76 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3ce2dd37b54e5c14b4c01fc0e427dc75.jpg 5f98b214e1a6afc5ddc30a148eeb2925 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 BeloteGlenda_photo02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Belote, Glenda Description An account of the resource Glenda Belote, Housing and Residence Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College administrators 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/10011774deec90ac4e51fe0190abe180.jpg 7d2d6fc8e47176952fde1d756c16b80b 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_2_1909-1911_060 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1911-08-09 Title A name given to the resource Below timber line, Pikes Peak, Colorado Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph showing view of Pikes Peak, Colorado below timber line. Subject The topic of the resource Colorado Pikes Peak (Colo.) Landscapes Mountains Railways 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/1c3aac6846bf2d87f1b3d53f497ab671.jpg c1d98c69e5359208695afbe9b428c652 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 Temple B'nai Israel Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Temple B'nai Israel (Muskegon, Mich.) Description An account of the resource Collection of photographs, scrapbooks, programs, minutes, and other records of the Temple B'nai Israel in Muskegon, Michigan. The collection was created as part of the L'dor V'dor project directed by Dr. Marilyn Preston, and was supported by grants from the Kutsche Office of Local History and Michigan Humanities Council. Original materials were digitized by the University Libraries and returned to the synagogue. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital objects were contributed by Temple B'nai Israel as part of the L'dor V'dor project. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Jews--United States Muskegon (Mich.) Scrapbooks Synagogues Women--Societies and clubs Minutes (Records) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Preston, Marilyn Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Relation A related resource L'dor V'dor (project) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-08 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Text Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Circa 1920s-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-08_Bema_1948 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource B'nai Israel Temple Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1948 Title A name given to the resource Bema Description An account of the resource A picture of the bema or bimah, an elevatated platform for Torah reading. Subject The topic of the resource Jews--United States Muskegon (Mich.) Altarpieces Synagogues Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by the B'nai Israel Temple as part of the L'dor V'dor project. Relation A related resource L'dor V'dor (project) 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 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/61c7b07e9dfa189ca063a46164302cdb.jpg cfda8db19f5fa368ccc7dedcf6046cc1 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_Graflex_C_1938_002 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938-08-17 Title A name given to the resource Ben Abbot house Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of the house of Benjamin Abbot, known as the accuser of Martha Carrier of witchraft in Salem. The house has three connected wings, and a wagon is visible in the courtyard between two wings behind a large tree. A short stone wall is visible in the foreground of the image. Subject The topic of the resource Salem (Mass.) 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/4ee79a5613ae4bbe1ec11f68d4c39109.jpg c6a4c6ce504c72c1dcffc979257072ee https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a42429fcd9c6156436f3bd5a1707ddad.jpg c8e3f104fc1149e2c94c68296b98081c 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-Brigham-D_0018 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917 Title A name given to the resource Ben and Fido, circa 1917 Description An account of the resource Photograph of Ben H. Eddy and Fido at Beech-Hurst, two automobiles are in the background, circa 1917. On the reverse, an inscription reads "Ben and Fido, Overland in the Backround." Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Automobiles Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham 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 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/67122bcc8c699cd03d97028c66187e5c.jpg 575e8dd4b1496b9b07449204f3f4eab7 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-Brigham-D_0011 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 Title A name given to the resource Ben Eddy on a horse Description An account of the resource Photograph of Benjamin Hathaway Eddy riding a horse. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham 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 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/507b6350b11fbd5163c1d8ff27c7147d.jpg 2f84b61a018bb6af3d1a616f4631273d 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-Brigham-D_0017 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Title A name given to the resource Ben Eddy plowing the Beech-Hurst field Description An account of the resource Benjamin Hathaway Eddy plows the south field at Beech-Hurst with the 1929 Fordson tractor. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Agriculture Farmers Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham 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 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942 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/ecc0bd9b5c1b9aece45c1e70595ddec6.jpg f25a9ed032b9323574228e9de51f8d0b 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-Brigham-D_0010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 Title A name given to the resource Ben Eddy with goat Description An account of the resource Photograph of Benjamin Hathaway Eddy holding onto a goat with a thin rope. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Goats Children Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham 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 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/338819590472571bb1750c646d719db3.jpg d8dd8c4417c0f38fadde831aeb94358a 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. PS3134 .B4 1903 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_Bindings0136 Title A name given to the resource Ben Hur Description An account of the resource Binding of Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace, published by Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1903. 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 1903 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/4104ebfdbffd1447b36d087807b92e25.pdf 4612d87fb5ee4f075e4db9695a6a41c1 PDF Text Text 1 Grand Valley State University Special Collections Kent County Oral History Collections, RHC-23 Josephine Bender Interviewed on September 9, 1971 Edited and indexed by Don Bryant, 2010 – bryant@wellswooster.com Tape 1 & 2 (30:40) Biographical Information: Josephine Bender was born 17 April 1894 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of Charles Henry Bender and Sally Knapp. Josephine died aged 101 years old on 26 March 1996 in Grand Rapids. She and her parents are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery. Charles Henry Bender was born 11 September 1860 in Batavia, Genesee County, New York, the son of William Bender and Josephine Hamberger. The parents were born in Bavaria and Baden, respectively. Charles Bender came to Grand Rapids in 1881. He died 28 March 1936. Charles married Sally Knapp 5 February 1891. She was born in 1871 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Theodore J. Knapp and (_____). Sally died in 1953. ___________ Interviewer: Where did you grow up as a child? Miss Bender: I grew up in Grand Rapids and I was born in a street called Terrace Avenue, which was an extension of Prospect Street, south of Wealthy. There was one block in there which was all built up, beyond that, it was mostly vacant lots and an occasional house here and there. A good many prominent people in Grand Rapids, at that time, lived there. For instance, the Wilder Stevens lived on that block. He was in Foster Stevens [Foster, Stevens & Company], which was the big china, silverware, and that sort of thing store. Then there were the Leonards, the Frank Leonards, Mr. Leonard had another big china store. The Mormans, they were the big, or one of the big, coal companies S.A. Morman & Company. The parsonage for the Baptist Church was right across the street from our house. I can remember that there was a Mr. Randall [Rev. John Herman Randall] who was the minister, very popular man. A good many people came up there of the evening to get married. My father would be sitting on the front porch in his smoking jacket and slippers in the evening and Mr. Randall would come across the street and say, “Bender, come on over and stand up with these two.” So, my father [Charles H. Bender] would go over and be the best man, for someone he had never seen before. It was a very interesting block. Then just north of Wealthy, it was almost all a Dutch population. That was where Kos’s grocery store got started, it being, to begin with, just a little addition on the front of the Kos’s house. They had things like needles and thread and bread (there wasn’t much bread bought at that time). Yeast cakes I remember well because I was always being sent over for a yeast cake or two. There was a very fine street of substantial Dutch (Holland) people. Interviewer: Now the neighborhood that you lived in, was that, you said a very short street? �2 Miss Bender: Yes, it [Terrace Avenue] was only between Wealthy & Logan. Interviewer: About how many families lived on that street? Miss Bender: I suppose maybe twenty families lived on that street. They all owned their homes, of course, they didn’t change hands much. Much of the neighborhood life consisted of going over of an evening and sitting on somebody’s porch. There was a good deal of exchanging of food. Someone who had had a particularly good pie made well, they would take it over. If there was anything the matter with anybody then everybody took things to them, and saw that they were all right. It was probably more of a neighborhood because it was somewhat isolated than I would imagine, maybe, some other streets were here. It was a real closely knit little community; it was part of what was known as the Penney Addition. There was an old Colonel [Joseph] Penney, a Colonel in the Civil War, who bought up a great deal of property, and it would all have been south of Wealthy and about from Jefferson up to Morris, or College, along in there. This was known as the Penney Addition. Colonel Penney lived on the corner of Lafayette and Wealthy. He was very proud of the children. He would always talk about the wonderful children in the Penney Addition. Very few people in that neighborhood had horses. The street cars went down Wealthy. There was the Wealthy-Taylor Line, and the Wealthy-Scribner Line, and they both went down Wealthy. If you didn’t walk, which most people did, you took the street car, and then you would have to transfer frequently, but both these street cars, or both these lines, went down to Monroe Street, which was where everybody headed for shopping. But, I really can’t remember anybody in that block that owned horses. The kids had a lot of pets. We had a goat, which we had a little vehicle, known as a “do-se-do”, which we harnessed the goat to, and rode around. Everything was fine until the goat ate the neighbor’s laundry (the wash that was out one day), so unfortunately we then had to give up Billy, the goat. But, everybody of course had dogs, and everybody had a lovely garden. The lots happened to be quite deep on that street, and there were beautiful gardens in the back, and some at the side. Interviewer: Do you think the close-knit fabric in that neighborhood was due to its being somewhat isolated? Miss Bender: Somewhat, yes, I think so. I think of Madison Avenue, which was more of a through street, more built up further to the south than this little block of Terrace Ave. was. Although they were friendly, I think for one thing this was a rather narrow street, the street itself was fairly narrow. I do think that had something to do with it. It was a block that people wanted to live in. I remember the [J. Boyd] Pantlinds. I suppose they built the house which actually was the one I was born in. The Pantlinds moved up on College at that time, and so my parents bought that house. That one was little, not quite as large, I guess, as the one we lived in for probably ten or twelve more years after I was born, and then we moved next door. But, people were always wanting to move into that neighborhood. It was very closely knit. Interviewer: What business was your father in? �3 Miss Bender: Well, at that time my father was a court stenographer. He came here from Batavia, New York. Interviewer: Excuse me, what county is Batavia in? Miss Bender: Very near Buffalo, Genesee County, New York. He went to work when he was fourteen years old, I know, and he went to Buffalo to work. He worked in a place where they had just invented the typewriter. At this time, he was a boy, probably around fifteen or sixteen along there some place, and he was put in the window. He always told this story, about how he was put in the window of this store where they had this strange thing known as a typewriter, and he was made to work the typewriter in the window. Of course he didn’t know one key from the other, but it didn’t make any difference what he wrote. Large crowds of people would gather, and he would get in more flourishes as time went on, he said, pounding the keys. That got him into this kind of business because, of course, shorthand had been invented. There was an opening here. There was a Mr. [Melbourne H.] Ford who had a stenography and shorthand office, and he [Mr. Ford] went into Congress. Interviewer: Went into Congress? Miss Bender: It made an opening. He wanted someone to come into the office. In some way, I don’t know, my father heard about it and so he came out here. That was about 1883 or 1884, or somewhere around there [Ford served in Congress 1885-1886] Interviewer: Down at the library when reading some of those old history books of Grand Rapids, where they would give profiles, autobiographical profiles on some of these old people, I noticed that a considerable number of them came New York, and particularly out of Otsego County, New York. I was just wondering whether you know why so many of these people came from New York. Miss Bender: One thing, of course, that brought a great many people to this part of the country was the Erie Canal. Because, they could put their household goods on barges and go down the Erie Canal. Of course they would go into Ohio, not coming directly to Michigan, but then they came up from Ohio. I can remember quite a few old pieces of furniture in my friends’ houses and they would say this came with my grandfather on the Erie Canal. I think this opened up a great deal of migration from New York State. My father didn’t happen to come that way, but I can remember a lot of people that said that their ancestors, their grandparents usually, had come that way. Interviewer: What did your father do then? Miss Bender: He established an office here and was a court stenographer. He had an interesting time because the judges would go all around in Michigan on their circuits holding court, and my father would go along with them, and many of them became his very close friends and many of �4 the leading lawyers did, for that reason, because they would go, too. He would usually go Monday morning and he’d be gone all week. Newaygo was one place he went where they held court, then he’d go as far as, well, I know he went to Marquette a great deal. He learned a great deal of law that way. Eventually he became a banker. He went into what was known then as the Grand Rapids National Bank. They were the ones who built the McKay Towers. It was during the time my father was in the bank they built the McKay Towers, which it’s now called. But it was always called the Grand Rapids National Bank Building Interviewer: So, it was a bank building at one time? Miss Bender: Oh yes, it was built as a bank. It was tall and very exciting. Interviewer: Would you tell me the story again about when you father was on the Police and Fire Commission? Miss Bender: Well, that was part of the city government at that time, and it was very much coveted thing to be on the Police and Fire Commission. He was an ardent Democrat, when there were practically no Democrats to be found in the state of Michigan, but he was one of them. It was, probably, a Democrat mayor who appointed him. I think, he was appointed during the nineties [1890’s]. At one time very early in his career as a commissioner, they had an unfortunate thing happen, in which the fire department, which of course was horse-drawn at that time, was called to a fire along someplace on Monroe Street. At that time the Salvation Army held nightly meetings down on Campau Square. The Salvation Army was down there tooting away on their horns and holding their meeting and all of a sudden the fire department came tearing down what was known as Canal Street the (later know as Lower Monroe) and turned the corner. The man that was driving the horses saw that if he kept in the street, he would simply run right over the Salvation Army, so he went up onto the sidewalk which was against all the rules, and bypassed the Salvation Army and got to the fire. In 1936, our house burned, and we were living on College at that time. My father had died the spring before and we had this very bad fire. They did heroic work in saving what they could. Well, my mother was very grateful and so she called the chief of the fire department and he [the Chief] said, “Oh, Mrs. Bender. I’ve been waiting for many, many years to repay an old debt.” Then he told her what had happened the time that my father had sponsored his cause and pleaded his cause with the department. He had been discharged for doing this awful thing. My father pleaded his cause so enthusiastically that the man was reinstated, but a fine had to be paid, and I believe he said that my father went so far as to pay the fine for him. So he said, “It’s been many, many years, probably forty or more,” and he said, “I’ve just waited to repay that debt, and I’m glad I could have done what I did.” Interviewer: The Fire Chief was the one who ran the horses up on the sidewalk? Miss Bender: Yes. He said he was a young man at that point, of course. He was reinstated because of my father’s eloquent pleas, and he advanced so that at the time of the fire in 1936, he was the chief of the fire department. �5 Interviewer: You mentioned taking the streetcar downtown, what did people go downtown for mainly? Miss Bender: I can remember that it seems to me we made a daily trip downtown. There were things to be bought at the dry goods stores. There was a good deal of personal shopping to do that went on then, and I think also it was kind of exciting to go down and see what was going on. There was a dry goods store, which is now out of existence, which was called Friedman-Spring, which was down on Campau Square about where one of the 5 & 10 stores is now, Grants or along in there. It was a very good store. In the store they of course had all kinds of departments. The people were in them, year after year, and they grew old clerking in these stores. We used to go to that one a great deal. Then the Boston store was right next door to it. That was run by a Mr. [Charles] Trankla and owned by him. That was also a very good department store. Then there was Steketee’s, which was where it is now. There was Wurzburg’s, which was on lower Monroe. Well, it’s all been torn down now, it was down by Crescent on Lower Monroe. Then [here was] Herpolsheimers which was where Wurzburg’s downtown store is now. Those were the main department stores. Then there was a wonderful candy store named Miss Peale’s and it was run by Miss Peale and, I think, her sister. That would have been up a little east of Ionia on the south side of Monroe. I know she was open on Sundays because the Post Office was open on Sunday. If you wanted to go and walk to the post office and get your mail, which my father did every Sunday after church, and a great many other people did, you would walk down to the post office and then you would stop at Miss Peale’s and buy a box of candy. There was a wonderful chocolate candy called Allegrete. I can remember this was the great treat of the week when we would, after getting the mail at the post office, stop at Miss Peale’s and buy the pound box of Allegrete chocolates. Interviewer: Where was the post office located? Miss Bender: The post office was located where the Federal building still is on the corner of Pearl and Ionia. Of course, at that time it was not what the present building is. It was a smaller building. I know that the present building was built around 1908 or 1910, along in there. But, it was in that same location. There was another very interesting place that was along there on Ionia, where the Shepard garage used to be. It was called Lockerby’s Hall. I think the hall was on the second floor. A great many things were held there. Among other things, I can remember my parents telling me they learned to bicycle there. They had an indoor bicycling rink. This is where they went because, of course, bicycling was very popular around the nineties and around the turn of the century. My father apparently, made one trip around and ran into the wall, breaking the bicycle. That was the end of bicycling with him. But there was a great deal of bicycling that went on. I can remember this Lockerby’s Hall. Then there was Power’s Theatre where the Midtown is now, in the same building really. That was where the legitimates came. Grand Rapids was a great theatre place, one reason being that we were midway between Detroit and Chicago. They would do a “split” week. They would usually stop in Jackson for part of the week and do the rest of the week here in Grand Rapids. Companies that played in Detroit and were going to play long �6 engagements in these places, they were going to Chicago, so then they would stop off here. We had the great stars, they all came here. I think one reason is they liked it a lot here because by this time what used to be called Sweet’s Hotel had turned into the Pantlind and Mr. Boyd Pantlind, who was a most delightful, genial person, was the proprietor of it. He became great friends of all these leading actors. I think they would sort of arrange it to be sure they came to Grand Rapids. I had a lovely collection of autographed photographs that these men had given Mr. Pantlind over the years—Crane, Joe Jefferson, and all those great old actors. Mrs. Pantlind gave it to me after Mr. Pantlind had died. She gave me the collection of photographs. I gave them to the Civic Theatre, and just where they are now, I don’t know. I am sure that [Mr. Pantlind’s friendship] was one reason we got wonderful plays here. Of course, it was geographically important too, their stopping here. I’m sure. Now, then, over here on Reed Drive there was Ramona. Now whether that was really going on at the turn of the century, I don’t know; but very soon afterwards, certainly. The Pavilion, which was on the corner of Wealthy and Lakeside, was owned by the Street Railway Company, and they had wonderful vaudeville here, all the big vaudeville acts were here. I’ve always heard one reason why they also wanted to come here was because, on the south side of Reed’s Lake, there was a little resort thing called Point Paulo. I don’t know who ran it, maybe Mr. Paulo for all I know. Anyway, he had a series of cottages and this was a wonderful place for them to come and stay for a week. They always stayed for a whole week. They could be out on the Lake during the daytime, fishing and all. (Pause in tape) Interviewer: Did you ever come up to the vaudeville shows? Miss Bender: Every week. The Pavilion was a very pleasant place. I know they had boxes along both sides, with rattan chairs in them that were very comfortable and loungy, in the main part. I don’t remember that there was a balcony. There may have been, but [this was] the main part of the auditorium. All around it was all open and there were little soft drink places and that sort of thing along the outside beyond the auditorium part. But it was a most pleasant place to spend an evening and also see very good vaudeville. That was all part of Ramona, which was an amusement park with roller coasters and Tunnels of Love and that sort of thing. [To go] back you took the Wealthy-Taylor Line. That was the only thing that came out to it. It was very well patronized, [and] went for many, many years. Interviewer: Were there very many people living out in this area at the time? Miss Bender: No, all of Reed’s Lake, where these lovely homes are around the outside of the lake now, had a lot of cottages, but they would be just little (quite flimsy, I suppose) cottages that people came to in the summertime, some place to go weekends. There were no permanent homes at that time. Of course, East Grand Rapids was, I guess, non-existent. There were two things, there was the O-Wash-Ta-Nong Club, which I think was called the Lake Side Club to begin with, and that was over here on the shores of Reed’s Lake. That was a very popular club. They had a �7 very good orchestra and excellent food. There was a good deal of boating went on. Speaking of boating, most of the boating on Reed’s Lake, aside of the fishing and that sort of thing, were these two steamers. One was the” Major Watson” and the other was the “Hazel A. Major [Amasa B.] Watson” was a prominent Civil War veteran here and he lived in a big house down where Jacobsen’s downtown place is now. The “Hazel A.” was named for Hazel Amberg. They were a very prominent family here. Those two boats plied around Reed’s Lake, all day long, I guess. There was a big kind of banner along the side that said, “AS LONG AS YOU LIKE FOR TEN CENTS.” So you could get on in the morning and keep going. Over at what is still called Manhattan Road there was a (?) My grandmother used to take my brother and myself out on the Wealthy-Taylor streetcar. She loved the water and she loved these trips. So, I think we’d go and spend the whole afternoon. There was a captain, the so-called captain of one of them, an old character That was around here. He was always known as “Mr. Poison.” His name was spelled P-o-i-s-s-o-n. My grandmother was Southern and so we would come home and my father would say, “Mother, what did you today?” She’d say, Oh, I took the children for a lovely ride with Captain Poisson.” My father would say, “Do you mean “Old Poison?” This would go on every time we made the trip, “Old Poison” to my father but “Captain Poisson” [John H. Poisson] to my mother. Then of course there was Rose’s, which still is in existence. Old Mr. Rose taught swimming. He had a dock. It was kind of a catwalk that went out from the shore and this rather long dock. His method of teaching swimming was to put a belt around your middle and a rope from the back part of the belt. He would hang on to that, and then you would float like a minnow on the water and he would count. I can hear him now; he would say, “One, two, three, one, two, three.” This was how you would learn to do the breast stroke for Mr. Rose. That was also where the skating was in the winter. Rose’s had this building. You would go in there to change your skates. In there, there was an old pot- belly stove. Then you would go down a kind of little gangplank that you went down, a little wooden thing. I suppose it was Rose’s who cleared the skating rink, because I am sure nobody else did. But, that was where we skated in the winter. (Pause in tape) Miss Bender: Do you want me to start over again? Interviewer: Sure, if you want to. Miss Bender: Well you were asking me about some old furniture I have here. It came mostly from my grandmother who was a Southerner. She and my grandfather were married during the Civil War. She was actually put through the lines, war lines were very loose, I guess, during the Civil War. He was a Confederate. She, in some way, was given a pass to go through the lines, because the part of North Carolina she was living in was occupied by Northern troops. They were married. Then after the war, this was in a place called Edenton, North Carolina, which was on the sea coast, my grandfather [Theodore J. Knapp] came back there and had a parish there. This probably was the late seventies, around seventy-five or eighty maybe. At that time oil was discovered in Pennsylvania, so he went there as a minister to all of these mushroom towns that �8 sprang up as a result. He was there for quite a number of years, about four or five maybe. Then the men who had gone in to the oil rush lost interest, and I think the oil business sort of gave out. Just at this time, gold and silver were discovered in Colorado. So, all these men he had ministered to began writing him from Colorado and telling him how he was needed out there; and I’m sure he had an “itching” for it. So he “felt the call” to go. He went down the Ohio River and then down [sic] the Mississippi to St. Louis and over land from St. Louis eventually to Denver. I have all the letters which he wrote my grandmother, who was left back in Pennsylvania with the four children and practically nothing to live on, as far as I could make out. He was a very brilliant person. All these letters were very encouraging to Granny that at any moment then he would get a real parish. At this point he was a Baptist, and “Brother This” and “Brother That,” as they seemed to be called in these parishes, were always about to get a great plan for him; but this took quite a while. He adored Colorado, absolutely fascinated by it. This was Denver in the very early days, with Indians riding through the streets and the streets were just little tracks, really. He talked about how dirty and dusty it was. Finally he did get a parish and Granny and the children went from Pennsylvania out there. I can remember one of the letters said, “Don’t bring a lot of kitchen equipment and things like that but remember all the theological books.” Granny, equipped with four children and the furniture she wanted to keep that had come from her family, went out there. He then became an Episcopalian minister and took the examination and was duly ordained as an Episcopalian minister. He got a parish in a place called Ouray which is way up there. Fascinating place; there were marvelous mines at that point around there. So, they went up there. He built a little church. During his ministry they had no church. He got this church built during the time he was minister there. My mother and father and I went back there one time, and here was this cute little stone church that they said my grandfather had been instrumental in having built. It just happened that they had a service on the Sunday we were there, and we asked if there was anybody who would have known my grandfather. They said there was one man left. It was a ghost town when we were out there, just nothing. But there was this one man, a Mr. Simpson, who was a surveyor. My grandfather used to go out on these trips with him (?). “Well, I guess the only reason that I stayed was I was too lazy to get out, and I loved the country.” So he stayed all these years there. This was in the twenties. He said, “I’ve got a little present I want to give Sally (Sally [Knapp] was my mother’s name) and another for Josephine.” So he gave me some uncut garnets which I thought were very precious, quite a handful of them. Then he said to my mother, I want to give you this stone.” Madame Curie at that point was working on uranium. He had had a meeting with her in Denver when she came to this country. We took our treasures away and I put mine in a safety deposit box because I thought they were so valuable. When the atomic bomb took place, uranium was all over the front pages. I read my mother this article from the New York Times all about it, and it told about the few deposits that there were in this country and that one of them was very near Ouray. My mother said, “Well, I must get my uranium out.” I thought, oh heavens, what’s she talking about? So I said, “Now mother, I’m going to read this article all over to you again and explain it once more She said, “I understand. You know Mr. Simpson gave me a piece of uranium.” So she went into desk, and done up in a piece of Kleenex �9 was this piece of uranium, which then became very important in Grand Rapids. It was shown in the museum and all kinds of places. Interviewer: In the summertime, some people came out to Reed’s Lake. Where did the other people go; where did they spend their summers? Miss Bender: A lot of people had cottages on Lake Michigan, even then. There was an interurban line that went to Grand Haven and also to Muskegon. I can remember going down to visit people who had places on Lake Michigan on the interurban. Then there was a train that went to Ottawa Beach and a great many people had cottages at Ottawa Beach. This train used to come up in the morning and go down at night. It was a kind of dummy line. I know we had a place down at Ottawa Beach for quite a number of summers. The men used to go up on the train in the morning and come down at night. I think that to all these small lakes around here all up through northern Michigan the G.R.& I. (Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad) was the railroad that went up there; and also the Pere Marquette. We were a number of summers in Charlevoix and I can remember going up, that was on the Pere Marquette, but the G.R.& I. also went up north. Those were the days when it was fun to go on a train, you know, the parlor cars and the dining cars. I think there was quite a lot of activity on the Grand River. The “Boat and Canoe” is still in existence, I guess, isn’t it? Interviewer: I think it’s the American Legion Club, isn’t it? Miss Bender: Yes, I guess it is. That was a very popular club for a long time. It was known as the Boat and Canoe Club. Exactly when that was I don’t know. That must have been soon after 1900, along in there. They had very good tennis courts, they used to have tennis tournaments, State and Western Michigan. Then there was a great deal of boating, canoeing. Quite a number of people had house-boats out there. They would live on the houseboats, and be kind of hooked up at the dock of the Boat and Canoe Club. Of course there use to be steamers that went down the Grand River to Grand Haven. I think they have one now that is a sort of excursion boat. Interviewer: What kind of steamers were they, were they paddle wheel boats? Miss Bender: I think so, I don’t remember going on them. People also had places on the [river]. The Kelsey family had one of those houses down in Eastmanville. We use to go down there a good deal with them. That was a matter of going on the interurban to what is called Marne now. It was called Berlin until the First World War, then you couldn’t call anything Berlin, so the name was then changed to Marne. I remember they use to come over; they would come over there and get us and drive us back. There was quite a number of people, the Hefferan family here had several houses along there. The Foote family had houses along there. They were all old houses that they fixed up or converted somewhat—lovely old houses. Interviewer: Are any of those old houses still standing? �10 Miss Bender: Oh, yes they all are. I think they’re all still there. They were beautifully located. But at that time you didn’t have to do much, except to be in one place. I can remember they had sheep, and Ann Kelseyhas a little lamb that really followed you. Well, it was exciting enough to go and give the lamb a bath in the Grand River. That was really all the excitement you needed. There was a good deal of card playing as part of the entertainment here. There were a lot of Whist Clubs. This was before the days of Bridge Auction Bridge. But there was a great deal of whist and a great deal of Euchre. There was a thing called Military Euchre where you advance from one table to another with a flag in your hand. I remember my parents belonged to it, the Military Euchre Club. That was a great deal of the entertainment in those days where the various card clubs were. Interviewer: What other clubs were there? Miss Bender: What developed into the Kent County Country Club was first, where the clubhouse is, the M.R. Bissell, the present M.R. Bissell, house on the corner of Plymouth and Wealthy, on the northeast of Plymouth and Wealthy. And then the golf course was where Blodgett Hospital is. They had a nine hold golf course. This was one of the very early golf courses in this country. There were a few men here, one being Mr. Edward Lowe, who was an Englishman, He had known golf in England--Scotland I suppose. There a few men who had heard about golf, mostly in England, I think. So, they started this club. The clubhouse was really the present M.R. Bissell house, and then the golf course was across the street of Wealthy where Blodgett Hospital and all that area in around 1899 or there abouts, what was called Sweet Farm, out where Kent Country Club is now, was nothing but a farm house and wheat fields and grazing ground and all that. It went along Knapp Avenue and Plainfield, about the area it has now. They established this club and a very good golf course [with an] architect lay-out and the club was started. After that the next club was Highlands Country Club which is the Elks Club over on West Leonard. That was the next one, and then I think Cascade was the one after that. Interviewer: Were there quite a few social functions held at these country clubs or was it just golf? Miss Bender: Oh no, it was very social. They were very fortunate at Kent Country Club. Very early they got this couple, Ida, who was the cook, and Walter, her husband, who was the general other factotum. She had been a cook as a very young person, who still was very young, with the Wanty family, the Judge [George P]. Wanty family. Then, they wanted a couple out to run the club, so Ida and Walter took the job. They were simply wonderful because she didn’t know too, too much about cooking to begin with but she was one to never say she didn’t know how to do anything. There were a certain number of women, Mrs. Clay Hollister, Mrs. Dudley Waters, and my mother, and they said their husbands were all officers and directors of the Club and they were anxious to have everything go well. So they said, “Now Ida, we will always give you a hand and help you with everything you want. I always remember the time when Mrs. John Blodgett was giving a very elegant luncheon for somebody from away, that was going to be here. �11 Ida called my mother up and said “Mrs. Bender, Mrs. Blodgett is having a luncheon on Thursday.” My mother said, “Yes, I know.” She said, “She asked me to have soft-shelled crabs.” She said, “I never even seen one, but,” she said, I wouldn’t say I didn’t know how to fix them.”So I [sic] said, “Oh yes indeed, they will have to have soft-shelled crabs”. So, she said, “What do I do?”Then mother said, “Ida, you get the soft-shelled crabs from Dettenthalers, (which was the great fish market down on (117) Monroe Street) and be sure they’re crawling and I’ll take the streetcar out and show you how to fix them”. Ida said, “Are you going to the luncheon?” “Oh yes,” my mother said. “I’m going to the luncheon, but I’ll come out in the morning”. Well, going on the streetcar from where we were living at that point, on Terrace Avenue, consisted of going on the Wealthy-Taylor Line then transferring to the Plainfield Line, then transferring to a funny little thing called Carrier Line, which went from Plainfield Avenue up to College and out College to the Country Club, and then turned around and went back. So my mother, nothing daunting, and I know this trip used to take at least three-quarters of an hour (we always allowed three-quarters of an hour), went out to show Ida how to fix the soft-shelled crabs. She took the street car back, then took the hack, which was the means of conveyance when you were going elegantly to something. So, she ordered the hack and the hack came and took her out to the luncheon, where she ate the soft-shelled crabs. But it was a wonderful club, it had a wonderful spirit because everybody was enthusiastic and wanted it to go well. I have a lot of pictures of it of those early days. You can’t believe it now, it looks like a park, you know, in comparison on to this, what was really just fields. Trees were planted but they were little things. But they had a terribly good time and awfully, awfully good spirit and lots of parties. Interviewer: It sounds like living in those days was a very pleasant, relaxed way of living. What happened to that society, that style of living when the depression came along? Miss Bender: Well, when the depression came along, life had become much more sophisticated then it was. I have been talking more or less about things of the turn of the century. When the Depression came along we, after all, had been through one war. That put an entirely different light on everything, the First World War. Everybody pitched into war work, and things were certainly never the same after that. Then came the twenties, which were absolutely wild. I was young at that point, and was probably in on what it did to young people and the way it changed their way of living. I mean, I had been utterly unsophisticated before the twenties. Prohibition had a great effect because, you know, whereas you hadn’t had very many drinks up to that point, then it became exciting to do it. You would go to New York and you’d go to speakeasies and it was all a completely different kind of thing. Then of course, the Depression came along. Really the depression, as I look back on it, crept up on you very slowly. Now I wonder if, you know, if it’s creeping up on us now the way it did then. After all, the crash came in ’29, but it was several years before the banks were closed. That in itself took quite a while. The impact of it took quite a while because you really didn’t realize it. I can remember my father was the type of person who never had five dollars on his person, and although he was a banker, at the moment he didn’t seem to have any money on him. So I remember, he said to my mother, “Now Sally, you’re the kind �12 that would have about one hundred in cash in your safety deposit box.” My mother wouldn’t admit it for a while, but finally she said, “Well yes, I have put a little cash in my safety deposit box.” So, I remember we all lived off her for quite a while. You couldn’t believe it, really when it finally happened. Then, of course, with Roosevelt giving everybody a great deal of hope, really kind of pulling you out of it. To me it was more the twenties. (Pause in tape) Interviewer: You have marked the end of one social era, so to speak, not the depression, but the First World War. Why do you think it had such a dramatic effect on people? Miss Bender: Well, because for one thing it had been such an easy life. I can remember Mr. [Samuel A. Morman saying to my father, during my father’s last illness, he said, “You know, Bender, any man that had half a brain and any kind of ambition could have been successful during our era.” This was true. During the nineties and up to 1914 or 1916, any man who was willing to work, where in many times since then I’m sure it hasn’t stood people in good stead. You had certain principles that you lived by, and if you lived by them, why, you came out all right. And it wasn’t easy at times, as we look back on it now. I mean, people didn’t have a great deal of money most of them. But, on what they could live comfortably and Grand Rapids was a wonderful community, I think largely because of the Dutch people we have, who were thrifty and saving and law-abiding. So everything was going along better and better and better. Then we were certainly influenced by the war in Europe before we got into it. But then once we were in it, everybody was Red Crossing, in the YMCA, Liberty Bonds were being sold, and rallies were being held. As I recall, there was very little social life, because everybody was throwing themselves {sic} into the war effort. And for one thing, I guess you were kind of tired when they came. So that was the thing that was a turning point. Then when the war was over, certainly beginning around 1920, everything went sort of, kind of, wild. You know, it was a reaction for one thing. Of course, then suddenly there was much more money because there hadn’t been a great deal of production of anything but war stuff during the war. Then suddenly everybody was getting all kinds of things. I’m sure it was when we all had our first washing machine and mangle. I don’t think, well, I know we didn’t have an electric refrigerator at that point. But you were buying a good many more things like that. There was a great deal of travel then, too. People were always going places. You were not able to go to Europe for quite a while. There was a great deal of European travel at that time. That made a difference. Planes didn’t come along, of course, until later, but the trains were excellent. You could go any place and really in great comfort and luxury and all. Then of course automobiles, many people got their first automobiles along in that period. That made a lot of difference. Interviewer: Things were not the same after the war? Miss Bender: No. I’m sure the automobile, of course, had an awful lot to do with it. You didn’t live in these little neighborhood communities which were very pleasant and completely �13 satisfying before that. But when the automobile came along, then you were dashing off to New York and then dashing off to Chicago, and dashing off to Lake Michigan. If you were real courageous, you took a trip East. You know, it took you away, then from the local center. Interviewer: I think that’s a good point [on which] to end. INDEX B Bender, Charles H. (Father) · 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12 Bender, Sally Knapp (Mother) · 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 Bissell, M.R. · 10 Blodgett, Mrs. John · 10 Boat and Canoe Club · 9 K Kelsey Family · 9 Kelsey, Ann · 10 Kent County Country Club · 10 Knapp, Grandmother · 8 Knapp, Theodore J. (Grandfather) · 3, 7, 8 Kos’s Grocery Store · 1 C Curie, Marie · 8 D L Leonards Family · 1 Lockerby’s Hall · 5 Lowe, Edward · 10 Dettenthalers · 11 M F Foote Family · 9 Ford, Melbourne H. · 3 Foster Stevens & Company · 1 Friedman-Spring Dry Goods Store · 5 G Grand Rapids National Bank · 4 H Hazel A Steamer · 7 Hefferan Family · 9 Herpolsheimers · 5 Highlands Country Club · 10 Hollister, Mrs. Clay · 10 Major Watson Steamer · 7 Military Euchre Club · 10 O Ottawa Beach · 9 O-Wash-Ta-Nong Club · 6 P Pantlind, Boyd · 6 Pantlind, Mrs. · 6 Pantlinds Family · 2 Peale, Miss · 5 Penney, Colonel Joseph · 2 Point Paulo · 6 Poisson, Captain · 7 Prohibition · 11 �14 R T Randall, Rev. John Herman · 1 Reed’s Lake · 6, 9 Rose, Mr. · 7 The Police and Fire Commission · 4 The Salvation Army · 4 Trankla, Charles · 5 S W S.A. Morman & Company · 1 Simpson, Mr. · 8 Steketee’s · 5 Street Railway Company · 6 Wanty Family · 10 Waters, Mrs. Dudley · 10 Wilder Stevens Family · 1 Wurzburg’s · 5 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6186bdf5047707329090825cecda8092.mp3 48ccb5bdc64bb5637eb301ee176018c7 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_1-2Bender Title A name given to the resource Bender, Josephine Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bender, Josephine Description An account of the resource Josephine Bender was born on April 17, 1894 in Grand Rapids. She graduated from Vassar College and was a member of the Grand Rapids Boat and Canoe Club. She died on March 26, 1996. 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 1971 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/36e352fcedfb9918e9e6e1958049e3f2.jpg 3add6c96aacd598c8ed7cacaa33f3b10 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 Michigan Novels Collection. PS1299.C164 B45 1894 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_Bindings0013 Title A name given to the resource Beneath the Dome: A Posthumous Novel Description An account of the resource Binding of Beneath the Dome: A Posthumous Novel, by Arnold Clark, published by The Schulte Pub. Co., 1894. 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 1894 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/e6838aa4d06c81277201caf813361160.pdf 862c934f3bbfe53dff77d15003c35dcd PDF Text Text Young Lords In Lincoln Park Interviewee: Benedicto Jiménez Interviewers: José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez Location: Grand Valley State University Special Collections Date: 6/2/2012 Biography and Description Benedicto Jiménez is the son of Toribia Rodríguez and Miguel Jiménez. His father, Miguel, is the oldest of Gregorio Jiménez’s sons, but is the only son from Gregorio’s first wife. For Mr. Benedicto Jiménez, the importance of family and neighborhood ties became especially clear once he was in Chicago. There, Puerto Ricans faced the same hardships and so sought each other out and were glad to know that they were related in some way. Instead of asking what one thought about the weather, the conversation would be about, “what town in Puerto Rico are you from and what are all your last names.” They would research on and on until they could prove that they were related, or at the very least that they were close friends of close friends, or from a nearby town. Initially, Mr. Jiménez wanted to become a priest. Instead he became a different type of father and raised a wonderful, stable family in Aurora, Illinois. He also lived in Lincoln Park for a couple of years on Seminary Street near Armitage, close to Eugenia Rodríguez, who he would frequently visit, who lived at 2117 North Bissell Street. Rather than returning to Chicago, Mr. Jiménez moved closer to Aurora, Illinois because he was desperately looking for work and with the help of other relatives and friends worked at the honguera of West Chicago. The honguera produced mushrooms and other vegetables for the Campbell Soup Company. Mr. Jiménez worked there for many years and since he is well educated and fluent in English, he was asked to translate many times. For this help the company bosses would relate more to him but this never translated into more �pay or a better job. In those days of the 1960s and 1970s jobs were not given by skill but by national origin and by race. He says that the honguera was 50/50, about 200 Mejicanos and 200 Puerto Ricans, who lived in the dormitories of the migrant camp, by signed contract. The company would pay for their trip from Puerto Rico or Mexico and the employee would work to at least he made enough to reimburse the company. Mr. Jiménez describes long days and work weeks in an enclosed, unlit room because the mushrooms are grown in the dark. He could talk to them but could not see who he worked next to during that day. It was there that he was reintroduced to Don Teo Arroyo, whose wife Gina cooked at the camp for the men. They too were from Barrio San Salvador of Caguas and would help Latinos, later becoming the ones to begin organizing the community for Aurora’s first Puerto Rican Day parades. Since West Chicago was a small town, when the migrant workers decided to settle down with their families, they often would move to Chicago or settle in Aurora. Significant Mexican and Puerto Rican communities have grown in both places. � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dc4c2aaf462d2e7bb2afa7c315b8f810.mp4 9f344c940d52ac570e5a9443b7bb1f40 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 Young Lords in Lincoln Park Collection Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Description An account of the resource Collection of oral history interviews and digitized materials documenting the history of the Young Lords Organization in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Interviews were conducted by Young Lords' founder, José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, and documents were digitized from Mr. Jiménez' archives. The Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection grows out of the ongoing struggle for fair housing, self-determination, and human rights that was launched by Mr. José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, founder of the Young Lords Movement. This project is dedicated to documenting the history of the displacement of Puerto Ricans, Mejicanos, other Latinos, and the poor from Lincoln Park, as well as the history of the Young Lords nationwide. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection (RHC-65)</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 2017-04-25 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 video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng spa Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2012-2017 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Título Spanish language Title entry Benedicto Jiménez vídeo entrevista y biografía Sujetos Spanish language Subject terms Young Lords (Organización) Puertorriqueños--Estados Unidos Derechos civiles--Estados Unidos--Historia Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Puertorriqueños--Relatos personales Idioma español--Relatos personales Justicia social Activistas comunitarios--Illinois--Chicago Puertorriqueños--Illinois--Chicago--Condiciones sociales Puertorriqueños--Illinois--Chicago--Vida social y costumbres Trabajadores migratorios agrícolas--Illinois--Chicago Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park (RHC-65)</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 RHC-65_Jimenez_Benedicto Title A name given to the resource Benedicto Jiménez video interview and biography Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jiménez, Benedicto Description An account of the resource Benedicto Jiménez is the son of Toribia Rodríguez and Miguel Jiménez. For Mr. Benedicto Jiménez, the importance of family and neighborhood ties became especially clear once he was in Chicago. There, Puerto Ricans faced the same hardships and so sought each other out and were glad to know that they were related in some way. Instead of asking what one thought about the weather, the conversation would be about, “what town in Puerto Rico are you from and what are all your last names.” Mr. Jiménez moved closer to Aurora, Illinois because he was desperately looking for work and with the help of other relatives and friends worked at the honguera of West Chicago. The honguera produced mushrooms and other vegetables for the Campbell Soup Company. Mr. Jiménez worked there for many years and since he is well educated and fluent in English, he was asked to translate. His help never translated into more pay or a better job. In those days of the 1960s and 1970s jobs were not given by skill but by national origin and by race. He says that the honguera was 50/50, about 200 Mejicanos and 200 Puerto Ricans, who lived in the dormitories of the migrant camp, by signed contract. Mr. Jiménez describes long days and work weeks in an enclosed, unlit room because the mushrooms are grown in the dark. He was reintroduced to Don Teo Arroyo, whose wife Gina cooked at the camp for the men. They began organizing the community for Aurora’s first Puerto Rican Day parades. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Puerto Ricans--Personal narratives Spanish language--Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Puerto Ricans--Illinois--Chicago--Social conditions Puerto Ricans--Illinois--Chicago--Social life and customs Migrant agricultural laborers--Illinois--Chicago Language A language of the resource spa 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 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-06-02 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/b325ce64bb46f077022e361ca6de506d.mp3 7cea14abf321650d1ca083b21c958ce5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7c51b18e9a01e5597bb245ed27b9a8a0.pdf 03330942e88bc4f5285b119dd849ab64 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Edward Benjamin World War II 2 hours 53 minutes 36 seconds (00:04:50) Early Life -Born in a house on the corner of Fuller Avenue and Hope Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Note: Most likely born in December in either the late 1910s or the early 1920s -Had a sandbox in the backyard -Lived there the first three or four years of his life -Moved to a house down the road -Lived there for a year and a half -Walked to school from that house -Father had a house built in East Grand Rapids -Decided to build another house -Moved to the next street over while the second house was built -Lived there for another year and a half -Moved to a house on Sherman Street in 1934 -Went to high school and Grand Rapids Junior College while living in that house (00:08:54) Start of the War Pt. 1 -Feels that the commanding officers at Pearl Harbor were made the scapegoats for the attack -Believes the president and military intelligence knew an attack was coming -Decided to do nothing about it -Had met Admiral Kimmel in 1932 (Commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet) -Showed Edward and his Uncle Bob pictures of ships and diagrams -Completely reasonable and innocent thing to do prior to World War II -Everyone was upset about the attack on Pearl Harbor -People wanted nothing less than the total destruction of Japan -Kept track of the early events of the war -Uncle Bob worked for the Grand Rapids Press and kept the family updated -Heard about the Battle of Wake Island -Not a lot of good news at the beginning of the war (00:11:17) Enlisting in the Army -He was old enough to be drafted -Note: Prior to November 1942 the draft age was 21, not 18 -Note: Means that Edward was at least 21 or 22 when he enlisted in the Army -Knew that he could serve as a dentist in either the Army or the Navy -Didn't want to serve on a ship -Decided to enlist in the Army as a dentist -En route to Detroit for a dentists' convention he heard about the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo -Raid happened on April 18, 1942 -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan for his physical and processing �-Issued uniforms -Commissioned as an officer in the Army since he would be working as a dentist (00:12:34) Stationed at Fort Custer (First Time) -Ordered to report to Chicago on May 2, 1942 -Went to Chicago with his wife -Stayed together for a weekend then she returned to Grand Rapids -Received orders to serve at Fort Custer -Received his basic training at Fort Custer -In the fall of 1942 troops and supplied moved out -Knew that the United States was starting to pour soldiers and material into the war (00:13:29) Stationed at Fort Sheridan -Ordered to report to Fort Sheridan, Illinois on December 1, 1942 -Assigned to an antiaircraft battalion at Fort Sheridan -Spent the winter at Fort Sheridan -One of the coldest winters he ever experienced -Wife visited him for Christmas 1942 (00:14:23) Stationed at Camp Myles Standish Pt. 1 -In mid-February 1943 he received orders to go to Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts -Father was serving as a colonel with the quartermaster at Camp Myles Standish -Stayed with his father until he could get established in the barracks -Father was eventually transferred to Fort Lee, Virginia -Wife gave birth to their first child while he was at Camp Myles Standish -In August 1943 he was in the hospital and received orders to report to Chicago, again -Visited a friend who was on leave in Portsmouth, New Hampshire -Friend was the executive officer of a submarine (00:17:52) Stationed at Fort Custer (Second Time) Pt. 1 -In Chicago he was assigned to Fort Custer a second time -Able to go home on weekends thanks to extra gas coupons from an enlisted man he befriended -Enjoyed being in Michigan, close to home, and away from the warzones in Europe and Asia (00:19:25) Stationed at Camp Myles Standish Pt. 2 -At Camp Myles Standish he remembers crates of beer being loaded onto ships before tanks -Learned the beer was being sent to North Africa to improve the troops' morale -Took priority over the tanks because of that reason -Remembers a ship that left out of Boston full of troops from Myles Standish -Got torpedoed somewhere between Greenland and Iceland -Almost everyone on board died -Learned that a German spy in Taunton, Massachusetts helped orchestrate the attack (00:21:22) Stationed at Fort Custer (Second Time) Pt. 2 -Had a cottage at Fort Custer -Close to Gun Lake -Enjoyed being away from the frontlines �-In fall 1943 he could see that Germany's days were numbered -He was at Fort Custer on June 6, 1944 for the invasion of France -On June 5, 1944 he heard the invasion was being postponed due to fog -Woke up early on June 6 and heard bells ringing, signaling the start of the invasion -Everyone was anxious about the invasion of France -In fall 1944 a massive number of troops got deployed (00:24:30) Deployment to the European Theater -Received orders to go to the European Theater -Went to Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania to receive some training and gather supplies -Went on an infiltration course -Crawled under barbed wire while machine guns fired over your head -Remembers it was a nasty, rainy day when he did that -He was the second man to complete the course -Spent Thanksgiving 1944 at Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania -Locked down because they were getting ready to deploy -Had planned on meeting his wife for Thanksgiving, but was not allowed -Went by train to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia -Stayed there for several days -Absolutely no communication with the outside world -Anything sent out of camp was delayed for a week to maintain secrecy -Went to Hampton Roads, Virginia to board a Liberty Ship -All of the men he was going overseas with were replacements -20 officers and 65 black soldiers -Rest of the ship was filled with cargo -He was placed in charge of the men because he was the ranking officer -Didn't want to bother the troops so he wrote up a good report as fast as he could -Left Virginia in the middle of the night -Woke up the next day at sea, in the middle of fog, waiting for convoy to form -When the fog lifted he saw that a convoy formed -Big, square formation of ships -Four or five miles by four or five miles -His ship was near a front corner of the formation -Had destroyers protecting the transport ships -Could only go as fast as the slowest ship in the convoy -Slowest ship was a small British ship that was incredibly slow -Took the Southern Route -Sailed from the U.S. to Bermuda to the Azores -Men wanted church services on Sundays -Had a black soldier officiate the services -Had a quarter of tough-looking black soldiers sing hymns -Held the services on the deck of the ship -Took three weeks to get across the Atlantic Ocean -Men occupied their time with gambling and feats of strength -Loved standing on the bow of the ship �-When they got close to Africa he saw the Atlas Mountains -Looked like the edge of a saw -Beautiful sight (00:38:03) Sailing in the Mediterranean Sea -Sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar -Lots of Allied ships patrolling the water -Saw a Spanish ship try to pass through the Allied ships -U.S. destroyer ordered the Spanish ship to leave the area -A large part of that was because of Spain being pro-Nazi and fascist -Saw the Rock of Gibraltar -Convoy broke up in the Mediterranean Sea -Sailed to Oran, Algeria at top speed -Wanted to get to the port as fast as possible because U-Boats prowled the waters -Dusk when they pulled into Oran -Beautiful harbor -Had gone through gun drills on the ship during the voyage -Fired the ship's guns to be familiar with using them -Did abandon ship drills -Soldiers did well with those drills -Stayed in Oran until noon the next day (00:42:58) Arrival in France -Joined a small convoy and sailed to Marseille, France -Only took a couple days to sail from Algeria to southern France -Celebrated his birthday on the ship en route to Marseilles -Remembers lightning striking the ship -Thought an ammunition ship in the convoy exploded -Saw sunken ships in the harbor at Marseilles -Knew you were in a warzone (00:45:12) Stationed in Marseilles -Taken by truck to large estate near Marseille -Camped in the courtyard -Arrived on December 23, 1944 -Freezing cold -Had eight men to a tent plus a little wood stove for heat -No fuel for the stoves except for wood they scavenged from the area -On one instance they used pine cones as fuel -Befriended some of the locals -Got bread and cheese from the mess tent and brought it to a bartender to make a pizza -Had wine and shared it amongst themselves -Witnessed air raids -Shrapnel from the antiaircraft rounds rained down on them -Marseilles was a beautiful city -Remembers a Catholic church dedicated to the fishermen of the city -Had models of the fishing boats that had been blessed by a priest -Remembers a football game held between two American units �-Confusing to the Frenchmen watching -Began to wonder if the War Department lost track of them -Went out scavenging for wood one night -Found a stack of wood and brought it back to the wall surrounding the courtyard -Threw the wood over the wall then climbed over the wall -Next day saw they found the only opening in the wall -Rest of the wall was topped with pieces of broken glass -Saw the beach at Marseille and the abandoned German pillboxes -Had a good Christmas dinner in a stable in Marseilles -Enjoyed it, but it was difficult to be away from home -Remembers a friend that carried a carbine into town whenever he went into town -Went into Marseille one night with that friend to get dinner -Left the restaurant and an air raid siren went off -A random door opened and a Frenchman welcomed them inside -Sat and drank wine with the Frenchman and his family until the raid's end -Learned the Germans sent over one plane to take recon photographs of the harbor -Gave the photos to the German Navy to plan attacks on ships -Plane flew out of range of the antiaircraft fire -Some of the French were very appreciative of the U.S. troops, others were not (00:58:28) Sailing to Italy -Boarded a ship in Marseille with British soldiers and Yugoslavian partisans -Really rough weather and a lot of men got seasick -He got seasick, but never threw up -Supposed to go to Naples, Italy, but the harbor was already filled with ships -Redirected to Taranto, Italy -Old Italian naval base -Saw Italian ships tied up in the harbor -Kept there since Italy's surrender in September 1943 -Went across Taranto to a train station and boarded boxcars -Traveled north along the east side of Italy (01:02:24) Stationed in Caserta -Cut across Italy to Caserta -Got off the train and boarded trucks bound for Count Galeazzo Ciano's old dairy farm -Note: Ciano had been executed in January 1944 by Mussolini's government -Farm was located between the mountains -Had tents beside the farm's pond -Tents had wooden floors, but there was an inch of standing water -Had canvas cots for sleeping -The next day they gathered supplies and waterproofed the tents -Made a candelabra out of Army issued candles, a piece of wood, and a coat hanger -Went to the Red Cross station in Caserta -Warmed up by their large fireplace, drank coffee, and ate cookies -Caught rides on military vehicles and peasant carts into Caserta -Hitchhiked to Naples �-Saw Mount Vesuvius -Naples got really dark at night due to blackouts -Spent a while in Caserta (01:07:50) Reassignment to the Front line Pt. 1 -Boarded a train and was appointed the Train Surgeon -Fortunately, he didn't have to do any work on that train ride -Went north and had nothing to eat -Got into the British 8th Army's section of Italy -Went to a British mess tent to get food -Served unappetizing, greasy food and tea (which he hates) -Used the tea as hot water for shaving -Stopped in Rome for a half hour -Headed toward the front line -Saw the island of Elba -Got to a replacement depot outside of Pisa -There for a little while -Issued orders to join his unit (01:11:28) Life after the War -Had a house on Greenwood Avenue in Grand Rapids -Wife and daughter lived there during the war -Lived there as a whole family for a while after he got home from the war -Moved to a house on Hall Street in Grand Rapids -Eventually moved the house on Hall Street to Elmwood Street -Lived there until daughter got married and son went to college -Now lives in a condo off of East Paris (01:15:24) Father's Military Career -Father studied at the Naval Academy and at the National War College in Washington D.C. -Taught Reserve officers in Grand Rapids -Served in Washington D.C. before the Second World War began (01:19:10) Start of the War Pt. 2 -Knew things were tense between the U.S. and Japan -Remembers decorating the house for Christmas on December 7, 1941 -Sent out to buy some pine boughs at a nearby farm -Farmer told them Japan bombed Pearl Harbor -Didn't believe it at first then turned on the car radio and heard reports coming in From 01:21:20 - 02:07:25 (Deployment to European Theater) through (Reassignment to the Front line Pt. 1) is repeated. Story picks up again at 02:07:26. (02:07:26) Reassignment to the Frontline Pt. 2 -Went from Pisa to Florence by train -Road north was getting mortared by the Germans -Felt vulnerable and knew he was in a war zone -Passed through Florence �-Lots of military supplies -Got past the place the Germans were mortaring without incident -Came to a farm and reported to the colonel -Told his unit was stationed in Florence (02:09:05) Stationed in Florence -Got a jeep and returned to Florence -Unit was quartered at a small soccer field in the city -Had a small venereal disease (VD) hospital and a dental clinic -He did dental work for the soldiers in the city -He was placed in charge of the dental clinic because he had the highest rank -Got along well with the veteran soldiers -Florence was an interesting city -Visited the city and explored -Saw the Florence Cathedral -There were a lot of old buildings -Only 15 miles from the frontline -Heard artillery fire in the distance -Had a lot of work to do -Still made sure all of the men got a day off -Visited the Red Cross station in Florence -Saw the home of the famous Middle Ages poet, Dante Alighieri -Italians had been abused by the Italian fascists and then the German occupiers -Meant they unconditionally respected the American soldiers -Befriended the men in his unit -Had not received a lot of mail in a while and became slightly melancholy about that -Came back to his quarters one day and found half a bushel of letters from home -Italian women did the soldiers' laundry -In two days you got your clothes back -Women washed the clothing with cold water and stones in the irrigation ditches -Had to make sure you got your clothing back before you moved (02:17:42) Death of President Roosevelt -On the morning of either April 12 or 13 he woke up and learned President Roosevelt had died -Everything in Florence closed down to show respect for the late president -British soldiers and Italians wanted to know about President Truman -Americans knew very little about the new president (02:19:26) Downtime in Florence -Got to see a couple concerts and go shopping while in Florence -Very little to buy because the Germans took a lot when they retreated (02:19:56) R&R in Rome -Knew a major offensive was coming and his commanding officer granted him an R&R to Rome -Went to Rome with a chaplain from his unit and a British soldier -Saw the Vatican -Offered a chance to meet the Pope, but respectfully declined �-Felt that Catholic soldiers should see the Pope before he, a Protestant, did -Met some of the British soldier's friends and got drinks with them -Visited the catacombs -Went to a party with the British soldier and British officers -British soldier survived the war, became a minister, and kept in contact with Edward (02:24:00) Spring 1945 Offensive in Italy -When he returned to camp in Florence there were only a dozen men at the camp -Watched as Allied planes went toward the frontline -Half of the sky was filled with planes going north -Other half of the sky was filled with planes going south -It was like clouds of planes -Made the ground vibrate like an earthquake -Drove north on a two and a half ton truck -Passed through a destroyed Italian town -Awestruck by the silence and the odor of war and death that hung over the place -Moved to a northern Italian town -Learned Mussolini had been captured and executed by the Italian resistance -German oil refineries destroyed by Allied bombardment -Meant no more German planes and German vehicles were on the retreat -Found burned out of German vehicles as they advanced north -Received word that Germans in Italy surrendered on May 2, 1945 -Men shot off flares in celebration -Advanced to Verona, Italy to prepare for the occupation of the Brenner Pass -Objective was to keep the Germans out of the Alps -Established a dental clinic in Verona -Soldiers hunted rats to deal with the infestation -Knew the war was coming to an end (02:32:43) End of the War in Europe -On May 8, 1945 Prime Minister Churchill's message of victory was broadcast to the troops -Two men from the 88th Division remarked they'd survived from Africa to VE Day -Watched movies and drank to celebrate the war's end in Europe -A few days later 15 German soldiers surrendered (02:35:20) Post-War Duty Pt. 1 -Able to relax -Went to Lake Garda -Found an old castle and given a tour by the caretaker -Learned the caretaker's son had snuck from Germany to Italy -Reassigned to Montecatini -Worked in a redeployment area -Soldiers getting reassigned to Pacific Theater -Worked two shifts -6 AM to 2 PM or 2 PM to 9 PM -Small town health resort �-Took sulfur baths and came out feeling relaxed -Explored the countryside around Montecatini (02:38:43) Visiting Venice -While in Verona he got to visit Venice -Fairytale-like city -Only stayed for the day (02:39:16) Post-War Duty Pt. 2 -Transferred to the 94th Evacuation Hospital in Montecatini -Made Head of the Dental Clinic -Received R&R to Venice -Planned on taking a jeep to Vienna, Austria, but decided against it -Spent five or six days in Venice -Dances every night in the hotel -Went swimming in the Adriatic Sea -Returned to Montecatini and continued to work (02:42:30) Coming Home & Japan's Surrender -Ordered to gather supplies and go to a camp near Pisa -Went up in the Leaning Tower of Pisa -Spared by German and American artillery -In Pisa they learned about the atomic bombing of Japan -Knew Japan would surrender soon -Slated to go from Livorno ("Leghorn"), Italy to Manila, Philippines -Boarded a ship and sailed out of Livorno -In the middle of the night on August 15, 1945 received word that Japan surrendered -Huge party thrown on the ship's deck -Pulled into Gibraltar and ordered to proceed to Manila -The next morning they were told they were being redirected to Hampton Roads, Virginia -Prompted another party -Pulled into Hampton Roads, Virginia a week later -Sent back to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia -Called home to tell his wife he was in the United States -Went by train to Camp Grant, Illinois -Arrived in September 1945 -Served a steak dinner upon arrival -Next morning took a train to Chicago then another train to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Greeted by wife and daughter (02:52:48) End of Service -Reported to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to complete his service -Served there until just before his birthday in December 1945 -Discharged and returned to Grand Rapids to begin his civilian life again � 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_BenjaminE1698V Title A name given to the resource Benjamin, Edward Claire (Interview outline and audio), 2013 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-11-17 Description An account of the resource Edward Benjamin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in December in either the late 1910s or early 1920s. He grew up in Grand Rapids and in spring 1942 he enlisted in the Army to serve as a dentist. He reported to Chicago on May 2, 1942 and was assigned to Fort Custer, Michigan for basic training. From December 1, 1942 to November 1944 he served at Fort Sheridan, Illinois then Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts then Fort Custer again. In December 1944 he boarded a ship in Virginia and was deployed to the European Theater. He was stationed in Marseille, France for a while then in early 1945 he moved to Caserta, Italy then in early spring 1945 moved to Florence, Italy where he worked in a dental clinic. In mid-April 1945 the Spring 1945 Offensive in Italy began and he advanced into northern Italy. After Germany's surrender in Italy on May 2, 1945 he served in Verona, Italy then after Germany's surrender on May 8, 1945 he moved to Montecatini, Italy and served as the head of the dental clinic of the 94th Evacuation Hospital. In August 1945 he left Italy and returned to the United States, and after visiting his wife and daughter, completed his service at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. He was discharged in December 1945 and returned to Grand Rapids. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Edward Claire Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Benjamin, Edward (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound 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 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c3061998f512b9591dd0790d2fcf578e.jpg cfea4dc928b72163ba142a9cef7e910c 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_H024-0009a Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Barbara (McDonald) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1967-02-20 Title A name given to the resource Benjamin, the Gilberts' Cat, New York City Apartment Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of photographer Douglas Gilbert holding Benjamin the cat in the Gilberts' New York City apartment. In the photograph, Douglas is petting Benjamin in his lap while seated at a table and having breakfast. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942- Cats 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/e35f31b993e0fb8f7f3e76fc6b778556.mp4 33d1948281c9fba6dde3fddc73e52424 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b45ce419bc109c5131e9f52a26c5da6f.pdf e717223e07fa5ee9f32e1060270ffc61 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Don Bennett Length: 1:22:46 (00:15) Background Information       Don was born in the upper peninsula of Michigan on January 23, 1925 His father owned a silver fox ranch that he opened in 1924 The business did very well until the Depression in 1929 They lived in the area until Don was 11 years old and then they moved to Cheboygan, Michigan Don finished high school there and graduated in 1942 He began working in a paper mill that summer and then began attending Albion College in the Fall (10:00) Drafted  Don received his draft notice in January of 1943, but was not very upset about leaving college because he had been receiving bad grades  Don was sent to Detroit in April of 1943 where he was inducted and given a choice of joining the Navy or the Army  Don chose the Navy and he was sent to Great Lakes Naval Academy in Chicago for boot camp  Once he arrived Don was assigned to a company and began setting up in his barracks  He spent 8 weeks there exercising, marching, and working on KP (16:00) Diesel School  After boot camp Don went through an outgoing unit for another week at Great Lakes  He was then sent to diesel school at Navy Pier in Chicago where it was very cold working on the water  They worked with different diesel engines, fuel pumps, ship engines, and engines of landing craft  While he was there a notice was issued in which they were looking for 50 men to volunteer for submarine training  About 500 men volunteered and Don was lucky enough to be chosen (18:40)Submarine School  Don took a train from Chicago to Connecticut and was assigned to a new Navy unit  They first had to train under an officer named Spritz, whom they all hated  Don worked on guard duty and other training for a few weeks while waiting to start submarine school �    Before beginning the men had to take different physical tests and visit a psychologist Once he began submarine school Don thought it was very interesting and he did very well in all his classes They were learning all the systems that worked together on the submarine; air system, hydraulics, electric, tanks and compartments The school was very intense and they went to class all day long for 16 weeks (24:40) The Sunfish  After submarine school Don went through submarine diesel school for another 8 weeks in Connecticut  Once he graduated he took a train to San Francisco, and was then sent to Hunter's Point to work with a relief crew on submarines for a while  They spent time refitting submarines once they were finished with a patrol, getting them ready for the next patrol  Don worked on 2 submarines before he was assigned to work on the Sunfish for its next patrol (28:45) First patrol  In June of 1944 the submarine went to Pearl Harbor and then stopped at Midway to refuel  They patrolled off some islands to the north of Japan, near a Japanese airbase and also near the tip of the Russian [Kamchatka] peninsula  They sunk many Japanese ships while in Russian waters and the Russians eventually got to be annoyed and complained  Don’s first patrol lasted a little less than 2 months; they would always have to be refitted once they ran out of torpedoes and food  They returned to Midway and rested there while the submarine was being refitted  They had much time to rest, drink beer, go fishing and swimming (43:55) Submarine Life  There were many times where they caught in emergencies and had to sink to low depths to try to hide  Collectively through all the patrols they were attacked with about 1,000 depth charges  Only about 75 of those depth charges were very scary  They were even a target for planes along with other ships  There were some very scary, silent moments while they were playing cat and mouse  The good on the ship was great; they had a chef and baker  Don went on 5 patrols altogether and sunk 42 ships (53:55) Traveling �   Don went on 3 patrols in a row in the East China and Yellow Sea, and then around Korea and then Shanghai His final patrol was from Tokyo to Northern Japan After Don’s fifth patrol he went back to California and then Michigan (1:01:20) After Service  Don got married on June 8, 1945 in Michigan and then had to go back to California for a few months to finish his time in the Navy before he could be discharged  They had to finish decommissioning the Sunfish in October before Don could be discharged  He had been supposed to be discharged a few months earlier, but had to add a few months to his service  Don really enjoyed his time on the Sunfish and got to know many friends in the crew who he still sees at national conventions  After he was discharged Don and his wife moved to Niles, Michigan  He started a boat business with his brother, but it did not do well and after 2 years Don decided to go back to Albion College to finish his degree � 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 BennettD2 Title A name given to the resource Bennett, Don (Interview outline and video), 2005 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bennett, Don Description An account of the resource Don Bennett was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1925. He attended Albion College for one semester, then enlisted in the Navy, and became a submariner. He served on five patrols, one in the Kurile Islands, three near the Yellow Sea, and a final one north of Tokyo. During this time they sunk forty-two enemy ships. He was discharged on December 18th, 1945. After the war, he finished school at Albion College. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Michigan Military Preservation Society (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 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 2005-11-17 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/965cf06428bfea20cc5aafbf62b501d5.mp4 a241d78ba240fc7a91b428498a58ef24 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b88cdd4a18affbab25e19148a76e5c5d.pdf cb2fb6041de8b2b229e113f2ddcb24b1 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Don Bennett (01:14:08) (00:31) Background • (00:31) His full name is Don A. Bennett, he was born in Holburton, Michigan on January 23rd, 1925. Holburton is in the Upper Peninsula. • (01:05) He recalls a childhood trip out West, and vaguely remembers Old Faithful. • (01:19) His father owned a silver fox ranch. His grandfather had owned a lumber camp, and supervised four hundred lumberjacks. • (01:41) The camp was about three miles away from town, and the business ended in 1923 or 1924. His father started the ranch in 1924. • (02:10) They stayed in Holburton for awhile. Everything was fine until 1929 when the Great Depression started. He went to grade school in Holburton. • (02:35) He remembers getting candy from John Hunter. John Hunter owned most of the businesses in town, and helped pull loose teeth from children, and gave them candy. • (03:26) The school in Holburton only went as far as the eighth grade, which was one reason why his mother wanted them to move. The winters were terribly cold, and were made worse by the wind. They used a potbelly stove for heat; they burned wood in the stove. • (04:44) They were dirt poor in the Depression, and then they moved to Cheboygan. When he was in the fifth grade. This was either 1935 or 1936. He finished high school, and graduated in 1942 at the age of seventeen. • (05:26) He played baseball and football in high school. He went to the prom. He also was one of the stage managers for the senior play, which was an operetta and had gypsies. • (06:12) He heard about the Pearl Harbor attacks on the radio, and was not aware where Pearl Harbor was at the time. Some of their friends had been in the Navy. • (08:14) His date to the prom was Phyllis, whom he later married. She was a freshman during his senior. He met her through the baseball team. That year the freshman girls were prettier on average than the senior girls. Three or four of the seniors had freshman dates. Phyllis would still be in high school while he was in the Navy. • (09:28) He went to work at a paper mill, and went to Albion College. He borrowed the tuition money from a friend of the family. He made it through the first term, and did not do very well. • (10:22) He received birthday greetings from the president when he turned eighteen. He knew he would be drafted soon. He decided to drop out. • (11:35) In the frat houses, men would laugh when others were drafted. (12:25) Drafted/Training • (12:20) He was inducted in Detroit, and went through various kinds of tests. He was given the choice between Army or Navy and chose the Navy. �• (12:47) He went back home, and the next week reported to Great Lakes naval base. He traveled by train. The train was a regular passenger train, but he was on troop transports later on. He had not really traveled before, except for the trip out west and to Detroit for baseball. He met some of the Detroit Tigers, and Jimmy Bloodworth and Charlie Gehringer gave him tips on playing second base. • (14:44) His first thought at Great Lakes was “what’s next?” He was issued clothing, and stayed there for two or three days. Then he was sent to boot camp. He was in a company of eighty to one hundred, and basic training lasted for eight weeks. • (15:50) They marched, and exercised. He was assigned to pool duty. Some of the men had to learn how to swim, and he watched over them. • (16:50) He was next sent to “outgoing unit” for one week, and then to diesel school at Navy Pier. They had good weather at first, but it kept getting colder and the proximity to the lake only made the weather worse. • (17:37) At diesel school he learned how to operate a diesel engine. They mostly learned how to use the engines on the landing craft, which was where he probably would have been assigned if he had not been assigned to submarines. • (18:11) He and three friends at the Navy Pier decided to apply for submarine duty. Of the 1500 men at the base, 600 or so applied, and there were only fifty positions open. He was somewhat reluctant to serve on a submarine, but he decided to join his friends to stay with them. He was the only one who passed. • (19:53) He was next sent to the East Coast, to New London, Connecticut. He went into “Spritz’s Navy.” Spritz was a surly Navy Chief, and he ruled the school. Everyone hated him because of his personality. The sub school was much easier than Spritz’s Navy by contrast, which might have been the point. • (21:43) He had to have multiple physicals, and was given a psychiatric exam as standard procedure. The main reason for the exams was to make sure the men had compatible personalities since they would be working in such close quarters. • (23:00) He graduated from college after the war, on the GI Bill. Sub school was difficult, and nothing in college was anywhere near as difficult. They had to learn about all the systems on the ship—the error system, the water system, the hydraulic and the electrical system. They had to learn all the components of the tanks, and the functions of all the rooms. • (24:32) Sub school was intense, and class went on all day. It lasted twelve or sixteen weeks. Subs are called “boats” in the Navy, there is a logical reason, but he does not recall it. • (25:35) After graduated from sub school he went to diesel school, this time for submarines specifically. Diesel school was easier since he had already had the basics. • (26:29) Next he was sent to the West Coast. He spent five days on the Challenger, a troop train. They stopped to get meals at train stations from “Harvey Girls.” Harvey Girls were women who sold food at stations. While on the rails, the transports had to pull off to the side for freight trains, which had higher priority. • (27:54) He next went to Mare Island, near San Francisco. He was sent to Hunter’s Point and put into a relief crew. The relief crews prepared themselves for active duty while the active crews patrolled. He worked on two submarines, the first �was the Sunfish. (29:45) First Submarine Patrol • (29:45) After being assigned to the Sunfish, they went to Pearl Harbor in April of 1944. His first patrol began in June. They next went to Midway to re-fuel, and were escorted out of the harbor and went to the Kurile Islands. The Kurile Islands are a north of Japan, and stretch almost to the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. • (31:40) They patrolled off of Parmaceru, a Japanese air base. They were near the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka. It was a very cold, foggy area. They sank one lone ship, and also saw the raft of men who had been on the boat. The men claimed to be Russians, but they did not believe them and left them. • (33:14) Russian ships were supposed to travel in a straight course with their lights on. Japanese ships travelled with their lights off, and took evasive zigzag courses. The ship they had sunk had had the lights off, and was travelling in a zigzag pattern. • (34:02) Japan and Russia traded sometimes. Later, when the sub had come across the ships, they sent them a message: “IFF” which meant “Identify: Friend or Foe.” One ship identified as Russian, and one as Japanese. They fired on the Japanese ship, which took three torpedoes despite not being a warship. The ship sank in shallow water, and the mast was still above the surface. • (35:46) Later, there was a question of whether or not the ship had been in Russian waters or international waters. Nothing came of it, although the skipper had had to go to Pearl Harbor to discuss the matter. The Russians complained that the ship had been sunk in their territorial waters. • (36:31) They sunk three ships during that war patrol, and they also had a surface battle. During the surface battle, they used their guns instead of the torpedoes. They had a 4.0 inch gun, two 20mm guns, and a .50 caliber machine gun. The guns were kept inside the sub and attached to the railing when needed. Each gun had two men. • (37:44) The 20mm’s were near the tower, and the 4.0 inch gun was near the engine room. The cigarette deck was a portion of the tower deck that the men would go out on to smoke and have fresh air when they had permission. • (38:44) The first patrol was from July to August, and ended early because they ran out of torpedoes. They were often busy, but they did sometimes have quiet days. The patrols never lasted the full sixty days, which was the limit because of food and fuel limits. (40:19) Surface Battle/Rest periods • (40:19) Radar was key during the surface battle. They found fourteen or so enemy ships on their radar. They used their guns during the battle and sank all the enemy ships. The battle lasted about an hour or an hour and a half. During the battle, their periscope was shot, and their radio antenna was damaged. • (41:28) The small guns inflicted more damage on the enemy than the larger guns. The enemy ships were thirteen sampans (supply ships), and one trawler which had guns. • (42:30) They went to Midway after the surface battle. They went to a rest camp for a while. There wasn’t much to do, so they mostly watched “gooney birds”--- �albatrosses. The birds were clumsy fliers and were amusing to watch. They had a beer ration, and went swimming and fishing as well. • (43:45) They had a two-week break after each patrol. Ideally, after each patrol about one fourth of the men was transferred to another submarine, so that the entire crew was replaced every four patrols. However, some men were transferred out after one patrol, and one man stayed on for nine patrols. (44:56) Submarine Life • (44:56) They had to hide along the bottom of the ocean several times. They took about one thousand depth charges, of which seventy-five were particularly scary. They had a “lot of scary moments.” They also had to dodge kamikaze planes eight to ten times. • (46:27) Radar helped them avoid planes. They would wait until the last moment to dive, and would be fully submerged to avoid damage. • (47:24) They sometimes would go onto “silent running” and would put as many systems as possible on hold. They would also slow the screw to about forty rpms, and would speak very softly. Noise travels easily underwater, so they had to be very quiet to avoid detection. • (48:32) They usually operated in deep water, but sometimes they had to operate in shallow water. Shallow water was problematic because then the enemy could use depth charges more strategically—ordinarily they had to know where the sub was and at what depth. Shallow water eliminated one of the usual variables. • (49:28) The worst time was when they were being trailed by two ships. They had to go down to four hundred feet. They could hear the ships above them. A line of seven depth charges was dropped along them, and it created leaks in the torpedo room. The torpedo room was doubly sealed. • (50:51) The superstructure was damaged as well. The ship was put on “silent running.” • (51:34) The rough times usually did not last very long. • (52:09) Sinking a ship was always a joyous occasion, initially. It became very somber when they could hear the ships sinking and buckling, they knew that men were dying. It was a hard sound to listen to. • (53:02) During the war “no quarter” was given. He went on five patrols, four of which were successful. • (53:41) His battleflag shows forty-two enemy ships sunk. They were initially credited with sixteen based on Japanese records. Later, the practice of using Japanese records was abandoned because they were shown to be unreliable. • (55:00) The submarines operated more or less independently from the rest of the war effort. • (55:14) Their first mission was in the Kurile Islands. The next three were in the East China and Yellow Seas, near Korea and Shanghai. The fifth patrol was north of Tokyo, near Hokkaido. • (56:11) He was most afraid when they had to dive very deep. They went down to around four hundred and fifty feet, and they were pinned down by depth charges. The screws were slowed, and the slow speed made time drag by. • (57:38) They began to sink because of their slow speed. They could not keep afloat �• • • • • • • • • • • • at that speed. This was during their first or second patrol, he was an oiler. (58:20) He was sent to the lowest portion of the sub to check on the systems since water was coming in at a high speed. It was coming in so fast it could have cut his hands. The sub was at five hundred and fifty feet, but he was at about five hundred and eighty five. He could see the hull breathe from the pressure. He nearly gave up when he saw that. Eventually they escaped, and he was never sure how. He was frightened of the water pressure crushing them. He was nineteen at the time. (01:01:05) The Sunfish’s only major damage was to the periscope and radio tower. The other damage was due to the pressure, and was part of normal submarine wear and tear. Maintenance was performed at the end of the each patrol. Subs had soft plates to protect them. They had a thin outer hull, and a thicker inner hull. (1:02:19) He married on June 8th, 1945,while on leave. His wife came back by train to the base in California with him. She had written him many letters during the war. (01:03:25) The food on the sub was better than normal Navy fare, at least during the beginning of patrol. The fresher food was used up quickly, and after being refrigerated long enough the eggs would taste funny. (01:04:00 They had a baker, a cook, and some mess cooks. The officers ate the same food as the enlisted men. (01:04:26) The men served in three shifts, four hours on, eight hours off. The men were served meals according to their shifts. Battle stations or training would frequently interfere with the schedules however. When off shift, they read to pass the time since they didn’t have much else to due. (01:06:06) He mostly enjoyed his time on the submarine. The men were a close knit group, and he still maintains contact with some of them. (01:06:46) One of his friends recently passed away. (01:07:20) They had a crew maximum of eighty-five, but they usually had around seventy-eight. Later on, they had more crewmen because more equipment was added to the sub. (01:08:11) He and his wife went home after the war. He landed in Hunter’s Point in early September and they began decommissioning the sub sometime in October or November. (01:09:12) He was scheduled to get out early, but they needed more men to keep mothballing the sub. He was asked to stay on as a courtesy, but was made aware that he could be ordered to do so. Married men who had their wives were asked more often since the other men wanted to go home and the married men, had some portion of their normal life near them already. (01:10:10) He was promised that he would get home by Christmas, and he was discharged on 12/18/1945, and he managed to get home by Christmas. Phyllis was pregnant with their first child. (01:11:53) Post-War • (01:11:53) He was discharged in California. He did not join the reserves. He came back to Niles, to his mother and step-father’s house. He got a job working �with his step-father. • (01:12:37) He and his brother borrowed money from a woman named Hazel to start a boating business on Crystal Lake. Hazel had also lent Don the money for college. He made good on both loans. Eventually he decided to get out of the boating business, and he went back to college and graduated. His brother continued working in the boating industry � 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 BennettD Title A name given to the resource Bennett, Don (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bennett, Don Description An account of the resource Don Bennett was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1925. He attended Albion College for one semester, then enlisted in the Navy, and became a submariner. He served on five patrols, one in the Kurile Islands, three near the Yellow Sea, and a final one north of Tokyo. During this time they sunk forty-two enemy ships. He was discharged on December 18th, 1945. After the war, he finished school at Albion College. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Montagna, Douglas (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American 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 2008-10-09 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/f67f4cb4bc84f49ef45a6f8383c6ea2f.jpg a7f5bed7ebf9ab7c2f91f1857bde9dd5 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_NE_48_1916_006 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1916-10-07 Title A name given to the resource Bennington monument Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of an automobile parked in front of the Bennington Monument. Three people are visible in the automobile. Behind the car is a raised statue of a soldier. The statue stands in front of a tall tower. Subject The topic of the resource Bennington Battle Monument (North Bennington, Vt.) 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/6b39dc5b93caeb729e333efc7de72062.mp4 022c24f414f2cf6704a641816ee619eb https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dc03898d62d9ca9c19992f01d1dae181.pdf a195a0a3916ffd19408d2ddaf8cd930b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Howard Bennink (01:25:02) (00:09) Introduction: • Born in Coopersville, Michigan. • Grew up on an 80-acre farm. • Attended one year of high school. (02:45) Before enlisting and depression: • Remembers being very poor. • All farm products dropped 50% in price. • Stayed on farm until he enlisted in the military. • He also worked on an excelsior plant in Grand Rapids. • He had no idea where Pearl Harbor was when it was bombed. • Remembers his mother saying that “Hitler was no good” long before he invaded Poland. (08:20) Enlistment: • Enlisted in Marine Corps. • Trained at Parrs Island, South Carolina. • Main thing about the Marine Corps was discipline by marching. • Received all WWI rifles and clothing. (12:40) After boot camp: • Received further training at Camp Lejeune. • Took a train to San Francisco. • Trained for six months before leaving the United States. (14:20) Ship ride to New Zealand: • Traveled by luxury liner 30 days from San Francisco to Wellington, New Zealand. • Many of the men got terrible diarrhea on the ship. • The ship was never attacked, although there was a submarine warning. (18:45) Wellington New Zealand: • Women built camps in New Zealand--male New Zealanders were fighting for Britain in Africa. • As soon as they arrived in Wellington, they started reloading the ships for combat and headed to Guadalcanal in 1942. (20:25) Guadalcanal: • Landed on Guadalcanal. • First offensive United States made against the Japanese. • Japanese landed on Guadalcanal but failed. • Served as a rifleman on the front line while on Guadalcanal. • Living conditions were reasonable. • Weather conditions were tough, very warm and humid. (25:37) Australia: �• • Headed for Brisbane, Australia. Most of the men had malaria after Guadalcanal, causing them to be incredibly weak. • As soon as they were on the ship, they drank Quinine for malaria treatment. • Arrived at a camp in Brisbane around Christmas time. • Left Brisbane for Melbourne, Australia. • After arriving in Melbourne, he contracted malaria again and was hospitalized for four months. • The hospital was very nice. • Once discharged from hospital, he was sent to Adelaide, Australia for two weeks. • He was then sent back to Melbourne where his division lived in a cricket stadium. (31:10) After Australia: • Traveled to Goodenough Island for three weeks. • Then to Finschaefen, New Guinea where they boarded their ships and sailed to Cape Gloucester, New Britain. • Received a Silver Star during fighting in Cape Gloucester. • The weather in Cape Gloucester was horrible; storms and rain the entire time. • Sent back to the United States after Cape Gloucester, on a thirty-day ship ride. (32:50) Furlough: • Sixty-five men were on ship along with sixty-five mental patients from the military. • Was able to keep in touch with family and received the Grand Rapids Press while in Pacific. • Received a thirty-day furlough after arriving stateside. • Did not hear about the European theatre much while in Pacific. (36:30) After Furlough: • While still stateside, he received his Silver Star at a ceremony and was promoted to sergeant. • Trained in the United States and then received more training in Hawaii. • Did not like Hawaii because of all the volcanic ash and the extremely cold showers. • Remained in Hawaii for four months and was then sent to Iwo Jima by ship. (46:19) Iwo Jima: • Remained on the island for three weeks until he was shot in the shoulder. • Most of the men around him were shot in the head and killed instantly. • The shot he received missed his carotid artery, grazed his spinal cord and went through his back. • As four men were carrying him on a stretcher, one was shot through the head. • After waiting for the Japanese fire to subside, he was taken to a Marine hospital. • He left Iwo Jima on a hospital ship to Guam, and then by plane to a military hospital in Hawaii where he had surgery. • He was then flown to Oakland, California. (57:53) Atomic Bomb: • Still recovering in a hospital in Great Lakes, Illinois when the bombs were dropped. �• Was relieved when they dropped the atomic bombs. (58:35) After Service: • Could only whisper after the service due to his injuries. • Received the 52/20 plan; 20 dollars every week for 52 weeks. • Worked as a barber for forty years in Grand Haven, Michigan. • Since retirement, he helps with landscaping work at his church and is currently on a one man mission to prevent overpopulation in the world. • He believes that overpopulation caused World War II. • His family has already compiled a written personal history of his service. �, I I I I I I I , FOREWORD In June 1994, on our way back from Sugar- Mountain, N.C., our grandson, Brent, then nine years old, spoke from the middle seat of the mini-van, "Grandpa, you were a Marine in the war, right? Did you have to shoot anyone?" Later he asked, "How far away were they?" On February 19, 1995, fifty years after the Marines landed on Iwo Jima, Howard and I attended a memorial program in Kalamazoo. It was what the Navy veterans remembered and what the Marine veterans didn't say that impressed m~. It was after our family doctor asked Howard why he was connected to the Veterans Administration and had sent for his medical records that I began to think of writing. Then in July of 1995, at a Guadalcanal Veterans reunion in Frankenmuth, Michigan, we met a man who was writing about his father, _an army doctor, who had worked on Guadalcanal. He hoped to meet-someone who remembered him and the hospital there. Of course, when the Marines were there, there wasn't any hospital and probably no doctor either. Finally, it was the radio/television cornrnentatorsand the newspaper editors and the critics, who weren't there but expressed their opinions that Pres~dent Truman should not have authorized the dropping of the atomic bomb, even if we had to invade Japan. The men who carne back alive had neglected to tell how it was! In-August, 1995, I began to write as Howard told me about his experiences. Elizabeth L. Bennink 1 �I I I , f I I I f I I ... ~., I I, I I, When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Howard was living at horne with his parents, Nancy and Harm Bennink, and working in a factory in Grand Rapids. He was nineteen years old. At the suggestion of a fellow worker, that he consider the Marines, he dropped in at a recruiting office in Grand Rapids. He didn't know any Marines personally and didn't know much about the Corps either. Most people in this area joined the Navy, but on January 6, 1942, he became a United States Marine. January 6, 1942 was a cold, stormy Monday. His father and. mother had driven him. to Grand Rapids. The newspaper article which Nancy' saved says that he was one of 23 young men ~ho were instructed by Staff Sergeant Lloyd Beattie. Fifteen 6f the men were from Grand Rapids and the remainder were from outlying areas. The picture shows the young men wearing suits, ~ies, overcoats and hats. Howard had not met any of them before. The group traveled to Detroit by Greyhound bus. He was given a physical examination which he passed in spite of "a displaced septal cartilage to the left, and old fracture of the nose and second degree flat feet". Howard "Bennick" was 73 1/4" tall and weighed 158 Ibs. His vision measured 20/20 bil~terally. His hearing was 15/15 in both ears. His chest measured ~4" at expiration and 38 1/2" at inspiration. Pulse was 80 before exercise, 98 after exercise and 82 after rest. His blood pressure was 136/88. He had blond hair, was blue eyed and had a ruddy complexion. Actually, it was his second examination. The recruiting officer in Grand Rapids had examined his teeth and asked if he had, or had ever had venereal diseases. Howard was sworn in after the physical. His serial number was 3 5 3 6 5 8. They spent the night in Detroit. The next morning, they left by train, a stearn engine coach for Beaufort, South Carolina. A camp bus took them to Parris Island and boot camp. The weather was milder in South Carolina. It was 5'0 - 60 degrees during the day and a cool 30 degrees at night. They lived in Quonset huts which housed 12 - 20 men. They slept on steel bunks and marched to the mess hall for meals. They got up in the dark. Back in Michigan, father Harm and brother-in-law John Dyke had put Howard's 1936, gray, Tudor Ford up on blocks in Aunt Altha Fitch's garage on Madison St. in Grand Rapids. This was Howard's second car. His first was a 1927 Chevy that he bought when he was sixteen. It cost $60.00. The Ford cost $250.00 in 1940. It was at Parris Island that they were given their initial wardrobe: Dungarees - pants and jackets Shoes - dress and boon dockers Dress uniform - greens and khaki Caps Socks Sweatshirts �I I I I I I I I ,I I :1 . ·'. . · :~ I ,I I E I ~t ~ Two blankets Skivie shirts Leather belt with a brass buckle Eight quart pail Six inch scrub brush Safety razor Bar of soap Toothbrush and toothpaste The first three weeks were taken up, mostly, by close order drill. The D.I. (Drill Instructor) was Cpl. Montplacer. It was the Platoon Sgt. that taught them how to make up their bunks and scrub floors. Howard says that he had no complaints in regard to treatment. The second three weeks were spent on the rifle range, where they lived in tents and ate rations (16 oz. cans of pork and beans, stew, and hash). The tents held six people. They slept on cots with a mattress. It was cold at night and even snowed once. . His closest associates in Boot Camp were probably Harold DeHaan from Grand Rapids and Paul Gammage from Ionia. Howard also remembers getting two haircuts during Boot Camp. He remembers too, how they craved sweets. They were allowed to buy one candy bar at the P.X. during the six weeks. Their first move was to Camp LeJeune, New River, North Carolina. According to the book "The Old Breed", a history of the First Marine Division in World War II by George McMillian, Camp LeJeune was 111,710 acres of newly bought land at New River, N.C. "111,710 acres of water, coast:al swamp and plain, thereto fore inhabited largely by sandflies, ticks, chiggers and snakes".' If I interpret the book correctly, until February 1, 1941, the Marines, all of them, were the First Brigade which grew in number when the organized reserves were called up in the fall of 1940. Quantico, the horne of the Brigade was now too small so the: land was bought at New River. The date, August, 1941, is mentioned as the time the First Division set up at New River. By December 7, 1941, the Division was still small; 518 officers and 6,871 men. By the spring of 1942 (April), it had grown to 15,000 men. The average age was probably not quite 20 years old and about 90% of them had enlisted since Pearl Harbor. The First Marine Division included the First Marine Regiment, the Fifth Marine Regiment, the Seventh Marine Regiment and the Eleventh Marine Regiment. Howard was in the First Marine Regiment, Third Battalion, 'I' Company, Third Platoon, Fourth Squad. Cpl. Morino was the Squad Leader, Sgt. Sylvester was the Platoon Sergeant, and Lt. Weiss was the Platoon Officer. The men had been issued rifles at Parris Island, a bolt action Springfield. They took good care of it. They carried it everywhere except on liberty. It was even in the bunk with them at night. They memorized the serial number, but now 50+ years later, Howard can only remember the first two numbers, 1 and 5. Howard's discharge papers say that he quallified with the Bayonet, 12 February, 1942 and Special Military Qualification, Scout - Sniper. L l'i 1 �They lived in Quonset huts that looked new. There were eight bunks on each side. The floor was wood and there were windows. Their Sgt. talked a lot about combat but Howard doesn't think that he really knew what he was talking about. As a part of their training, they crawled across 40 acres on their bellies. During breaks, the Platoon Sgt. would say that the smoking lamp was lit. That meant that the men could smoke. Howard had started to smoke on his way to Detroit from Grand Rapids. The obstacle course at Camp LeJeune did not amount to much, but one day the company hiked to the ocean. The bottom was covered with oysters and everyone had cut feet after they bathed nude in the salt water. The camp had a parachute group. Those men never walked, they always ran. They also had a Division Band. It practiced out under the trees and sounded good. On March 12, 1942, Howard was hospitalized with German Measles. The hospital had bunks stacked two or three high. A corpsman was in charge. Howard returned to duty on March 16, 1942. Howard remembers going on liberty twice. They went to Jacksonville where he had a couple"beers and caught a bus back to camp. They also went to New Berne once. There wasn't much to do there either, but there was a tattoo parlor and Howard received the small tattoo on his forearm which says U S M C - 1942. They also took a bus trip to Cherry Point about 15 or more miles away. Brick buildings were being erected for the Air Force. While at Camp LeJeune, Howard was promoted to a Private First Class. He is not positive, but he thinks that he got a raise of $6.00, from $18.00 to $24.00 a month. 4 �I I l I r l , I I I ~; I t··,~· l I. [ [ [ t [ 1 . Major General A. A. Vandegrift assumed command of the First Marine Division from Major General Philip Torrey on March 23, 1942. In mid April, a plan called Lone Wolf arrived at New River, ordering the Division to Wellington, New Zealand at the earliest possible moment. It was said that Vandegrift thought that the Division had not yet attained a satisfactory state of readiness for combat, but he was assured that the Division would not be expected to fight before January 1, 1943. An advance party of officers was dispatched to select a site. They found it on North Islarid, 35 miles from Wellington . ."The bush covered gorges' and ravines of the Tararu Moun tains are in "spitting" distance". The camp was built with green lumber by New Zealand women. New Zealand was a part of Great Britain which had been at war since 1940. Both labor and supplies were limited. By the end of April, the Division was ready to move (two weeks after the notice). On May 1, 1942, the troops went aboard trains at New River. Howard says their clothing and personal items were put into sea bags and thrown in a pile. It was the last time he saw them. He presumed that the ship carrying them had been sunk. At that point in time, combat loading was considered pointless and time consuming, so personnel and gear went into separate ships. . The Wakefield with General Vandegrift aboard left from Norfolk, Virginia on May 20, through the submarine menaced Atlantic and the Panama Canal. The men left by train for the Pacific Coast. Before leaving they were told not to write letters or make any contacts. The train was a Pullman with sleepers and diners. They carried their rifles and packs. The train zigzagged to San Francisco. They were told that they crossed the Royal Gorge but Howard does not remember seeing it. The last night on the train, they were told to set their boon-dockers out. Boon-dockers were their rough leather boots which were never polished, but the next morning the porter had them shiny. The men collected for a tip. When they got down to the docks and the ship, it was being unloaded of boulders. The pile of rocks was still on the docks when the ship sailed. The ship was the Ericsson, which was a German luxury liner that had been seized in the New York Harbor after the war began. It was a beautiful ship, privately owned and leased to the Government. Personnel were civilians. It had two swimming pools and beautiful paintings and wood carvings. Howard thought that perhaps the staterooms had been torn out because they slept on bunks, six high. He had no idea what part of the ship that they were in. They lived aboard for a week or more before sailing. During this time Howard rented a horse, a big, long legged one, and rode �~,: 1 r , t r i , I I. I ~I'- I f~ ~. l along the hills. '[he horse could not be ridden or led off the main trail. He remembers being on guard duty and needed his overcoat. Howard is not sure when they left San Francisco. His discharge papers say, "Asiatic Pacific Area, 22 June, 1942." Howard does not remember the dining room, but he remembers walking down the steps with rotten food on the tray. It seems that the refrigeration was not functioning properly. Here after, for the remaining three weeks, the men existed on Planters peanuts and Pepsi Cola in glass bottles which had replac~d the water in the pools. The men had to purchase the nuts and cola. Because of th~ illness arid inadequate diet, according to the book, the men lost as much as 16 pounds enroute. TheFirst Marine Division was living up to their nick-name the Raggedy Ass Marines. Howard does not remember any big guns on the ship. They were not part of a convoy, and crossed the ocean alone. They were not told of their destination until they were at sea. During the day porpoise followed the bow of the ship. At night, there were lots of lights in the water. They were told that it was phosphorous. In Mother Nancy's scrapbook is a small card which says: Piic ; Howard Bennink was duly initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Deep. 'Having crossed the Equator July 1, 1942. Aboard the R.S. John Ericsson during W.W.II. Davey Jones - His Majesty's Scribe Neptune Rex - Ruler of the Raging Main The initiation ceremony did not take place as submarines were sighted, but they were in line to be doused with water and get "a slap on the ass with a paddle." The trip lasted 30 days. Much of this time, they read. On June 26, while the Ericsson was still on the high seas, General Vandegrift was told that the Marines would invade, occupy and defend Guadalcanal, Florida and Santa Cruz Islands and that D. Day would be August 1, 1942. Vandegrift was upset, his Marines would not arrive until July 11th, after 30 days of inactivity. In addition no planning had been done and the only information available were naval charts which were made in 1910. It was obvious why Douglas MacArthur and his team had not done well in his part of the war. D. Day was moved to August 7, still not much time to gather information, plan, study, load 31 transports and cargo carriers, embark 20,000 men and 60 days of supplies, rendezvous with the Navy and conduct a set of joint rehearsal exercises. One of the first orders to come down, was to leave 1/3 of the supplies behind. It was winter in New Zealand with cold driving rain. Food supplies melted on the docks as they were unloaded from one ship and loaded on another, sometimes at the same time. Howard said that they lived aboard ship, but did walk into 6 �f, , ~. t r , ~ I ~ I r ~··t· I , the hills once. On July 25, 1942, Howard became 20 years old. Koro Island in the Figi's was selected for pre-invasion maneuvers. It was about half way between New Zealand and Guadalcanal, 'but it was not like Guadalcanal. It was a coral island. After several landing vessels were wrecked attempting to land, the practice was called off. The units spent their days, July 28-31, riding up to the reef and back. The convoy left Koro on July 31. Howard was aboard the McCawley. As they left, the men were told where ~hey were going. The men wondered, "Where the hell G~adalcanal was and why were they going there?" The men were uptight. It was the unknown. It was to be the first offensive battle of the Pacific War. "We never knew what the hell we were getti,ng in to." The officers who didn't know either, said that it was safer than at home on the highways. Howard remembers sharpening the bayonet to kill Japs but ended up using it to crack green coconuts to stay alive. The convoy was almost all of the effective striking force of the Navy in the Pacific. It consisted of three carriers: the Saratoga, Enterprise and the Wasp; the battleship, North Carolina; and some cruisers and destroyers. Guadalcanal was the first o:ffensive waged against the Japanese in W.W.II. The Japs had humiliated us at Pearl Harbor and we were helpless in our attempts to aid the men of Corregidor and the Bataan March. We had begun to think the Japanese were supermen. Howard remembers the trip on the McCawley to Guadalcanal. They ate, slept or lay dreaming on the deck. At daylight on August 7, 1942, the cruisers began shore bombardment. At 0647, under the cover of the shore bombardment and the planes from the carriers, the men began to go over the side and down the cargo nets into Higgins boats under full pack. The backpack contained the following: Mess gear Razor - bar'of soap Towel Blanket Poncho 1/2 of a pup tent Brush (which most of the men threw away) Food (if you had any) A shovel hung on the back of the pack. You thought of your pack as your horne and your kitchen. You used it all. You carried your rifle and wore a cartridge belt. Attached to it was a canteen full of water, a med pack in a metal can with sterile gauze and yellow vaseline gauze strips 4"x6" in a canvas pouch, ammo, and a bayonet inside a scabbard. They headed into the beach and landed on schedule, in fact, two minutes early, at 0908. They jumped over the side of the Higgins boats and into water waist high and waded in, carrying their packs and rifle. The beach was sandy, then grassy, then 7 �r f ", , 1 r I t r I f F 1'",'' ' ' :1 coconut trees with lots of nuts on the ground. Here they stopped- "Where were the Japs?" They opened a few coconuts with their knives. Howard cut his finger. They headed for the jungle, 200 men single file. The vines and branches had been chopped for a path. By perhaps 3 p.m., they were out of water. The temperature was about 100 degrees. If they had anything to eat it was probably a sort of chocolate bar. Sometime later" they crossed a creek. They filled their canteens and dropped the pill in it. By nightfall, they were out of water again and had to do without. That night, they.slept op the rotten, stinky, black dirt on the trail. The jungle was noisy and they were scared. ,Their lieutenant was bitten by a spider. They heard him scream and moan. They were told that he died, but Howard did not see him. When morning came, the Marines were proud. Although there was a lot of trigger-fingering, no one had fired. ' That was a sign of good training. The Japs couldn't find them. They continued on until the officers got orders to abandon the original orders, because theyhad the wrong information. There was no grassy knoll. There was only more jungle. By the time Howard's Company reached the beacp, the ships had already left, without unloading supplies. They had left before dawn the day after the invasion. It was said that General Vandegrift could not make his sen{or officers realize the disastrous effect. Howard's Company of 200 men spent the next two weeks on the beach guarding against Japanese attacks. The times are only estimates, He had no watch, calendar or any means of knowing other than sun-ups and sundowns. When they arrived on the beach, other Marines were walking by with Japanese souvenirs. A Japanese construction unit was discovered. They were building a large straw roofed warehouse, part of which would be used as a mess hall. It had canned fruit, lots of rice, clothing and glass bottles of saki . . It was open for the first two days and everyone ate well. Then it was declared "off limits" and guarded. It was here that Howard saw his first live Japs, in the stockade. Almost all were laborers and engineers. Some were Koreans. The two weeks on the beach were not bad and he remembers certain things that happened: During daylight hours, a Jap submarine out in the ocean would surface and fire. Our 1/2 tracks would tear down to the beach and fire at the sub but it was just out of range. One time the Japanese Commander came in too close, it may have been hit, but it submerged in a hurry. He saw Zeros fly at treetop heights. Once they saw a plane with a star (U.S.) followed by a Zero and watched it go out of sight. They watched dog fights over the water. Sometimes they I 8 1 �~ Ii': I f l (: ~. r I; ~ 1:..•,.' .• '! ~ I i ; .:.-~ .:L (!r.!.' ~I T could see the pilot through the canopy. Howard saw the first u.s. planes corne in at treetop level. The Marines were so surprised that they almost shot at them. The Marines noticed that supply ships were not corning in. This was bad. They saw flashes, lots of them, out over the ocean at night. The flashes were followed about seven seconds later by rumbles. We know now that we lost the Quincy, Vincennes, Astoria and the Chicago. The Canberra was so badly damaged that it had to be sunk. All 'together, we lost four cruisers and a destroyer was damaged. The Japs did not lose any and only two were damaged. This is now called the Battle of Savo Island. When the word got around that the Navy had left, the Marines learned the feeling of expendability, and that they would probably never get off the island alive. Then the Division went on short rations, two meals a day of captured Japanese food (fish heads and rice) . The air raids started and we had no way to oppose them. They would corne in high, in formation, and drop a few bombs. About midnight, a lone plane would fly overhead, drop a bomb and leave and then another would repeat the act. The Marines called this harassment, Wash Machine Charlie. There was talk about Tokyq Rose, but Howard said that he never heard her. He didn't know anyone who had a radio. The Japs landed 900 men, one mile from where the Marines were trying to hold the airfield. They did not have enough men and that left some places in the perimeter unmanned. The air strip was about 1/2 mile from the beach area. The battle started about 0100. Howard's Company was ordered to Right face, that is, to face the Japs instead of the ocean. A company has about 200 men. The Japs had lots of ammo. If they had broken through, it would have been bad, but they never did. The line had held. At daylight, the battle was over and Howard's Company moved forward and exchanged position. They walked through lots of dead men (the Battle of Tenaru), and upstream about a mile and set up a position of defense. This was right at the edge of a swamp and at the end of a runway for fighter planes. 'I' Company was in this position for a long time, maybe weeks. Rations of rice and coconuts were short. One day their Lieutenant got a can of Spam, about a 4 pound can. He cut it into 30 pieces and shared. It tasted so good! During this time, they saw Japanese bombers, silver colored, two motors, so high than they looked to be the size of a quart jar. Then they saw our fighter planes above them, about the size of a fist. They seemed directly overhead. The Marines did not hear the guns, but watched the bombers fallout of formation and spiral down. At least seven or eight fell, but they must have fallen into the jungle. They did not see any fires or see any fighters fall. Although the Company was less than 1/2 mile from the 'I' ~ 9 �f" t i r' I I~ r' [ (I Ii ~' [i ~"'~ airfield, no bombs ever landed near the Company. The dog fights were uneven. Usually five of ours to 20 - 25 of theirs but we were desperate. Dates and events were hazy as the Marines had no way of measuring time. Somehow, sometimes they moved to the other side of the airstrip and the Company would go on patrol. "We were ambushed on the Matamikau River. Our Lt. Weiss was paralyzed (still living today)." Bullets zipped around Howard but he was not hurt. The Company had a set of twins from Niagara Falls, one was killed and the other went psycho. "Somehow, we got away." But Howard has forgotten how they managed to do it. Another Company carne into the area and cleaned it up. Then 'I' Company went into the same area and set up a defense position on the river for perhaps days or weeks. Usually, they went on patrol in front of the lines with about 20 men. It was in this area than their Company was in battle. At sunset on October 21, the Japanese attacked with 9 - 18 ton tanks. Only one broke through. Howard's Company was supported by 2 - 1/2 tracks, 2 - 37rnm. guns, 2 - 50 caliber machine guns, besides the rifle men and light machine guns. The next morning seven Jap tanks were burning and when they walked across the river, they found lots of dead men (estimated 600). One man in Howard's squad lost a leg. . Supplies began to corne in by the last of the second month, but Howard was not in a position to see the ships. By September, Malaria was taking it's toll. Sometime in September it caught Howard. He remembers being in a big valley and the hospital was at the top of a hill. He was so sick and weak that he still wonders how he was able to crawl to the top. The hospital was a tent with the sides rolled up. He was given some liquid to drink which he promptly vomited. The act earned him a place under the canvas for a few days. They laid on their blankets on the ground. He does not remember being seen by a doctor, but he was given some pills. This is recorded on his medical history. The entry reads: 9/42 U.S.N.H. - Field Hospital Guadalcanal - Dysentery - Malaria. The average wight loss at this time was about 20 pounds per man. In October, 1,941 cases of malaria were reported. This increased the average weight loss to 60 to 70 pounds. In November, a naval battle claimed two more cruisers and four destroyers. Two cruisers and three destroyers were also damaged. The marines were in bad shape. Their clothes and shoes were worn to rags. They had had no shelter in four months. Their green blankets were white with the eggs of the big blue flies. Summer was corning on and it was hot, about 107 degrees. The Marines were tired and sick. They felt cornered and just existed. The Japanese were still landing at will, but after going �Ii ,I Ii I I t through the jungle, they too were starved and sick. That the Marines held under these conditions was a wonder and perhaps would not have, except for the fact they knew what would happen to them if they were captured. Every man kept a grenade to kill himself. Then one day the Army marched by. "When they saw us ,they asked where the Japs were - We, answered 'keep walking'." In November, the Marines had 3,213 cases of malaria with secondary anemia and to keep and maintain a combat line, each man was given 20 grains of quinine daily. On December 9, 1942, General Vandegrift turned over the ,command to General Patch,and the 2nd Marine Division. Two days later the 1st Division left the island. An inscription in the cemetery read: An whep he goes to Heaven to St. Peter, he'll tell another Marine reporting, Sir I've served my time in Hell. [I ~ [: fl.·... ,~' tl [ ;1" '. 11 �r I I I ( I (,: r,if'......... 'iii' [ ml" u " U :1 D This account is the memories of a 73 year old veteran that reaches back over 50 years. He is not a bitter man nor a particularly proud man, but he was a boy who became a man at nineteen by living through hell. The United States was not prepared for war when Pearl Harbor was attacked and even after, it was decided to put the war in Europe first. A Division is considered to have at least 15,000 men or maybe a few more, but in December of 1941, it had 518 officers and 6,871 men (enlisted men). The slack was made up with young enlistees. On departure for the Pacific, the average age of 90% was under 20 years of age. " The area that would become known as Camp LeJeune was purchased in May, 1941 and these men were the builders. Throughout the war, the First Division was first.and as good as the men themselves could make it. Time and materials were always scarce. In retrospect, if there was any planning for Guadalcanal, it was bad. General MacArthur was an Army man, who no doubt felt that the Marines were expendable. The services were uncoordinated. The Navy had been decimated in t~e Pacific and the Army was attempting defense after bitter defeats. The Marines were without support. They were dropped :off and abandoned, to live off the lay of the land. Here, were no reporters, no USO's, no Red Cross, no Salvation Army, no PX, no mess halls, no food or shelter. There were only young men who were sick, exhausted, and starved, trying to survive and they did! Some time later a personnel officer would say, "They were a strange breed, this bunch that came in after Pearl Harbor. Many of them, we discover, were officer caliber and could easily have gained that rank if they hadn't volunteered. There's no doubt about it but they wanted to fight. If we resented them at New River ... well, we learned better at the 'Canal." Howard became a Corporal on Guadalcanal, but he's not sure when. Sometime, somewhere, he was given a paper to that effect. They left the island on Navy manned boats from the same beach that they landed on. They were taken out to the American Legion. Howard was able to climb the landing net (cargo net) up to the deck, but could not make it over the railing. The Navy men took his rifle from him and pulled him over. He cannot remember anything more. He cannot remember what he ate or where he slept. Someone gave them liquid quinine. The Marines were not told where they were going and they didn't care. Later they were told that MacArthur wanted them to go back into combat in New Guinea but the Navy said, "No way, they are too sick." They went instead to Brisbane, Australia. Howard remembers the docks were up river with cow pastures on each side. They lived in tents and slept on cots. There was even a mess hall and �._<::_:::::=:lii!A·~· ~,.~~_. they sat at tables. They must have spent Christmas here, but Howard does not remember. There were lots of mosquitos at Bisbane, but the main reason for leaving after a couple weeks was because the men were ill and there were no' hospitals nearby. The Division's casualties were: 621 killed in action; 1,517 wounded in action; and 5,601 cases of malaria. The Japanese had 40,000 troops ashore. They evacuated about 10,000; 30,000 died on the island. The Reinforced 1st Division received the Presidential Unit Citation. On the way to Brisbane, Twining, a full Colonel and operations officer designed a shoulder patch. It had a red number one on a blue field surrounded by the stars of the Southern Cross. The word Guadalcanal in white ran the length of the #1. The men designed a medal of their own. They called it the George Medal to express their own sentiments, "Let George Do It". One side had an arm with Navy stripes dropping a hot potato into a helmet held by a tired Marine. The other side pictured the rear view of a cow with a whirring electric fan. This illustrated a well used Marine phrase, "when the shit hits the fan. " Howard says the Marines must have moved to Melbourne by ship, because he does not remember seeing much of anything at Bisbane. Melbourne would have been "heaven" if they had been well, but most of the men were sick. They set up camp on the cricket grounds, under the roofed section. Bunks, two high were set on the tiered seats, two legs on the higher seats and two legs on the lower seats or steps. Here again they lived like Marines. Their pants and shirts were rolled up and put "in the sack" while they slept in their skivvies. The next morning, the clothes were warm and wrinkle free, almost. Howard was sick. He remembers seeing' an Italian doctor and his medical reGord shows entries on 1-8-43 and 1-20-43 at the U.S. 4th General Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. On 1-25-43, there is a diagnosis of Tertian Malaria. On 2-7-43, he was discharged to duty, under follow-up. On 2-25-95, he was admitted with jaundice, acute infective and remained hospitalized until 6-11-43. The hospital was a new brick building, owned by the Australians and leased to the U.S. Army. It was six stories high with a roof garden and balconies. Howard was in a twenty bed ward. It had both showers and tubs. The food was good, but he couldn't eat. The care was good, given by U.S. Army nurses. He was treated with pills. Howard continued to get more sick with chills, fever, jaundice and pain. At some time he developed carbuncles on the back of his neck, which was extremely painful. Antibiotics were �I I I I r r r not yet in use. One day when the doctor visited, he asked Howard how he felt. He answered that he was so sleepy and that's when things changed. He was moved into a private room with private duty nurses and was given plasma, I.V. This was continued until he was able to· drink. His friend, DeHaan, from Grand Rapids visited him during this time. He came into the room, left and returned, asking if he was Corporal Bennink. He didn't recognize Howard. Dawson from his platoon was also in the hospital recuperating from a c Lr cumc i s i.on as well as malaria. As Howard improved, the nurses would push him in his bed out on the balcony. Others, less ill, made use of the roof gardens, even entertaining Aussie girl friends, until it was declared "off bounds" . Sometime during June, the two carbuncles were lanced and allowed to drain. He was still jaundiced. He was discharged on 6-11-43 and returned to the cricket grounds. Melbourne became a symbol of Civilization, the- men had left a home. It ~as a city of friendly people. The newspaper called the Marines the "Saviours of Australia". The songs "Mairzy Doats'" and ":Thanks for the Memories" came from this era. It was 'in Melbourne, that Howard met Nancy Raferty. Dawson, from Alabama, introduced her to him. He remembers going to a park where there was a Triumph car show. They went to a theater and saw "Gone With The Wind". Howard and Dawson were invited to Nancy's home· for a lamb dinner. They lived in the suburbs. Howard remembers the steak and egg breakfasts at the U.S.D. and the Pub, Young and Jackson, that had nude paintings hung high on the wall. A recent visitor says that it is still there and the paintings are intact. He was still in Melbourne when his five months of back pay caught up with him. It was about $400.00. It was a good time. No one wanted to work and that included the officers, Many of the men had girlfriends and spent little time in camp. There was a time that Howard in a group of about eight men went to sniper school. They were taken about 20 miles from camp, up in the hills. They were to get back to camp in five days and they did. They slept out every night, except one when they broke into a school house with a fireplace. Before they left the next morning, they cut and hauled wood to replaced what they used. Howard remembers a man in his Platoon (Jackson) who had scabies. He kept his fork from his mess kit hung on a nail near his cot as a scratcher. At mess call, he'd grab his mess kit and his fork and march to the hall. Howard never saw him wash the fork. Howard became 21, July 25, 1943. By the fall of 1943, Douglas MacArthur was remembering his 14 �I I I I I f , r " promise to return to the Philippines. To avoid being bogged down in New Britain's jungle, he called on the "Jungle Wise Marines" who were becoming ornery in Melbourne. It was to be a joint effort with his 6th Army, but before there was any understanding between the staffs, he ordered the Marines to Goodenough Island, 2000 miles away. The Division was moved by Liberty ships where they set up on the open decks. The date was about September 19, 1943. Goodenough was· a jungle,. but had more hills than Guadalcanal. Also, the streams seemed clearer. They walked through native villages that seemed vacant, but the Marines lived in tents. There were lots of, mosquitos, so their training consisted of lots of ditch digging, to drain the swamps. They loafed when no one was watching. One day they saw Fuzzy-Wussies erecting a grass roofed building. They were small, black people and "you could smell them before you saw them". The odor was caused by whatever they rubbed on their bodies to repel the insects. They were good coconut tree climbers and loved to ride on trucks. Both the men and the women were bare to the waist and wore grass skirts. The Marines were transferred to Finschhafen a week before D. Day on LCI's (21), LST's (24) and APD's (10). LCI's carried the infantry, LST I S carried tanks ,.. trucks and equipment. APD' s (LCT's) were able to carry one or two tanks and were able to land up on the beach. This time they were going on Army money. They were served their Christmas dinner on Finschhafen, but the turkey neck that Howard got tasted as if it was rotten so he threw it in the jungle. They boarded the ship on Christmas Eve. At 0600, on December 26, 1943, the cruisers and destroyers opened fire. Then the bombers flew over. The first unit (3rd Battalion - Howard's) landed at 0746. They were unopposed. The jungle growth extended to the ~each. This was supposed to be a damp flat, but the men fell into sink holes up to their waists. This was Cape Gloucester, New Britain. The naturalist's notes of the 1920's didn't mention this, but the northwest monsoons come to New Britain in late December and lasted for three months. 1943 was no exception. It started to rain in the afternoon of December 26th and a "terrific storm struck the Cape Gloucester area" in the early hours of the 27th. The rains continued for the next five days. The Marines were soaked and it is said that they never dried out. By the first night the Marines had moved to the airport and set up a line of defense. They stretched barbed wire in the front and tied tin cans on it. The men were spaced behind it. Sherman tanks were brought up for the night. The men were wet and cold and the large amounts of warm exhaust from the engines felt good, that is, until the Marine standing next to Howard passed out from carbon monoxide. He recovered. The next morning, they moved forward. There was no �opposition. One tank got stuck crossing a ditch. No way could be found to move it either way so the crew moved to the rear. The tank was equipped with a 50 caliber machine gun on the turret. This was of great interest to the Marines , but as many times as they tried, they couldn't get it to fire. That night as before, they set up their defense line and as before, there was no opposition. On the 3rd day, they ran 'into lots of machine gun fire. The Marines couldn't see them because of the heavy undergrowth, but a lot of men were getting hit.' Howard jumped on the back end of the tank and the crew opened a communication door. "I told them to fire into the undergrowth as they couldn't see it from the inside. Finally, the Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. McKelvy carne up to see what all the firing was about. 'What's holding you up?', he asked, and then sawall the dead and wounded men. He went back and called in 'K' Company (the support" company) with a platoon of tanks. We followed after 'K' Company." A newspaper article written by S/Sgt. Joseph L. AlIi, a combat correspondent wrote an article for the Associated Press: Cpl. Bennink was in charge of a squad detailed to support tanks making assault on an enemy strong point. After following for four miles, they encountered heavy resistance and machine gun fire caused the tanks' turrets to be closed. _ According to 1st Lt. Joseph Alessandroni Jr. of Philadelphia, PA, Cpl. Bennink jumped onto the lead tank, banged on the turret and guided him to the enemy pill boxes. "I saw him repeat that very stunt seven or eight times", Lt. Alessandroni said, "and I know he helped wipe out several other pill boxes." Altogether he guided the tanks to 10 or 12 of them. Some were occupied and some weren't. But all of them might have been and he was exposing himself to heavy machine gun fire every time he went near one of those tanks. That sort of work requires real nerve. After spotting each pill box, Cpl. Bennink abandoned his precarious perch, rejoined his squad and after the pill boxes had been blasted by 75mm fire, helped in the mopping up process with hand grenades and rifle fire. Cpl. Bennink, 21, is a veteran of the Guadalcanal Campaign. He was promoted to his present rank for Meritorious conduct while on volunteer reconnaissance patrols deep in enemy territory. Farther on, they saw a block house, half buried in the ground. Inside were six or eight Jap officers who had committed suicide by shooting themselves with rifles. A hundred yards or so further on they saw a lean-to that held two trunks, full of Japanese script. The airport was next. They counted about a half dozen planes and not too many Japs. They crossed the airstrip and set up defense at the base of the hills. 16 �( r r :1 ," Because they were a part of MacArthur's Army, they wore Army clothing and boots. They were also issued hammocks with mosquito netting, but without trees, they couldn't hang them up. It would have been dangerous to be up off the ground at any rate, so they laid them on the ground, crawled in, zipped them up and hoped that the Japs wouldn't come. On the defense line, they encountered "electrical storms and' winds, the like of which I never saw again", Howard said, "There was a 37mm gun about 50 feet away and the balls of fire bounced allover the gun." Howard remembered lots of anti-aircraft fire as Wash Machine ~harlie came over every night between two and three a.m. There was lots of fire, but he was never hit. Patrols made up of volunteers left the line and had close calls. DeHaan from Grand Rapids always liked that. Howard didn't volunteer anymore because Lt. Alessandroni told him that he was going back to the States. A couple of weeks later, a runner told him to "pack up your things, you're on your way. II They took two men and one officer from each Company. They were taken back to the beach by truck through lots of mud. The LST was waiting for them. Aboard ship, in his wet, muddy clothes, Howard walked past a galley window and a voice called out, "Hey Marine, would you like a cup of Coffee?1I liThe coffee had canned milk and sugar in it, and it was the best cup of coffee I ever had in my life. II The sixty men sailed to Finchhaften. There, they picked up another LST that took them to Milne Bay, New Guinea. 'They hitched a ride on an Australian refrigeration ship, that was hauling meat to the troops. They slept on deck and ate steak twice a day. There were no vegetables, just T-Bone steak. After three or four days their mouths were sore and they were back in Brisbane and living in tents. It was here that Howard met and talked to u.s. Army men who had been there for two years IIguarding Australia". At Brisbane the 60 stayed right in camp, they didn't want to miss the boat. One day, they boarded a Liberty ship with 64 other Army, Navy and Airmen with nervous breakdowns. The 64 Marines were supposed to guard them. Howard said that none of them were violent, so on good days, they brought them up on deck. On March 1, 1944, they arrived in Camp Elliott, San Diego, California. Before being given a leave, he was given a physical and his medical records say that he was physically qualified for transfer. Howard remembers that this was the first time they saw women Marines. As they were being examined for V.D., they asked the doctor if he also examined the women for V.D. He responded by saying yes and that it was called Port Hole Inspection. He also said that he called the men's examination Short Arm Inspection. Howard was given a 15 day leave and a form request for a 15 17 �f f [ f day extension which he could fill out and mail to an address in Washington D.C. Back.at Cape Gloucester, MacArthur held the 1st Marines until May 4th and then they went to Pavuvu. Howard said that Camp Elliott looked good after the jungle. He was finally out of the rain and dry. He slept in a bunk and had meals .at the mess hall. The train that he boarded in Los Angeles was a very dirty old steam engine. The tunnels and snow sheds were black with soot and even the coach smelled like it. Howard remembers that when he got home, his shirt was really dirty. When ~he train stopped in Reno, he bo~ght a rubber snake for the kids at home, but his father, Harm had lots of fun with it and the nephews did a lot of B.B. gun shooting. He arrived in Grand Rapids, on Sunday night, March 12, 1944. About a dozen relatives were waiting for him at the station. Mother Nancy kept a list of people who visited him at home. Howard remembers that he rode home in the car with his sister and brother-in law, John Dyke. John was about to be drafted. Howard warned him not to get in the Infantry. "I said, 'Take anything else'." John did get in the infantry and spent the next Christmas in the Battle of the Bulge in Europe. Howard's own car was stil~ up on blocks, but Dykes let him borrow their 1940 Ford several times. He drove it to Grand Haven, and ,returned home. He used his 5 gas ration stamps to buy 5 gallons of gas. "Things were pretty dull around here." He also used his Dad's car. Harm had lots of tractor gas. He also had a flat .tire. Howard said he was almost glad to go back to California. He was to report to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Division, 27 Regiment at Camp Pendleton. He had been granted the 15 day extension and it had arrived while he was at home, and he forgot and left it there. When the S.P. (Shore Patrol) came through the train, he had only his 15 day furlough pass. He was 13 days overdue. Howard was told to consider himself under arrest and that they would take him off the train at Omaha, and they did. He was taken to a recruiting office and put in a room by himself for several hours and then let him go. Howard asked him for a written explanation in case he got back late, but the officer refused saying that if he hurried, he'd get there in time, and he did. The 5th Marine Division was activated on Armistice Day 1943 (November 11, 1943). At that time, the 1st Division was at Goodenough Island, it's advanced staging area in preparation for Cape Glouchester. The 2nd Division was on it's way to Tarawa. The 3rd Division was fighting in the jungle swamps of Bougainville. The 4th Division was in the States, but soon would leave for the Marshall Islands. The Marine Corps now consisted of 400,000 men, but the. end was not yet in sight so the 5th 18 �I I Division was activated. It was to be the best trained and best prepared division to date. It would be organized with all it's component units in place (engineers, artillery, medical, etc.). Squad, platoon, company, battalion and regimental training would follow in succession, in a detailed plan. The Division Commander was Major General Keller E. Rockey. The men came from boot camps San Diego and Parris Island, training centers of Elliott, LeJeune, Pendleton, Quantico and ship detachments. But last of all were hundreds of men who were veterans of earlier Marine campaigns to add combat experience and practical knowledge. Camp Pendleton was the largest of all the Marine Corps training cen t.ers ; Complete wi th barracks, administration buildings, sick bay, theater, post exchange and athletic facilities with a $25,000 recreation fund! It even had a Red Cross unit with 15 recreation rooms. The train took Howard to Oceanside, about a mile from Pendleton. He reported to the Sgt. Major at the 2nd Battalion Head Quarters. Howard promptly asked him for a 72 hour pass. The Sgt. Major refused saying, "Put your gear away, you just came back." Howard did not see him again for several weeks p Howard reported to Sgt. G~bson, the 3rd Platoon Sgt., who gave him a choice of being a squad leader or a platoon guide. Howard chose the squad leader,:and he still feels that he made the right choice. "They were'decent guys." Sgt. Graham became the Platoon Guide. He had been a paratrooper until that unit was disbanded. Many of the Sgts. were former paratroopers, including the Sgt. Major. Many others were former Raiders. The Chain of Command was well structured. The Captain and the Top or 1st Sgt. ran the Company. The Platoon Sgt. and Lts. ran the Platoons. The officers had little contact with the men. The first Sgt. relayed orders to the Platoon Sgts., who passed it on the Squad Leaders. It was bad if you had a poor Lt. or Platoon Sgt. As Howard remembers they had only one bad 'Lieutenant. Sgt. Gibson must have complained because he left. The Platoon Sgt. actually had a lot of power. Howard was in the 5th Division, 27th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 'F' Company, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squad. The Top Sgt. was Wilber M. Burgess. The Platoon Sgt. was James Gibson Jr. The 1st Squad Leader was Sgt. Ronald E. III (a former paratrooper). The 2nd Squad Leader was Sgt. Jack W. Evans (a former raider). Howard was the 3rd Squad Leader. He had been a rifle man. Several weeks later Howard was sent to see the Sgt. Major who told him that he would be awarded the Silver Star and that the 1st Sgt. Burgess would instruct him on the ceremony. The event was held on a Friday. The Regimental Band played and the Battalion marched. The medal was awarded by General K. E. Rockey. While they were waiting to begin, the General asked �Howard' if he remembered who his Company Commander was on Cape Glouchester. Howard said, "No Sir, I don't remember. II General Rockey said these words: By the virtue of the power delegated to me and with the approval of the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, I take pleasure in awarding, in the name of the President of the United States, the Silver Star Medal to Corporal ·Howard Elvin Bennink, United States Marine Corps. The Citation: For distinguishing himself by conspicuous gallantry, and in trepidity in action against a.rmed enemy forces - Corporal Howard Elvin Bennink, U.S. Marine Corps, leader of a squad that was detailed to follow a tank making an assault on enemy pill boxes, repeatedly climbed upon the tanks, under machine gun and rifle fire, thereby attracting the attention of the driver, by hanging on the turret and directing him to the enemy positions, as a result of which the pill boxes were knocked out. His example of courage, leadership and devotion to duty were a great inspiration to all those with whom he came in contact and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the, Navy of the United States. T.E. Kinkaid Vice Admiral, tJ. S. Navy Commander Seventh Fleet At this time he was also given the Sgt. rating. The General said, "This man is now a Sgt." And then they all went on a 72 hour liberty.' Howard said that IF' Company was a pretty good company, everyone came back on time and so they had liberty almost every weekend. Pfc. Seaman (William) was a rebel, an unmanageable loner, a Canadian who had once been a Raider and a good one, but now he just didn't care. He was AWOL, so no liberty for"F' Company. It was then, that the men took off their belts and lined up 100 men facing 100 men and Seaman had to run the gauntlet. It was the only time Howard saw this happen. Liberty was a big thing and Howard met Fern. I think she made the memory of Nancy in Melbourne dim a little. Punishment for going AWOL was 2 weeks in the Brig, on bread and water. Seaman was a really tough guy and solidly built. He had decided that no one was going to tell him. No one ever got too close to him, although Howard's squad thought that he should take him on. The day that they were leaving Pendleton, the men fell in formation, 200 men with packs and rifles. 1st Sgt. Wilber M. Burgess (Top Sgt.) was standing on the top step talking to the men and down the steps came Seaman. Burgess must have said something that Seaman didn't like, because he threw down his �r I r [ #", . . . . .' rifle and pack. Seaman and Burgess slugged it out - - no one separated them. They fought until they both were tired and stopped. Burgess had a really bad looking eye. Howard said that he never saw Seaman again until Iwo Jima. After they had set up defense lines, he walked back about 100 yards. He saw a hole in the ground covered by a poncho. He lifted the poncho and there was Seaman reading a magazine. Beside him were empty bottles of medical brandy. The sick bay had been hit by artillery and a lot of their supplies were thrown around. Seaman should have been court martialed.· Howard said that he really didn't have any best buddy. He lived with his squad, but you were the Sgt. and assigned details and were Sgt. of the Guards, so it wasn't wise to have best friends. No one had ever told him how, he just tried to act like the other Sgts. Most of the NCO's in the outfit were older, probably in their 30's and married. Lots of the men were gamblers. Howard remembers going to the head at 2 or 3 a.m. and seeing two or three green blankets on the floor with men on their knees rolling dice. The money was allover. He remembers the Barber Shop on base with Mexican girl hair cutters. Howard remembers being taught .to put a fuse in a block of T.N.T. to throw into block houses or caves as a part of a demolition training course. During amphibious training, they practiced landings from the ocean. Howard was part of the offensive team and of course others had to pretend to be Japs. After the landing, they had to cross a highway and it was there that a live bullet hit the ground about two or three feet away. They were supposed to be using blanks. Later a man was killed, he had been shot. It was said that President Roosevelt made a visit to Pendleton to observe the units. Howard and his men did see a big black convertible on the ridge. Howard also remembers a 20 mile hike. Howard had a birthday, he was 22 years old. Early in August, the Division under Col. Worsham began packing and crating for overseas. One day near the ship at the dock, Howard noticed a man dive off the dock between the dock and the ship. The water was about 15 feet below the dock. Then they saw a sailor dive off the deck of the ship into the same area. The ship deck was about 15 feet higher than the dock, so they all ran to the dock to see what was going on. They saw a woman's purse floating on the water, with lots of bills. The two men were grabbing them up. It was quite a sight. Down on the dock were about 25 jeeps waiting to be loaded. They didn't need keys for their ignition, so Howard suggested that they take a ride and they did - - - until they were stopped by an M.P. at the guard post. He ordered them to report to their �I I I I I I I I I I ~"1' ( l Commanding Officer on the ship, which they did. He said, "Sgt., you should know better." The ship left at dusk and traveled in a convoy. There was a strict blackout at night. It took about a week to travel to Hawaii. The Division with General Rockey left August 12, 1944. The ships anchored at Hilo. Howard does not remember getting off the ship, but remembers riding on a narrow gage railroad through beautiful country. There were sugarcane fields on both sides of the tracks. Waterfalls came out of the hills, clear and cold. They saw a truckload of sugarcane back up under a waterfall to wash off the black dirt. The soil was black volcanic ash. In the distance they could see the Mauna Kea and the Mauna Loa. Camp Tarawa was about 65 miles in the north central Hawaii, about 12 miles from the coast. It was in the Parker Ranch. In December, 1943, the 2nd Marine Division had recuperated here after it had been withdrawn from Tarawa and had named this camp after it's battle ground. They had just left for assaults on Saipan and Tinian. Now it would be home for the 5th Division. When the sugarcane stopped, the train stopped too and the men walked. The tent city was 2600 fee~ above sea level and windy. It was warm and sunny during the day, but cool at night. .There were stoves in the tents, but wood was scarce. The men slept on canvas cots, under blankets. The tents held six men, ~o the 3 Squad Leaders (3) and the Platoon Guide and two Navy corpsmen also bunked together. Food was good, but they had an excess amount of canned spinach. When the men came in from the field, they were covered with black dust. They needed lots of showers, but the water was cold! Howard said that they got just wet enough to lather and then they had to work up courage to rinse off. There was never a line up for showers and this was. strange until they realized that only the Sgts.· were taking showers. The rest were taking baths in the tents with water that they heated on their stoves. The squad shaved with soap and cold water too, until they got smart and brought hot rise water back from the mess tent in their canteen cup. In the mess tent were three big cans of hot water which the men used to clean their utensils. The first one had hot soapy water, the other two held rinse water. The last rinse was quite clear and good for shaving. Everything on the island was off limits, except wh~n in formation, so they never got to the village of Kamuela. But across the pasture and over the wire fences, across a deep gully was a farm house. Eight or nine local women had big kitchen tables set up in the rooms and served steak, eggs and american fries, until some Marines got drunk and caused a disturbance. 22 �1 I ~ l I I I' I Ii ~., ... ~ [l II [I, The place was closed. It was too bad because the food was good and the women ran a clean place. Alcohol was a problem in camp, but especially for 2nd Lt. Clifford Fulcher. The scuttle-butt was that he came up from the ranks and that he made Lt. rank when he got an officer's daughter pregnant. He never talked to the men during regular hours, but he did his drinking in the Officer's Club across the ravine from the squad leaders' tent. They would see him stagger out. He always got lost and got in the tent with the other Platoon Sgts. Sometimes, he'd like to display his ample manly parts and brag a little. Howard saw him surrounded by the Platoon Sgts. with .machetes saying, "If you don't get the hell out of here, we'll cut it off." At least three times he got lost in the squad leaders' tent and he'd ask them for help, so they'd grab his arm and lead him back. He lived with a Lt. of a machine gun group. This Lt. was a "nice little guy." When Fulcher was drunk, he'd eye .up the Lt. and say, "I'm going to kick the shit out of you". When the squad leaders took him home, they'd always ask if it was alright to leave and they'd take off. The next day, Lt. Fulcher was as before, he never talked. The men though~maybe he wasn't as drunk as he appeared to be. Later on Iwo Jima, after landing on the beach and reaching level ground, Howard located Platoon Sgt. Gibson and had his squad headed in the direction, when someone said that Lt. Fulcher got hit in the foot. The men all thought that he shot ~imself. When Howard was a patient in Aiae Naval Hospital after Iwo Jima, he saw Lt. Fulcher. He was in the officers' quart:ers. He was dressed in pj 's and using crutches. Some nurses back from liberty had brought him some bottles. Howard thought that he probably should have counted the bones in his feet before he shot. Maybe there would have been a better place. After Fulcher was shot on IWo, Platoon Sgt. Gibson took over the Platoon. Gibson was very good. "We were lucky, actually, though Fulcher also was a good Lt." . On the edge of camp on a hillside, there were sand bags to sit on with a stage below. There they heard Bob Crosby, Bing's brother, and his band. Bob Crosby was a Marine. All of the women looked old to these young men but four or five of them danced and explained the movements of the hula to them. The officers weren't the only ones who couldn't hold their alcohol. On several occasions the NCO's were given 3.2 beer, usually 12 bottles per man. Sgt. Evans, the 2nd Squad Leader did not drink so Howard had his 12 also. A Sgt. from machin~ guns drank with him. About 2 or 3 a.m., they ran out and Howard knew where the Platoon Guide kept his beer under his cot. So quietly, he thought, he pulled it out, but Sgt. Graham woke up and gave Howard a kick. He landed against the stove and the pipes fell down. They told him that "he had enough", and put him to bed. 21 �• ~. I I I I I I I I I!~'-'''' I Ii [j The next morning while he was still pretty shaky, they had to see the 1st Sgt., Sgt. Burgess. They had forgotten to take their caps off and this is a no-no. Burgess knocked their caps off and made them stand at attention, then pick up their caps. They were not arrested. Sgt. Burgess was the sam~ man who fought with Cpl. Seaman at Camp Pendleton. The men did get to the beach a couple times and jumped in, but had to be careful because of the coral rock. Howard went on liberty in Hilo with Cpl. Dale Skidmore and Cpl~ Wayne Mittelstaedt, both from Wisconsin and unmarried. They­ walked up the hill to a tavern and met three officers from the Air Force coming down. The decided that tpey wouldn't salute them. They just got by when one of them yelled, "Marine." We turned around and "gave them a snappy salute." They said, "Don't you know that you salute all officers?" We said, "Yes Sir." In the tavern, they met some Air Force enlisted men who told them that they were bombing some little island between their base and Japan. It was probably Iwo Jima. The three of them, Howard, Skidmore, and Mittelstaedt also had liberty together in Honolulu. It was crowded and a .mess. All three were tattooed with black panthers. Both of the men were killed on Iwo. They were in the 3rd Platoon, but in different squads. , In November, the Marines were encouraged to sign up for life insurance. Howard increased his from $5,000 to $10,000. It cost $6.00 per month or $3.00 for each $5,000. He often wonder~d what Harm and Nancy would have done with it. At this time the Division received an additional 125 : officers and 2500 men for battle replacements. They would. use them as a shore party until they were needed as replacements. The 471st Amphibian Truck Company (Army) was attached to the 13th Marines. These were the first black troops that Howard saw in DUKW's on the beach at Iwo. One of the last days of training the Platoon Command was turned over to Sgts. and Squad Leaders to Cpls. and Pfcs . . It was known from previous Pacific battles that officer and NCO casualties would be heavy. Howard said that Platoon Sgt. Gibson did a good job.of talking to them. For Christmas, they had extra beer. I skipped over a big event back in the States. November, 1944 had an important election. If elected, Franklin D. Roosevelt would begin his 4th term. The Republicans had been out of executive power for 12 years. They accused the president for staging D. Day in Europe to coincide with the Republican Convention in June. They had many who were interested in running, but they also needed an outstanding man. General Douglas MacArthur was considered and MacArthur wrote Senator Arthur H. VandenBerg of Michigan that he would not campaign for any office, but would submit to the will of the people if he were drafted. His personality was so abrading that Thomas E. Dewey, 24 �I I I I I I I I [ :'#".~~. the Governor of New York was nominated on the first ballot. On November 6, F.D.R. won the election by taking 36 of the 48 states. Howard voted in the election on a paper ballot, but doesn't remember anything else. The 27th Marines boarded ships on December 27th and by January 6th, the entire 5th Division was assembled at Honolulu. Howard remembers the many ships tied up side by side in the harbor. Honolulu was a city of solid white Navy uniforms, even some British, and not much to do except drink. ~hey were allowed three drinks in each tavern, then if you tipped the waitress, she'd give you one more. After that, you went to another tavern. Howard never drank gin, but he did in Honolulu. That made him "mellow", and he went with his friends, Skidmore and Mittelstaedter to a tatoo parlor, where for $10.00, they got their big black panthers on the left upper arm. If they flexed their muscles the cat jumped. His arm was still oozing when·he landed on Iwo Jima. On January 22, 1945, the Marines left Hawaii and moved 4000 miles across the Pacific, stopping at Eniwetok to refuel and then moved into Japanese held waters. While on the high seas, they w~re told that the target would be Iwo Jima. It didn't mean a thing. No one had ever heard of it. There was a plaster relief map of the island which was used for teaching. The officers pointed out the beaches and the p'lan of battle. "They didn't tell us that it was all tunnels", Howard said. On February 5, the convoy reached Eniwetok, where the ships refueled. Two days later they left for Saipan. At Saipan, the men transferred to LST's (landing ship tank). Saipan's harbor was unsheltered and the waters were rough. Howard remembers the transfer and the one night they spent in Saipan. The LST's were anchored off the island. Sometime during the night, another LST bumped into their LST The Skippers swore a t each other, n ; - - damn you! . - - - don't you know how to . anchor a ship!" It was always very dark at sea (black out). You just COUldn't see anything up on deck. The Marines were on the open deck. They used their life preserver as a pillow and their poncho as a cover. If it rained, they slept under a truck. They were required to wear their life jackets and they did as long as it was light enough to see them. They were vest type and stuffed with cork or "horse hair". It was a four day run to Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima had been in Japanese hands since 1861 and was therefore off limits to Europeans and Americans. Its name meant sulfur island and there was a small refinery on the island. There was also a sugar mill. It was 7 - 7 1/2 square miles in size and shaped somewhat like a pork chop. The broad north side .25 �I I I I I I I : ~ -. .... , was rough and rocky with cliffs and boulders. The south tip had 554 foot Mt. Suribachi. The southeast beaches would be used for landing. There were two airfields on the island and another under construction. There was no water on the island. H. Hour was scheduled for 9 a.m. on February 19th, 1945. The 5th Division plan was for the CT 27th (Howard's) and the CT 28th to land abreast on Red Beaches 1 and 2. CT 28 would land on their left. The 4th Division would land on the 27th's right. The 3rd Division would remain in reserve on ships until needed . . The 5th Division (27th and 28th) would cut off Suribachi and then pivot north. Dawn was at 6:40 a.m. and the men got their first glimpse of Iwo. The water was full of ships. They could see Suribachi's cone. They had already had breakfast of steak and eggs and were topside to pick up their gear. They were given belt type life preservers which could be inflated by activating the carbon dioxide cartridges. When on shore, they would be unsnapped and dropped. The ships began to shell the island at 6:40 a.m. and continued until 8:05 a.m. At 8:05 a.m., B24 Liberator.s from Saipan and 72 carrier based fighters and dive bombers pounded the island until H minus 35 minutes, when the battle ships and cruisers started again. In the meantime the rifle companies moved down into the hull where the "alligator tanks" were waiting. While still on deck, Platoon Sgt. Gibson gave each of the three squad leaders a container with about 24 small white pills. If any of their men. broke down, wouldn't move, cried, or got scared, they should be. given a pill. Howard never used them and doesn't know what happened to them. The LST held 200 men, with their packs, equipment and rifles. They walked down a cat walk about three feet wide on the side of the ship. This was the first time the men saw the landing tanks. They had been manufactured in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They loaded on and went down the ramp into the water -, They all floated and best of all, no landing nets this time. Howard's was one of the first to hit the water. The tanks held about 15 or 20 men. They zig-zagged around the ships until all were out of the LST's, then moved away and circled the area. Between the tanks and the island Navy ships were shooting point blank into the landing beaches. The tanks stopped circling and formed three lines. The first line had a five man crew with 75 rom. short barrel guns and machine guns. Howard and the rifle men were in the first wave of troops. There were five waves of LVT's (tanks) with assault companies. Howard remembers heading for the battleships and when they were about 30 yards from it, they passed on the left of the stern and turned right under the guns as they were still firing. They could see the shell and the ball of fire right overhead. He �never again heard anything like it. This went on all the way to the beach, then it continued, but the barrels were raised so the shells landed further inland. At 0900, the seven battalions of the 4th and 5th Division hit the beach. It was better organized than the previous landings had been. LT 1/28 carne ashore on Green Beach with Lt. Col. Butterfield near Mt. Suribachi. Howard's LT 2/27 with Maj. Antonelli landed on Red Beach I and ·Col. Butler's 1/27 hit Red Beach II. The 4th Division landed on their north. There was no fire on the beach. As soon as the Arntracs stopped, the troops jumped out and sank to their boot tops in the ashy soil. They got up and scrambled up on the higher line as fast as they could. They saw a pill box. Cpl. Joseph Hotovchine got hit by rifle fire. He was about five feet ahead and talking to Howard. He was shot in the neck. The Platoon Corpsman who landed with the Platoon took care of him, but it made everyone leery. The men tried to dig in, there was lots of fire, both mortar and artillery from Suribachi and the north. Then the shells started hitting the beach area. This may have been when Lt. Fulcher was wounded. Pfc. David Snell (3rd squad) $potted two Japs off to the left protected by a mound of sand, in front of a dug out. They were firing at the 28th Marines. Snell lying on his belly, fired the BAR (browning automatic rifle) at them; the ammo consisted of. two regular bullets and one tracer bullet. He was over shooting the Japs and the bullets were dropping into the 28th Marines. Howard told him to stop. In retrospect, the mound of dirt and the dug out was an opening into the tunnels, but as yet the Marines did not know that they existed. The fighter planes were still overhead strafing. A Jap was in a flexible chair-seat in a harness attached to an anti­ aircraft gun. Our machine gun squad saw this going on and fired several rounds, but never hit him. "We were at a stand still. Platoon Sgt. Gibson said to move: out", so Howard told the machine gunners to hold their fire. When he got back to his squad, Gibson said, "Let's go." They didn't stop until they got to the other side of the island. The leading Companies (E and F; Howard's was F, 200 men) had orders to get across the island fast. They were to by-pass installations except those that threatened to hold up the advance. About four hours later, the tanks carne into the area. Then the Japs opened up from Suribachi. "The shells never did much damage to our line, and there were lots of duds." Howard noticed a mound of dirt with what appeared to be an onion crate upside down on top. The Marines were all "tight" to the ground, when a hand pushed a grenade between the slats. "I just looked at it, I didn't fire." It rolled down to Cpl. Frank 27 �i r Bolek's leg and exploded. "I don't know why someone didn't blow that crate off, it was probably an air vent, but no one knew about that." The Corpsman took Frank back to the beach and got him off the island. Howard met Frank Bolek again when they were at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital. Bolek lived in Chicago and Howard met his parents and the family. He came to Michigan several times and we visited him in St. Louis, where he worked in an Oldsmobile plant. He married, but did not have any children. He died several years ago, but several months before he died, he called and they had a long talk about the battles for Iwo Jima. The Japanese opened up on the beach with artillery. "Why they didn't fire among us, I don't know. Did they know that if they hit the vent, they'd kill their own?" The mound was about six or seven feet high. Bolek was Howard's only Cpl. and directly below him in the squad. It was a big loss. Sgt. Evans (2nd squad leader) was hit with phosphorus or star shells. They look like fireworks on the 4th of July, but burn into the skin for days. Howard saw him later in the hospital on Guam. The day was pretty much a pattern of get up, stumble a,few yards ahead and drop again. The conversations were pretty much the same, "We're spotted, lets get the hell outta here." Howard's Company moved north then pad to hole up to let the rest catch up. Back on the beach, the officers on the control vessels were coordina ting the landirw of the supporting uni ts and heavy weapons. Many of the tanks were knocked out by land mines. Three out of four rocket launching trucks were lost before they 'cou Ld fire a shot. The weasels (water carrying tanks), which were too small for much use in Europe were appreciated on Iwo. The waters edge was full of mangled Amtracs, LCM's, LCVPS and bodies. Debris piled up. The wounded arrived on the beach and were unprotected. Many were hit a second time. The first two boats bringing in litters were blown out of the water. By dusk. all the .reserve units were ashore and all the main elements excepts for Division Headquarters were on Iwo. Howard's unit was on the edge of the airfield. There were buried tanks, but none directly in front of them. In front of them were block houses, three to four feet thick, that had been knocked out by Naval guns. At night, the "Devil Dogs", Dobermans with their handlers came up. "It felt good to have the dogs." The ships off shore fired flares on parachutes continuously through the night. They were shot out in front of the Marine's line and kept the area as bright as a football field. That continued throughout the three weeks that Howard was on the island. Near the airfield the Marines saw slabs of concrete sloped so that rain water could run into tanks. It was the only source of water the Japs had. # , · ·.... 28 �Off to the right, all Howard could see was a wall of dirt, but here on the high ground was the airstrip (runway). They heard firing all day and all night. The 3rd Marines and a part of the 5th Division were at the airport and had the hardest part. It is difficult to remember specific times of events as days and nights blend, but one time Howard remembers rockets as big as garbage cans arching over them. They could see them corning and it looked as if they were corning right at them, but they never landed near them. Rations were good, or at least improved from 1942. They had cheese, crackers/ beef/ bacon, and cigarettes. Sometimes the canned bacon was enough for two people and with the canned heat/ they could fry it. They always had plenty of water. The temperature was not too bad and as they moved north/ if they scraped off the top two inches of soil/ the ground was warm. They had plenty of ammo. They were able to get some sleep at night. Thirteen men were on the line in an area as far as between our house and Sillman's (50 feet next door) and the 3rd Platoon was made up of "good steady guys" and "the 3rd squad had lost only Bolek." Casualties for the entire landing force of Marines for the first 58 hours exceeded 5/300. , Iwo Jima was no push over. After the battle, intelligence teams determined this was the list of Japanese guns: 12 - 320 mm. spigot mortars 22 - 150 mm. trench mortars 4 - 15 cm. coast defense guns 4 - 14 cm. coast defense guns 9 12 cm. coast defense guns 12 - 12 cm. short coast defense guns 30 - 12 cm. dual purpose guns 6 - 10 cm. dual purpose guns 5 - 8 cm. dual purpose guns 18 - 7.5 cm. dual purpose guns 1 - 150 mm. howitzer 4 - 120 mm. howitzers 6 - 10 cm. howitzers 4 - 90 mm. howitzers 5 - 75 mm. pack howitzers 17 - 75 mm. field guns 24 - 70 mm. battalion guns 70 - 90/81 mm. mortars 380 - 50 mm. heavy grenade dischargers 54 - 47 mm. anti tank guns 15 37 mm. anti tank guns 4 - 40 mm. anti aircraft guns 213 - 25 mm. machine guns 9 - 23 mm. anti aircraft machine guns 4 - 20 mm. machine guns '29 �168 - 13 mm. machine guns 350 - heavy machine guns 480 - light machine guns 30 - tanks 61 - flame throwers 10,000 - rifles 12 - search lights 3 - radar units 200+ - rocket launches All of this, in approximately seven to seven and a half square miles. While the 27th moved· north, the 28th ~as devoted to the capture of Suribachi. The attack of the Marines began on D+ 1. The Japs fought from a vast complex defensive system. The caves, like the pill boxes and block houses, with many entrances were linked to command caves with ammo, food, water and living quarters some 50 feet below ground. On D+ 4, Suribachi was scaled and a small flag was raised. This was replaced by a larger flag about four hours later and it was this raising that was shot by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press and became the most celebrated picture of W.W.II. Taking Suribachi cost the 28th, 904 casualties (7 officers and 202 men were killed) . After about two weeks on the front line, 'FI Company came back to the base of Suribachi to rest in a supposedly secure area. To the north east of their area, about a distance from our house to Witteveens (100 yards) was a group of Army Engineers rebuilding the airport. All of a sudden, the Marine's eyes began to burn and they heard a voice on the P.A. system directed toward the Engineers, "Evacuate to the beach." The Marines did not move. "It was the.most foolish words I ever heard." Some did gather up gas masks that littered the ground where they had been discarded. The masks didnlt have canisters, so were useless, and while there was some gas, there wasn't enough to bother. It drifted away. It was said that the Japs were still sneaking out of caves in the area, but Howard never saw any. ~here was sporadic rifle fire from among the Army Engineers. After two nights of this supposedly safe place to rest, they returned to the front line. Howard said that he felt relieved, "We knew what was what." They returned to the area to the north end of the island between the second and third airstrips. It was quiet. Then orders came to relieve another Company and that "didn't sound good. " They moved across the third airstrip and faced north, then moved into position on a brightly moonlit night. The relieved Company moved to the back. Howard and his squad walked through a narrow passage between �I two ridges; it was perhaps two or three feet wide. He looked up ad saw a Japanese officer standing on the edge and looking down at them. He disappeared before anyone could shoot. They moved into their position, the day light came. There was some firing, but the Marines couldn't tell where it was coming from so they didn't try to move. Then all of a sudden, there were shells or rockets or big mortars which landed among the squad and platoon. It may have been friendly fire from a Navy ship or a Marine artillery or even a rocket battery, but it was not Japanese. Two men in the Platoon disappeared, but no one in Howard'~ squad was hit. Sgt. Gibson, the Platoon Sgt. wanted the men to withdraw to a safer area around the corner of a ridge. Howard got his men going, telling them to "run like Hell." Pfc. Stanley Swartz stopped and said, "What? II He was hit in the wrist and through the buttocks. He fell or crawled into a shell hole. The corpsman must have seen it happen. He bandaged him and they made it out of the hold and around the ridge. That was the last Howard saw of Swartz until they met again in Great Lakes. I met Stanley Swartz once. They spent the night 'with us when we lived in the Barber Shop on Beech Tree St. It was probably in 1954. He was married and had a sCm about three years old. He had tried several jobs by that time and now was a scientific pig farmer. Later, we read that he was producing eggs ahd had an elaborate system of marketing. Shortly after that, we lost all contact. All our letters returned. I remember him as a tall thin man who seemed even thinner, because his pants kind of hung from his waist. It looked as if he had lost a lot of gluteal tissue. He also had some problem walking. I remember, as his wife and I were doing women's work in the kitchen and he and Howard were in the living room, we overheard him say, "How come, all of us tall skinny Marines marry short, fat wives?" and we both were that. The rest of the squad made it back behind the ridge. The Spearhead describes it this way. "CT 27 made limited gains during the day against an irregular ridge line - sometimes called Nishi Ridge - in the vicinity of Nishi Village. This was one of the strongest remaining defensive positions on the island. L.T. 27 advanced 200 yards to reach the high ground overlooking the North Coast of lWo, but after getting a blood bath from grenades, knee mortars and sniper fire from the high jagged rocks, the troops were forced to withdraw." A few Japanese phosphorous or mortar shells dropped behind the ridge and this made Howard nervous. He remembered that the face of the cliffs were packed with little black holes about 14 inches in diameter. About a half hour later, Sgt. Gibson received orders probably from the Company Commander to "resume our position." It was then that Howard made his "famous prediction", "We're all going to be Killed", but it was an order, and they moved out. �Howard again saw the black holes and investigated. He couldn't see anything, because of the darkness, but most of the fire seemed to come from that area. He still thinks that the Japs were inside and firing out. Then he noticed a small brush pile raise up about 'five inches and a machine gun stuck its barrel out and fired to the left. He didn't know if anyone was hit. The gun was withdrawn and the brush pile settled down again. This was about as far away as Ring's house (two houses from ours, 50 yards) from Howard's position. Some of Howard's squad were being hit, but were being cared for and as Howard looked to his left, he saw his BAR man, Pfc. Snell was hit by rifle fire. Howard went to him; He had been shot right through the head and been knocked into a crater, a shell hole about six fee~deep. "He was still quivering". On top of the ridge and to the left, Sgt. Gibson called down, "Can we help him?" I said, "No, he's beyond help." The next chain of events, I will record exactly as Howard told me. "I crawled through the crater and was on my belly on the side of the hole and looking at the holes in the cliff and aiming my rifle, my head cocked over the sight. All of a sudden, I was hit! It threw me back and I landed on Snell's legs, I could feel him quiver. Luckily for me Sgt. Gibson saw it happen. The Corpsman came in and shoved gauze under my jacket in the front and back (Frederick H. Alberty, Ph.M3C.). Four stretcher bearers carne in the shell hole with a stretcher. They loaded me on and started up the side of the shell hole. When I was about shoulder high, one of the stretcher bearers was shot. The others dragged me down into the bottom of the hole again. Another ""~earer came into the hole. There was lots of gun fire, but it was ~ot hitting us. They were successful in carrying me out and around the back side of the cliff and ridge. As they were carrying me, I looked around and up on the ridge I saw 1st Sgt. Burgess and two machine guns set just over the ridge and spraying bullets over the shell hole where we had been, and at the round black holes. There was a jeep close by and they shoved my stretcher on it. There was room for two, but I didn't see anyone else." "From then on, I had nothing more to do with 'F' Company, the ~latoon, or my Squad. I was taken to the Divisional Hospital which was an excavated area in the ground about two feet deep and covered by a tent. I was carried in and laid on the ground in a row with many others." "'Sometime, soon after, a chaplain stood over me and said, 'Are oyou sorry for your sins?' I said, 'I'm not Catholic.' He walked away." 0"1 didn't have much pain unless I moved, or I passed out. I don't remember the night at all. When I woke up it was daylight. Someone told me I was leaving the island and going to a hospital ship. They loaded a bunch of us on a DUKW, it had wheels and a propeller. As we were loading, I was asked if I wanted an apple. 12 ! �It was big and red, but I couldn't bite into it, I had no strength. I think I remember them carrying me up a ramp into the hospital ship on a stretcher. I was put in a bottom bunk. I just don't remember any of it except that just before we got to Guam the body cast was put on. It probably felt good, because I couldn't move." "When I was shot, it felt like I was hit by a sledge hammer in my chest and shoulder. I was weak and could only whisper. I thought, 'this is the way you die', and I had reason to think this." On D+ 20, the LT 2/27, the Regiment worn and casualty ridden was pulled out and was not used again in the campaign. Platoon Sgt. James Gibson, Jr. was a good Marine. He was wounded and received a Bronze Star. He was about 10 years older than. Howard and had been a paratrooper. He was of a sturdy build . . First Sgt. Wilber Burgess was also wounded in action. ·According to "The Spear Head", the World War II History of the 5th Marine Division by Howard M. Conner, Howard's squad finished Iwo in this manner: Sgt. Howard E. Bennink wounded Cpl. Frank M. Bolek wounded Pfc. David B. Snell killed. ­ Pvt. Kenneth C. Thomas wounded Pvt. Curtis C. Byrd ? Pfc. Stanley J. Swartz wounded 'Pfc. Malcom L. Waite wounded 'Pfc. Howard R. Williams wounded Pvt. Robert Torte wounded :Pfc. Harry S. Carothers wounded Pfc. Douglas N. Wallace wounded Pfc. Robert C. Smith wounded Pfc. John H. Whipple wounded Each squad was made up of a leader, a Sgt. and three fire groups of four men each headed by a Cpl., but Howard had only one Corporal. Carothers, a Pfc. was the acting leader with Wallace, Smith and Whipple. Stanley Swartz was an acting group leader with ~aite, Williams and Torti. Bolek was the only Cpl. with Snell, Thomas and Byrd. The Commanding officer of LT 27, Major John W. Antonelli was wounded on ~ 18th with three of his officers on the front line .. Lt. Jack Lummas of 'F' Company was mortally wounded by a land mine on D+ 17. Marine infantry losses were so heavy that gaps were filled with cooks, bakers, mortar men and communicators. Seventy percent of all the battle casualties occurred in the infantry regiments and their replacements. In July of 1995, we requested and received Howard's medical �.#', ...~' records. We were surprised to see how complete they were in the midst of what must have been complete chaos. For instance on Iwo Jima, casualties averaged over a thousand a day. There was no medical record of treatment on the beach at Iwo, but I saw another record, as I remember a handwritten one that we requested for Dr. Leland Swenson in 1959 or 1960 and if I remember correctly, he was given 13 units of blood and plasma. It was difficult to read and interpret. The new record seems to be bits of progress notes and discharge summaries. It is typewritten, but it has some written signatures. The Hospital Ship, Howard was on was the AH10, the Samaritan. The initial entry says 3-7-45 (date of admission) gunshot wounds of the side of the face and chest. Tetanus and gas gangrene shots given. This is followed by a description of the injuries; 1. Small wound, left submaxillary. 2. Left shoulder has two wounds - one anterior just over the outer end of the clavicle and the other (the point of exit) over the scapular spine. '3. x-ray of the face and skull = no fractures. 4. x-ray of the cervical spine shows a comminuted fracture of the right transverse process of the 6th cervical vertebra. There is' an abnormal curvature of this portion of the spine with a slight kyphotic curve, the apex of which is at the 5th and 6th vertebral bodies. 5. x-ray of the left shoulder shows a comminuted fractur~ involving the lateral 1/3 of the clavicle. On 3-10-45 wounds were redressed with sulfanilamide and vaseline gauze. A shoulder spica cast was applied reaching to the base of the finger on the left hand. Ho~ard says that he doesn't remember much about the ship, except having the cast applied. It was a body cast with an airplane: splint type of cast on the arm. These are the signatures on the reports from the Samaritan: A. R. Aronson, Lt. (MC) U.S.N.R. /s/ J. F. Belair /s/ E. L. Jewett H., J. Wiser, Cmdr. (MC) U.S.N.R. R. W. Hayworth, Captain U.S.N. Howard received a hospital number which accompanied him through t.he system, #2529 KJ"K" DNEPTE and a heading on many of the docuqlents: not misconduct within command work negligence not apparent wounded in action against an organized enemy received from 2nd Bn. 27 Marines Not all the injured merited the care of a hospital ship. An ex-Marine who was injured at Suribachi told how he was taken aboard a troop carrier. He was placed on the floor of a passage way while waiting to see the doctor. He had a shoulder injury and was worried about gangrene. After three days he got to see �the doctor and expressed his thanks for seeing a good bone man, but the doctor said, "But I'm not. At home I'm a kidney man." His arm was saved, but he had to learn to write with his left hand. I remember a doctor who told me that the day before he was inducted, he performed an appendectomy on a kitchen table in Conklin, Michigan. He was a psychiatrist in the army and thereafter. He helped Elmer Fisher adjust to his paralysis. On 3-11-45, Howard was transferred to a hospital ashore, which was Guam U.S.N.H. - 101, in a barracks type building. He doesn't remember much about this hospitalization either, except .that while he was there maggots crawled in and out of the cast. In time the maggots turned into flies and were really irritating. By pushing a stick in and under the cit near the wrist he could sometimes get the varmints out. Howard thought that the maggots had been planted as a treatment for dead tissue, but I think not. The Navy V~terans told about the clouds of big blue flies that they encountered as they neared the beach and the flies that covered the wounded and dead. On Guam, Howard saw Sgt. Evans, the 2nd Squad Leader, who had been burned by phosphorus. He had painful burns of his neck and arms. He came from one of the western states. He was married and,always kept his wife's picture in the tent. "She was a beautiful ,girl." Although, I am sure that it was a mutually sentimental reunion, Howard expressed it this way, "I couldn't talk and we were both tcio far gone." On 3-2{-45, they recommended transfer to U.S.N.H. in T.R. or "'Ccrntinentallimits of U.S. (T.H. means Territory of Hawaii). Howard left Guam by plane. The littersWere secured on racks. There were nurses on the plane as they had also been on Guam. He was the only patient on the plane who was ambulatory, so when the plane landed on Johnston Island for refueling, he was asked to go to breakfast in the barracks. Once there, they offered him anything he wanted, but he still couldn't eat. They gave him an orange, but he couldn't eat that either. On 3-24-45, Howard was admitted to the U.S. Naval Hospital, Aiea Heights, T.H. It was a large brick building about six stories high.; The record which we have seems to be a combination of the history and physical, progress notes and discharge summary. On admission after repeating the history of the injury it says, "he has been hoarse since injury and has 'vibrating' feeling in his throat. First week following wound pt. coughed with some hemoptysis. Dry cough· since. Voice very hoarse. P.E. negative except for: 1. Over carotid, in the left side of neck is palpable thrill synchronous with pulse and audible bruit. 2. Left upper extremity is immobilized in a brachial spica with arm at 45 degree abduction and elbow at 45 degree flexion. No ')5 �sensory or motor changes of the hands or fingers." 3-27-45, x-ray of left shoulder: There is a comminuted fracture involving the distal 1/3 of the left clavicle in which the fragments appear in fair position and alignment in the A-P view of the shoulder. A heavy plaster cast surrounds the shoulder joint and no definite bone injury to other bones or regions can be detected. There is no evidence of metallic foreign bodies. 4-4-45, x-ray of cervical spine: No foreign bodies can be made out in the neck. . Sometime after this Howard remembers that he and another patient were taken into a lecture hall, where their injuries were being discussed. The speaker (as Howard listened just outside the door) cautioned that injuries of this nature were being missed. 4-8-45, Operation Record: Aneurysm operated on. Common Carotid. Arterio-Venous aneurysm at bifurcation of common carotid. The carotid internal and external carotid, superior thyroid and internal jugular vein~ ligated and aneurysm excised. Wound closed without drainage. Operator· Dr. H. K. Gray. Howard remembers before surgery in gn anteroom, a nurse told him that she was from Lansing, Michigan. On April 11' 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. Howard has a faint memory of being told. 4-16-45, Sutures were removed. Wound clean. Pt. has a Horner's Syndrome, left side since operation. Voice is still ,..··~ry hoarse. Injury at time of accident. Horner's Syndrome is caused by a paralysis of the cervical sympathetic nerves. Howard has a droopy eye lid, a contracted pupil, and an abnormal sweating pattern. 4-20-45, Diagnosis changed this date to aneurysm (arterio­ Venous) left carotid #202 DNEPTE. Reason - Complication no misconduct~ 4-22-45, Electrocardiogram - normal. 4-25-45, Wound healed. Patient still has hoarseness with evidence still present of Horner's Syndrome left. Recommend evacuation to mainland for further treatment and disposition. Hospital litter - via air. 5-3-45, transferred this day to a U.S. Government transport to a u.S. Naval Hospital on the mainland, without formal medical survey in accorqance with Bu Pers Circular letter 99-44 of March 31, 1944. This section of the medical record was signed by: W. C.· Mulry, Lt. (MC) U.S.N., Acting Division Surgeon A. M. McDonald, Lt. Cmdr. (MC) U.S.N.R. H. K. Gray, Capt. (MC) U.S.N.R., Chief of Surgery. On May 4, 1945, Howard was admitted to Oakland, California, U.S. Naval Hospital. �:;x­ , , 5-5-45, Pt. received from overseas with the diagnosis of aneurysm, left carotid. This was surgically repaired. He also has gunshot wound trough the left clavicle and out the back with minimal drainage of both wounds. Let clavicle fractured. Pt. wearing a sling. Abduction to 90 degrees. Some numbness of left arm. Condition satisfactory for transfer closer home pending approval of peripheral nerve department. Howard was given the choice of a Naval Hospital in the State of Washington or Great Lakes near Chicago. While at Oakland, he and others were given a pass to a stage show. He remembers a "gut shot" Marine who required lots of attention. 5-23-45, transfer this date to U.S.N.H., Great Lakes, Illinois for further treatment and disposition. O. F. Johnson Lt. Cmdr. (MC) U.S.N.R. L. R. Reynolds. Howard traveled by train. He left the hospital and boarded the train alone and he had a sleeper. He arrived at Great Lakes on May 26, 1945. The admission physical describes his wounds. There is a scar six inches long over the left side of the neck, a draining wound, over the left mid clavicula spine and a healed wound on the left scapula. He has a harsh raspy voice since the injury. X-ray record - x-ray examination of the left shoulder shows an old comminuted fracture of the outer 1/3 of the clavicle with evidence of considerable calcium, but not solid union. "",'M' E.E.N.T. 6-13-45, This man has a dislocation of the left arytenoid. The dislocation holds the left cord in midline. His voice will probably improve still more after he gets compensated for the new anatomical position. Lab - cbc and urinalysis were essentially negative. 6-2-45, patient can abduct the shoulder to 90 degrees, as well as anterior and posterior motion to 90 degrees. Physio­ therapy was staited for improved muscular tone and increased motion. The physio-therapy involved dusting the vertical blinds in the Officer's quarters. 6-4-45, there was an orthopedic consultation - There is a draining sinus from the compound fractured clavicle. 1. Curettement of the scar. 2. Tyrothricin dressings to the wound. (this was a substance isolated from soil bacterium.) 6-5-45, The sinus of the left clavicle was curetted this date. 6-8-45, Increased motion of the left shoulder. There is less drainage from the clavicle. 6-12-45, Progress is satisfactory. Draining sinus of the left shoulder, curetted this day. Diagnosis was changed from aneurysm antero-venous left carotid #202 to fracture compound 37 �left clavicle #2529. 6-16-45, Drainage is subsiding. Shoulder is less painful. 6-30-45, Sinus in shoulder region healing. Drainage slight. Has some pain. Drainage really continued even after his discharge as bone fragments carne to the surface. There is a piece of bone that Nancy kept with his Medals. 7-10-45, Patient states that since injury, whenever he flexes his head on chest, he has tingling sensation in both arms'. X-ray of cervical vertebrae ordered to determine if fracture or dislocation is present. 7-16-45, Range of motion in shoulder is normal. Has some pain on abduction. 7-17-45, X-ray examination of the cervical spine shows old compression fracture of the upper plate of C-6. 7-21-45 - 8-8-45, On leave. This was not his first time at horne. He had been home for a short time in June. Howard does not speak of this' as an especially happy period in his life. He denies being depressed. Maybe he was just tired of being sick and tired at 23 years of age. Mother Nancy had already become hard of hearing, and could of course not understand his whispering. Maybe that too, had some bearing. Sometime during his stay at Great.Lakes, Aunt Grace Doornbos visited him and they watched Bob Feller pitch, but in Howard's words he, "Couldn't care less." He "didn't feel good, no energy." 9-10-45, It was announced that Hiroshima was destroyed by a single bomb and three days later Nagasaki was A. bombed. On August 14th Japan :surrendered. While Howard was in Aiae in ""1fawaii, the remnants of the 5th Division were recuperating and training for the invasion of the home islands of Japan. This was frightening. The 27th Marines had been battered. Colonel Wornham's regiment which had landed with 36 officers and 885 men, now had 16 officers and 300 men, including replacements. Okinawa had come and gone with like statistics. President Truman was the Savior of this generation. Instead of the invasion, they were part of the occupation and rebuilding of Japan. 9-10-45, Orthopedic Consultation - Good function of the left shoulder, although still slight weakness about the shoulder girdle muscles. This should improve with use. No further treatments indicated. 9-12-45, ENT. Consultation - Voice has improved very much. Dislocation of the arytenoid the same and always will be. 9-13-45, Presented with Purple Heart. Howard said that one day, a nurse asked him if he had received his Purple Heart, he said no so she gave. him one. 10-1-45, The Medical Survey Board met and declared the injuries had made him unfit for service and recommended he be discharged from the USMCR. The board was composed of: G. H. Castle, Cmdr. (MC) U.S.N. R. E. Diffenderfer, Cmdr. (MC) U.S.N. 38 �J. C. Becker, Lt. (MC) U.S.N. Howard was transferred to the Marine Barracks, Great Lakes Naval Training Center for discharge. Howard was discharged on 10-26-45. He had served three years, eight months and 28 days. The length of his foreign service was ~ year, ~ months and 23 days. Until he left the gates in his '36 Ford, he always had to think about "going back", but no more and he was happy! All this happened before you and I knew Howard. I know him better since I recorded his experiences and I hope you will know him better in reading them. Of course, this isn't the end of the story. He married and had three children, a son in-law and two daughter5in-law~, all of whom he is extremely proud, and they in return gave him six grandsons and one grand daughter, all fine children. How different the world would have been without Howard. #"·'·L. . .• 39 -----------­ �In October of 1995, Howard and I attended a 3rd Battalion Reunion at Camp LeJeune, in Jacksonville, N.C. We met Gambino from the 3rd Platoon and Abadolla from I I ' Company, both who Howard remembered. Gambino always bummed cigarettes. Abadolla spent many years as a wholesale green grocer and also owned a taxi service. Both men were living in New Jersey. They recalled that Frank Newell, from the 3rd Platoon who was married by the Chaplin at Camp LeJeune died about 10 years ago. Gambino had been best man. Others remember seeing Lt. Weiss Carried back from the front lines on the backs of his men. We met Griffin a machine gunner from III company. He was badly wounded on the Matamkau and had extensive facial reconstruction. Although he and Howard did not remember each other, they knew many of the same people. Capistran from the 4th squad became Fire Chief of Chelsea, Massachusetts. Dawson from the 3rd Platoon survived the war and was living in Florida. Elbert Kinser who came in as a replacement while the unit was in Australia, became a Platoon Sgt. and was killed by a hand grenade on Okinawa, May 4, 1945. He was awarded the Medal of· Honor. His hometown of Greenville, Tennessee named a street and a bridge after him. His brother, Charles, is the Chief of Police. After we returned home, Howard wrote Aaron Dawson a letter, :........... and within a week he wrote back. He and his family live in ' Frostproof, Florida. He too returned to the states, but went back to the Pacific and fought and was wounded on Okinawa. He had rejoined his old outfit right down to the platoon and squad. Just before he left, back to back typhoons raked the island and his medical records were lost, but he is still trying to get his Purple Heart. Little did we realize when we left· Camp LeJeune what would result from a chance meeting with local Marines across a breakfast table, when they asked if anyone served with the 5th Division. A short time after we returned home, Howard received an application for membership in the 5th Division. He returned it just before Christmas. The day after New Years, he received his membership card and the membership list. Under the letter "S" was David Snell, Lorain, Ohio. David was the man in the shell hole with Howard on Iwo. He was dead! After mulling over all the possibilities, it was still impossible, but Howard wrote a short note. Two weeks went by and then one afternoon, the phone rang and 4u �the voice said, "This is David Snell, Are you O.K.?II Both thought the other had died. --­ He was one of 27 men out of 230 who walked off Iwo Jima. He went to Japan with the occupation forces. The man who died was his ammo carrier. Yesterday, Howard received a packet from a Fox Company organization with other names including his Platoon Sgt. Gibson. What a start to a New Year! ~ ...... ~. 41 �./ {j) <, , I �#"' ........' '-,-1 ��.~ d.--YL- k .2Au- ~ - !1/LfUr'\../ ~ .-L/~ tz:«. t'nA~--"~--V1 cr) )..~ n-e-e ;;/~ ~ I)~ ~~ ~ ~ (A/-<.LL.k) J- (!4f-n~ ~Z­ ~ ~ ht-v/c ~ ~ 4-t:) ~fa-(,G ~..{;..~_~ t:lud:..- 11 ~ u j.j,(~.-L ar;~ ~ ~G /LtL' l-:«: - J.~' ~/~, YlLA.- � 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 BenninkH Title A name given to the resource Bennink, Howard E. (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bennink, Howard E. Description An account of the resource Howard Bennink enlisted in the Marine Corps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Bennink trained for six months at Camp Lejeune before traveling to New Zealand. He served in fought on Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester and Iwo Jima during his tour of duty. He earned a Silver Star during fighting in Cape Gloucester, fought off several bouts of malaria, and was wounded two weeks into the fighting on Iwo Jima. Grand Haven Tribune newspaper article and personal narrative appended to interview outline. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McCauslin, Kelly (Interviewer) Spring Lake District Library (Spring Lake, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Marine Corps 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 2008-01-28 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/b48656b54b775ce05b4fb068f6fd3e26.jpg 64e46a609f2e9403db0c5ea3d255b1ce 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 Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</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 2017-04-04 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> 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 RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 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 <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</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 RHC-50_836 Title A name given to the resource Benson class destroyer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Benson class US DD (destroyer), October 1, 1947. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Slides 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947-10-01 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/c7302f0043c08926646f2912feaaa838.jpg ef3c5e0c8889e9a9adc8ad2d47252ea2 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 Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</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 2017-04-04 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> 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 RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 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 <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</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 RHC-50_840 Title A name given to the resource Benson class destroyer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Benson class US DD (destroyer), October 1, 1947. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy Military education Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Slides 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1947-10-01 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/f264b43e70188af10e4f9c318374f5e4.jpg 91ce4ebba357552ff2095534982fbb8b 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 Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</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 2017-04-04 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> 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 RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 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 <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</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 RHC-50_MX568 Title A name given to the resource Benson Livermore classes destroyer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Benson Livermore classes, US DD (destroyer), May 1, 1945. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945 Military education Warships--Recognition Slides 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 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1945-05-01 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/f59317f3b41acb0a2fe8af6ca4ab9d7d.mp4 9c9e5c4d2b29714132ab800f03c4fced https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c86875a4a0c8e57550fd78bd306ce247.pdf 9ac450b7f1a2938f891774d05ad63bf2 PDF Text Text Benson, Jerry Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Name of War: World War II Interviewee’s Name: Jerry Benson Length of Interview: (1:42:02) Interviewed by: James Smither Transcribed by: Lyndsay Curatolo Interviewer: “We’re talking today with Jerry Benson of Spring Lake, Michigan, and the interviewer is James Smither of the Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project. So Jerry, begin at the beginning–– where and when were you born?” Lafayette Township, Gratiot County. Interviewer: “In what state?” 8.28.26. Interviewer: “That’s in Michigan?” Yeah, in Michigan. Interviewer: “Now did you grow up in that area?” No, not really. In order to clarify some of the details, my mother–– Marianne Ray Benson–– and there were five of us: Harold, Reba, Earl, myself, [and] Arlene–– but she was diagnosed with TB when I was going on two and she was pregnant with Arlene and the family was all split up. Our father couldn’t take care of us, so for a couple of years there, I don’t know where I lived. [With] friends and relatives, along with the brothers and sisters. When I was going on four, I went to live with my grandmother–– my mother’s side of the family–– and my two uncles. So that kind of clarifies where I grew up. (2:15). Interviewer: “And was this on a farm? In a town?” Well originally grandmother and Harry and Luther–– [my] uncles–– lived in Flint. They lost their home in ‘29 [and] moved back to Ithaca and went to work on a dairy farm. Then, spring of 1934, shops began to work a little more, you know, four or five months out of the year, so they �moved back down by Mount Morris. And especially Harry always wanted a farm. He loved animals. They rented 40 acres and it was on the Flint River. They started the dairy herd. We had chickens, and pigs, and two or three cows, and a team of horses. So basically in 1934 is when we started living on a farm. Over the years, the farms got bigger and they were able to buy their own property just north of Morris. So all through the depression and pre-war it was farming because they still worked in the shop. So, I had my work to do. (4:49). Interviewer: “So you learned how to milk cows?” Well that’s one thing that I really didn’t do. My job was cleaning barns, feeding the chickens, and the pigs, and horses–– that kind of stuff. Interviewer: “Now, do you remember how you heard about Pearl Harbor?” Oh, yes. Yes. That particular day it was very mild. At lunchtime Harry said, “I think it’d be a good day to take care of the horses.” So I got the horses out tied up in front of the barn, heated up some water, and we sponged them, combed, trimmed, [and] played with the horses. And I don’t know, it must have been around four o’clock or 4:30 and grandma, she’d come out the back door and hollered, “It’s on the radio. The Japanese are bombing Pearl Harbor.” “Where’s Pearl Harbor?” Life completely changed. (6:20). Interviewer: “So what changed for you?” Well of course, almost immediately, industry–– all the shops–– Chevrolet, AC Spark Plug, Buick–– everyone–– war production. Longer hours. And since they had waived the seniority at Buick in Flint, a lot of the work fell to me. Consequently, I missed a lot of school–– especially in the spring and then the fall–– harvest. Go to school, fall asleep. But, that was the condition of everyone. Interviewer: “Were you able to keep up with school?” Oh, yeah. I graduated from high school. Interviewer: “And when did you graduate?” ‘44. That was the spring of ‘44, when I was 17. But in that time period, the shops farmed out war production to whoever could manage. [The] neighbor across the street–– his name was Harold Brophy–– was head of maintenance [at] Paterson Building in Flint. AC Spark Plug [had] come out [and] done some work on a little chicken coop and set up four lathes for machine gun barrels. Well, I went to school with his son and that was very interesting. (8:33). When I got my work �done, especially on a Sunday afternoon, he taught me how to run lathes, turning machine gun barrels. At the same time, Glenn Montague–– big farm down the road–– turned one of his buildings into a machine shop, and there were probably millions of one/two men basement shops or rod shops that were able to manufacture more goods during the war. Even in school–– the shop class–– they brought in big crates of model airplanes. It was solid wood and our job was to sand, glue everything together according to instruction, and paint–– put the details on–– and when you finished so many, you were allowed to keep one for yourself. (10:04). Well, my next older brother, he joined the Navy–– Navy Air Force–– and he was home on leave and came to visit and he saw this model hanging there. He explained–– after I told him where I got it: a shop class–– and he said, “They use those for identification.” He said they hang all kinds–– different countries and different models and everything. Various heights, turn off the lights, turn the fans off, take a penciled spotlight, pick out an airplane [and] you have five seconds to identify it. I can imagine schools all over the country took part in that operation–– even the stores. There was a store in Saranac––and I think it was probably Lehrer–– where these people started a factory in Saranac wiring switches because Lehrer was into instruments–– and even high school students could work so many hours a week in this place, wiring switches. (12:10). They closed the roller rink in Mount Morris, turned it into a machine shop, and years later–– in 1967, and even before that when I was working–– a vendor by the name of George Beamer had a shop here in Perrysburg that I went to work for. It turned out that he had the shop in Mount Morris that turned the roller rink. Interviewer: “Now to go back to your story, when you finished high school, did you have the option of getting a deferment from the draft working in the war industry or on the farm?” No. No. When I was drafted I went into the Army. I’ll tell you, there was an attitude that covered the whole population that you would do most anything to serve the country. I went into the service, had my basic training––Camp Fannin, northeast Texas. (14:03). Interviewer: “Now when did you start training?” December. Interviewer: “Of ‘44.” Which was–– they really concentrated on the basic training, at that time. But one incident–– General Stilwell was in China. I don’t know if he was relieved, but he was back in the States–– inspection going on–– a live-fire obstacle course, and he was grumbling and growling about that weren’t putting forth any effort, or much effort, and it just so happened that four of us went on the obstacle course with Stilwell. His nickname was “Vinegar Joe.” Well-named. Then when basic was over, we shipped overseas and landed in Leyte in the Philippines. �Interviewer: “So how long did basic training last?” I’m not sure whether it was about 12 weeks. 10 to 12 weeks. Interviewer: “And aside from the obstacle course, what else were they teaching you in basic training?” Well, practically everything. You were trained in machine guns, mortars, rifles–– different kinds of rifles–– machine guns and of course, artillery. They had artillery, mortars, and so on and so forth. It was very concentrated. (16:13). Interviewer: “And how did the drill sergeants treat you?” As I remember, very good. But of course, if you fell down or lagged behind on a 20/25/30 mile march, you got poked in the ribs. They said, “Come on. Get up and move.” It was very, very concentrated. [We] had sessions with gas masks and so on and so forth. Interviewer: “How did they get you from Michigan down to Texas, and from Texas to the west coast?” Train. Interviewer: “And do you remember anything about those train rides?” Not much. It was all very muddled. You take train cars back with other fellas and of course, I’m only able to play cards. It was very concentrated. I don’t have much memory of these trips on a train. But, military trains have, more or less, the right of way. I spent–– I don’t know–– a few days on Angel Island, San Francisco, loaded us on a Liberty, landed in Hawaii for about 18 hours, and made a few circles in the Pacific–– staying away from the submarines–– and landed on Leyte. (18:26). Interviewer: “Now when did you arrive in Leyte?” I don’t know, to tell you the truth. Interviewer: “The war was still going on though?” Well, very low in the Philippines. There was some pop-up, but it was basically–– the actual, big fighting was on Okinawa. But the Japanese–– it was just remnants because the Japanese Army left in the various islands. Shortly after we landed–– just outside of Tacloban–– we worked that �detail. We were pouring cement, making [the] floor for a building. They set up a field kitchen on-site. Two individuals, right ahead of me, waiting to get served food, [and] the servers recognized this guy was Japanese in American clothing. He was kind of hiding his face and whatnot. Well, that turned into a wrestling match for a few minutes and at that time, the Philippine Army, which was comprised of a lot of kids–– teenagers–– reporting on the looks of these remnants of the Japanese. Which was maybe 25 or 30 in a group–– or maybe bigger–– raiding villages for water, food, whatever they could find. (20:38). Interviewer: “Now at this point, what unit were you assigned to?” Well on Leyte I was assigned to a temporary [unit] which I don’t know. Interviewer: “So you didn’t have a permanent assignment yet?” No, I didn’t have a permanent assignment. Then they’d get reports of a raid, and then of course, with the Filipinos, there’s guys–– interpreters–– they would be armed. We’d try to run down these Japanese, which a couple of times, we’d run into the line of fire. But, they didn’t have much equipment. The Japanese didn’t have much equipment because there was no supply to them. Whatever they could steal or find. I heard that they would even dig up where a battle had taken place to find ammunition or any kind of equipment. So there were just a couple of times, I’d run into live fire on these patrols. (22:08). One very interesting time, and I don’t know where it was–– probably on Leyte someplace–– we met up with an Australian Ranger, mechanized. They had a tank and a couple half-tracks and other trucks. We loaded up onto them and rolled down to the ocean, and we had time to wash our feet in the ocean. We have our K-Rations and they turned the radio on the tank and Tokyo Rose–– picked up Tokyo Rose. She played a couple records and she went over her propaganda spiel, which was mostly aimed at the troops at Okinawa. She named off about three different officers, by name, and their units, but her main theme was, “Surrender now. You do not have a chance. If you want to see your family again, surrender.” Then she’d play another record [and] start in again, mostly the same theme. I lay there on the beach [and] after all this was finished, they turned the radio off. Oh my goodness. Talk about peaceful. Stars looked like you could reach up and touch them, moonlight on the ocean, just paradise. (24:30). Shortly after that, we landed on Panay permanent assignment. 108th Infantry, 40th Division, and assigned the headquarters section. The date, you know, it was the middle of spring, and we made one big patrol across the peninsula of Panay. And every day, where the camp was set up, a coconut grove across the bay. One day, there were three of us up on the ridge of the camp, and [we] heard some rustling down the ravine. This woman comes crawling up out of the brush and in perfect English she said, “I wash clothes for food.” Her arms were all scared. She had fresh cuts and whatnot. We gave her band-aids and patched her up–– stopped the bleeding–– and she was so inquisitive. (26:26). She wanted to know our names, where we lived, what kind of houses we lived [in], what the cities were like–– the towns in the �country–– and she and her husband were school teachers in Manila and he joined the Philippine Army when the Japanese invaded the Philippines, and she fled Manila and hid out in the jungle. I suppose [sounds like deleches] as a part of the guerilla group, reporting Japanese and so on and so forth. Then wound up, all through the war, caring for orphans–– children–– and even at that time she still hadn’t–– four children. I think the youngest one was probably four to maybe sixyears-old. Well, we gathered up some clothes, some K-Rations, [and] away she went. (28:03). Comes back the next day and we put her in contact with our Lieutenant, and this went on for a couple weeks, and she had just asked questions. “What was America like?” Just couldn’t get enough of it. But, she hadn’t heard anything about her husband for a couple years and, of course, they made contact with the officials in town–– upper city and whatnot–– and she invited four of us to her camp. She said, “Chicken dinner.” Well, I’m not sure whether it was chicken or not, but we had permission to go. Just a couple three days after that, they came to pick her up, and she gave me a picture she carried all through the war. And there was kind of a mutual feeling between her and I because there was an instant where some of the other fellows started making rude remarks about sex for food and this-and-that kind of crap. I and another fellow defended her and there was kind of a mutual feeling between her and I when she left. Big sister, little brother. She was, I suppose, maybe one of maybe hundreds or thousands of the Filipinos that lived through that action situation through the war, and she was just absolutely wonderful. (30:58). And of course, all this time while we were making practice landings and getting acquainted with various ships and whatnot–– we knew what was coming. It must have been [the] first part of June, I would say, comes the inspection. Each company had an officer or a group of officers, but in our company, after the inspection, this officer hollered, “Okay you guys, gather around.” (32:00). Of course, the opening remarks I can remember were congratulations, appraisal, lasting experience, and accomplishments and then, I quote, “This division has received its orders. Invade southern Honshu Island, Japan proper, but I can’t tell you the date.” He went on a little bit further. He said, “If you have a will and you wish to change it, do it right now. If you want to make a will, do it right now.” He said, “We have very strong reason to believe that every person you meet is your enemy, whether it is an old man, a younger woman, a little girl, or a little boy. Come at you with a pitchfork, you know what to do.” Then, after a couple of remarks, he said, “The casualty rate is estimated for this division, to be 75 to 80 percent.” (34:12). Well, then we loaded. Of course, right after that, they dropped the bomb. Theoretically, the war was over, but to me, and a lot of other people, the war didn’t end until about December of ‘45. On the way to–– which turned out to be Korea–– we’d run into a typhoon. I don’t know exactly when that was. Maybe it was the first part of August–– I’m not sure. Or, exactly how long it lasted [that] we were in that storm. But I immediately volunteered for KP because sitting in the cargo deck–– LST–– is not very inviting–– or wasn’t to me. This one night, things got rougher and rougher. I got up, I went up to the galley. No one was there. The waves were probably about 25/30 feet high. I got a sack of potatoes, five pounds of raisins, a couple of life vests, wedged myself in a corner and rode the storm out. (36:07). One instance in that storm–– if you can imagine a ship rolling over, the port side would be underwater. There was a porthole up here. [It] rolled over �and on the way down there was the bow of an LST so close that I could see the individual rough spots on the ball doors. I thought, “Oh my God. This is it.” It went underwater, rolled back again, it disappeared. After all this was over, I told an officer about it. Apparently no one had seen this other LST except me, and I swear, I was not dreaming because it was too real. Then we landed in Southern Korea–– Pusan. Interviewer: “Now, I want to go back here a little bit. The bombs are dropped in early August of ‘45. So you would have your talk from the officer before that, and there were some big typhoons in late August and September. So, you didn’t stay too long in the Philippines after the end of the war?” No. Interviewer: “So you land in Pusan. Now what happens?” Well when we landed in Korea there were three of us assigned to [an] officer and his driver–– a trailer. We started up the East Coast and what he was doing was meeting with Korean officials, taking over buildings for the troops, and it was mostly where the Japanese offices and airfields and everything [were]. (38:57). We made that trip up the East Coast, back down the center, and then just got back to the company. In the process of gathering up the Japanese–– because apparently they wanted the officers for interrogation. A lot of it, I think, was–– I’m assuming–– was charges against humanity because most of the kamikaze pilots and places originated–– as far as I heard–– was in Korea. Dive-bombing and crashing into ships, and what had happened in China and so on and so forth. Even the people in Korea. (40:14). They would construct 14/15 year olds into the Army in Korea over the years–– and I think I can find his picture. Yeah. That’s one of them, but that’s not the one that I was really looking for. But anyways, this one particular individual–– was his uniform–– who was cleared and eventually wound up as our mechanic and engineer. But, that was kind of a trying situation in that time length–– rounding up these Japanese, taking them to an airfield, and I suppose the engineers put up a fence and made this compound, and the company I was in was detailed as guard. It was 12 hours on, 12 hours off and this runs through November and December. (42:36). We’d thrown up a windbreak on the corners and I had just finished a patrol and stopped to get my hands warm, and some officers stepped around and accused three of us sleeping while guarding. Up for court-martial. It doesn’t make any difference what you said, you were guilty. Breaking rank and they charged me a carton of cigarettes. At the same time–– due to discharging the old-timers from the time the war ended–– was still going on and the company was down to about 52/53 men, and the Army put out what we called a “big red apple”: [to] join the regular Army and if you were in the infantry, you will not be put back into the infantry and you can choose your tour. (44:02). Well, this court-martial– – spending out in the cold for 12 hours at a time, and living in a shack–– it was four of us that joined the regular Army. We’d come home on leave, report back to Fort Sheridan, which is just �north of Chicago, and were there for just a few days. They loaded us up and when the sun came up, we were going west. I wound up 45-miles from where I started from in Korea. The boat was assigned to the 6th Combat Engineers. When I reported to him, the Major looked at me and said, “What the hell am I going to do with you?” He shuffles some papers on his desk. He said, “Have you ever handled dynamite and TNT?” I said, “Yes.” “You know what a bulldozer is?” I said, “Yes.” “Okay. I need a demolition man–– dozer operator.” I wound up about 180/185 miles south of Seoul and about the same distance down from Pusan. There was a fishing village about 14/15 miles on the coast of this old Japanese airfield. Detached company, and I was about to work with another fella at a rock quarry drilling holes, setting off the charge, breaking up the big pieces, piling it up into a big pile. (46:52). The main project was building roads and bridges. Get loaded up and go up on the mountain, widen the turns–– the hairpin turns–– up on the side of the mountain and this and that, and that was the start with the engineers. Lieutenant came by one day, took me up towards the coast which was about four miles away, up into a big hill. They had already surveyed [and] had flags set up. Started up here, cleared everything off because you couldn’t have brush and stumps and logs. Built four terraces down the side of the hill. It was enough room [for] 26 or 27 houses–– or cabins–– and that was for dependent housing because they were moving an infantry regiment onto the airfield. (48:41). When I finished that, I and another fella were introduced to a Korean contractor–– they turned all the building processes over to the Koreans–– and we were supposed to take this contract with Seoul and he would gather building material. Well, we dropped him off at a hotel and two of these fellows that I was in the Philippines with–– and enlisted in the regular Army–– were assigned to the 7th Recon Patrol in the 38th parallel. So, we stayed with the 7th Recon at night, picked up the contractor in the morning–– he’d come out of the bank with two big suitcases of money–– and it was all practically salvaged materials: doors, windows and paint, nails, and boards of all kinds of stuff. We’d get a load, drive south, get unloaded, and turn around and make another trip. (50:20). Interviewer: “Now did you have a Jeep or a truck?” Truck. 6x6. And of course, one mountain range in this trip–– 24 hairpin turns to get across this mountain. At the bottom, in the valleys, there was quite a wide river and a stake on each side–– Smith stake–– lined up, aimed for the stake on the other side. There’s kind of a rapids across the river. You had to ford the river. High water made it a little difficult. And to tell you the truth, I don’t know how many trips I made, but the last one was during a blizzard. It started when we were up in Seoul and south of Seoul was a little town–– here’s that picture I was looking for [of] the soldier constructed into the Army–– and this village was quite unique. (52:06). The gates on each end of the village–– big structure with tunnels through this building. This was the winter of ‘46/’47 and blizzard warnings. Of course you always carried extra gas–– 20 gallons [of] extra gas in five gallon cans–– there was an MP post at this village, and fuel depot. I talked to him about another 30 gallons of gasoline and we got 15 miles from this fishing village–– probably 30 miles to camp–– [and] run out of gas. I knew there was an MP post at this village and both of us, �along with the Koreans that were riding in the truck. Severe frostbite. But, they picked up the truck and we had a few days off during this blizzard or storm and the government bought lumber from a monastery up in the mountains–– which I have some pictures of this monastery–– the buildings. I only made one trip to that place, but there are some interesting pictures. Beautiful place. (54:33). Interviewer: “So you have your Buddha statue there and the pagoda style.” Yeah. But that was the big project–– build dependent housing. Or the Koreans did. We supplied the material and got them the transportation. At the same time, they had a truck going to Pusan. All the same distance, all the material there and others into Central and whatnot. In the summer of ‘47, towards fall, we’d go on red alert. “Carry your arms.” Well, these two fellas that were in the 7th Recon that we stayed with overnights–– everyday it was getting more nasty, more fights, things were getting quite vicious–– and the last time I was up there, I got firsthand reports: the attitudes, the North Koreans. Of course, the same with the American troops. (56:11) I began to think because I was really, seriously considering making the military a career. Through all of that sanction I thought, “Well, there’s gotta be a better life.” So, it was kind of touch-and-go there for a while. But, I decided to give up the military and I came home. I got my discharge and I told other people, I wasn’t exactly sure when but be prepared because I think we’re going into another war before long. People laughed and said no, but it did happen. And I often wonder what happened to a lot of these people that we made friends with. It was quite interesting. (57:52). Interviewer: “Now, during the time when you were in Korea, there was also a fair amount of domestic unrest. Did you see any of that?” Yep. There were a number of cases where it was quite violent, all the way through from ‘45 to ‘47, and I don’t really know what the cause was, but when we were rounding up Japanese with the help of different Koreans there was one instant [that] a Korean official–– he must’ve been quite a powerful position–– that we worked with. He invited about eight of us to dinner. Of course, we got instructions on how to act, what the greetings were formally, and who’s Korean and so on and so forth. (59:31). A very long table and they sat there on cushions and about halfa-dozen girls serving. I really couldn’t tell you what most of this food was. I know there was fish, cabbage, and who knows. Some of it was so sour, my gosh, you could smell it six feet away. And of course, sake. I was doing pretty good on the soup, till I ran into a chunk of hide about that big–– squared–– that still had the hair on it. But, that was one session with the Koreans we’d worked with rounding up all of these prisoners. There were some very interesting times. This fella here, he could speak very good English and I think he said when this picture was taken, he was probably 15. (1:01:08). �Interviewer: “We have taken your story pretty well most of the way through the time in Korea. I have a couple of miscellaneous questions for you.” Yeah. Interviewer: “One of them actually goes back to the Philippines. I asked you, before the interview, were you ever injured in the service? You told me a story about that.” Well, this particular time, I think it was Leyte Island, when we were getting reports of Japanese raiding villages. Come under fire, I roll off of a trail, down a bank and that’s where [I] landed on this bush. Splinters. They pulled so many pieces out of my back. Hell, that was basically the only injury. But I was over there long enough that I got a touch of malaria, which eventually wore out over the years. (1:02:54). Interviewer: “Had they given you medicine to prevent malaria?” Oh, yeah. Interviewer: “So you took Atabrine or something like that?” Yep. Atabrine. It’ll turn you yellow. Interviewer: “But it still didn’t keep the malaria away in the end.” Yeah. Water purification pills and whatnot. In the infantry, you felt like a pack mule. Especially in the headquarters section where you had field phone coils and telephone wires. Interviewer: “When you were with the headquarters section, what was your job with headquarters?” Well it was mainly runners and communication–– written communication. In a combat situation, one company would be supported by another. They had their method and officers had to be in communication at all times. So in headquarters section, many times, your job was to take a message from your company over to another company which might be from here to across the street. Maybe 100 yards or 200 yards or whatnot. And that’s basically what headquarters was. And this group picture right here–– this fella here, was our interpreter and guide. This was in my [unintelligible] division time period. (1:05:09). Interviewer: “Now, what kind of relationship was there between the Americans and the Filipinos?” �I would say a good relationship–– what little I had personally had. This fella right here, our guide–– interpreter–– for our company. This is headquarters section. When we left the Philippines [and] boarded ship, he gave me this knife–– an old family knife–– wooden scabbard– – which was mainly built for cutting coconut off–– and coconuts and bananas. A homemade wooden scabbard. So, the relationship between this fella right here and myself–– he presented me with this old family knife. Interviewer: “And it has a carved head on it. It’s got a snake head or something–– animal of some kind.” Yeah. I’m not sure what that represents. Interviewer: “Now, when you were in Korea and you were making that tour of Korea with the officer and going up and down, what were you seeing? What did Korea look like to you?” (1:07:06). Well, we would stay fairly isolated outside of a town–– or a city–– but of course there were curious onlookers that would gather and look us over. Mainly, his guards are guarding his equipment because he would sign papers and whatnot and he had a big storage box and trailer that he stored all these documents in. But there were a couple of occasions–– very close to a town–– that there would be a great number of Koreans [that] would gather around–– and it was hard to tell. It was kind of a nervous time. Dangerous because we really couldn’t communicate except waving your hand. Interviewer: “So you didn’t have a Korean interpreter with you then?” No. But, this officer could speak Korean and Japanese and I think he acted as a driver and a guard–– bodyguard–– so our instruction was to keep our eyes open and only let people so close to the trailer. So, that time period it was kind of a–– I don’t really know how to describe it. (1:09:26). Interviewer: “Now, during the day would you go into the towns, or did you just stay outside of them the whole time?” We’d circle a town, we’d sometimes drive through a smaller town, but Bocian, he would drive around and instead of getting into a town because of the Japanese attitude–– they’re very, very aggressive in all cases, and you never knew what you might run into as retaliation or whatever, you know, in a crowd. So, it was a very cautious trip. �Interviewer: “But the Japanese were basically cooperating though, right? I mean, they were staying in their barracks or whatever.” Well, in Korea, outside of the officers, the enlisted men were mainly construction, mechanics, fetch-and-carry. The pilots, that airfield, and the officers were typically Japanese, as this picture of this young fella [that] was constructed into the Army. He wound up as a–– sort-of–– a mechanic and he said he hated every minute of it, but at least he got something to eat. As far as my impression of the Korean people, [they] were treated like slaves and dirty dogs, even into this time period. This is a typical Korean family. (1:12:30). Interviewer: “A woman carrying things on her head and the man with the two buckets on the yoke.” They had very little as far as clothing, commodities, That’s very typical. Interviewer: “Yeah. And I see you got ox-carts over here. Someone holding a pitchfork over there.” The Japanese–– my impression–– was that they took practically anything that was worth any value. Of course, some of the enlisted men had married because they–– here again, I don’t know when the Japanese took over South Korea. Interviewer: “They took over Korea back around the turn of the century, so they’d been there a while.” They had been there for years, and there was a mix of families–– Korean and Japanese–– over the years and that was one of the problems when we were sorting in 1945. So many of the men would try to escape and get back to their wives and families, which to I and my fellow in the company, really didn’t know [that] our orders were to round-up the Japanese and hold them. (1:14:22). Sometimes it turned into a situation that you may shoot above somebody’s head or at their feet to control the situation. But, most of the Korean people were–– situated in the situation that they were–– very quiet and reserved. The common people like this couple right here–– which I have no idea who they were. There was a big rice paddy not too far from this airfield and they were probably out gathering firewood and this and that, and looking for food and whatnot. (1:15:34). Interviewer: “Did you have problems with people stealing from you? From the camps or anything else?” �Not really. Of course, it was an MP post outside of the village–– it was a fishing village–– which controlled traffic on the road, and along the ocean that was very similar to areas along Lake Michigan. Wooded, high sand dunes, and made travel by foot difficult. I supposed that there was occasionally kerosene [and] gasoline and stuff like that that may have been–– Interviewer: “But you didn’t have a lot of trouble?” No. No we didn’t, as far as I was concerned or my experience. There wasn’t any trouble with the Korean people. And when the government threw contract work like this dependent housing deal– – which was a big one for that particular area–– the Korean people welcomed that. It was very, very friendly. But, of course, the American people and the servicemen, we were very generous. We’d hand out goods here and there, donate to the elders in this fishing village, pass out odds and ends–– old clothing–– and so on and so forth. It was easy to make friends. Such as that one picture of that one Korean boy, and that fella was conscripted into the Japanese Army. And this monastery, these people were just super nice. (1:18:29) Interviewer: “So let’s kind of go back now in your stories. When do you go home from Korea?” Fall of ‘47. My enlistment ran out. Interviewer: “And then did you go back home to where you had been living before you left?” Yeah. I went back to the farm, but we’d had a conversation [that] they’d gotten along without me. I went to work, I don’t know, a year after–– ‘48. I got a job at Chevrolet in Flint. My service days changed my attitude. I did do quite a bit of work on the farm and, you know, planning the harvest time, but I was changed. I didn’t want to be tied down night and day, taking care of animals in the morning, taking care of them at night, and so on and so forth. I wanted to see the world. (1:20:38). So, in ‘48, my older brother had a big farm at St. Johns–– of course married and had a family and I visited him. He was mostly a cash-crop, although he did have a big flock of chickens and sold eggs. But, he offered me a partnership in his farm, so I left my grandmother and uncles and moved to St. Johns. And at that time, my younger sister–– our brother had left his insurance to our younger sister and nephew. I went to see my sister–– at Michigan State–– met her roommate, and there is such a thing as love at first sight. So, I spent my spare time in East Lansing. My sister got quite disgusted with me because she said, “You never come to see me.” And I said, “Well, you’re my sister.” So, in fall of ‘49 I proposed and she accepted. We were married in January–– the 15th. (1:23:01). Interviewer: “Now, did you stay on the farm in St. Johns or do you move on?” �No. When we got married we got an apartment in East Lansing–– one-room apartment in a private converted home, right across from campus. She said, “I’ll quit. You go to school.” I said, “No. You’re not going to give up a scholarship.” She had a four-year paid scholarship and I got a job at Olds, which was really quite fascinating to me being [in] a big factory. More experience than the three months I worked at Chevrolet, and I kind of took an interest in what was happening. My job was on the assembly line on suspensions, and that was kind of fascinating–– I asked questions. And Oldsmobile had suggestion boxes and after a time, I wrote a couple of suggestions. Matter of fact, I think I wrote a half-a-dozen and was accepted a couple of times and I think that put me on notice of the foreman, and eventually I made repairman. (1:25:04). But, at that time, the union was really pushing for 100 percent union. Virginia and I, we talked things over and when she finished college–– boy, at that time we really didn’t know what we were going to do. But, her father was a recording engineer at United Sound in Detroit. He’d worked in radio and sound systems practically all of his life and then I will say ‘49–– or maybe even ‘48–– they were developing magnetic tape. Being a sound engineer in the recording studio, of course, he was working on tape machines–– tape duplicators–– to make a copy of a master tape. So, in that time period, we’d kind of come to an agreement [that] when she finished college, we’d move back to Saranac–– her hometown–– and I would do the mechanical work, he’d do the electronic work, we’d build the tape duplicator. That kind of gelled a plan for us, but, at the same time, working at Olds, I got into an argument with a union steward. I said, “Look, I need every penny I can lay my hands on. I’m not gonna be here, only a few short months now.” I got transferred into [the] inspection department. (1:27:53). And, then when the time came, within a couple weeks of her graduation and our planned leaving of Lansing–– or East Lansing–– I gave notice. [The] foreman said, “Are you sure?” And I said, “Yes.” Well, two days before my last day I was scheduled, three tech guys were called into the office. They were interviewing me. School. Service. Various jobs and whatnot. This guy said, “General Motors is starting a program called ‘Quality Control.’ They’re taking individuals from various departments in all plants, all over the country, and forming this program so that everyone is on the same page of how to do this, and what to do and so on and so forth in inspection, and your name was on the list.” I had already made a commitment with my father-in-law, so I turned it down. Who knows? If I had just stayed at General Motors. (1:30:01). Interviewer: “So did you then go into business with your father-in-law?” Yeah. Yeah. We set up a shop in his basement–– in Saranac–– I did the mechanical work, he did the electronic work. But, of course, he couldn’t compete with Amphax and [the] big, major companies that were doing the same thing. But, when the tape duplicator was finished [and] tested, he loaded up, took it back to Detroit, and put it to work. That’s when I started my career in the tool and die business. [It] got around town–– what we were doing–– and I got a job at a local factory there in Saranac–– shredder factory–– making all types of sprayers–– hand- �sprayers, so on and so forth. It was the beginning of my career in the tool and die business. (1:31:34). Interviewer: “Did you eventually get a job over in West Michigan then? We’re in Spring Lake now, how long have you been here?” Well, we moved over here in ‘66. I worked at a couple–– three–– different places in the fifties and sixties over in Saranac. I worked 13-years at Lake Odessa Machine and they had a tool room–– repair [and] build dies, stamping plant, and I got to know George Beamer and other people [from] different plants that were doing work for us–– we had too much work–– especially with new dies. When we moved over–– actually, my last job, in Ionia County, was at Dow Smith making fiberglass Corvette bodies. My job in the engineering department was calling on vendors, writing progress reports on jobs that Dow Smith farmed out. I got a call by Muskegon– – North Muskegon–– to come down the highway and see Falcon Tool over here, facing the highway. I stopped to say hello and before I got there, I had a job. (1:33:40). Interviewer: “Now, there was one more story we left out that I want to go back too. Your daughter has mentioned that when you were driving a bulldozer in Korea, you almost went off a cliff.” Well, a guy by the name of Joe Miller and I were–– they wanted us to blast rock and they found another older rock quarry so that they didn’t have to transport rock from one to where they were building. So, we loaded up the dozer and went over. And it was an old one and I was up on top of this cliff, pushing the dirt and debris and brush over the edge, and I pushed over a load of dirt and when I stopped the dozer wiggled around like this. Between this track and the body and about that much of the track, it was hanging out over air, off the cliff. The right hand track was hanging off about this far–– if I had been over another, probably three feet, I would have dumped off the cliff. I have a track machine, so when you put it in reverse [and] let out the clutch, it has a tendency to tip forward. I’m sitting there, “Oh my god.” Joe didn’t reverse, played with the clutch to inch the damn thing back–– [it] was out, rocking. I would say I came about that far from diving off a 60-foot cliff. But, they never opened it because of the rock and transportation and the conditions. It really wasn’t worth it. But, that dozer was the biggest one that Caterpillar made. (1:36:50). Interviewer: “Now, to close this out then, as you think back to the time that you spent in the service, what do you think you learned from it or how did it affect you?” Well, one thing I learned [was] how to get along with people. That was the main thing. Because all through school, I had a lot of work to do at home and I did not partake in much at school as far as sports. I guess there were a couple of times [like] a class play–– minor things–– but very, �very low activity in school, or in any other area with people my age until I went into the service. And that was one of the big items to get used to–– different kinds of people and how to get along with them. And there were times there were arguments–– well, I guess it was still in the process [of] when I volunteered for KP to get away from just sitting around. But, that’s one of the things–– attitude, or change in lifestyle–– and observing the way [of] officers (1:39:37). I will say this, the officers I served under were all very good except one and he was newly commissioned–– all spit-and-polish–– always jumping on people for not saluting or having their shirt or coat open. But, attitude makes a big difference in life. But, I would say that was one of the big things that I learned in the military. But, when people said, “Jump,” you jumped, even if you didn’t like it. You learned to accept the responsibility, which carried on through my life in the tool and die business. Getting along with–– especially when you're a supervisor and instructing people [and] teaching people to run machinery and how to do this. They way you went about it. [I] took a lesson from some of the officers–– some of the ways they treated people and how they–– instead of giving them an order–– just becomes a conversation. That’s what I call “learning from life.” Make the best of it. (1:41:43). Interviewer: “Well, the whole thing makes for a pretty good story, so I’d just like to close this out by thanking you for taking the time to share it today.” It was interesting. (1:42:01). � 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 BensonG2297V Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benson, Gerald Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019-03 Title A name given to the resource Benson, Gerald (Interview transcript and video), 2019 Description An account of the resource Jerry Benson was born on August 28, 1926 in Lafayette Township, Michigan. He graduated high school in 1944 and was unable to get any type of deferment from the service. Benson was then drafted and began his twelve weeks of Army Basic Training in December of 1944 in Texas. He was then shipped from Angel Island, California, to Leyte in the Philippines after the fighting had moved onto Okinawa. While awaiting assignment in Leyte, Benson went on search patrols for any remaining Japanese troops left behind in the Philippines. He was then assigned to the Headquarters Section of the 108th Infantry, 40th Division, making practice landings in preparation for the invasion of Honshu Island, or mainland Japan. After the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and it surrendered unconditionally, Benson was shipped out in December of 1945 to Busan, Korea. Benson was then transferred into the 6th Combat Engineers as a demolitions expert and bulldozer operator, tasked with building up infrastructure outside Seoul. After serving in Korea with the Army engineers and serving out his enlistment, Benson decided to leave the service and was shipped back to the United States in the fall of 1947. He then returned to the family farm before going to work for Chevrolet Motor Company in Flint, Michigan, in 1948. Wanting to see more of the world, Benson spent some time helping his brother as a business partner for his own farm and visited his sister at Michigan State University where he met his future wife, marrying in January of 1949. Afterwards, he and his wife moved to East Lansing where she finished college and he continued to work in a local factory. Following his wife’s graduation, Benson was interviewed due to his skills in the automobile industry and was offered a job at General Motors, but opted to go into business with his father-in-law. Eventually, competition from large corporations urged Benson to seek other employment, so he entered the tool and die industry. He went on to work several other industrial jobs before settling into Spring Lake, Michigan. Reflecting upon his service, Benson believed the Army taught him how to work together with other, different people since he did not have such prior experience through school or sports teams. He also concluded that personal attitude played an important role in how he and his peers conducted their lives. 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 Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians—Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401. Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/52566155ebc006402a39bb99df00a58f.jpg a5665df5f01f8ffc129a6dfb56ea1aec 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_LS00016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1918 Title A name given to the resource Benten-dori Yokohama Description An account of the resource Colored lantern slide of a street scene labeled "Benten-dori Yokahama." In the brightly hand-tinted scene, a rickshaw is traveling down the street toward a tall building with a clock tower. A nearby sign shaped like an elephant reads "Fukadaya Ivory Works." Subject The topic of the resource Lantern slides Yokohama-shi (Japan) 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/2fa6756a9b8dfcac9c6bb713cc4c6923.pdf dd6e84928312f179ba9e216b117020d8 PDF Text Text BENZIE COUNTY 2020 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN �Adopted by the BENZIE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Andrew W. Nester, Chair William Johnson, Vice Chair Kathryn Seitz, Secretary Donald Tanner Mary Pitcher Jerry Priebe Wally Edwards Andrew W. Nester Mike Evans With assistance from the Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee Cliff Graves Mary Pitcher Kurt Luedtke Marcia Davis Dori Noble Turner William Johnson Agriculture Subcommittee Mike Evans Clarence Davis Mark Evans Ray Kimpel Arthur St rong Will Wolfe Roger Griner Cheryl Kobernik Dodie Putney Randy Bell Forestry and Mineral Extraction Subcommittee Arthur Strong, Chair Dick Cooper Diane Hash Mike Moorman Mary Pitcher Michael Duwe Hans Voss Harold Trealout Residential Development and Land Division Subcommittee Allen Appelhof Moore Peregrine Roger Papineau Jeanne Dzik Wally Edwards Kathy Seitz Sensitive Lands and Water Resources Subcommittee Nancy Kasperzak Virginia Sorenson Ray Kadlec Sally Casey Craig Meredith William Olsen Doug Stevens Raymond Antel Moore Peregrine Don Tanner Jim Baltazar Harlan Reichle Jim Sheets Steve Fernand Roger Griner Intergovernmental Cooperation Subcommittee Michael Moorman Ed Duncan Jeanne Dzik Jean Rosa Ray Kimpel Catherine Werts Transportation Subcommittee Timothy Young Jim Brian Andrew Nester Community Facilities and Services Subcommittee Vickie Burlew Julia Deemer Charles Fisk Sheriff Vance Bates Richard Draper Bruce Ogilvie Jerry Jennex Bill Johnson John Nuske Andrew Nester Carol Dye Suzy Volz Alex Knox Mary Hoyt William Olsen Jobs and Economic Development Subcommittee Betsy Evans Harold Case James Strickland Dennis Haugen Jim Macinnes Priscilla Woodley Recreation Subcommittee Ray Kimpel Donald Tanner And assistance to all subcommittees from Anne Bourne and David Neiger, Benzie County Planning Director �BENZIE COUNTY 2020 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Prepared by the Benzie County Planning Commission to replace the 1993 County Plan With assistance from: Planning & Zoning Center, Inc. 715 N. Cedar Street Lansing, Ml (517) 886-0555 www.pzcenter.com October, 2000 �Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE Plan Purpose ........................................................................................... i Plan Contents and How to Use the Plan ................................................. ii Background Reports ..... .......................................................................... ii CHAPTER 1 - BENZIE COUNTY IN 2000 Introduction ....................................................... ................................... 1-1 Physical Description ............................................................................ 1-1 Natural Resources ............................................................................... 1-1 Demographic Profile and Projections of County Residents ................. 1-2 The Benzie County Economy ....... .. ..................................................... 1-3 Land Use Profile and Projections ......................................................... 1-4 Infrastructure in Benzie County .. .......................................................... 1-5 CHAPTER 2 - BENZIE COUNTY 2020 VISION: What Benzie County Residents Value Introduction ......................................................................................... 2-1 21st Century Benzie County .... ........................................................... 2-1 Scenic and Rural Character Preserved ............................................... 2-1 City and Village Centers ..................................................................... 2-2 Diversity is Celebrated ........................................................................ 2-2 Quality of Life - A County of Options and the Arts ..... ......................... 2-3 Economic Development - A County of Opportunity .... ......................... 2-3 Intergovernmental Cooperation/Coordination ..................................... 2-4 CHAPTER 3 - WHAT'S AT RISK: Major Issues and Analysis Introduction ........ ................................................................................. 3-1 Rural Character, Open Space and Scenic View Preservation ............. 3-2 Lake and River Water Quality ...................................................... ........ 3-5 Ground Water Quality ............ .............................................................. 3-6 Forestry ...............................................................................................3-6 Minerals ............... ................................................................................ 3-7 Recreation .......................... ................................................................. 3-8 Public Lands .............................................. ........ .................................. 3-9 Lake Access ........................................................................................ 3-9 Sand Dunes and High Risk Erosion Areas .............. .......................... 3-10 Historic Preservation .......................................................................... 3-11 Agriculture Preservation .................................................................... 3-11 Agriculture and Residential Conflicts ................................................. 3-12 Over-Zoning for Residential Development ......................................... 3-12 Industrial Development .................... ... ............................................... 3-13 Commercial Development. ............. .................................................... 3-14 Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan �Development Along US-31 and M-115 .............................................. 3-14 Transportation .................................................................................... 3-14 Affordable Housing .. ... ....................................................................... 3-16 Community Services and Facilities, Including Sewer and Water .. .. ... 3-16 Intergovernmental Cooperation and Coordination ............................. 3-17 Coordinated Planning and Zoning ..................................................... 3-18 Sustainability ....... ............................................................................... 3-18 CHAPTER 4 - FUTURE LAND USE AND URBAN SERVICES DISTRICTS Introduction .......................................................................................... 4-1 Vision-Based, Policy Driven, Future Land Use Pattern ........................ 4-2 Sensitive Environment Protection Areas ........................................ 4-5 Public Lands and Recreation ......................................................... .4-5 Agricultural Protection Areas ......................................................... .4-5 Rural Residential ............................................................................4-7 Medium Density Single Family Residential .................................... .4-8 Business/Commercial ..................................................................... 4-8 Industrial ............................................. ............................................ 4-8 Policy Maps .........................................................................................4-9 Sensitive Environments ................................................................. .4-9 Recreation .......... ............................................................................ 4-9 Agriculture Protection .....................................................................4-9 Rural Residential .......................................................................... 4-10 Transportation lmprovements ...................................................... .4-11 Job Centers .................................................................................. 4-11 Urban Services Districts (USO) .................................................... 4-11 Policy Maps Yet to be Developed ...................................................... 4-17 Zoning Plan ........................................................................................4-17 CHAPTER 5 - PRINCIPLES, STRATEGIES &POLICIES Introduction .......................................................................................... 5-1 Fundamental Principles ....................................................................... 5-1 Balanced Growth Strategy ................................................................... 5-4 Environmental Protection Strategy ...................................................... 5-8 Strategy to Protect the Visual Character of the Landscape ............... 5-11 Strategy to Protect the Visual Character of Small Towns .................. 5-13 Strategy to Address Issues of Greater than Local Concern ............... 5-15 CHAPTER 6 - PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Introduction .......................................................................................... 6-1 Focusing on Priorities ............ .............................................................. 6-2 Annual Tasks .................................................................................. 6-2 Top Priorities .................................................................................. 6-2 Dealing with Issues of Greater Than Local Concern ............................ 6-4 Role of Key Players ............................................................................. 6-6 New Roles of the County Board of Commissioners ........................... 6-10 Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan �New Roles of the County Planning Commission .......... ...................... 6-10 New Roles of the Local Planning Commissions and Governing Bodies .................................................................... 6-11 New County Planning Department Roles ........................................... 6-11 Tools to Implement the Plan .............................................................. 6-12 Mechanism for Updating the Comprehensive Plan ............................ 6-12 Concluding Thought.. ......................................................................... 6-12 LIST OF TABLES 6-1 Issues of Greater than Local Concern ................................................. 6-5 6-2 Traditional Responsibilities of the Local Government Decision Makers ........................................................................... .. .6-7 LIST OF FIGURES 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 Balanced Growth Strategy ................................................................... 5-7 Environmental Protection Strategy .................................................... 5-10 Natural Landscape Features .............................................................. 5-12 Visual Character Elements ................................................................ 5-14 Issues of Greater Than Local Concern .............................................. 5-16 LIST OF MAPS 1-1 1-2 1-3 4-1 4-2 4-3 4-4 4-5 4-6 4-7 4-8 Existing Land Use ............... .. ..................................... ........... ............... 1-6 Benzie County Sewer and Water Districts .. ......................................... 1-7 Benzie County Roads .. ........................................................................ 1-3 Future Land Use ............................................................. ..................... 4-3 Benzie County Sensitive Environments .................................... .. ........ .4-4 Benzie County Recreation Areas ........... .......................................... .. .. 4-6 Benzie County Agriculture Protection Areas ........................................ 4-7 Benzie County Rural Residential ...................................................... .4-13 Benzie County Transportation lmprovements .................................... 4-14 Benzie County Job Centers .. ............................................................ .4-15 Benzie County Urban Services Districts ............................................ 4-16 Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan �PREFACE Plan Purpose The purpose of this Comprehensive Plan is to provide policy and guide decision making for future land and infrastructure development decisions within Benzie County. Within the Plan, key planning issues are identified; community character is described; goals and policies are outlined; existing and future land uses are described and mapped; public facility standards are established; transportation improvements are identified and specific implementation measures are recommended. The planning process used in developing the Benzie County Comprehensive Plan included meetings of the County Planning Commission, the 70 member Citizen Advisory Committee, topical Subcommittees, mapping, data analysis, consideration of alternative development options, hundreds of citizens at town meetings, and public hearings. Critical to the planning process was the preparation of ten background reports. These reports provide the most thorough reference to data, trends, issues and recommendations used as a basis for this Plan. The Subcommittees for each of the background reports were comprised of citizens, local officials and persons with expertise in the topic area. They are listed on the back of the title page. This Plan is adopted by the Benzie County Planning Commission to promote public health, safety, and welfare through planning for the appropriate use of land and water resources and the provision of adequate public facilities and services. Although this Plan states specific land use and development policy and proposes specific land use arrangements, it has no regulatory power. It will be implemented by County and local zoning decisions, public facility and infrastructure improvements and the actions of private property owners acting consistent with the Plan. The Planning Commission adopts this Plan pursuant to authority in the County Planning Act, PA 245 of 1945. The Benzie County Comprehensive Plan will probably be used most frequently to guide decisions by the Benzie County Planning Commission on whether or not to approve local plans and rezoning approvals submitted to it. The Plan will also guide recommendations made by the County Planning Commission to County and State authorities on roads, parks, county buildings and other infrastructure. The land area covered by this Plan includes the entire area of Benzie County and all 19 units of local government in the County. It is intended to promote sensible and sustainable interjurisdictional land use planning. It is hoped that this Plan will guide the formation of Township, City and Village plans consistent with it and that subsequent local zoning and infrastructure decisions will also be made consistent with it. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan �All proposed future land use arrangements and policies presented in this Plan were developed based on a blending of: • The natural capability of the land to sustain certain types of development and the important natural functions played by unique land and water resources in the area. • The relative future need for residential, commercial, and industrial land uses; as well as the existing land use distribution. • The relationship of agricultural and undeveloped lands to existing community character and the economic base of the County. • The desires of local residents and public officials as expressed through their participation in visioning sessions, Subcommittee meetings, Citizen Advisory Committee meetings and public Planning Commission meetings. This Plan has a time orientation of twenty to twenty-five years into the future. It is heavily influenced by the Concept of Sustainability: that a community should make decisions today that meet the needs of the present without undermining the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Plan Contents and How to Use the Plan There are three critical components to using this Plan as a decision making guide. • First is the future land use map and associated policy maps presented in Chapter Four. • Second, are the policies in Chapter Five. These are based on public input and reflect where citizens want their County to be over the next twenty to twenty-five years. The condition of the County now, and recent trends of population size, age and other characteristics, as well as economic, infrastructure and natural resource conditions form the foundation for planned change and are discussed in Chapters One through Three. • Third, are the implementation strategies found in Chapter Six. Key priorities for action are described. This Plan is a statement by the County Planning Commission regarding the present and desired future character of the County and strategies to assure that character. As a formal and tangible document, this Plan is intended to instill a sense of stability and direction for County, City, Village and Township officials, and for Benzie County citizens. Background Reports Following is a list of each of the background reports prepared prior to the adoption of the Plan. Each background report includes much more data and analysis than is included in the Plan on the subject matter it addresses. Each background report was adopted by the County Planning Commission, following a public hearing, and comprises important detail not repeated in this Plan. Please Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan ii �consult these background reports for greater detail on any issue or policy included in this Plan. Background Reports Agriculture Community Services and Facilities Forestry and Minerals Intergovernmental Cooperation Jobs and Economic Development Recreation (Completed as an update to the Benzie County Recreation Plan) Residential Development Sensitive Lands and Forestry Social and Economic Trends Transportation Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan iii �CHAPTER 1 BENZIE COUNTY IN 2000 Introduction This chapter briefly describes the key elements of Benzie County's natural resources, population, economy, community facilities and land use. This sets the stage for later chapters that compare Benzie County as it exists in 2000 with how citizens want it to be in the future (vision statement). Later chapters also discuss various issues citizens face in dealing with the existing situation and why the existing conditions are not desirable. Physical Description Benzie County has an area of 316 square miles, making it the smallest county in the state in land area. It is located along the shore of Lake Michigan and is bordered on the north by Leelanau County and the south by Manistee County. Grand Traverse County is to the east. There are nineteen communities within Benzie County. These include Frankfort City, the Villages of Elberta, Beulah, Benzonia, Honor, Lake Ann and Thompsonville. There are also the Townships of Almira, Benzonia, Blaine, Colfax, Crystal Lake, Gilmore, Homestead, Inland, Joyfield, Lake, Platte and Weldon. All communities have their own zoning ordinance except for seven townships which are under County zoning: Benzonia, Blaine, Colfax, Crystal Lake, Gilmore, Joyfield and Platte. Natural Resources Benzie County is rich in natural resources. These include large forested areas, beautiful, clean lakes, high quality rivers, wetlands, minerals, dunes and ridges. These natural resources provide both great economic benefit and a way of life high in the qualities of nature, scenery, clean air and water and recreation opportunity. The County's natural features are comprised primarily of lake-border plains, hill plains, rivers, inland lakes and the Lake Michigan shoreline and dunes. Large areas of the County are forested. Its elevation extends from about 600 feet above sea level to about 1,000 feet elevation. Most agricultural activities are associated with fruit production. The combination of soils, climate and near-shore hillsides make much land uniquely suited for cherries and apples (in particular). Oil and gas deposits, primarily in the Antrim Formation, underlie the County. There are oil and gas drilling operations, primarily in the southern part of the County. Sand and gravel deposits exist, both in the dunes and glacial ridges in the western part of the County. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 1-1 �Demographic Profile and Projections of County Residents Population Benzie County has the sixth smallest year-round population among counties in Michigan. The Benzie County population was 11,205 in 1980, and 12,200 in 1990. The Census Bureau estimated the 1999 population at 15,257, making it one of the fastest rates of growth in the state. The future population of Benzie County will be about 15,500 by the year 2000 and 17,700 persons by 2020, according to projections made by the Office of State Demographer, Michigan Department of Management and Budget (DMB). If the economy of Michigan remains strong and the Traverse City metro area continues to grow, these projections are likely to be low. However, population growth is not uniform across all jurisdictions within Benzie County. Lake Ann shows no change between 1980 and the 1998 estimated population. There are no declines between 1980 and 1998 but there were between 1970 and 1990, with the largest decline in the Village of Elberta (-20% between 1970 and 1990). The greatest township increases between 1980 and 1998 were in Almira, Lake and Inland Townships, with increases of 64% and 62% respectively. The Colfax Township portion of Thompsonville showed a 108% population increase during the same period, due to residential construction at Crystal Mountain Resort. The County population increased due to both a net increase in population and inmigration (people moving into the County). The birth rate in 1998 was 11.1 per thousand (from Census Bureau estimate of births) and the death rate was 10.5 per thousand (also from Census Bureau estimate of deaths). In-migration, which accounted for 10. 7% of the population increase between 1992 and 1996, was primarily due to retirees settling in Benzie County to enjoy its scenery, natural resources and other amenities, as well as persons building homes in Almira and Inland townships to be close to jobs in Traverse City. Seasonal Population Benzie County's population doubles during three summer months to nearly 26,000 persons, and increases by at least 13% in the other months due to an influx of vacationers. These persons stay in second homes, campgrounds, RV sites, hotels, motels, B & Bs, cottages and at overnight marina slips. According to the Northwest Michigan Seasonal Population Model, (1996, produced for the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments), there are nearly 2,300 facilities for overnight guests in Benzie County. The largest numbers of such units were in Benzonia, Crystal Lake and Lake Townships, each of which had over 700 such units. Only 33 units were available for migrant workers, and 28 units were boarded up. Seasonal residents contribute greatly to the local economy, tax bases and to the creation of opportunities that wouldn't exist for a smaller population. But they also require building a bigger infrastructure to serve them and often are not enthusiastic about growth proposals that excite permanent residents. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 1-2 �They rarely register to vote in proportion to permanent residents (since they usually live most of the year elsewhere). Age Benzie County has a slightly older than average population . In the age groups, under 18, and 18 to 24 years, Benzie County had 24.2% and 7.5% respectively in 1990 compared to State averages of 26.5% and 10.8% respectively. In the age groups of 45 to 64 years and 65 years and over, Benzie County had 22.4% and 17.2% respectively compared to State averages of 18.7% and 11 .9% respectively in 1990. This reflects the attraction of Benzie County as a place to retire and the lack of job opportunities that result in young people leaving the County for employment elsewhere. It also reflects the relative lack of families raising children in the County. Race Whites far outnumbered any other race in 1990. Of a total population of 12,200, there were 30 blacks, 237 American Indians, 129 Hispanics and 35 Asians. Families and Households While the size of families declined by 8% in Benzie County between 1980 and 1990, the number of households increased 19% during that period. This is a typical situation throughout Michigan. It is due in part, to an aging population in which retired couples move to the County, without children. It is also partly due to the increasing number of families headed by single parents. There were 4,772 occupied dwelling units in Benzie County in 1990, up from 4,008 in 1980. If that rate of change continued, there would be over 5,500 dwelling units in 2000. These include single family homes, mobile homes and multiple family homes or apartments. Education The residents of Benzie County have an average education level that is primarily provided by public schools. K-12 school enrollment in Benzie County was 2,608 in 1990. Elementary and high school enrollment was 1,928 and public school enrollment was 96.6% . There were 66 high school dropouts in 1990 and 333 persons enrolled in college. Of persons 25 years or older, 76.6% were high school graduates in 1990, which is about the State average. Fifteen percent have bachelor's degrees or higher education, which is about two percentage points below the State average. The Benzie County Economy Economic Sectors The two major economic sectors in Benzie County are recreation/tourism and agriculture. There are also manufacturing facilities, health care facilities and gov- Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 1-3 �ernment employment. Many residents of Benzie County work in Grand Traverse County. Employment Employment in Benzie County has improved in the last few years, reflecting an over-all improved State economy. The work force in Benzie County in 1999 was 7,825 persons, up 10% from 1992. Of this number, 7,375 persons were working, on average, in 1999. This is 1,725 more persons than in 1992, a 31% increase. Unemployment declined in Benzie County in recent years, as it has in the State. The 1999 average rate was 5. 7%, down nearly 6 percentage points, a 52% decline, from 1992. Unemployment rates differ throughout the jurisdictions in the County, ranging from a low of 1.4% in 1999 in Platte Township to a high of 14.7% in Weldon Township. The other community with a high unemployment rate was Colfax Township, with an average unemployment rate in 1999 of 13%. In the past, unemployment has been high in Benzie County during times of statewide economic problems. The recreation and tourism industry is seen as potentially important in providing for higher levels of future employment in the County. Employment Projections Based on data from the Michigan Employment Security Commission for the period 1985-1995, if employment is projected for the communities in Benzie County to 2020, total employment will grow to 7,436 by 2000 and 11,680 by 2020, a 120% increase over 1990. Projections by the University of Michigan Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations made in 1994 are far less optimistic, the projected increase in employment in Benzie County by the year 2020 will be in the range of 20 to 30%. The total increase in jobs for Benzie County is projected by U of M to be no higher than 2,000 additional jobs between 1990 and 2020. Counties with low base employment and located off of major transportation routes are notoriously difficult to project. Land Use Profile and Projections The major land uses in the County are forest and agriculture. See Map 1-1 . There are significant wetland areas, located primarily in the southeastern part of the County. Beaches and dunes line nearly all of the Lake Michigan shoreline. There are orchard areas in the western part of the County, many just east of the dunes. Developed landscapes occur primarily along the major lakes, rivers, in villages and in strip residential acres along a few of the State and County roads. Because of the extensive residential development along lakes and rivers , there is limited access to public water bodies. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 1-4 �Over 36% of Benzie County is publicly owned land. About 10,000 acres are in Federal ownership within the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. There are about 59,000 acres in the Pere Marquette State Forest, the Betsie River State Game Area and Fish Hatchery, and the abandoned Ann Arbor Railway right-of-way. County and local governments own about 900 acres of land. If one compares land use/cover maps based on aerial photographs taken at two different times, 1978 and 1996, a large increase in residential land use can be seen along the major state highways and county roads. At the same time, considerable fragmentation of private land into 5 and 10 acre parcels occurred between 1978 and 1996. This fragments the natural resource base and has significantly changed both the land uses and pattern of land use in the County. Infrastructure in Benzie County Community Facilities All levels of government maintain a variety of facilities in Benzie County. The Federal government has post offices, a Coast Guard station and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore. The state has a Department of Natural Resources fish hatchery, boat launch sites, large areas of state forest plus horseback and snowmobile trails. The County has a government complex plus recreation facilities. Local governments have town halls, fire stations and local parks. These are widely distributed across the County. Only Frankfort, Elberta, Beulah and Crystal Mountain Resort have both public water and sewer service and these systems have fairly limited excess capacity. In addition, Benzonia and Thompsonville have public water, and Honor has public sewer. See Map 1-2. Roads The primary roads in Benzie County are US 31, M-22 and M-115. These state arterials provide access within the major quadrants of the County, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as well as access to the major regional population centers outside the County. The major county roads provide access to farms, villages and State lands. Both the major and minor roads provide access to lakefront properties. See Map 1-3. There is a Harbor of Refuge and a designated deepwater port in Frankfort on Betsie Lake, which is well used by recreational boaters and commercial traffic on the Great Lakes. There are two general aviation airports. One is outside the City of Frankfort and the other is near Thompsonville. These airports provide service for charter flights and privately owned airplanes. Passenger air service is available at Traverse City and Manistee. The former Ann Arbor railroad was abandoned and has become the Betsie Valley Trail. There are no other active railroad lines in the County. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 1-5 �Scale 1" = 9,500 feet or 1.8 miles ( Benzie County Land Use - 1997 Township Boundaries t CJ Highways County Roads Two Tracks Residential Roads Lakes, Rivers .. Gas Lines ._._. Trails Land Use Categories I- 112 - Multi-Family Residential 113 - Single Family Residential ( • 115 - Mobile Home Park 12, 121, 122,124,126 - Commercial • 13, 138 - Industrial 141, 143, 146 - Transportation, Utilities • 17, 171, 173 - Extractive 19, 193, 194 - Open Land, Outdoor Rec. • 21 - Cropland 1] 22 - Orchards 24 - Pasture 29 - Other Agriculture l 31, 32 - Open Space/Rangeland 41 - Deciduous 411 - Northern Hardwood 413 - Aspen/White Birch Assoc. - 414 - Lowland Hardwood 421 - Pine Ii 422 - Other Upland Conifer 423 - Lowland Conifer 429 - Christmas Tree Plantation [ 51, 52 - Water 61,611,612,621,622, 623 -Wetlands 72 - Beach 73 - Sand Dune • • • 3143 Loqan Valley Rd Traverse c,ry, Ml 49684 (231) 947.6400 www.mgmap.com 1130199 �Map 1-2 Benzie County Existing Sewer and Water Areas l. AX£ MICHIGAN Sewer and Water Sewer and Water tNORTH Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 1-7 �Map 1-3 Benzie County Roads i NORTH KEY US and State Highways ® US Highway Bituminous Roads @ State Highway Gravel Surfaced and Improved Roads @) County Road Unimproved Roads Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 1-8 �CHAPTER2 BENZIE COUNTY 2020 VISION: What Benzie County Residents Value Introduction Following is a vision statement that describes Benzie County, as residents at 4 town meetings held in 1996 wanted it to be in the year 2020. The vision is organized into topic areas that separately focus on key elements of the County. What emerges when all sections are read together, is a complete image of Benzie County, as residents would like it to be in 2020 and beyond. The vision statement plus substantial additional research and deliberation by committees of County residents were the basis for goals, objectives and actions of this Plan to chart a path for achieving the vision. More detail on these can be found in the various Comprehensive Plan background reports. When reading this vision, it is necessary to mentally 'transporl"yourself into the future. Thus, there are references "back" to the 1990's. 21st Century Benzie County Benzie County residents, businesses and visitors have diverse needs, desires and dreams, and satisfying them is a big challenge for any community. Benzie County residents and businesses enjoy a rich quality of life and are reaping the benefits of commitments made years ago. Unfazed by the sprawl and loss of scenic and rural character occurring throughout the rest of the State, the alluring characteristics of towns and landscapes that initially attracted residents to the County have been maintained over time, or enhanced. Beginning in the late 1990s, proactive policies and initiatives, economic development plans and resource preservation plans were undertaken which went well beyond common practice in order to improve the quality of life and to retain, and attract people and business to the County. The results of this hard work are obvious to visitors and residents alike. Benzie County has become a true reflection of sustainability (meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs). Businesses, neighborhoods, parks, schools, local government and natural resources are healthy and self-sustaining in 2020. When asked about Benzie County, residents use terms like "beautiful," "scenic," "diverse," "clean," and "stimulating". Residents are also quick to say that Benzie County is an outdoor sports paradise and a great place to raise families or retire. Scenic and Rural Character Preserved Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 2-1 �New growth and development has occurred in compact form and in locations that retain ample open space throughout the County, reinforcing the scenic visual character rather than detracting from it. (The visual character of a community is set by the style, size and upkeep of its homes, businesses and civic places such as parks, stores, schools and government buildings. It is also set by the presence or absence of water and vegetation, hills and highways.) In Benzie County, large-scale changes to the landscape (especially of vegetation, views, open spaces, and the water's edge), have been minimized by encouraging thoughtfully designed and buffered new development, and redevelopment, into select locations. Locations that were unattractive or lacked scenic character in 2000 have been improved by 2020. This philosophy has been applied to both residential and non-residential development. Existing and new development has been screened with buffer plantings in character with Northern Michigan. Parking lots, big buildings and outside storage areas can hardly be seen through thick vegetation. Signs are well designed to enhance commerce and directions without detracting from scenic views. Key to protecting and enhancing community character has been the conscious effort to deal thoughtfully with corridors. New developments have been designed to minimize conflicts on existing roads. A transportation system jointly serves the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and automobile drivers safely and efficiently. Links were established between residential neighborhoods and commercial and industrial development to provide safe, attractive and low cost pedestrian and bike routes as an alternative to automobiles. Where the visual character, sounds, dust, smells and level of activity of commercial and industrial development would not be compatible with residential neighborhoods and important, scenic views, they are separated or buffered. Where commercial development can serve residential needs, it is encouraged to locate adjacent to residential neighborhoods, but with architectural design and layout that fits the character of the neighborhoods. City and Village Centers Benzie County citizens and officials long ago recognized that for a city or village to remain "alive", it must be a vital place for citizens and businesses. Structures and places of historical and architectural significance have been renewed and serve as reinforcing elements of visual character. City and village sidewalks are lined with shops and full of people. Community events make these centers the place to be on a regular basis. Parks and streets lined with stately trees welcome visitors and residents alike, while public art is evident in all public spaces. There are no isolated, visually obtrusive strip or regional shopping malls. Diversity is Celebrated County leaders long ago recognized that accommodating a diversity of people and life styles was critical to the long-term vibrancy and strength of the County. · Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 2-2 �They realized that variety in housing choices and living environments would strengthen the County over time. As a result, a wide range of housing types, styles and locations are available to met the needs of the citizens in the County. Revitalized older neighborhoods have provided an affordable housing opportunity for families of various sizes and ages. This was in part due to significant reinvestment but also, to strict enforcement of the County building, housing and rental codes. Many of the County's least expensive neighborhoods have become some of the most popular for first time homebuyers. New subdivisions have been located close to existing villages and have, through clustering and conservation principles, protected sensitive environments and natural scenery. Quality of Life - A County of Options and the Arts The County has long held recreation and education as important aspects of quality of life. The public and private school systems provide excellent educational opportunities. Students are well disciplined, computer literate and ready to pursue any endeavor. Citizens can continue higher education, obtain technical, job-related training and can take adult enrichment courses in a wide variety of subjects. Drugs and crime have never become serious problems. Benzie County has joined forces with the school districts to establish one of the most comprehensive regional recreation programs found in the State. The public schools provide ample indoor recreation opportunities during the winter months. Benzie County residents enjoy the National Lakeshore, local parks and the recreation opportunities of State lands and public access sites in all seasons. Canoeing, boating and use of the extensive trail system continue to be popular pastimes. Music, art and museum events in many civic and private facilities continue to provide entertainment for all generations of Benzie County citizens. Economic Development - A County of Opportunity The cities, villages, townships and County continue to work together on an aggressive economic development program aimed at retention, expansion and attraction of business and industry within the County. The primary objective is to create and maintain a healthy and growing economy in Benzie County. To appreciate the success of this initiative one need only to visit the County's clean, unobtrusive and compact industrial districts, successful farms and productive forests. Strong community values and quality-of-life offered by communities within the County have been part of the attraction of new jobs to the County. By continually reinvesting in compact and efficient sewer and water systems, utilities and transportation, communities within the County have demonstrated the capacity to satisfy basic industry requirements on par with any community in Michigan. A Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 2-3 �marketing program, which proactively solicits business and industry, has also been a significant factor in the success of local economies . Intergovernmental Cooperation/Coordination A shared set of policies structured around a common vision of the future serves as a framework for decision making between all Benzie County governmental entities. The common vision and set of policies recognizes the autonomy of each unit of government but also establishes a mechanism for dealing with issues of greater than local concern. Communities apply the dual principles of respect and cooperation on issues of mutual interest. Parochialism no longer prevents achievement of area-wide interests, and the uniqueness of each is celebrated . Coordination of costs, timetables, responsibilities and resources to continue upgrading the quality of life of the area are all included as an integral part of these cooperative policies. All county and local public services and facilities are coordinated, as are state and private services and facilities when appropriate to do so . While local land use decisions are guided by local zoning standards, issues of greater than local concern are subject to input from surrounding local governments before a final decision is made. Special ad hoc committees aid communication among local governments in this process and help ensure adequate public participation . These procedures have replace the conflict and controversy that used to surround decisions on issues of greater than local concern. John :e:\Benzie county\plan\CHAPTER 2 fi nal.doc Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 2-4 �CHAPTER 3 WHAT'S AT RISK: Major Issues and Analysis Introduction What is at risk in Benzie County is a way of life that attracted people to the County, a way of life long-time residents value and a promise of the way of life residents envision for the future. Benzie County citizens have said that their County is changing in undesirable ways-losing its scenic character, roads becoming congested. They have also said it is not changing in desirable waysliving wage jobs are not plentiful within the County. There are many other, specific issues of concern to citizens. This chapter looks at the major land use issues identified by Benzie County citizens through visioning sessions, planning commission meetings, advisory committee meetings and subcommittee work for background papers. The following list briefly identifies the major issues discussed in this chapter: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The single most important feature of the County is its scenic rural character Development is rapidly eroding scenic and rural character Increasing development could impair water quality unless managed properly Increasing development could impair effective forest management Increased oil and gas extraction has risks for pollution, human health and destruction of wildlife habitat Recreation facilities are not always located near where people live Extensive private in-holdings in public lands threaten long-term management Existing lake access sites have inadequate parking and buffers with adjoining private properties which are exacerbated because there is not enough public access to Benzie County lakes Large stretches of Benzie County Lake Michigan shoreline have sand dunes and are state-designated high risk erosion areas Historic structures are being lost due to a lack of guidance and interest. Agriculture is an important economic sector of the County Agricultural land is an important scenic resource from which farmers gain no financial reward, but tourism businesses and other residents do benefit. It is difficult to sustain agriculture in the County due to outside economic factors, local taxation policies and pressure from non-farm residents Agricultural lands are popular places for non-farmers to move because of the rural quality of life Non-farm residents often try to stop farmers from engaging in typical farming practices, threatening farm businesses Large areas of rural townships are zoned for a residential development density of about 2.5 to 10 acres per household As zoned, residential development will eventually demand more services (road improvements, schools, police and fire) than it will pay for in taxes. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-1 �• • • • • • • • • • Expansion of the (currently small) industrial sector is seen as important to the economic health of the County in order to expand living wage jobs There is concern that strip commercial development along US-31, M-22 and M-115 will cause a loss of scenic character, congestion and safety problems if current trends continue Some important roads in the County are experiencing congestion and current funding mechanisms are not keeping up with maintenance needs There is a lack of quality housing that a large segment of Benzie County workers can afford Community facilities serving the whole county are becoming scattered and only accessible by car Only Frankfort and Beulah have both public sewer and water available, and the capacity is limited for future expansion The lives of Benzie County citizens are tied to more than one jurisdiction There are many issues County residents will face that will require decisionmaking by more than one jurisdiction (examples include highway corridors, rivers or trails, schools) Very little is currently being done to coordinate planning, zoning and public facility decisions between jurisdictions If all rural land is developed as presently zoned, there will be no viable farming, diminished wildlife habitat and very little scenery in the future of Benzie County. Rural Character, Open Space and Scenic View Preservation If there is one issue that permeates nearly all aspects of Benzie County life and concern for the future it is the loss of rural character, open space and scenic view preservation. The north woods character and scenic views that attract residents and vacationers to Benzie County are mentioned again and again as important resources that shouldn't be lost. Scenic character is one of the highest topics on resident's lists during visioning sessions. It is also one of the things that the people of Benzie County could lose, other than their jobs and health, and suffer the greatest change in their lives. Unfortunately, it is also the one thing Benzie County is losing the fastest due to new development authorized by existing local regulations. Residents often use the term, "rural character." When asked to define it, residents describe the forests, wooded hills, sparkling waters, orchards, farms and wetlands. A better term for this is "scenic character," because Benzie County has more nature-based landscapes than farms, orchards and pastures. Benzie County has more of a northern Michigan wooded character than that of a southern Michigan farming region. Most agricultural activities involve fruit production which also has a physical character more like a wooded landscape than fields of grain. It is also very scenic in all seasons. Preservation of scenic character in Benzie County is not going well. This is largely because of the lack of organized community action. The situation is akin Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-2 �to a person sitting on the only bailing bucket in a sinking boat. He likes sitting on the bucket so much, elevated above the rising water, he won't give it up to bail the boat. Residents, individually make their properties into a suburban haven while hoping that everyone else will maintain scenic character. That attitude might work for a county with a population of only a few thousand persons. But Benzie County's population is getting high enough (projected to reach over 17,700 by 2020) that when each person destroys scenic character on their own property, the cumulative effect is that character is lost for vast areas of the County. Benzie County residents decry the change in appearance of Grand Traverse County but go blindly ahead making a little piece of Grand Traverse County on nearly every property they develop in Benzie County. Residents base their actions on a series of overly optimistic assumptions: • .... It's OK to eliminate the scenic character of my own property because, hopefully, no one else is going to change it on their property. (Benzie County land has a highly fragmented ownership pattern so rural scenic character is dependent on the actions of thousands of property owners.) • .... It's OK to clear my narrow lot in the country because the nature along the road will always be there. (When each owner of the ten to twenty narrow lots along each mile of country road clears large portions of the lot, scenic character is lost along the whole section of that road.) • .... We can prevent a change in character of the County by fighting growth. There are thousands of undeveloped parcels in Benzie County and each property owner has the right to build on that property. There are only a few hundred parcels on which subd ivisions could be built. (Benzie County scenic character will be determined as much or more by the owners of individual parcels as by how subdivisions are planned and built. Communities have more control over how subdivisions are built - to some degree, open space can be mandated that may preserve scenic character - than individual properties. So preservation of scenic character is largely up to how individual property owners develop their property.) Benzie County residents need to decide if the public land in the state forest and national lakeshore is enough scenic character, or will they choose to make the effort to preserve scenic character on additional, private land to maintain the Benzie County they desire. Is it OK if the private land of Benzie County becomes like Chum's Corners in Grand Traverse County? Benzie County is fortunate to still have extensive undeveloped or sparsely developed lands, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. Many are in a near natural state. However, the most rapidly developing lands are those with and within the most prominent views. These lands are along the major corridors and on the ridges. There are problems with the visual character along the major corridors: • Commercial signs in Benzie County are often garish and poorly constructed. This contributes to a trashy roadside appearance . Some communities in other parts of the region and nation have smaller, attractively designed signs as the Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-3 �• • norm. Elsewhere in Michigan, but primarily along Interstate Highways, small, logo signs are being used instead of billboards to improve scenic value. Development on steep slopes is changing the character of the County. Tourists and residents who live in the County because of its scenic qualities would probably agree that, to be truly scenic, views of ridges should mostly be of forests, orchards, crops or meadows. In a few areas of the County, those are the views. However, the views are increasingly of scattered homes, placed on top of the ridges to achieve views of Lake Michigan or of other ridges. There is concern that turning the view into one of development rather than scenery could eventually diminish the attractiveness of Benzie County for tourism. Others might argue that the development of the ridges is itself a form of economic boost related to scenery - the views from the hills. The problem is that the ridge development provides only short-term benefit and potentially a long-term loss. With expanding development comes increased outdoor lighting. Improperly designed, the result can be a glow in the sky that prohibits enjoyment of the night sky. Stargazing becomes impossible from such locations. Modern outdoor lighting can direct light downwards, where it more efficiently illuminates drives and parking areas yet permits the enjoyment of that part of nature that is the night sky. There are two important factors in scenic view preservation. These are: • What are the signature views in the area that residents and visitors identify with Benzie County? Residents would likely list the view of Lake Michigan coming over the M-115 hill in Frankfort, the view to Crystal Lake and Beulah driving down US 31 from Benzonia and Platte River along M-22. There would be many others. Once these are identified, a preservation plan can be developed that can be used to work with civic groups and property owners to protect or enhance the important views in ways that still promote business interests and individual property rights. • What are the most important corridors where scenery should be important? Certainly M-22, M-115 and US-31 are important corridors. Do residents want them to remain scenic corridors or for segments to become scenic corridors where the view is currently not attractive? Voluntary design guidelines can be developed to foster high visual quality along road corridors. To preserve or enhance scenic corridors requires planning and cooperation of roadside property owners. The extent of the view needs to be mapped so particular property owners can be approached to voluntarily participate in improvement programs. The qualities that make up a scenic view for Benzie County need to be identified, and made a part of educational efforts that provide direction for property owners. New residential development is happening so rapidly, and in a suburban style, that it is changing the character of Benzie County, especially in the northeastern part of the County. This character is being changed, to a great extent, by strip Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-4 �residential development. Strip residential development is now common on stretches of many interior County roads. New subdivision and site condo development is also occurring, but to a lesser extent. Both kinds of development generally do not preserve those elements that make up a rural landscape, especially natural vegetation. The pattern starts with land divisions of 2-1 O acre lots fronting on major roads. It ends with a strip of new homes, less farm or forestland and less rural character. One of the driving forces of strip residential development is the need for farmers to incrementally sell land to supplement their income. Farmers need their land to be productive, and if farm produce is not profitable, growing houses often takes its place. Lake and River Water Quality Most of the surface water resources of Benzie County are very high quality. These include Crystal and Platte Lakes, the Platte and Betsie Rivers and numerous other smaller lakes, river tributaries and wetlands. Lake Michigan also is an important water resource. However, there has been some measurable decline in quality of some of these waters. Water quality depends on what happens on land surfaces. The land surfaces that drain into a water body are its watershed. Thus, a watershed approach to managing water resources will be important. A vital part of watershed management is preventing the transport of pollutants to existing water bodies. This can be done by limiting the pollutants that are applied to the land and by filtering or treating stormwater runoff before it reaches drains, rivers and lakes. Water quality is affected by pollutants and the velocity of stormwater runoff. Pollutants occur in four forms: sediment, chemicals, pathogens and warmed water. Sediment comes from bare soil, other erosion sites and paved surfaces. It can be highly destructive of fish habitat. Sediment also carries chemical pollutants although these can be carried by stormwater runoff alone. Chemical pollutants include nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen; toxic materials, such as oils, pesticides and salts; and changed water chemistry, such as lowered or raised pH. Nutrients can increase nuisance aquatic plant growth. Toxic materials and changed water chemistry can kill animals in the water and be a human health hazard. Pathogens include bacteria and viruses that come from animal waste and untreated or improperly treated sewage from homes and businesses and can be a serious human health hazard. Warmed water, such as the stormwater runoff that travels over paved surfaces and lawns before entering lakes and streams can change the temperature of the stream, affecting the aquatic life of the stream. It can be damaging to fish populations. The application of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to watershed lands affects water quality when it runs off the land. These pollutants originate on croplands, livestock pens, orchards, golf courses, shore-side lawns and gardens, Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-5 �commercial enterprises, impervious surfaces such as roads and parking lots and residential properties. Limited and appropriately targeted use of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides (Integrated Pest Management) could reduce the amount of chemicals that reach surface waters. Soil requires special attention in Benzie County. Some of it is highly erodible and, when eroded, becomes a serious pollutant. It is important that soil in Benzie County be stabilized, both on steep slopes and on flatter areas and along floodplains. In addition to pollutants, storm water can cause damage to streams and lakes because it enters at a high velocity. This can cause scouring of streambeds and banks and result in damage to fisheries. In a natural state, stormwater usually enters a lake or stream at a relatively low velocity and over a long period of time. A slight amount of flooding or erosion is natural, but not the level induced by directing stormwater over large paved areas before entering a stream or lake. Stormwater needs to be slowed, cooled and filtered before it enters the high quality streams and lakes of Benzie County. Ground Water Quality Groundwater provides drinking water to most people in Benzie County, so the quality and safety of that water is vital. The Benzie Leelanau District Health Department is involved in testing and protecting groundwater. In portions of Benzie County, water tables are close to the surface and soils are highly permeable. This makes groundwater more vulnerable to contamination from surface spills of toxic materials, leaking underground tanks and improperly treated sewage. Special treatment approaches, such as mounded septic systems, holding tanks, and pumped septic systems are necessary to protect ground water. These can influence the size of building lots and, to some extent, where homes and businesses can be built. Forestry Forest is the largest land cover category in Benzie County. According to the US Forest Service, in 1993 there were 137,000 acres of timberland (forest producing marketable wood) in Benzie County, or 67% of the County land area. There are both publicly and privately owned forestlands in Benzie County. According to the US Forest Service, 48.6% of forestland is state-owned. The remaining 51.4% is in private, corporate or miscellaneous private ownership. Thus, 32.6% of the County is state-owned forestland . Nearly 6% of the County is the federally owned, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and a portion of those lands are timberland. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-6 �Benzie County's economy is highly dependent on forests for harvested timber, land for hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation and for scenic quality. The high quality streams, rivers and lakes of Benzie County are dependent, in part, on forest cover of the watersheds. Thus, in Benzie County, a healthy economy depends, in part, on healthy and extensive forests. The primary forest vegetation type in Benzie County is beech-maple, which was also the predominate vegetation type in Benzie County during pre-settlement times. Other current vegetation types include red pine (10%), elm-ash-soft maple (8.9%), aspen (6.6%) and others of lesser percentage cover. The forest needs to have a variety of vegetation types and age classes in order to meet multiple management objectives. For example, young aspen is beneficial to deer and ruffed grouse. A diverse game and non-game wildlife population requires forest stands of different ages, from open, cleared areas to older woodlands. Such variety also improves non-hunting recreational experiences, promotes regeneration of trees, provides the opportunity to harvest over-mature forests and the option to change the mix of species to meet timber market or wildlife needs. Most of the timberland in Benzie County is fairly well stocked (the trees are making full use of available growing space, thus will increase in diameter and height becoming more valuable with time). Forestlands are important public resources, but the public and some commercial interests cause damage to those lands. Woodlands are being affected by fragmentation of the land through lot splits and construction of multiple access roads . Management of forestlands is increasingly difficult, as ownership patterns on private, undeveloped land become increasingly fragmented into smaller and smaller parcels. Increased interest in the forest industry, professional forestry and knowledge of beneficial harvesting approaches will benefit Benzie County. Minerals Benzie County has extensive mineral resources , such as oil, gas, sand and gravel. Sand and gravel resources are located primarily in the western and northern part of the County. Oil and gas resources are primarily located in the southern and eastern part. Oil and gas development can provide revenues to landowners and strengthen the local economy. Sand and gravel provides small revenues , less than in the recent past when now-closed extraction pits were active. Continued access to local sources of sand and gravel would help hold down the cost of future development. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-7 �There are problems associated with the extraction of those minerals. There is concern that extraction of oil, gas and sand and gravel by traditional methods could wreak havoc on the scenic quality and ecosystems that are important to other, larger economic sectors and the quality of life of residents. Also, residents do not always fully understand the rights of property owners and laws regarding mineral resources. Not all mineral rights are owned by those who hold the rights to surface properties. The state holds mineral rights under both public and private lands in Benzie County. It is the policy of the state to make full use of those minerals, although in sales of state-owned land, the state no longer retains mineral rights. The state will also sell severed mineral rights to the owners of the matching surface rights upon application (process not yet determined) if leases are not already let and the state foresees no substantial loss of income. Recreation The outdoor life in an attractive setting is a primary reason for many people to settle in Benzie County. Benzie County's economy is highly dependent on recreation, which, along with quality of life, is dependent on scenic quality and good to excellent quality lakes, rivers and forests. Thus, in Benzie County, a healthy economy depends on a healthy environment. The very attraction of Benzie County's scenery, boating, fishing, golf and other activities is compelling so many people to move to the County, that the very character of the County is in danger of being irrevocably altered. Benzie County has a Parks and Recreation Commission and has recently updated its Recreation Plan. The Plan needs to be updated and approved by the Recreation Division of the Department of Natural Resources every five years if the community is to remain qualified to receive grants issued through the DNR. Natural Resource Trust Fund Grants have been very helpful in obtaining and developing important pieces of recreational land in recent years. These include the Betsie Valley Trail, Railroad Point Natural Area and a site on Pearl Lake. The Parks and Recreation Commission is actively implementing the Recreation Plan. The following points summarize the recreational needs analysis of Benzie County based on national standards: • Benzie County is well equipped in the number of sports facilities. Most of these are located in the western part of the County, where the majority of citizens live. • Maintaining, upgrading and providing replacement of those sports facilities in the future will be necessary. • Benzie County appears to be lacking in neighborhood parks in the developed and developing areas. Sites should be identified for future acquisition and development. • While Benzie County has non-motorized trails, most are not close to where people can walk to get on them. Connections to existing and proposed trails and new trails in more populated areas are needed. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-8 �• • While there are large areas of well-protected, publicly owned land in the County, there are also a few areas where special precautions have not been implemented for sensitive environments. Key water access sites are available, but sites are not of suitable number, size, proximity to the population or level of development to provide adequate access in future years. Wildlife is an important feature of Benzie County that should be retained and improved for ecological benefits, quality of life experience of residents, recreation and tourism values. While Benzie County has great recreational resources available, it has a small population and few financial or institutional resources to adequately incorporate these resources into the recreational infrastructure of the County and communities within the County. Public Lands Over 36% of Benzie County land is publicly owned. Jurisdictions and agencies at several levels of government own land in Benzie County. The two largest owners of public lands are the Department of Forest Management, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Marquette State Forest) and the National Park Service (Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore). Other public land owners include the Fisheries Division and Recreation Division, Department of Natural Resources, US Coast Guard, as well as Benzie County itself and each of the local jurisdictions. About 10,000 acres is in Federal ownership within Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. There are about 59,000 acres in the Pere Marquette State Forest, the Betsie River State Game Area and Fish Hatchery, and the abandoned Ann Arbor Railway right-of-way. County and local governments own about 900 acres of land. While there has been little reported complaint in Benzie County over the amount of State-owned land, the original purchase of land for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore was controversial. Both State and Federal lands provide economic benefits to the County. These include serving as tourist attractions (Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is highly rated for quality and draws over a million visitors a year) and natural resource pools for industry. State Forest lands are used for timber harvesting and gas and oil extraction. State Forest lands are highly fragmented, with irregular boundaries and many private in-holdings. This makes management of those lands for recreation and forestry more difficult. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-9 �- Lake Access Both waterfront property owners (riparians) and the general public have rights to the use of lakes, rivers and streams, but public access is not sufficient and there are conflicts between riparians and the general public. Use conflicts have been reported on all inland lakes in the County regarding personal watercraft. Conflicts have also been reported regarding the use of motors on fishing boats on the Betsie and Platte Rivers, popular fishing and canoeing rivers. The County Parks and Recreation Commission has identified existing boat launching sites and has observed that there are not a sufficient number of them. Also, many are not improved to provide off-road parking and paved launch ramps. Off-road parking is necessary to avoid conflicts with neighboring property owners and traffic accidents. Paved launch ramps help limit sediment pollution of the water body that can occur from gravel launch sites. Sand Dunes and High Risk Erosion Areas (HREA) The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has designated certain sections of Lake Michigan Shoreline as Critical Dunes and High Risk Erosion Areas (HREA). Construction and substantial reconstruction proposed for these areas is subject to review for conformance with state regulations. Some of the Lake Michigan shoreline dunes are unique landscapes that are unlike any elsewhere in the world. The Critical Dune Program seeks to protect endangered species and threatened wildlife habitat on such dunes through development regulations and a permit program. The HREA provides for minimum setbacks within which no principal structures may be located between the setback line and the ordinary high water mark. According to DEQ maps, there are eighteen sections of Benzie County shoreline which are designated HREAs with different setbacks. Setbacks are measured from the bluff line. Thirty year erosion rates range from a low of about 45' to a high of about 185'. This means that the shoreline is likely to recede 45' within thirty years in some sections and up to 185' in another. This is a very rapid rate of shoreline recession and should indicate extreme caution regarding buildings in that and similar areas. While recession does not proceed at a constant rate, this averages about 6' per year in the highest rate areas. Sixty year setbacks range from 75' to 350'. This means that within a period of about 2 to 3 generations, the shoreline in that area is predicted to recede more than the length of a football field. Building activity in the HREA in Benzie County is subject to permit review by both the DEQ (HREA) and the Benzie County Planning Department (soil erosion and sedimentation permit). There is no feasible or practical engineering solution to this situation. Maintaining a healthy vegetative cover on the dunes and bluffs is the best method to retard Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan . 3-10 �the rate of erosion. Public monies to protect shoreline recession will no longer be available. This is due, in part to there being less of it available, and in part because in the long term the projects are unsuccessful and the public monies wasted. The wisest course of action is to not build within the recession zone. This includes both private property owners and communities considering investing in infrastructure. Historic Preservation While there are historic homes and small areas of historic homes in Benzie County, there are no designated historic districts. The Historical Society in Lake Ann has acquired a parcel in the village and has moved some centennial buildings there. An Historic Preservation Committee has been formed in Benzonia to study formation of an historic district. Many centennial farms and old residences have been preserved in the County. The most common historic house is the American farmhouse with a vertical two story and one story wing on the side. Some have Victorian motifs. The main building material was wood, except for some commercial buildings of stone or brick. The more grand houses were owned by lumber barons and wealthy merchants. Occasionally one sees an old abandoned house collapsing unto itself. But these are few. New laws related to fire hazards have required their removal. In a county with few public water systems, fire is an eminent threat. Efforts to preserve historic structures in Benzie County appear to have a lot of support from existing and former residents of the County. Agriculture Preservation Agriculture is an important economic sector of Benzie County. However, market conditions from outside Benzie County have had a profound, negative influence on Benzie County farmers. In the late 1990s, market conditions were so tenuous as to create doubt that farming will be viable by 2020 in Benzie County. Most Benzie County farmers (and spouses and other adults in the farm family) are also employed off the farm in order to support the family. One of the methods of supplementing farm income is to periodically sell small portions of the farm for residential lots. Important costs to farmers include property taxes, which is often assessed on farmland at a rate that assumes it is used for residential or other developed uses, and inheritance taxes that make it difficult to pass a farm to heirs and have it remain a family farm. A majority of Benzie County residents and visitors enjoy the open space and scenic qualities of Benzie County farmlands and want farming to continue. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-11 �However, most Benzie County farmers expect to fund their future retirement on the sale of their land for development, not farming. Agriculture and Residential Conflicts In many parts of Benzie County, an increasing number of non-farm residences are being located in farming areas. While the new residents are attracted to the rural scenery, they show little acceptance of typical farming practices, such as spraying, manure application, the transport of farm equipment on the roads and other operations. In addition, people who live in the vicinity of farms often do not want those farms developed as subdivisions. There is little understanding among non-farmers of the economic constraints of farming in Benzie County. These include market factors, property taxes and fluctuating fuel, chemical and labor costs. One farmer stated, "We are not in the business of providing scenery." Yet this is what is often most valued by nonagricultural residents in rural areas. Over-Zoning for Residential Development Almira Township and the Lake Ann area have been experiencing rapid residential growth. Some of this growth is in the form of individual residential lots but there have also been a number of subdivisions developed as well. The Almira Township Planning Commission recently prepared a new zoning map that changed the density of large areas of the community. As a result, the eventual population could be substantially less than permitted under the previous zoning ordinance. Their revisions included provisions for open space and natural resource preservation through their subdivision ordinance. However, the buildout potential in Almira Township under current zoning is still over 20,000 persons (compared to an estimated population of 1,763). In the rest of the County it is about 124,000 compared to an estimated 1998 population of 14,678. This is called over-zoning. The pressure to continue rapid development in the northeast quarter of the County, and in the other townships in the County will continue as people who work in Traverse City try to move farther into the "country". They will try to find an area that hasn't lost scenic character to the extent that Grand Traverse County has. However, as long as the individual township zoning ordinances and the County zoning Ordinance provide for too great a density in rural townships, scattered residential development will continue with all the attendant negative impacts previously identified. Over-zoning is insidious in its ability to scatter residential development without regard to scenic and rural character considerations, while also creating a false impression in the minds of rural landowners. The false impression is that at some future time the land could be divided and sold for the maximum density allowed under the zoning ordinance. The reality is that without public sewer and water, that density is often unlikely to be approved. In addition, Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-12 �the market over the next 20 years would not be anywhere near large enough to absorb that many units - and the citizens would never permit it. Zoning density should reflect existing use levels and current public service levels. Planned future density can be higher where the community is willing to commit to a higher level of public service in a particular area. Over-zoning also destroys the potential to achieve planned, incremental growth by permitting scattered growth over a large area of the community. Industrial Development Although Benzie County has strong tourist and agricultural economic sectors, the industrial sector is also important. One of the reasons an industrial sector exists is the high quality of life that attracts business owners and workers. Other factors include the availability of timber for forest product industries, agricultural crops for agricultural products industries and a port for shipping or receiving raw materials and goods by boat to or from other parts of the Great Lakes. Benzie County industries are located throughout the County. There are two industrial parks. These are located in Frankfort and Thompsonville. There are available spaces in both parks. The Thompsonville Industrial Park is nearly empty. In addition, there are scattered industrial facilities, primarily along the major highways. The relatively limited availability of public water and sewer is a factor that will limit industrial growth in the County when existing parks and industrially zoned sites within existing sewer and water service areas become filled. There is general recognition in Benzie County that a growing economy is good. While there is no goal to make the industrial sector the largest source of income in the County, improving it is a goal. To improve the industrial sector, the following needs to happen: • Some business diversification will be important to better weather economic shifts, to provide a wider range of employment opportunity, and to broaden the tax base. • Retention of existing employers will be more important than attracting new employers because most new job growth comes from expansion of existing businesses that are already familiar with doing business in Benzie County. • Business start-ups require available land, a willing entrepreneur, available capital, available workers and adequate levels of public services. Benzie County has available land. The other factors are met in the varying degrees of success in different parts of the County. • A Comprehensive Plan can help sustain an economy by directing the location and pace of growth so that land and services (school, emergency response, roads, sewer and water) can be available for new businesses and homes for workers when needed (See Chapters 4 & 5). • Zoning, as backed by the Comprehensive Plan, can ensure that land remains available for industrial and commercial growth in appropriate locations. It can also protect farm and forestlands and the rural character that provides the Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-13 �base for the tourist economy. Zoning can also protect a wide range of land uses from the negative effects of incompatible adjacent uses. Commercial Development There is a wide range of commercial establishments in Benzie County, including grocery stores, restaurants, banks, galleries, resorts, storage facilities, marinas, gas stations and convenience shops. There has been a decline in car dealers and agricultural supply stores. Many residents travel to Traverse City to shop in the regional malls and discount stores. There are only two, small strip malls in Benzie County. There is one fast-food restaurant with drive-through service in Benzonia. Most of the commercial establishments are located in Beulah, Benzonia, Honor Elberta and Frankfort. There are a growing number of establishments located along US 31, outside those communities, primarily between Honor and the Grand Traverse County line. Commercial development, and the resultant congestion, is generally accepted within cities and villages, but can cause safety problems and commuting delays when it develops in strip form along country roads and highways. This is the emerging pattern along US 31. Alternative patterns of commercial development are available, in which access is controlled and scenic character is maintained. These have not been promoted or adopted in regulatory form by local governments in Benzie County. Development along US-31 and M-115 The highway corridors with emerging development are along US 31 from Beulah to the Grand Traverse County line and M-115 from Benzonia to Frankfort. Generally, this development is characterized as commercial, institutional and residential strip development. This means that developments occur on individual properties strung out along the road. While businesses and institutions have high visibility, it is at the cost of increased traffic accidents and loss of scenic character. Strip residential development also contributes to these problems. Alternatives that include nodes of development with shared access points and vegetation buffers to retain scenic character have not been used by those developing these properties. Transportation Road traffic is increasing in Benzie County, causing congested conditions on certain roads during peak summer tourist months. The traffic increases on some road segments were as high as 70% between 1987 and 1994. Nearly all segments of State and Federal roads show increases of 20% to over 30%. It has been reported that residents use County roads to avoid congestion on US 31 from Benzonia through Honor when traveling east toward Traverse City. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-14 �According to the Michigan Sub-State Area Long Range Plan for the Northern Sub-State Area, without roadway improvements, between 10% and 20% of Benzie County roads will be congested roads in the year 2015. Many road segments are in only fair or poor condition. Fair conditions mean that there is occasional deterioration requiring routine maintenance and poor means a frequent to heavy occurrence of surface deterioration requiring more extensive to heavy maintenance. While surface conditions improved for some State and Federal road segments between 1987 and 1994, according to the Sufficiency Reports for those years, there are still large segments of these roads rated as poor. Local roads need maintenance and repair but the money available is far less than the amount necessary to complete repairs and improvements. The Road Commission estimates about $9 million is needed for repairs of County roads and bridges. County road reconstruction occurs as the Townships and private businesses request and the Townships contribute, along with some local businesses, to the costs. Meanwhile, it has been reported by the Residential Development Subcommittee that a few townships pave gravel roads in order to foster development, increasing the future maintenance burden . The use of public roads by trucks hauling heavy loads has both positive and negative effects. There are positive effects in that industries that rely on truck hauling contribute to the Benzie County economy and shipping materials from the City of Elberta helps justify retention of the deep water port status. The negative effect is that trucks can be destructive to County roads. The Road Commission works with the local trucking companies to route trucks over the most appropriate roads but cannot keep truckers from using an all-weather road. Maintenance of County forest roads (unpaved two-tracks under County jurisdiction) is also important in Benzie County because of the logging industry and recreational interests in public forest lands. In the fiscal year, 1996, Benzie County engaged in five forest road improvement projects. The issue of a by-pass or expressway through Benzie County (or of by-passes around specific congested areas such as Honor or Benzonia) keeps arising. There is little likelihood a by-pass or expressway will come to pass within the next twenty years or so. Two scenic highway corridors have been explored. The first is along an approximately diagonal line from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along the ridge between Crystal and Platte Lakes, toward North Beulah and identified in the National Lakeshore's enabling legislation. It would be a ridge top location and a new road, but has never had funds allocated and is opposed locally. The Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-15 �other, which is only in the inventory phase, is M-22 from Frankfort through the National Lakeshore into Leelanau County. Pursuit of a scenic or heritage designation for this second corridor will only come following the inventory and if there is local support. The National Park Service would like Benzie County to abandon some County roads within the National Lakeshore that have been little used, and turn them into trails. The MDNR wants to close some redundant two-tracks in State Forests. This would please those seeking more peaceful areas and disappoint those seeking greater vehicular access to natural areas. Affordable Housing There is need for a wide range of housing types to be available in Benzie County so that singles, young couples, families, retirees, vacationers and seasonal workers can have affordable and desirable housing choices. Housing is considered affordable when it costs no more than 30% of a person's gross income. Because there is a wide range of incomes, a certain house may be affordable to a person of one income but not affordable to a person who earns less. Benzie County is becoming a residential community for people who work in Traverse City. The eastern portion of Benzie County is where most of those people settle, but there are many commuting to Traverse City from all parts of Benzie County. Affordable housing is usually most feasible when located on property served by public sewer, water and good roads. The higher density possible in these areas makes the lots affordable and contributes to the vitality of small towns. Community Services and Facilities, Including Sewer and Water While it is natural beauty that draws many people to Benzie County, living and playing in the County requires schools, police and fire departments, government offices, water and sewer in densely settled areas and other services. The degree of satisfaction of residents and tourists with community services can be a factor in whether residents are happy with local government, whether new residents or business owners settle in the County or whether tourists return. Some community leaders have suggested a new way of looking at the provision of community services. They agree with the general citizen sentiment that government should be cost-effective with the services it provides and that it should provide those services through flexible approaches and at a variety of locations, not necessarily centralized. However, they also suggest planning for services based on an evaluation of need, not on the basis of national standards. This is a new approach, sometimes referred to as "out of box thinking." For example: The traditional approach may be to begin by comparing the County to national standards, such as the number of hospital beds needed for a county of Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-16 �about 14,000 year-round population. "Out of box thinking," starts with the question, "How can we best ensure a healthy population?" While providing the number of hospital beds recommended according to national standards may be a part of ensuring a healthy population, it is only one part. Other factors must be considered, such as where the population is centered, or whether it is even centered anywhere within the jurisdiction and how mobile is the population? Services should become proactive to community needs. For example: planning for expanded jail space for juveniles should occur in conjunction with planning for programs that target at-risk youth to keep them out of trouble. Future public service expansion needs to be limited to discrete areas so that provision of those services remains cost effective, and growth associated with public services does not negatively change large areas of the County with resultant decline in the tourist economy and quality of life for residents. These areas should be in and adjacent to existing cities and villages in the County. Due to the types of soils and high water tables in parts of the County, there are serious human health issues related to how sewage is treated and the safety of ground water from which residents draw their drinking water. Public water and sewer systems have been upgraded recently in Frankfort and Beulah, but still provide service to relatively limited geographic areas. Some of the areas experiencing the fastest growth in the County do not have public sewer and water. This means that lot sizes must be large enough to permit both wells and septic systems. Larger lot sizes quickly consume large areas of land. Small lots should be provided in existing cities and villages to maximize use of limited public utilities, to keep costs per dwelling unit low and to permit affordable housing to be established. Intergovernmental Cooperation and Coordination Each resident's daily life involves activities in more than one jurisdiction within the County. Benzie County is a prime example of a place where a resident may live in one township (or city or village), work in another (perhaps another county), shop in a different township and send children to school in yet another. But land use and infrastructure decisions are routinely made by jurisdictions independently and without consideration of impacts on adjoining jurisdictions. The exceptions traditionally come: • When they want to provide services that require the cooperation of several communities to provide adequate funding, such as fire or ambulance. • When Federal or State programs require cooperation. Other, cross-jurisdictional issues that communities could address on a cooperative, intergovernmental basis, but rarely do in Benzie County include: • Viewsheds and scenic character • Watersheds and water quality • Recreational capacity Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-17 �• Public facilities and infrastructure. These are really issues of greater than local concern and there should be mechanisms in place to deal with these issues on a systematic and ad hoc basis. For Benzie County residents and businesses to continue to enjoy the quality of life they have come to expect and the scenic quality that the tourist industry relies on, intergovernmental cooperation and coordination will be required. It will also be necessary to avoid border conflicts over land use issues and to achieve most of the key goals and objectives of this Plan. Coordinated Planning and Zoning The most important arena for improved intergovernmental cooperation is with regard to local planning and zoning. In order for the scenic character and public service cost objectives of this Plan to be realized, it is important that local plans be consistent with this County Comprehensive Plan and that local zoning ordinances be revised over time in a manner consistent with the goals, objectives and policies of this Plan. This will require leadership and technical assistance from the County as well as a new spirit of cooperation throughout the County. Sustainability Sustainability is defined as providing for the needs of today's generation without compromising the needs of future generations. In Benzie County, this means taking actions that the present generation's great-great-great grandchildren will be able to enjoy, such as food grown in Benzie County, scenic views of the ridges, lakes and rivers, historic districts, trees with brilliant fall color along rural roads and clean water for drinking, fishing and swimming . Some residents question whether their children, let alone their descendents several generations hence, will have these resources to enjoy. To achieve sustainability, natural resource lands will have to be preserved, farmland will have to be protected and private properties developed according to design principles that retain scenic character. This includes architectural character in developed landscapes and north woods character in the countryside. If all rural land is developed at presently zoned densities and according to the current system of minimum lot size, there will be no viable farming, wildlife habitat will be diminished and scenic character would be gone. If these features are to be returned for the benefit of present and future generations, local zoning will need to be changed to protect farmland and open space and yet provide rural opportunities. This will require a degree of intergovernmental cooperation not previously common in Benzie County. John:e:\Benzie county\CHAPTER 3 fi nal.doc Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 3-18 �CHAPTER4 FUTURE LAND USE AND URBAN SERVICES DISTRICTS Introduction This chapter discusses how Benzie County should grow and change in the future. A community can grow and change in many different ways. Change is influenced by physical features, such as soils, streams and rivers, by existing development and by hundreds of individual decisions about using or developing the land. Change is also influenced by public decision-making, such as how much and where the public invests in infrastructure, like sewers and water lines, roads, schools and parks. It is also influenced by public regulations, such as zoning and subdivision controls. The result of a community's growth and change is a particular land use pattern. A land use pattern is a general description of the way in which the surface of the land is used. These patterns include: • A strip pattern is one in which homes or businesses are lined along major roads. • A cluster pattern is one in which businesses or homes are built in groups, usually surrounded by open space. • A nodal pattern is one where more intensive development occurs at key transportation intersections (such as at the junction of two state highways, or at a highway and freeway interchange, at airports or subway or train stations). • A compact pattern is where new development occurs at similar density next to other existing centers of housing or commerce (usually in or adjacent to a city or village). • A sprawl pattern is one in which homes or businesses are spread out across the countryside. In early stages it has an appearance similar to chicken pox, and later it fills in much as a rash. Most citizens favor a land use pattern that uses public investment efficiently and effectively, fosters a high quality of life, promotes economic health, limits conflicts between different land uses and protects resources important to the well-being of future generations. These are goals citizens of Benzie County established at the start of this planning process. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss a land use pattern the Benzie County Planning Commission chose as the preferred pattern for the future. This pattern is based on an evaluation of three alternatives considered by the Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee. For a description of the three alternatives, the pros and cons of each and the criteria used in their evaluation, see the separate report entitled Plan Alternatives. The other two alternatives not chosen, were composites of the existing plans and zoning ordinances of Benzie County communities. These alternatives promote a strip and sprawl pattern of growth when viewed collectively. The Subcommittee discovered that if the existing plans and zoning ordinances were followed, the result would be future loss of qualities of life and Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-1 �natural resources important to Benzie citizens, and increased costs to live in the County. The pattern selected is a more compact and nodal pattern of growth. It was found to be the most sustainable, the one that is the most fiscally responsible, the one that best retains scenic beauty and recreation opportunities and the one that best protects natural resources. Chapter 5 of this document lists basic policies to be implemented to achieve the desired future land use pattern. Vision-Based, Policy-Driven Compact Future Land Use Pattern The compact and nodal settlement pattern selected is vision-based and policydriven. It is linked to principles and strategies based on a set of goals, objectives, and actions whose root is in the vision of the County expressed by citizens, local officials and various stakeholders in the first phase of the County planning process (see Benzie County Vision). The Future Land Use Map is a visual representation of the vision. The text in this chapter supports that plan and the map. To gain the best understanding of the future land use pattern proposed by this Plan, use the map and the text together. In your mind, move about the County and picture how the land use pattern would change depending on where you were in the County. Don't try to fix on the use of a particular parcel or the edge of one land use. The map expresses general policy, not the application of a particular set of regulations to a particular property. The scale is not sufficient to depict use on a parcel basis. The zoning ordinance may be used for that purpose. Following is a description of the various land use categories illustrated on the vision-based Future Land Use Map (see Map 4-1 ). However, since this land use arrangement is linked to a variety of public infrastructure improvements and land use policies, to the extent these lend themselves to illustration, they are depicted on the policy maps. Maps 4-2 through 4-8 should be studied and considered together because they are designed to be implemented in tandem with the Future Land Use Map. The overall land use pattern proposed for 2020 is both compact and nodal. It concentrates the most intense residential, commercial and industrial development within urban services districts. The area affected expands beyond where urban services are provided in 2000. The area that is public land in 2000 is proposed to remain public in 2020 and continues to be primarily dedicated to recreation, open space and forestry. Agriculture preservation areas focus on retaining orchards and farms as the primary land use. Rural residential areas are devoted to very low density residential use. Higher density residential development is found in or adjacent to existing villages, cities, established resort areas and around inland lakes. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-2 �Map 4-1 Benzie County Future Land Use t Key - Farm Preservation Rural Residential Medium Density Residential - Recreation (Largely Forested) NORTH ._r ·--• __ _. Urban Services Boundaries -- CJ Industrial Commercial Public Lands (State Forest and National Lakeshore) Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-3 �Map 4-2 Benzie County Sensitive Environments - Sensitive Environments (wetlands, steep slopes, floodplains, dunes and others) Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-4 i NORTH �Sensitive Environment Protection Areas This category includes the following sensitive features: wetlands, steep slopes, dunes, floodplains, streams, rivers and lakeshores. Floodplains and wetlands would not be developed. Shoreline areas of streams, rivers and lakes would have waterside buffer plantings to filter stormwater and provide shade and wildlife habitat. Steep slopes would not be built upon or limited development would employ special design and construction approaches to prevent erosion and limit scenic impact. Dunes with special habitat would have no or limited development. Such areas would be prioritized for acquisition by conservancies or public agencies. (See Maps 4-1 and 4-2). Public Lands & Recreation This category includes public and private parks, campgrounds and marinas, public and private golf courses, the State Forest, National Lakeshore and marshes, non-motorized trails and open space corridors. To the extent possible, they interconnect. They also take advantage of natural wildlife or open space corridors such as rivers, creeks and drains. This land use category occurs throughout the County and occupies a significant percentage of the total area of the County. (See Maps 4-1 and 4-3). Agricultural Protection Areas Agriculture includes active grain farms, orchards, vineyards, u-pick farms and livestock raising operations. It also includes fallow fields and other land not actively farmed. This category also includes large lot residential uses. Future residential density would be at an average density of one dwelling unit per 40 acres. Although there is already existing residential development on five or ten acre lots in much of this area, a new maximum lot size for future development would be much smaller in order to preserve large, contiguous areas of land for farming. Depending in part on soil capacity for septic systems, maximum lot size for non-farm residences would be about 2 acres except where soils were not suited for farming. At this density, a 160 acre farm could be permitted four lots for nonfarm residences, which could be clustered together (where at most 8 acres would be used). As a result of this clustering, the remaining land would be in open space or agriculture. The Agriculture Preservation area occurs primarily in the northern and western portion of the County. This approach would work best if teamed with a purchase of development rights (PDR) or transfer of development rights (TOR) program so that farmers could capture the full development value of the land, even though only a small part of it was used for new residences. This area should be delineated more carefully as a result of a separate Agriculture and Open Space Preservation Plan. (See Maps 4-1 and 4-4 ). Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-5 �Map 4-3 Benzie County Policy Recreation Areas t NORTH - Recreation (Largely Forested) Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-6 �Map 4-4 Benzie County Agriculture Protection Policy Areas - Farm Preservation i NORTH Rural Residential This category accommodates low density residential use in rural areas on lands not as well suited for long-term agricultural production. Agriculture is permitted as long as it remains viable, but not concentrated animal feeding operations. Average residential density is one dwelling unit per ten acres although lot sizes would vary. Sewage disposal would be by private, on-site septic systems. Where possible, dwellings would be clustered on smaller lots (to leave more open space), with individual septic systems or served by small package treatment systems or a common septic system if approved by the District Health Department and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. This land use Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-7 �occurs primarily in the portions of the County that are not publicly owned nor suitable for higher density. This is the largest land use category in percentage of the total area of the County. (See Maps 4-1 and 4-5). Medium Density Residential The medium density residential category includes single family residential development with a range of densities. Generally, these are from about one dwelling unit per 1-2 acres to four dwelling units per acre. However, within the villages the density may rise to 8 or more units per acre. This category of residential development occurs primarily along the developed shoreline, in Frankfort, villages and scattered historic settlements. Homes in this category would generally be served by public sewer and water, except for the extensive lakeshore strips on the larger lakes. Most of this land use would be within the Urban Services District (see page 4-7). Also in or adjacent to cities and villages within the Urban Services District would be affordable housing such as low and medium rise apartments, townhouses and mobile home parks (usually at a density slightly greater than six dwelling units per acre) (See Map 4-1 ). Business/Commercial Strip shopping malls, grocery stores, gas station and convenience stores, commercial business districts and small town commercial centers are included in this land use category. These are primarily located in the old city and village centers, along selected major roads leading into existing towns and in settlement nodes. In total land area, this land use does not occupy much land. However, this category occurs in key areas convenient to residents and travelers. Most, but not all, of this land use would be within a proposed Urban Services District. It is specifically omitted along most of US-31 from Honor east to the Benzie County line in order to discourage strip commercial development in this area. (See Map 4-1 ). Industrial Industrial development includes light manufacturing, warehousing, landfills, power plants and vacant land in designated industrial parks. These occur primarily in Frankfort and near major roads. Most of this land use would be within the Urban Services District. There are also a few scattered industrial sites. These are largely agricultural processing plants. It is convenient to have these latter facilities close to the orchards. (See Map 4-1 ). Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-8 �Policy Maps Following is a description of individual policy maps. Each map should be thought of as a layer of a single map, that together expresses all of the policies in the Comprehensive Plan. Some of the policy layers of Maps 4-2 through 4-8 are the same as the Future Land Use Map. They are re-described here with a policy focus, so that all layers of the policy map are described. Together these descriptions outline policies and actions that would need to be taken to implement the vision-based future land use pattern. Sensitive Environments Sensitive environments are illustrated on Map 4-2. Sensitive environments includes forests and sensitive features such as steep slopes, wetlands, floodplains, lakes, streams and drain corridors. These sensitive environments will be provided a higher level of protection, including limited or no development (in some cases) and special design requirements for permitted development such as buffers and setbacks. Development would be prohibited in floodways and on wetlands. Setbacks would be required for structures built near streams and wetlands. Vegetation buffer strips would be required adjacent to streams, drains, wetlands and other surface water bodies. Best management practices such as vegetation strips would be required along surface water bodies to filter and lower the temperature of stormwater runoff. Commonly accepted management practices would be implemented in agriculture areas where not already practiced. Sensitive environments are scattered throughout the County. For example, there may be a stream corridor that passes through the Agriculture Preservation area, as well as the Rural Residential area before crossing into the Urban Services District (see page 4-7). Special protection efforts should be implemented in each of those areas, although the protection techniques may be different. Recreation The policy map for recreation provides interconnected open space to serve the diverse recreational and green space needs of residents and to attract tourists (see Map 4-3). This open space network will provide multiple benefits including: the amenity of nature and open spaces; recreational opportunities for walking, biking and cross-country skiing on trails; as well as habitat for wildlife. This area is largely forested. Areas within the recreation corridors that are not forested should be permitted to grow into forest and other plant communities such as meadows or prairies. This will create edges of forests that are also important to wildlife. Some timber cutting or controlled burning may be needed to manage wildlife and prevent fire fuel build-up. Agriculture Protection Within the Agriculture Preservation area (Map 4-4) it is the policy to preserve farmland and prevent the premature conversion of farmland to other land uses. New single family dwellings could be permitted if clustered at a low average density, and if sited on land not well suited to agriculture. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-9 �Public sewer and water would not be extended into this area during the planning period. The Agriculture Preservation area implements an average density of one unit per 40 acres. This is not the same as a 40 acre minimum lot size. Through clustering and use of small maximum lot sizes (0.5-2 acres, depending on soil suitability for septic), large parcels of viable farmland could remain. Through clustering, farmers would still be able to capture some development value as well. The Agriculture Preservation area would be the principal target of agricultural preservation programs like purchase of development rights and transfer of development rights, expanded PA 116 enrollments and agricultural security areas. These measures would also help preserve rural and scenic character as well. Rural and scenic character is protected by maintaining large, undeveloped parcels and through design guidelines for rural roadsides. It is the policy of the Comprehensive Plan to support "Right to Farm." Rural, nonfarm residential uses do not take precedence over farming operations. Farming practices can be objectionable to non-farm residents. However, farming is important and where buffers do not exist to moderate the dust, noise, odors and sprays from farms practicing commonly accepted agricultural management methods, non-farm residents will have to learn to live with their farming neighbors. Rural Residential This map layer shows the policy to provide for rural, low density living, but does not focus on the preservation of farmland (see Map 4-5). Farming would be allowed to continue as long as it were viable, but not concentrated animal feeding operations. The average density for this area is one unit per 10 acres, although it is not the policy to promote 10 acre minimum lot size. This density will result in providing an adequate amount of land for rural residences with on-site septic systems. If the density were higher, there would, over time, be severe negative impacts on the County road system. Public sewer and water would not be extended into this area during the planning period. Rural clustering could be used to preserve more common open space in this part of the County. It may be necessary to promote one-third to two acre maximum lot size and some package treatment sewer systems to preserve significant open space. It is also the policy of this Plan to promote design guidelines for rural residential properties. These volunteer guidelines would show property owners how to design and manage their properties for maximum scenic character. This could be Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-10 �one of the single, most important tools to insure the vision for Benzie County is realized. In many areas, rural residential uses will be adjacent to farmland preservation areas. Farming operations will be given precedence over residential use of land under "Right-to-Farm" guidelines. Transportation Improvements Transportation facilities (roads, bridges and air) should be maintained or improved where they will serve the planned density of development in an area and movement between that area and others. Transportation facilities should not be improved for the purpose of fostering development at a density level above that planned for the area, or prematurely in an area where density levels would not support the cost of road improvements or future maintenance. Within existing small towns, bicycle paths and sidewalks should be installed to meet nonmotorized transportation needs. Transit service should be offered as well. Proposed transportation improvements are illustrated on Map 4-6. Job Centers Job Centers are areas of commercial, industrial and institutional use. Areas identified on Map 4-7 are based on existing job centers as depicted on the 1996 existing land use map, with reasonable expansion to the year 2020. New job centers should not skip to new locations that are scattered and expensive to serve. This is a double whammy if it also leads to an abandonment of existing centers. Almost all job centers are within an urban services district. The few that aren't are already in existence or are already zoned as such and lack public sewer and water. Urban Services District (USO) Proposed Urban Services Districts (USO) are illustrated on Map 4-8. These are the proposed areas that will be considered for extension of public sewer, water, stormwater, increased police and fire and other urban services through the year 2020. They surround the City of Frankfort and existing villages in the County. All proposed medium density residential development and nearly all commercial, industrial and institutional development would occur within an USO to ensure that adequate public services are available. Except for public sewer installed around inland lakes to resolve or prevent water pollution problem, public sewer and water would not be extended beyond the boundaries of a USO within the time frame of this Plan. The USDs will help ensure fiscal responsibility and wise use of land resources. Within USDs, densities must be high enough to adequately support urban services at a level that is economically feasible to furnish them before urban services will be implemented. Each community will need to calculate the density Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-11 �needed to support the extension of services without unnecessarily increasing taxpayer burden. Existing infrastructure within USDs will be maintained, upgraded and incrementally expanded before new infrastructure is built in undeveloped areas of the County. The exception is in the new USO proposed for the area including the new elementary school in Inland Township. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-12 �Map 4-5 Benzie County Policy Rural Residential i NORTH Key - Rural Residential ._,. ... _. J Urban Services Districts Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-13 �Map 4-6 Benzie County Policy Transportation Improvements KEY -I ••• * Road Surface in Poor Condition Road Commission Priorities Heavy Truck Traffic (Repairs/Enforcement) Roads of Regional Significance (Requires High Level of Maintenance) Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-14 �Map 4-7 Benzie County Job Centers i Key - Industrial Commercial Urban Services Disrict Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-15 NORTH �Map 4-8 Benzie County Urban Services Districts ,. --. ..... i Key Urban Services Disrict Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-16 NORTH �Policy Maps yet to be Developed Two important policy maps need to be prepared based on further study, resource inventories, citizen input and consensus building. These are: • Agriculture and Open Space Preservation. One of the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan is to prepare an Agriculture and Open Space Preservation Plan . This task will take several years to complete. The policy map would include recommendations on specifically where to protect farmland and open space through purchase, conservation easement, or inclusion in agriculture security areas, PDR or TOR programs. It would also include recommendations as to where to improve scenery, where and how to protect existing scenery, what design guidelines are needed, where to apply guidelines for sign design and other related techniques. • Watershed Plans. The Comprehensive Plan recommends completion of watershed management plans for each of the major watersheds of Benzie County. Policy maps would depict areas of the watersheds where specific actions should take place to protect water quality, fish and wildlife habitat. These actions depend on land use, soils, slope and other factors. Implementation actions could include, but are not limited to: imperviousness limits, stormwater management approaches and chemical use guidelines. Zoning Plan "Section XII Land Use Classifications" (pages 26-28) of the 1993 Benzie County Land Use Plan is retained (by reference) as the zoning plan portion of this Comprehensive Plan. It provides the basis for the zoning districts in the County Zoning Ordinance until a new Agricultural and Open Space Preservation Plan for the County is complete. At that time, changes to zoning districts are anticipated to reduce the impact of over-zoning in rural parts of the County and to provide new incentives to landowners to keep land in agriculture and open space uses. The next chapter sets forihe principles, strategies and policies inherent in the various layers of the Future Land Use Map. Chapters 4 and 5 are designed to be read and used together when considering the consistency of a proposed land use or infrastructure proposal with the Comprehensive Plan. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 4-17 �CHAPTER 5 PRINCIPLES, STRATEGIES & POLICIES Introduction The principal land use issue in Benzie County is not whether to grow, it is where, when and in what manner can growth occur without undermining the integrity of the scenic natural character of the County and the economy built around it. This Chapter presents key principles, strategies and policies to guide future growth in the County. Successful implementation of these principles, strategies and policies will prevent the negative impacts associated with the threats in Chapter 3. The principles, strategies and policies presented in this Chapter were synthesized from the goals, objectives and action statements in the Background Reports to guide implementation of this Plan. These principles, strategies and policies (like the goals, objectives and action statements in the Background Reports) were reviewed by the Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee, the Citizens Advisory Committee and were adopted as a part of this Plan by the Planning Commission. Principles are underlying or foundation concepts for the strategies presented in this Chapter. A policy is a definite course or method of action selected by a governmental agency to guide present and future decisions. Policies are presented for each of the strategies in this Chapter. Decisions consistent with these policies will contribute to successful implementation of this Plan. Many of the policies in this Plan will require regulatory or program changes at the County and local level in order to be implemented. Please consult the individual Background Reports for specific goals, objectives and action statements (and greater background information) related to the following principles, strategies and policies. Fundamental Principles Following are eight fundamental principles that underlay the policies presented in this Chapter and the balanced growth and environmental protection strategies of this Comprehensive Plan. These principles are intended to help achieve the longterm goal of sustainable development in Benzie County. These principles aim to ensure the needs of the present generation are met, without compromising (and wherever feasible enhancing) the quality of life of future generations. To the extent that any of the policies in this Chapter are in conflict, the conflict should be resolved by establishing the degree to which each policy contributes to achieving the principles of this Plan. The policy that appears to most contribute to the achievement of this Plan, in a particular instance, is the policy that should supercede-in the event of a conflict. 1. Scenic character should be preserved or enhanced wherever feasible in the County. The natural character of the landscape, the fruit farms and Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-1 �the location of the rural small towns within Benzie County combine to create a scenic quality that is highly treasured by residents and visitors alike. It is the source of the economic base of the County: farming, forestry, recreation and tourism. It must be preserved as future land use change occurs. It is also linked to all the other principles that follow and is critical to achieving all the major goals in this Plan and Background Reports. Preservation of scenic character is so important that a special study should be conducted and implemented to develop a propertyspecific agriculture and open space preservation plan throughout the County. But preservation is not enough. There are some places where scenic qualities have not been respected and enhancement or restoration will be necessary. Preservation and enhancement must proceed together. This includes institutional and other public lands, along road corridors and on private residential, business and industrial properties. Enhancement should be accomplished primarily through encouragement to implement common design guidelines (such as those in the Grand Traverse Bay Region Development Guidebook). Where appropriate, local ordinances can require visual buffers, scenic character landscaping and appropriate signs. Institutional properties can be enhanced through carefully planned capital improvements. 2. Natural resources in the County should be protected from inappropriate use or conversion. Forested hillsides, rivers and lakes provide the natural landscape background across most of the County. They attract thousands of seasonal residents and tourists each year. Much of this land is in public ownership and offers unparalleled hunting, hiking , and a wide range of other recreational activities. Carefully managed harvests of renewable forests also contribute lumber and fuel to support our society. Agricultural land is principally in orchard production. Forestry, agriculture, tourism and recreation have deep historical roots in Benzie County and greatly contribute to its economic base. Each industry requires a substantial amount of land in large contiguous blocks to remain economically viable. Preservation of the natural resource base is essential to preservation of these industries. 3. The pristine natural environment of the County should be protected from degradation. The clean air, water, and soil in the County is a natural asset of immeasurable importance. The extensive lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, floodplains, and sand dunes are important parts of this natural environment which also contribute greatly to the scenic quality of the landscape. The abundant fish and wildlife populations are testimony to the relative purity of the natural environment in the County. The quality of the natural environment is a significant feature in attracting the huge number of seasonal residents and tourists to the County. The natural environment and especially sensitive natural features must be protected to sustain the scenic quality and economic potential of the County. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-2 �4. An economy built on renewable natural resources is sustainable and should continue to be the principal economic base for the future. Agriculture, forestry, recreation and tourism are the foundation of the economic base in Benzie County. They are a significant part of local quality of life. They are also tied to renewable resources. Maintaining a sustainable local economy requires maintaining the renewable natural resources of the County. Further diversification of the economy that draws from the talents of the existing labor force will also enhance the prospects for a sustainable economy. 5. Future development should primarily take place in a compact development pattern. New commercial, industrial and medium density residential uses should be constructed in or adjacent to existing cities and villages and within areas designated as urban services districts. These mixed-use areas will be served with public sewer and water where it is cost-effective to do so. These services would not be extended beyond the USDs during the life of this Plan. Outside the USDs, development should only occur at low densities and primarily in small clusters of a few lots sited so as to minimize visibility from the roadway and to maximize the amount of open space around them. Small multi-user water wells and waste treatment systems may be needed to facilitate open space development. 6. Future land use, zoning, land division and public infrastructure decisions should be made consistent with this Plan. Achievement of the vision embodied in this Plan depends heavily on adoption and implementation of County and local zoning and land division regulations consistent with this Plan . It also depends on public infrastructure decisions consistent with this Plan . Future road, sewer, water, school, county building, state and federal facility decisions should be consistent with this Plan and an annually updated capital improvement program. Where the public spends money on infrastructure and the density of land uses it allows in various locations have an enormous impact on private land development decisions. If the public does not set the example by living up to the principles and policies in this Plan, then it should not expect the vision in this Plan to be realized. 7. A strong effort should be made to achieve improved intergovernmental cooperation within Benzie County. This Plan recognizes that land use and infrastructure decisions of each governmental unit have, over time, an impact on the character of the entire County. However, County government only has the ability to achieve part of the vision embodied in this Plan. A partnership founded on mutual respect and mutual support in achievement of the vision of this Plan should guide the development and implementation of new Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-3 �relationships between the County and local governments in the County and between the County and adjoining counties in the region. Improved intergovernmental coordination, communication and cooperation are essential to success of this partnership. 8. The vision in this Plan must be achieved without violating protected property rights. Many of the principles of this Plan will require changes in County and local regulations. As these changes are made, it is essential that constitutionally protected property rights not be violated. It is also important that special consideration be paid to the legitimate desire of large landowners who may have their "retirement" locked up in their land, to be given options for capturing the development value of their land, even if more dense development upon it is not a permitted activity. Principles #2 - #5 directly relate to #1. Principles #6 - #8 are essential to achieve #1 - #5. Thus all principles are interrelated . They are all oriented to achieving the goal of sustainable development in Benzie County. They recognize that a healthy economy depends on a healthy environment and that these need not be mutually exclusive. They are structured to achieve a balanced growth and environmental protection strategy that also protects the scenic character of the County. Balanced Growth Strategy Preservation of scenic character in Benzie County is both dependent on and supports most of the economic base in the County. The scenic character is comprised of the natural environment, farms and the built environment. Thus, protecting scenic character, the natural environment and economic development must proceed together-or one or the other (or both) will suffer. The solution lies in pursuit of a balanced growth policy. Balanced growth will require housing not only for comparatively wealthy seasonal residents, retirees or two income commuter families, but also for the elderly, young families and other persons on low fixed incomes. New businesses will be needed to meet the needs of the growing seasonal and permanent populations. Where these new homes and businesses are located will dramatically affect the future character of the County. If the current trend of single family homes lining county roads is continued, the landscape will become suburbanized. Many of the large open spaces will be chopped up and sprinkled with homes. Most open space would then be in yards, rather than a part of the current scenic landscape. This will diminish value of the landscape to tourists and create a huge public service burden over time. Cost-effective public services are nearly impossible with a scattered land development pattern. Figure 5-1 illustrates key aspects of a balanced growth strategy for Benzie County. Following are key policies to implement this strategy: • The County shall revise zoning and related regulations to curtail sprawl and strip development, and to encourage a compact settlement pattern. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-4 �• • • • • • • • • • • • • The County shall cooperatively work with local governments and assist citizens and property owners in the County to achieve this strategy. The County shall support actions that enhance the long term viability of the agriculture, forestry, recreation and tourism industries. Rural areas of the County shall be zoned with a very low density based standard to prevent over development. Maximum lot sizes should be used to encourage clustering and the retention of open space. The County shall support creation of carefully planned and sited industrial parks and other job centers to accommodate the growing need for local employment. New residential, commercial and industrial development in the county shall be encouraged provided it is: a) in locations with public seNices adequate to meet its needs, b) environmentally friendly, c) consistent with the density, character and development in the area, d) consistent with local plans and regulations and e) consistent with this Plan and applicable county, state and federal regulations. An economic development position shall be established to actively promote existing businesses and new business development in the County and to facilitate financing for expansion of existing business and infrastructure in the County in a manner consistent with this Plan. The County shall seek to ensure that new development pays its own way in terms of public seNices and does not unreasonably create a future public seNice obligation that is not met by the new development or is unfairly charged to existing residents; except where a community explicitly decides to subsidize it. The County shall seek to ensure that new public facilities are constructed to guide future growth based on annually updated capital improvement programs prepared by each unit of local government and the County. All CIPs shall be consistent with this Plan. The County and local governments shall establish urban seNice district boundaries and not permit intensive new development outside these boundaries until adequate public seNices are available to that area, unless the private development is completely self-sufficient in terms of adequate urban seNices. Local jurisdictions should cooperatively work to upgrade the quality of emergency response equipment on an on-going basis and to maintain equipment in close proximity to population concentrations. A maintenance, road improvement and inter-modal connection strategy, including spending priorities, shall be developed for County roads. Improvements to pedestrian circulation, bike paths, bus seNice and airport seNices shall be made consistent with adopted plans for long range improvements of these transportation seNices. Prepare corridor plans and establish standards for development along M-115 and US 31 to protect the rural character of these highways including but not limited to use of overlay zoning, buffering screening, and conseNation easements. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-5 �• • • • • • • • • • Road capacity shall be maintained and congestion and safety problems prevented through the use of access management tools. Public health and safety shall be protected by enforcing sanitary regulations and by providing the most effective emergency response service practical. The County shall identify affordable housing needs and ensure plans and regulations are prepared and implemented to meet those needs. Incentives should be offered to encourage affordable housing in and adjacent to existing mixed use centers in the County. The County shall make an effort to coordinate the provision of jobs and transportation so that a jobs/housing/transportation balance is achieved that results in reduced transportation demands and a greater chance for cost effective transportation services, including transit services. New subdivisions and site condominium projects shall include provision for bicycle and pedestrian circulation between residential areas, town centers and important natural features. The County shall revise zoning regulations to protect agricultural operations from incompatible adjacent land uses where there is a long term commitment to preserve agriculture in an area. The County shall prepare, adopt and implement an agriculture and open space preservation plan that fairly addresses the equity concerns of large landowners. The 2000 area of public land in Benzie County should be retained as a future minimum and holdings should be consolidated over time through fair trades, sales and purchases. Fragmentation of private lands adjacent to State and Federal lands should be strongly discouraged. The establishment of new, compact "Villages" or "Village centers" in rapidly growing rural townships near Grand Traverse County should be studied and encouraged if feasible and warranted. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-6 �Figure 5-1 BALANCED GROWTH STRATEGY PROTECT RENEWABLE RESOURCE LANDS ENCOURAGE COMPACT DEVELOPMENT WITH COMMON OPEN SPACE INDUSTRIAL PARK NEW JOBS '\ PUBLIC SERVICE ., BOUNDARY ·,"-. '· ENCOURAGE NEW BUSINESS ACTIVITY WITHIN EXISTING VILLAGE THAT REFLECTS VILLAGE CHARACTER DISCOURAGE STRIP DEVELOPMENT AT EDGE OF VILLAGE ~ - . · r; ., ~ · \, ~r,:., /.4 . '· •. , . ', . ', ' \ Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-7 .... . .... ······· ,••• ••••• ...•· BOUNDARY ~ . ···•·· : ······ ! ···•··· ·-~: �Environmental Protection Strategy The other side of the balanced growth strategy is the environmental protection strategy. This term embraces protection of renewable natural resources like agricultural and forest land, as well as the air, water, and other sensitive natural features in the County (like wetlands, floodplains and sand dunes) The greatest threat to these resources is from poorly planned or sited new development. Residential development poses the greatest threat because there is so much more of it over a much wider area. It is important to guide new development in a way that works with nature rather than against it. Where there are legitimate conflicts between proposed new development and an important sensitive natural resource, and reasonable and prudent alternatives exist, then the new development should yield to the sensitive environmental feature and be built elsewhere. Where long term sustainable economic or public safety and welfare benefits outweigh small environmental impact, then the new development should be allowed to proceed with appropriate mitigation measures. In all cases, planning and development regulation should be oriented to preventing pollution, impairment or habitat destruction. Figure 5-2 illustrates key aspects of an environmental protection strategy for Benzie County. Following are key policies to implement this strategy: • Watershed management plans shall be prepared to protect the soil from erosion and water quality for all watersheds in the County. • A groundwater/wellhead protection plan shall be developed for each municipal well in the County. • New residential development in the County shall be encouraged to be largely built in existing cities and villages or in small clusters on non-prime resource lands in order to minimize negative impacts on farm and forest land. • Existing agriculture or forest land uses shall have priority over new residential uses, and farming operations should be encouraged to continue in areas zoned for agriculture or forest as the principal permitted use. Such areas should not be rezoned to residential use as long as agriculture or forest remains a viable use of the land. • New development shall be designed and constructed to avoid sensitive natural features and comply with applicable federal, state, county and local regulations. • The extensive and diverse sensitive natural features in the County shall be protected where pristine and restored where damaged. • New development shall not pollute or degrade the quality of surface water or groundwater. • County and local ordinances should be adopted or amended to provide protection for sensitive features including wetlands, floodplains, sand dunes, high risk erosion areas and land bordering lakes and streams. • Imperviousness overlay zones, setback and vegetative buffer requirements, performance standards along water bodies, soil erosion and sedimentation Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-8 �• • • • • • • control ordinances and stormwater management ordinances shall be adopted and enforced. Best management practices shall be used to protect soil, surface water and groundwater quality as land use change occurs. Uniform local zoning and land division regulations shall be promoted and enacted where feasible county-wide to prevent the fragmentation of farm and forest land unless there is no other reasonable alternative available to preserve the renewable resource. A county-wide purchase of development rights program and/or a transfer of development rights program shall be created to provide reasonable alternatives for farm and forest landowners to capture development value without converting the land to development. Planning for the Dry Hills area (in the southwest portion of the County) shall encourage preservation of its rural and scenic character, including agriculture and managed timber resources. Wildlife corridors and linkages between open spaces shall be a primary consideration in the development of new county-wide and local plans. The County shall coordinate and assist in the development of a network of greenways and recreation trails consistent with the Northwest Michigan Greenways Plan. New lakefront public access sites shall be carefully sited to minimize environmental degradation and managed to prevent overcrowding of the lake surface and nuisance impacts on abutting properties. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-9 �( LINK OPEN SPACES NEW DEVELOPMENT: Compact Close in to village PROTECT RENEWABLE RESOURCESFARM & FOREST LAND m z < :;o 0 z :!!: m z -I )> r ,, -c cc· :;o C: 0.., -I (!) m <;'1 C")N -I 0 z en -I ~ -I m G) PREVENT LAND FRAGMENTATION OF LARGE PARCELS DEVELOPMENT RESTRICTED -< �Strategy to Protect the Visual Character of the Landscape County citizens have strongly indicated that they do not want growth to spoil the scenic character of the landscape. They do not want it to take on a suburban or urban character. They want the forested, lake and riverine landscapes to be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations. Almost everyone feels a right to see, enjoy and help protect these resources. As a result, protection of the unique rural character of the County must be a fundamental part of all future planning and development decisions. The Grand Traverse Bay Guidebook illustrates various ways in which new development could occur in order to protect the visual character of the County. Figure 5-3 further illustrates key natural landscape features that need protection if scenic quality is to be preserved in Benzie County. Following are key policies to implement this strategy: • The County and local governments shall encourage new development to be designed consistent with the principles in the Grand Traverse Bay Guidebook and any additional design guidelines adopted by the County or a local Planning Commission. Some of the key design guidelines follow: • Most new dwellings should be built in or contiguous to existing small towns in the County instead of on large rural lots. • New development outside of existing small towns should be designed to maximize preservation of open space and minimize visual impact from public rights of way. • Clustering or very low density development should be used wherever there is an opportunity to protect open space or minimize impact on a sensitive natural resource . • Landscaping and plantings should rely predominantly on naturally occurring species on areas visible from roads and other public rights of way. • Naturally occurring vegetation should be used to the maximum extent possible. • Design guidelines should be provided for rural property owners promoting forest block concepts. • Communication towers and wind powered generators should be designed to have minimum visibility from road corridors. • Sign ordinances should be adopted that prohibit billboards but provide for business identification and communication of other essential messages through alternate means, including small and cluster signs. • A system of "Rural Roads, Heritage Route and Federal Scenic By-ways" should be explored and if designated, maintained into the future for their scenic/aesthetic attributes. • Junk and dumping ordinances shall be vigorously enforced. • At night, the stars should be visible in the sky-not obstructed by diffuse light from the built environment. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-11 �I Design rural development to minimize visual impact z )> ~ C s!rr- )> "Tl Z-· ccc CJ) C: o@ )> CJ1 "'CJ I mw "Tl m ~ C Cluster now rnral development to preserve open space Retain or plant buffers of naturally occurring vegetation along roads Place most new development contiguous to existing small towns Minimize visual Impact of new development along road corridors through design guidelines Minimize Impervious surfaces and pass runoff through vegetation before it reaches streams and lakes :;o m CJ) �Strategy to Protect Visual Character of Small Towns The physical features of the city of Frankfort and the villages in Benzie County are a critical component of the rural scenic character of the County. New development that is encouraged to take place in and adjacent to these small towns must both complement and fit with the existing character, or it will damage the scenic character of the community and the County. Figure 5-4 further illustrates key visual character elements of small towns to protect in order to have them continue to complement the features of the natural environment around them. Following are key policies to implement this strategy: • The County and local governments shall encourage new development to be designed consistent with the principles in the Grand Traverse Bay Guidebook and any additional design guidelines adopted by the County or a local Planning Commission. Some of the key design guidelines follow: • Historic districts in the various historic settlements within the County should be established. • Design guidelines for historic preservation should be devleoped. • In building, sign and other construction, materials such as wood, stone, or brick should be encouraged instead of metal, plastic or concrete. Muted and earth tones, rather than bright colors, should be encouraged to best blend with the natural landscape of Benzie County. • The number and size of signs should be minimized. • Utility lines should be buried or routed away from the street. • Service drives and alleys should be used to limit the number of curb cuts. • Parking lots should be paved and landscaped with naturally occurring vegetation. • Parking should be placed behind or beside buildings, but not in the front yard of commercial or industrial businesses. • New buildings in small towns should blend with the predominant architectural period and style, be of a similar mass and shape, use compatible materials and colors, and use lot sizes and street layouts similar to those already in the small town. • New public buildings should be built within or immediately adjacent to existing cities and villages in the County and should be designed to blend with the vernacular architecture of the area. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-13 �Figure 5-4 VISUAL CHARACTER ELEMENTS LANDSCAPING TO SCREEN PARKING LOTS SIGNS USE WOOD, STONE OR BRICK INSTEAD OF METAL, PLASTIC OR CONCRETE, AND LOW-INTENSITY LIGHTING UTILITIES Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-14 �Strategy to Address Issues of Greater than Local Concern Many of the major issues identified in Chapter 3 are issues of greater than local concern. Figure 5-5 illustrates key issues of greater than local concern that deserve a coordinated intergovernmental response if the quality of the landscape and the quality of life in Benzie County are to be preserved and enhanced. The fundamental principles presented in this Chapter recognize that intergovernmental cooperation is critical to implementation of the strategies in this Plan. The following key policies are also essential: • The Benzie County Comprehensive Plan shall be used as the general guide for preparing plans of various County agencies, local plans, capital improvement programs, land division and zoning regulations within the County. • The County Planning Commission shall review all proposed township plans, rezonings, capital improvements and land divisions for consistency with this Plan and all County regulations adopted consistent with it. • The County Planning Commission shall assist with and coordinate planning, zoning and infrastructure decisions with all units of government within the County, with all County, state and federal agencies operating within the County, and with all units of government that operate in jurisdictions which abut the County in a manner consistent with this Plan. • The County Planning Commission shall regularly share planning, land use and infrastructure information with all governmental units within and adjacent to Benzie County through a variety of formal and informal communication means. • The County Planning Commission shall continue to request, facilitate and welcome input from other local governments and governmental agencies, citizens and stakeholder groups working within or adjacent to the County prior to adoption or amendment of plans, projects, programs or regulations. • The County Planning Commission shall establish and implement procedures to prevent and/or resolve disputes related to land uses of greater than local concern. • The County Board of Commissioners should actively support the County Planning Commission, County Planning Department and other governmental units in the pursuit of the principles and policies of this Plan. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-15 �Figure 5-5 ISSUES OF GREATER THAN LOCAL CONCERN PROTECT CORRIDOR PROTECTION OF FLOODPLAINS WATERSHED MANAGEMENT BUFFER ZONE GRAVEL PIT INFRASTRUCTURE EXTENDED SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 5-16 �CHAPTER 6 PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Introduction As important a benchmark as this Plan represents, the initiatives proposed in this Comprehensive Plan will not implement themselves. It will take the concerted efforts of citizens, elected officials and local and county administrative officials to bring this Plan from concept into reality. It will take continued support and commitment for many years. However, the goals of this Plan and the policies proposed to implement it offer the promise of a much better future than that likely to occur if recent trends continue unchanged. Benefits to all groups will be numerous and most visible in terms of lower infrastructure and maintenance costs for public facilities and retention of the scenic character of the landscape (so cherished by residents and visitors). Many indirect benefits will also occur. These include improved access to information needed for decision-making and better cooperation among units of government. The central ingredients to successful Plan implementation will be: • Commitment by the County Planning Commission, citizens, the County Board of Commissioners and support from local units of government. Implementation of the Comprehensive Plan will require the County and local governments, businesses and citizens to drop some old habits and adopt some new approaches. This is not always easy to do. However, the desired vision will not be reached without commitment by all involved. • A better educated citizenry and local officials. While many citizens and officials want trends to change, they lack the knowledge to make them change or don't understand the cause and effect link of actions they take on an ongoing basis. Information about more appropriate residential development patterns, the fiscal and land use constraints of extending urban services, farming methods, forestry methods, property rights, scenery and open space preservation, natural resource protection and other tools to sustain the quality of life in Benzie County need to reach citizens and officials or they will not understand why and how local decision-making must change. • An up-to-date, accessible data base and mapping (GIS) capacity at the County level. Local plans and development regulations will be easier and less costly to prepare and maintain because the information in the County GIS System can easily be updated and displayed on maps. By working in partnership with the County in a manner consistent with this Plan, local governments will be able to justifiably provide for an appropriate range of land uses in their plans and zoning regulations. This could eliminate the continued scattering of commercial and industrial uses in inappropriate locations while improving the success of businesses established in appropriate locations. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-1 �Focusing on Priorities It is easy for a Planning Commission at either the County or local level to become distracted with ongoing tasks or ad hoc, controversial issues. Still, the Commission needs to prioritize its tasks. Time needs to be set aside for high priority items. These include the preparation of an annual report and work program for the next year, an update to the capital improvement program and the five-year Plan update. These are discussed below. Annual Tasks An annual report on all activities undertaken by the County Planning Commission with a special focus on actions taken to implement the Plan should be made to the County Board of Commissioners. A proposed work program that identifies priorities and projected expenses for the next year should also be prepared and submitted in time to be included in the annual budget process. The Planning Commission should also assist the County Administrator with the preparation and annual updating of a capital improvement program. Periodically, and at least once each five years, the Comprehensive Plan should be thoroughly reviewed and updated by the County Planning Commission. Top Priorities The Planning Commission can not be expected to accomplish all of the actions listed in the Background Reports. Many of these can only be accomplished by other agencies or groups. It is key that discussions begin with those groups so that they understand the goals, find agreeable common ground where there are differences and obtain a commitment to the action. One approach to establishing priorities is to use the following standards: • Make a high priority those actions that are the precursor to other steps. One example is the action to establish watershed planning groups. This needs to happen before water quality monitoring (on a watershed basis) and watershed management planning and implementation can occur. • Those actions that are assigned to a particular group are a high priority. • A lower priority may be those actions that do not assign a group or broadly identify the "County," as the responsible party. • If an action does not list a responsible party, it remains a lower priority until a group or agency steps forward. The following activities should be the key priorities of the Planning Commission for the next five years: • Educate all local units about the vision, goals, objectives and policies of the new County Comprehensive Plan and provide technical assistance in the integration of these elements into local plans and zoning decisions. • Educate all citizens about the vision, goals, objectives and policies of the new County Comprehensive Plan and provide technical assistance in the integration of these elements into property owner development and redevelopment efforts. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-2 �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Update the County Zoning Ordinance to be consistent with this Plan. Directly use this Plan in the analysis and review of proposed rezonings, zoning text amendments, and new or amended master plans submitted to it for statutory review and approval. This means recommending approval for actions consistent with the Plan and denial or modification for actions inconsistent with this Plan. Exercise review authority in ways to improve local decisions by guiding decisions toward integrated and coordinated solutions based on the core policies in this Plan. Provide training and technical assistance to local governments on general planning, zoning and capital improvement programming. Upgrade the GIS and provide maps, GIS analysis services and related technical assistance to local governments and governmental agencies in the County. Monitor local and County agency decisions and periodically inform local governments and the County Board of Commissioners on the status of efforts to improve land use decision making in Benzie County. Provide technical assistance and guidelines on alternative approaches to deal with identified land use and infrastructure problems. Join efforts with others outside the County to modernize planning and zoning enabling legislation and to authorize new tools to better manage growth and preserve open space. A County-wide Agriculture and Open Space Preservation Plan should be developed and implemented . This Plan would prioritize lands for open space preservation, identify and implement tools for acquisition of title or development rights from willing sellers and set up funding mechanisms for implementation. It would also develop strategies to help insure the financial success of Benzie County farmers. Design guidelines should be developed and promoted by the County Planning Commission that illustrate how to protect rural and scenic character and open space values on private residential, commercial , industrial, public and institutional properties. An example is the Grand Traverse Bay Region Development Guidebook that illustrates a preferred development approach that protects scenic quality, open space, water quality and sensitive environments. Residential development standards should be prepared that set aside open space and employ vegetative buffers along roadsides and where there are sensitive environments, greenways and potential trail and wildlife corridors. These standards should be adopted as part of site plan review, cluster ordinances, conservation subdivision ordinances, site condominium ordinances and planned unit development ordinances. Watershed planning groups and watershed management plans should be established for each watershed in Benzie County. Preparation of a county and local capital improvements program. Preparation of a county subdivision control ordinance. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-3 �• • Development of a county-wide affordable housing plan and implementation strategy. Periodically update the Background Reports that provide the technical foundation for this Plan. Dealing with Issues of Greater than Local Concern Local jurisdictions frequently deal with issues that have implications beyond the jurisdiction (both intra-county and inter-county). Public interests that are broader than simply local interests include (but are not limited to) those in Table 6-1. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-4 �Table 6-1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Issues of Greater than Local Concern Protecting the Environment and Natural Resources Watersheds and water quality Wetlands protection Floodplain protection Land pollution (ex. arsenic along trails) Soil conservation and stormwater pollution (e .g. Arcadia Bluffs) Air pollution Groundwater pollution Oil and gas pollution Noise pollution Water pollution of inland lakes (esp. Platte Lakes, Crystal Lake) , rivers and streams Protection of sand dunes Wildlife corridors and fish and wildlife habitat protection Protection of unique and endangered species Sustainability of privately owned forest land Water surface under control of multiple local jurisdictions, especially as relates to keyhole development Use of public access sites Maintaining a "sense of place" where that sense is the major attraction for tourists and the service sector economy. Siting Public Facilities or Providing New Public Services • Solid waste and recycling • Emergency services (fire, ambulance, police) - to achieve greater efficiency (involves the U.S. Park Service, and DNR) • Transportation/roads • Mass transportation (greater than county service area) • Trails (siting of) - federal, state, local, and property owners • "Regional" park facilities (very large, e.g. pool or hockey rink - needs a large customer base) • District library and district boundaries for libraries • Mental and other health facilities • Provision of senior services - location of facilities, including handicapped services • Extension of utilities Maintaining a Sustainable Economy and Promoting Economic Development • Real (livable) wages, job opportunities for young adults and families with children • Lack of seasonal workers - lack of an intermediate job base • Harbors (Frankfort and Elberta), Platte River free flow • Adequate lifelong educational opportunities for all citizens • Adequate affordable housing for middle and low income persons. Land Use • LULU's (locally unwanted land uses that meet a regional need, such as gravel pits, junk yards, landfills, communication towers, etc.) • Large scale development (resorts, shopping center, airports, etc.) • Strip development along main roads • Density in some rural areas that is too high to cost effectively service and a current zoned density that will exacerbate this problem. • Compact settlement pattern vs. dispersed settlement pattern and the associated impacts on infrastructure extensions or establishment of infrastructure • Siting affordable housing • Lack of similar regulations and enforcement across jurisdiction boundaries • Compatibility of land uses along jurisdiction boundaries regarding zoning and land use issues • Loss of open space • Regional focus on open space preservation and farmland preservation • Protecting important viewsheds and rural corridor views Other • A sovereign nation within the County making independent land use decisions • A nonresident (largely seasonal) population that (for the most part) does not vote locally, but does pay taxes locally • Lack of a tax or fee of users of state resources here • lnterjurisdictional equity issues • Intergenerational equity issues • Sustainability. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-5 �In many instances, these issues of greater than local concern revolve around common environmental features (which do not respect municipal boundaries), infrastructure, and the needs of special populations. It takes a basic change of attitude toward other jurisdictions to effectively deal with these issues. It takes recognition that the citizens of both (or several) jurisdictions face the same potential loss or gain. It takes acceptance that the other jurisdiction is not in competition or opposition, at least not on every aspect of the issue. It takes the ability to exercise mutual respect in areas of overlapping responsibilities and mutual support where responsibilities are separate but compatible in pursuit of common goals and a common vision of the County. By jointly engaging the issues, common ground can usually be found. It is the common ground that is most often used as the basis for effective interjurisdictional cooperation. Role of Key Players It will take the efforts of many different groups to implement the Benzie Comprehensive Plan. Key among them are the local planning commissions and governing boards, the County Board of Commissioners, the County Planning Commission and the County Planning Department. The framed text on Table 6-2 on the next three pages lists the traditional roles and responsibilities of local planning commissions, local governing bodies, the County Board of Commissioners, the County Planning Commission and the County Planning Department. These traditional roles are proposed to be continued, but some changes are also proposed to strengthen the ability of these entities to take actions to implement this Plan . These changes are summarized in the text following Table 6-2. A more detailed description of these changes is found in the Intergovernmental Cooperation Subcommittee Background Report. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-6 �Table 6-2 TRADITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT DECISION-MAKERS County Board of Commissioners The County Board of Commissioners must take the lead in order to initiate planning in the County. It's basic statutory and administrative responsibilities are as follows (not all of these are currently being performed): • Create County Planning Commission and thereafter periodically appoint qualified and interested persons to serve on the Planning Commission. There should be at least one person serving as a liaison between the two bodies. • Periodically hold a joint meeting with Planning Commission to go over issues of common interest. • Adopt zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations and any subsequent amendments. • Approve funding for the planning/zoning program each year including funds for training and continuing education of commissioners and staff, and for public education on planning and zoning. • Approve hiring of consultants recommended by the Planning Commission . • Take action to support the goals, objectives and policies in the Plan. • Ask Planning Commission to prepare an annual report of activities and a proposed work program for the next year, in enough time to be considered in the budget process. • Ask Planning Commission to review proposed capital improvements for consistency with the Plan prior to the County Board adoption of a capital improvement program. County Planning Commission The County Planning Commission was created by the (then) County Board of Supervisors on April 12, 1976 pursuant to the requirements of the County Planning Act, PA 282 of 1945. It also has the responsibilities of the County Zoning Board under PA 183 of 1943. Currently, the County Planning Commission is responsible for: • Preparing and maintaining a plan for the development and protection of the County. It will adopt the Comprehensive Plan as a replacement for its 1993 and 1974 Plans. • Preparing and proposing amendments to the County Zoning Ordinance. • Making recommendations on proposed Township plans and/or rezoning or text amendments. • Attempting to prevent incompatible planning and zoning along governmental boundaries. • Reviewing and commenting on proposed new public lands, facilities or improvements for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan . • Review and comment on proposed PA 116 Farmland and Open Space Enrollments. • Preparing the County Overall Economic Development Plan. • Preparing and maintaining the County Solid Waste Management Plan . • Reviewing federal grant applications. • Receiving, storing and sharing data from the Michigan Resource Inventory Program. • Providing information and education services for the U.S. Bureau of the Census. • Serving as County Council for the Resource Conservation and Development Program of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. • Receiving citizen comments on local planning and zoning issues and acting upon or referring those comments as appropriate. • Coordinating planning and associated development regulations with other governmental units and public agencies. • Learning about and staying up-to-date on the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and on various tools available to implement local plans. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-7 �Traditional Responsibilities of the Local Government Decision-Makers (Continued) Local Governing Bodies The local city or village council and township board of trustees also have specific planning and zoning responsibilities. These include: • Appointment of qualified persons to serve as members of the Planning Commission/Zoning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. • Adoption of ordinances recommended by the Planning Commission for implementation of the comprehensive plan, including when supported by the governing body, a zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations . • Providing an adequate budget for the Planning Commission to carry out its responsibilities including keeping the plan and zoning ordinance current, and receiving proper training on their roles, responsibilities and new tools and techniques for improving the community. • Providing adequate staff and financial resources (including setting fee levels) for proper enforcement of adopted regulations. • Conducting required public hearings prior to acting on zoning, subdivision or infrastructure development matters. • Receiving and acting upon citizen complaints related to planning and zoning issues and as appropriate, referring matters to the Planning Commission for action. Local Planning Commissions Planning commissions in cities and villages in the County are organized under the Municipal Planning Act, PA 285 of 1931. Township planning commissions are organized under PA 168 of 1959. Some of their principal responsibilities include: • Creating , adopting and maintaining a local comprehensive plan to guide future land use change and to serve as the legal basis for the local zoning ordinance. • Creating , maintaining and administering responsibilities under the local zoning ordinance (for those municipalities with local zoning) adopted pursuant to the City-Village Zoning Act, PA 207 of 1921 or the Township Zoning Act, PA 184 of 1943. • Advising the local governing body on proposed rezonings, text amendments, plats, land divisions, capital improvements and related planning and zoning decisions. • Responding to the recommendations of the County Planning Commission and/or the County Planning Department on planning and zoning issues. • Making recommendations on special projects or delegated responsibilities (e.g. zoning ordinance enforcement) • Working with property owners in order to try and achieve good development (or redevelopment) • Educating citizens on the values and benefits of planning • Receiving citizen comments on local planning and zoning issues and acting upon or referring those comments as appropriate. • Learning about and staying up-to-date on the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and on various tools available to implement local plans. County Planning Department The County Planning Department is a service agency of the County designed to provide assistance to the County Board of Commissioners, the County Planning Commission, to local governments and property owners in the County. Specifically its responsibilities include: • Assisting the County Planning Commission in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities under the County Planning Act including assisting with the preparation and maintenance of a County Plan and coordinating local planning activities in the County. • Providing technical assistance and technical information to the County Planning Commission, local governments, local planning commissions, the County Board of Commissioners and other County agencies , and to the general public. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-8 �Traditional Responsibilities of the Local Government Decision-Makers (Continued) County Planning Department (Continued) • Providing review and analysis of the consistency of proposed new public facilities with the Comprehensive Plan for consideration by the County Planning Commission. • Analysis of proposed township plans and amendments for review by the County Planning Commission. • Analysis of proposed townsh ip zoning ordinances, rezoning proposals and proposed amendments for review by the County Planning Commission. • Representing the County on various committees , groups and task forces . • Maintaining and providing staff support in the development and updating of the County Solid Waste Management Plan. • Administering the County Zoning Ordinance. • Administering the County Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance. • Coordinating planning, zoning and infrastructure decisions with various county, state and federal agencies. • Preparing the County Overall Economic Development Plan. • Preparing and reviewing state and federal grant applications. • Responding to special project requests of the County Board of Commissioners and other agencies. • Making reports to the County Board and other agencies on issues of planning or special interest in the County. • Developing and maintaining a computerized geographic information system for the County. • Receiving, storing and sharing data from the Michigan Resource Inventory Program. • Serving as the primary repository for socioeconomic, census, environmental and other data concerning the County. • Providing information and education services for the U.S. Bureau of the Census. • Developing and implementing budgets and work programs for Department activities. • Staying abreast of contemporary planning and related research, and new laws and regulations . Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-9 �New Roles of the County Board of Commissioners The first new responsibility of the County Board of Commissioners will be to reconstitute the County Planning Commission . This will require amending the ordinance creating the original Planning Commission to include the duties and responsibilities described below. It will be important for the County Board of Commissioners to endorse the County Comprehensive Plan, and thereafter approve any major amendments to the County Plan. No other action will more graphically demonstrate continued County Board support for this important growth management tool. As County Planning Department staff responsibilities grow, so must the number of qualified staff to meet those needs. There will likely be necessary, increased funding requirements. Opportunities will continue to open to provide maps, and other services on a fee basis. These should be explored as supplemental revenue resources, but not at the exclusion of completing other required responsibilities. Consideration should be given to establishing a creative program of local financial support, and in-kind professional services to local governments who desire to modify/update local plans or development regulations to be in conformance with the County Plan. Professional services, maps and data from the County Planning Department could go a long way to helping local governments do the best possible job with local planning and zoning programs. This type of carrot (or even better, local financial support) will probably do more to speed plan implementation than any other single action. New Roles of the County Planning Commission The County Board of Commissioners would amend the ordinance creating the County Planning Commission to include all the traditional responsibilities of a County Planning Commission as well as some new duties. In reorganizing the County Planning Commission, the County Board of Commissioners would also delegate the authority permitted under section 4a of the County Planning Act (MCL 125.104a). The County Board would adopt an annual capital improvements program (CIP). The CIP would involve merging all local CIP's along with a strategy for prioritizing proposed projects along with definitive financing plans for the improvements to be constructed in the earlier years of the program for those County programs on the list. This activity would be performed by the County Planning Commission with assistance of the County Planning Department. Decisions on new County public facilities would be made by the County Board of Commissioners, but only after receiving a recommendation by the County Planning Commission as to consistency with the County Plan and the current capital improvements program. Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-10 �The County Planning Commission would organize standing subcommittees composed of individuals qualified by experience, training, or interests to assist in the consideration and solution of problems of greater than local concern. The subcommittees would be charged with advising the Planning Commission (before it acted) on any issue of greater than local concern as so assigned by the Planning Commission. Staff of the County Planning Department would assist the subcommittee within the parameters of the task assigned by the Planning Commission and within the time and other resources available. New Roles of the Local Planning Commissions and Governing Bodies All local governments would have a local master or comprehensive plan that was consistent with the County Comprehensive Plan, and was updated at least once each 5 years. All local zoning ordinances would be consistent with the local plan and would also be updated at least once each 5 years. Local planning commissions would coordinate plans and zoning regulation closely with those of adjacent jurisdictions. Stronger involvement by the governing body will be needed in preparation and maintenance of the local comprehensive plan as the governing body would also approve the plan following adoption by the local planning commission. Local administration and enforcement of zoning ordinances will need to be improved . It could be contracted to a private party, or shared between several local governments or even contracted from the County. Local planning commissions, working in concert with their governing body, would participate in the preparation of (and thereafter annually update) a 6-year capital improvement program (CIP). Where a township did not have adequate financial resources, it would consider dropping local zoning and falling under County zoning. If it could, it would still maintain a planning commission and advise the County Planning Commission on planning and zoning issues in its township. New County Planning Department Roles The County Planning Department would provide expanded technical assistance services to local governmental units in support of actions to implement the County Plan. The County Planning Department would be permitted to offer these services on a fee or other basis pursuant to guidelines proposed by the County Planning Commission and approved by the County Board of Commissioners. A multi-year plan for the data center should be developed and annually updated, along with the necessary protocols and referencing mechanisms to ensure proper maintenance of the data and other library materials in the data center. Receiving, storing and sharing data from the Michigan Resource Inventory Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-11 �Program and providing information and education services for the U.S. Bureau of the Census would be special elements of the data center function. Tools to Implement the Plan The basic tools for implementing the Comprehensive Plan are the County Zoning Ordinance, the local Master Plans, capital improvement programs and development regulations (including zoning ordinances, land division and subdivision regulations and other, similar regulations). Not all local jurisdictions in the County have all these tools in place. County and local regulations should be updated to conform with the policies in this Plan. Following an initial update, plans and local development regulations should be updated on a regular basis. Mechanism for Updating the Comprehensive Plan It is very important that the annual priority-setting and budgeting sessions of the County and local Planning Commissions be institutionalized. An annual report on actions taken to implement the Plan should be made to the County Board of Commissioners (and by local Planning Commissions to the local governing bodies), along with adoption of any necessary amendments by the Planning Commission. Periodically, and at least once every five years, the Comprehensive Plan should be thoroughly reviewed and updated. Concluding Thought This Comprehensive Plan represents thousands of hours of input by citizens and local government officials in Benzie County over the past several years. The circumstances it is intended to address did not occur overnight and they will not be resolved overnight. However, this Plan sets forth another option to a future that will inexorably be created if existing trends and uncoordinated decisions continue. Existing trends are fueled to a very great extent by existing plans, regulations and institutional relationships. To create a future different from existing trends, then current plans, policies, regulations and institutional relationships must also be changed. Perhaps the catalyst for that change is for the preferred vision of Benzie County, and what it takes to get to that vision, to be part of the "story" of Benzie County that every resident, of every age, knows by heart. We all know that George Washington was considered one of the great founding fathers because he couldn't tell a lie. So if all Benzie County residents know that clustering, conservation subdivisions, urban services districts, farmland preservation, design guidelines and vegetative buffers are necessary for Benzie County to remain scenic, there is a greater chance that Benzie County will remain scenic. Station2:\winword\Benzie\benzchp6implementation.doc (edits 4-10, 5-12 caf) Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 6-12 � 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 Wyckoff Planning and Zoning Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Planning & Zoning Center (Lansing, Mich.) (Organization) Wyckoff, Mark A. Description An account of the resource Municipal master plans and zoning ordinances from across the state of Michigan, spanning from the 1960s to the early 2020s. The bulk of the collection was compiled by urban planner Mark Wyckoff over the course of his career as the founder and principal planner of the Planning and Zoning Center in Lansing, Michigan. Some additions have been made to the collection by municipalities since it was transferred to Grand Valley State University. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960/2023 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Comprehensive plan publications Master plan reports Zoning--Michigan Zoning--Maps Maps Land use--planning Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-240 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. 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 Benzie-County_Comprehensive-Plan_2000 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benzie County Planning Commission, Benzie County, Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2000-10 Title A name given to the resource Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan Description An account of the resource The Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan was prepared by the Benzie County Planning Commission with assistance from the Planning & Zoning Center in October 2000. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Planning & Zoning Center, Inc. (consultant) Subject The topic of the resource Comprehensive plan publications Benzie County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf 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