1058 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f98dfb99e96c2b4176f2407edf4f90c4.jpg cdf230e0c87caacbb18e6e60e5d76394 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_000417 Title A name given to the resource Willie Nelson performing at Grand Valley Description An account of the resource Willie Nelson performing at Grand Valley. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Events Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives color photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0e2d355a61d63dc3698323f0d40199e5.jpg a9c42dfbbf957575ec3b3365740cced5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023 Description An account of the resource Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183). Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023. Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-2011 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Photographs Photography -- United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183_M216-0029a Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972-06/1972-08 Title A name given to the resource Wilmersham Farm, Somerset, England Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of the gate entrance to Wilmersham Farm, located in the county of Somerset, England, and between the villages of Dunster and Luccombe in southwest England's Exmoor National Park. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Farms--England--Somerset Exmoor National Park (England) Somerset (England) Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1970s Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e763e8b9c5cd1825617bb57d2a2f9156.jpg d50b7727195d13a0cd861929166b3f14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsonB Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wilson, B. Description An account of the resource B. Wilson Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4ab31ef1152394ddb36fd36e42d76503.pdf 503d85b7914624e0c5f9f69bab65e73f PDF Text Text 1 Grand Valley State University Special Collections Kent County Oral History collections, RHC-23 Miss Elizabeth Welter Wilson Interviewed on June 5, 1975 Edited and indexed by Don Bryant, 2010 – bryant@wellswooster.com Tape # 51 (1:19:27) Biographical Information Elizabeth Welter Wilson was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 4 April 1921. She is the daughter of Henry Dunning Wilson and Marie Ethel Welter who were married in Grand Rapids on 12 June 1920. Elizabeth currently (2010) resides in Manhattan. Henry D. Wilson was born 4 May 1892 in Grand Rapids, the son of Charles Moseman Wilson and Jane Wadsworth Dunning. Henry died on 16 June 1948 in Grand Rapids. Marie E. Welter was born 19 August 1890 in Grand Rapids, the daughter of Ferdinand Welter and Elizabeth Ewing Muir. She died on 23 November 1980 in Grand Rapids. Family members are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Grand Rapids. ___________ Interviewer: I am testing at this point. I am Lee Hutchins and I am going to interview, shortly my second cousin Elizabeth Welter Wilson, who has become a rather well known actress in her own right and has been in the theatre world ever since graduating high school. I am going to stop and see if we are…. This recording is being made at the home of her brother Charles Wilson, a new home built within the last few years on the Thornapple River, not far from the village of Caledonia, somewhere in the Alaska area. This is the first time I have ever been out here and it is a lovely day and it is the afternoon of June the fifth, a Thursday. We have had a delightful lunch prepared by Charles‟s wife, Sally. We have toured the house, met the dog, and saw the swimming pool. And are now on a lower level, I guess you would call it the family room, Elizabeth is still upstairs getting ready. We will start in just a minute. Before she arrives, I would like to explain that we were both brought up in the same neighborhood on North Lafayette in Grand Rapids. She is about three years older than I. The children of the respective families, my sister and myself and her brother and younger sister, we were all close as children and saw a great deal of each other. Both of us were brought up in Victorian mansions that our grandfathers had, each purchased in the late nineteen twenties. Elizabeth‟s family moved out of their house in about nineteen forty-four or five, I would guess, and my family has stayed on, still at the same address, one-eleven Lafayette north east. Elizabeth‟s old home was turned into first, it was turned into a radio station WGRD and is now the office or I guess you would call the headquarters of the architectural firm of Steenwyk and Thrall in Grand Rapids. �2 Yesterday afternoon at my mother‟s house in Grand Rapids, Elizabeth was interviewed by the editor of Accent (Grand Rapids), Jim Mencarelli. He obviously had insights into Elizabeth‟s profession which I don‟t possess because I am not particularly a theatre buff; but he did conduct an interview and the results will appear in the July issue of Accent (Grand Rapids). I am going to talk about or ask Elizabeth to talk about some of the topics he talked about yesterday afternoon. Probably the same questions but probably not in the same way and I may add or subtract as we go along. Interviewer: And now Elizabeth has arrived on stage as it were, and put this about out to here which is the right distance and start by asking some questions, the same that he asked in your interview of yesterday. And we will start by asking you where you were born and where and approximately when? Elizabeth: I was born in Grand Rapids approximately, I am going to tell the truth, Lee, how about that? That will be a first. Interviewer: Why not. Elizabeth: Nineteen twenty-one in Blodgett Memorial Hospital on April fourth; and there you are. Interviewer: What are your first memories of going to school? Where did you go for primary school, for instance? Elizabeth: My first memories of school are not really of grade school or primary school. My grandmother, Mrs. Charles Wilson, I think she was responsible for this, she knew a fascinating lady that was teaching French; it was prekindergarten school and I think our mutual cousin Mrs. Seymour Wilson, had something to do with this prekindergarten school. At any rate, when I was three and four I went to this prekindergarten school. Lee, I actually started grade school in Detroit, Michigan, I think I am right about this, now wait a minute, we moved to Detroit, yes I believe that‟s true. It‟s strange that I should be unsure of… But I think it was the kindergarten and first grade was in Detroit, we moved to Detroit in the late - middle thirties, no that‟s not right. Interviewer: You moved back from Detroit. Elizabeth: I don‟t know where I started school, but I know I spent most of my primary years at the Fountain Street School. Interviewer: In Grand Rapids. Elizabeth: In Grand Rapids, and after that, we will have to clear that up, I am not completely sure. I know I went to school in Detroit for at least two years, and I‟ve always been under the impression that I started school there; somehow we will have to figure that one out. I went thru �3 the sixth grade at Fountain Street School and instead of going directly to Central Junior High school I went to Marywood Academy for three years and entered Central High School in the tenth grade. I finished, I graduated in nineteen forty from Central High School. So that‟s plenty of information. Interviewer: One of the questions that he brought up early in the interview yesterday, which I thought quite interesting, was your appearing, attending summer school at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids. Anyway, it was not a part of your regular schooling. Elizabeth: Yes… Interviewer: You took part in a pageant. I wish you would repeat that again. Elizabeth: One summer when we were living at thirty-five North Lafayette Avenue, we attended the Sunday school summer school at the Presbyterian Church. We were members of Park Congregational Church, but our grandmother belonged to the Presbyterian Church. I was eight years old; I remember how old I was. At the end of the six weeks the minister came and said we are going to do a pageant and the tallest person in the room will play the American flag. For whatever reason but they had decided that was what it was. I always was very self-conscious about my height. I am almost five feet, ten inches tall now and was almost five ten when I was twelve years old. I don‟t know how tall I was at eight, but I was very, very tall and while I was growing up very self conscious about it. But any rate, he said you, Elizabeth Wilson will play the American flag, and that was that. Well, we rehearsed the program and we did it and first of all, I had to recite the Declaration of Independence, dressed as the flag if you can imagine. And when it was over, I got it all mixed up, all backwards, I was so humiliated. Somehow, when I went out by the church, a young girl, woman came up to me and said, “You were very good.” And it flashed across my head that must have been the first time that anybody ever paid me a compliment, really. I don‟t know why she did because I can‟t imagine. But I thought at any rate that is kind of nice. Interviewer: That was the beginning… Elizabeth: That was the beginning, Lee; the start of it, then. Interviewer: That was the start of it, in a real sense. Elizabeth: It kind of stuck in my head, well what a strange experience it was, it hadn‟t been a particularly happy experience, I‟d forgotten the lines, I hadn‟t been very happy about being chosen as the tallest person to play the American flag, but there was if you will, there was something psychological about the way she said it and my reaction. Well, the warm waves of praise. I just lapped them up. Interviewer: Alright, let‟s pause for just a second. �4 Elizabeth: Alright. Interviewer: So, after your initial performance at the Presbyterian Church, you obviously took another step or two along the way, what was your next experience in the theatre in this area, Elizabeth? Elizabeth: Well, Lee, there were a number of people when I was nine and ten years old, who had a very, very strong influence on my life. Your mother for one, Mrs. Lee Wilson Hutchins for one, my cousin Helen, and I will get into that in a minute, but I would like to tell what she meant to me and how she effected my wanting to be an actress. But when I was nine and ten years old, I was very involved in Park Church and there were quite an extraordinary woman named Mary Einecke she was married to our musical director Harold Einecke. She had been an actress… Interviewer: That is spelled E-i-n-e-c-k-e Elizabeth: I am not sure. Interviewer: Well, that‟s close enough. Yes. Elizabeth: She had been an actress, she was Russian. She married Harold Einecke and he was a very fine musician at Park Church and they had a very fine reputation there and built the choirs and I was very much a part of the choirs. I expect that experience, too. I started about when I was nine or ten; I was in the Girl‟s Choir, then I was in the Chapel Choir when I was in my teens. I was in the Park Church choirs for about ten years, and Harold and Mary Einecke were very theatrical. She was a darling woman and because she had been a professional actress she meant a great deal to me. There was also another woman in the church who was named Elsie Stroop who was secretarial minister who was very encouraging, even at ten and eleven years old I‟d begin to evident the fact of wanting to be an actress, I don‟t know. Then I went to Marywood Academy as I said earlier, and there was a woman there a Miss Buck, who was the drama teacher. But, I must tell the Joseph Jefferson story, Lee because I think it is so interesting. Years ago, a hundred years ago perhaps, there was a famous American actor named Joseph Jefferson and his great claim to fame was playing Rip Van Winkle and his understudy was on tour one night stands, or one day stand as it was. And here we were twelve and thirteen years old and we did a couple of scenes from the Washington Irving book, I don‟t know who wrote the play Rip Van Winkle and then Joseph Jefferson‟s understudy played the old man Rip Van Winkle and I was asked to be, not really asked to be just part of his little family in this Washington Irving play with Joseph Jefferson‟s understudy. This is just a part of history that tickles me. I don‟t know, I‟m sure he goes way, way back maybe even to Booth‟s time. Edwin Booth and John Wilkes [Booth] go, go way back. Well, that‟s sort of a touch with history. Then when I left Marywood Academy, I went to Central, and there was a very strong-willed woman named Dorothy Sonke, a very remarkable lady and she was most encouraging. Interviewer: Sonke is spelled S-O-N-K-E, I believe. �5 Elizabeth: Yes, I do believe. Dorothy Sonke right from the beginning, I don‟t know how it happened but when I entered Central in the tenth grade, I had a great long soliloquy, by that time I skipped two teachers that I studied with in Grand Rapids that I had, Camilla Boon and Myrtle Koon Cherryman who had incredibly strong influences on me. They were both interesting women, and I do want to talk about them. Myrtle Koon Cherryman was a legend in Grand Rapids and a remarkable lady and I had been studying with them and I took that much more seriously than my own school work, Lee. You remember I use to have to come to you to get French lessons for me. I was so much more interested in my dramatic lessons and I studied every week with Camilla Boon or Mrs. Cherryman. I used to have readings every week and I use to memorize these darn things, each week. And that is how I learned to memorize from doing these each week. Now, I can memorize things very quickly, and I use to write these things down and memorize these things, at any rate, I came to Central. And so I know this long soliloquy and she was so impressed, Lee. She was so impressed because this new person coming to Central knew this long thing. I don‟t even know what it was. She took me in front of the graduating class and had me give this long speech and they were most impressed. Of course, I was terribly pleased and from then on I got the lead in the senior play, I‟ve forgotten now what I did in the junior play, but I directed. I was the only student in Central that was ever asked to direct, it was called an Acting Project, a great Vaudeville show. That is what it was called, The Vaudeville Show, I directed that. By the time I left Central and started going into the summer stock theatre, I felt that I had done quite a lot. Interviewer: What was the senior class play? Elizabeth: Pride and Prejudice. Interviewer: And who were some of the other actors? Elizabeth: David Idema played my father. Let‟s see David Ware, I believe, I‟m not sure about my brother. Alex Dillingham played opposite me, my best friend in the senior class was Evelyn Klein, she was in it; she played my mother. Betty Williams was in it, she lived here for a long time, oh gracious, let‟s see. Interviewer: Well, that‟s a good number of people. Elizabeth: Yes, we played for three performances. Of course, Pride and Prejudice is such a lovely story. I remember, my grandmother Mrs. Charles (Angeline) Wilson, came to see one of the performances. She was, you know she was one of the most critical people in our lives. She had a great deal of musical experience; she lived and studied in Europe. The most serious critic in my young life. When Nana Angeline said to me, we called her Nana, in her strict way, “You were good.” that was, well …. Interviewer: That was a high complement. �6 Elizabeth: Indeed, indeed! Interviewer: Go on, what was the next step? Elizabeth: Well the next step, I started to get involved with the Civic Theatre in Grand Rapids in nineteen thirty-nine and forty, and Bertram Yarborough again, a remarkable man with professional experience. He asked me, rather invited me to go to his theatre on Nantucket, Massachusetts to be an apprentice; that was in nineteen forty. I had graduated Central in nineteen forty, and Lee, that meant so much to me. Now, Lee we had to pay, you just didn‟t, because for some reason in those days there were lots of summer theatres. Of course, all the summer theatres had apprentices that were nothing but workhorses. I certainly expected to act, but lots of them never did. Some summer theatres were notoriously corrupt, they would have dozens and dozens of apprentices, and they would pay two and three hundred dollars for the summer and never got to do anything but carry scenery and work like dogs. But I went to Nantucket, and the whole family made the trip because it was the second year of the New York World‟s Fair. So my father, Henry Wilson and my mother and my brother, Charles and my sister Mary and I got in our car and we drove. We stopped in Williamsburg, and New York, then they took me to Nantucket. I spent the summer in Nantucket. And after the summer in Nantucket, well after the summer I got to play three parts in the plays and it was a very good company. And they were all outstanding people. I can‟t tell you the names of the plays that I was in, but one of the great thrills was meeting Katherine Cornell, who was my idol. As I was growing up, I read her book, I [Always] Wanted to be an Actress. She was my idol, and she lived on Martha‟s Vineyard and she was a great friend of the two men who were the producers of this theatre. And she came over one day and Lawrence Olivier and Vivian Lee were playing in New York at that time, Romeo and Juliet and they paid a visit to the island. I didn‟t meet them, but I remember seeing them from a distance on the lawn, thinking oh my goodness! But that was a very important summer. Then, I came back to Grand Rapids and went to Junior College. And then the war. I remember one of the things about Nantucket, it isn‟t a very theatrical thing, but the submarines were encircling the island then I didn‟t know if they were American or German, but I remember sitting in the restaurant on Nantucket and you could hear those great depth charges; the submarines during World War Two that close and you could hear these big thunking things exploding in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nantucket Island. It was very frightening to say the least. Interviewer: Then eventually you got involved with Gerald Hanchett and his sister Elizabeth in their… what would you call that? How would you describe that? Elizabeth: Well, then I came back and went to Junior College. And then the next summer of forty-one, there was a summer theatre in upper New York, [not] New York Michigan, I think Lee it was... Interviewer: Was it Onekama or Portage? �7 Elizabeth: Oh, dear….There was a woman who was very… Elvira Baker, who was with the Civic Theatre, and Robert Cunningham, Bob Cunningham who was head of the drama department at Junior College; they were all involved. And Amy Lewis, remember her? Amy Lewis was one of the leading lights in the Civic Theatre, and she was a charming actress, a charming woman. In this little theatre, up along the coast, Lee. The Onekama area, whatever the name. Anyway, we spent the summer there and then I came back and went to Junior College again and it was at that point I got involved in this theatre, now then there were two people in Grand Rapids; the Hanchett family H-A-N-C-H-E-T-T, Elizabeth and Gerald Hanchett, they were brother and sister and they had been very involved in the theatre in New York, and they had produced revues. Just a minute Lee, I think we have to turn it off…. Interviewer: Sorry for the interruption, Elizabeth was called to the long distance telephone. Interviewer: We were just talking about the Hanchetts and the Playhouse, or whatever you want to call it, the Art Center which they ran in the old Hanchett house down on College Avenue. I‟d like to add a little footnote to the story at this point. That house which is still standing is the house that is immediately south of the Voigt house at one-fifteen College southeast. It is a notable structure, actually the Hanchetts didn‟t build it, but they moved in around the turn of the century. And Mr. Hanchett, the father of Gerald and Elizabeth was the president of the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company, and at one point they were very, very well to do, if not rich people. These children were that were contemporaries of my parents, they were very gifted and unusual people. Now, Elizabeth you go ahead: Elizabeth: Well, they were. They produced a play and some revues with Shirley Booth a very talented actress; they produced some revues that she was in called Sunday Nights at Nine. Elizabeth Hanchett and Gerald Hanchett played a great part in my life; they were very kind to me. I went into their school on College Avenue; I was an apprentice in a way. I worked part time. I was going to Junior College in nineteen forty-three, no that‟s not right, I think it was nineteen forty-two, yes. Because it was the subsequent summer that I went to the Barter Theatre. At any rate, I taught school. I went around and taught; I wasn‟t qualified at all but I taught children speech and readings and elocution. They had made arrangements in the various grade schools all over Grand Rapids, to pay for my tuition at this Art School on College Avenue, I did this. There was a man who taught, named Alex Evoie who taught in this school. And this school was in this house that Lee just described. There was a beautiful big room in this house and in the back there was this huge room that we used as our theatre room. The class wasn‟t large, twenty or thirty students, but they managed to get very good faculty. They had a dance instructor and a speech instructor. What they were trying to do was have a theatre school in Grand Rapids, and it was called the Arts Center, the Theatre Arts Center. And that is what they were trying to do. There just wasn‟t enough need for it in Grand Rapids and it didn‟t work out. At any rate, it was through Elizabeth and Gerald Hanchett that I met Alex E-v-o-i-e, and it was thru him that I heard about the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. And in nineteen forty-two, my life really started. That‟s really true. Because in nineteen forty-two, I went down there, and again it was as an �8 apprentice, my father had to pay; because the war was going on hot and heavy then in nineteen forty-two. They wanted boys; there were no men around of course. The boys didn‟t have to pay but the girls always had to pay to be an apprentice. I think it was something like forty-five dollars a week; that was a lot of money. That was room and board, but even so it was a lot of money. I don‟t know where we got it, because we certainly did not have very much. I went down there and started out. Now I wasn‟t sure, that I really was on the right track, because up to that point I hadn‟t made any real progress. No one had really praised me that seriously and I was always very nervous about it. I remember when we did the play at Central, I was terribly unhappy about one performance and was uneasy about it. Robert Porterfield, who ran the Barter Theatre, it was called the Barter Theatre because during the Depression when people didn‟t have money, they brought foodstuffs to this famous theatre, brought food to the box office instead of cash. Eleanor Roosevelt, Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was very largely responsible for getting this theatre on the map. It was on the cover of Life magazine, it was a very famous theatre because of this clever gimmick of people bringing foodstuffs to the box office. When I got there, they weren‟t doing this so much anymore. Robert Porterfield, who was a wonderful man, a unique man and a great help to me, he use to say that the actors ate the box office, which is what we did and we had some really splendid meals. Lots of vegetables, I might add. But anyway, I went down there and in that company, Lee, in nineteen forty-two were some remarkable talents, Patricia Neal, right fresh from Knoxville, hadn‟t even graduated from high school. And a wonderful actress name Margaret Phillips, who isn‟t too well known now but I think she was a genius and she made a great career in the forties on Broadway. She went on, but she was too sensitive. Anyway, there were lots and lots of people in that group. And in that summer, I had to either make it or not, I remember the point of being given some good parts and I just said to myself, alright Lizzie you‟re either going to do it or you are not. By golly and I am not bragging, but by the end of the summer I had not only established myself, and I say this openly but as the best actress in that group I had gotten a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, which was really something to get. I really felt like a changed person. I don‟t know what happened to me, Lee, but I just won over my fears and just had decided, it was purely emotional. I found a way of working and I remember coming back to Grand Rapids that fall and I knew I just was different now. Then I went to New York in the fall of nineteen fortytwo and went to the Neighborhood Playhouse. And of course, that is another whole story, because there it is exciting. There for the first time little Lizzie Wilson from Grand Rapids, Michigan met the greatest acting teacher in America, Sanford Meisner who taught the Stanislavski method, and is acknowledged by any one that knows anything at all and Martha Graham who was America‟s greatest dancer. And those are the two people that I studied with for two years, so you can imagine. Interviewer: I would like to backtrack for a moment because you mentioned my mother much earlier in this interview and it was recalled to me that my mother took you and me to Detroit. Would you like to continue and if able will you date the year for me? Will you tell about our experience there? �9 Elizabeth: Well, Lee lived a block and a half from my house. Interviewer: Less than that. Elizabeth: A short block. We really grew up together, his sister and my brother and sister. And I spent a great deal of time in their home, for some reason I don‟t know why his mother liked me, and she used to go to Detroit which was quite an occasion. In about nineteen thirty-seven, I think Lee it was nineteen thirty-seven, the three of us would drive, I think it was a convertible too, we would drive to Detroit and go to the theatre. And the first play I ever saw in my life was Walter Huston in Knickerbocker Holiday. Interviewer: You mean legitimate. Elizabeth: The first legitimate play, first live actors. Interviewer: What was the name of the play? Elizabeth: Knickerbocker Holiday! Interviewer: Oh yes, Knickerbocker Holiday. Elizabeth: And Lee‟s mother would travel to New York, and that was such a thing. And the New York Times was always in your home and it was also in my grandmother‟s home. That made an incredible impression on me, I used to read the theatre section; I used to devour what was happening in New York. New York was the place. Interviewer: I guess, it still is. Elizabeth: Well, that‟s not quite true, it‟s changed. Interviewer: You started to talk about the Neighborhood Playhouse. Elizabeth: Well, I was fortunate to go to the Neighborhood Playhouse for two years. I can‟t even begin to tell you what an experience that was. But it was very important to me to know those people and those two years of study in New York, and meeting people was so interesting and exciting and stimulated me so, gave me such confidence. Both Martha Graham and Sandy Meisner were very complimentary and helped me and worked very hard with me. And the point is they were also very, very hard on me too. But Sandy said to me you are good and you are going to have to be disciplined. He worked very hard and was very serious, and so Martha also worked very hard, and it wasn‟t easy, wasn‟t easy at all. Interviewer: Forgive another slight digression, I couldn‟t help but think, Betty Ford, Gerald Ford‟s wife, was also a pupil of Martha Graham, did you ever know Betty in Grand Rapids? Elizabeth: No, I never knew the Fords. �10 Interviewer: She was dancing, but I didn‟t know if your paths had ever crossed. Elizabeth: No, we never did, which was strange. Interviewer: But you both studied under Martha Graham. I‟m going to shut it off for a second. Interviewer: Before we continue with your career, onward and upward through the ages, I thought we could talk a few minutes about you coming from Grand Rapids, which isn‟t a big city and is belittled from time to time, even though we have managed to produce a President of the United States. When you arrived in New York City from Grand Rapids, did you feel you were coming from a very provincial background? Elizabeth: No, Lee, I don‟t know why but let me put it this way, I don‟t know why but I always wanted to live in New York. I never wanted to go to California. I never wanted to be a movie actress. There is an irony in that because I have made more movies and done more movies than I‟ve done plays, and I„ve spent more time in California. I was never interested in the movies, I always wanted to be on the stage, and I had this thing and I don‟t know where it came from, about living in New York, and being in the east. Now, I„ve always loved small towns, and when I left Grand Rapids, I think there was a period when I thought it was pretty hokey, and hicky, pretty small town and I in my twenties and thirties when I would come home, I would sort of look down my nose, at certain thing around town. Or if I was with people, they would say it must be so wonderful in New York. There is certainly a lot to be said for living in a large city. The point is I couldn‟t have had a career here, and I couldn‟t have done what I have done, if I had stayed here. But it is totally different here, but I always had a great feeling for the town. Now, if I had that feeling because, I had a very happy childhood, let‟s face it and I had so many people here that I loved so much and I had a big family and lots and lots of relatives so I had such a warm spot in my heart for this place, Michigan, you see. Oh sure, I think, when you are growing up and you go away to school, I bet you felt it too when you went away to Harvard. First you think oh well, that little town, but it looks better and better to me now. With the population explosion, I am anxious to come back to a few free acres. Interviewer: Do you think it is more interesting place when you do come back, as you have more recently? You have been coming back more frequently, I wonder if you have noticed significant change? Elizabeth: I can‟t tell, because I don‟t see that many people, Lee. When I come here, I have a fairly superficial look at the town. If I lived here and sort of got into the swim and was part of the community, then I could make a fair appraisal of that. When I came here the last year a great deal, because my mother had been ill, you are practically the only the person outside of the family that I see. Most of my friends have moved away. But I think, I have changed and I think I appreciate your family and my family and just what the place is like more. I am not prejudiced about small town living, because I live outside of New York. �11 Interviewer: Okay, I think it about time to turn the cartridge over. SIDE TWO of Tape #51 Interviewer: Elizabeth has stepped out of the room for just a moment and I thought I would fill in with a few remarks of my own. I have lived most of my life in Grand Rapids except for the three years at the Ashville School near Ashville, North Carolina. It was the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. It was the school that my father had attended. I graduated in nineteen forty-two, he graduated in nineteen fourteen and while I was at the school he was elected as a trustee of the school and he was always interested in the school and talked a great deal about it and I listened as a small boy. And he had no strong feeling about where I was going to college. He went to the University of Wisconsin, where I think he got a good education. He didn‟t have the feeling about Wisconsin that he had about Asheville. So when I was about to graduate from Asheville school, I hadn‟t made up my mind where I wanted to go to college. One group of friends were interested in going to the University of Michigan, they were mostly Grand Rapids boys that I had known, Dick Steketee, Monroe Tolliver, and Steve Bryant. I think, I am missing somebody but that is pretty much it. And then I had some other friends who were going to Harvard, Jack Darryl, Robert Sposum from Cleveland. A friend that had dropped out of Asheville, but has since become a very good friend, Matt Clark. He didn‟t finish at Asheville but he joined us at Harvard and there was another very close friend David Ketcham who came from Cohasset, Massachusetts. I finally decided I wanted to go with them, I thought was closer with them and had many more interests in common than I had with my Grand Rapids friends. Then I had the advantages of an accelerated, or perhaps the disadvantages of an accelerated college experience, because I went all year round for three years and graduated in nineteen forty-five but as a member of the class of nineteen forty-six. I worked after that starting around the first of January or the second I suppose, of January of nineteen forty-six until October nineteen fifty when I journeyed to California where I stayed for four and half years. I won‟t go into all that now, because this is not an interview about me, but I lived in the city of San Francisco most of those years that I lived out there in California. Of course, I got another point of view about Grand Rapids, frankly I was always very torn when I lived out there because I loved San Francisco but I also knew where my roots were and for family reasons, I returned to Grand Rapids and have lived here, with the exception of two years on the eastern side of the state in the village of Clarkston, ever since. Now my cousin has returned, and we will continue. Elizabeth, where were we? Elizabeth: Let‟s see. Well, Lee, I think we‟d come to the end of the Neighborhood Playhouse, those two years at the Neighborhood Playhouse, we were going over things so fast, Lee. I could talk about those two years, for a long time. I should also say, between those years at the Playhouse I went to a stock company in Cape May, New Jersey, that was a very important summer, I went as an apprentice. I didn‟t have to pay that summer but in the middle of the summer, the leading woman had to go back to New York. And the manager of the theatre said I would like you to be the leading woman. It sounds a little fancier than it was, the actual fact was �12 the producer was a well, a penny pincher, rather than paying transportation for anybody to come back from New York to Cape May, New Jersey, he just turned around and pointed at me, that‟s what really happened and said you will be the leading woman. And that was how I became the leading woman. But, what it meant was that I became a member of actors union, equity. Well now, if you aren‟t an actor you can‟t know how important that is. You can‟t be a professional actor, if you are not a member of the union, and you can‟t be a member of the union if you are not a professional actor. That was quite something in the middle of my school year, my two years to my path to become a professional actor. What it meant was, we had to find a hundred dollars, because that‟s what it cost to join the union, heaven knows what it cost now. My father sent me a hundred dollars, that was something, and I became a member of the Professional Actors‟ Union, Actors‟ Equity in nineteen forty-three. See how long I have been an actress, a professional actress? Anyway, that summer I had three jobs, I was in the apprentice company, a member of the professional company, and I continued acting in both of those companies. Because in those days, the wages were so low, I was also waiting on table. I had a job as a waitress; I‟ve had so many part time jobs that I have had more than anyone I ever heard of. Anyway, I had the job of waitress, so I would work in the morning, breakfast and lunch as a waitress and then go to the theatre in the afternoon and evening. And somehow I was never tired, I don‟t quite know. Anyway, but now I have graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse in nineteen forty-four, and that was quite an occasion because Helen Hayes who everybody has heard of, was a member of the Board of Directors for the playhouse and she saw me in our final play. I had the lead in the final play called A Murder in the Nunnery. Murder in a Nunnery, She wrote a letter which to this day I remember. It was to whom it may concern, but it was written to a number of producers, “I would like to introduce Elizabeth Wilson, who I think is an exceptionally talented actress and I think someday we will all be very proud to have helped her.” I memorized it, as you can imagine. That was a great boon, Lee, because I took that letter to producers. People again, who aren‟t actors have no idea, now looking back I don‟t know how I did it. There are thousands and thousands of people that come to New York every year wanting to be actors. How I ever did it I don‟t know, but I couldn‟t do it now. But I had a lot of nerve, and so I would call producers and call agents and say I have a letter from Miss Hayes, from Helen Hayes and that was unusual; and they would say, ”Oh, we‟d like to see you.” So I got into their offices and got to meet people because of Miss Hayes. And she wanted me to tour with her that summer. I remember when I came back in the summer of nineteen forty-four; again the war was much present on our minds. And Miss Hayes wanted me to go on a play that she was touring called Harriet, but I was too tall to play her daughter, because she is only five feet tall and so I didn‟t get to go because I wouldn‟t have been believable, because I was almost a foot taller. So I went back to New York that fall and had a very hard time and didn‟t get anything that whole fall, and I guess that I had some pretty rough times, I babysat, I worked in an insurance office and I had all sorts of odd jobs. And so in the spring of forty-five, I got my first real job, and the war was still on and it was with the USO. And that was my first honest to goodness job. Interviewer: Let‟s pause for just a moment. �13 Elizabeth: Alright. Interviewer: And now we‟re in the USO as it were. Elizabeth: Well, it‟s strange you know, I assume, well, all sorts of people will listen to this tape. In nineteen forty-five, the whole attitude towards the Second World War was a good deal different, than it has been toward recent wars. There was something really splendid, hard to believe, but true about entertaining the troops, which is indeed what I was doing. It sounds so corny and strange even as I say it. It was a funny little play called What a Life about, it was Henry Aldrich, it had been a popular radio program and the play was a big success on Broadway, What a Life and there were many companies of it. The USO was quite an important adjunct of the Armed Services of the Special Services Branch, that‟s what we were. Our group was going to the South Pacific; we didn‟t know where we were going that was great security. We traveled on a troop ship from San Francisco; it took us one month to get to New Guinea because we had to crisscross back and forth across the Pacific because of the Japanese submarines. We were without an escort; we weren‟t in a convoy, so it took us a whole month to get to New Guinea. Anyway, we played to the Army and Navy and the Air Force in New Guinea and all thorough the Philippine Islands, and of course, the war ended as we were leaving the coast of America. VE-Day came in, was it, April of nineteen forty-five, or something like that, and we were four or five days out of San Francisco when V-E Day came, and that was something. And we were in the Philippine Islands when V-J-Day occurred. So when our little troupe again after playing through the Philippine Islands we went up to Japan and continued to play. I could talk about that year; we played under the most extraordinary circumstances. We played for a dozen men and we played for fourteen thousand men. Sometimes we played in great outdoor theatres, the Seabees, the branch of the Army that, I guess, built the bridges. They built these really magnificent theatres in the middle of the jungles, the men would sometimes sit in bleachers, but sometimes they would hang out of trees. And the play was perfectly innocuous, and so they enjoyed it. They had stars who, personalities, but I think our play was, well I know they enjoyed it. And then I came home, and came directly to Grand Rapids, and that was in nineteen forty-six; I came back to Grand Rapids and did a play for the Civic Theatre, Bert Yarborough was still the director of the Civic Theatre. In the spring of nineteen forty-six I did My Sister Ilene with Buddy Dillingham, playing well, I was Ruth and she was Ilene, and that was a big success. Then I went back to New York and couldn‟t get a job, it was very hard. Couldn‟t get a job and my friend Robert Porterfield at the Barter Theatre, I remember I auditioned for the director. Which is the reason why I always, well, he has been dead for about three years, Robert Porterfield; I loved him so much because he‟d hired a number of directors for the summer of forty-six. And I auditioned for him and no, there was no room; the season was full, there was nothing to do. So, I went back to the little place I was living in New York, and I was very depressed, and it happened a lot. And the phone rang, and it was Robert Porterfield saying that well, it‟s perfectly true we don‟t have any place for you, and all the jobs are filled, but come anyway. Well, I did and I somehow made a space for myself and before I knew it, I was playing the lead. By that time, the director‟s changed their �14 minds and said no, I think you can play that part. By the end of the season, I was the leading woman and I went on tour. And it was the Barter Theatre the first State Theatre of Virginia. Robert Porterfield had gotten money from the state capital in Richmond and we had to play all the cities of Virginia. Well, practically all the cities of Virginia, except little itty bitty ones, we played all over high schools, gymnasiums all over the state. Then we toured outside the state of Virginia; many actors, Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Pat Neal, Hume Cronyn, and you name it and most of them were in that theatre and most of them I knew an worked with. It was a wonderful place, the two places that stand out in my career are the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Barter Theatre, because I went back to that place for many years and learned how to become an actress in front of an audience, which let‟s face it, it‟s the only way you are going to learn. And between nineteen forty-six and nineteen fifty-three I did a lot of other things. I state it that way, Lee because it was in nineteen fifty-three I got my first Broadway job. It was almost ten years from the day I graduated, I did work out in summer stock, I toured with Veronica Lake one summer, and with Edward Everett Horton, and I always managed to get a job in the summertime. And because of Robert Porterfield I learned and grew, I dare say, got big parts, and played with his theatre, toured all over the country, one night stands. But it wasn‟t until nineteen fifty-three, Helen Hayes, again because of the letter she wrote. Josh, Joshua Logan who had directed South Pacific, Mr. Roberts and probably the most famous director on Broadway at the time, was going to direct the play called Picnic by William Inge. And I went to an audition and I dressed the part, I heard the woman was a kind of dowdy school teacher. School teachers won‟t like that description, but she was a Kansas City teacher and taught feminine hygiene and she was a pretty strange character, at any rate, I dressed the part and went back several times and finally, I think the second or third reading, this doesn‟t happen very often and this was produced by the theatre guild. And we can go back and back about them; they produced all of the Eugene O‟Neil plays. And they were all out there, all of the theatre guild under the lights, and Josh Logan and everyone; they told me I had the part. I remember rushing home to my apartment which I then shared with my sister Mary, and bursting into tears, I couldn‟t believe it, after all these years. Because that was my dream. I think, Lee I could have died right then. That is what I wanted to be in a Broadway play. I thought my goodness, that was some day. Interviewer: And you remember going to San Francisco? Elizabeth: Very well. Interviewer: Because I was there. Elizabeth: Of course, you were there. We had a wonderful time. Interviewer: I think that is one of the last times I ever saw you on the stage. Elizabeth: Yes, I remember that very well. We were living on Nob Hill. You had a wonderful apartment. �15 Interviewer: Eleven-thirty Sacramento Street. Elizabeth: What Lee is talking about now is the national tour of Picnic. Picnic became a huge success on Broadway; we played at the Music Box Theatre on West Forty-Fifth Street for two years. Ralph Meeker, Kim Stanley, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward was an understudy, that‟s when they met, Janice Rule, Eileen Heckart, Arthur O‟Connell. It was an extraordinary cast. And Kim Stanley was probably the greatest living, well she is. Everybody acknowledges she isn‟t working now because again. Interviewer: She is what? Elizabeth: American Actress. I think that is safe to say. No one will debate me. However, she was the younger sister. She played the younger sister, but we‟re talking about the national tour. After we played Broadway, Josh Logan asked me to play the mother in the national tour and that was quite a thrill. So I moved from the small part of Christine Schoenwalder, Christine Schoenwalder probably had eleven lines, if she had two. The teachers had quite a lot of scenes and then I went on the national tour. The when the national tour was over, Josh Logan asked me to be in the movie, so Picnic was my first movie. And I was flown to California and there were only some of the original cast, three of us from the original Broadway cast. That was Kim Novak, played in the movie and William Holden, and the three school teachers were Rosalind Russell and Rita Shaw and myself; we were from the original cast. So that was my first film, as you can imagine that was pretty exciting. We filmed it in Kansas, and took all summer, and then in the middle of summer, I was told, I had done a television show in New York, called Patterns by Rod Sterling, since has become famous. He‟s done Twilight Zones, famous writer and so forth. He‟d been a great success, and so I was asked to be in the movie version of Patterns. So that summer after I finished the movie of Picnic, the second movie with Van Heflin and Everett Stone, Ed Begley in Patterns which we filmed in New York. And oh, gracious, Lee, where do you want to go, now we are getting into the sort of nitty gritty, this was the fifties and I suppose the main plays I did then were things like Tunnel of Love, Desk Set, and did the movie versions, the movie version of Tunnel of Love with Doris Day, let‟s see, I am, not really skipping. I am just trying to think. In the early sixties, a very important thing, I got to be in a play called Big Fish, Little Fish. And, Mike Nichols saw me in that and that was a great turning point in my life because from then on practically everything he did, since then I have done six things for him, the mother in the Graduate opposite Dustin Hoffman playing my son. I played in Catch 22, and The Day of the Dolphin and then in New York I was in Plaza Suite and the revival of Little Foxes. And the most recent play in New York with Mike Nichols was Uncle Vanya which was a great success with George C. Scott, and Julie Christi and Nicole Williamson, the great English actor, and Lillian Gish, and Katherine Nesbitt. Interviewer: As I recall you got wonderful reviews. Elizabeth: Yes, wonderful reviews, a great success. �16 Interviewer: Was that two summers ago? Elizabeth: Exactly two summers ago we were doing. Interviewer: You‟ve skipped a lot of … Elizabeth: Yes, we‟ve done a big skip, but I‟m getting a little tired and I‟m sure you‟re ….well, can‟t we just? Well, you ask me some. Interviewer: What about, why don‟t you talk a little about Eastside/Westside. Explain that. Elizabeth: Eastside/Westside was a television series that we did ten years ago, on CBS with George C. Scott and Cicely Tyson and myself, and… Interviewer: That was quite a success as I recall. Elizabeth: Yes, it was a good series, a bit before its time, I think. Interviewer: Yes, since then you have gotten to know Mr. Scott and one of his ex-wives Miss Dewhurst, quite well. Elizabeth: Yes, Colleen Dewhurst. Well, I worked with George so many times. George and I did Uncle Vanya and Colleen and I did a play in New York, Colleen Dewhurst, who is really a superb actress, we did a play at Lincoln Center, a Brecht play called The Good Woman of Szechwan. Interviewer: How do you spell that? Elizabeth: Lord, I don‟t know how to spell Szechwan, it‟s The Good Woman of Szechwan. Interviewer: Is that a town or place? Elizabeth: Well, it‟s Chinese. Interviewer: I see, a Chinese word. Elizabeth: It‟s, you know we all know Szechwan cooking. Interviewer: Yes. Elizabeth: Is that Northern China, or I‟m not sure? Interviewer: I‟m not very good at Chinese. Elizabeth: I am a good student. Interviewer: I take it you still see a great deal of Colleen Dewhurst? �17 Elizabeth: Yes, she is one of my closest friends. Interviewer: Who are some of your other close friends in New York? In the theatre world? Elizabeth: Dustin Hoffman is a good friend; we have worked together a lot. We did an off Broadway play before we did The Graduate; we did a play called EH? Then we were in a movie together that nobody ever heard of called The Tiger Makes Out in which Dusty had a tiny part and I had a tiny part. Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson were in that. Then we did The Graduate. Dustin and I are good friends. Maureen Stapleton and I since Plaza Suite have become very close friends, she is a lovely woman. George Scott, of course, George Grizzard is a friend of mine, I am trying to think. The people in the movies, Paul and Joann Newman are friends, Gene Hackman is an old friend; we worked together in television in the old days. Peter Falk, I studied, when I returned in the fall from Sandy Meisner, after the play, I went back for a refresher course about ten years later and that is when I met Peter, he is a friend, did television with him. Oh, gracious Lee. Interviewer: Why don‟t we just move up to the present and tell us, me about your forthcoming TV series. How it came about. Elizabeth: Well, I am about to embark on something that is rather exciting, I suppose, I hope. I suppose how it came about, because these things are complicated. I have been going back and forth from California a great deal, because there is a less and less activity in New York City and fewer plays are being performed. Most of us that are still professional actors have to work and in television and movies, which indeed I have been doing the last few years. The Prisoner of Second Avenue and so forth. And the last two years I have been doing lots of television. I dare say, have done about fifteen, All in the Family, Maude, and specials, Easter Specials and Christmas Specials and thing like that. About two years ago I was in California doing what they call a pilot, each season the television networks do shows which they show to the network and the networks decide if a show is worthy of being made into a television series. And they make hundreds of them, and the first year, I made something called We’ll Get By and it finally got on the air, but it got on the air with an entirely different family which often happens. Then the second year, I did another one, again for CBS called Another April, which didn‟t quite make it. But as a result of seeing Barnard Hughes and myself in Another April, CBS decided they would make a third pilot film, this one was called Doc and it‟s about a husband and wife in MidManhattan today, contemporary story, a comedy written and produced by the people who do the Mary Tyler Moore shows. Low and behold about a month ago and they said that CBS had bought the pilot and we were going to start making the television series, starting July tenth nineteen seventy-five. And Lee, I just couldn‟t believe it, the odds. I tell you, they make hundreds of these things every year. The reason is they test them, show them around for whatever reason, and they‟ve chosen to do this. And let‟s hope it turns out and we start making thirteen and if they like it the network will pick it up and do thirteen more. So there you are. That‟s what my next... �18 Interviewer: How soon will you know if they like it or not? Elizabeth: I think about midway through the thirteen, Lee. I think the middle of August we should know. Interviewer: I see. Elizabeth: It will go on the air anyway; they‟ll put sixteen, not sixteen, six on. The television season starts the middle of September and… Interviewer: Do you what time? Elizabeth: Yes, Matter of fact they told us. It precedes the Mary Tyler Moore Show at eightthirty. Interviewer: Saturday night? Elizabeth: Saturday night and there is, and what they have told us, but that can change, but at the moment that‟s what they‟re saying. So in the meantime, I am having a lovely time in Grand Rapids. It is very beautiful here and I really…..It is really nice to be an actress, you work really hard but you get lot‟s more free time than most people. Your work is very concentrated, work hard for three or four weeks or three or four months on a project and then you have two or three weeks off, which is wonderful, I like that. Interviewer: Sure. Relieves the monotony. Elizabeth: I like being an actress, I do. I am very lucky, very lucky indeed. Interviewer: Let‟s pause for just a moment. Interviewer: Elizabeth, you‟ve said to me that being an actor can be very nerve-racking. Will you like to enlarge on that, and talk about that? Enlarge on it. Elizabeth: Sure, the psychology, the need for somebody or desire for somebody to perform hasn‟t been fully explored, and I think most actors had better not think too much about it. You know exhibitionism or something is not a very attractive trait, but I think when it becomes an art form. You are truly portraying a character in a play that‟s worth portraying. But it‟s a very nerveracking business, Lee. I think I try, lately try not to let it bother me, as much as it use to, as it sometimes does. But, it is nerve-racking because there you are, out in front of if not a hundred, or several thousand, you are in front of a television camera. And you are totally exposed, and it‟s the only reason you know, you can survive it all because again, this complicated mechanism that takes over when you are actually acting, because when you are acting, you are not yourself, you are not yourself, you are playing another person. And any psychologist or psychiatrist will tell you, I often say if I wouldn‟t have been an actress, I would have been put away. I don‟t suppose that is literally true, but I do enjoy fantasizing, I have a big imagination. When I was a little girl, �19 I would pretend to be in another situation. We all do that when we are growing up, but the only difference is that actors continue doing it. That is why most grown-up people think being an actor is kind of you know, silly. Well, I suppose in a way it is. It could be a little degrading for some men find to be an actor is to be you know, having to wear makeup. And I know a lot of men that find it degrading, or could be considered degrading. I feel, I am enjoying it more and more, and to get back to your original question, about it being nerve-racking. I find that I am enjoying it more and not allowing it to put me through the agony, but I am telling you it can. Opening night on Broadway, you see, when everything is at stake, now that is just excruciating. There are not very many times in most people‟s lives when they are that frightened. I mean, actors or anybody that has to get up and perform knows what I am talking about, but it is just terrifying. Because as somebody once said jokingly before an opening night on Broadway, don‟t worry it‟s just your career at stake. Because it is just that kind of thing, as I said to you, I believe the other day. It is a very unnatural thing for just the two of us, perfectly charming room and this beautiful June day looking out at the trees, we are performing in a way. Now my heart isn‟t pounding the way it does before I have to step on stage, or before we started the pilot for Doc, which is the last work I have done, my heart was pounding, Lee and I was pacing back and forth and so was Barnard Hughes and we were doing that because so much was at stake. I mean, I don‟t know what was in Barney‟s head, but we were thinking if we really are good this day on this show, this will be become a television series, just think what that will mean to our families, and to our lives. There is just so much at stake every time you step out. It is hard being an actor because you get rejected. People say I could never be an actor because you get rejected all the time. Well, you do; you are constantly, being put up against other people, the competition is so keen. You know just recently, I have been considered for a part, I may as well say, in a new film All the President’s Men. Now Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman want me to play this part, Kay Graham. Whether I get this I don‟t know. Each day in the paper there is a report. One day it says I am going to be playing, the next day it says Lauren Bacall will be playing. Today it says Pat Neal and Lauren Bacall, but who knows, but I‟ll be rejected, probably maybe not, but I have to take it. But I always figure each time I take a rejection, it is like a little niche somewhere in my sensitivity kind of does a zero. When I go back to New York, perhaps I‟ll have to go audition for some things. It doesn‟t matter where you are in the theatre, you can be a great and important star, and you still get turned down. And most people in their lives, when they reach a certain position don‟t get turned down for things as often as actors do, it‟s a very… Interviewer: You, sort of, have to start all over again. Elizabeth: You begin, I am starting all over again with this television series and the critics can either make or break me. It is rough, really rough. Interviewer: I understand, I don‟t think they can break you. Elizabeth: If it was a real disaster, they can make it hard for me to get another job. �20 Interviewer: I trust that doesn‟t happen and I am not going to worry about it, I want to regress a little for a moment because the reason for doing some of these tapes is to talk about people from Grand Rapids and this area and get their impressions. I was interested in, as we drove to the little town of Ionia, which is a small town some thirty miles east of Grand Rapids, it just so happens some of our grandparents, came from Ionia, were brought up there in the nineteenth century to Grand Rapids as in the case of your grandfather Wilson, he came some time during the eighteen eighties and my grandfather Hutchins who was his brother in law came in eighteen ninety-eight and have been here ever since. In a real sense we have never had much of family in Ionia, except when we were rather young, we had one or two relatives, most, all of them are now in the graveyard. The reason for our going was that there was a house tour that day, and it had been written up in the Detroit paper, and one of my hobbies is Victorian architecture. And I realized, because I do get back to Ionia from time to time and, there would be some interesting houses to see and that you in particular might be interested to see. It just so happened, that it was a very successful experience, but just let me say I thought when we left that we might be home in three or four hours. As I recall we left at nine-thirty in the morning and rolled into our driveway at quarter after four. I had the feeling that you were enjoying it but… Elizabeth: Wouldn‟t you like to know why? Interviewer: Yes. Elizabeth: Architecture is interesting to someone who is romantic. I am a romantic, I‟m interested in the past and I am interested in the future too. I am interested in all that, it seems to have a great effect, Lee, on what I do. When I did the Chekov play Uncle Vanya for example I was very much effected by that period, that was eighteen ninety. I know for example when we went into the Voigt House, it is that same period, I am so fascinated because by then I knew exactly, Tony Walton who is a superb set designer, one of his great movies is the Orient Express, Murder on the Orient Express. He did the costume and set designs our production of Uncle Vanya, and they were absolutely authentic and divine. The Voigt house meant a great deal to me just as the houses in Ionia did. I sort of transplant myself into that situation, into that time and I can just imagine, imagine living in Ionia in those houses that we visited and I particularly like visiting your friend and having lunch, you know, with Mrs. Osley. Interviewer: Yes. Mrs. Osley. Elizabeth: Mrs. Osley and having lunch with her. She was just so interesting, Lee. People ask me, “Do you study characters, do you watch people? Are you always on the alert for somebody you might play?” I don‟t do that; I don‟t see how anybody could. I just happily live from moment to moment, but I probably store it up in my head. But there was something so romantic, so very romantic, so dramatic that she was leaving that house after all these years and we were probably her last visitors. �21 Interviewer: That‟s right we probably were. Elizabeth: I just don‟t know, it‟s a different type of thing. To go to a town like Ionia, in a way it is very relaxing, but it also is very interesting, to see those authentic…. Interviewer: Did you, the fact that you knew that your family had come from Ionia was that a factor in your enjoyment of that day or was that a secondary factor? Elizabeth: No, I think that is one of the reasons why that whole thing means so much, meant so much. Interviewer: I was interested because, at one point, just before we went to the Presbyterian Church, before or after, you wanted to see the site where our great grandmother and great grandfather had lived. The house was torn down a few years ago and now there was nothing except a gravel parking lot. I couldn‟t help but notice you went to the center of the parking lot, and stood there and looked around and yet you weren‟t looking at anything interesting, it is just a parking lot, yet you seemed to want to walk into the area and stay there a few moments perhaps. That seemed to mean something to you. Elizabeth: You are very observant, Lee, you are extremely observant, I wanted to be there, I wanted to have a sense of, my grandfather, whom I never knew Charles Wilson was born there and I just wanted to have a sense of him, a sense of the spirit of the man. I don‟t know, I just felt moved by the fact that my great grandfather and great grandmother and uncles and my grandfather lived on that spot. And goodness only knows what must have happened in that house, and there it was, and I felt it…. Interviewer: Except no house. Elizabeth: No house, but a vacant lot, I felt a very spiritual thing, when I stood there. It‟s true. Interviewer: Let‟s hope we can go back again, someday and go on another house tour. Hope your visits to Western Michigan are frequent. And continue to commute between Hollywood and New York. Because I do think you should keep your apartment there. I don‟t think living in Southern California will ever suit you, but that is just my opinion, as I said. This has been delightful and the hour is growing nigh to close. And leave this to prosperity to ponder. Elizabeth: Alright, thank you, Lee. Interviewer: Thank you, Elizabeth. �22 INDEX A Aldrich, Henry · 14 B Bacall, Lauren · 21 Baker, Elvira · 7 Barter Theatre · 8, 9, 15 Begley, Ed · 17 Blodgett Memorial Hospital · 2 Boon, Camilla · 5 Booth, Edwin · 5 Booth, Shirley · 8 Borgnine, Ernest · 15 Bryant, Steve · 12 Buck, Miss · 4 C Central High School · 3 Central Junior High school · 3 Cherryman, Myrtle Koon · 5 Christi, Julie · 17 Clark, Matt · 12 Cornell, Katherine · 6 Cronyn, Hume · 15 Cunningham, Robert · 7 Einecke, Mary · 4 Evoie, Alex · 8 F Falk, Peter · 18 Ford, Betty · 10 Fountain Street School · 2, 3 G Gish, Lillian · 17 Graham, Martha · 9, 10, 11 Grand Rapids Street Railway Company · 8 Grizzard, George · 18 H Hackman, Gene · 18 Hanchett family · 7, 8 Hanchett, Elizabeth · 7, 8 Hanchett, Gerald · 7, 8 Hayes, Helen · 13, 15 Heckart, Janice · 16 Heflin, Van · 17 Hoffman, Dustin · 17, 18, 21 Holden, William · 16 Horton, Edward Everett · 15 Hughes, Barnard · 19, 21 Hutchins, Mrs. Lee Wilson · 4 D Darryl, Jack · 12 Day, Doris · 17 Depression · 9 Dewhurst, Colleen · 18 Dillingham, Alex · 6 Dillingham, Buddy · 14 Dunning, Jane Wadsworth · 1 E Einecke, Harold · 4 I Idema, David · 6 Inge, William · 15 Irving, Washington · 5 J Jackson, Anne · 18 Jefferson, Joseph · 4, 5 �23 K R Ketcham, David · 12 Klein, Evelyn · 6 Redford, Robert · 21 Roosevelt, Eleanor · 9 Rule, Janice · 16 Russell, Rosalind · 16 L Lake, Veronica · 15 Lee, Vivian · 7 Lewis, Amy · 7 Logan, Joshua · 15, 16 M Marywood Academy · 3, 4, 5 Meeker, Ralph · 16 Meisner, Sandy · 10, 19 Meisner, Sanford · 9 Mencarelli, Jim · 2 Muir, Elizabeth Ewing · 1 N Neal, Patricia · 9, 15, 21 Neighborhood Playhouse · 9, 10, 12, 15 Nesbitt, Katherine · 17 Newman, Joann · 18 Newman, Paul · 16, 18 Nichols, Mike · 17 Novak, Kim · 16 O O‟Connell, Arthur · 16 O‟Neil, Eugene · 15 Olivier, Lawrence · 7 Osley, Mrs. · 22 P Park Congregational Church · 3, 4 Peck, Gregory · 15 Phillips, Margaret · 9 Porterfield, Robert · 9, 15 S Scott, George C. · 17, 18 Shaw, Rita · 16 Sonke, Dorothy · 5 Sposum, Robert · 12 Stanley, Kim · 16 Stapleton, Maureen · 18 Steenwyk and Thrall · 2 Steketee, Dick · 12 Sterling, Rod · 17 Stone, Everett · 17 T Tolliver, Monroe · 12 Tyson, Cicely · 17 V Voigt House · 22 W Wallach, Eli · 18 Walton, Tony · 22 Ware, David · 6 Welter, Ferdinand · 1 Welter, Marie Ethel · 1 Westminster Presbyterian Church · 3, 4 Williams, Betty · 6 Williamson, Nicole · 17 Wilson, Charles · 1, 6, 23 Wilson, Charles Moseman · 1 Wilson, Elizabeth Welter · 1 Wilson, Henry · 6 Wilson, Henry Dunning · 1 Wilson, Mary · 6 Wilson, Mrs. Charles · 2 Wilson, Mrs. Charles (Angeline) · 6 �24 Wilson, Mrs. Seymour · 2 Woodward, Joanne · 16 World War Two · 7, 14 Y Yarborough, Bertram · 6, 14 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/831da3c2271303ad1c188b393b59021b.mp3 30c92c171935cd349e77388053ffe167 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Rapids Oral Histories Subject The topic of the resource Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Local histories Memoirs Michigan--History Oral histories (document genre) Description An account of the resource Taped and transcribed interviews conducted in the early 1970s primarily of the children and grandchildren of many of the founders of Grand Rapids, Michigan; many of whom were residents of the Heritage Hill neighborhood. Interviews were collected to develop a significant collection of oral resources that would supplement other primary and secondary local history materials. Initially funded as a private project, Grand Valley State College (now University) assumed responsibility for continuing the project until 1977. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Various Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/452">Grand Rapids oral history collection (RHC-23)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf; audio/mp3 Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text; Sound Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-23 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1971 - 1977 Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-23_51Wilson Title A name given to the resource Wilson, Elizabeth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wilson, Elizabeth Description An account of the resource Elizabeth Welter Wilson was born in Grand Rapids on April 4, 1921. Miss Wilson attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She was acquainted with well-known stage personalities, among them Helen Hayes and Shirley Booth. Miss Wilson co-starred on the TV series. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan--History Local histories Memoirs Oral histories (document genre) Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Grand Valley State University Women Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf audio/mp3 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Grand Rapids oral history collection (RHC-23) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1975 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c619b89da036ec6886688a87e04f12eb.jpg 0e48f53a8e746924068d81fcb14bdf0c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsonHenryCameron_Photo01 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wilson, Henry Cameron Description An account of the resource Henry Cameron Wilson, Tutor Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/068040415053098e275e46c862975225.jpg 016796a48ac51fc075b8add9fda73eeb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsonHenryCameron_Photo02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wilson, Henry Cameron Description An account of the resource Henry Cameron Wilson, Tutor Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6bb23efd9a13b49936c6c01525eb4d61.jpg 5cd192631db8756713223a12c6f4e94c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsonHenryCameron_Photo03 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wilson, Henry Cameron Description An account of the resource Henry Cameron Wilson, Tutor Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5675f1a8048f7eed703e757471ee2c47.jpg b1c50c4581eade884bda2b2a5928910e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsonHenryCameron_Photo04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wilson, Henry Cameron Description An account of the resource Henry Cameron Wilson, Tutor Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/00e44b66cc7b9fc264702ba6bc3ad1eb.jpg 2e22909fe15d549276089cb3b19fbccc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsonHenryCameron_Photo05 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wilson, Henry Cameron Description An account of the resource Henry Cameron Wilson, Tutor Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/80f57708de4785f062f78c272e1442d9.mp4 1635a50133631e0c0e07ae233ebe5712 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/353ab2fdc8719651453b2ca6d436a8d4.pdf f848fb381162f8575727703c0dd7105b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Morley Wilson (01:28:03) (00:15) Background Information • • • • Morley grew up in a small town in Northern Michigan and went to school in Cadillac His father was a farmer, working a small plot of land and he really enjoyed living on a farm Morley graduated in 1933 and then went to college in Cadillac for business He graduated in just one year and then began working in Detroit (03:50) Joining the National Guard 1937 • • Morley joined the National Guard to earn some extra money, but had not expected to be fighting in any wars He went through training in the summer and worked his way up to staff sergeant (05:45) Resigning After Three Years • • • • • Morley resigned from service, but rejoined and had to start back as a private He went to Louisiana for training, which was very rough and muddy He worked for a signal company, helping the division and regiment to communicate They helped to set up schools for radio training that held 50-60 students Morley did not do much actual physical training because he was busy with office work (14:15) Pearl Harbor • After Pearl Harbor was attacked, training became more serious and most of the men then realized that they would soon be sent overseas • After the attack he became a supply officer (17:00) The Trip Overseas • They left on a ship from San Francisco and ran into a bad storm • This caused even more people to be sea sick and everyone on the ship was in terrible shape • Morley had never been on such a big ship before and it was very frightening • They stopped in Hawaii and then went to Australia (20:30) Adelaide, Australia • This area was a planned town that was very nice • It was 30 miles away from their base and they often went there to visit and drink • The Australians were very nice and let many service men stay at their houses • They stayed in the area for 4 months • While in Australia they still had not heard much about the Japanese or what they might be doing in the future �(23:40) Brisbane, Australia • Here they established a camp • Morley worked on establishing communications system • They were preparing to go into New Guinea, but did not know much about the area or the operation • They also worked on practice landings on the beach (25:50) Port Moresby, New Guinea • They traveled by ship and Morley soon became a supply officer • He was with the 126th infantry traveling through very rough and mountainous terrain • Port Moresby was in a very small town • General MacArthur placed his headquarters in a hotel while everyone else lived outside in tents • They were getting bombed by the Japanese at night (31:20) A Visit by Eleanor Roosevelt • Morley went back to Australia with his division • In Australia they were visited by Eleanor Roosevelt, which boosted everyone’s morale • It was a good experience, like a visit from your own grandmother and all the men loved her (36:40) Back to New Guinea • He had been in Australia for about six months waiting for replacements for wounded troops • Many men had malaria and about half of his company was in the hospital • He went back to New Guinea and helped to build the air strip with engineer companies • Many planes had to take emergency landings on the strip before it was even finished (50:40) The Philippines • These were the first civilized natives that Morley had met and the living conditions were much better than in New Guinea • He became acquainted with many locals and still keeps in touch with some of them • In New Guinea he did not have much contact with the locals • Morley was working with the Joint Assault Signal Company and it was led by an excellent executive officer • He was in charge of shaping up the company and had to court martial some men that were running a whore house (01:01:10) Preparation for Japan • Morley had to help requisition all new equipment because all the old stuff was weathered and rusted • He worked with 616 enlisted men and some officers that were employed as lawyers; they were much harder to work with • Near the end of the war Morley had to go to the hospital for hepatitis • He was chosen in an allotment to return to the US, but was told that he would have to return when they started to invade Japan �• • He returned on a banana boat and the trip took 32 days Japan was bombed 7 days after he had left for the US and he was very glad that he would not have to return (01:07:50) Back in the US • Morley arrived in San Francisco and then took a troop train to Chicago • He was the leading officer on the train and in charge of all the other men • He became administrator of Kent Community Hospital and worked there for 20 years �I have hesitated to include this poem be­ cause I had a lot of help in writing it. A very good friend who served with me in New Guinea supplied much of the wording. Tragically he was killed near the end of WWII. Therefore, I dedicate this poem to the memory of CWO Burl Chase. CURRICULA REVISED Though dull in academic Arts And somewhat slow in simple math With Grammar onlygrasped in part My answers drew the teacher's wrath. I never learned to calculate In fact my Latin wouldn't pass; I just declined to conjugate My marks were lowest in the class How Economics worried me (appropriations ne'er sufficed) No matter how I tried to see My feeble mind was not erfticed. If students had a stronger voice, And all my classmates share this view; Unanimously we make this choice The subject most desired is youl 5 As my friends already know, I am very much against war yet I realize that it may be forced upon a people. I just do not believe that we have done enough to prevent it and sometimes we have deliberately provoked it. THE THING ABOUT WAR by Morley Wilson It has such few attributes: Comradership of a valorous sort Self-sacrifice and loyalty come to mind And maybe marching music. It's not easy to think of others now Weigh that against the odds: Senseless destruction and waste. Using our resources and Waste of the.young-both friend and foe. Impoverishing our heirs with debts They did not contract. Grief and suffering beyond belief Fostering' hatred that lingers Generations beyond the conflict. And always blameless bystanders Pay the price, for their leaders perfidy. �I have always had a fondness for limericks. If that's a sign of my intellect, so be it. This was written in early 1943 somewhere in New Guinea. AHYOUTH A lovely young lady of fashion Was overloaded with passion. To her lover she said As she leaped into bed Here's one thing, thank God, They can't ration. 6 This was written in New Guinea in early 1943. Since then, my religion has become more liberal and my desire for peace stronger. NEW YEARS DAY PRAYER This day of resolute that brings New calendars and bells that ring With horns that blow and notes that chime Another milestone passed by time. This introductory day of cheer Bears tidings of the coming year. It carries all our hopes and dreams Our wishful thinking and our schemes. It represents our every prayer . (For often more than just our share) And while in reverence we're bent Our selfish aims are all repent. Material things we cherished dear Have lesser value than last year. Instead we ask for faith and love And if our words are heard above The prayer I want my God to hear Is one for peace, this day, this year. 7 �These lines were written in July 1944 during a lull in Then we'd like it, that's for sure, operations. They express my distaste for military life and for behind each palm tree peeking for war in general. SWPA is an acronym for South West there'd be natives "A-La-Mour". Pacific Area, a zone of military operations, in World War II. Let me tell you something, fellas. Two long years since I left Frisco, and I'm where it's hot as hell is, SWPA eating bully-beef and bisco. And the buxom bosomed native When they spoke to us of service she's as black as shot-gun powder. Under neath the Southern Cross, But if you get ideas "Mative" they said "No need to be nervous she's protected by her odor where McArthur is the boss". There are coral snakes and vipers Said that coconuts and oranges and mosquitoes carry tanks. grew like weeks in victory gardens. Swaying palm trees hide Jap snipers And the girls would all be gorgeous dealing death to homesick Yanks. without help from Lizbeth Arden. It's a land where Aussies ravage. Gullibly we heard them saying Pilfering for them is lawful. that our lot would be of ease SWPA in any language As they painted palm trees swaying Stands for Somewhere Pretty Awful. softly in the tropic breez.~\ioo' Now if Tojo wants New Guinea We were told that we'd be greeted I'll not be the one to covet; by lush natives bearing leis, give it to the Nipon Ninny and that we'd be dined and feted with directions where to shove it. "Save our dough for rainy days". Now, if we were romance seeking �r"'' ;"·.. ''":;'---- -, I"I WPN·1l4 2880 B.C.-1964 A.D. The ex-Oldest Livitlg Thing on EArth- Was ancient wh#lJ Vwuz conquered Mexico. Wal berrt with ye'lrl wh,,, CAesar entered GII.I, Was old beyona ""INI1". u·/J,Il Moses delivered the Law, Was Time's plSti",t watch. mall whetl Cb~Rl built his p)'ramid, W 4S sliced by 4 chainuUl to see boUi olJ it W/l.S. Requiescat in Pacem j J ~~t' ;" . jool.1f.OUI -t 110m MORLEY R. WILSON ---0--,­ Local Teacher's Husband Host to Mrs. Roosevelt \ :.-- ....+-' t Capt. Morley Wilson. husband of Mrs. Mary Wilson. a local wom­ an. who is teaching' the second s;rade at Ferry school, is the com­ manding' officer of a company in Australia. which was visited by " Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt in her swing trip to the southwest Pa­ .r::» cific, Mrs. Wilson was not sure of the location of her husband until she saw a news dispatch from that part of the world stating' Capt. ~, Wilson had been host last Thurs­ ~ day to the famous lady. Mrs. Roosevelt, had lunch at the Ameri­ can Army company mess hall and was served by Corp. Jacob A. Young' of Caledonia. The post is located neal' Brisbane. Mrs. Martha Golden. a Red Cross worker of Grand Rapids was a mon, Ii: the service women Wh, 0 met Mrs. Roosevelt and Sitts. Gerald "Foley and Joseph DeMaar also of Grand Rapids were two arrnv ser­ s;eants who lunched with the fa­ mous guest. Mrs. Wilson was formerlv Miss Mary Pellezrom and her husband is a native of Ynsilanti. t r ------{)---,- --­ I �PART II: THE WAR YEARS The Company motored to Alexandria, Louisiana, taking about seven days enroute. It was the first time most of the men had seen people picking cotton and was a complete change in the lives of about 300 young men. It was still hot during the day, but nights were much colder than expected. Camp Beauregard was a quagmire, not really prepared for an influx of 30,000 32nd Division troops which arrived within days of each other. Morley was assigned as clerk in the Division Signal Office. His job was to do typing, filing and work on the Standard Operating Procedures for the communications system of the Division. This was a great experience and did much to familiarize him with all the units in the Division. The first winter was very cold, and there never seemed to be enough blankets. The monotony of army life was occasionally broken by trips to Alexandria or to honky-tonks. One night they had the good fortune to hear Satchmo Armstrong and his band. Another time, Morley accompanied Captain Oyler in the command car driven by Private Cobb. On the way back to camp, captain Oyler ordered the car to stop in the middle of the bridge crossing the Red River. Oyler climbed up on the back seat and urinated over the railing and into the Red River. He said, "There, by God. I always wanted to piss in the Red River." The stream of cars behind waited impatiently, and the captain slept off his drunk on the way back to Beauregard. He was, indeed, a character. He really was not a chronic �alcoholic, but he occasionally went on a binge. He was very popular with the enlisted men because he always put their welfare ahead of everything else. Mardi Gras time came, and Hank Farrell, John Langer and Morley went to New Orleans. They managed to crash one of the balls, and John Langer found himself a girlfriend. Morley and Hank were a little shocked when she asked us to wait while she changed her sweater. This she did in our plain view, and it turned out that she had no undergarments. While Morley was in New Orleans, Art and Josephine Wilson came from Detroit, and they were treated to some good food -- perhaps the best they had experienced. In the spring, the Division moved from Beauregard to Camp Livingston, a distance of about 50 miles. After the move, the ,.. .. ,.....' troops were very busy preparing for the "Louisiana Maneuvers." One day, Lieutenant General Drum sent a teletype that he would visit the Division at an early morning hour. He would arrive at the airport at 800 hours. Corporal Sinclair was in charge of the Division Message Center, and the message was, unfortunately, pushed off the desk and onto the floor. Later that day, you could hear Colonel Arnold (the Division signal Officer) berating Sinclair. It went something like this, "Private Sinclair, and I do mean BUCK-ASS Private Sinclair. Do you realize that a three-star general arrived at our air-strip today, and he rated a lS-gun salute!? Due to your ineptitude, there wasn't even a private there to let a loud fart!" �When Col. Arnold was angry, the veins always stood out on his neck, and this time it seemed that the veins would burst. Col. Arnold must have had a pretty good reaming from the General to have been that agitated. There is a lesson here: if you are in charge of a function, you are automatically to blame for all errors, even if you didn't know about them. Of course, the opposite is also true. Most people are willing to take the credit even if they do little to earn it. One day while filing Army Regulations, Morley happened to run across one which stated that if a vacancy in a unit occurred, a member of such a unit, with permission of his Commanding Officer, could apply to fill that commission. It also provided that the candidate must be examined by a board of senior officers, and be appointed to fill that vacancy. ,," .• ,.;.0' Morley knew there was a vacancy for a lieutenant, so he immediately wrote a letter to Captain Oyler, asking to be duly examined and appointed to fill the vacancy. This letter was endorsed to Corps Headquarters, and a Colonel Leon Ryder was appointed to head the three-man examining board. He was an old "horse-cavalry" officer, and tough as a mule. Col. Ryder spent about two months at 32nd Division, and really rode the applicant every day. He would say things like, "You don't look like officer material to me," or "What ever gave you the idea you might become an officer?" We happened to have a private in the Signal Office whose name was Priestly. He was responsible for filing, and he never managed to understand the Army filling system. Consequently, �when something was lost, Priestly was always blamed. It was standard to say, "Priestly must have misfiled it." One day Col. Ryder asked Wilson to accompany him on an inspection of a telephone cable which had been laid through a swampy area and out to the airport. Col. Ryder, as always, was neatly dressed and wearing his shiny cavalry boots. As often happens, when a cable is buried, it leaves a soft area along the axis of the cable. Col. Ryder inadvertently stepped into one of these soft spots and fell face down in the wet mUd. He got up, wiped the mud from his face, hands and uniform and said, "God-damn priestly, anyhow." At this point, Morley literally cracked up laughing, and he knew, at last, that Colonel Ryder had a marvelous sense of humor. When the Colonel completed his rating recommendations, Morley had a 98(+)% on his " .......·examination, and his commission as 2nd Lieutenant was assured, though it took several months to clear. He was greatly pleased, because not many direct field commissions were given without the benefit of Officers Candidate School or ROTC. In May, 1941, Morley asked for permission to return home to marry his love in Grand Haven. It was granted, and he caught a train horne. Mary met him in Holland, Michigan, and on May 17th, the minister, who had been Mary's landlord in Battle Creek, performed the ceremony. He returned the unopened envelope containing the money for his services, and the whole world was to change for both of them. In late May, 1941, Mary returned to Louisiana with Morley in their "new 1941 Plymouth 2-door sedan". After much �difficulty they found a place to live, but unfortunately, Morley was in the field on maneuvers for weeks at a time. Mary was miserably lonely, as she knew no one, and living arrangements were not great. In August she decided to return to Grand Haven. Mary drove the car home, and Morley, of course, had to stay on. Finally, his commission was approved, and Morley was assigned as Motor Officer, Mess Officer and Supply Officer. Anyone of those was a load, but it was usual that the new officer get all the less desirable jobs. One of the privates in the kitchen was variously called "Hollywood", or "strawberry", or by his correct name, "Smallwood". He was a willing worker, but there seemed to be some missing rungs in the upper section of his evolutionary " .. ,....' ladder. one day he asked for a week's furlough to visit a girlfriend whom he wished to marry, up in Arkansas. He returned on time and told this story around the campfire while the men were out on Louisiana Maneuvers. He said that he caught a train north, but had to make bus connections to the town where his girlfriend lived. The bus didn't leave until the next day, so he found a hotel room and decided to explore the little town. While strolling along the street, he noticed an attractive girl on the opposite sidewalk. He gave her "the eye", and she gave it back, so he motioned for her to cross the street and join him. She motioned back for him to cross over, so he did. He asked her several questions, only to discover that she was mute and �totally unable to speak. So he invited her up to his hotel room. She agreed, and they proceeded up to his room. At this point, he removed his own clothes, but she declined to undress. When pressed by "Strawberry", she held up five fingers. He responded by holding up 2 fingers, meaning two dollars. She stuck to the original price, and he upped the ante to 3 fingers. She held firm. "Hollywood" said, "Well, she could see that she had me, so I gave her the five dollars." The next day he caught the bus to Arkansas and was met by the sister of his girlfriend. It seems his prospective bride could not get off work at that time of day. He reported that the sister was quite attractive, so he said to her, "Why don't we get married?" She agreed, and he came back without ever seeing the girl he originally intended to marry. But he ~'-'reported, "Lootenaw Wilson, I ain't never been sorry because I have slept with a lot of women, but none better than this sister that I married." Mary returned to Louisiana in September, and she and Morley managed to find a place to live. A vote in Congress extended the tour of active duty of all enlistees and National Guard units. By then most of the men realized they were "in for the duration." On Dec. 7, 1941, Bob Bethke and Ella Bethke invited Mary and Morley for a drive around the Alexandria countryside. When they returned to Camp Livingston, the guard at the gate said, "Did you hear that the Japs just bombed Pearl Harbor, and that all leaves are being cancelled?" Thinking at first it was just �a joke, the foursome soon found out what a serious event this was. During December, Morley was ordered to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, for a three month course in telephone and telegraph installation and repair. He managed to find a furnished apartment in nearby Bradley Beach, located right on the seashore. There, he and Mary met and liked Lt. Jim Batson and his wife, Jane. They had an adorable baby named Penny and lived in the same apartment building. Thus started a long friendship. Jim talked with a Texas drawl and used phrases the Wilsons had never heard. One morning, when out in the dusty field, a big black convertible driven by a beautiful blonde raised a lot of dust and scattered the troops along the road. Jim dryly u· . stated, "My, she's so sweet I'll bet her shit candies." That is just one example of the type of humor he was often spouting. Another time, Mary and Jane Batson (Jim's wife) went to New York City. Jim and Morley stayed with little "Penny" Batson, and when the women did not return at the appointed time, they figured out a plan. They emptied the whiskey bottle into an empty milk bottle, and when the car pulled up they gave Penny a bottle of milk. Then as the women came up the steps, they took the bottle away from her to start her crying. Then Jim and Morley laid down on the floor beside the empty whiskey bottle and pretended to be "out cold." You can imagine how angry the women were until the men burst out laughing. �f l While at Fort Monmouth, Mary and Morley visited New York city several times and saw several shows. Among them were "Hellza Poppin" and the Rockettes. They were thrilled by the glamour of it all. Then one night they looked out the apartment window and saw a tanker burning out in the ocean. It brought one up short, and they knew there was a war on. A few days later, they visited NYC dock area and saw the Normandy, a large French passenger ship, sabotaged and lying on its side at the pier. Morley did not find the course too difficult, and one day captain Frank Lidke, who had been transferred to Ft. Monmouth, and the Wilsons took a ride in the countryside. They visited the spot where General Washington crossed the Delaware. This N ...... recalled a cartoon in which Sad Sack is looking at all the orders on an Army bulletin board. He keeps tearing off the top memos until he reaches the one at the very bottom. It says, "Fallout and cross the Delaware." Signed: G. Washington. While at Fort Monmouth, Morley took his bride of less than a year to visit Captain Oyler, who had been transferred to the Signal School area. Mrs. Oyler answered the knock, and Leon sat on the commode with the bathroom door wide open, and in plain sight. Mrs. Oyler said, "Leon, shut the door!" He replied, "What for? She's seen more than I've got." He had not changed. During the wire course at Fort Monmouth, the 32nd Division moved to Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Everyone speculated that �the next move would be to fight the Germans in Europe. Morley returned to his unit and found a rather unsatisfactory place for Mary to live with Gene and Flossie Hutchinson in Athol, Mass., near the Fort. They had stopped at a gas station while looking for a place to rest, and Gene Hutchinson said, "Come and stay with us." They accepted on the spot. Flossie was good company for Mary. Morley was given the job of getting the Company and Division equipped with signal equipment. One trip to located needed supplies took him out to the very tip of Cape Cod. In other times he would have appreciated it much more. Soon, in April, the men were loading their equipment on a train, and Mary had to leave again for Michigan. Eileen Kidder, Betty Worden and Mary drove back (in convoy) to #' .. ,.... Michigan. Betty drove much too fast, and Mary was fearfully trying to keep up. Such was the Army life, always saying, "Good-bye" with no certain knowledge that they would ever see each other again. The train was loaded, and men of the 32nd Division were soon in San Francisco. Morley was assigned to be loading officer for our troops on the converted passenger boat, the Ancon. His responsibility was to get the equipment on the ship. From there, the Merchant Marines were responsible for placing it and securing it. The loading was done very quickly, and the reward was 2 days of freedom while the other boats were going through the same process. Two days to explore San �56 Francisco! He made the most of it and took Mary to some of the same spots twenty years later. Finally, the convoy of nine ships sailed under the bridge and out into the Pacific. They started zig-zagging and stayed fairly close to their lone escort, a corvette. They were not far from land when the sea became very rough. Since Morley had just come off from a day's rest, he was assigned as duty officer and went down two decks where the men of the 32nd Signal Company were quartered. The ship began to toss and roll, and no one relieved Morley until the next day. The seas were so rough that all the men were sick, and most of them used their helmets for up-chucking. As soon as the helmet was put down, it went rolling across the deck spilling its nauseating contents and making it very difficult to walk ", ....... without slipping and falling. Finally, it began to grow calmer, and relief came, but almost all the men and officers were desperately sick. Most of the ship's crew were also sick, and many said it was the worst storm they had ever experienced. A lot of the dishes in the dining room had been thrown out of their racks and were broken. Morley was quite frightened when he tried to get back to the dining room, because big waves rolled across the deck. One l05mm Howitzer and one 2 1/2 ton truck broke loose from their moorings and went overboard. When Morley finally reached the dining room, he had it all to himself. No one was able to eat, so he enjoyed a good meal. �After the storm cleared, it was found that the nine ships were scattered, and only occasionally did one see another ship. They rendezvoused at Oahu in plain sight of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. None of the Army personnel was allowed to go ashore, and after a few hours the re-assembled convoy again headed southwest. They crossed the equator on April 30th, and saw no more land for several days. News was released that Corregador had fallen and that McArthur was in Australia. By this time, the men were quite certain of their destination. One morning someone called attention to a huge land mihe bobbing along beside the Ancon. It was perhaps 100 yards on the port side. The pilot kept a safe distance, and the corvette escort circled back. The men were told that it was a Japanese mine, and that the corvette destroyed it, though it ~"''-'''' was impossible to see the action. On one cool May morning, after 20 days at sea, the convoy pulled into the harbor at Adelaide, Australia. They were welcomed warmly by the Australian townspeople. Most of the men were impressed by this beautiful city in a remote part of the world. After the boats were unloaded, the Signal Company trucked its men and wares to a camp near Sandy Creek, about 35 miles from Adelaide. It was rustic, slightly mountainous and rather primitive. The troops soon settled into a routine of training and preparing for what was assumed to be a conflict with the Japanese. Already, the Japanese had bombed ports in northern Australia, and it was assumed they would attempt to land. �McArthur and the PT boats from Corregidor were in Adelaide. One evening, Morley and several other officer went to a pub and several of the nurses from Corrigedor were perched atop the piano and lustily singing. The song went something like this. "We're the battling bastards from Bataan No Mother, No Father, No Uncle Sam." They were a hardy crew, but they had already seen more action than the men of the 32nd, so they were respected. The men were welcome in Australian homes. Some even bragged that they had a key to someone's house and that they could go there any time, eat, drink and sleep, whether the family was home or not. Needless to say, some of these privileges were abused by the troops. They had never seen such ,.. .. ,....' openness and generosity as offered by the grateful Australian hosts. One of the homes visited by Morley and some other officers of the Signal Company was that of a very wealthy banker, sheep-station owner and collector of fine arts and also fine wines. Tom was never noticeably inebriated, but he almost always had a glass of champagne in his hand. His home was a very large, many bedroom type, by far the plushest Morley had ever visited. He gave several parties and loved to show off his many paintings and tell you about his vast land holdings. It should be added that he did this in a matter-of-fact way, not as a braggart. He was thoroughly likeable. �It was not until about 1981, when Morley and Mary were hiking in the lower flats of the Grand Canyon, that they met a couple from Adelaide, Australia and asked about Tom. The woman knew immediately to whom Morley was referring and said that her sister had been Tom's private secretary. She also said that he had died a few years previously. This is related simply to support the "small world" theory. Tom's last name has long since been forgotten by the writer, but he was one of the most generous persons Morley ever encountered, and that was in a country where generosity was endemic. After a couple of months in the Adelaide area, Morley was assigned to an advance detachment of signal and Engineer personnel to go to Camp Cable, about 30 miles from Brisbane, Queensland, to set up communications for the 32nd Division. i-f'., .... ~_. Trucks and personnel were loaded on the narrow gauge trains, and they started north. Eventually, they unloaded and travelled by convoy for a few hundred miles, across some very memorable parts of Australia. Later, a novel by Colleen McCullough, Thornbirds, described the very area through which the convoy travelled. At one point, the convoy encountered a group of Aborigines who were tearing apart stumps and logs in an effort to obtain grubs and ants. It was startling to witness a naked native sitting on a log eating the unwashed grubs, without caring that his genitalia had been in direct contact with the quarry. The flies were so thick that sanitation was pretty non­ existent. �Finally, the convoy reloaded on another rail line and arrived in Camp Cable. Morley's task was to install a switchboard, telephone lines to major units of the division, organize a message center and set up a radio station. This was accomplished before the arrival of the main body of troops. A great deal of training was initiated during the next few months, and in September, 1942, units of the Division were moved to Port Moresby, New Guinea, by airlift and by boat. Some units were airlifted and some came from Brisbane by boat. Morley was placed in charge of Signal Supply operations and helped to load cargo planes (mostly C-47s) for air dropping supplies to units who were in the Buna area or who were making a valiant effort to cross the Owen-Stanley range. This was one of the epic marches of WWII, and casualties from dysentery, ,..··..·malaria, Dengue Fever and so-called jungle rot outnumbered casualties from enemy action. Morley accompanied some supplies "over the hump" for an airdrop which was as frightening as anything he had ever done. The C-47 pilots were magnificent and knew just when to tilt the wings through the narrow mountain passes. A day later, Morley learned that a similar air drop had failed when the chute tangled with the plane's aerlon controls and all were lost, including a Lt. Col. who was a friend. Lt. General Eichelberger arrived and was sent to take charge of the Buna campaign. He sent a radio message (through out radio facilities) back to McArthur saying that Col. Mott was to be decorated for heroic action in the Buna area. �Subsequent investigation apparently proved that Matt had not represented his actions accurately, and Eichelberger sent a later message sending Matt back to McArthur's headquarters for "reassignment". In one of the few humorous moments of this whole campaign, McArthur sent a radio message to Eichelberger saying, "You decorated him, now what do you want me to do with him?" In a less humorous tone, McArthur sent repeated messages to Eichelberger saying, in effect, to "capture Buna today" or else. Under that kind of pressure, Eichelberger relieved the beloved General Harding and replaced him with General Gill, not so beloved. Two of the men of the 32nd Signal Company were decorated with the Silver Star during this campaign: Lt. Philip Winson # .. _ . and Private Eddie Miller. In the case of Eddie Miller, a former ballet dancer from New York city, it was interesting to note that he was slight of build, quiet and something of a loner. Some of the 'macho types" in the company had fun kidding about having a date with Eddie. At Buna, one unit was cut off around Buna Mission. It was important to maintain communications with them, and this was made difficult by the fact that the Japanese had machine gun fire covering the Kunai grass flats leading to the unit. No one wanted to volunteer for the runner's job of carrying messages to these forces. Eddie Miller stepped up and carried the message canister, running like a deer through the Kunai grass being raked by enemy fire. He made several trips. From that dayan, Eddie �Miller was never the butt of any wisecracks by his fellow soldiers. It was at this time that we learned that a friend, who happened to be an aide to the General, had been hit by Japanese fire, and he eventually died. Sadly, he was injured and our troops could hear his pleas. for help. Several attempts to reach him only caused more casualties, and after the second day, his voice was stilled forever. All of us wished that he could have been killed outright. Another acquaintance, Sergeant Herman Boescher, was a German by birth and escaped from Germany early in the war. He came to the USA by way of French Morocco and was known to be a very brave soldier. At Buna Mission, he found his unit cut off, his commanding officer killed, and himself fighting for #···-his life. His heroics won the day, and shortly after his unit was re-united, he was busy preparing for further action. At about this time, General Eichelberger was in the area and idly talking with some of the men. Boescher, not aware of the rank of Eichelberger, is reported to have said, "Come on, get off your ass and help us." The General was so impressed that Herman Boescher was promoted from Sergeant to captain on the spot. It was a wise step, as he was later to be a thorn in the side of the Japs. More about him later. Morley spent all of his time at the "rear echelon" at Port Moresby. Finally the 32nd Division was able to secure the Buna area, and the company was awarded the Presidential unit citation. �The Japanese sent frequent air raids over the Port Moresby area, and while it did disturb their sleep, none of the signal Company personnel were battle casualties. It became fairly easy to detect the "Washing Machine Charley" sound of the Jap planes from those of the Allied Forces. Occasionally, a bomb was dropped near the Signal area, and a lot of ack-ack shrapnel fell. Morley remembered one night when Lt. Jack Clark and he raced to a bomb shelter. Morley won the race, and Jack landed on top of him. The shelter had a corrugated steel roof (makeshift) and just after they both got into the crude dugout, several pieces of ack-ack shrapnel fell on the roof. The pieces were very hot and could not be handled for several minutes. Burl Chase, a Warrant Officer who did a major share of the ""-.+0- loading of Signal supplies for the Buna area, often shared books to read and became a very good friend to Lt. Wilson (now a 1st Lt.). Burl taught him how to play cribbage. They spent many a long evening enjoying this game, and Morley found it very relaxing. In fact, he won quite a few hundred dollars over the course of several months. Sometimes the card games would be interrupted by rats trying to get into personal belonging~_ One person would hold the flashlight and the other would attempt to stab the rat with a pocket knife. Only once was Morley successful, but neither Burl nor Jack Clark had better success. One evening, Burl found a long, large piece of rope -­ about 12 feet long and perhaps four inches in diameter with a �knot twisted in one end. It made the rope look like a large snake, which gave them an idea. They tied a small fishing line onto the "head end" and ran the fishing line through Jack Clark's tent. Later, when Jack was resting on his bedroll, they gently pulled the fishing line, dragging the "snake" through Jack's tent. Of course Jack heard the commotion, saw the fake snake, and raced out of his tent screaming. From their secret hiding place, they pulled the fake snake on out and quietly disposed of it. No mention was made of it, but several weeks later, someone from the Detroit area (also Jack's home) posted an item on the company bulletin board from the Detroit News, telling how a giant python had come through Lt. Jack Clark's tent. It seems Jack's wife had given Jack's letter to the Detroit News, and they had made quite a news item out of it. Those who knew the real story got a big laugh, but no one dared to tell Jack the truth. Those were the kinds of things one did to keep from going crazy. What with lack of progress in the Buna area, frequent air-raids, boredom, and infrequent mail delivery, everyone had his own favorite diversion. One evening, a number of Jap planes came over, and a group of new P-38s spotted them. A dog-fight ensued, and the Jap planes had finally found their match. The P-39s and P-40s could not climb as well, and certainly could not maneuver with the Jap Zero, but the P-38s shot down several Jap planes and routed the rest of them, until they were out of sight of the ground troops. �Finally, after the battle for Buna had been won, the General's Aide passed through Port Moresby on his way back to Australia. He stayed in Port Moresby overnight and regaled the Signal Officers with stories about the battle. He said that he accompanied General Gillon an inspection trip right after the fighting ended. They came upon a small grass shack, far removed from the fighting. The General walked into the shack where a T-5 corporal was sorting mail. The Corporal was befuddled and mumbled something like "Hello, Sir." The General said, "Corporal, didn't your commanding officer teach you how to report to a General?" The corporal replied, "I guess he did, but I am a little bit rusty, and you surprised me." with this the General said, "Now, I'll be the Corporal and you pretend you are the General. Go out, and I'll get behind the " ....... mail counter and show you how it should be done." So the Corporal obediently walked out and then re-entered the mail shack in a rather sloppy manner. General Gill snapped to attention, clicked his heels, saluted the Corporal and said in a voice that could be heard for a city block, "ATTENTION!" The Corporal replied, "That's O.K. corporal, go ahead with your work." One day, Burl Chase located an airman who had somehow obtained some beautiful Oriental pajamas. Morley purchased a matching pair of woman's pajamas and robe. When he mailed them to Mary, Burl insisted that he should say that they were from Burl Chase, because Morley had recently won more than 50 dollars, the cost of the pajamas. �General Gill felt that he had a special mission to make the 32nd Division into a "spit and polish" outfit. He frequently relieved officers for what seemed like very minor deficiencies, and his Chief-of-Staff, Colonel Hettinger, was even more bent upon the strictest discipline. It is doubtful if more than one out of a hundred had escaped the dreaded malaria. Morley was very lucky. When quinine supplies ran low, he decided to conserve the company's supply and to use the new sUbstitute called attibrine. As was later proven, attibrine was more effective than quinine, and it was a lucky thing for Morley. He did develop a fever and was sick for about two weeks. It was finally diagnosed as dengue fever, better know in southern states as "Bone-Breaker Fever". While it was quite painful, it was not a recurring se, ......., illness, like malaria. At any rate, he recovered. Malaria is spread by the Anopheles mosquito, and Dengue by the Aedes variety. Both were in oversupply in New Guinea. The Signal Company rode a Dutch tramp steamer back to Australia. It was a very old boat, the anchor hoist was broken, and the troops had to "hand up' the huge anchor by manpower. The food was poor, but Burl Chase did manage to obtain a large round of genuine Roquefort cheese from the Dutch officers' mess. They shared this wonderful specimen for the entire trip back. The troops landed in Brisbane and went immediately into quarantine to a beach about 40 miles south of Brisbane near Southport. After about three weeks of fenced-in �seclusion, the Division returned to Camp cable, west of Brisbane. Just before leaving New Guinea, Morley learned that he was promoted to Captain and would now command the Signal Company. It was a busy time. Replacements soon brought the company back up to strength -- over 400 men and a dozen officers. The new troops had to be trained. Schools were set up for Morse code, radio and telephone repair, and new procedures had to be written for future operations. Many of the troops ran high fever (104-105 degrees), and some were so sick that they were sent home. General Gill had little sympathy and ordered Col. Warmenhoven, the Division Surgeon, to discharge everyone from the hospital whose fever did not exceed 103 degrees. Warmenhoven was so upset by this order that he wrote to Washington, D.C. The letter was intercepted by censors, and Warmenhoven was apparently fearful of court martial. At any rate, he took his ~ life with his Colt 45. On a lighter note, Colonel Lester Dorr, also from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the Division Chaplain, and a very fine person. A group of officers was sitting in the mess hall one evening, when he started to tell a story about his son back home. It seems the son took his date for the evening to the movie. He stood in line to buy his ticket, but inadvertently dropped the tickets after leaving the window. Another large fellow picked up the tickets, and Lester's son said, "Say, I'm sorry, but those are my tickets." The overbearing stranger �said, "Oh, I have as much right to them as anyone, and possession is 9/10ths of the law." At about this point in the story, General Gill walked into the mess hall and immediately showed a strong interest in Lester's story. Well, the big bully was too much for young Dorr to fight, so he just got in line again and bought two more tickets. It just happened that young Dorr and his date were seated right next to the couple who had stolen his tickets. Since Dorr and his date had been late in being seated, the bully and his date left before young Dorr did. Dorr noticed that the bully's date had left her purse in the seat, so he took it home with him. General Gill said, "Good for him. What was in the purse?" Lester hesitated and then replied, "Three dollars and sixty cents." Some of the people at the table, including Morley, knew that the answer was supposed to be, "Bull shit, same as the story." Of course, Lester had to change the punch line, and nobody let on. Lester did get roasted after the General departed. An unusually tough inspection of various companies was conducted by the Chief-of-Staff, and Morley was told to prepare for a visit from a VIP. He was not to mention her name, but almost everyone knew, because Eleanor Roosevelt was currently reported to be making a tour of the SW Pacific area. In censoring the letters of the men, it was noted that most of them were upset by the extensive preparations being made for the "secret visitor". Some made remarks in their �letters, saying, "Why don't the wives of famous people stay home where they belong." Eleanor Roosevelt was escorted by Lt. General Eichelberger, and Morley met her at the road leading into the company mess hall. He had pre-selected a group of battlehardened non-corns to eat with her. He introduced each one, and while the meal was far from typical army food, no one complained. After eating, she spoke to the me\n and chatted informally with the men and officers. She said her husband had asked her to make the trip as he was unable to do so himself. She had been into other theatres of war, and soon the men were completely won over by her simple motherly charm and sincere interest. Mrs. Roosevelt recounted how she had been in London ,.. .. ,.....' recently, which was being heavily bombed at the time. She asked one woman about her husband, and the lady said he was "doing fine, the coward joined the army." That brought quite a laugh. During the visit it started to rain, so Morley went outside and got the chauffeur of Mrs. Roosevelt's car to maneuver through the trees and get as close to the mess hall as possible. General Eichelberger came out and saw what Wilson was doing. He said, "Wilson, what in hell are you doing?" Morley replied, "Sir, I am moving the car as close to the building as possible so Mrs. Roosevelt will not get wet." General Eichelberger said in a loud voice, which could easily be heard in the mess hall, "Hell, she's human, just like the �rest of us. Put that car back where it belongs." It was plain that he did not like his assignment of being the First Lady's escort, and she must have known it. McArthur should have honored her by accompanying her himself, but short of that, he should have provided a respectful escort. It was a day Morley would always remember. He would see her again in better times, but her dignity and gentle calm were very special. It was noted, after her visit, that the tone of the letters which the GIs wrote home were entirely different. Some of them said, "it was like a visit from your own family." She had completely won their respect in the couple of hours she had visited the company. She was a truly beautiful person and so gracious. Lt. Col. Lidke was the Division Signal Officer. For many "'........ reasons, he shunned meetings, and when General McArthur held a planning conference, he sent Wilson to represent the Signal interests. The Chief-of-Staff walked out on a small stage and yelled, "Attention!" Everyone stood, and after a considerable pause, McArthur strode (or strutted) out on the stage, and after another rather lengthy pause, he said, "At ease, gentlemen." He was obviously an actor. Most Generals do not pause for effect. At least one officer felt it was theatrics. It did not generate respect, but it did cause resentment. It was Morley's first of two encounters with the four-star General. The second was under similar circumstances, and a carbon copy of the first. He was later to know some hospital �Co5 administrators and a few school superintendents who were almost as pompous. The elements of the Division were being trained in landing exercise. It was obvious that they were going to be island hopping from here on in. Finally, they were loaded in ships and, after a brief stop, were dispatched to Goodenough Island. The Japs had abandoned this island shortly before the 32nd landed in September of 1943. within a month, several of the men became ill, and some died with typhus. A field hospital with nurses was sent to the island, and they cared for those unfortunates who were ill. That was the first time Morley had seen a nurse in the combat area, and he was impressed by their conduct. Lt. Clark and Morley pitched their shelter under a very #'., . . . .' large tree. One day, the Division was ordered to get ready to move. After a brief stop in Finschhafen, part of the Company was sent to accompany a task force to Saidor. The rest of the Division, now stationed at Hollandia, followed within a few days. This was the first time Morley had crawled off a liberty ship and down the net onto a landing craft. He was not a very good swimmer and, with about 50 lbs of gear, it was well that his timing was correct and he jumped squarely into the LCT. When the rear echelon caught up, it was learned that a storm had toppled the huge tree back on Goodenough Island, and surely Clark and Wilson were lucky to have moved the day before the storm. �The Division stayed at Saidor for a few months. Their mission was to cut off the retreating enemy. The Japanese tried to by-pass Saidor, and went deep into the swamps and mountain ranges. The Americans went far up the trails forcing the Japs further inland. Since their supplies were cut off, many starved to death, or were so ravaged by disease that they died. Seldom did they just surrender. One stormy day, Col. Lidke called Morley. He had been listening to a radio in his command car and learned that American pilots had been bombing Rabaul and were running out of fuel on their return trip. The two officers rushed out to the partly completed air-strip about a mile away and sat in the car adjacent to the air-strip. The saw several planes crash land, both fighters and bombers. Some were out of gas, some were already damaged from ack-ack fire, and some were just looking for a place to land. As they watched, they also listened to the frantic pilots' conversation on the radio. One P-38 pilot refused to make another circle around the strip, saying he was out of gas and if anyone got in his way he was going to shoot them down. He belly-landed, and they wondered about his lack of fuel because he left a burning strip of gasoline for a half-mile down the air field. Another fighter plane almost landed on top of a huge B-24 bomber. As the bomber taxied down the very short runway, the crew opened up the doors and waved to those who were watching. They celebrated too soon, because they ran head-on into another smaller plane, and both exploded in a fiery ending. �After watching the loss of several planes and personnel, Morley re-thought his envious attitude towards the Air Force. True, they usually had choice food, drink and entertainment, but theirs was a hazardous career and as uncertain as the infantryman's. Something like 40 American planes were lost that day, and it was hard to estimate the number of bright young men who died on this terrible Thursday. A PT Squadron was based down the coastline about 20 miles, and one of the naval officers called on the Division to furnish telephone communications. Of course, they had radio but needed an alternate in case of radio failure. Wilson arranged for a telephone cable to be run to them. It turned out to be the "millionaire squadron", with a lot of names like Vanderbilt. He was not then familiar with the Kennedy name and would always wonder if it could have been him or someone else who rewarded him with a rubber mattress (pure gold) and two bottles of genuine Scotch (pure platinum). One of the Division officers was taken out on a night patrol by the PT Captain and witnessed the sinking of several Jap barges. He told a gruesome story about the Japs being tossed a rope and, as they approached the PT Boat, being disposed of in an efficient manner. They then went just out of range of Jap guns, and blinked messages to the Jap positions ashore. The content of the messages did not vary much from their favorite, "Fuck TOJO~" One always wondered if the Japs could read the uncoded English messages. �The Division decided to make an amphibious landing about 40 miles up the coast at Yalou, New Guinea. The second battalion of the 126th Infantry was chosen for the assault, and a team of Signal personnel was dispatched to augment their communications. Morley was to ride in a PT Boat along with General Gill, Col. Bradley (Omar's nephew), and a few other brass hats. Morley took two carrier pigeons and some pre­ written messages, from which to select the appropriate one, and he had a wonderful view of the landing. Fortunately, there was no enemy opposition, and the troops waded ashore with no casualties. Morley selected the prepared message which read, "Landed successfully -- no opposition." This was arguably the last combat message sent by carrier pigeon, as the Army signal Corps discontinued their use of pigeons after WWII. Anyway, t<"- .....~, the pigeon returned to Saidor and delivered the message before the field units could set up their radios and make contact. It was not a very exciting day, excepting for the light shelling that some smaller navy vessels did just before the landing. It was fortunate that there was no resistance because the PT Boat came within a few hundred yards of shore and would have been an easy target for a mortar shell or even a 50 calibre machine gun. One night, some of the main telephone lines went out between Division and the regiments. since the Japs frequently operated at night, Wilson, Lidke, and a wire repair team set out in Jeeps to find the break. Wilson took along one of the bottles of Scotch, and it was not long before they found the �trouble. It was not the Japs who had done the damage, but their own Tank Destroyer units. They were happy, in more ways than one, because repairing lines in the dark is neither fun nor without peril. The Division next moved to Aitape where they were to stay for several months. At first, the Company was located in a thick jungle area where they had to cut their way in with machetes. Dead Japs were scattered along the shore, and there were damaged landing crafts, guns and equipment strewn around the area. They finally bulldozed roads through to the ocean, where a picture-perfect tropical setting awaited them. The beach was mainly sandy, and the waves were ideal for surfing. The weather was warm. One could inflate the cotton mattress covers and ride a wave in for several hundred yards. A coconut ~.'-"~' plantation had been partly destroyed, but there were enough trees left standing so that one had to be careful at night or a huge coconut might fallon him while he was sleeping. The enemy was very stubborn, and our troops pushed them back into the treacherous jungles and into the mountainous interior. It was here that Col. Bradley's command met serious opposition. General Gill went up to the river's bank where Bradley's regiment was stalled, and inquired as to what was holding up the progress. Bradley replied that the Japs had a machine gun set up on the other bank. He told Gill that he had a company dispatched upstream to cross the river and do a flanking movement to wipe out the Japs. Gill walked out to the bank of the stream and turned to Bradley and said, "I order �you to cross this stream at once. There is no sign of the enemy on the other bank -- nothing but some native pigs." Gill went back to Division headquarters. Soon, the Division message center delivered the following message from Bradley to Gill. "As directed, crossed the Driniumor River at 300 hours. No contact with the enemy, but Lt. Col and 17 enlisted men killed by native pigs." The next day Bradley was relieved of his command and sent back to the States. There ended the life of a west Point officer and 17 enlisted men, who were needlessly sent to their deaths by a general too anxious to make a name for himself. Bradley later became a 2-star general, himself, and was assigned to the Pentagon where he had charge of the promotion of general officers. Needless to say, Gill never got his third star, and neither did his son­ in-law colonel get to be a brigadier general. It was a sad farewell for the troops and friends of Bradley. Morley always felt that Bradley was the best officer he had ever known. Wilson had rolled up the second bottle of Scotch (given to him by the PT Squadron Commander) inside his bedroll. When the bedroll finally came off the ship, weeks after troops, the bottle was broken in a thousand pieces. Every night when he went to bed he could smell the Scotch which had saturated his bedroll. There is a lesson here somewhere. One day, a message was received that one of the combat teams was in need of some signal equipment. It was decided to drop the equipment from a Piper Cub plane. It was also a chance to tryout some portable radio equipment. Morley and �'71 the pilot flew over the interior and found the drop area, without difficulty. The equipment was dropped, and they circled until they could see it being recovered by the ground troops. It was a beautiful day, and they kept testing the range of the portable radio set. Frank Lidke, from the home base, kept saying, "Can you hear me?" The radio was working perfectly, so Wilson would answer, "Four By Four." Then Lidke would say "All right, come on down, then." Wilson would reply, "We have lost contact, please repeat." After going through this routine several times, Lidke finally caught on that the set was working, but the pilot and Wilson were enjoying the joy~ride. When they finally landed, there were some bullet holes in the fuselage of the plane. They had not been aware of anyone firing at them, but they had been over enemy positions and apparently picked up some small arms fire. It was about this time that Morley was promoted to Major, and Lt. Walter Merrit was promoted to Captain. Wilson was now the Assistant Division Signal Officer, a staff officer instead of a command position. The biggest advantage was that it gave him more time for learning the "big operation" instead of working on his own Company's problems. As the fighting subsided, there was time for swimming, surfing and fun. Morley had a ten-day leave with others from the Division for rest and recreation. He flew in a converted light attack bomber from Aitape to Sydney, Australia. On the way over the Great Barrier Reef he was allowed to sit up with the pilot. Suddenly, they spotted a submarine, and the pilot �7z literally put the plane into a steep dive. The sub disappeared long before the plane pUlled out of its dive. The pilot did not know if it was an enemy or friendly sub, which didn't make much difference to the frightened passenger. He was too frightened by the sudden dive to think much about the nationality of the vessel. They touched down at Carnes and again at Townsville. At the air-strip at Townsville, Morley saw his first WAAC. She was smoking a cigarette and talking with another GI. Her expletives rivalled any GI Wilson had ever heard. He couldn't help wondering if this was what American womanhood was coming to. Fortunately, she was not the rule, but a lurid exception. When they reached Sydney, the Red Cross found a house for them to rent. It was easily accessible from downtown, and they stocked up with fresh meat and goodies. Actually, fresh vegetables were almost as much craved as steaks. Two other officers shared the house, and they did a lot of sightseeing and visited places of entertainment. They also toured the Blue Mountains, about 40 miles from Sydney, and went to shows and pubs. Morley had his teeth cleaned -- the first time in about 3 years and, strange as it may seem, no cavities! When they returned to Aitape, they were loaded down with beer, liquor and anything that would not spoil or mold. It was during this time that several traveling usa shows came to New Guinea. Part of Morley's duties were building a stage, setting up the sound system and, of course, seeing and talking with �73 several of the entertainers. Among those who came were: Joe E. Brown, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Bob Hope, Frances Langford, and always a bevy of good looking dolls. Of those that Wilson met, Joe E. Brown was by far the most natural and sincere. He had just lost a son in the fighting in another theatre, and he did not make a play for the big brass. The same can not be said for most of the others. Hope only seemed to associate with the Generals, and Cooper and Wayne were just as anxious to please the Generals. The Japs did drop a few bombs one night during a movie and injure some of our troops, but otherwise there was a respite in the fighting. One day, the General ordered Wilson to go down the coast of New Guinea to the Milne Bay area to get some special equipment. The General's boat was about 35 feet long and was equipped with sails and a diesel engine. The skipper had a beautiful black scottie dog, and every time he had been ashore for a few days, he was prone to seasickness. It was pitiful to see the poor dog lie, foaming at the mouth, head between his paws and hating everyminute of it. Some of the others also got seasick but, fortunately, Morley enjoyed the cruise down the scenic coastline. They did put in at Hollandia and other ports for brief stops. When Morley returned to Aitape, he was given another week of rest and recreation. He headed for Australia again, with the same group that had accompanied him on the previous trip. Along on this trip was a General's Aide, who carried a parrot, �and Morley talked with him most of the way. He was a writer who earned extra money by writing trash stories for Best Western and True Romances. His adventure stories were sent to name writers like Max Brand, and he was paid by the number of words. His ambition was to write something worthwhile in his own name. They rented a house and had just returned from stocking up on provisions when someone knocked at the door. It was the pilot with orders for all of the vacationers to return to Aitape at once. Unfortunately, they lost their rent deposit and the provisions, and it was the shortest R & R anyone of them had ever had. When they returned to Aitape, they planned an invasion of the southernmost Philippine island. Lt. General Kreuger was ". .....' now in command of the sixth Army, and the 32nd was placed under his control. Much planning and practice went into this phase, and suddenly, the whole operation was cancelled. Morley was not sorry, as he would have been in one of the first groups to land. Japanese air power was not dead, but American air power was beginning to have great effect. One day, the 32nd Signal Company area was raided by some Jap planes. They were strafed, and a few bombs were dropped. The Engineer Company stationed nearby had machine guns, and all of the men fired whatever weapons they had at the planes. One of the planes was hit and went down in the woods only a, couple of hundred yards from the Company. Lt. Jack Clark salvaged a Jap camera from the plane's wreckage. Little did �75 they know that, in 20 years, the Japs would be selling cameras to Americans. Anyway, the Engineers claimed credit for the downed plane, though for all anyone knew, it could have been a shot from any rifle, tommy-gun, or even a lucky pistol shot. The other planes were finally driven off by American fighter planes. One night, one of the Signal Company radio teams was up with a regimental combat team located on a beach. Some Japs with empty gallon pails strapped to their waists came out of the water and threw a grenade into the radio jeep. It killed one man and wrecked the vehicle. This was the first time Wilson had to write a letter to the family, and it was a very difficult thing to do. One officer who Morley happened to know was about 6'9" ,,··'....'tall, wrote to a friend back in Wisconsin complaining about McArthur. He was a First Lieutenent, and his letter read something like this: "Dug-Out Doug, the pink-robed bastard, his fox hole was only 6 feet deep and 10 feet long, and he made them dig it to 10 feet deep and 20 feet long," etc. The letter was detected by the censor, and the writer was arrested. He had an excellent young defense counsel who convinced the court martial Board that the Lieutenent was really talking about a friend of his and not about McArthur. He was found "not guilty", and the entire Court Martial Board was summarily dismissed by General Gill. A new Board was appointed, and that is how Wilson came to serve on a Court Martial Board. �During this rather quiet stretch, Wilson sat on several court martials. Often, the President of the Board was Colonel Merle Howe, from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Merle was very tough, and Morley often found himself unwilling to agree with the severity of the sentence. Merle was an infantryman who had seen many men die, and he had no sympathy for anyone who was accused of cowardice. Fortunately, most of the severe sentences were shortened at the end of the war. None was actually executed. It was also during this period that Sergeant George Fries from Kalamazoo, Michigan, was granted a lO-day furlough to go to Sydney, Australia. George was a young, handsome swain, and he was walking down the street when he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever met. He approached her and told her he was an ,.. .. ,....' agent for a movie studio. After a few drinks he took her to a Sydney studio where they just happened to be casting for a movie about Australia's part in the war. She auditioned and actually got the leading part, and she gave George all the credit. The story made Australia's equivalent of Life magazine. As a result of the story, George received a great number of letters from girls allover Australia. He generously shared the letters with other men in the Signal Company. As a by-product, many men who went to Sydney had wonderful furloughs. The story has a fairy tale ring to it, but in this case it was true. At this time, Col. Lidke went back to the States and, within a few weeks, Lt. Col. Garlick came to the 32nd, �assigned as Division signal Officer. Burl Chase took a 30-day rotation back to Michigan and, much to Morley's dismay, word was received that Burl and his wife were killed in an automobile accident. Mary had met Burl's wife, Valerie, at a cottage party that the wives of signal Company men had arranged. She had especially liked Valerie, and Morley had hoped they would remain friends after the war. It was a severe shock, and he would remember Burl fondly for the rest of his life. Occasionally Morley would write a poem or two and send them to Mary. A few of them will be added by the end of this story. Col. Dayton Garlick proved to be a good officer. He loved to swim, and one day a wave caught him with such force that it turned him over and broke his shoulder. His arm was immobilized and in a cast for several hot, uncomfortable weeks. He and Morley became good friends and they played a lot of cribbage. Dayton had worked for Bell Telephone in the utica area of New York state. One night he told Morley that, as a trusted manager in the Bell system, it had been his responsibility to install and service the communications equipment for the mountain vacation home of J. Edgar Hoover. He further said that Hoover had a "boyfriend" who always accompanied him, and that it was more than just an ordinary friendship. Because of J. Edgar's peerless reputation, Morley didn't know whether to believe the story, but Garlick was not one to exaggerate, and �he was later to learn that, indeed, J. Edgar lived a clandestine life. It is ironic that he was so severe on others. Who can forget his treatment of Martin Luther King, for reportedly similar reasons? The Division was getting ready to move again. This time, everyone knew it was for the big one, the return to the Philippines. After a short stop at Hollandia, a convoy of ships moved north into Leyte Gulf and came ashore to relieve the 24th Division. For several days they were stationed near Tachloban and gradually fought their way north and west towards Ormac. It was particularly difficult fighting. The Japs were dug in to roadside caves and had to be eliminated with grenades and flame throwers. When the Signal troops first came to Taclobin, most of # .. , ....' their equipment was still in the ship's hold, including latrine canvas. This was not serious in New Guinea, but now they were in a more civilized country, and reasonable and modest steps had to be taken. One day, Morley sat on the latrine, and a young Philippino lady walked up to him. He tried to get rid of her, but she needed some laundry to wash. He said, "See me later,' but she persisted. Several of the GIs noted Morley's embarrassment and, no doubt, enjoyed it. Finally, he completed his personal chore and gave her some laundry to do. She was totally unaffected and displayed no concern at his discomfiture. One memorable day, Morley decided to visit some of the units about 3 miles closer to the front. As he was about to �leave, Col. Garlick asked it he could use Morley's rubber mattress for his noon nap and, of course, Morley was glad to make it available. Morley loaded his pockets with chocolate, carried his Tommy-gun, and started out. He had not gone more than 2 miles when he happened upon the eeriest sight he would ever encounter. The previous day, one of the infantry units had blasted a dozen or so Japs out of some roadside caves. As they came running out of the caves, they were literally roasted by the flame throwers. Many of them were still in running or upright positions, but blackened beyond identification by the scorching flames. It was a haunting sight that Wilson was not able to erase from his mind. The stench was so bad that he did not linger long. A little further along, he came upon a couple more dead Japs. A GI was sitting on the bloated stomach and going through the pockets of one man. He asked Wilson if he had any chocolate, and Morley gave him a large bar. He was generous because he knew he would not be able to eat anything himself. While still sitting on the dead body, the GI ate the chocolate, still continuing the plunderous search for booty. Maybe one can become inured to almost anything, but this was more than Morley had bargained for. He left this scene, trying not to gag, and feeling that war was a pretty horrible influence on the human person. Wilson arrived at an area where some Japanese tanks had been destroyed the previous day. The GI who had destroyed 5 tanks was Dirk Vlug from Grand Rapids. For his heroic action �he was decorated with the congressional Medal of Honor. Although Morley did not know Dirk, some years later he would work with him at the Veterans Administration. Morley had seen enough for one day (or for a lifetime), and he hurried back towards Division Headquarters so as to reach it before dark. One the way back, he was aware of several artillery shells going over his head. They were not close to him, so he hurried on. When he reached the headquarters site, he found that the artillery shells had arrived ahead of him. Several men were wounded, and a switchboard operator had been instantly killed. A tiny piece of shrapnel had entered his body by way of the armpit, and had cut a vital artery of the heart. He had been operating the switchboard, and there was no outward sign that he had been """~' injured. Col. Garlick had been taking a nap on Morley's rubber mattress and had been hit twice. One piece cut his shoelace and ankle, and the other went through his earlobe. The rubber mattress was completely shredded. He had warned Morley that morning "not to try to win any purple hearts." Morley did not begrudge Garlick this medal, and he often thought how fortunate he was to have been up "at the front lines" on that particular day. Mopping up continued, and the Signal Company moved across the Limon Valley to high ground not too far from Ormoc. A communique from McArthur's headquarters informed the units that a shipment of fresh turkeys would be received by �f{1 Thanksgiving. The holiday came and went and no turkeys. Finally, about ten days later, the turkeys arrived, and the troops gorged themselves on the first fresh meat they had seen in many months. sometime after midnight on that very black night, Morley had stomach cramps and knew that he had to find the latrine. He knew that the troops would be trigger-happy because the Japs had frequently infiltrated their positions. He nervously started in the direction of the latrine, calling out, "Hold your fire, this is Major Wilson." SUddenly he bumped into someone, and the person said, "You have to go back to the end of the line. The whole company is down here." The turkey had been enroute too long, and half of the Division was sick that night. At about this time, Morley lost another friend. Captain ,.. ........ Herman B?O.echer, the German soldier of fortune who had fought in the Spanish civil War, the hero of Buna and the person who had lived far behind Japanese lines for months, was hit by a mortar shell and bled to death before help arrived. If any man ever deserved the congressional Medal, it was this man who chose to fight for freedom even when his homeland was being destroyed by Allied Forces. He hated tyranny, and he did something about it. It is almost certain that Herman would have been awarded the Congressional Medal, if he had not been a German immigrant. Such is the way of politics. His men worshipped him and followed him through many hellish situations. �r'-~ 2:> L Finally the mopping up ended, and the Division was once again loaded in ships and sent off, this time to Lingayen Gulf on Luzon. There must have been around 100 ships, including cruisers, destroyers, and perhaps battleships guarding the convoy. Morley rode on a communications ship, easily identifiable by its many antennas. Unfortunately, the Japs must have known, as several Jap planes attacked the convoy coming in. Some Navy Hellcats were in hot pursuit and were firing away at the Jap planes. A radio message came to the communications room saying, "Two Rats downed by one cat." As they got into the harbor, a dive bomber dove straight down, so close that you could see the pilot's facial features. When he hit the water his plane exploded, and it was like a slowmotion picture. Water rose many feet into the air and even tf""L~> splashed on the deck of the communications ship. A Jap torpedo bomber dropped its huge torpedo, and it seemed to bounce right over the bow of the ship. You could see its wake as it sped through the maze of ships, miraculously missing all the ships in the harbor. Next was the unloading. Troops climbed over the side and down rope nets, hoping that the bobbing landing craft would stay in one place long enough to catch the tumbling troops. It didn't help that each person carried from 50 to 100 lbs of equipment on his back. Finally they reached the beach, a coconut plantation, and unloaded the landing craft as quickly as possible. Morley's troubles were not over. just before sunset, Jap Zeros made �several runs over the area, strafing each time they made a pass. Jack Clark and Morley would crouch behind the large coconut trees. All of a sudden, Jack jumped out and hollered. Morley thought he must have been hit, but he had crouched in a hill of ants. When the Japs made another run, Jack decided the ants were the lesser of two evils. To make matters worse, the American Navy launched an anticraft attack upon the Jap planes, and Morley and Jack were more frightened by the ack-ack fire than by the enemy. There was hardly a frond left on the palms, and shrapnel damaged some of their equipment. The troops slept on the beach that night. The Japs had a very large cannon mounted on a rail car several miles up in the mountains above the beach. You could see it fire at the ""''''''beach area, but their aim was not very accurate. Eventually, the cannon was silenced, presumably by ship fire, and the troops loaded the trucks and started off for a village in Pangasinon Province, some 70 miles inland. When Wilson arrived in Tayug, four little girls, ragged, dirty and absolutely precious, came out to greet him. They sang "God Bless America", and it was hard to hold back the tears. Thus started an association with the Mamenta family that was to last the rest of his life. Mrs. Mamenta owned and directed a school from kindergarten through a four-year college. She was. a remarkable person. At least one of the girls had been born out in the fields during the Japanese occupation. They were not allowed to teach �"English" and thus books had been confiscated and burned. Mrs. Mamenta had buried some of her books in boxes and managed to deceive the Japanese and survive. Mr. Mamenta had been a "sort of " District Attorney for the area. A good story could be written on the life of Mrs. Mamenta. The Mamentas gave the use of their partially bombed out school buildings for Division Signal installations. A switchboard and radio facilities were established. Message Center was located nearby. The Division was fighting its way up the Villa Verde Trail towards Bagio. It was very hard going, but everyone began to feel that the end was in sight. The war in Europe had released men and material, and nothing could stop us now. The only trouble was that the invasion of Japan, itself, posed a very heavy shadow on the horizon. A call came for Wilson to go to General Gill's quarters, and he reported there promptly on March 19, 1945. General Gill was not prone to pay compliments to anyone, but he did tell Wilson that Army did not ask for him or he would have said, "No Way." He said they ordered the transfer, and he had "no alternative." That was as much of a compliment as J j.. ~J\ Iv1lH LEi' W<,U~";Jt1(L{) Ct> Titt? ever gave. ~l.h., 1::.. f L '- G' \ IVH) sr HAVf 'llit"V 6li"'i ,.J\r1 tr"t> 4=l-) ~ (1 £:;{J..lt: (,A L .,., L. l _ . . I' Wilson left the next morning, March 20, after General Gill fllL{) ;If 'l-~ 'So Til Wi:L L cf- bidding the 32nd Signal Company adieu. A formation of the troops was held, and it was a very emotional time. He had eaten, slept and served with these men since October 15, 1940. [L.. M··';),\. �Morley drove into the bivouac area of the 293rd Joint Assault Signal Company on the beach, not too far from where he had landed a few weeks earlier. The scene was sickening. Vehicles with flat ties, radio equipment that was inoperative from exposure to salt water, and an attitude of indifference by both enlisted men and officers was everywhere to be seen. There were over 550 enlisted men and some 53 officers from four different branches of the Armed Services: Signal Corps, Artillery, Navy and Air Force. The former Commanding Officer had become a chronic alcoholic and was sent back to the States. Two officers and three enlisted men were AWOL. Interviews with key personnel indicated that most of the personnel felt that they should not have been sent to the SW Pacific. They had participated in the Omaha Beach landing with ,.. ......... some casualties and in the early assault on the towns near the beach. Although they had many stories about the good times in France, and later in Paris, they felt they had "done their part". It was difficult for Morley to work up a wave of sympathy. He listened and then started the process of organizing the Company. Many of the officers were from the professional services. For instance, there were 13 attorneys, one professional football player, and one basketball player, several mechanical and electrical engineers, one Hollywood script writer, one radio announcer, and an unknown number of college professors. Morley did the obvious thing; he placed the Navy personnel under the Senior Naval Officer, the artillery men under the �Senior Artillery Officer, etc. (Prior to that, the men had been assigned to officers of different branches.) Then he started a maintenance program, getting rid of equipment that was not repairable and requisitioning replacement items. He put out a report on the AWOL personnel, and when they were found (operating a Philippino whorehouse), he placed them under arrest and asked Army Headquarters for instructions on how to court martial Navy personnel. Since the Army Judge Advocate did not know the answer, Wilson put his request in writing and followed it up weekly with telephone calls. He organized the company into teams for air, naval and artillery fire control. This was a lucky move, because shortly after they had conducted practice maneuvers, the 293rd JASCO was called upon for support to some of the Infantry Divisions. "'.c....' The Army Inspector General paid a visit to the company and was very pleased with the changes made. Lt. Oakes, a naval officer, was a great help during these difficult days, and at about this time a Signal Corps captain was assigned. Morley depended upon Oakes and Captain Fred Huffsmith for advice, support and for help. One day, a telephone call came in from an admiral saying that, if Wilson didn't turn the Navy personnel loose from the brig, he was going to have his ass in trouble. Wilson again called Army and was told "not to worry." . They organized a volleyball team, and the officers were never beaten. The professional athletes were so good that they were able to beat every team around. They would let Wilson �;)l play if they were far ahead, or for a minute or so when he was in the back court. He was not tall enough to play the net, but he was fairly good at "setting the ball up" for others to score. Wilson began to have health problems. He could not eat anything without severe nausea. After a week or so, he went to see a doctor, and he was not even allowed to go back to his unit. He had infectious hepatitis and was sent to a field hospital. There, he lived on sugar wafers for about 10 days, and very slowly began to regain his strength. In the bed next to wilson, the hospital had admitted a black GI who was enjoying himself. The RN came in and asked, "What's your trouble?" Without a smile he answered, "Gonderputis." He kept the ward in good humor. On a more serious note, several children were in the next tent. They were among the survivors of the liberated Japanese st. Thomas prison. They were so starved that one could almost cry just to see their emaciated bodies. Most of them spoke English with a British accent. Some of them were children of the diplomatic corps. It was wonderful to see the fast improvement that just a week or so brought about. Capt. Huffsmith visited Morley and brought the exciting news that the unit had been allotted one person to be rotated to the u.s. Since Morley had more than twice as much time overseas than the next eligible person, he instructed Fred to submit his name as a candidate for rotation. Suddenly, he felt cured or at least happy. Forty-two months is a long time to be �away from the ones you love. He wrote the good news to Mary, and then came the waiting period. He was discharged from the hospital and went back to the Company. He drove down to Manilla to see the ruins, and someone called his name from across the street. it was Major Jim Rahrer, one of his men, who he had sent to OCS about three years previously. Jim had a full bottle of Four Roses that he had brought from the states, and Wilson celebrated, even though the physicians had warned him not to do it for "a few months." Morley ended up driving Jim's jeep back to his unit. Jim was in no condition to drive. Morley pointed the jeep in the direction of Manilla, and went to his quarters. When he awakened at about 800 hours, the jeep was still in the same position. Jim had "slept it off." #'''.'io<' The Army Signal Officer told Wilson that his rotation might be short-lived. He said they would need him for the planned invasion of Japan, and to "enjoy yourself while you can." Finally came the day, Wilson was taken to Manilla by Fred Huffsmith and found that his transportation was to be an ancient banana boat. He slept on deck the entire trip back. On August 7, a radio message gave the news of the first atomic bomb drop. And then the second bomb! Everyone hoped this would shorten the war and save many lives. Wilson thought about the warning from the Army Signal Officer and, for the first time, felt he might not have to face another long tour of fighting. �The boat pulled under the Golden Gate Bridge on about ~ -, "," (jr :,!" August/Bad, 1945. Morley always did love that location, even before Tony Bennett. After a meal of fresh meat and green vegetables, he was placed in charge of a train heading for Chicago. Of course he called Mary, and she agreed to meet him at the Congress Hotel. She had arrived before Morley. It was quite a reunion! sometimes it takes more character to stay home during a war than it does to be a part of it. The one who is at home has all the worry and never knows if the other one is safe or even alive. Mary had saved the money which Morley had sent, and they were two very happy people. They began the life that had been interrupted by his call to duty on October 15, 1940.. For all practical purposes, the war had ended. Morley was in Cadillac, Michigan, on August 14, 1945, and Mary joined him there. She had stayed behind because her father had surgery in Grand Haven. It was a joyous day, and Truman's decision to drop the bomb was applauded by Wilson. He felt that may have saved his life and the lives of thousands of others. �90 PART "' THE POST-WAR YEARS It was so good to be home! Morley and Mary stayed for a few days at the farm in Moorestown. He went to church on Sunday and was asked to talk about the war. He did not tell them what they wanted to hear. Mostly they wanted to be told that "God was on our side", and that there were "no atheists in fox-holes". He tried to say that war is not glorious and that he doubted the value of a religious conversion which happened under such violent stress. I He also tried to side-step polite but curious inquiries about his own beliefs. Mostly, he did not want to embarass his parents. A curious thing about his home-coming happened when Morley drove up to the farm gate. The old dog "King" came out to greet him and literally did acrobatics with joy. Remember, he had not seen the dog for over four years, yet the dog yipped, rolled, tossed and showed his pleasure plainer than any words. It was unbelievable. Morley was aware of the aging of his Mother and Dad. They were approaching their mid-sixties and the years of strain, hard work, and worry had bequn to take its toll. Fred would quietly take Morley to one side and inform him that Minnie was "slipping". Minnie would confide in Morley that Fred was "getting childish". Actually there was some truth in both statements but not as pronounced as either of them maintained. "'....,.... One evening, Morley went "down-town" to Moorestown. The popular gathering place was Whipples' grocery store and post-office. As he stood out on the cement porch, someone quietly came up behind him and covered Morley's eyes with both hands. Then this prankster said, "I bet you don't know who him are, do you Morrie?" Who in hell~ Morrie?" Morley said, "GEORGE GOODALL". At this point George said, "How in hell you know who him are, Morrie?" If anyone had ever heard George talk, they could never mistake him for anyone else. Morley's stay at home was short; he was still in the army and was ordered to San Antonio for dUty with the Air Corps. The Air Corps was still a part of the Army but in the process of becoming a separate branch of the service. He was asked if he wanted to be discharged and was directed to be processed for separation. He expected to be a civilian the next day but was told that his "paper" had been lost. He waited and finally he and Mary rented a room in a motel near Breckenridge Park in San Antonio. Each day he would drive about 20 miles out to the Air Base called "SAAC" (San Antonio Air Cadets) and was told that his papers had not been found. �91 This continued for almost three months. He played golf, visited the countryside and grew more impatient. Finally, it was learned that he had been sent to this base for duty instead of for discharge. His papers were not lost but were next door in the base headquarters. They had been carrying him AWOL for all this time when he was within 100 feet. It seemed a logical question. How did we ever manage to win the war? Anyway, he was finally discharged but did not get the separation promotion to Lieutenant Colonel which would have been almost automatic if he had been discharged from an Army ground unit. At that time it did not seem important. Morley was on terminal leave from November to March, 1946. Mary wanted to go to Mexico City so in late November they contacted Jean Mitchell (later to be Jean Kooiman) and she came to San Antonio by train. She and the Wilsons spent a delightful 3 weeks in Mexico. They stopped overnight in Monterey and in a small town, then called Nantes. They stayed in a small motel and ate green salad, drank goats milk and did everything that one should have known was a "no-no". That evening, after dinner, the natives came into the spacious hotel lobby carrying guitars, violins, and other instruments. They sat upon the steps of the large open stairway and serenaded the guests with some of the most memorable Mexican t<-.....~, music that Morley would ever hear. Among the tunes was "Fascination" which Jater became quite a best seller in the United States. In Mexico City, the Wilsons stayed at a small hotel where the owner took a personal interest. He arranged for tickets to special events, bull fights and provided a driver for the 1941 Plymouth. Mary had purchased the car, new, for under $800.00 and they were quite proud of it. The driver said, after testing all the extras, "This car is no good. In Mexico City you need a loud horn. The brakes are no matter!" The hotel owner, came to our room and made Morley play the part of the bull while he demonstrated the adeptness of the toreador. He used a large red handkerchief and he was almost as exciting as the actual bull fight. He explained the various maneuvers so that they were better prepared for the actual performance. Unfortunately, a long love affair with horses took the edge off the fight for Morley. He felt very sad when a horse was gored by the bull. Mary got quite ill with Montazuma's revenge so Morley and Jean did quite a lot of sight-seeing on their own. They did the usual things like climbing the pyramids, �92 Xochimilco Floating Gardens, and interviewed the leading Artist of Mexico at Guernavoca. He quickly corrected Morley's statement that Diego Rivera must be the greatest Mexican Artist of all time. He was not humble. They also went to Toxco and then returned to San Antonio. The Wilsons motored back to Grand Haven and Morley began to investigate the job market. He went to Ypsilanti and his old boss Alex Seedorff told him that he was in the process of selling the factory to some New York investors. Morley was to be the controller. Morley talked with other employees and decided to decline the offer. Another acquaintance, Larry Johnson, had arranged for an interview with the Personnel Director of Philco Corporation. He was offered a job as credit manager of the Detroit Branch but also turned down this opportunity. Next, he was told about some jobs at the Veterans Administration in Detroit. He finally accepted a very mediocre job there with the promise that he would be "moved up" in a short time. Mary and Morley stayed with Mary's brother and sister-in-law in Dearborn and he drove to work. One cold wintry day Morley and Mary were driving down Fort Street in Detroit when he got behind a large truck. The truck was in the middle of the street and after following him for several blocks, Morley swung out over the center line and passed him. A police siren sounded and one of the two patrolmen came up to the car with an intimidating swagger and demanded to see Morley's driver's license. Morley puned out his very moldy New Guinea wallet and showed the policeman his Army license. He had applied for a Michigan license but it has not yet come. The policeman said, "Where did you pick up all that mold?" Morley said, "I just got back from New Guinea." At this point, the policeman called his partner-in-crime-prevention, and said, "Hey Stan, wasn't your brother in New Guinea?" "Yes" said Stan. Trying to seize on anything, Morley said, "What was his name?" "Joe Kryzinski", Stan replied. Morley said, "Oh yea, wasn't he with the The Air Force?" It was a lucky shot in the dark. The policeman put his ticket pad back in his pocket and said, "Be careful now." Wilsons were aware that property values were on the rise and soon (too soon) bought a 2 family brick home in Melvindale. It was a very good house and they soon furnished it. This took most of their savings, over $11,000, yet neither of them were quite content with living in the Detroit Area. Morley did meet George Wilson, coach of the Detroit Lions, and through him obtained tickets for several football games. He would continue this association for �93 several years after George came to Grand Rapids and Morley was later transferred there, also. The Veterans Administration was located on the top 5 floors of the all-brick Guardian Building in downtown Detroit. The Wilsons wanted to get out of that area but the problem was to find a suitable job. One day, he was called into conference with some of the VA Brass and told about the need for rehabilitation specialists for seriously disabled veterans. The idea sounded good and after some "in-house training", Morley was assigned to this area and transferred to Muskegon. The Wilsons put their Melvindale house up for sale and stayed a few weeks with Mary's parents. Muskegon, he met Frank DeYoe, and formed a life-time friendship. In Frank was a liberal, a Democrat and a wonderful person. His wife, Mildred, was a schoolteacher and they had many enjoyable conversations. Morley and Mary rented a house in Muskegon from a family that Mary had known. so it was a happy situation. They considered buying a home in that region but in the spring of 1947, he was transferred to the Grand Rapids area. With that promise, the Wilsons sold their Melvindale house and bought a home at 121 Manchester Road, Wyoming, a suburb of Grand Rapids. It was a small but comfortable 3 bedroom home. Morley continued in the "Special Rehab" assignment and one of the first clients was ;i"'L~' Dirk Hollebeck, a quadriplegic. They formed a social relationship with Dirk and Jean, in addition to their relationship through the VA. Dirk was a most unusual person and his wife was a sweet and kind person who looked after Dirk's needs. Morley liked the personnel at the Grand Rapids VA office, especially Charlie Doyle from Lowell. Charlie resembled Mickey Rooney and had a sense of humor that surpassed anyone Morley had ever known. More about him later. Mary was happy in Grand Rapids and since they did not have a baby they decided to try to adopt one. They applied at the Kent County Probate Court and were advised that they would have to join a church to qualify. So they started "shopping", as it were. After visiting several churches which were mostly of the "Born Again" traditional type, Frank DeYoe, suggested they try Fountain Street Baptist Church. About half-way through Duncan Littlefair's sermon, Morley leaned over and said to Mary, "I think we have found a home." There started a life time affiliation and it was, perhaps, the most influential thing they would ever do. Morley had some clients at a local Stenotype school. The director of the school, �94 ( Mrs. Leach, told him that her daughter was in the process of adopting a baby. The baby had not been born yet but the family had agreed to let this daughter have the baby as soon as it was born. He kept nagging the Probate Court Agent and advised him that the Wilsons had joined a church. He said "Which one?". Morley replied "A Baptist Church". This seemed to satisfy him. One day in early November, Morley learned that Mrs. leach's daughter, who had been planning to adopt a baby, was pregnant; this meant that the baby might be available. Morley and Mary made a fast trip to the Northern Michigan hospital right after the baby was born. She was a real doll, long curly hair and she really smiled and cooed. A lot of paper work had to be cleared but the Wilsons were the proud parent of Ann Dee. They brought her back when she was two weeks old, and she never cried all the way to Grand Rapids. Talk about walking on air! She was a delightful loving child. They felt so lucky and spent many hours playing with her. She was also the.object of her grandfather Pellegrom's affections. Morley frequently ate lunch with Charlie Doyle. One day, as Charlie was driving down Jefferson Avenue, Charlie spotted a parking place near the restaurant. He pulled up near the vacant space when a young lady in a top-down convertible slipped in and literally "stole" the spot away from him. It was a obvious ruse and to make matters even worse, she smiled and gave him a little "ta-ta", waving her fingers in a teasing gesture. Charlie found another parking spot, and walked back to a service station, right beside her convertible. He said to the attendant that he had been having trouble with his battery in that red convertible and asked him to pull it out and put it on the charger. He said, "There is no hurry, I'll be back in a hour or so, after I eat lunch." We never went back to find out if the young lady got her car started. Morley and Charlie were bemoaning the fact that they were not benefiting from the G.1. Bill so they enrolled in the Dale Carnegie Course through Davenport Cottege. Morley won a couple of awards but Charlie was a natural. He won several awards and could mimic every speaker in the class. One lesson required students to give an impromptu speech. On the way up to the lectern, the speakers were given a slip of paper containing the subject. Charlie's subject was "Good Sportsmanship". Adopting a very serious pose, Charlie said, "Whenever I think about good sportsmanship, I think of dear old Lowell High School. Emblazoned in gold letters, above the door to the football locker room were these famous lines from a poem by �95 Grantland Rice. "When the game of life is over and the maker calls your name; it isn't whether you won or lost, but how you played the game." And then after a pause Charlie added, "So the next fall, the school would hire another new football coach." That brought the house down and easily won Charlie another award. Many of the clients assigned to Morley's care were scattered. He frequently traveled to cities like Petosky, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Ludington, and he would be on the road for two or three days at a time This left Mary alone. About this time the Kent Country Probate Court Officer learned that the Wilsons were members of Fountain Street Baptist Church. Fountain Street was not admired by the other Baptist churches and certainly not by the other fundamentalist religious organizations in Grand Rapids. He paid a visit to the Wilsons and told them he felt they had deceived him. He said that by placing Ann in their home, he had condemned her "stra.ight to hell". You can imagine their surprise when the same Probate Court Official called a few months later to let them know that he had another baby to place with them. It was a boy and the Wilsons eagerly accepted him and named him Jeffrey Lynn. He was about 10 daysold. Now there was great joy at 121 Manchester Road. Jeffrey had a period (about 5 months) of "colic", a term his Grandmother Wilson used to describe his stomach cramps and inability to digest his food. The ooctor, Dirk Mouw, did not seem to be able to recommend a suitable formula. GrandmaWilson visited us and it seemed she was better at calming Jeff than Mary or·Morley. Mary had a group of Grand Haven friends that took care of the Wilson's soclal activities and Fountain Street Church also supplied new friends. Morley's earliest memory of Fountain Street Church was being greeted by Jack Darrow. In his personable salesman-like manner, he put out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Jack Darrow." A long and pleasant friendship followed. One morning Morley got up early and started the monthly trip to Northern Michigan. He got just North of CedarSprings when 3 deer crossed the ~Iighway (Old US-131) in front of him. He braked sharply and narrowly missed the deer. Two of them jumped the fence but the third one ran into the fence, and fell back, dead from a broken neck. It was only about 7 A.M. and Morley decided to load the deer in his trunk and driveback home. In his mind, he would skin the deer, and have a healthy supply of fresh venison. Just as he was dragging the deer to his car, another vehicle pulled �96 ( up and three men got out. The conversation went something like this: "Where are you going with that deer?" "I'm going to drop it off at the Rockford State Police Post." "We are going right past the Post so we will drop it off." Morley sized up the odds. He knew he didn't have a chance, so he pretended to write their license number down to bluff them into letting him keep the deer. It did not work and he headed North towards Cadillac. He was sure that they enjoyed their venison and, of course, he never informed the police. On another trip North, Morley stayed in Cadillac. He was driving a very old Studebaker which he had just got from a garage after it was tuned up. That night, in Cadillac, the temperature dripped to 42 degrees below zero. The car started at once, and he pushed one Cadillac, one Uncaln, and several other cars which wouldn't start. It made him feel very rich to think his old junkyard jalopy was a more reliable car than the later and more expensive models he had helped. As Ann and Jeff grew, Mary made attractive clothes for them. Ann was the shy one and Jeff was the one who introduced himself and was very active. Morley liked to take them shopping because they always were the centers of attention: Ann with her smile and long curls and Jeff with his "Jack Darrow kind" of socialability. Grandpa Pellegrom really doted on his grandchildren and it was always a pleasure to see his face light up when we visited them in Grand Haven. The work at the Veterans Administration began to slacken and there was a lot of time for horse-play. One of the workers, Art SCUlly, told of his experience with the Alcohol and Tax Division. He said that during prohibition, he was working out of the Grand Rapids office and he had confiscated a car loaded with liquor (contraband). It turned out that the car was destined to Grand Rapids as a part of the "rum-running" operation related to or at least known by Frank McKay. This man was also a power in the State RepUblican circles. Scully reported that he received a telephone call at home from Frank McKay. The caller informed Scully that another car was to come to Grand Rapids and he didn't want it stopped. SCUlly replied, "I don't take my orders from you. I don't see your name of my paycheck." McKay said, "Maybe you don't see it, but it's there." According to Scully, the next day he was transferred to Cleveland and didn't get back to Grand Rapids until the mid-1940's. Morley had no reason to doubt the details of this story and it serves to illustrate how corruption can filter into every facet of our government. This story is cited for those who are apt to think that it �97 happens only at the National level. There were two medal-of-honor winners in the Grand Rapids office of the Veterans Administration. One was a hard working, conscientious fellow name John Sjogren. Charlie and Morley made up a dummy file on a phony veteran WAAC whom they dubbed "Wanda Leigh". They contacted Charlie's cousin who was active in Civic Players and groomed her for the part of Wanda Leigh. They then put the phony 1:i1e on Sjogren's desk with a note to call Wanda Leigh at a given number. John fell for the ruse and called her at once. The cousin played the role perfectly telling John that she was diagnosed as "having a service-connected tumor at the time of her discharge". Less than nine months, later, she said the tumor turned out to be an eight pound baby boy. So what was she supposed to do now? Charlie and Morley were watching from the next office and listening in on the extension telephone. Wanda Leigh· was the subject of much joking after that episode. When John learned of the trickery, he took it good naturedly. One day Charlie came into the office after witnessing our own Doctor Kenneth Gamm being a victim of a minor traffic accident. A city owned bus had rear-ended his automobile. Charlie got on the extension phone and called Dr. Gamm, identifying himself as the "City Attorney". He informed Dr. Gamm that there had been some damage to the city bus and that the Doctor would have to make restitution to the city for about $200 worth of repairs. Dr. Gamm's face and neck grew red and he cursed the "City Attorney" out. Half of the office were watching and suddenly Dr. Gamm looked up and realized that he was not only the victim of an accident, he was the butt of one of Charlie's jokes. The assistant to the manager of the Veterans Administration office was one of the finest persons Morley would ever know. Jack Van Vessem was the man that kept things on an even keel. Jack was kind to the extent that he would go far beyond his duties to help anyone and he would become a life-long friend to Morley. More about him later. This is mentioned now because he was living proof that one didn't have to "believe in God" to be kind and be a "Christian" in the finest sense of the word. Another Congressional Medal of Honor winner was Dirk Vlug. Dirk sat around talking with Art SCUlly and Charlie one afternoon. A very pretty, shapely employee name Edwina walked by and Charlie said, "Gee, Dirk, how would you like a little of that?" Dirk said, "I don't know. She's not very'friendly," Art SCUlly scoffed, "Not very �98 f \ friendly? I wouldn't care if she never spoke to me again the rest of her life." As V.A. programs tapered off, it became evident that some employees would be terminated or transferred. People like Sjogren or Vlug would be assured of a permanent job according to certain policies of government. Always looking for ways to agitate, Charlie said to Dirk. "Do you think you might get laid off, Dirk?" Vlug replied, "No, I think I'll have a job as long as I want it." Charlie said, "Yes, but the policy doesn't say where. You might get transferred to San Francisco, San Jose or for that matter, to San Salvador." Dirk looked worried as he went back to his office. After a brief interval he returned and said very seriously, "Charlie, where is San Salvador?" One of the employees whom Morley respected was Kenneth Downes. He was a psychologist and he sometimes accompanied Morley on trips to evaluate a disabled veteran. On one such trip, in the area south of Traverse City, they were looking for a particular veteran's home and were unable to find it. They spotted an along the road, smoking a corn-cob pipe. olde~ woman Kenneth asked, "Do you know where veteran John Doe lives?" She looked suspiciously at Kenneth and said, "I might or I might not. It all depends." It turned out she wanted to be sure that no harm would come to her neighbor and Kenneth assured her that we were only interested in the ,;.~~- ',? veteran's welfare. After spitting and chewing on her pi~tem, she directed them to "John Doe's" home. It was one of the dirtiest abodes Morley had ever seen. After interviewing the veteran, they were just getting ready to leave, when the wife announced that lunch was ready. After watching the 'flies swarming around the kitchen and smelling the odor from the baby that was long over-due for changing, Ken was not about to subject his squeamish stomach to more torture. He suddenly remembered another urgent appointment. They escaped without having to eat the black greasy fried potatoes and the colorless turnip greens. Morley had joined an Army Reserve unit and participated in weekly drills at a local armory. He also attended two weeks of active duty training at schools, government departments or at summer encampments. One week-end he brought his father and mother to Camp Grayling to see the troops march as a Guard Field Day. part of the National A very young governor "Soapy" Williams noticed Fred Wilson holding his grandchild. The governor patted the child and visited briefly with Fred. Now Fred had always been a hardcore Republican but on the way home, he said, "I never thought the governor would be such a nice down-ta-earth fellow." It's a safe �99 l guess that Soapy picked up more than one vote that day and it helps to explain his reelection, time after time. Charlie found a job with the Social Security Administration and Morley transferred to the U.S. Labor Department. Ward Parks was the manager of that office and almost immediately gave Morley the new responsibility of administering the wage control program. This was to help control the upward spiral of wages and prices. Other restrictions were placed on rental rates and prices during the Korean Conflict. It was a most difficult program to administer but controls did have an effect on the strong inflationary forces. One must admit that it was not a perfect solution. One day Morley received a telephone call from the Kawneer Corporation in Niles, Michigan. They proposed to have him come to Niles to explain the wage control program to their staff. Ward Parks agreed to accompany Morley and Kawneer sent a small 5 passenger plane to Grand Rapids to transport Ward and Morley. -It was a windy day and Ward got "air-sick". The President of Kawneer met the plane at the Niles airport in a huge limo with a built-in bar and luxurious velvet cushions. Ward was impressed. He asked the President, "What kind of mileage do you get with a car like this?" The President smiled and said, "Who gives a shit about the mileage?" After much wining and dining, they went back to Grand Rapids. The wind was so strong that tt""L~' the plane landed quartering into the gale at a 3/4 angle. Ward's face was a soupy green color and Morley felt he has a lesson in how big corporations operate. Jeff and Ann were grOWing and the Wilsons were healthy. One night they gave a party for their Grand Haven friends. During the party, the telephone rang and the caller identified herself as "Western Union". She read a telegram which ordered Morley to Camp Custer to take a pre-induction physical examination for the Army. Morley suspected that it was a practical joke, a la Charlie Doyle. He immediately called Western Union back and asked if there was a message for him. The operator said, "I just read it to you." So much for horse-play. Morley reported for the physical and the Doctor said after his examination that there was no chance the he would be called. A week later he got another telegram to go back to Fort Custer and repeat the physical. This time the Doctor said, "You won't have to worry now, I will report to the pentagon in no uncertain terms that you are not fit for active duty." He cited Morley's liver damage from hepatitis and his chronic skin condition from the so called "New Guinea Crud". So again, he came back to Grand �100 f Rapids and three days later he was ordered to report to Fort Monmouth for active duty. In the meantime, he received a telephone call from a Major George Kirjean in the pentagon. It turned out that Morley had sent, then Corporal, Kirjean to Officers Candidate School back in 1942 and George honestly thought that he was doing Morley a great favor. He went on to say that he would order him to Germany after a refresher course at Fort Monmouth. He said, moreover, that the Wilsons would live in luxury. Housekeepers were very cheap and Mary could "play bridge every day." It was during this time that Morley got word that his oldest brother, Art. had died from a fall. Mary went to the funeral but there was not enough time for Morley to go by the time he got the word. Morley never knew exactly what happened but he suspected what might have caused the accident. Art and Jo had been very kind to Morley and he certainly grieved this loss. Art could have been a wonderful person if only he could have shaken the alcohol. In those days they did not have AA or other organizations to help. Jo certainly did all she COUld. and stood a lot of abuse in the process. Morley went to school, studied hard and was near the top of his class. He came home for Christmas. bought a one-wheel trailer and found that his friend Jack Van Vessem had built a rack on the trailer so that he could haUl a larger load. They found an apartment but the landlord wanted a one year lease. Morley explained that his orders were only for 3 months. The landlord finally relented and gave him a 1 year lease with a provision that is could be broken with one month's notice. The apartment was not first-class but it was convenient and they permitted children. Ann went to nursery school and Jeff (now 2 years old) found plenty of mischief. He could ride Ann's 2 wheel bike (with training wheels). Morley attended school in the old Martin Bomber plant. The course Morley attended was called "Signal Supply". The students were mostly from the regUlar army ranks which included officers from Captains to Colonels. Some were West Pointers whom Morley felt were clannish and even snobbish. There were several field trips to places such as Bell Laboratories, and RCA factories. The instructor was a brilliant young officer who was long on teaching and short on military demeanor. The Wilson family got to visit Washington, D.C., and the Maryland, Delaware, Virginia country-side on weekends. Morley paid a visit to General Bradley in the Pentagon. He spent over two hours escorting Morley inside some of the "forbidden" �101 areas of that architectural monstrosity. He had not changed from the keen, insightful officer that he had been as G-3 of the 32nd Division and as the commander of the 126th Infantry Regiment in the New Guinea campaign. He smiled when Morley reminded him of the radio message that he had sent to General Gill which resulted in his being sent back to the pentagon but he was still regretfUl about the needless waste of life that prompted him to send the message. The training in Baltimore ended and Morley was still on orders to the Korean Zone. Even though his marks were near the top of his class, nothing happened to change his orders. He asked for a 1a-day delay en route to accompany his family back to Grand Rapids, which was readily granted. When he got back to Grand Rapids there was a radio gram awaiting him changing his destination to Fort Hood, Texas. Happy Day! Morley drove alone to Fort Hood and found there the answers as to why his assignment had been changed. He was assigned as the Post Signal Supply Officer because his predecessor had been an alcoholic and the Signal Supply Depot was in shambles. The Civilians (Civil Service) employees were generally fine people but it seemed that they were deliberately "messing up" in order to get rid of the Supply Officer. In a way, that is an ideal situation to inherit. Whatever steps you take to improve the system makes you look mighty good. The Commanding General was Lt. General Bruce Clark, a rather strict disciplinarian but qUite fair. Morley was assigned quarters in a row of brick homes that were built for Non-Commissioned Officers. The quarters were modern, comfortable and adequate. There were two problemsI 1. No air-conditioning because it was 1953. 2. Cockroach infestation because bug bombs were not as effective then. Mostly the spray only chased the roaches into the next adjoining apartment and relief only lasted until the neighbors sprayed their quarters. Anyway, Morley arranged for Mary, Ann, and Jeff to fly to Temple, Texas and for the furniture to be shipped down at government expense. Wilsons had a variety of neighbors including the Post Executive Officer, Col.. Thomas, General Clark, and Lt. Col.. Imsande, a quartermaster officer. They immediately became good friends with the Imsandes. Marie Imsande grew to love Jeff and he spent many hours with her. She was always buying him presents, taking him �102 { t to various events and feeding him candy and goodies. He loved her, partly because she was to good to him and partly because he was able to escape the discipline of home. Marie owned a dashound whose name was "Auga". Jeff promptly renamed him "Doga". Ann was still very shy but enrolled in kindergarten. She learned songs and we laughed when she sang about the crocodile on the Nile River. Meanwhile, Morley was very busy trying to straighten out a mess in the Signal Supply Depot. The outfitting and supplying of two armored divisions with radios, telephones, and other signal equipment had to have first priority. The warehouse, which was several hundred feet long, was a complete jumble. In fact, pigeons and sparrows were roosting on the bins and their droppings made the place look like a huge chicken coop. The civilian crew under L.R. Taylor, worked very hard to get some kind of order restored to the post Signal Supply Depot. The Inspector General paid a visit to the depot just before Morley had arrived and found it unsatisfactory in almost every respect. It was another case where the previous officer-in-charge had a severe drinking problem and Wilson was lucky to inherit a situation that could only get better. L.R. and his crew worked hundreds of hours of over time and in a month the improvement was very significant. Just in time, too, because Lt. General Clark paid a rare visit to the depot. He was very complimentary and asked how the crew had gotten rid of the birds. Unfortunately, he put his hand up on one of the shelves and into the only bird droppings that had been missed by the clean-up help. Talk about life's embarrassing momentsl Among the civilian help was a young lady who had been in the "Miss America" contest. In fact, she was a very beautiful lady and when she worked overtime, it was no problem to get other volunteers to stay overtime. She only stayed a few weeks after Morley arrived but in the meantime, the area had a serious flood which caused all kinds of problems. Streams over-flowed with flash flooding, some lives were lost from one of the Armored Divisions when a small truck was washed off a bridge and, of course, much equipment was damaged. L.R. Taylor was working late at the depot on this very rainy night along with the beautiful Miss Texas. Her car would not start so he dutifully gave her a ride. About a block from her residence, they found her street completely flooded. He removed his �103 new shoes (a present from his wife). Miss Texas carried his shoes in her hands and he proceeded to carry her. About half way to her home, he stepped into a newly excavated sewer. Both went completely under water and he never did recover his shoes. They went to her home, he took a shower and dried out his clothing and since the water recedes very rapidly, he managed to return to his car and go on home. For weeks afterwards, Mrs. Taylor keep asking L.A. what ever happened to your new shoes. He would say, "I'll be danged if I know." So when Morley would want to make L.R. squirm, he would ask in the presence of Mrs. Taylor, "L A. , did you ever find your shoes?" Mary was not very happy with Army life. At parties, all of the Officers wives would gather around General Clark's wife and tell her how beautiful she looked. In fact, she was not a pretty woman, however, she may have been very friendly. Mary could never force herself to join in this so called "brown nosing" and the Wilsons were left out of most of the social affairs. There were bridge parties, and dances at the Officers Club but Mary did not choose to enter into most of these functions. She is a very private person and only socializes after she knows people for a long time. Mary did some substitute teaching and so she hired a cleaning lady who did the ironing. Some of the neighbors cautioned the Wilsons about not paying "too much" for such help. This lady happened to be black and, at first, she wanted to eat alone in the kitchen. Morley insisted that she eat with the family. He finally said, "If you are good enough to work for us you are good enough to eat with us." While the Wilsons were not flush with money, they also paid more than the "going rate" pretty much decided by some of the higher ranking officers and their wives. One day, Jeff bit Col. Thomas' daughter so hard it left his teeth marks in her arm. It seemed he liked her tricycle and she did not want to give it to him. A lot of tricks were used to break him of this troublesome habit. Reasoning, rewards, threats, physical punishment, and even biting his arm but all to no avail. More later. One night it snowed about two inches and the results were unbelievable. Car after car skidded into the ditch, and there were bent fenders all over Fort Hood. The Texans talked about it for weeks afterwards. They called it the day of the "big snow". Lt. Col. David Becker was the Post Signal Officer and as such, an important officer on General Clark's staff. He was Morley's boss but seldom exercised any supervision over the operation of Signal Supply. One day the General had his aide �104 { phone Lt. Col. Becker to have him put a special radio in the General's Command car. Lt. Col. Becker replied that he was not sure he could issue the radio since it was not allowed in the Tables of Organization. The next day Lt. Col. Becker received his orders for Korea and Morley suddenly found himself promoted to the position of Post Signal Officer, in addition to his supply functions. It was amazing what a difference this made. No longer did he have to grovel to other staff officers. It even changed Mary's social status and a few women went so far as to tell her how pretty she looked in her old party dress. Such was life in the Army. One weekend the Wilsons motored to Galveston, Texas. They went swimming in the gUlf and Mary was far out on a rubber-raft. Morley was pushing her, and suddenly he saw a large fin approaching at a high speed. He naturally assumed it was a shark. Talk about fear! They finally realized that it was only a friendly dolphin. It was about this time that President Eisenhower cut back on the this forced the release of many civilian personnel. finan~ing and Among those terminated were several long-distance Civil Service switchboard operators. There was a Signal Battalion on the post and Morley contacted the Commanding Officer to see if he could "borrow" about ten of the enlisted personnel to help operate the post switchboard. A crash training course was set up and ten enlisted men, all black, were detached to the Post Headquarters for this purpose. All of the civil service employees were white. The only problem was that the women were used to striping down to the minimum amount of clothing to be more comfortable in the intense heat. It was over 100 degrees for 30 consecutive days. Morley was proud that there was not a single incident involving the black detachment and they did a very satisfactory job on the operation of the switchboards. Morley wondered if this were the first integrated switchboard operation in the South???? Shortly after this change, it was decided to install an automatic dial system, eliminating a fairly good percentage of the operators. This took several months to complete and the contract was not quite completed when Morley left the post for his home in Michigan. Before this a very important thing occurred. Much to everyone's surprise, Mary became pregnant. If there were any doubts about staying in the Army this removed them. Mary wanted to get to their home in Grand Rapids. Morley was elated and he hurried to finish up some Army college courses he had been halfheartedly studying. �105 '1 He finally completed the associate degree course. Col. Thomas, acting as an emissary for General Clark, approached Morley on staying in the military. He said General Clark would be going to Europe as Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe (the equivalent of NATO) and he was sure Morley would be chosen to be on his staff if he agreed to change his category from IV (17 months) to III (36 months). Morley was flattered and agreed to consider this change. In fact, he had no intentions of staying in the service, but knew that if he declined it would effect his relationship with the brass. It was not a difficult decision, but the pressures made it a touchy situation. Hints of an immediate promotion, free health service for the family, and other carrots were dangled, and all the time Mary and Morley knew that they just wanted to get back to Michigan. Meanwhile, he pretended to be seriously considering the opportunity. Eventually, he announced his real intentions and the Wilsons started packing. They shipped their household goods by van and after a gala farewell party, they started back to Grand Rapids. They arrived in Grand Rapids just before their household goods. Unfortunately, the cockroaches arrived with the furniture and it would be months before they were finally eliminated. #., .....~_. �106 ( PART IV - THE MIDDLE YEARS Clarence and Edith Phillips had rented the Wilson home while they were in Texas. They had treated it very well and gradually they became good friends. Edith was a sister of Grace who lived in Chicago. Grace was a room-mate of Mary when she taught school in Battle Creek, right after her college days. She was a very close friend and they sometimes went to Chicago where they had wonderful weekends with the Grossens. Often Clarence and Edith were a part of this delightful group. They usually attended a play on these occasions and they always ate at one of the better restaurants. Morley found a job with "Plywood Grand Rapids". It was interesting and educational but he could not control some of the rather objectionable practices, so he eventually took a position with Empire Lumber Company. He was to learn that this company did much of the same and he was somewhat disillusioned with the ethics of wholesale lumber. "Get the order" and worry about the details later, seemed to be the basic religion of management. In the meantime, Jeff had continued to bite the neighbor kids until he spotted a bow and arrow in the store. Morley explained that such toys were for children who were old enough so that they never resorted to biting. He said, if he could have the bow and arrow he would not bite anymore. Much to everyone's joy, that proved to be the cure. He never bit anyone again! Morley became involved with the Godwin School District, and helped promote a new physical education building which included a large swimming pool. This lead to his election as treasurer of the school board. Roscoe Miner was the superintendent and was one of the best administrators Morley would ever know These were the busy years juggling school board meetings, out-of-town trips and church board meetings. Jeff was not easy to control and Mary was frequently unhappy with Morley's inability to say "no" to lots of causes. One early morning Mary awakened Morley and said she thought the baby was coming. They made a dash for the car and Morley "over-shot" Blodgett Hospital. He finally located it and not any too soon. The nurse let Morley hold the wet bloody baby and he was elated. Afterward, she said it was against the rules but she could not �107 refuse the anxious father. Later that morning Morley went out to the Blodgett Parking lot and started up the car. It went about 25 yards and died--out of gas! That was a close call! Morley located a local Army Reserve which provided programs that enabled him to earn retirement credits. The main drawback was that it required two weeks of active duty training each year. Sometimes he could do this at Camp Grayling, other times he was assigned to the State Department in Washington and once he was on duty at the Pentagon. Later he would go to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and graduate from the Associate Command and Staff College. He even spent a couple of tours as instructor after his associate degree was earned. One evening Morley was dressing to attend a drill at the local Reserve Armory. Dr. Lewis's son Todd was about 5 years old and very interested in the Army. He asked Morley, "Were you in the war?" "Yes", Morley replied. The next question was, ,"Did you kill any Germans?" The answer was "No." "Well, why not?" Todd asked. Morley explained that he was in the Pacific Area and was fighting against the Japanese. Then Todd wanted to know, "Did you kill any Japs?" Again Morley said "No." Todd said in his 5 year old lisping speech, "Well, Why not?" Morley said, "I wasn't mad at any Japs." That did not satisfy Todd. He asked, "Thay, you were on our thide, weren't #,' ....J.~' you?" The Church offered a lot of pleasure for the Wilsons. They went to many dinner­ dances. Dick Brooks adapted some of the Musicals, such as "South Pacific" to the local situation and a group of aspiring thespians staged some wonderful productions. Morley stayed active as an usher and Wilsons formed some lasting friendships, including Jack Darrow, Ben Peterson, John Kay and others. More and more, the church became an important part of their lives." Duncan Littlefair was voicing the philosophy which they had already believed bUt~had not been able to sort out the right concepts. He was a master at articulating the religious ideas which were waiting to be expressed in reasonable words. In fact, he was, without a doubt, the most outstanding preacher that the Wilsons had ever heard. Morley's job of selling lumber involved a lot of travel. While the company was not applying pressure, a self-imposed pressure was always present. One day, Morley received a telephone call from his friend Jack Van Vessum with whom he had worked at the Veterans Administration. It seemed that Sunshine Hospital had lost their �108 Business Manager and Jack thought Morley should apply. At about this time Morley and another friend, AI Boscher, decided to quit their jobs because they were unhappy with some of the ethical problems at Empire lumber. Both quit 011 the same day and Morley applied for the job at Sunshine Hospital. There were about 40 applicants and many of them had masters degrees in hospital administration. Morley was interviewed by Dr. Ireland and by the Board of Trustees, Larry Callahan, Ralleigh Stotz, and Phillip Buchen. It did not hurt that Dr. Ireland and two of the trustees were members of Fountain Street Church. At any note, Morley was hired and would continue to work for Kent County which owned Sunshine (later Kent Community) and Kent Oaks Hospitals, until his retirement 20 years later. Here he formed some of the closest and most important friendships. It is only fair to say that he also made a few enemies. The ushers of Fountain Street Church were chaired by Bill Dolle, and he asked for ideas for a project. Morley volunteered to contact Eleanor Roosevelt who had been active in the United Nations and international affairs after President Roosevelt's death. She told Morley that she would come to speak at Fountain Street Church in January, 1958 for a fee of $1,000.00 if he could work out the details with her agent. At that time, $1,000.00 was still a large sum of money so Bill and Morley agreed to underwrite the U"···L~' cost, in case the program did not raise enough money. June Dolle was to present Mrs. Roosevelt with a bouquet at the airport, but she became ill and Mary had the delightful task. Morley escorted her in a limo donated by one of the local auto agencies. He had almost forgotten what a gracious lady she was. Me did not anticipate the demands that would be made for her time by every political ..\~C)( l"aeter who had ever known her. A dinner was held at the Pantlind Hotel that evening with all of the ushers and she spoke for over an hour at Fountain Street Church. Every seat in the 1750-seat sanctuary was sold, the choir loft waselso sold, and an overflow crowd was able to listen to her in the church dining room. Earlier in the day, a telephone caller caused quite a bomb scare but the evening was a whopping success. She spoke about her trip to Russia and about the Russian Educational system. Morley knew then that he wanted to visit Russia and that some day he would go there. During the time that Morley was escorting Mrs. Roosevelt he asked her how she felt about the up-coming Presidential elections. She said she favored Adlai �109 Stevenson but doubted if he would get the nomination. She said he lacked the grass root earthiness necessary to capture the American voter's imagination. She indicated that John Kennedy had that appeal but "might not be as dedicated to the job as a good president should be". She talked about the challenge our country would face from the communist countries and said we needed to keep a firm effort if we were not to be left behind. After Mrs. Roosevelt returned, Morley did exchange a couple of letters with her and she autographed a picture of herself taken when Morley was introducing her to some noncoms in Australia. She later used some of his pictures in her books, including one that had appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and Life Magazine. Morley would never forget this marvelous lady. The Godwin School Board elected Morley as Treasurer and sent him to New York City in an attempt to upgrade their Standard and Poor rating for the bonds wtlich they would sell. It was a good experience but otherwise unfruitful. Rene Hobeke and Morley attended a seminar in Miami, Florida for Administrators and Board Members, dealing largely with financial problems and administration. One evening, they went down to the hotel bar for a night-cap and struck up a conversation with a pretty lady. When she learned they were from Grand Rapids, she asked if they knew Frank McKay. It was not long before she confided that she was his girlfriend and lived at his hotel in North Miami. They bought her a couple of drinks and her tongue got looser and looser. McKays political enemies might have capitalized on some of this information, but neither Rene nor Morley ever used it. Rene and Morley returned to Grand Rapids via Chicago on the first passenger jet night between those cities. The owner of the airline rode in the plane and bought champagne for them, several times. They were happy when they got back to Chicago. At about this time, the Wilsons decided to build a new house. They wanted a walk-in basement and found a lot within. Godwin district which met their needs. On Thanksgiving Day, 1959, the Wilson famly moved from Manchester Road to 1225 Van Auken, and almost immediately were faced with another problem. The City of Grand Rapids wanted to expand and promised the residents in the new residential area, that their taxes would be lowered and that their services would be expanded if they would annex to the larger city. The voters fell for it and it later proved that both promises were false. Morley had to resign from the Godwin School Board and the School Board threw a farewell party for him. When he returned home that night and opened his �110 ( garage door, a huge sign (about 4' by 10') shown in his headlights. The sign had been stolen and carried there, presumedly by his Godwin friends as a prank. It read, "Grand Rapids, the All American City". He hid the sign in his garage for several years and later built a dog house for Jane's "Nikka", an Alaskan malamute. Ann and Jeff by agreement were allowed to continue in the Godwin system until graduation. Jane did not meet the grade criteria so after a couple of years in the city system, Wilsons paid her tuition so she could graduate with her friends at Godwin. In about 1960, Morley was asked to join a golfing group. Ben Peterson, John Kaye, and Gare Totten played once or twice a week for the next several decades. They rotated between Saskatoon and Alpine with occasional games at Palmer Park, the Elks Country Club, Grand Rapids Country Club, Hickory Hills, Broadmore, and other area courses. One day Morley was playing a short executive course on 28th Street with Ann. Ann was not particularly athletic and her tee shot on a 135 yard hole went astray. Morley was trying to teach her and he said "Now watch this shot. If I hit it right, it should land on the edge of the hill, roll down the slope and into the cup." It happened exactly in that manner for his first hole-in-one Ann was totally disgusted and said, "I'll never play golf again with you." .:;.- ..... ~, Later in that same year, a group from the hospital went to Orchard Hills course in the Gunn Lake Recreation Area. The group was playing "Bingo-Bango-Bongo". On the 1Oth hole, near the club house, Morley again hit a hole-in-one, and he made the mistake of thinking golf was an easy game. In 40 more years, he never again came close. He should have qult while he was ahead, but few things in his life gave him more pleasure. It also caused quite a lot of distress. Mary objected to the long hours spent of the golf course and especially to the card games following the golf. She had a point,. and their only serious arguments came on Sunday evenings, when she carried the responsibility of raising the family. Every summer, Morley attended 2 weeks of active duty in the Army Reserve. One of his assignments was with the State Department. A good friend who was a college professor from Michigan State University also happened to share this assiqnrnent. Morley's work was pretty routine and dull but Lt. Col. James work was to review and comment on the Cuban Bay-of-Pigs episode. His conclusion was that the C.I.A. and the State De artment helped finance both but opposite sides of the fiasco. �111 He studied thousands of classified documents dating back to before the ousting of Batista and the rise of Castro. Every evening he would discuss his findings with Morley and he made a pretty strong case that the U.S. taxpayers financed both sides of the Cuban revolution. Morley enrolled in the Army Command and General Staff School and attended several periods of active duty training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Each time he went, he became more thankful that he had not stayed in the active service. He did teach Command and General Staff both at the Local level and at Fort Leavenworth. He finally graduated and shortly after, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, a rank which he might have had immediately after World War II, if he had not been short changed by the Air Force assignment. Years afterwards, he applied for retirement from the military, and was surprised that his retirement pay was so generous. After Morley resigned from the Godwin School Board, Mary transferred her teaching from Kelloggsville School District to Godwin, where she taught first grade until her retirement. Morley and Mary took the childen up to Moorestown to visit his parents. Jane loved to ride horses-even the old farm animals She rode around and around the barn and on one trip, she was gone a long while. Morley became anxious and ran around :<-'.• L . . . .' the barn to discover that she was standing on the ground and the horse was rolling over and over. He said, "How did you get off the horse?" She replied, "It was simple, I just waited until the horse laid down, and I stepped off." Later Morley's parents gave up the farm and moved into a house in Moorestown. After a couple of years there, EI4Cm bought a house in Lake City and they moved there. This would be their principal residence for as long as they lived. One day Charlie Doyle asked if Morley's father and mother were getting Social Security. He volunteered to visit them as a part of his job and in a few weeks they were granted a small monthly pension. They managed to "payoff" the $600.00 mortgage on the farm and live in meager circumstances, though never really comfortable. The family went East for vacation trips a few times when the children were in grade school. Ann had a remarkable ability to remember routes and places of interest. One year they stopped at a Homestead Restaurant in Ohio. It must have been 3 or 4 years later that they were going East on the same 11ighway, and Morley remarked that �112 he wish he could remember the name and location of that restaurant they had like so well. Ann said, "Dad, it was the Homestead Restaurant just off Exit 13, a few miles ahead." The family could not believe that she had remembered this information so precisely. As the children grew older the family would go West to places like Estes Park, Colorado Springs, the Grand Tetons, Yellow stone, etc. Each child was given an allowance and encouraged to save it for the summer vacations, and they were very frugal with their small savings. On one of the early trips West, Jeff went to an out-door bathroom in a park where they had stopped. He came crying back to the car, saying that he had dropped his pocketbook with all of his money down the toilet. Jeff said, "If you hold me by my feet, I can reach it." Morley held him rightly around the ankles, and Jeff actually picked up the wallet with his money still intact. Fortunately, the pocketbook and the money were not seriously contaminated and the incident would provide the family with laughs for years to come. On one trip to Wyoming, the Wilsons visited Fred Huffsmith in Casper, Wyoming. He had been Morley's Executive Officer when he was commanding the 293rd Joint • Assault Signal Company on Luzon. They attended a rodeo, swapped stores about the /'­ war and revived an old friendship that was deepened and ripened by the experience of being in combat together. That is one of the few good things that can be said about a war. Morley was asked to run for the City of Grand Rapids School Board and was narrowly defeated. Mary was delighted and did some campaigning against his election. She didn't want him to be away from home and the problems of raising the children. Morley was not aware of her activities until long years afterword. Morley became quite active in population control and became the founding president of the local chapter of Zero Population Growth. Later, he was elected to:.ttle Board of Planned Parenthood. At about this time, Mary's father became quite ill and 'finally he was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the prostrate. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he passed away February 17, 1965. He had been a great help to Morley and was as good a father-in-law as anyone could have. Morley missed him, Not just for the things he did, but for his friendship and support. Peter had loved Ann, Jeff, and Jane and Morley would never forget how his face would light up with joy whenever he saw his �113 grandchildren. He regretted that he had not taken the children to see him more often. He was such an unusual person. With only a third grade education, he had developed an appreciation of classical music and he liked fine literature. What a person he might have become with the opportunity to have had a fine education! He ad intellect and was a hard and skillful worker, all his life. Morley's father, Fred, fell on the ice in Lake City during the late winter of 1966. He had lain in the road for awhile until a minister and his wife discovered him. She came out of their car and approached warily to within about 30 feet of him. The conversation went something like this: Minister's wife: "I don't want to come any closer because I am afraid of you." Fred: "Hell, Maam, you don't have' to be afraid of me. I've got a broken hip and I couldn't do anything to you if I wanted to." Anyway, they called for help and Fred went to Mercy Hospital in Cadillac. His good nature and sense of humor made him a favorite of the musing staff. For instance, when the nurse brought him a wash cloth and suggested that he try to wash himself, He said, "What for, I haven't done anything dirty." He praised the hospital staff highly and this, in turn, assured him of even better care. ~' ........ Morley and Mary visited him and were embarrassed at the manner in which he -, talked (in a loud voice) about someone who shared the ward. He ventured an opinion about everyone elses illness and their dire chanced of recovery. He was finally discharged but on the way home from the hospital, apparently suffered a stroke, and had to return shortly after. Unfortunately, Fred's condition worsened and he passed away while still in the hospital. He only lived a short time. Eldon did the major part of making the funeral arrangements and an old Methodist Minister, Roland Puffer, did a masterful job of preaching his funeral sermon. He had a large funeral becaJ.!~.ps well liked by all who knew him. The minister (Puffer) did a masterful j09!~.ur:lting his many attributes. Fred enjoyed his life and Morley could never remember of him complaining about his poor luck. He accepted his role with relish and with a unique sense of humor. He was always honest and if there is any comical slant to this biography, it surely comes from the genes passed down by Morley's father. He qenuinely liked people. In 1966, Morley had the opportunity to visit Russia for 3 weeks with the Citizens Exchange Corps. Mary said, if I can have a swimming pool, I think it would be a fair �114 tradeoff. The Russian trip cost about 1200 dollars and the swimming pool several thousand, but there were other considerations. They wanted to encourage Jeff with his swimming team aspirations. Minnie agreed to come to stay with Morley and Mary for a few weeks. On the way back to Grand Rapids, it became apparent that she was getting much more senile. SI1e repeated the same incidents many times, sometimes within two or three minutes, and they began to realize just how much she had aged. Fred's death was a severe shock to her. In that same period about 3 months after Morley's father passed away, while Minnie was in Grand Rapids, she intended to sit down on the cedar chest bedroom. She misjudged it's position and fell on the floor breaking her hip. i~ the He~w~s was set in Blodgett Hospital and she seemed to be making an excellent recovery, so she was transferred to Sunshine Hospital. Morley was undecided what he should do about the Russian trip. He talked with the Doctor and felt reassured that she would recover without incident, so he went to Russia. In Brussels, Belgium they transferred from an American plaQ.e to a Russian plane. What a difference! Seating, baggage racks and other amenities were very sparse and the pressure controls were so bad that Morley's ears pained for several days. They landed in Moscow where they were based in a large hotel. They visited t/'., ...... several hospitals and found that the medications and equipment were very inadequate-almost primitive. Dr. Kenneth Nickel and his wife Marge, as well as several other people from Grand Rapids were along on the trip. One thing they all agreed upon, the loving, tender care given by the nursing staff was as good as. . they had ever seen. They interviewed several Doctors, news media and government department heads. Morley and Marge Nickel walked several miles and let themselves into an old Russian cemetery. The pictures of many of the departed souls were affixed to the tombstones. Finally, they decided to return to the hotel, and when they tried to get directions, the man-in-the-street, would not talk to them. After a struggle, they found their way back to the hotel. r 1. (1Il.A.Y-\lA~4:' ~ They lined up to see Lenin's body and the people GOwrte5y insisted that they go the the ~f the line. This avoided a 1/2 hours wait in the rain. They visited a school and talked with some of the most attractive children one could imagine. Morley gave away several packages of bubble gum which captNated the children but n.Q1 the teacher. The children were obviously gifted and very curious �115 about their visitors. They were very well behaved. They next flew down to Sochi on the Black Sea. It was like another country, The people were friendly,' informal and fun. Each morning Morley took his stock of ball point pens, pictures and a small Sears catalog out to the beach. Within 15 minutes a crowd of 75 to 150 people gathered around to ask questions, look at the pictures and exchange views. One persistent question kept coming up: "If the Americans want peace, why are they going 10,000 miles to attack Vietnam?" Morley finally developed an answer which went something like this: "Not all American agree that we should be in Vietnam. Just like not all Russians would have agreed that your should have attacked the students in BUdapest, Hungary in 1951. Perhaps when we both grow enough to trust each other we may not have to resort to war and killing to protect what some government officials think is their safety." It was risky to confront them with this idea but it seemed to surprise them and he was sure some.did not even know they had gunned down the students in their own neighboring countries. One attractive young lady always sat in the front row of these meetings but never contributed to the discussion. Morley was afraid that she might be with the KGB so he tried to draw her into the conversation. He asked, "What do you thinj.about the Berlin Wall?" She only smiled and he kept pressing for an answer. #",,,~, Finally, she ­ replied very slowly, "I love you." Needless to say, Morley was shocked because even ........ ---. in his younger days, no girl had ever said that excepting Mary after a long courtship. The very muscular, tall Russian who seemed to be her friend said, "Do not be alarmed. Those are the only three words she knows in the English language." Then he leaned over and added, "Frankly, she doesn't know a hell of a lot more than that in Hussian.a either." Next they flew to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and visited a mental hospital. It was a rather dreary experience. The building reminded one of some of our very poorest State Hospitals. The lawns were kept mown by goats and one wondered if many of the patients were really sick or were some being punished. There was a lot of "work therapy" going on and perhaps that wasn't all bad. The entire group took a day to tour the Hermitage, the former home of the Tsars. It brought back pictures of the revolutionists storming through the gates and palace grounds during the Red Revolution. The exhibits were fantastic and one could have spent another day without boredom. �116 l { Another day was spent visiting Peter The Greats' summer palace about 40 miles outside Leningrad. It was interesting to see the restoration of the ceiling paintings in progress. The artists were lying on their backs on flimsy scaffolding, 30 feet above the floor, a-la-Michael Angelo. The grounds were absolutely marvelous, if slightly run down. The cascading fountains were a sight to behold and Morley tried to imagine what it must have been like during the pre-revolutionary era. A huge banquet was given by the Russian Health Department. Morley was seated next to a no-nonsense lady doctor who headed up the hospitals they had visited. His 8 ounce water glass was filled with vodka and many toasts were offered. The Doctor kept insisting that Morley "drink up" and Morley kept looking for a place to empty the contents of his glass. They had a rather heated discussion about freedom and lack of freedom. She reminded Morley that it was one of his own presidents had said freedom from want was so important. She opined that unless one had experienced severe hunger under the Tsars, they had no right to criticize lack of freedom now. She recounted how she had been punished by being allowed only bread crusts and water for three days-all because she had eaten one of the potato peelings that she had been paring. At the time, she was only 5 years old and it helped explain why she so readily accepted the communist restrictions. The last night in Leningrad, Morley with his 35mm camera, strolled down one of the main streets taking pictures. He saw a group of teem age boys about the age of his son, Jeff and asked if he could take their picture. The reply was a harsh "Nyet". Another pair of young Russians, about 20 years of age, overheard and approached Morley. One young man said, "I wish to apologize for the poor manners of my fellow countrymen. Please take my picture, if you wish." Morley did and after a pleasant conversation, invited them to come to his hotel that evening for a drink of wine he had been hoarding. They said they would try but cautioned that it might be dangerous. They did show up at the hotel and after visiting in the cafe, they reluctantly accepted his invitation. Morley was sharing a room with Rev. Jack Bowers, the leader of the group, so it was a pretty fair bet that the room was bugged. The first thing they did was to turn the radio volume very high but even then it was plain to see that they wer uncomfortable. It was decided to "walk the streets" in the rain. They asked question that indicated they were hungry for freedom and it goes to show ho~.js~ed drive people to take disparate risks. Morley asked why they didn't apply for a wil �117 passport and visit the United States. They replied that the moment they asked for a passport they would be a "marked person", and nothing but trouble would follow. "It is just completely out of the question," they said. "It is absolutely hopeless." He said a very sad and troublesome farewell at about 2:00 AM and he has nothing but his pictures of these two young musicians to remind him of their plight. If Morley ever gets discontented with his lot, he drums up the memory of these two young men living out their life of desperation. He wonders what ever became of them. We should never take our freedom lightly. The next morning, they ended their stay in Russia and flew back to the United States. When Morley landed at O"Hare Airport he called Mary and she told him the sad news. Morley's mother has passed away while he was in Russia from a massive stroke. She had lived only a little over three months after Fred had died. Morley had some guilt feelings that he had not been there during her last days, though the medical staff did their best to reassure him the it was unexpected and that he could have dome nothing if he had been present. Mary had called Eldon and he had taken care of all the arrangements. Fred and Minnie cared deeply for each other and they had lived together for well over 50 years. Morley had never known them to have a serious argument. their livelihood left a lot to be desired but they had each other and their family. The lack of money and things did not keep them from being happy. Minnie had many bouts of severe illness, and there were medica.l bills, always medical bills. Yet, they never accepted welfare assistance and were as proud as could be of their independence. After Peter Pellegrom had passed away, Dena(Mary's mother) sold the house immediately and she lived most of the time with Mary's brother and sister, Gare and Ruth. She would come to stay with Mary and Morley for a month or so at a time but it was not always easy. One of the children or Mary and Morley had to sleep in the basement. They often wished that they ~ finished another bedroom. Mary was still teaehinq school ,and Mother Pellegrom did~tlike to be left alone. Sister Ruth was an angel, and never complained about ~.fnC6nvenience of have a mother-in-law disrupting her life. The Wilson's 'finished their swimming pool and it was Mary who really loved it. She used it almost every sunny day and many that were not so sunny. Jeff dropped out of the Godwin swimming program but all the children would continue to come �home ,( 118 for many years and it was the pool plus Mary;s good cooking that acted like a magnet. Jeff was learning to drive and had a series of accidents that worried his parents. After being~ounded for 30 days, he took the car to one of the local malls. He spotted some of his friends and while waving to them, back-ended another car. One night, he 'Flipped over the Volkswagen beetle and the Wilsons found themselves in the emergency room at 2:00 AM. At least, the Wilsons did not own a motorcycle, so they lived through this phase. Ann graduated from Godwin High and had to choose a college. Her advisor, Mrs. Thibodeau, had informed her that she was not "college material". She came home weeping and told Morley and Mary that she wanted to be a teacher. Morley said, "Why 'r'On't we ignore that advise and try it for a year. You are a year younger than your classmates, so if you waste a year, it won't make that much difference." She enrolled in Central Michigan University and it was soon apparent that she was an excellent student. So much for student counseling. Godwin High School held an open house and Mary and Morley visited the teacher's rooms where Jeff was assigned. One such room was the "History class". The teacher, an athletic coach and part time teacher, addressed the parents. He explained that he didn't know what to tell them because "History is such a dull SUbject". One has to wonder why they assign such a person to teach one of the most interesting and important subjects. During these years, the Wilsons would put a down-payment on a house and then rent it. While they never experienced huge profits, it was a profitable venture and it kept Morley occupied evenings and weekends. When they had the opportunity they would sell the house and usually reinvested the money in another one. Altogether they owned four rental properties, but usually only one or two at a time. Eventually they sold all of them as the maintenance time became too much of a burden. Such things as repairs, cleaning and painting and showing the property to,p~,ctive renters, got very burdensome. Meanwhile, the job at Sunshine Hospital kept Morley very busy. He studie&, visited other facilities and attended seminars at University of Indiana, University of Michigan and University of Chicago. He applied for admission to the College of Hospital Administration. At first he was rejected because of insufficient scholastic �119 credentials but later was permitted to take the examinations and had no difficulty in passing the written and oral examinations. Sunshine Hospital had passed the accreditation requirements thanks to Dr. Ireland's efforts as well as a very efficient staff. Morley was happy in his job, though he was severely shaken when his secretary was caught in an insurance billing scam for which she was convicted and incarcerated for approximately one year. It was not easy to testify against someone whom he liked and trusted so completely. A new hospital, Kent Oaks, was built on the same campus and the Administrator, Ben Jones, became very ill, almost immediately. Morley was asked to assume responsibility for the administration of that mental health facility. So for approximately three years, he supervised both hospitals. Unfortunately this built a little resentment on Dr. Ireland's part but it was a catch 22 situation. There was no way Morley could refuse the added duties and stay in the good graces of the county officials. Vollie Jones was the head nurse and fortunately, she did a lions' share of the work. She was a great person with which to work. She never resented Morley's impositions and soon they became good friends. In the meantime, Ben Jones passed away and the job lasted longer than was anticipated. Ann spent her summers at home and she worked as a waitress in order to help finance her college expenses. Her ability to organize and to remember apparently stood her in good stead as the Wilsons had very good reports about her work. Morley used to pick her up after her work at about 11 :00 PM. He usually waited outside the restaurant. On one such occasion, he was waiting in Holly's parking lot on Jefferson Avenue when he heard a public telephone ringing. It kept ringing so he finally climbed out of his car and answered it. A creepy voice said, "I have the back of your head in my rifle sight. Morley suspected it was someone trying to frighten him so he replied, "Well, why don't you go ahead and pull the trigger?" After he had time to think it over, he decided that was a very stupid suggestion but fortunately nothing ha,med. The next year Ann worked at Sayfees restaurant where the neighborhood was different. Her true character began to shine through. Another waitress had served several people at a table and the diners had left without paying the check. The policy of the restaurant was to deduct such losses from the tips and wages of the waitress. Ann felt so sorry for the waitress that she and some of the other waitresses voluntarily shared �120 in the deficit. It seemed an unfair policy to Ann but it goes to show that corporate greed can happen at any level. The Officials of Kent County decided to close Maple Grove Medical Care Facility and to enlarge Sunshine Hospital from 180 beds to 540 beds. There had been a gradual reduction in tuberculosis patients from 180 down to about 50. In order to utilize the empty beds, the hospital started admitting chronic medical patients. These were mostly, but not entirely, stroke cases, heart cases and cancer cases. It was not long before there were for more so-called chronic medical patients than tuberculosis patients. After several meetings with out Board and County officials, it was decided to build a large addition to Sunshine Hospital. It was to be a 370 bed addition totaling 550 beds. A local architect, Robert Wold, was contacted and given a contract to draw up the plans. Morley was named the coordinating person to assist in the planning and development of the new facility. It would henceforth be known as Kent Community Hospital. Many meetings with staff and architect were held. Morley sensed a resentment on Dr. Ireland's part which grew. He felt that was, in part, because the county was consultinq with him instead of with Dr. Ireland. He was not able to breach this growing se, ......., schism. He finally decided that he would ignore it and held many staff meetings in which he needed medical input but managed to get along by consulting with others. This only served to exacerbate the situation and just before the County Board appointed their own hospital board, Dr. Ireland resigned. He was certainly a pioneer in tuberculosis treatment, and Morley respected him for that. He had reduced T~B in Kent County more than any other person and he should always be honored for that. He had a paranoia about county supervisors, mostly based upon his experience at other governmental facilities. He was not all wrong but he let it gnaw at hi~ psyche until it affected his ability to perform his principal task. He called Morley into his office and said that the two of them should resign at the same time. Morley said that he could not afford to do this. From that day on he did not speak to Morley again. He carried out his plans to resign and Dr. Boet acted as temporary medical director. To Dr. Ireland's credit, it should be mentioned that he was under an enormous tension during his last two years. His wife died with cancer and he simply did not have the patience to endure a building program, government red tape and the uncertainties of �121 reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Morley felt like he had lost a friend but he did not quite know what to do about it. The next few months were hectic at the hospital. The County "Axed" the old board by the simple expedient of not reappointing them. This was a terrible blow to people like Larry Callahan who had given so much of his time and had truly donated thousands of hours of his time. Phil Buchan had already resigned to take up his duties as chief legal advisor to President Gerald Ford. The County let it be known that the new Administrator would not be a physician and invited Morley to apply for the job. After due consideration, Morley said he would accept the job if appointed by recommended that the new Board hire a graduate from the Hospital Administration program. It wasn't long before the politics of the situation began to evolve. Howard Claus called Morley to say that he was interested in the job but would not want to apply unless Morley indicated that he would be willing to act as assistant. Claus further stated that he had an inside track for the appointment if he submitted his application. Morley assured Howard that he would not oppose him and would be willing to stay on in an assistants role, if that was the decision of the new board. It was all pretty much cut and dried. Fred Winter was appointed chairman of the new board and from that #", ...~. date, Morley soon learned that Fred Winters was the Administrator, Howard was the . , Associate Director and Morley was the 2ncf Associatea with little influence. The housekeeper complained to Morley because the activity/chapel room was taking so long to set up. Howard had objected to the ceiling mounted movie screen being mounted in the front of the room (over the pulpit). He had ordered the housekeeper to move it to a more obscure place in the rear of the room. This meant moving and turning all of the chairs twice a week. Morley was incensed and felt that Howard was wrong in interfering in his departmental operation. Howard seldom made prompt decisions. He usually said, "I want to sleep on it." Deciphered, that meant he would ask his wife about it and if he was still in doubt he would check with Fred Winter. Morley confronted Howard and Howard said he would think about his decision. The screen stayed in the rear and the only point gained was that he agreed to discussion before interfering with those functions assigned to Morley. Another time, the Gideon Bible representative asked Morley for permission to place one Bible in each of the patient desk drawers. Morley replied that he would �12Z. accept a dozen Bibles to be kept in the Patients' Library and the patients who desired them could have them in their rooms. About a week later, a large shipment of Bibles arrived (approximately 550 Bibles). The Gideon representative had gone over Morley's head and obtained permission from Howard. Again, Morley confronted Howard and again Morley lost the argument. One day, Howard informed Morley that Fred Winter had a friend who was a medical social worker and Fred wanted the hospital to hire him as Chief Social Worker. Morley stalled to check the applicant's credentials. He found that they were in order but his references were very shaky. He had been discharged from two positions because of his penchant for improper physical contact with the female staff. Morley checked with Kent Community Social Worker. She knew the applicant and said she would tender her resignation rather than work with this person. Based upon this information, Morley went to a meeting with Fred Winter and Claus and took the firm position that he would not hire this applicant. Fred Winter was incensed and said that he didn't care what information Morley had, that he knew this man to be a fine Christian gentleman and that Howard should go ahead and hire him. After a very heated discussion, Fred said, the "This man goes to my church and I say hire him." Morley said, "I don't give a s'~jt what church he belongs to, I simply do not want him as my employee." At this point, Fred rose from his chair and said, "Well, I care what church he goes to and don't your ever forget it." Morley said, "Alright but if you force me to hire this man I will go public with it and this argument could end up on the front page of the Grand Rapids Press." The meeting ended, and the next day, Morley was transferred as the new director of Kent Oaks Hospital. He was relieved of his duties at Kent Community Hospital. The never did hire the applicant in question. You can fight City Hall. but sometimes it is not financially rewarding. Howard was (IV given a generous raise .pay and Morley received a 2% increase instead of the 5-'-- /0 -Z...., increase other employees received. Morley was warmly welcomed at Kent Oaks by both the employees and the medical staff. For the next seven years,m he was pretty much isolated from Kent Community Hospital happenings and was allowed to run Kent Oaks as he saw fit. Morley had a difficult time recruiting Medical Directors. Eugene Sevensma was first but after about three years he went into private practice. Finally, Morley persuaded Kenneth Nickel to accept the job and 'from that day , his life was easier. �12~ Betsy Vandercook was his secretary and she proved to be like his right arm. Vollie Jones was Director of Nursing and was wonderful i:> work with. When Vallie retired, Sharon Ward took over her duties. With only very minor problems, Kent Oaks became a first rate hospital for the treatment of the mentally ill. It became the eecond mental hospital in Michigan to become accredited by the Joint Commission, and life seemed too good to be true. One day, the Chairman of the Board of county Commissioners visited and upon leaving said, "Morley, we have always been good friends so I want to give you a.tle advice. We were both in the military and you know how important it is to polish the brass. When members of the Board of County Commissioners call on you, be sure to roll out the Red Carpet. It doesn't hurt to serve a nice steak or do whatever you can to get on the right side of them." Morley thanked him but continued to serve the same food that the patients were served. He felt that it would have been dishonest to have done otherwise. During this time several programs at Kent Oaks were enlarged. In particular, the out-patient treatrwnt and the day care programs were increased and yet the patient care continued to grow. Mary's Mother became quite ill and had to be placed in a nursing home. She was only there a few weeks and had serious problems. She died in the night and her family missed her ~:rgf~1 Her good work ethic, her counsel, her wonderful cooking and her respect for what is good and true fill memories which will last as long as her family lasts. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsonM Title A name given to the resource Wilson, Morley (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wilson, Morley Description An account of the resource Morley Wilson joined the Michigan National Guard in 1937, resigned briefly in 1940, and rejoined to serve in World War II in the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division, in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines. He served most of the war as a supply officer, but also worked with engineers and had other administrative duties. On one occasion he served as host to Eleanor Roosevelt when she visited his unit in Australia. Poems and personal narrative appended to outline. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401 Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States--National Guard Video recordings Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-02-07 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d46e87b6d0be3489bffab9f1875c3426.jpg 2e493ec81a2dc3c2634f8f8d68b9080f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WilsteRalph Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wilste, Ralph Description An account of the resource Ralph Wilste, Mathematics Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f5d34d01fef9a10b207ecf4186844b22.m4v 06074182fbd010251bca845bee2900e1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e66a8a8003a1fe2ed2fe2c145455acf9.pdf c58899f5c74c20be2ee4a2105142f4fc PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Paul Wilt Cold War-Early 1960s 26 minutes 26 seconds (00:00:07) Early Life -Born in Fairmont, West Virginia on June 30, 1942 -Had a brother who is now deceased -Father worked and mother stayed at home -Played football, baseball, and wrestled when he was in high school (00:00:56) Enlisting in the Marines -Father had fought in World War II and brother also served in the military -Decided to enlist in the Marines in 1960 -Felt he had an obligation to serve his country -Considered going to college, but wasn't ready -Felt Marines were the best branch with the best training -Well prepared for combat (00:01:56) Basic Training -Leaving for basic training was emotional because he wouldn't see his family for a while -First few weeks of basic training were tough -Learned that he had a responsibility to himself and to the Marine Corps -Days started at 5 a.m. -Had 10-15 minutes to get dressed and get in formation -Ate breakfast, make bed, and get ready for drills and maneuvers -Days ended at 10 p.m. -Wakened by drill sergeants beating on something to wake up him and the other recruits -Remembers being forced to hold his M1 Garand rifle (~9 pounds) straight out from his body -Drill sergeants wanted to see how long the recruits could hold a rifle like that -Did push ups, chin ups, went on runs, and ran on obstacle courses -At first, the physical training was difficult, but he adjusted after a while -Received weapons training -Went on the rifle range and fired various weapons -Mostly the M1 Garand rifle, but also machine guns -Learned how to use hand grenades -Food was average during basic training, not too bad for the military (00:06:44) Assignments in the United States -Stationed at Marine Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia -Stood at a guard post, and allowed traffic in and out of the base -Sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1962 for Infantry Training -Ran maneuvers in combat situations and learned how to react in various combat situations (00:08:10) Cuban Missile Crisis Pt. 1 -During the Cuban Missile Crisis he and the other Marines at Camp Lejeune boarded planes -Flown to a destination without knowing what the final destination was -Carried a 45 pound pack -Finally landed at a warm location -Given ammunition and grenades �-Found out that night that they were in Cuba at Guantanamo Bay -Saw tanks and demolition equipment -There were 200,000 Cubans ready to fight if war started -Expected 100,000 of those Cubans would stand and fight if challenged -Only two battalions of Marines against 100,000 enemy soldiers -Note: Two battalions is approximately 2,000 Marines -Scared, and didn't know what to expect -Knew they were outnumbered by the Cubans -Didn't know there were 25,000 Marines offshore ready to invade, supported by an armada of ships -Didn't know if the United States was going to war in Cuba, and thus a nuclear war with the USSR (00�:12:20) Friendships -Formed friendships in the Marines -Best friend in the Marines was from California -Good man -Liked to party -Spent a lot of time together, got in trouble together, and had a lot of fun together (00:13:15) Contact with Family -Adjusted to not seeing his family every day -Knew it was part of growing up regardless of military service -Didn't think about not seeing them because he had other things on his mind -Just hoped he would see them again (00:13:56) Downtime -Not much downtime while in the Marines during the Cuban Missile Crisis -Placed on temporary duty in 1963 -Golfed, went to clubs, and took liberty in the United States -Visited Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina while at Camp Lejeune -Got weekends off sometimes -Visited Baltimore, Maryland; Washington D.C.; and South Carolina (00:15:12) Cuban Missile Crisis Pt. 2 -Didn't leave Cuba until December 1962 -Didn't find out why they were in Cuba until November 1962 (a month after the Crisis) -Cubans had turned off the water to the American territory at Guantanamo Bay -Found out that there nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union in Cuba -Didn't find out how close the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were to war until years later -Glad to be back in the United States after the Cuban Missile Crisis -Didn't know if he would have made it home -Remembers carrying multiple bandoliers and at least a dozen grenades -Didn't want to run out of ammunition if he went into combat (00:18:33) End of Service -Considered making a career out of the Marines, but he had a wife and child -Didn't want to make them move around with him -Kept in touch with California friend from Marines after he got discharged (00:19:42) Reflections on Service -Lives in a great country -Too many people don't appreciate the freedoms they have -Lost a lot of friends in the Vietnam War -Military protects citizens' rights to protest and criticize the country -Doesn't feel that the military is given enough credit -Politicians need to listen to military leadership �-He would gladly serve again if necessary -Feels people aren't willing to fight for their freedoms � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_WiltP1849V Title A name given to the resource Wilt, Paul L (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-12 Description An account of the resource Paul Wilt was born in West Virginia on June 30, 1942. He enlisted in the Marines in 1960 and after basic training received assignments in the United States. He was stationed at Marine Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia carrying out guard duties, and received infantry training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He also went on temporary duty to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wilt, Paul L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wilt, Alexander (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/496fd374585cb081a7100dc471f1ca53.m4v fb17102d2e60166d6dad92d3ccfe0213 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/948a3f70078c644ee3e79bd7799000fe.pdf 6cb5490a3e041c10b45c582da6a10336 PDF Text Text Interview Notes Interview Length (47:55) Forrest Winchester US Navy Pre-Enlistment Born in Kent County in 1925 (0:30) Father was a tinsmith (0:45) Was able to keep his job during the Great Depression (1:30) Finished high school in 1943 (2:00) Heard about Pearl Harbor while he was at his grandparents' house (2:15) Thought he would be a part of the war (3:00) Drafted straight from high school (3:05) Training Reported to Detroit, Michigan (3:30) Went to the Navy because his cousin liked it (4:00) Went to Great Lakes, Illinois, for basic training (4:45) Adjusted as well as possible to training (5:05) Didn’t do anything vigorous because of poor weather (6:00) Took tests to determine what specialty (7:15) Went to radio technician’s school in Gulfport, Alabama (7:30) Never ridden a train before he went to Gulfport (7:45) Lived in Quonset huts in AL (8:40) Specifically trained to repair radios and radar (9:00) Had no prior experience to this (9:10) Stayed there for several months (9:40) Went off base several times (10:00) Was sent back to Great Lakes, then to San Francisco (11:40) Boarded a troop ship, then headed out to Hawaii (11:50) Was on the Lurline, a luxury passenger ship (12:00) Came down with scarlet fever on the voyage (12:30) Took 5 days to get to Hawaii (12:45) Was in sick bay on the base for 2 weeks (13:20) Service overseas Took liberty in Honolulu once out of the hospital (14:15) Was put on a British carrier afterwards, ferrying planes to the South Pacific (14:30) Offloaded on the island of Manus, a supply island (15:40) Worked there for several months, moving supplies on to ships (16:55) Mainly went from the barracks to work (16:15) USS Formoe After, he was assigned to the USS Formoe in the engine room (17:20) Was seasick for 3 days, but was not relieved of his work load (17:45) �Read gauges and other basic things (17:50) Formoe had been in the Atlantic, now was in the Pacific (18:10) Ship had convoy duty between the Philippines to Okinawa (18:50) Most danger came from submarines and floating mines (19:50) Floating mines were taken care of by a rifle crew (20:45) Chased several submarines, but never saw one surface (21:20) Took close to 12 convoys across (22:30) Had to take some convoys to Formosa, but terrible storms came up (23:00) Came close to flipping, but never did (24:00) Had worked his way up to the radio shack by that time (24:30) Was great need for repair work (24:50) Radio shack was a portion of the bridge (25:40) Had a communications officer that kept tabs on all the personnel working in the radio (26:20) Mostly slept when he was not on duty (27:20) Had his own bunk, but had to share a rack with 2 other guys (27:45) Showed movies only when in port, when they could put up a screen (28:20) Had tables that would fold down in bad weather, only got soup then (28:50) Food got them by, but wasn’t anything great (29:10) Spent several weeks in each convoy (29:40) East Asia When they were in port in Okinawa, they would make smoke to disguise the ships from Japanese air raids (30:40) Saw some of the destruction from the harbor (32:00) Offloaded many Australian troops in Tarakan, an island off of Borneo (32:45) Were the artillery for those troops invading the island (33:40) Had quite a few ships there (34:10) Australians were pretty gung-ho veterans (35:00) Stayed there several weeks, but never went ashore (35:10) War ended on his way back to the Philippines (35:30) Spent a week in Tokyo after the war, and could see the damage from the fire bombing (37:00) Went ashore on liberty, and the Japanese were not friendly (37:30) Wore a flag embroidered with the ship and his name on the back lining of his jacket (39:30) Spent a while in Shanghai, everything was in good shape (40:00) Also spent time in Hong Kong (41:00) Once finished in Tokyo, he headed back (41:45) Stopped at Midway Island, navigator stayed up all night to make sure they didn’t miss it (41:50) Went to Hawaii next, then to San Francisco (42:35) Should’ve been discharged at Great Lakes, but was discharged in San Francisco (42:45) Post-service Met some Air Force pilots who had just bought a plane and were flying from San Francisco to Chicago (43:15) Flew home with about 12 other guys (43:30) Made it all in one trip, didn’t have to stop to refuel (44:10) Took a train home to Grand Rapids (44:20) Parents didn’t know when he was coming home, surprised them at the door (44:50) �Applied to MSU and used the GI Bill (45:45) Graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering and went into the industry (45:50) Worked for Kelvinator doing quality control, then moved on to consulting (46:15) Retired twice, kept going back (47:20) Military was a good interruption in life, taught him many things (47:45) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WinchesterF Title A name given to the resource Winchester, Forrest (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Winchester, Forrest Description An account of the resource Forrest Winchester was born in Kent County in 1925 and was drafted into World War II from high school. Forrest joined the Navy because his cousin enjoyed it, and left basic training as a radio repairman. He served on several ships in the Pacific, and during and after the war sailed to Borneo, Okinawa, China and Japan. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-03-31 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dd8e497f80ee63e3a4b63c41f0647c3f.jpg b903a1766d146fa4c0d4fba77985cc59 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_000742 Title A name given to the resource Wind generator constructed for use at the Pear Orchard Project Description An account of the resource Wind machine constructed on the Allendale campus for use at the Pear Orchard Project by the Thomas Jefferson College students. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Facilities Property Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives color photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/567d54476018b907c7b7eaa1bf42e327.jpg 81f61329190e94f8e7bc74e831a0f63e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_000743 Title A name given to the resource Wind generator constructed for use at the Pear Orchard Project Description An account of the resource Wind machine constructed on the Allendale campus for use at the Pear Orchard Project by the Thomas Jefferson College students. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Facilities Property Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives black and white photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/656f86a290db8ed737b998b15fb2728e.jpg 629d7d7dfee90d41e070a82512a7960a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WindDeb Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Wind, Deb Description An account of the resource Deb Wind Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/db72f38e22a52a749468f370bc8d5610.mp4 d78179edddf9096469064e45c7972317 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/65391226d6626c0cd68b015c94749205.pdf af7be1e7ce1f5148e3e6cc987b1cb2d0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Charles Windisch (30:55) (00:10) Background Information • • • • • Charles grew up in Allegan County, in Gibson, Michigan His father was a gardener and his mother was a housekeeper. Neither of them lost their jobs during the depression He grew up in Holland, Michigan during the 30s and it was rough He was finished with school by the time that Pearl Harbor was attacked He had went to school through sixth grade and then began working on the coal docks (1:50) The National Guard • • • • • He was already in the National Guard when Pearl Harbor was attacked He had joined the National Guard when he was only sixteen years old He had been too young for the National Guard to ship him overseas, so he then joined the Navy He had been in the National Guard for 1.5 years and had trained in Wisconsin The other men he had trained within the National Guard were shipped out to New Guinea (3:30) Naval Enlistment • • • • He trained in Newport, Rhode Island for only 7 days Charles and other men left on the USS Nashville for Europe and they continued their training aboard the ship Charles had specifically joined the Navy because he did not want to sleep in a foxhole Most of the on the ship were fairly new to the environment (6:00) The Ship • • • They left in December and were out at sea for nine months They traveled to Hawaii though the Panama Canal Charles spent most of his time on the ship in the carpenter shop (7:30) The Raid on Japan • • • • They were 500 miles from Japan when they finally were told the details of their mission He saw all the planes take off from the air-craft carrier They went back to Hawaii afterwards Charles traveled through the Pacific to Guam, the Philippines, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima (9:40) Guam �• • • Their ship was involved in naval battles There was a major battle at night that was very scary; they were losing the fight at first, but they made their way out of it They had been hit by heavy Japanese shells (11:10) Okinawa • • • There were kamikazes dropping all around them Lots of smoke was put out by destroyers so Kamikazes could not see them The smoke worked well because you could not even see your hand in front of your face (12:15) Ship Life • • • The men had to take care of the water-tight doors and control the pumps There was lots of work to keep them busy They were shot at many times and took lots of battle damage (14:50) Making Alcohol • • • • • The men made their own drinks on the ship and then a huge storm hit when they were all drunk The ship officers found out who had made the alcohol The men were transferred and had to go to Frog-man school They went to the Philippines and planted TNT along the beach to keep the Japanese off the beach He was sitting on the beach hiding under grass when the Japanese invaded (19:40) Iwo Jima • • They had finished with their Frog-man work Charles was here while the invasion occurred and they were helping fight kamikazes (21:35) Philippines Kamikazes • • The back of their ship was hit and some of the men died It took two months for the ship to be fixed (22:50) Okinawa • The people here were jumping off cliffs (23:40) The End of the War • • • • They went from Pearl Harbor to San Francisco to be released They dropped the ship off at a ship yard to be repaired Charles ended up in Norfolk, Virginia and was released He headed straight home on a train and everyone was happy and drinking �(26:50) After the Service • •   Charles went back to working for the coal docks He said that being in the service gave him a lot of experience � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context WindischC Title A name given to the resource Windisch, Charles (Interview outline and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Windisch, Charles Description An account of the resource Charles Windisch grew up in Holland, Michigan during the depression. Although times were rough, his parents were both able to hold on to their jobs during the depression. Charles went to school through the sixth grade and joined the National Guard when he was only sixteen. He eventually enlisted in the Navy and traveled through the Pacific to islands such as Hawaii, Guam, and Okinawa. He served between 1941 and 1946 primarily on the USS Nashville, but also did a stint as a demolitions frogman. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Navy United States--National Guard World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-06-29 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2d7c0ce382725d9fa996cd725fa07525.jpg 4eefffde9046217e09e3cb6cd14f3230 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1970s Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">University photographs, GV012-01</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_000937 Title A name given to the resource Windmill on Allendale campus Description An account of the resource Windmill on Allendale campus. Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives black and white photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8a0009678d4e2a1e45a124b1b48a661d.m4v dd42cdea8bcb38af49f80d5343fa3a76 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4e927ab904ab7ea87e099d830f03e8c4.pdf f29250bb5944b16791e297b1ccff0f0a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Bernie Windmiller Vietnam War; Cold War 28 minutes 31 seconds *Note: Times in the outline correspond with timecode in interview (01:51:53) Early Life & Enlisted Service -Born on July 3, 1932, in Gary, Indiana -Drafted into the Army in 1954 -Left college after two years and got drafted -Sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training -Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for field radio training -Learned about use of field radios and Morse code -Deployed to South Korea -Spent six (or eight) months at the demilitarized zone -Part of a small unit of nine or ten men -Five enlisted men at a small compound and the officers helped the South Koreans -Officers were attached to the 11th Republic of Korea Division -Sent to Army headquarters in Daegu and worked the switchboard -Had 11 women work with him (01:54:15) Becoming a Chaplain Pt. 1 -Raised in a very religious home -Active in his church -Involved with a religious television program in college -Before he got drafted, he felt he was heading for the ministry -While in Korea, he only saw a chaplain once every three months -Thought the Army was short on chaplains -Didn’t realize it was because his post was so remote -Felt he was being called to the chaplaincy -Returned to college and went into the seminary -Professor in seminary had been a Navy chaplain during World War II -Held an informal class at night for students interested in the chaplaincy -Part of the staff specialist corps (no uniform, and a chance to try out being in the Army) -Graduated from seminary and got into an Army Reserve unit on Southside of Chicago -Also had a church on the South Side of Chicago -Sent to basic course for chaplains at Fort Hamilton, New York -Solidified his decision to become a chaplain -Petitioned his denomination for endorsement -Sent to 5th Army Headquarters in Chicago for an interview, and was accepted �(01:57:00) Stationed at Fort Riley -Joined them in spring 1966 -Sent to Fort Riley, Kansas -Attached to the 9th Infantry Division -Trained with them (01:57:30) Becoming a Chaplain Pt. 2 -Went to Fuller Theological Seminary -Inter-denominational seminary -Prestigious seminary -Didn’t think he would’ve been accepted into that seminary -Good experience (01:58:08) Deployment to Vietnam -Part of the 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Riley -Shipped out of America on January 1, 1967 -Sent his wife and children to Ohio around Christmastime -Returned to Fort Riley and held Christmas services -Left by ship out of California in January 1967 -Arrived in Vietnam on January 19, 1967 (01:59:42) Arrival in Vietnam & Reassignment to 4th Battalion -Went to Bearcat Base, the headquarters for the 9th Infantry Division -Received more combat training -During the final part of training, the division chaplain approached Bernie -Told him he’d be reassigned to 4th Battalion th -Stayed with 4 Battalion for the rest of his tour in Vietnam -Army Engineers built a base camp at Dong Tam for the 4th Battalion (02:01:33) Missions & Combat in Vietnam -Rotated on and off Navy ships -Went through the Mekong River Delta to various outposts via armored troop carriers -Had to contend with 10 – 12 foot tides -Mostly Viet Cong forces operating in the Mekong Delta -4th Battalion was tasked with search & destroy missions -Got into a huge fight with the Viet Cong on June 19, 1967 -Took a lot of casualties -Wanted to be with his soldiers in the field, regardless of combat -Only missed one combat operation -Tended to the wounded and helped gather the dead -Lost 60 soldiers during his tour in Vietnam -He was older than most of the men in his unit -He was 36 years old when he went to Vietnam -He was a captain, and other captains were in their mid-20s -Went on combat marches with the troops -Very close with C Company -With them on the battle of June 19th �-Originally supposed to be with A Company -C Company commander wanted him to stay with C Company, so Bernie stayed -C Company took 50 percent casualties during the battle -Attends annual reunions for C Company (02:07:50) Return to the United States -Came back to the United States on January 1, 1968 -Landed north of San Francisco -Flew to Chicago to meet his wife and be with her for a few days -Went to Ohio to be with his wife and children -Invited by the Ministerial Association of Wellington, Ohio, to speak about his time in Vietnam -After his presentation, a couple girls from Oberlin College approached him to talk -Group of antiwar protesters tried to confront Bernie about Vietnam -He told them that he went to Vietnam to help soldiers, not fight (02:12:00) Stationed at Fort Campbell -Sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky -His division chaplain in Vietnam, Charles Meek, was the post chaplain at Fort Campbell -Stationed there for 1 ½ years -Worked with an engineer unit -Made the stockade chaplain (02:13:23) Stationed in West Germany -Sent to West Germany -Attached to the 5th Missile Battalion off the 6th Air Defense Artillery (Nike missiles) -Operated out of Baumholder, Germany -Stayed in Germany for three years -Travelled to missile sites to minister to soldiers -Taught himself to play guitar and sing hymns -Drugs were an issue in Germany at the time -Needed to counsel soldiers with drug addictions -Given a basement area in an administrative building as a counselling area -Connected with four soldiers and invited them to dinner at his home -Formed a band with them -Missiles were tipped with nuclear warheads -Needed soldiers to be sober due to the severity of their job (02:16:50) Further Education Pt. 1 -Returned to the United States in 1973 -Took the advanced course for chaplains from 1973-1974 -Studied for his master’s degree in counselling at Long Island University -Promoted to major during his time there (02:17:30) Stationed at Fort Sill -Sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma -Made the brigade chaplain for the 212th Field Artillery Brigade -Wonderful assignment -Almost retired from the Army while at Fort Sill �-In a supervisory position and he didn’t enjoy it, just wanted to minister to soldiers -Another chaplain convinced him to stay in the Army -Convinced him by saying that supervisory positions are necessary (02:19:24) Further Education Pt. 2 -Started a doctorate of ministry degree, but was unable to complete it -Army sent him to Duke University to study world religions -He enjoyed doing that < Tape ends before interview ends > � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_WindmillerB2075V Title A name given to the resource Windmiller, Bernie (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-10-26 Description An account of the resource Bernie Windmiller was born in Gary, Indiana, on July 3, 1932. The Army drafted him in 1954 and he received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then field radio training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was deployed to South Korea where he served on the demilitarized zone and at Daegu. He decided to become a chaplain, and upon completion of seminary, he reentered the Army as a chaplain. His first assignment was at Fort Riley, Kansas, with 3rd Battalion of the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. He was deployed to Vietnam in January 1967 and was originally stationed at Bearcat Base. Shortly after arriving, he was reassigned to 4th Battalion. During his time in Vietnam, he operated in the Mekong River Delta and went on combat missions with the troops. He returned to the United States in January 1968, and was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He then served in West Germany for three years with the 5th Missile Battalion of the 6th Air Defense Artillery (Nike nuclear missiles). He returned to the United States in 1973 and took the advanced course of chaplains, then got his master's degree at Long Island University. He served at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, with the 212th Artillery Brigade then went to Duke University. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Windmiller, Bernie Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Keizer, Herman Jr. (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ccec4a128570d435a79ac9165a03a68a.jpg 547a5c141a8695db1ba82e737a0b8e28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023 Description An account of the resource Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183). Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023. Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-2011 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Photographs Photography -- United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183_A017-1090 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-05 Title A name given to the resource Window View of "Bonnie" Boat in Saugatuck Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a close-up view of a fishing tug boat named "Bonnie" and its bridge windows reflecting the surrounding waters in Saugatuck, Michigan in May 1960. Photograph by Douglas R. Gilbert. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Saugatuck (Mich.) Boats and boating Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bd843770fe479fb407613dec61e62817.jpg 771366bff426a686b0b1f22bba8d3cfb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_EastmanAlbum_1_1909_085 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909-08-22 Title A name given to the resource Windsor Park Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of shoreline at Windsor Park, Rochester, New York. A large building is seen in the right side of the frame, and people can be seen walking along the shore. Subject The topic of the resource Rochester (N.Y.) Parks Outdoor recreation Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4adf523518f46e1c23206f9620239913.jpg d98aece0d988f95f19c246c92be069ba Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-70s-coll_0029 Title A name given to the resource Windswept Trees Among the Coastal Dunes Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of windswept trees lining the coastal dunes of Saugatuck. The body of water is difficult to identify as it may be a portion of the Kalamazoo River, Oxbow Lagoon, or even the lakeshore. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich) Allegan County (Mich) Sand dunes Black-and-white photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by the Saugatuck Douglas History Center as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7418a7e4d03049bc761bf9c55749d09f.jpg 300360ba502b9faeb3ebe61cbdf4a384 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Decorated Publishers' Bindings Subject The topic of the resource Book covers Covers (Illustration) Graphic arts Publishers and publishing Pictorial bindings Description An account of the resource From the early 1870s to roughly 1930, many publishers issued their commercial book covers with a remarkable variety of graphic designs and illustrations. This sixty-year period saw many artists and designers contributing to this art form. While some can be identified from their style or initials, others remain unknown. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seidman Rare Books Collection Michigan Novels Collection Regional Historical Collection Lincoln and the Civil War Collection Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-08-30 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>, <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-01 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source Seidman Rare Books. PR6039.O24 W56 1899 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-01_Bindings0403 Title A name given to the resource Windyhaugh: A Novel Description An account of the resource Binding of Windyhaugh: A Novel, by Graham Travers, published by D. Appletons & Company, 1899. Subject The topic of the resource Book covers Covers (Illustration) Graphic arts Publishers and publishing Pictorial bindings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1899 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/73f0a8d6797e66ab143852b5992ce445.jpg b580137f29e074b9a85fbc80d6d972df Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_LS00354 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1937-04-05 Title A name given to the resource Wine carts at Cumae Description An account of the resource Black and white lantern slide (dark) of a loaded wine cart. Subject The topic of the resource Lantern slides Cumae (Extinct city) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives