The Independent-News, Volume 120, Number 45, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 23 March 1995 — Page 7

THE LEGION CORNER Ve Shall Not Fail To Serve Veterans” he bonds we formed as veterin service to our country make membership in The American jion special. hat bond, that sense of comnity, has nothing to do with Ps age, gender, race or creed, ‘re all aware of the issues’ and iefs that may divide Americans n each other. The American ;ion is a great unifying factor in loring out heritage as Ameris, and our service at having n our country’s uniform. Lt National Headquarters redly, a conference included The erican Legion and Laborers’ jrnational Union of North AmerThe conference featured the eo ‘‘America’s Army: Not For :mselves But For Their Coun- ’. Several times the common id of which I spoke earlier was ly expressed in the phrase, “I 11 not fail those with whom I ve”. hat straightforward but elont phrase makes one think ut their own service. No matwhat generation, remember at induction center, standing in : with all those strangers? But e we raised our hands and took oath of enlistment, things nged immediately. It didn’t tter if you were from a big city or n a farm community, or some;re in between. Members of ry branch of service take the le oath. It’s special in that it resents a covenant with our ntry, and each other, which ns an attachments no matter ;re you’re from. ■rom the beginning we began journey in the company of great n and women who evolved from JOHNSON INS. AGENCY DON R. JOHNSON Certified Insurance Counselor DONNA L. RAUSCH DIANE JOHNSON We Sell Service Along With Our Product Call (219)586-2580 Koontz Lake

DIETARY AIDE Miller’s Merry Manor of Walkerton is now accepting applications for the position of dietary aide. This position is for the day shift and includes an excellent benefit package. Come on in and fill out an application or call Bridgette Haug, Dietary Supervisor, at 586-3133. Miller’s Merry Manor 500 Walkerton Trail Walkerton, Ind. EOE It’S WELCO PIZZA-PIZZA-PIZZA BUY 1 LARGE PIZZA WITH 3 TOPPINGS Get 2nd Large Pizza At 1/2 PRICE Or BUY 1 MEDIUM PIZZA WITH 3 TOPPINGS Get 2nd Medium Pizza At 1/2 PRICE ONLY AT WELCO!

strangers to comrades, since each of us were thrown together in the same mix as we advanced through basic training, on to advanced training and finally to our duty stations. Along the way we formed an association born of our common experience. We learned to rely on and take care of one another. We had to, because we knew that when the guns began firing, a soldier's life depends on his follow troops. We soon learned, too, that there was a lot more to it than merly being the leader or being led. And being young, it didn’t hurt that we were idealistic. As a practical matter, however, soldiers don’t fight for “mom” or ‘‘apple pie”, but for each other. Often tragically, the price was high for learning the lessons of comradship. As one veteran in the video pointed out, every time he emerges from the shower and rubs a towel over his scars he can’t help but remembers buddies killed in action, who died hot, hungry and exhausted — or others, like himself, still up and walking around but scarred by war. A simple creed, the Army Ranger Creed, one which says, ‘‘Never shall I fail my comrades,” forges the bond between veterans, no • matter what age or era they 1 served in. That’s what makes < veterans special, and that’s what makes the bond we carry on by membership in The American Legion special. We shall not fail veterans who require medical care in VA hospitals. Programs such as the Temporary Financial Assistance and the American Legion National Emergency Fund are there to help Legion- ' naires in times of trouble. And when they leave service we’ll help them find jobs, an education and training. We shall not fail those still serving in uniform, because we’ve been there ourselves. They’re asked to do an important job, so they deserve the best equipment and support, along with a decent compensation package so their families don’t have to live on food stamps. We must not fail any of them who are taken hostage or POW. They must know they are not forgotten, and that Legionnaries will not rest until they return. And we shall not fail those young service members suffering from undiagnosed Persian Gulf illness-

es, Agent Orange or radiation sickness, or any other disability of illness related to military service — that’s why we allocate dues dollars to conduct medical studies and hire service officers. We’re advocates for veterans, and make no apologies for demanding that VA take care of these men and women, for their hospitalization and compensation. We shall not fail those among our number who are elderly and tired, or who are poor, because our government and The American Legion have a covenant with them, too. That’s why we have youth programs: baseball, high school oratorical contests. Boys State and Boys Nation, because each of us had two families — our comrades and our families at home. That’s why we care about kids through Children & Youth programs and the monument to our predecessors’ foresight, The Child Welfare Foundation. It’s that simple, and it’s right and just. This is all part of the legacy of this special organization we belong to — The American Legion — and it explains why our service was special and our membership, too. We learned important lessons after we took the soldier’s oath, to take care of one another, our country, and our country’s flag. We shall not fail those whom we serve! More News From The Files Os The Historical Society Everett Henry Recalls, Continued Robert Patterson had a bakery here in the late teens and early twenties. It was next door to Houser’s Hardware and McDaniel’s on the west. About 1908 the Post Office and some other buildings burned. My father was a carrier out of the Post Office at that time. Sometime later Wolfenbarger’s livery barn burned, killing a number of horses. It was located somewhere in the southeast part of town. Do you remember when Bert McDaniel and his father ran an ice wagon in town? As kids we used to follow it for ice chips. Mike Tuttle worked it. After my father sold his share of the grocery, he with Albert Kale and Jay Gorsline worked as tin smiths, putting on tin roofs in Walkerton and many farm homes around Tyner and Teegarden, an area known as the Thick Woods. I have his original appointment as a rural letter carrier, starting in January, 1905 on Route One. Starting pay was $60.00 a month and you furnished your own horse. In 1936 we had a big fire, the old cobble-stone Methodist church burned (corner Illinois and Van Buren). It was seventeen degrees below zero. Help came from North Liberty, Plymouth and South Bend. I’m sure most of you remember the high school building that used to stand on the location of the Walkerton Clinic. Does anyone remember when Place’s cow was put in the old building on Halloween? Does anyone remember when Lon Rogers had a 5 cent jitney and ice cream factory back of the third house on Harrison Street east of Wilcox’s store? He used to meet the passenger trains that stopped in town. All three railroads had from two to three trains stopping daily. E-Z STUMP REMOVAL REASONABLE RATES Bill Ellin ger 586-2167 Walkerton FULLY INSURED 4? .

MARCH 23, 1995 - THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS -

Do you remember when Bert Apple had a bicycle shop where the one story addition to the Independent News now stands? It later turned into a Buick garage and he had the first gasoline pump in town. It set on the sidewalk in a wooden enclosure right on what is now Route 6. When Standard Oil put the first gasoline storage tanks in town it was thought too dangerous (in town) so they were put down by the creek north of the tower. Most of you remember when Heinz had two buildings to receive locally grown pickles here, but how many remember Atwood Brother’s pickle factory? It set back of Nick Ressler’s house and north of Hiler’s foundry. Do you remember when all three railroads in town had their water tanks to supply their steam engines? The B & O had their own coal fired power plant to pump their water but the other two bought their water from the town wells. The B&O and the L.E.& W. had their own coal docks. The B& O’s was a large installation, because this was a local terminal. How many remember Jim Hardenbrook's dog that ran down the sidewalk rather than ride his delivery truck going to and from the bottling works? Anyone remember when the old town water tank was rebuilt? It was made of redwood staves and was nearly ready for the steel bands when a windstorm took it all down and it had to be rebuilt. A roof was put on without much pitch and no lone liked its looks but another wind storm took it off and a new roof with much more pitch replaced it with a ball on top. Leigh Sellers stood on his head as a stunt on the bail. Do you remember when we had an opera house over what used to be Koontz Globe Clothing store? — where Jacob’s Drugs are now.

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How many remember when we had three horse drawn drays in town? Pratt, first name forgotten, had the mail contract; Sam Baker, his son-in-law, had the express contract followed by Mert Wolfe who did most of the freight. Do you remember when we had the Lincoln Chautaugua come to town in the summer for seven days? We had entertainment in the afternoon and evening. They put on a different program each day. We used to have a pond at the southeast coener of State Road 23 and the B&O railroad. It was a good place to skate in the winter. An old willow tree about three feet in diameter fell on the edge of the pond and we would build a fire in part of it to keep warm. The tree lasted about three years. Do you remember when each grocery store in town (there were four principle ones then) had a Calumet Baking Powder sign showing the price of eggs and butter? Buying price of eggs — selling price: 3 cents a dozen more. Buying price of butter so much per pound — selling price 3 cents per pound more. Anyone remember T. J. Wolfe’s hay-bailing equipment that used to go through town during the summer and fall? Quite a string of equipment pulled by mules. How many remember when the old Town firehouse and jail (two buildings) set across the alley from the American Legion Hall (Citgo station site)? Whenever the fire whistle blew, Billy Berger living next door rang the bell. Our steam power plant that supplied part time electricity and pumped town water had a wildcat whistle to warn of fires. About 1909 or 'lO, a diver was called in to repair something in the old well at the power house site. I recall seeing him go down into the well (to be continued)

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