Bennitt, John
United States. Army. Michigan Infantry Regiment, 19th (1862-1865)
Surgeons
Diaries
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Medical care
African Americans
Cincinnati (Ohio)
Charleston (S.C.)
Raleigh (N.C.)
Richmond (Va.)
Michigan
This diary was the last of three kept by physician John Bennitt of Centreville, Michigan describing his experience as a Civil War surgeon the 19th Michigan Infantry Regiment. The third volume (Jan. 1, 1865-May 13, 1865) begins with the account of his leave of absence in Cincinnati, Ohio for an examination given by the Army Medical Board; a temporary stay in Charleston, South Carolina; and return to rejoin his Regiment for the Carolina campaigns in Raleigh, North Carolina. This volume focuses on his time spent in Cincinnati, and his daily routine as a surgeon and physician to soldiers and civilians shortly before the end of the war. Bennitt's account ends with his march from Raleigh, N.C. to Arlington, Va. The last pages of the diary include memoranda noting a book purchased in New York, and cash accounts for Jan. 24-Mar. 27. In a pocket in the back cover is a note listing stores and books Bennitt planned to purchase.
Correspondence and diaries of Civil War surgeon, John Bennitt (RHC-43): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
No Copyright - United States
Part of collection with correspondence published by Wayne State University Press, Detroit as I Hope to Do My Country Service; the Civil War letters of John Bennitt, M.D. Surgeon, 19th Michigan Infantry.
Benson, Gerald (Interview transcript and video), 2019
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States—History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Other veterans & civilians—Personal narratives, American
Jerry Benson was born on August 28, 1926 in Lafayette Township, Michigan. He graduated high school in 1944 and was unable to get any type of deferment from the service. Benson was then drafted and began his twelve weeks of Army Basic Training in December of 1944 in Texas. He was then shipped from Angel Island, California, to Leyte in the Philippines after the fighting had moved onto Okinawa. While awaiting assignment in Leyte, Benson went on search patrols for any remaining Japanese troops left behind in the Philippines. He was then assigned to the Headquarters Section of the 108th Infantry, 40th Division, making practice landings in preparation for the invasion of Honshu Island, or mainland Japan. After the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and it surrendered unconditionally, Benson was shipped out in December of 1945 to Busan, Korea. Benson was then transferred into the 6th Combat Engineers as a demolitions expert and bulldozer operator, tasked with building up infrastructure outside Seoul. After serving in Korea with the Army engineers and serving out his enlistment, Benson decided to leave the service and was shipped back to the United States in the fall of 1947. He then returned to the family farm before going to work for Chevrolet Motor Company in Flint, Michigan, in 1948. Wanting to see more of the world, Benson spent some time helping his brother as a business partner for his own farm and visited his sister at Michigan State University where he met his future wife, marrying in January of 1949. Afterwards, he and his wife moved to East Lansing where she finished college and he continued to work in a local factory. Following his wife’s graduation, Benson was interviewed due to his skills in the automobile industry and was offered a job at General Motors, but opted to go into business with his father-in-law. Eventually, competition from large corporations urged Benson to seek other employment, so he entered the tool and die industry. He went on to work several other industrial jobs before settling into Spring Lake, Michigan. Reflecting upon his service, Benson believed the Army taught him how to work together with other, different people since he did not have such prior experience through school or sports teams. He also concluded that personal attitude played an important role in how he and his peers conducted their lives.
Benson, Gerald
Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401.
Comprehensive plan publications
Benzie County (Mich.)
The Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan was prepared by the Benzie County Planning Commission with assistance from the Planning & Zoning Center in October 2000.
Benzie County Planning Commission, Benzie County, Michigan
Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)
Planning & Zoning Center, Inc. (consultant)
Incunabula
Printing 1450-1500
One leaf from Lumen animae by Berengarius de Landora and edited by Matthias Farinator. Printed in Strassburg by the Printer of the 1481 "Legenda Aurea" on March 22, 1482. Illustrated with red rubricated initials. [GW M16917; ISTC ib00341700]
Berengarius de Landora
Seidman Rare Books Collection
Strassburg: Printer of the 1481 "Legenda Aurea"
Bergeron, Christopher (Interview transcript and video), 2073
World War, 1939-1945—Personal narratives, American
Christopher Bergeron was born in 1972 in Anniston, Alabama to two members of the service. In July of 1990, three weeks after graduating high school, Bergeron began his Marines career by attending boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. Eventually, Bergeron went out to Norfolk where he attended the Amphibious Embarkation School and became a Logistics Embarkation Specialist, after which he went to Saudi Arabia for the first time. It was during this same time that Bergeron went into Kuwait. He then returned to the States and was quickly deployed to Norway for a different operation. Bergeron then had a deployment to Somalia during their Civil War period and was there for two-and-a-half months before returning to the States in Jacksonville. He was deployed as a Sergeant to Aviano, Italy, Bosnia, and Tunisia. In his next deployment, Bergeron was selected for Warrant Officer and shipped to Quantico for his Warrant Officer courses. After this promotion Bergeron was deployed to Turkey, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Immediately after returning from this deployment Bergeron got selected to W2 and got sent to another ship tour towards the Persian Gulf. By this time the invasion of Iraq had started, and Bergeron stayed for a five-and-a-half-month deployment. Upon his return to America, Bergeron was quickly shipped off again, this time to Afghanistan. After that, he was shipped to Haiti to help with the violence there, and headed home to soon find out that he was going to be deployed to Iraq. At this point, Bergeron was selected to be an LDO, a Limited Duty Officer, and was stationed near Fallujah. After that, he returned to continue his career with MEU where he was deployed again. This time Bergeron spent time in Kenya, Dubai, and Kuwait. After this six-month deployment Bergeron was then selected to be a Major in Afghanistan. After this deployment Bergeron was then sent down to Jacksonville, Florida to Blount Island. It was at this point when Bergeron went on another tour for three years, this time visiting Jordan, the UAE, and Bahrain. However, soon after this Bergeron was selected for the highest rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Unfortunately, it was at this point Christopher Bergeron decided to end his 24-year Marine Corps career. He and his family moved to the Grand Rapids area, where he decided to go back to school and is looking to eventually teach at the University level.
Bergeron, Christopher F.
Bergin, Ronald (Interview outline and video), 2009
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
United States. Navy
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Ronald Bergin enlisted into the Navy in the year of 1944. He was to be sent to Japan for the Occupation, but his company was instead sent to Guam. He describes the condition of the camps in Guam and the how their camp was used to test President Truman's idea for integration between blacks and whites.
Bergin, Ronald
Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
In Copyright
Berkenpas, Len (Interview outline and video), 2008
Len Berkenpas was born in 1925 to a farmer in Byron Center, MI. Was drafted into the Navy in 1943 and worked as a cook at Naval Air Base Livermore near San Francisco, CA. He did not spend any time on a ship at sea.
Berkenpas, Len
Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.)
Berles, Robert A. (Interview outline and video), 2007
Robert Berles was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was drafted in 1943 during his sophomore year at Aquinas College. Robert volunteered for a Navy program after receiving his draft notice that would allow him to finish his sophomore year before his time in the service, and also allow him to finish up college afterwards. Robert began officer training at Western Michigan University, where he attended classes all day long and physically trained. He served on a troop transport ship in the Pacific, and his ship was hit by a kamikaze off Luzon, the aftermath of which he describes in detail.
Berles, Robert A.
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Bernhardt, Fred (Interview outline and video, 1 of 2), 2007
United States. Marine Corps
Fred Bernhardt enlisted in the Marines at the age of 17 in early 1944. He served in the Pacific Theater of WWII as an artillery observer for naval bombardments. He also served as a guard of the atomic bomb which was dropped on Nagasaki, and was part of the post-war occupation force as an MP in the Nagasaki area.
Bernhardt, Fred
Bernhardt, Fred (Interview outline and video, 2 of 2), 2007
Berra, Louis (Interview outline and video), 2015
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
United States. Air Force
Louis Berra was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1942. He attended the University of Detroit and was part of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) there. He received his Officer Candidate School training at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio and received his commission as a 2nd lieutenant in August 1965. In June 1966 he received orders for Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming where he served as a staff officer and the chief of operations until 1969. He was transferred to Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Canada where he helped with base operations until 1970. From 1971 to 1995 he served in the Air Force Reserve at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, various bases all over the continental United States, and at NATO bases in Europe. From 1990 to 1995 he served in the Office of Civil Engineers in the Pentagon and reached the rank of colonel.
Berra, Louis
Nathan Sargent from John Macpherson Berrien, October 18, 1848
Sargent, Nathan, 1794-1875
Whig Party (U.S.)
United States--Politics and government--19th century
United States--Officials and employees
Customs administration
Washington (D.C.)
Pennsylvania
Letter discussing strategy for the 1856 election between Zachary Taylor and Lewis Cass. Attention is also given to the expected congressional gains for the Whig party.
Berrien, John MacPherson, 1781-1856
Nathan Sargent papers, (RHC-44)
Berry, Homer C. (Interview outline and video), 2008
Homer Berry was born in Flint, Michigan on February 13, 1925. Homer decided to enlist in the Navy shortly after his brother had been drafted. After training Homer became a motor machinist mate, 2nd class petty officer. Homer was shipped to the Pacific on a LST and they began traveling all over the Pacific dropping off supplies to other troops.
Berry, Homer C.
Repertorium iuris utriusque [folium 192]
One leaf from Repertorium iuris utriusque by Johannes Bertachinus. Printed in Lyons by Johannes Siber on June 23, 1499. Folium was used to bind Aegidies [A113]. [GW 4159; ISTC ib00501000]
Bertachini, Giovanni, approximately 1448-
Bertrand, Emile (Interview transcript and video), 2019
Emile Bertrand was born in Morlaix, France on October 26th, 1922. After graduating high school in 1939, he began working in the arsenal of Rennes as a toolmaker. While at work, he witnessed the German bombing of Rennes in June 1940. To escape the threat, he and a couple of friends biked to Nantes, stopped to stay with his family in Morlaix, and then traveled to Marseille by train. From there, he went to Corsica by boat and stayed there for three months making charcoal. Then, he went back to France and worked in manufacturing in Laval until one day he was warned that Germans had arrived to search for laborers. He immediately ran and returned home to Morlaix where he worked on a farm for a few months. After that, in 1943, he began work as a lathe operator in Lanvéoc, a small town near Brest. At this time he and his best friend joined the French Underground, a resistance movement against German occupation of France. Most of the Underground’s operations took place at night while he worked his job during the day. When the American military was near, he joined their units and began moving toward Telgruc. One day, the Germans had left Telgruc for the sea, but the Americans thought the town was still occupied, so Bertrand and the Americans he was with experienced a friendly fire from B-26 Bombers. Another time, he and the American units he was with were being shot at by Germans from sea. Bertrand and his allies all went to hide in a ditch built by Germans when he was hit by a shrapnel. The next few days were filled with fighting until finally the Germans surrendered in Crozon. From there, he stopped by home in Lanvéoc before going to Quimper to join the French Army. He was sent to Ponthivy where he joined the 15th Dragoons. He went to Lorient where his regiment’s task was to guard the Germans. After that, he went back to Ponthivy and was sent to Argentan. He was there until the war ended in 1945.
Bertrand, Emile L.
Besteman, Marvin J (Interview outline and video), 2010
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Marvin Besteman was born on June 29, 1934 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On November 8, 1956 he received his draft notice. After being processed in Detroit and at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri he went to Fort Carson, Colorado for basic training. He stayed at Fort Carson to help train recruits then received advanced infantry training there. He stayed at Fort Carson for two months as a company clerk then received orders for Europe. He was stationed at Patton Barracks in Heidelberg, West Germany as the Chief Clerk of Headquarters Company of United States Army Europe and his wife joined him there as an Army nurse at the hospital in Heidelberg. In 1958 he left Germany and then was discharged from the Army.
Besteman, Marvin J.
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Dutch
Group portraits
Portrait photograph of Adriana Termaat (1879-1952), dauther of Aris Termaat (b. 1832) and Neeltje DeJong (b. 1847), taken by J. W. Besyn in Alkmaar, 1897.
Besyn, J. W. (photographer)
Adriana B. and Peter N. Termaat collection (RHC-144)
No Known Copyright
Bettinghouse, Kevin (Interview outline and video), 2011
Kevin Bettinghouse, born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1960, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1978 to 1982 as a Ground Navigational Aid. After his basic training at Lackland Air Force base in Texas, Kevin spent eight months receiving technical training in Mississippi. During his Service, Kevin was stationed in Warner Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, the Aleutian Islands, and Ohio.
Bettinghouse, Kevin
Beukema, Cornell (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2008
United States. Corps of Engineers--Personal narratives, American
Cornell Beukema graduated from Michigan State University in 1943, went through a series of OCS camps, engineer school, and the Second Army Mine School. He specialized in bridge building, mines and demolition. Sent to Japan after the war ended, he witnessed the destruction wrought by the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki as they rebuilt an airfield and built an airport. He remained in active reserve in the army for a number of years after WWII; he was finally discharged in 1953, and he spent the rest of his career with the Michigan state highway department. Military service timeline appended to outline.
Beukema, Cornell
Spring Lake District Library (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Beukema, Duane "Duke" (Interview outline and video), 2015
Duane Beukema was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1928. After graduating from high school in 1946, he and his best friend enlisted in the Army. They both received basic and field artillery training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and completed that training in November 1946. They were both scheduled for deployment to Japan, but got separated in California. Duane wound up being sent to Japan in January 1947 and assigned to H Company in the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division in Sasebo, Japan. He received infantry training in Japan, regularly pulled guard duty, spent a considerable amount of time traveling (getting to see Hiroshima and Nagasaki only two years after the atomic bombs were dropped), and also getting to meet many Japanese civilians. In December 1947 he received orders to go home, and on the return voyage reconnected with his best friend. They were both discharged in Seattle and back in Grand Rapids by Christmas Eve 1947.
Beukema, Duane
Beukema, John T. (Interview outline and video), 2008
United States. Army. Air Corps
John Beukema was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 15th, 1924. He volunteered for the Army Air Corps during World War II, and was accepted as a pilot. After flight school, he was sent to be an instructor back at Basic flight school in Gardner Field, California for one year. He volunteered to be a B-17 pilot, but the war in Europe ended. He signed up to be a B-29 pilot, but the war in the Pacific ended, as well.
Beukema, John T.
Spring Area District Library (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Netherlands
Photograph of the Schuurman family. Left to right: Adriana B., Cornelis, L. Schuurman-Hennipman, Lisje Schuurman, Jacob N. and Nicolaas P. J. Schuurman.
Beukema, Willem (photographer)
Beyrle, Joseph R (Interview outline and video), 2015
Joey Beyrle was born on August 25, 1923 in Muskegon, Michigan. On September 17, 1942 he enlisted in the Army, applied for the paratroopers, and was approved for that unit. He trained at Camp Toccoa and Fort Benning, Georgia receiving Airborne Training and training with radios and demolitions. He joined I Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. He and the rest of the unit left the United States and went to England arriving there on September 17, 1943. He participated in two, secret OSS missions in occupied France prior to the invasion of France. On June 6, 1944 he parachuted into France and was subsequently captured by German forces, twice. He was interred at Stalag IV-B then at Stalag III-C where he escaped. He was recaptured in Berlin and returned to Stalag III-C. He escaped again and linked up with the Red Army. He traveled with them for 30 days before getting wounded. Once he recovered he went to the American embassy in Moscow and returned to the United States by way of Odessa.
Beyrle, Joseph R.
Sermons
Biel, Gabriel, d. 1495
One leaf of Sermones by Gabriel Biel and edited by Wendelin Steinbach. Printed in Tübingen by Johann Otmar for Fredrich Meynberger in 1499-1500. [GW 4340; ISTC ib00662000]
Biel, Gabriel