Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 134, Number 45, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 8 November 2012 — Page 4

Advance News* Thursday, Novemberß,2ol2

Page A4

Around, from front 862-2710. r" TOWNSHIP 4-H CLUBS MKT NOV. 12 NAPPANEE The Panther Paw and Happy Hustler 4-H dubs of Union Township will hold an informational meeting Monday, Nov. 12 at 7 pan. at Wood view Elementary School in the cafeteria for new and first-year members. The purpose of die meeting is to share the online enrollment form and resources so that those interested in joining 4-H for 2013 can lode over the projects and requirements and sign up to begin receiving newsletters concerning meetings, workshops, and deadlines. To learn more about joining 4-H, about project requirements, meetings, or deadlines, feel free to attend, or contact Donna Rummel at 574-773-2236 or via email at drummel® embarqmail.com or Julia Bauman at 574-773-3979. METHODISTS SERVE COMMUNITY FEAST NAPPANEE A community Thanksgiving feast is being planned by the Nappanee United Methodist Church for Thursday, Nov. 22 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the church, 301 E. Market St. Reservations are not required to attend, but those that need carry-outs or delivery can call the church at 574-773-4183 before Wednesday, Nov. 21 to make arrangements. A basket will provided for free will donations. DONATIONS ACCEPTED NAPPANEE At eight locations, Interra Credit Union is accepting donations for food and supplies to be distributed to nine area pantries including the FCDC and Open Door in Nappanee. Until Nov. 24, the banking institution will accept non-perishable food items, proteins such as canned meat and peanut butter, household supplies and paper products as well as personal care items for adults and babies for its "Food and More" drive. EXTRAVAGANZA SET FOR NOV. 17 NAPPANEE Union Center Church of the Brethren will host a Holiday Extravaganza Saturday, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bazaar items will be for sale; there will be a bake sale, an auction for a quilt, youth fundraiser booth, door prizes and an array of vendors and crafters with morning refreshments and lunch available for purchase. The event is sponsored by the women's fellowship group. The church is located at 70535 C.R. 11 on the comer of county roads 50 and 11 in Nappanee.

Lest, from front

against the Empire of Japan. Watkins fetched up first on the island of Guadalcanal, site of the first major offensive in the Pacific theatre by Allied forces. "Most of the fighting was over by then," he said. "Our job was to improve the airfield and the roads." Conditions were horrible. "...mud up to your knees, 100 degrees every day, and the mosquitoes just ate you up," he explained. "You were lpcky if a pair of boots lasted you three weeks. There's just not a place on this earth worse than Guadalcanal." In April 1944, having finished the job on Guadalcanal, the 115th was on the move again, this time to the island of New Britain.

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"It was also pretty much under (Allied) control when we got there," recalled Watkins. "We built a hospital and practiced amphibious landings, getting ready to invade Luzon (in the Philippines)." And before long, off they went, Watkins and 160,000 of his fellow soldiers in a convoy of more than 3,000 ships. "We landed in Lingayen Gulf, coming ashore in Higgins boats," he said while recounting a nearmiss when a Japanese kamikaze plane struck a small "escort carrier" just 200 yards from his troop ship. "From there, we headed south toward Manila. ... We moved along with the infantry, filling in ravines and

Community

Part of my job description indudes reading and typing up/editing police reports and releases and submissions. My facts come from the authorities not from the neighbors and everyone is published that is in my jurisdiction, regardless of whether I know them, or if they want me to let toe world know of their indiscretions. I have had to indude unsavory information about people I have worked with, people that are friends, or friends of friends. There is no distinction. And, I would have to indude something my children, husband, family or friends did to be arrested, like it or not, even though it may not be something I actually typed up myself (because I was in jail too for choking that person for being stupid), but it would regardless— run. Of the police reports and releases sent my way many indude information photos and details of inddents that are not in my area so it isn't used. But seeing it all, like the poor officers and medics have to, is a real eye-open-er and heart-breaker. What you see on paper isn't half as bad as the photos we haven't printed or the things we know about that we can't or don't share. One thing that still shocks me beyond the senseless deaths of young people is the rampant use of methamphetamines. Granted, if I'm seeing it that means the people doing if have been put in jail, hopefully for long enough to get it out of their system. Before I moved to Marshall County I had never even heard of the drug. There was pot/dope/weed/marijuana; there was cocaine and, as always, abuse of a wide array of pills (some of which are now, to my surprise, perfectly legal), but that was pretty much it for St. Joseph County. Tnere were a

building pontoon bridges."

The engineers weren't supposed to move at night but i drcumstances die- *

tated otherwise. "One night we passed a schoolyard where a company of Jap soldiers was hiding," Watkins said. "We set up camp in a low area next to the stream we were to bridge the next day." After t,

midnight, the Japanese dedded to launch a banzai charge right down the road. He continued: "Somebody opened up on them with a .50 caliber machine gun and they ran off the road and right down where we were camped! It was complete chaos, pitch black, everybody screaming and yelling and shooting." Watkins managed to survive that encounter unscathed but was not so lucky the next time when he was wounded by a "knee mortar" while under attack by Japanese artillery. "We had taken cover under a trailer but the tires got cut by the mortars and the trailer started to settle," Watkins said. "We dedded we'd better get out from under it

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few old heroin abusers or add freaks here and there from the '6os and '7os that couldn't quite quit the habit, and most were getting their poison from the big cities. When I was young we had comedians Cheech and Chong acting like (and often not actually acting) drugs were all kinds of fun (but I always took it as a public message: "see, you don't wanna be like these morons" which made me pretty sure that the Three Stooges were on all kinds of something because they were downright ridiculous). But you also had Reefer Madness making people WANT to try it for themselves because it was so hard to believe that people would really ad like that. Those mat did try and realized that it DIDN'T make you want to jump off a bridge or run around screaming and ripping your hair out, then refused to believe that ANY of the warnings were true, which was the real reason that got them into trying the heavier and actually addictive stuff not because marijuana was a "gateway," but because tney learned not to trust the warnings. Nowadays you still have the mod-ern-day Cneech and Chong-types in films depicting how funny it is to get "high" or "messed up." And it is wrong, but then explain to me why is it ok that we have beer, liquor and other commercials enticing everyone

and just as we did, a mor-

All gave some.

Some gave all.

tar went off right next to us." The shell

killed the man .on his left while the man on his right lost an arm. Watkins ended up full of shrapnel and was finally evacuated to a hospital. "I was there 20 days," he said, "but I got so bored I begged them to let me go back to my unit. My biggest fear was being separated from my buddies and going to some unit where I didn't know anyone." It was also on Luzon that Dale saw General Douglas MacArthur. "He was just a regular guy - told us we were doing a great job and to keep it up," Watkins explained. "He didn't sit back at the rear, he was right out there at the front with the troops." After liberating Manila,

Watkins and his comrades

Never forget.

P-anay to prepare for the filanned invasion of the apanese home islands. "Our training stopped right away when tney dropped the atomic bomb," he said. "That bomb saved an awful lot of lives ... maybe even mine." With the war finally over, and having served continuously for more than three years, Watkins had enough points to go home. "1 got on a ship in Panay, sailed to Leyte (Philippines) and then on a Liberty Ship for 18 days to Seattle," he recalled. "From there, I caught a train to Camp Atterbury (in southern Indiana). There were no seats on the bus to Plymouth, but when the driver saw me, a serviceman, he took someone else off and home I went." Five years later, Watkins married Mary "Mim" Slabaugh. "The best thing that could

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to "get their drink on* or put 'a little captain" in them, or get mote energy, even though we know it could potentially kill us or be detrimental to our health? Alcohol is scientifically proven to negatively affect a person's body; it is addictive, and dangerous, with all lands of horrid side affects more than "weed" or many prescription medications. Every type of commercial, TV show, and movie, has someone drinking a glass of wine or champagne and if you don't burst open a beer during a football game then you're considered Just Plain Weird. No, I'm far from being considered a teetotaler. But as a former bartender, and a family member of a former alcoholic, I have seen the horrors of alcohol in after and behind the scenes. With meth, there are no actors glamorizing it. No advertising pushing it on you, no parties or businesses that are pushing it on anyone. I searched online once about five years ago with my former managing editor to see how easy it is for people to find out how to make the junk, and found that while it was incredibly easy to find the recipe (and even videos to show you step-by-step!) you would have to be nearly a rocket scientist to make the stuff without blowing something up or setting yourself on fire. When you consider all the disgusting ingredients that are put together to make it (including types of household cleaners) and then, that it is consumed by human beings, on purpose, of their own accord, it's really mind-boggling. They are going to all tnis risk and effort because they are addicted to something that makes feel-good chemicals in their brains work harder? I'm not pushing alcohol but it would be better / cheaper / legal to be addicted to.

were off again, seeing action on the islands of Panay and

Negros, before returning to

World’s Famous JOHN’S BOTCHER SHOP

have ever happened to me," he said. Watkins spent the rest of his life in tnis area, working at Mutschler Brothers in Nappanee and retiring in 1978. Sadly, like so many of those whose served in WWII, to e veteran left his country^Sept. 30th of this year, also leaving behind his beloved Mim, son Greg, and grandsons Stephen and Bryan and their families. i» ls4is story unique? Was he a hero? Watkins wouldn't say so, but many would disagree. It's because of guys like him that this story was written in English, instead of Japanese or German. Humbly Watkins just figured he was doing his job, but it's a job that few did as well as he did, and fewer still would want to do. And it's a job that is still being done today, by young men and women with the same special qualities and dedication that Watkins had. So make sure this Veterans Day that to take the time to thank a veteran like Watkins. It might be the old man across the aisle in church, or maybe the recent high school graduate who grew up down the block. Their sacrifices keep this great country the "land of the free and the home of the brave." All gave some, and some gave all. Never forget.