After being held at bay last summer due to the pandemic like hundreds of other major events, the team at Lest We Forget is swinging back into action from June 18th to the 20th to commemorate Korea: The Forgotten War along the banks of the St. Joseph River on the former site of the St. Joe water tower across from the Margaret B. Upton Arboretum.
Lest We Forget organizers are excited to bring in a traveling replica of the striking Korean Memorial that graces the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Visitors will be welcome to visit that display starting on Friday evening, June 18th and through the night until closing time on Sunday afternoon at 20th at 3pm.
Opening ceremonies begin Saturday morning at 9:00 am with special guest, Medal of Honor recipient, James McCloughan. Jim was drafted into the United States Army in 1968 and became a combat medic. In May of 1969 he distinguished himself in fighting near Tam Kỳ at Nui Yon Hill, in which he treated the wounded while fighting North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. McCloughan was wounded multiple times during the battle but refused evacuation. After his discharge from the Army, he returned to his hometown of South Haven, where he became a high school teacher and athletic coach. He currently resides in Saugatuck.
Jim Ball, a resident of St. Joseph, served in the U.S. Army beginning in January of 1949 and arrived in Korea in July 1950 as a member of the 2nd Infantry Division. He went into action on the Nakdong River, was wounded by shrapnel two weeks later and hospitalized in Japan for his wounds. He was sent back to his unit in October as they began an advance toward the Yalu River. In late November of 1950 he was captured by the Chinese Army, which had conducted a massive invasion into North Korea earlier that month. He remained a POW, suffering inhumane conditions for nearly two and one half years, until his release on April 23, 1953. Jim’s story of survival and service to our country is an important message to hear for all Americans. He will speak at 12:00 noon on Saturday.
In keeping with the Korean theme, Twin City Players will put on a performance from M*A*S*H on Saturday at 1:00 pm with a repeat show at 4:00 pm. The1970 movie and later TV program depicted the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Unit in Uijeongbu, South Korea during the Korean War. With memorable characters and much humor this presentation is a little more irrelevant than the typical Lest We Forget fare but approaches some aspects of military life from the soldier’s perspective. Enjoy a light hearted “Blast from the Past” with these TCP actors:
- Corporal “Radar” Reilly- Bob Myers
- Captain “Hawkeye” Pierce – Scott Bradford
- Captain “Duke” Forrest – Bill Downey
- Captain “Trapper John” McIntyre – Jacob Holmes
- Captain “Walt” Waldowski – Kevin Russell
- Captain Frank Burns – Jim Richards
- Lt. Colonel Henry Blake – John Taylor
- Captain “Ugly” Black – Allen Pille
- Father John Patrick Mulcahy – Gene Weil
- Private Boone – Bill Klein
- Major “Hot Lips” Houlihan – Maureen Bradford
- Lt. Janice Fury – Beth DeCoursey
- Lt. Nancy Phillips- Candace Seymour-Myers
- Lt. Bridget McCarthy- Peggy Harrington
At 3:00 pm on Saturday, Dr. Henry Seo, a resident of Berrien Springs, along with Dr. Young Sok Kim, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago, will recognize local veterans who served in Korea and will also present a program on Korean Culture and Music. Dr. Seo taught Korean Language in the Buchanan High School system for 22 years and has led student groups on educational tours of South Korea. He currently teaches in the Berrien Springs School system.
In addition to those presentations there will be several displays.
The USS Silversides (Ss-236), a Gato-class submarine, was one of the most successful submarines in the Pacific Theater of World War II, with 23 confirmed sinkings. The Silversides received a Presidential Unit Citation for cumulative action over four patrols and twelve battle stars. She presently serves as a museum ship in Muskegon, Michigan and is a National Historic Landmark.
The USS LST 393 is an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Of 1,051 built this LST is one of only two to survive in its original configuration. She is now a museum ship in Muskegon.
The USS Edson, a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer, served in the Western Pacific/Far East, operating particularly in the Taiwan Strait and off the coast of Vietnam. Her exceptionally meritorious service in 1964 in the Gulf of Tonkin was recognized with the first of three Navy Unit Commendations. During the following years she was shelled by North Vietnamese land forces and apparently received friendly fire from the US Air Force. She is now a museum ship docked in Bay City, Michigan.
Master modeler, Jerry Lindquist, has military artifacts and several base camp dioramas with thousands of painted green chiclets for sand bags depicting military scenes from World War I through Desert Storm. His displays range from 6-by-6 inches, showing a six-barrel recoilless rifle used in Vietnam, to 35 by 55 inches. He will be displaying a dozen or more of his meticulously made scale models of combat scenes usually made in 1/35th model scale. Jerry has been doing it for over 30 years and says, “It is my honor to do this for all veterans…I do this to remember and honor those who have given so much.”
A Field Service for all faiths will begin at 9:00 am on Sunday and at noon Jerry Sawatzki, a retired teacher from the Eau Claire school system with a Master’s Degree in history from Notre Dame will provide an interesting review of the history of the Korean War, its root causes and major events that people of all ages will enjoy.
At 1:00 pm historian Bill Sheets will talk more on Korea and the U.S. involvement. He will also narrate the five scheduled reenactment battles including the use of a flamethrower. The Spirit of America Flag designer Dale Hemphill, Armed Services Recruiters, the Red Cross and more will be on site.
The 5th Armored and 20th Century at War Military Mobile Interactive Museum have a large hands-on collection that can be viewed. Visitors will be impressed by the precision and accuracy of all items which will include vehicles, uniforms, weapons and gear from the last 100 years of our military history. All displays will be available all day Saturday and Sunday until 3:00 pm.
Returning this year are three World War II and Korean War landing craft that have been restored and are available for the public to ride. One is an LTV “Water Buffalo” that is a dual track amphibious vehicle. The 2nd is a 2-1/2 ton amphibious wheeled truck called a Dukw or “Duck” and 3rd is a Higgins boat, most often associated with the D-Day landings at Normandy in World War II. Take a free ride in these treasures of the past on the St. Joseph River. Also giving rides are two Robinson helicopters, one is a single passenger and the other can take three passengers. The fee to ride a helicopter is $40 per person.
Also performing Hot Rocks– a Rolling Stones Tribute Band, based In Chicago, which has been performing since 1994.
Officially selected to represent the Midwest by The Rolling Stones, Paramount Pictures and Martin Scorsese, Hot Rocks is more than a tribute, it is a theater-like show for all ages. You are encouraged to bring a lawn chair for their open air, free concert starting at 7:00pm Saturday evening. Position your chair prior to the concert and move down to the battle area at 6:30 pm where the 2nd Marine Reenactors from Chicago will attack a North Korean machine gun position using weapons of the World War II and Korean era. They will be joined by Charlie Hobson with his flamethrower. Mr. Hobson is the author of “The Illustrated Manual of US WWII Flamethrowers.” He is currently the only accepted source for training, testing and certifying WWII Flamethrowers. He has trained over 900 operators for over 4,000 firings. This is the third of five battles scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.
Food vendors will be available throughout the weekend, as well as a sales table that will offer books, T-shirts and other items of interest.
For a complete list of activities and speaker time schedule you can visit online at: http://www.LestWeForgetUSA.org.
If you attend, you are encouraged to join Lest We Forget on site. One year membership dues are just $10, or you can get a lifetime membership for just $50. Those under the age of 40 and over the age of 80 are free. You do not have to be a veteran to become a member of Lest We Forget. Membership meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month at the Southwest Michigan Regional Airport starting at 10:00 am with coffee and donuts at 9:30.
