Schism & Recovery: Two Years in Delton

June, 2010 we moved again, to a town with under 900 people. The closest city was Hastings and most people worked in Battle Creek or Kalamazoo. A local attraction was the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners. Not far was the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, recreation areas, lakes, and even a casino. Gary's mother as a teen had spent summers at a church camp on nearby Gull Lake.

Kara and Suki

We really thought that Faith UMC in Delton would be our last appointment before retirement. We were not excited to be in an even smaller town than we had lived in before but we went in with a positive attitude. The upside was being closer to Clawson and Gary's father.

Faith UMC, Delton, MI

Our doggies took the move well. When they found a huge linen closet with piles of rugs and blankets on the floor waiting to be put away, Kara led the way to stake a claim. He and Suki moved in, happy as can be. As puppy mill dogs, they were used to intimate spaces. We gave them a bowl of water and they kept out of the way as we settled in.

Suki and Kara staked out this closet for their bedroom

A nice lady from the church volunteered to paint the parsonage. She became a good friend. The parsonage was a 1970s, two level house with a home office, three bedrooms, a bath and a half, and finished, if dated, basement where I set up my sewing room.

The Delton parsonage with the church in the background

The house was surrounded by open land next to the church complex, a huge mown area enclosed by a farm field, with a wooded marshy area beyond that.

 wheat field view from our deck 

The wheat field was very beautiful. Only later did I wonder about drift from chemical applications to the field. Now that I know about these things, I am concerned about the safety of the parsonage so close to farmland.

Sandhill Crame in the mown wheat field

Sandhill Crane came by the hundreds. A family came in the spring and summer. After the wheat was mown, they came to feed. And in the fall they gathered by the thousands before flying South.

Sandhill Crane on the wing

Our dogs loved the open field! We had Suki on a 100-ft rope but Kara we could let run as we could always catch him. Kara loved to sit outside in the sun and Suki was happy, with her tail held high.

Kara enjoying the sunshine

Suki blossomed. For a dog who had been afraid outside of four walls, she loved running as fast as she could. We trained her on a 100 foot rope; she would lag behind me so she could run the full extension. I removed the rope when I thought she had learned her 'territory'. She would run around the field, and then run to my side, smacking into me. She would lean against me and let me pet her. This was huge for our shy, damaged dog.

Suki loved running free, fast as the wind

The dogs loved playing with a dog that lived across the street, Jack. Whenever Jack's owner saw us out he brought Jack over to play.

Starlings

There was always something new. One day I found a rare salamander in the field. I saw a murmuring of starlings one fall. Another day I watched a hot air balloon take off! The sunsets were glorious.

Hot air ballon

Central UMC in Muskegon held a quilt show and asked me to bring quilts. I had completed my original quilt I Will Lift My Voice Like a Trumpet while there. This was its first showing. In 2013 it appeared in the American Quilt Society shows in Grand Rapids, MI and Lancaster, PA.

I Will Lift My Voice Like a Trumpet, by Nancy A. Bekofske

Also in the show was my crayon tinted and embroidered Children of the World quilt, a vintage newspaper series pattern.

 And my Little Women quilt, the pattern by Marion Cheever Whiteside Newton and sold in 1952.

Little Women by Nancy A. Bekofske, left

My Pride and Prejudice quilt, my original Story Book quilt inspired by Newton's patterns, and Cranes in Winter also were in the show.

Pride and Prejudice Story Book Quilt by Nancy A. Bekofske, left
Cranes in Winter, right.

And Remember the Ladies, my First Ladies redwork quilt, and Autumn leaves.

Remember the Ladies and Autumn Leaves by Nancy A. Bekofske

It did not take long for Gary to learn about some issues of contention that had been simmering in the church for years. He did note in the meet and greet that the church officials did not support the United Methodist mission board, where Gary served as the committee on relief disaster response secretary. Instead they supported a mission board from another denomination that focused on evangelism, not relief. By October the issues became apparent.

Gary was approached by church leaders about his stance on several divisive social issues and asked if he would support and join the group's resistance to the denomination, even if he would be willing to lead the church in separation from the denomination. He would not, and that meant he was the 'enemy'.

Over the next months it came out that twenty years previous a charismatic preacher had brought in members from a more conservative denomination and when he retired this group was never happy with succeeding pastors. They had assumed leadership over the years. They attended a second praise service. They ran an organization that helped unmarried pregnant women, providing support and baby layettes and supplies. The group was against abortion and this was their outreach to support their values. Gary supported this ministry as reflective of the congregation's core values.

My husband answered questions put forth honestly and Gary's views were considered too liberal. One of the most irate leaders attacked Gary and his sermons during Sunday School in the church building. The virulence and anger all landed on Gary.

The group wanted to leave the denomination but keep the churc--building and membershp--and the investments and everything else.

The Bishop sent people to meet with the congregation in open meetings. First, to explain the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church. The denomination has struggled for decades on being inclusive to the world wide diversity of  views on hot-button issues. The founder, John Wesley, tried to circumvent division; as long as the core Christian beliefs were agreed upon, members were to 'think and let think'. The Social Principles were guidelines and at that time stood against abortion but recognized there were circumstances that led people to choose abortion, as in the case of deciding to save a woman's life or the baby's life. This upset this core group. But they also believed that money flowed to groups they did not approve of. Many stopped tithing or offering support to the church. Homosexuality was another hot button issue. Our denomination does not support gay marriage or appoint pastors in homosexual relationships. Yet the ddenomination was considered too liberal.

The Bishop's envoy explained that the local church did not own the building or the investments. Closing the church meant all assets went to the conference. That infuriated this group.

Gary and I

During these months, Gary was under huge stress. He started grinding his teeth, wearing them down significantly. He also went on the same anti-anxiety medication I had been on for two years. Looking back, I wish I had not been an involved pastor's wife. I was suffering the same anxiety as my husband. I sat in one meeting where people tore down the denomination we had served for so any years, and I wondered if our lives had been wasted, the sacrifices for nothing. I sat in the pew, crying, alone.

Before leaving the church and starting a community church, the group tried to destroy the church they could not keep. But they failed.

A core group held fast to their roots and church. When the church split they remained.

Gary had to make a decision. The congregation could no longer afford his pay level. We had the Clawson house and a dependnt son. We could not take a pay decrease. There were no real job posibilities for me. I had sent out some applications on arrival, to no avail. I was selling on eBay and Amazon and writing articles which earned me pin money. We felt broken. Did Gary move on? Or did he stay with equitable salary help from the conference and work for healing and new vision?

We stayed another year.

The remnant surrounded us with love as Gary helped them to envision a new future. I was in a Sunday School class with some great folk. I went to the weekly craft circle with more great folk. They ended every meeting in a prayer circle remembering the needs of people in the church and the greater community. I supported the service projects by contributing quilts and handcrafted purses-and buying the pizzas they made to raise funds.

I joined a book club at the library, led by a retired college professor. Many of the ladies were from the church. We read some great books, including books on Detroit-- Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle and The Dollmaker by Harriet Arnow.

I took decorative painting classes with a church member, a retired teacher who had moved to their vacation home on a lake nearby. She was a nationally known decorative painting teacher. Another great group of ladies! I found I was quite adept at painting. The group went to lunch after class.

Ladybug banner by Nancy A. Bekofske

Loon by Nancy A. Bekofske

Blue Jay by Nancy A. Bekofske

We made friends with some great people. Learning Gary liked to make bread, another bread-making man gifted Gary bread recipes books.

Kara

Sadly, in the autumn of our first year, Kara's health began to decline. His kidney failure was worsening. We tried changing his diet, and finally water therapy to flush the toxins out. Suki knew her friend was not well. In the end we were giving Kara the water treatment every day in our home. He hated it. It upset Suki to see him upset. We had to let Kara go. I bawled. He had been so much trouble, so expensive. But he was also charming and loveable.

A professional artist who was a member of the church offered to paint Kara's picture. Later she also made a painting of our first Shiba Inu, Kili, as a going away gift to Gary.

Kara playing, Kili, and Kara sleeping painted by Nancy Munger Anderson

Suki was so depressed. We went online to research another companion for her. We found Safe Harbor Animal Rescue in Vermilion, OH and drove out to meet several new dogs. We loved one for his beauty, but he was totally shut down and broken in spirit. I wanted Suki to have a friend that would bring her out. Another was happy and would have been a good companion for Suki. But it was the third dog who won Gary's heart. She followed him around. And we brought home the dog we would name Kamikaze.

Kamikaze

Kamikaze had spent her life in an Amish puppy mill in Ohio and was only 'out' in the world two weeks. She had the spirit and joy of a puppy. She was excited by life and loved attention. She hopped when she ran and flopped to her belly when she did the Shiba Shake because of a congenital issue with her hips. She suffered from interdigital cysts between her toes from a lifetime standing on a wire cage.

Kaze  was also confident and pushy. She stole Suki's toys. Suki let her. She stole Suki's food dish. Suki let her. She stole Suki's favorite sleeping spot in the corner. Suki stepped over her and somehow crammed into the corner. One time Suki did go after Kamikaze. I heard Kaze crying and Suki had hold of her neck. I pried open Suki's mouth. There was no broken skin. Apparently Kaze learned her lesson for it did not happen again, even with Kaze doing her Alpha dog thing. Suki, the stronger and larger dog, just let Kaze be boss.

We still made trips to Clawson to visit Gary's father, and once brought him to the house to stay for a while. Our son was living in Clawson, looking for a job after graduating from Grand Valley State University. It was a hard time to find work and he did not know anyone in the area except my brother. We let him borrow both dogs, or Kamikaze, for long visits to keep him company. When we found ourselves with four vechicles we downsized: Chris kept my dad's Dodge Ram and we traded in his Taurus and our car for a new vehicle that could hold two dog kennels for traveling. We gave my Buick, which my old boss had given me, to Chris's college friend.

Gary's second year came to an end and the conference found a suitable pastor for the church. I designed and painted a banner for the Sunday school classroom.

Banner by Nancy A. Bekofske

 My painting teacher was very excited about how far I had come.

We had high hopes for our last church. The District Superintendent would not tell Gary what church was being considered, but said she'd go there in a flash. It got our hopes up. We were pretty shocked to learn we were returning to Lake Michigan, to a resort town where we used to take our son to the district family camp: Pentwater. 

Sunset in Delton

Binding With a Flange from Caroline's Sewing Room

Caroline's Sewing Room in West Branch, MI demonstrated how to bind with a flange during the annual Quilt Walk the first weekend of October. The flange is incorporated into the binding process and gives the impression of a narrow border.

The instructions involve cutting two strips of fabric, 1 1/2" wide for the binding strip and 1 3/4" wide for the flange strip. (Use mitered seams to connect the strips to make the lengths needed for your project.) The binding strips are sewn together right sides together along the long sides.

The strips are then turned wrong sides together and pressed even at the open edge; the flange fabric will show 1/8" at the folded edge.

The binding is sewn to the back of the quilt with the flange fabric up, then folded to the front of the quilt. The binding is machine sewn with matching threads.

 Below: Back of the quilt with binding sewn on.

 Below: Front of the quilt with binding sewn on.

Below the binding is being sewn on. You can see the binding back matches the border/backing fabric of the project and the flange is in the contrasting lighter fabric.

The mitered corners will need to be hand sewn.

 

It makes a great effect. I am eager to try it out on some small quilt projects and think it would be great for art quilts.

Gallivanting

On Saturday we left Metro Detroit on a day trip into the 'thumb' of Michigan in search of quilt shops and ancestors.

My grandmother Emma Becker Gochenour called it 'gallavanting'. She and her girlfriends from the North Tonawanda Baptist Church loved to spend a day wandering around Ontario or New York.

On our trip we took Van Dyke road north into the countryside, through Romeo and Almont to Imlay City. I went to four quilt shops to pick up their Row By Row patterns and then we went east and searched for the Lynn Township Cemetery to see my husband's mother's ancestors. (That's another post.)

Almont was having it's Homecoming Day  which is held every five years. The downtown businesses had quilts hanging in the windows. We stopped to see them. The photos are not great because of the window reflections. It seems that Stitchin at the Barn was associated with some of the quilts.

I learned that Almont is the sixth oldest village in the state of Michigan!

The quilt shops I visited included Shelby Township's Decorative Stitch, Quilted Nine Patch in Bruce Twp, and Stitchin' at the Barn, and the Pincushion in Imlay City. Each shop offered something different than I had seen before. 

On the way home we picked up sweet corn, $4.50 for a dozen huge ears. We had it for dinner and it was like eating pure sugar! 

WWII Letters from The Pacific Recall the Grand Blanc, MI Buick Tank Plant

During WWII my father-in-law Herman Bekofske worked in the Grand Blanc, MI Buick "tank plant". Legally blind in one eye and supporting a wife and two boys, he was not called for service. But many of his friends at the plant were. One was Ed Lambert.

Pvt. Edward J. Lambert 36929398
661 Repl. Co., 133rd Repl. Bn
1st Repl. Depot (Prov.)
A.P.O. 238, 40 Postmaster
San Francisco, Calif.
Saturday, June 16, 1945

Dear Herman,
     I am now somewhere on Luzon Island in the Philippines. Yours was the first letter I received here and I was very glad to get it. I am glad you didn't have to go to the Army. It is not so bad but its certainly not like home. I am glad to hear Roy's brother is all right. I wrote to Roy a sort time ago. I asked at that time how his brother came out.
     I received a letter from Jack the day after I received yours. he says things are slowing down at the Tank Plant. I hope this won't mean Jack Irving will have to go to the Army.
     I am glad to hear your wife and the boys are OK. You ought to have a couple of pretty fine fellows there before long.
     We play euchre here, but since I had to teach most of the fellows I play with how to play it it is still pretty slow going.
     By the way we have some rain out here too.
     I have been into Manila. While there I bought some Jap occupation currency from some little Phlip [sic] kids at a cigarette per bill. This money is worthless now the Americans have taken over, but it makes nice souvenirs.
     I am send along one of these bills. The money here runs as follows: one, five, ten, twenty and fifty centavos, then one, two, five, etc. pesos.
     This money is (American issue which is good that is) exchange for ours at a ration of two to one. One centavo is worth one half an American penny; one pesos is worth fifty cents, etc.
     I am running a little late on time and I want to try to answer Jack's letter so will close for now.
Sincerely,
Ed
P.S. I don't expect to see M. K. Lemon, but you never can tell.

Wednesday, June 19, 1945
Dear Herman,
     Received your swell letter of May 31st yesterday. I was a little worried how I was going to answer it. At present we have more time to ourselves than at any time since I have been in the Army. I don't think this situation will last for long though. The thing of it is I was completely out of air-mail stamps. They are pretty hard to get here at present. Fortunately I received a letter from my father with air-mail stamps enclosed. I am glad to be able to say my father seems to be doing pretty well at present. i fell pretty bad about the situation at home at times but there is damn little I can do about it except hope this thing won't last to [sic] long.
     I received your V-mail letter OK. Thanks for writing. The answer to the V-mail letter is already on the way to you. I hadn't written you before that because I didn't know how you had come out with the Army. I am sorry to hear about Don Neirgarth. It is to bad he got caught just two moths before he was thirty. I do remember him very well. Some friends of mine up North have the same name. I though Don might be related to them, but it turned out he wasn't.
     Its nice to know your boys are coming along so well, and congratulations on your fifth wedding anniversary. Don't start feeling to old. here are fellows over her who could call you son and be about right.
     So you are in the cattle raising business now. The nearest thing we have o cows here that I have seen are water buffalo. Man, are they ugly looking creatures. Well you should be doing better than hot dogs this winter. By the way we had steak for dinner the day I received your letter. I would still like to be back there eating hot dogs though. You might tell Red Cooper I haven't got any steaks for breakfast out this man's Army yet.
     I have only seen seven movies since I was home on fourlough [sic]. This isn't to bad an average expected I had seen all except one before. Then to I had to stand through most of them and for about an hour and a half before they started in order to have a place where I could see, and I still enjoyed them.
     I am sorry to say I didn't get out of camp during the very short time I was on the West Coast.
     I am still here on Luzon in the Philippine. The weather for the most part has been a lot better than we expect for which we are thankful. It still seems a funny to know I have actually seen Corregidor [sic], Batan [sic], Manila, and am half a world away from home.
     Things are pretty good here where I am at present. We get good chow, and enough cigarettes. Out beer ration never seems to be enough, though I suppose that's natural enough.
     I haven't put on any excess weight and do not want to.
     I hope you and Bill are having a better time with the obsolete stock on the M-4 than we did on the T-70.
     Glad to hear you are still interesting in going into business for yourself. That's the life being your own boss.
     We are going to have to fallout for chow in a few minutes so will close for now. Tell your wife I said hello and congratulations on putting up with you for five years. I hope you have a nice vacation and catch plenty of fish.
Sincerely,
Ed

July 26, 1945
Dear "Uncle" Herm,
     I have to start out this letter by apologizing for not having answered your last two letters (June 28th and July 3rd) until now. I really appreciate your writing very much, but I don't have much spare time any more. In fact damn little. Then to I must admit I goofed off some by going to a couple of shows on my free nights last week. One was a U.S.O. show. It was "Oklahoma." They didn't have anyone playing in it I knew, but it was a swell show. Also it was very nice to see some blondes again (women of course.) The other show was a G.d. Musical Review. It was also pretty good.
     There seem to be quite a lot of fellows leaving the Tank Pant, but that is to be expected I suppose.
     About smoking. We are issued six packs a week. The way I am going now they don't last.
     Fortunately I still have a reserve I purchased on the boat. I immagine [sic] the cigarette situation is not very hood at home.
     Nobody here plays euchre. It is all poker and pinochle. So far I haven't had the money to play either and don't think I would be to much interested if I did.
It's to bad about Bartlett being called up at this late date but I suppose it is to be expected. The fellow who have been over here two or three years are anxious to get home (can you blame them.) Now they have their chance with the point system but we will need replacements for them and there are quite a few of them.
     I am sorry to hear Bill isn't making out very well. I immagine this would make a lot of exra work for you if it weren't for things slowing down. It seems funny to hear you tell about an inventory that you had plenty of time for. Things just aren't what they used to be.
     So Red Copper's brother is on his way over here. I can immagine just about how much he likes that. Tell Mr. Copper that we are getting steaks but not for breakfast and I beginning to believe that was just so much boloney[sic].
     George Carol is out at the tank plant now. Well I have run into a fellow from Flint who has been over here twenty-seven months. His name is Walters (sorry I afraid I an't think of his first name at the moment) and he knows Mr. Carol and quite a few others I know or have heard of. Walters is my age and graduated from Central the same time I did from Northern. We've spent quite a bit of time talking together. The old home town has changed a lot since he left it.
     I am glad to hear my letters are coming through in good time. Yours do.
     I am going to finish this letter on some Japanese stationary that one of the fellows gave. I thought it might prove interesting.
     I am going to have to close if I want to get this off tonight. Thanks very much for the stamps. With yours and what my father sent me I am pretty well fixed for stamps now.
     I hope you will be able to make this [missing part] I hope to get time to write yo a decent letter in [missing] near future.
     By the way it is hot over here and its supposed to be winter season. Give your wife and kiddies my best wishes.

Pfc Edward Lambert 369929398
191 Ord. Depot Co, APO 503
c/o PM, San Francisco, Calif.
5 October, 1945, Japan

Dear Herm,
     Well I am now in Japan. I am sorry I haven't written you more often, but we were very busy equipping the Division that last month on Luzon. The ordinance may be a good deal during combat but during the rest periods while the rest of the division is taking life easy ordinance is working its ass of getting them ready for the next move. For a while we thought this was going to be a combat move. Fortunately it wan't. But the need for occupation troops was immediate. Do our preparations were cut short. I don't think I got eight hours sleep the last three days we were on Luzon. Since I reach Japan sinus has had me feeling pretty lo most of the time. It seems to rain a lot here and is quite cool. It is raining now.
     We have been moving around quite a bit. As you probably noticed by address I am in a different company. The 43rd Division went home. At least the men in it with more than 70 points did. The rest of us were transferred to other outfits. While still with the 43rd Division our ordinance outfit moved three times after arriving in Japan. The last place we were at wasn't so hot, but we worked like the devil getting set up. When we finally had everything under control and the place pretty livable we were ordered out. The 97th Division (from Europe via the States) came in and took over everything.
     This outfit I am with now is an Ordinance Supply Depot. At present we are set up in an ex-Jap truck factory just off the docks at Yokohama.
     I am running a little short of time. So will close for now. I hope you, the wife, and kids are coming along find. Thanks for writing. I will try and write again shortly and give you a few details about Japan. I will say here the damage done by bombs in the Tokoyo-Yokohama area was terrific. Everyone was supprised [sic] more than supprised-amazed. It will be nice to see a city or town again that hasn't been damaged by those bombs or shell fire.
Sincerely,
Ed

28 October, '45-Japan
Dear Herm,
My last communication from Japan. I will tell you all about the place when I see you. I am on my way home. Ed.

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Edward J Lambert was born on January 1, 1920 and died January 21, 1971. He enlisted in the Army on September 22, 1941 in Detroit, MI. He had four years of high school and worked as a machinist. He was 67" high and weighed 170 pounds. Ed was in the Branch Immaterial as a Warrant officer.

He appears in the 1930 Flint, MI census as seven years old living with parents Burt, 55 years old, a machinist in the auto factory, and Kitty, 45 years old. The 1940 Flint, MI census shows Burt working in bearings at the Chevrolet plant and Edward, age 17, was a metallurgist in the Buick plant. Kitty does not appear.

In 1945 the Flint City Directory shows Ed was a clerk, and in 1947 he was listed as an office worker.

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My son, a WWII buff from age eight, (and who blogs about vintage genre fiction at Battered, Tattered, Yellowed and Creased) wrote this about the tanks produced at the Buick "tank" factory:

"When the United States entered World War II production of most civilian goods stopped and the country became the "Arsenal of Democracy." Automakers like Buick immediately switched over to building trucks and tanks for the war effort, and its Grand Blanc Plant is still sometimes called the Buick Tank Plant due to the sheer number of armored vehicles it produced.

Two of those would be the M-4 and T-70 that Ed mentions in his letter. The M-4 is the ubiquitous Sherman Medium Tank, the mainstay of the Allied forces fighting in North Africa, Italy, and Northwest Europe. It carried a 75mm low-velocity main gun and had 3 inches of armor plate at its thickest, and its 400-horsepower engine could carry it up to 30 miles per hour. It entered service in 1942, and over the course of the war over 42,000 were built, the design continually being upgraded. The T-70 was actually a tank destroyer, an early prototype of what in 1944 entered mass-production as the M18 Hellcat; some of the T-70 prototypes saw service in Italy, and 2,500 M-18s were used in Europe. The Hellcat carried a high-velocity, long-barreled 76mm (3-inch) main gun, designed for penetrating thick armor (though its effectiveness against heavy German panzers is questioned by historians); its armor plate was only an inch thick, but that reduced weight and allowed it to reach a road speed of 57 mph.

It may sound like semantic nitpicking, but there is a reason historians and tank buffs clarify that the M-18 Hellcat was not a tank but a tank destroyer. US Army doctrine in the '30s was based around World War I-type tactics, where tanks were slow breakthrough vehicles used to penetrate an enemy's defensive line, designed to plod along supporting the infantry, carrying lower-velocity main guns designed not to pierce enemy tank armor but to pin down enemy infantry and blow up fortifications. (Early models of the M-4 is a perfect example of this, with its tall silhouette, under-powered gun, and slow speed; if your tank goes faster than 30 mph, it may outrun the infantry it supports.) In fact, tanks weren't supposed to fight tanks at all, that's what the tank destroyers were for. Tank destroyers carried high-velocity,long-barreled anti-tank guns loaded with armor-piercing rounds; they were as lightly armored as possible, designed to rush forward and respond to breakthroughs of enemy armor, or to quickly flank enemy tanks and fire at the weaker armor at their sides and rear. Unfortunately for the Hellcat, the doctrine didn't take into consideration Italian mud or French hedgerows, which negated its greatest asset (speed) and helped highlight the inefficiencies of its armor."

For more information:
The M-4/M-24 Sherman tank power trains:
http://www.buickheritagealliance.org/ww2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman

T-70 a tank destroyer "gun motor carriage"/ M-18 Hellcat:
http://www.trucktrend.com/roadtests/ultimate/163_1404_1944_buick_m18_hellcat_tank_destroyer_first_drive/
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/united-states/vehicle/tank-destroyers/m18-gun-motor-carriage.asp

The Flint MI auto plants during WWII:
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/01/from_tanks_to_cars_a_history_o.html
US Auto Industry during WWII
http://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com/General%20Motors/buick.htm
http://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com/General%20Motors/chevrolet.htm
http://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com/Fisher%20Body/fisherbodydatabase.htm

For information about Luzon, the largest island in the Philipines, the 43rd Division, and the places Ed mentioned seeing go to:
http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/luzon/72-28.htm
http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/043id.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-jtMBZrO0c

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People mentioned in Ed's letters include:

• Don Neirgarth, who in 1938 was a supervisor in the Fisher Body Plant, and in 1954 was an insurance agent. 
• Jack Irving who was born in 1916 in Flint, MI, the son of I. L. and Delphine Irving. In 1942 Jack was married to Mildred and was a factory worker in an auto factory.
• M. K. Lemon, or Kenneth Lemon, who in 1938 was a bellman at the Flint Hotel at 602 E. Knickerbocker Ave. His father was Frank C. Lemon who in 1938 worked as an inspector in the Chevrolet plant and was married to Augusta. In 1942 Kenneth was a machine operator in Flint MI.
• George Carol who in 1940 was 32 years old and worked as a production checker in the auto body Mann factory, and was married to Dorothea B.; they had a son Robert G., two years old.

"Brother it sure is hell"- Letters From WWII

The 5th Division, from it's landing in Normandy on July 9, 1944 to the last Division Headquarters in Vishofen, Germany, had traveled 2,049 miles and had been engaged major campaigns including Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, Adrennes-Alsac, and Central Europe.(from https://sites.google.com/site/fifthidhrs/home/history)

My father-in-law Herman Bekofske kept letters and postcards from friends who served in WWII.

Two letters were from PFC Robert Stanley Morris. In his letter dated June 12, 1945 Bob stated that he had worked at the Fisher Body Plant in Flint, MI as a foreman and a steel dispatcher. (After the death of her husband, Herman's mother worked at the plant. She supported the sit down strike and she was a proud member of the union.)

I have transcribed the letters as they were written.

April 7, 1945
Germany 

Hello Herman--
Today I received a letter from you with the heading of Hello Robert Stanley I like that very much especially the Stanley part, cute says I. 

I need not say how much I enjoyed this letter of yours being the first in almost two years that we have written one another. I usually say in my letters please excuse the writing as I am sitting in a fox hole but I guess it is me that is to blame and not the fox hole as right now we have just taken this town, that is yesterday, and I am sitting at a very large desk in one of the best hotels in Germany writing this letter to you- see it must be me and my sensibility, huh. 

Oh yes by the way it may be doesn't sound so exciting to you but last night I slept in a very good bed with clean sheets for the first time since I have been over seas almost a year and believe me I really did sleep. (Quote) (alone of course). 

Your Joe Hubie joke stunk- since I have been over here I have heard some very good ones but I don't think it would be very nice to put on paper so we will have to save them till I get home again. (Home what the hell is that) 

No, Herman I haven't lost my sense of humor, if we didn't laugh over here I do believe we would all go nuts and I do mean nuts- this is one hell of a war--people over here in Europe are starving not only in France and Luxembourg but here in Germany. But in England they do fairly good- it is a shame to see these people fight for a crust of bread
I see you have received your 1-A and Herman if you can, stay out of this damn Army at least try to get into the Navy- people that have not been on the front lines do not know what Hell it is and brother it sure is hell. 

You will never know the feeling when we walk up a hill to take a position or a town and you can see the damn Germans looking down your throat- you get weak all over and the skin creeps up your spine then things start popping and the first thing you know it is all over and you try to remember what you have done and simply can't. At night you are so tired that you try to sleep but so help me you simply can't for thinking o hell what a war.
We get all the wisky [sic] we want to drink over here in Germany that is one think that these people have. Well my friend I must close for now. Will write again soon
your friend Bob 

PS Say hello to Snider for me also Jack. Thank you. 

June 12, 1945
Germany Annsdorf 

Hello my friend:
Well will wonders never cease. I received a very good two page letter from you that you wrote on May the 29th very good to says I -as you know the War is over here in Germany. This Germany stinks believe me altho parts of it is very pretty. 

This letter of yours is very newsy Herman old Boy. I did and am really enjoying it I am glad to hear you didn't make the Army don't feel bad about that is one exam in your life that you are glad you didn't pass I'll bet- and I am glad for you and your wife 

So you cannot picture me in a fox hole huh Well old Boy who in the Hell wants to picture anything in a fox hole with those damn 88s and flying box cars and screaming meanies going over and I might say not all of them going over- all a man can think of is digging deeper -I have scratched up more dirt here in Germany, Luxembourg-France and Czech. than there is in the United States and I want you to believe most of it I was digging like a dog with my paws and you know what a dog digs a hole for- Well I dug them for protection but when the things became hot the boys and I dug the holes for the same purpose-sounds funny huh- it is funny by gosh -But by God it is the truth and now I laugh at the things I have done 

We reached a small town in Germany just after we crossed the Rhine River and we took the town Plus about 200 Germans just when everything was nice and quiet the Jerries came over with about twenty planes and straffed [sic] us but get this I was so damned scared that I stuck my head in a corner of a building took my steel helmet of and put it over my backside -can you picture that -but then a man does a lot of funny things at times like that 

I have been very fortunate while I have been here with the third Army fifth Div, the Germans called us the red Devils you see we wear or an insignia a red Diamond -well as I was saying I have been very fortunate of the hundred fellows that came in with me there are only two left besides me -I have thanked my lucky stars a thousand times that I liked hunting so well for years, these Jerries and pheasants are about the same target they both jump and hollar about the same only the pheasants jump higher-Oh well now the war is over in Germany I am wondering if the Japs jump now, all I want to do now is to get home for a few days before finding out if they jump or not. 

You mentioned about German Wiskey [sic] well Herman I have sampled plenty of it and about those Wolf Holes you talked about I sure as hell didn't want any Dutch Gal in a hole that was only three or four inches deep I had a hard enough time taking care of myself let alone any lady else anyway I was always to [sic] scared. 

You mentioned about Jokes yes the ones I have heard over here are Gems I will pour a few into your ears when I get home and your joke I thought was really cute and so did a lot of the fellows all in all this letter of yours is a dilly. Keep it up old Boy and I hope this but of scratching doesn't take as long as the other one to get to you. I am also writing a letter to Jack this evening I a glad to hear about Gary He is one of my favorite boys you mentioned about me being an ex steel dispatcher by all means Herman don't forget I am also an ex foreman of the Great Fisher Body my my how I chatter on Well I will close for now 

With lots of luck
your friend as always
Bob

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A family tree on Ancestry.com shows a Robert Stanley Morris born 2/16/1907 and died 4/20/1985.

On July 8, 1929 Robert entered the US at Detroit from Canada. He was 19 years old and living in Windsor, Canada; he was born in Walthamstow, England, and worked as a Bookkeeper. He was going to his Aunt Mrs. Carl Carlson of Flint, MI. It was his first entry into the US, passage paid by himself. The document also says that on January 28,1919 he entered Halifax, Nova Scotia, under the "British Quota."

The 1930 Census in Flint, MI shows he was working as a taxi cab driver, living with his parents Henry and Mae Whiting; Henry worked for the electric company.

The 1940 Census shows he was a steel dispatcher in Flint, MI, with three years of college, living with his wife Ethel M. and their daughter Sandra J. who was 2 years old. In a 1941 city directory he was listed as steel dispatcher in Flint.

His mother was Mae Fitzgerald born 10/9/1888 in India and died 6/19/1964 in Port Huron. She was the second wife of Henry William Whiting born 2/14/1885 in London, Ontario, Canada and died in 1950. Henry worked for Consumers Power and they lived in Flint, Lansing Grand Ledge, and Port Huron MI.

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The Red Devils

Notes: On September 25 there were 1400 Red Devils killed taking Moselle. With the surrender of Japan the Red Devils were deactivated on September 20, 1946.

To read about the Third Army Fifth Division, The Red Devils:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Infantry_Division_%28United_States%29
http://www.combatreels.com/5th_infantry_division_europe_dvd.cfm