Education is a key component when it comes to dealing with stress, Bob Rabe believes. 

As part of The War Memorial’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, Dr. Judy Jacobs is leading a two-part lecture series titled “Conflict and Healing.” As part of the series, Jacobs will explore the impact of trauma and the journey toward resilience.  The first lecture, The Psychology of Trauma, was held on Feb. 23. 

The lecture series is co-developed by Rabe, a Vietnam War veteran. Rabe, of Grosse Pointe Woods, has over 20 years of experience in critical incident stress management. The two have known each other for 30 years.   

“The War Memorial is a very well-known spot and we wanted to have it here,” Rabe said. “The whole idea is that the more educated, the better you are to handle a traumatic event.” 

This month, Jacobs returns to the nonprofit organization for part two: Managing the Stressors of the Day on March 16 at 2 p.m.  

“The March one will provide information about dealing with stress on a daily basis,” he said. “We want to help fellow veterans, first responders and military personnel so they can continue on with their life.”    

Rabe, 79, is a 1963 graduate of Detroit’s Servite High School. He was drafted into the Army in September 1965. By February 1966, he found himself in Nha Trang, Vietnam. 

“It was only a matter of time before I was drafted,” he said. “Everyone told me to go to Canada or get married and I decided against that and went into Uncle Sam’s Army.” 

At Fort Knox, Kentucky in 1965, Rabe was given an aptitude test, which resulted in him being chosen for the Military Police Corps. He spent eight weeks at Fort Gordon in Georgia  for military police school. During that training, Rabe was instructed in the Uniform Code of Military Justice which was enforced in Vietnam. 

As he recalls, 1965 was a tumultuous year in the Vietnam War for America. That year, there were 1,928 American deaths, up from 216 deaths in 1964, according to data from the National Archives.  

“There was a lot of anti-Vietnam protest going on, but that didn’t bother me,” Rabe commented. “I figured I had to do my duty.” 

As a specialist 4, part of Company A, 18th Military Police Brigade, 504 Military Police, Rabe was responsible for keeping relationships between South Vietnamese citizens and Americans even keeled. 

“We made sure that the American GIs got along with the Vietnamese,” he said. “Sometimes, there were hard feelings. Due to combat, they couldn’t differentiate between the Vietnamese civilians and those who were Viet Cong.” 

He explained that when on patrol, American military police would be joined by a Vietnamese military police, a civilian police officer, and a Korean military police. 

“The reason was to keep the relationships between the three countries on a good basis,” Rabe said. “The Vietnamese took care of the Vietnamese, the Koreans took care of the Koreans, and we took care of the American GIs.”   

Halfway through his yearlong tour of duty in Vietnam, Rabe went to Tuy Hoa, Vietnam where he performed military police duty and convoy escorts.   

Rabe tells the story from one convoy escort north of Tuy Hoa when his unit was ambushed, an event that took only a few seconds.  

“There were three Jeeps in the escort, one in the front, one in the middle, one in the back,” he said. “I was in the back and we were making sure that supplies got through. The middle Jeep stalled, and the convoy continued on. I was driving and we had to push the stalled Jeep. We got ambushed, so I sped up and we got to a bridge that wasn’t too long. They blew up one end of it and I stepped on the gas and was able to go over it. We had a mounted M60 that was returning fire as we were going.” 

While war conditions can be less than desirable, Rabe said one morale booster was receiving letters from the U.S.  

“We would receive mail every day,” he said. “A class at a California school sent us 500 letters. We tried to write back to these children and kept it light. The letters thanked us for our service and said things like ‘you’re a hero and I hope you come back to the United States.’”  

Discharged in September 1967 as a sergeant, Rabe went on to a nearly 40-year law enforcement career. He spent a few years with the Detroit Police Department followed by 26 years at Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety. He retired from Grosse Pointe Woods in 2000. 

“Then the U.S. Marshals called me the day after 9/11 and asked if I would help them out,” he said. “I was with them for six months, providing court security and went after suspected terrorists.” 

To aid in his understanding of critical incident stress management during his career, Rabe attended courses at the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, later being part of crisis teams in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. 

“When a traumatic event occurred for police, fire, EMS or military, we would have a debriefing, talking about the event. We would sit in a circle with a moderator and talk. After, we could give hugs and handshakes. It wasn’t for the weak of heart. It was a nice feeling to help other first responders.”  

Along the way, Rabe was certified in trauma by the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists in the mid-1980s.  

He explained that crisis teams provide free services to those who have experienced a traumatic situation, such as being the lone survivor of a building explosion.  

“Someone will call the crisis team and they try to get someone on the team who is in a similar occupation as those involved so they can identify with them.”    

Rabe and his wife Michele Rabe have been married for 52 years and have three children and three grandchildren.  

For more information on the March 16 lecture and to register, visit here. To learn more about The War Memorial’s Vietnam War Commemoration Celebration, click here.  

Vietnam veteran discusses deep respect for service

For Arthur “Chip” Rohde Jr., there is no service higher than service to your country. 

“You can have a job, and many people have great jobs and make a lot of money,” he said. “You go in the military, and you are serving and thanking the country that provided for you growing up. We take freedom for granted.”   

The 77-year-old Rohde, of Grosse Pointe Farms, grew up in Grosse Pointe Shores. His late father, Arthur Rohde Sr., served in World War II and has his name on the World War II Honor Roll plaque located inside the Alger House at The War Memeorial. His father isn’t the only member of the family honored at nonprofit organization, as Rohde’s name is listed on the Vietnam War Honor Roll plaque.   

Already with a degree from the University of Michigan, Rohde was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy in December 1969.  

In January 1970, he went to Panama City to join the Naval Research and Development Lab, where minesweepers were assigned. About a year and half later, Rohde was assigned to a flotilla that was capable of doing minesweeping operations anywhere in the world.  

Minesweepers in the Vietnam War were tasked with clearing underwater mines from waterways. Rohde described the mines as bottom mines, like torpedoes. 

“Navy jets would drop them in the water,” he said. “The mines hit the water and sit on the bottom.” 

Rohde said the Navy mined every harbor in North Vietnam so that ships bringing resources like food and fuel to enemy forces could not come through. He arrived in Vietnam in December 1972 on the USS Dubuque, an amphibious transport dock. Rohde spent six months in and near Vietnam, part of Operation End Sweep. 

“Before that, jets would fly in with half a dozen mines under the wings and they would fly in and know where the drop points were,” he said. “We put them all over the place. It was an active war zone until the peace agreement was signed.” 

The Paris Peace Accords officially ended the war and were signed on Jan. 27, 1973. 

The job of the Mobile Mine Counter Measures Group Task Force, which Rohde was part of, was to remove the mines from harbors.  

“The day it was signed, we got orders to go in sweeping the mines,” Rohde said. “You’d have 100 men on a ship going through a live minefield. A helicopter with a pilot and co-pilot would drag a sled through and it would have the same effect as a ship going through.”  

A highlight of Rohde’s military service came in February 1973 when he had the chance to brief the chief of Naval operations, Admiral J.L. Holloway III. 

“He came out because it was such an important operation,” he said. “As part of our team, I got a chance to brief him. He was interested in how we were doing, what we were doing and how we were doing it.” 

Reflecting on the Vietnam War, Rohde, who was honorably discharged in May 1973 as a lieutenant, said that war is terrible. 
 
“When countries decide they are going to take on each other, both sides lose,” he said. “There was no winner in the Vietnam War. What we should learn from that is that before engaging in combat, you look to alternatives to settle disputes. The war will end eventually, but at a very high price.” 

Interested in hearing more stories from the Vietnam War? For the Vietnam War 50th Commemoration, The War Memorial is embarking on a yearlong series to honor those who served in the conflict, and educate the public on the war through several events and programs in 2025. For more details on the commemoration, click here.   

*This story originally was published in the March-April edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

Marine veteran never forgets sacrifices of fellow soldiers

The way he bonded with fellow Marines is a key takeaway of his service for Charles Kotcher.

“That was huge,” he said.

Kotcher’s name is listed on the Vietnam War Honor Roll plaque, located on the main floor of the Alger House at The War Memorial.

“I appreciate that,” he said. “It’s a testament to 400 of our fellow Grosse Pointers who served. We were upper-middle class here and even they served.”

The Vietnam War plaque lists the names of those who served in the Vietnam War from the Grosse Pointe area.    

Kotcher, 80, was born in Detroit and grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms. A 1962 graduate of De La Salle Collegiate High School, he enlisted in the Marines in June of 1966. 

“I needed that discipline,” he said. “It’s still with me today. I wanted to fly a helicopter, but I needed to sign up to be in for five years. After five minutes of boot camp, I decided not to do that. The Army was on my back to join them, so I enlisted in the Marines.” 

Kotcher, who attended the Vietnam Veterans Day Luncheon in March at The War Memorial, said that his expectations of military life were that he would end up in Vietnam for 13 months, the precise amount of time he spent in the warzone.  

A part of the 1st Marine Division, Kotcher received his basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in California. 

“I was very impressed with the drill instructors,” he commented. “When we went on a 10-mile run or something with a backpack, he’d be off to the side running backward and I thought that was tough. I was impressed with the discipline.”  

Once done in California, Kotcher headed for Vietnam in early 1967. Headquartered in Da Nang, Vietnam, Kotcher worked as a postal clerk.  

“There were about 10 Marines supporting every one Marine going through the rice paddies,” he said. “We delivered mail by chopper to the guys on the hill. That was huge because they could not get to a town or to the PX. I’d give them everything I had. We would unload big trucks with mail and goods that were coming in for the soldiers.”   

It was on Nov. 7, 1967 that Kotcher’s friend Ed Blumer was killed in action in Quang Nam at age 20. 

“Of the 30 of us who went over to Vietnam, he was the only one who died,” he said. “That was the most difficult time for me. The gunnery instructor asked for a volunteer to take the mail in by truck. He volunteered to take it and died when his truck ran over a land mine. You never forget, 50 years later, the sacrifices that your fellow soldiers make.”  

Kotcher returned home to Grosse Pointe Farms from Vietnam in April of 1968 and was discharged as a corporal. His parents lived in Grosse Pointe Farms from 1955 to 1968.   

*This story originally was published in the January-February edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

A celebrated centenarian: The Johnny Cirelle story

To wrap up our Service Spotlight stories for 2024, we take a look at the military service of a World War II veteran who played a big part in a recent War Memorial ceremony.  

Johnny Cirelle of St. Clair Shores, turned 100 in August. He was born in Pennsylvania to Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. in 1916. In June, Cirelle attended The War Memorial’s 80th anniversary of D-Day commemoration and was one of three World War II veterans featured in a tribute video.   

Cirelle, one of nine children, graduated from St. Anthony High School in Detroit, then enlisted in the Navy in May 1942. His basic training took place in Rhode Island. 

“We were there for only five weeks,” he recalled. “Usually, it would be about six months, but they needed bodies for the war.” 

From Boston, Cirelle embarked on the USS Boyle, a 348-foot-long destroyer.  

“I worked in the kitchen. I had the best job because I ate good,” he said. “I ate the officers food and the rest was garbage. I would help the cook out and everything.”  

After six months of kitchen duty on the Boyle, Seaman First Class Cirelle then was responsible for keeping the ship, which had about 300 men on it, clean. 

“It had four, 5 inch .38-caliber guns, torpedoes and depth charges,” he said.  

The Boyle took part in the naval battle of Casablanca in November 1942. There, fighting occurred between American ships covering the invasion of North Africa and French State ships defending the neutrality of French Morocco. 

“There were about 90 ships with troops, battleships, and cruisers,” he said. “We hit Casablanca and the other half went to Algiers in the Mediterranean. We stayed at Casablanca about two weeks, then we came back.” 

The Boyle then helped transport troops, food and war materials across the Atlantic Ocean from the U.S. to places like Algeria, France, Oran and North Africa. It took about one week to traverse the ocean, something Cirelle did in the war about 30 times- 15 trips each way. 

He later served aboard the USS Earle, also a destroyer. 

“It was the same as the Boyle,” he said. “They were all made in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was a smaller destroyer that was part of convoys of ships that we escorted. The Earle was in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.”  

The Earle received two battle stars for World War II service. 

Like the Boyle, Cirelle worked in the Earle’s kitchen as a mess boy. He would work alongside two cooks.  

“We would load the refrigerators up a day ahead and from there, bigger ships would unload food on the Earle,” Cirelle said.  

Toward the end of the war, Cirelle found himself in the China Sea on the USS Gherardi, another destroyer vessel. 

Discharged from the Navy in 1946, Cirelle said he enjoyed his time in the military. 

“This generation doesn’t remember World War II,” he said. “After the war was over, they would show on TV how the war started once a week. You don’t see that anymore.” 

He’s been a member of the Cpl. Walter F. Bruce VFW Post 1146 in St. Clair Shores since 1948. Cirelle married Gilda in 1951. She passed in 2013 at age 83. The couple had four kids, over a dozen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  

*This story originally was published in the November-December edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

Honor and duty: The John Cary story

While everyone else was inside, John Cary was outside, performing a respectful ritual. 

On Veterans Day yesterday at The War Memorial, Cary executed Silent Guard duty during the annual breakfast.  

“You take a certain amount of steps, you stop, salute the flag very quietly and ceremoniously, then make a left or right face and march on,” Cary said, explaining what Silent Guard duty is. “When you get to the end of the pavement, you make a ceremonial about face which is slow, then do a slow salute.” 

This was the second time he participated in the breakfast in that manner. He also did Silent Guard duty at last year's Veterans Day Breakfast. 

“Then I march back and forth, not showing any emotion, you just continue to do it,” Cary said. “The importance of Silent Guard duty is to pay respect to our fallen brothers and sisters and our nation.” 

Speaking about Veterans Day, Cary noted that it’s a way to thank those who came before him, setting the tone for him to serve. 

“They are my role models and mentors,” he said.  

Cary has served in the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Army. He currently is in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the uniformed, non-military volunteer component of the Coast Guard.  

“I served in every conflict from when I joined until when I got out,” he said.  

In 2009, the Coast Guard Commandant made Cary an honorary chief petty officer. 

“Within the Navy I served with the Marines as well,” he said. “I started in the mid-1970s. I wanted to be in the military probably because of my family. We are a Gold Star family as well. Quite a few of my family members were in the military. My dad was in the Army.”  

When asked why we wanted to serve in so many branches, Cary said the needs of the service and the needs of his country dictated the path he took.     

In June, Cary received a letter from the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. The letter indicated that Cary is authorized to wear the Auxiliary Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbon Bar. The commendation was for actions that Cary took in the summer of 2001 while a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.  

On a nighttime patrol, Cary and his fellow shipmates noticed lights shining into the water near the shoreline. Getting closer, it became apparent that a vehicle drove off the seawall and was half submerged in the lake.  

“That was my first patrol on the crew. We were the first people to arrive on scene,” he said. “We’re all volunteers. We contacted the station to let them know what we had and they said they didn’t have time to send someone out, so we did what we had to do.” 

Noticing a man and dog were trapped in the vehicle, Cary and crew developed a plan to execute a rescue. 

 “With the assistance of your break-in crewmember, Auxiliarist John Cary aided in the extraction of an inebriated driver and his dog from the vehicle’s window,” the letter states. 

The man was safely delivered to land-based rescue personnel. 

“As a result of your quick thinking and auxiliary experience, you and your shipmates turned a potentially catastrophic situation into a winning scenario and saved the life of a man and his dog,” the letter indicates.     

*This story originally was published in November 2024 as part of The War Memorial’s 75th Anniversary story series.

Former POW recalls the action of World War II

With a view overlooking the commemorative festivities, Gino D’Ambrosio calls it an honor to be recognized for his service to America.

The 99-year-old is a World War II veteran who attended The War Memorial’s 80th anniversary of D-Day ceremony in June. He was one of four World War II veterans who attended the commemoration, receiving a special shoutout from War Memorial President & CEO Maria Miller.

He described it as a great time adding that the Rhythm Society Orchestra, the entertainment for the night, is a favorite of his.

D’Ambrosio, who turns 100 in November, was drafted into the Army in March of 1943. His unit, the 423rd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division, trained in Liverpool, England until the D-Day invasion. Within the unit, he was a platoon leader. 

As a paratrooper, D’Ambrosio arrived behind enemy lines in Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.  

“I was about 14 miles in and the paratroopers served as disruptors prior to the Army landing,” he said. “The paratroopers were dropping bombs. My 32-year-old captain was killed on the way down, before the glider touched the ground. We thought he was an old man.” 

His next combat experience came in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium in the winter of 1944. 

It was during the battle, when he was in St. Vith, Belgium, when D’Ambrosio was taken prisoner.  

“The bomb came down and a German officer picked me up and I was captured,” he said. “I woke up in a Red Cross in Germany.” 

His discharge papers reveal that D’Ambrosio was wounded in action when the fragment of an aerial bomb cut a toe on his left foot leaving a scar.  

Once taken prisoner, D’Ambrosio went to Prüm, Germany. He spent the next six months as a prisoner of war, held in camps including Stalag III-A at Luckenwalde, Germany.  

“They didn’t treat the Americans bad, but the food was very poor,” he said, describing conditions like in the camps. “We were starved. There was a lot of lice. We were eaten up by that. We didn’t get it off until the war was over, and they hosed us off. You couldn’t believe how much there was.” 

It wasn’t until near the time that Germany surrendered, in May of 1945, that D’Ambrosio was released, a morning he will never forget. 

“One day we got up and my prison camp was empty and quiet,” he said. “All the guards were gone, and then a Russian tank came. There was a female Russian machine gunner. The camp emptied out.”   

D’Ambrosio, of Warren, was discharged from the military in November of 1945, with the rank of staff sergeant. His wife, Patricia D’Ambrosio passed away in 2003. He has three children, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.   

*This story originally was published in the September-October edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

Ahead of 80th anniversary, veteran shares D-Day memories

His unit was charged with putting pieces together for the D-Day operation, quite literally.  

Born in Culver City, California, Howard Reilly was drafted into the Navy in June 1943 and was assigned to the Navy Seabees, officially known as the United States Naval Construction Battalions.  

In the Seabee’s he was part of the 97th and later the 108th Battalion in World War II.

In October 1943, Reilly was sent overseas to Scotland. The following months were spent preparing for the D-Day invasion, what Reilly called the “best-kept secret in the war.” 

“All we knew was we would have to figure out how to manage pier heads,” he said. “They were all over the country so the German could never figure out what they were.” 

The pier heads operated as landing wharves at which ships were unloaded.  

In preparation of the D-Day invasion, the Seabees were trained in how to run pier heads.  

“We found out we were going to build the artificial harbor for the invasion,” he said. “We had bridge spans a quarter of a mile long.” 

The Warren resident, who turns 100 in October, explained that Phoenix’s were 40-feet wide, 100-feet-long, and 60-feet tall concrete squares. Phoenix's were reinforced concrete caissons.  

“Each corner had a spud which used electronics to move up and down,” he said. “There were 22 men to every pier head.” 

It was while Reilly was at South Hampton, England, when he and the other Seabees realized that all the pier heads were going to connect. 

“A bridge went from the pier heads to the shore. We were at the Isle of Wight until the sixth of June. We knew something was going to happen,” he commented. “Omaha Beach was the largest of the beaches with the biggest pier heads. We had to form the pier heads because everything that came ashore went across this pier head, onto the bridge to get to land. They would bring in the LSTs and thousands of men and tanks.”  

Within hours of the Allies successfully creating beachheads following D-Day, sections of the two prefabricated harbors and old ships were being towed across the English Channel from southern England and placed in position off Omaha Beach and Gold Beach.   

“We set up the artificial harbor and it took us nine days,” he said. “I was on a pier head where ships would come and unload, we had to latch them together. We were about a quarter mile out and there was a floating bridge. We arrived at Omaha Beach the day after D-Day. The plan on D-Day was to get about 10 miles into Normandy. They didn’t make it past the hedgerows. When we got there, there was a lot of activity going on.”   

Regarding what Omaha Beach looked like the day after D-Day, Reilly noted that it was filled with landing craft and tanks. 

“There were still floating dead people at that point,” he said. “I looked at the one guy and saw that he wasn’t American. He had a leather jacket and I saw he was a French aviator.” 

His unit brought plenty of materials ashore, as well as thousands of troops in the span of a few days in June 1944.   

“It took us nine days to put together the harbor,” he said. “They had to latch them together. Our job was to be at the end of the bridges when stuff came ashore.” 

Reilly remained in France for a few months after D-Day. He returned to the U.S., then was sent to Guam in the Pacific.  

Reilly was discharged from the Navy in June 1946 with the rank of carpenter’s mate second class. He was then in the Army from 1948-1954, working at the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia.  

To hear more D-Day-related stories like Reilly’s, gather at The War Memorial on June 6 at 6 p.m. for a special 80th Anniversary of D-Day Ceremony. Join us on the back lawn for this engaging commemorative ceremony. 

*This story originally was published in the Summer 2024 edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

World War II veteran honored as part of War Memorial’s Veterans Day gathering

His service to America did not go unnoticed at The War Memorial.  

In November, Dave Wigley was one of two World War II veterans honored at the nonprofits Veterans Day Breakfast.  

At the breakfast, The War Memorial remembered the bravery and sacrifices of our veterans. The event, attended by over 200 people, featured a speech from keynote speaker Army Brig. Gen. Michael Lalor. As part of his remarks, Lalor took time to acknowledge a couple World War II veterans in attendance, one of whom was Wigley.    

The 98-year-old Wigley has resided in Frankenmuth for nearly 60 years. His son-in-law Brian Kaufman was the featured speaker at The War Memorial’s 9/11 Service of Remembrance last year.  

Born in Saginaw, Wigley graduated from Vassar High School in 1943. Recalling the attack on Pearl Harbor from Dec. 7, 1941, Wigley said a radio program featuring Jack Benny was interrupted on that Sunday night for an announcement about the news of the attack.  

Little did he know then, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was where Wigley would be stationed for the majority of his time in the Navy.  

Soon after being drafted in 1944, Wigley went to the U.S. Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois.  

While not involved in combat during World War II, Wigley was a witness to a maritime incident that took place on May 21,1944 – the West Loch Disaster. The situation happened at Pearl Harbor U.S. Naval Base. The incident began following an explosion in a staging area for Landing Ships, Tank and other amphibious assault ships in West Loch. It’s estimated that more than 160 naval personnel died and nearly 400 were injured.   

“They were getting ready to send seven LSTs down to Saipan, preparing for the invasion,” he explained. “That never came about because these ships were all loaded with personnel and gear. They were sitting in the harbor and there was an ammunition shift and all seven of them blew up, loaded with personnel. It was horrible.”  

At the time of the incident, Wigley was stationed at a section base, next to Hickam Field, standing guard. He estimates he was about a mile and a half away from where the ships exploded.  

“We could feel it,” he said. “I knew it was something awful when it happened and something that you don’t want to experience.”  

While based in Pearl Harbor, Wigley said his responsibilities included doing night patrols on boats.  

“We’d eat at 6 in the evening and by 6:30, we’d be dispatched to our stations in the harbor which we would patrol during the night,” he said. “We slept on our boats. There were six men on a boat.”   

He explained that in peacetime, the boats were placed on battleships and used by captains to go from ship to shore. In wartime, they were converted to be utilized as patrol boats.  

“We also had to watch the harbor for the locals that would fish there,” Wigley said. “They would fish for Samoan crabs. They weren’t supposed to be fishing there and were arrested. What some did was place magnetic detonators on the hull of a ship and they could blow them up.”  

Reflecting on his service to America, some 80 years ago, Wigley views it as a growing-up period.   

“You go from being a boy to a man overnight,” he said. “I don’t view it as time that I lost.”  

After his discharge from the Navy in 1946, Wigley returned home to Vassar, which is where he lived until he moved to Frankenmuth in 1966.  

Wigley and his wife, Alice Wigley, married in 1958. The couple has two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.   

*This story originally was published in the March-April 2024 edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

Former Grosse Pointe resident grateful for War Memorial’s recognition of Vietnam veterans

The War Memorial is an organization that is doing its part to honor America’s finest - our veterans - John Lauve believes.  

Lauve grew up in Grosse Pointe Woods and attended schools like Grosse Pointe University School in the 1950s, Vernier School in Grosse Pointe Shores, and Parcells Middle School in Grosse Pointe Woods.  

This year, as part of our 75th anniversary, The War Memorial will share stories from the public about the impact and experiences they have had at the nonprofit organization.   

With National Vietnam War Veterans Day approaching on March 29, we thought it would be fitting to share the story of a Vietnam War veteran with connections to The War Memorial. 

Lauve, 82, resided in the Grosse Pointes for over 30 years and currently lives in Holly. His involvement at The War Memorial includes attending several Veterans Day Breakfasts, and having his name engraved on the bronze Vietnam War Honor Roll Plaque at The War Memorial. The bronze plaque for Vietnam veterans was dedicated at The War Memorial on Memorial Day in 1989. The plaque is positioned on a wall on the main floor of the Alger House, outside of the Reception Room. Over 400 names are on the Vietnam War plaque. 

“I made sure that my neighbor, William Toth who was killed in Vietnam had his name on that plaque,” Lauve said. “It was nice they made an effort to recognize those people that were sucked into that mess.” 

Army Pfc. Toth was killed in action on Oct. 27, 1964 at the age of 22. 

Reflecting on The War Memorial, Lauve said “They added a lot at The War Memorial over the years. Originally it was just the Alger House. Back then there was a lot of mansions on Lake Shore too.”  

Lauve served in the Army 1st Infantry Division as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. He was part of the 2nd Brigade, assigned to the aviation unit.  

From May 1967 to June 1968, 1st Lt. Lauve was stationed in Vietnam, operating as a helicopter pilot, flying the Bell H-13 Sioux. He received his flight training at Fort Rucker in Alabama and Fort Wolters in Texas. One of Lauve’s classmates in flight school, Fred E. Ferguson, received the Medal of Honor for actions taken in January 1968.    

“With Huey’s you would pick people up and drop them into landing zones,” Lauve said. “I was the pilot. There was no co-pilot, and I would work with different brigades in their operations. I was the aviation unit for the infantry.” 

In Vietnam, Lauve primarily operated north of Saigon. His unit's area of operations was from the outskirts of Saigon to the Cambodian border. Lauve was there for the Tet Offensive, a major escalation of the war which began in January 1968. 

“You’d fly up the artillery people who were directing fire and scouts, giving them direct service to the battalions in the brigade,” he said.  

In just over one year, Lauve logged 1,283 flight hours in the Vietnam War. He was discharged as a captain in 1969. 

“The idea of being there was that the bad guys (Viet Cong) were trying to use force to take it from the other guys and they were more effective in the operation,” Lauve said. “That’s why the guys in North Vietnam took it over when we left town.” 

*This story originally was published in March 2024 as part of The War Memorial’s 75th Anniversary story series.

At almost 100, World War II veteran remains active in gatherings at The War Memorial

It’s been 80 years since Larry Bennett was drafted into the Army.
 
All these years later, the World War II veteran still remembers, in great detail, stories from his time in the service.
 
The 99-year-old Bennett resides in Grosse Pointe Woods and has been part of the Grosse Pointe Veterans Club for approximately 20 years. The club, which meets at The War Memorial, works to support, educate, and advocate for local veterans. For nearly three decades, he has also been an active member of the Men’s Club of Grosse Pointe, which gathers here twice a month. 

Inducted into the Army in March 1943 shortly after his high school graduation, Bennett’s basic training was at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, Arkansas. In October 1943, he and fellow members of the 3rd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, departed for Italy. His first combat situation took place north of Naples, Italy as a rifleman. 

“I remember getting into position at night and early the next morning we would attack by going up a mountain to take a town,” he said. “Then it was hiding from the shells and bullets. The terrain we were in was mountainous, so it was treacherous going from one height to another. The Germans always controlled the high ground, so we were at a disadvantage.”   

As a rifleman, Bennett was equipped with materials like a bolt action rifle, an ammunition belt, entrenching tool, a blanket, jacket, combat boots, and a canteen.  

In January 1944, he took part in the amphibious landing of Anzio, Italy.   

“We didn’t have much opposition when we first landed, but as days went by, we had more opposition against us,” he said. “We were there for four months. We extended our lines as far as we could and couldn’t go any farther. Then the Germans regrouped and kept us in that position for four months. I spent that time in a fox hole.”   

His second amphibious landing came in August 1944, west of Marseille, France, while a short few months later, on Oct. 30, 1944, Bennett was wounded in action while in France.  

“We advanced and were at Saint Dyé in France. We were on a mountain, preparing to take this town,” he said. “The Germans threw some shells at us.”  

Bennett was struck in his left thigh from what he believes was a shell from an 88 mm German anti-tank artillery gun.   
“It was a sharp pain that felt like it was on fire and all of a sudden, I couldn’t walk,” he shared.
 
Bennett was sent to an evacuation hospital, was operated on, then transported on a hospital train. He spent four months hospitalized, recovering from his injuries. Upon discharge, Bennett returned to the 3rd Infantry Division. He crossed the Rhine River into Germany in March 1945.   

Bennett recalled the story from April 1945 when the division assembled in Zeppelinfeld when the American flag was raised over the Nazi swastika. Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg, Germany, was one of several Nazi party rally grounds.   

“That represented that the Nazi’s had been defeated,” he said. “Audie Murphy got his Medal of Honor at that assembly. He was in the same division that I was in.”    

Murphy received every military combat award for valor available from the Army.   

Bennett remained in Europe through December 1945, and was discharged from the Army the day after Christmas as a staff sergeant. Some honors he received from his military service are the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and the World War II Victory Medal.  
A regular attendee of The War Memorial’s Veterans Day Breakfast, Bennett has resided in Grosse Pointe Woods since 1951. His wife of 74 years, Betty Bennett, sadly passed away in 2021. He has two children, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.    

*This story originally was published in the January-February 2024 edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

Grosse Pointe resident who served in the Air Force proud to work with veterans

Retired Air Force Col. Nancy Bozzer’s passion for military veterans is clear.  

Bozzer, of Grosse Pointe, is the former director of Gratiot County’s Department of Veterans Affairs, leaving that job earlier this year to become a Rating Service Veterans Representative with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Detroit. She and her husband, Jim Thompson, attended this year’s 9/11 Service of Remembrance at The War Memorial.   

“I love being able to sit down and talk with veterans, to listen to their stories,” Bozzer said.  

In September 2023, Bozzer was the Detroit Lions Hometown Hero for the game at Ford Field against the Atlanta Falcons which the Lions won, 20-6.   

“It was amazing to be able to represent the military, and women in the military because it was all focused on women in football,” Bozzer commented about the Lions gameday experience. “It was quite an honor.”   

Bozzer spent over 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 2016 with the rank of colonel. She has logged over 2,800 flying hours in the KC-135 Stratotanker and C-9A, accumulating more than 500 combat and combat-support hours.   

“I relate my last job of being a wing commander to the Super Bowl,” Bozzer said. “I was in charge of a lot of airmen that were carrying out missions across multiple continents.”   

While in the military, she served as an aviator, command pilot, and instructor among several other duties. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and master’s degree from the University of Phoenix.   

 “I hope that I was a role model to women that you can have it all,” Bozzer said. “You can be a mother and have a career.”    

Born in Detroit, Bozzer earned her private pilot’s license when she was 16. She was commissioned as a second lieutenant, entering active duty in 1990. She commanded at all levels both in garrison and at deployed locations, ascending to the rank of colonel. Bozzer was promoted to colonel in April 2012. As a Senior Command Pilot, Bozzer instructed and evaluated aviators in the KC-135 air refueler and the C-9 Aeromedical aircraft. She commanded multiple missions in Southwest Asia in support of the Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.   

“It was exhilarating,” Bozzer said. “Watching the tankers take off every 30 seconds, knowing we were up there doing the mission. We did special ops along with other operations. Knowing you were making a difference and in something bigger than yourself was great. Your job is to get fuel to the fighters so the fighters can protect people on the ground. You really felt you were doing something that was worthwhile.”  

She commented that support from her family enabled her to consistently perform in the Air Force for over two decades.   

“I can go off and do the mission, knowing that the home front is taken care of,” Bozzer said. “It takes a lot of determination and pulling yourself up after you failed at something. I like the word the Lions use right now, grit. It takes grit. There weren’t a lot of women in this male-dominated field. You couldn’t let every little thing hurt your feelings because you would never make it. What it boils down to is hard work and determination.”   

Upon retiring from the Air Force as the Commander of the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Bozzer managed a small business in Newaygo County in Michigan, and worked for Hormel Foods Corporation. As commander, Bozzer oversaw two groups, 10 squadrons and eight operating locations spanning over 5,000 miles throughout Europe, Africa and Central Asia. In February, the Heroes Center in Gratiot County opened. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing veterans and their families with the necessary resources and services to help them heal, grow and succeed in civilian life. Bozzer spearheaded the founding of the center.  

“When I deployed shortly after my son was born, I relied heavily on my military family,” she said. “That’s how military families work. As a military member, we speak the same language.”  

Bozzer has been awarded The United States Legion of Merrit, Meritorious Service medal, air medal, and many others. Bozzer and her husband have been married for 31 years and have a son, Dillon, who is currently an officer in the Marines. 

*This story originally was published in the November-December 2023 edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

Navy World War II veteran one of four honored at dedication ceremony

He was proudly acknowledged at a War Memorial ceremony in May for a sculpture dedication that directly represents where he served in World War II.  

In May, 98-year-old World War II veteran Clifford Alvira was one of four members of the Greatest Generation who attended the dedication ceremony for Les Braves II: At Water’s Edge, joining Robert Haffner, Jean Gilbert and George Gitari.   

The Royal Oak resident served in the Navy from 1943-1945. He still remembers the bombs, the bodies and all the men who didn’t make it. Alvira arrived on Omaha Beach, the most heavily defended beach by German forces, at 6:30 a.m. on June 6, 1944, forever known as D-Day. Les Braves II is the official world-wide twin of Les Braves in Normandy, France, originally created for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion and sculpted by French artist Anilore Banon. It is a lasting tribute to the western Allies that landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day.  

“We were told there’s nothing you can do for the bodies; just go on with your own business,” he said. “It’s not a nice scene. You see an arm here, a leg here.” 

It’s estimated that more than 9,000 allied soldiers were killed or wounded on D-Day.  

Drafted into the Navy, Alvira, the oldest of 10 children to Mexican immigrants, served as a seaman 2nd class. He arrived on D-Day in landing craft tank 542 with 30 other men. His job that day, still a teenager, was to take over for the operator of another landing craft, in the event he was killed.  

“Our job was to land the guys on the beach,” Alvira said. “Once we hit the beach, then we heard all of the fireworks. Everything was timed. The planes came over first and bombed the beaches, then we arrived.” 

As he approached the beach, he remembers it being foggy and seeing bullet tracers, bombings and plenty of planes. He notes that what made Omaha Beach so dangerous was that once his unit arrived, the plan was for reimbursements of supplies to arrive, something that never happened.  

“We ended up with 100 tons of supplies, not 2,400,” he recalled.  

With nearly 80 years of perspective since that day, Alvira said the significance of D-Day was that Allied forces were the keys that opened up the passage for others to get to Germany. 

“If we would’ve lost at Normandy, we’d all be speaking German,” he noted.  

Altogether, Alvira was in Europe from January to June 1944.  

*This story originally was published in the September-October 2023 edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.

100-year-old veteran one of the last Montford Pointe Marines

What Lee Newby Jr. wants younger generations to know about World War II is that Americans were a fighting machine, a country that “really got it together after Pearl Harbor.”    

Born in 1923 in Tennessee, Newby is a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942-1946.  

Newby, who now resides in Warren, graduated with honors from Merry High School in Jackson,  
Tennessee in 1941. He was drafted into the Marines at age 18 in 1942, part of the 42nd platoon. Newby was a Montford Pointe Marine- the first African Americans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps after President Franklin Roosevelt issues an executive order establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission in June 1941.     

The 20,000 recruits, like Newby, trained at Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He trained at Camp Montford Point for three months, then eventually was shipped off to the Pacific Theater of Operations.      

“I went to boot camp in North Carolina, to Camp Pendleton in California, to New Caledonia, to Solomon Islands,” he said, recalling the areas he was stationed at during the war.  

Newby explained that in his Marine unit as a corporal, he worked in a warehouse, where all kinds of weapons were kept.   

“With the guns, I would remove the wax off them, and if a gun broke down, I would call to get new parts and they would send me the parts for that weapon,” he said.   

It was at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in 1944 where Newby was injured, an incident that left over 60% of his body burned.   

“There was airplane fuel and someone set it on fire and blew up,” he recalled. “It hit me in the chest and I started running and was told to hit the deck and roll over to put the flames out. The next thing I know, they bandaged me up like a mummy, and they took the dead skin off.”  

It wasn’t until after the war had ended when Newby recovered from his injuries. He was discharged from the Marines in January 1946.   

After the war, Newby for worked the state of Michigan for 12 years, then spent nearly 20 years at the city of Detroit as a janitorial supervisor, retiring in 1986. Newby has four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His wife, Mary, passed away in 1992. The couple married in 1961.   

*This story originally was published in the July-August 2023 edition of Live Inspired Magazine, a War Memorial publication.