Area Pearl Harbor Vets Featured on TV
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Legislative Reports Family Heirlooms Local Obituaries Calendar of Events Sports & Outdoors Public Notices See Page 2 See Page 4 See Page 8 See Page 10 See Page 11 See Page 12 THE TRI-CITY RECORD 35* Vol. 107 - No. 49 RED ARROW EDITION OF THE WATERVLIET RECORD, COLOMA COURIER & HARTFORD NEWS December 4,1991 For 50th anniversary of attack Area Pearl Harbor fttf ,;rfc Oo«t» JAPS AND Oil mi hi* til W19WK5 G vets featured on TV M By Sandy Deyne ST: Two well-known area men who Watervliet survived the attack on Pearl Har- % Mayor Robert bor 50 years ago will reflect on their * Flaherty (left) experiences that day in a television was eating his special to be broadcast this week. breakfast Robert Flaherty, Mayor of Water- aboard the USS vliet, and Ted Blahnik, retired New Orleans, Watervliet and Coloma teacher, anchored in spent Tuesday, December 3, and Pearl Harbor, Wednesday, December 4, sharing when the their recollections of December 7, bombs began PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR...Ted Blahnik is shown with a model off his 1941, with Watervliet fifth-, eighth-, to fall fifty ship, the USS Helena. Though the ship was both bombed and torpedoed, it and eleventh-grade students. The years ago. was repaired and went on to fight at Guadalcanal and was finally sunk near Watervliet High School media pro- Vella La Vella. Blahnik endured almost three days in the water before duction class has videotaped the Island, which is in the middle of rescue. history lessons by Flaherty and Pearl Harbor. Putting on his SANTA CAME TO TOWN...Monday night in Watervliet. The jolly elf was Blahnik which will be aired on , headset to relay information, he escorted down Main St. by the Watervliet Police and Fire departments and Jones Inter cable Channel 41 at the tried to contact sky control but did the High School Marching Band. Following the community tree lighting and following times: Thursday, not get any answer. Figuring he What they were doing at time of attack being presented the "Key to the City" by Mayor Robert Flaherty, Santa met December 5, at 7:00 p.m.; Friday, was useless in that position, Blahnik with happy children at his North Pole Headquarters located in Gargano December 6, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 said he went down on the mount and Custom Carpets. Pictured is Kelsey Harness telling Santa her Christmas p.m.; and Saturday, December 7, at acted as a first-loader. He had Hartford "philosophers" wishes. Santa will be at the North Pole the next three Saturdays to visit with 8:00 a.m., 12:55 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. never done this before, he said, but children from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., compliments of the WBA. Flaherty was a seaman first class continued to spend most of "an in- (Karl Bayer photo) aboard the heavy cruiser USS New teresting day" there. remember Pearl Harbor Orleans on which he worked in the A Japanese plane dropped a ship's store. At the time of the at- torpedo during the attack which By Roy M. Davis where I was exactly, but im- tack, Flaherty said he was in the went underneath the USS Oglala, Modern communication flashes mediately a song flashed through Hometown store eating his breakfast. As the right next to the Helena. The tragic news around the world in a my mind, 'You're in the Army now,' alarm sounded, Flaherty headed Oglala, a World War I minelayer, matter of minutes. Such was the and 6 months later I was." for his battle station-one of the sunk and the Helena was also hit at case on December 7,1941, when the Don Mosher: "I was in high ship's 8-inch guns, which he said this time, killing a lot of men Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, school and it didn't affect my life Holiday was useless for defense against at- aboard, Blahnik said. starting World War H. The horror of that much until I was drafted in tacking planes. He was sent to the Receiving repairs and better guns that moment was imprinted on the 1944. I spent my 19th birthday magazine to send up shells, where following the attack on Pearl Har- collective memory of U.S. citizens fighting in the Battle of the Bulge." he said he spent4 4 the fastest day of bor, the Helena was involved in the for all time. Larry Peirce: "That day I was at Happenings my life.,, naval Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 Recently, the Record's Paw Paw the Heart Theatre-took my sister to Throughout the attack, the New and was eventually sunk by a River correspondent wandered into the show after Sunday dinner. Aunt Orleans received shrapnel and frag- torpedo attack off the Solomon a morning philosophers' club Julia and Uncle Don Cutler were at For more Holiday events see page 14 CHRISTMAS ment damage. Islands in 1943. Blahnik, who was meeting at Hook's Drug Store in our house. They stopped the movie Blahnik was a seaman first class aboard at that time, spent almost Hartford. "Where were you," he and Lil came out and said, 'The war OPEN HOUSE aboard the USS Helena. At the time three days on a raft before he was asked, "and what were you doing has started. Everyone should go COLOMA LIONS TO A Christmas open house will be the alarm sounded, he said he head- rescued by natives. when you heard about Pearl Har- home.' I can remember saying, SPONSOR BREAKFAST held at the Hartford Public Library ed for his battle station-the tub on Both men will be honored this bor?" 'Where is Pearl Harbor anyway, on Saturday, December 14, from m WITH SANTA an anti-aircraft gun. From that week as they will each be presented Hook's Drug Store clerks Sara and why do we have to go home? 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. View an old- Coloma Lions Club is having its osition, he said he saw dive a special congressional medal for and Claudia (looking a little puzzl- Harold Walker (musing for a mo- annual Breakfast with Santa on fashioned decor while feasting on ombers diving down on Ford Pearl Harbor veterans. ment): "When President Kennedy cookies and punch. E ed): "We weren't even born until Sunday, December 8, at Washing- after that, so how could we know?" was shot, I was pumping gas at my ton Elementary School in Coloma Bud Pitcher, putting down his cof- station. A woman sat there in her from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. LOCAL MARINES fee cup: "I was just a kid, sitting at car with the radio on and she was Breakfast includes pancakes, cof- Lakefront land sale date home that day with my parents. I crying." fee, juice and sausage. The price of TO SPONSOR didn't realize until later what was Then Harold turned and said: the breakfast is: adults, $3.50; TOYS FOR TOTS happening." "Sara, we're out of coffee here. children up to 12, $2.50. For many years, the United set by Coloma Township Neil Schaus: "I wasn't born yet. How about putting on another pot...I Bring the kids to see Santa and But just recently my daughter said was seven years old and I can't States Marine Corps has par- By Bob Lohr night's regular business meeting, have their pictures taken with him. ticipated in a program for young she would like to see the memorial really remember Pearl Harbor." The Coloma Township Board has that he was advised of the pro- at Pearl Harbor, so maybe we will Evie Babcock: "I was visiting my children by way of distribution of set the date for a public auction to cedures to follow for the auction toys. Again this year, the Marine take a trip over there." cousin in Champaign, Illinois. It WATERVLIET PTO dispose of a small parcel of land it after correspondence with Town- Fred Ward, reaching for more was Sunday afternoon and we were Corps League of Southwestern owns on Little Paw Paw Lake. ship attorney James Ford. Michigan Area will continue with coffee: "I was 11 years old at the listening to the Bears-Packers foot- TO HOLD The Board moved to set March 2 Moser stated that title insurance time and don't really remember. I ball game. The announcement this project. as the date to publicly auction off a is to be purchased for the fair COOKIE WALK Vic Wier, of the Wolverine was shocked and surprised, but it came and we thought someone was The Watervliet Elementary piece of Township-owned property market value of the land after that didn't affect me personally for a playing a joke. But it was no joke! Detachment of the Wolverine located between the lake and Little has been determined by the Town- Parent-Teacher Organization is Marine Corps League, announces while. My folks knew what it meant- Next day so many troops were go- holding a Christmas fund-raiser on Paw Paw Lake Road near the in- ship assessor. After the title in- -my Dad was a veteran of World ing in and out of nearby Chanute that the Coloma United Methodist tersection of Interlochen Avenue. surance has been purchased, it. Thursday, December 5, from 6-8 Church will again be a collection War I." Field we could hardly get standing p.m. at North Elementary School. Township trustee Matthew Moser See LAND on page 14 Vere Shindeldecker, with a smile room on the train back to T and distribution center for the told the Board, at last Monday Tin? P 0 is iiosting a "Cookie Coloma-Hartford-Watervliet area as he remembered: "I don't know Michigan!" Walk" al hich several varieties of (Other collection centers are at homemade holiday cookies will be Washington and Coloma Elemen- offered for sale at $2 per box.