This Week in US Military History (Putting Kodak-connected vets in context with “the big picture”.): 15-21 May

Kodak Heroes of WW-I

The seven unidentified men pictured above are among the “Kodak Unknown Soldiers” pictured in a group photo taken after WW-I. Below are profiles of the service of seven others named on the Kodak Park memorial plaques in the lobby of “Theater On The Ridge” – former Kodak Park Building 28:

• Pvt. Earl W. Hawkins, Spencerport, Monroe County, N. Y. (US Army): Born, Spencerport, N. Y. Entered the service at Spencerport, Monroe County, N. Y., Feb. 24, 1918, at the age of 23 years, as Private, assigned to 151st Depot Brigade. Transferred to Company D, 308th Infantry, March 15, 1918. Served overseas from April 6, 1918 to April 28, 1919. Discharged, May 9, 1919.

• MM1 Francis Joseph Heaney, 2052 Dewey Ave., Rochester, N. Y. (US Navy): Entered the service at Buffalo, N. Y., May 13, 1918, at the age of 21 years, in U. S. Naval Reserve Force. Served, Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, 111., from June 7, 1918 to Sept. 20, 1918; Naval Inspector, Rochester, N. Y., to Nov. 6, 1918; Receiving Ship, Philadelphia, Pa., to Nov. 11, 1918. Seaman, 2d Class, 182 days; Machinist's Mate, 1st Class. Discharged Dec. 12, 1918.

• F2c Leland Taylor Knapp, 161 Comfort St., Rochester, N. Y. (US Navy): Born, Stanley, N. Y. Entered the service at Rochester, N. Y., April 12, 1917, at the age of 19 years, in U. S. Navy. Served, Receiving Ship, Philadelphia, Pa., to April 20, 1917; U. S. S. Chicago, to June 12, 1917; Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa., to July 17, 1917; U. S. S. Chicago, to Nov. 11, 1918. Fireman, 3d Class, 476 days; 2d Class, 102 days. Discharged, Jan. 7, 1919.

• Cpl. Walter P. Leschander, 118 Kislingbury St., Rochester, N. Y. (US Army): Born, Rochester, N. Y. Entered the service at Rochester, N. Y., Aug. 1, 1917, at the age of 23 years, as Private, assigned to 68th Aero Squadron, Signal Corps, Fort Slocum, N. Y. Transferred to 49th Aero Squadron, Aug. 25, 1917. Served overseas from Jan. 9, 1918 to March 8, 1919. Promoted, Corporal, Oct. 12, 1917; Chauffeur, Nov. 1, 1918. Discharged, March 15, 1919.

• PFC Milton A. Pike, 19 Burrows St., Gates, Monroe County, N. Y. (US Army): Born, Rochester, N. Y. Entered the service at Rochester, N. Y., Feb. 24, 1918, at the age of 26 years, as Private, assigned to Medical Detachment, Company D, 33d Engineers. Served overseas from May 10, 1918 to June 2, 1919. Promoted to Private, 1st Class, May 1, 1919. Discharged, June 10, 1919.

• PFC Fred A. Benwitz, West Henrietta, Monroe County, N. Y. (US Army): Entered the service at Rochester, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1918, at the age of 25 years, as Private, being assigned to 69th Company, 17th Battalion, Camp Syracuse, N. Y. Transferred to 304th Guard and Fire Company, Quartermaster Corps, Sept. 28, 1918. Promoted, Private, 1st Class, Oct. 13, 1918. Discharged, May 14, 1919.

• F3c Edward Thomas Christie, 1071 Dewey Ave., Rochester, N. Y. (US Navy): Entered the service at Rochester, N. Y., July 19, 1918, at the age of 30 years, in the U. S. Naval Reserve Force. Served at Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Ill., to Nov. 3, 1918; Receiving Ship, Philadelphia, Pa., to Nov. 11, 1918. Apprentice Seaman, 104 days; Fireman, 3d Class, 11 days. Discharged, M a y 16, 1919.

The third Saturday in May is observed annually as “Armed Forces Day” – a day to remember the contributions of those who serve our country during war and peace as members of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force!

Kodak VetNet members have been frequent attendees at the annual Armed Forces Day observances conducted by Monroe County, NY government, demonstrating Kodak consumer photographic products and interacting with local service-members, veterans, and their families. Thanks to all who served VetNet in this capacity in the past, and to all our area service-connected individuals and families!

2007 VetNet Activities Presentation slide – Frank Mucha on right in photo, not sure of person on left.

15 May 1942:

Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (US Army -WAAC, later Women’s Army Corps - WAC) established. Approximately 150,000 women served in the WAC during WW-II including a number of women previously employed in various capacities at Kodak plants in Rochester.

! Corp. R.E. Ladwig served in the US WAAC during WW-II and her photograph in uniform appears in the November 1943 issue of "Kodak" Magazine. Ruth B. Ladwig, Rochester, NY: "SERVED AS AIR RAID WARDEN" per an entry on Nat'l WW-II Memorial Registry by her son, Mr.

John W. Ladwig. It is believed that this is the same "R. Ladwig". Corp. Ladwig was an employee of the Kodak Camera Works prior to her service during the war.

! Lt. Jean Rathjen (US Army-WAAC): Ms. Rathjen, a Kodak Park employee prior to her service in the war, is mentioned in a 28 December 1945 Rochester Times-Union article as having been selected to serve as "Temporary Adjutant" for a new WAAC Post of the American Legion being established in Rochester at that time. The article, that included a photo of Lt. Rathjen with two other members of the new Legion Post, states that she was a "WAC veteran of the Pacific now on terminal leave". According to NARA on-line enlistment records Lt. Rathjen enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the inactive reserves at Rochester, NY 20 November 1942.

! Charlotte B. Thomas, Rochester, NY (US Army WAAC): "TELETYPE OPERATOR, ELVEDEN, ENGLAND; OPERATIONS ROOM, HEADQUARTERS BUILDING, 1ST AMERICAN WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS (WAC) TO BE SO EMPLOYED. HONORABLY DISCHARGED FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY OCTOBER 12, 1945." per National World War Two Memorial Registry entry by Ms. Marian T. Blake. The poem below, written by Ms. Thomas, was printed in the March 1943 issue of "Kodak", the company’s employee magazine. It provides a good-humored look at some of her trials during induction into the military. Ms. Thomas was a Kodak Office employee prior to her

service in the war.“I left my home to join the WAACs, I left the ones who care,I left with girls who like hard work - I joined a group who dared.We followed Horace Greeley's words and headed for the West,Though many things have made me feel that hometowns are the best.No upper berth on any train was ever built for meSince five-feet-ten goes into four like mustard goes in tea.

We reached Des Moines on a rainy morn - a lovely day for ducks,No taxi met us at the train - they packed us into trucks.We rumbled over muddy roads, were scratched and knocked about,A sudden stop, and then we all were ordered to "Get Out"!We did - they took our candy then and told us not to smoke,We didn't - and today we learned that it was all a joke.

They led us on from room-to-room and, when the day was through,We found ourselves in barracks, feeling tired and mighty blue.Next day we all were fitted, measured, typed and classified.No uniform would fit me, no matter how they tried.The skirts were short, the coats too long, the hats a gross misfit,And they issued me some "woolies" which I didn't like a bit.

I once had legs to which a pair of Nylons glamour lent,They're now encased in cotton and my shoes fit like a tent.My raincoat's short, the belt's too tight - I'm really very blue.They look at me and say, "Dear, dear, we hadn't planned on you."I'm tall, I know, but never guessed I'd reach such huge proportions,That getting into Army clothes would bring on such contortions.I squeeze and pull and stretch until I feel so very sadBut, when correctly fitted, friends, I may not look too bad.They said they'd clothe us but, to date, quite poorly I have fared.Cheer up - I may have a uniform when the Armistice is declared.

We march and drill and go to class and then we march some more.We go to class and march and drill until our feet are sore.Sometimes, when very tired, I think it would have been much brighterTo have stayed with Mr. Ingram and my faithful ol' typewriter.

They tell us we may date the boys and have fun while we can.But the question any WAAC would ask is, "Tell me, what's a man?"We like the boys, we all like fun, but this we can't get straight -Just how are we to date the men when there are no men to date?

We love it, though, and we're glad, I know, to work toward Victory.For behind each boy in the AEF there's a W-A-A-C.”

! WRO Barbara R. Newell (USArmy-WAAC): A photo of Ms. Newell in uniform appeared in the February 1944 issue of Kodak Employee Magazine. Not listed in the National WW-II Memorial Registry. According to NARA on-line enlistment records Barbara R. Newell born 1905 of Monroe County, NY an unmarried timekeeper/payroll clerk with no dependants, enlisted as a Warrant Officer in the Women's Army Corps at Rochester, NY, 3 July 1943. Ms. Newell was an employee of Hawkeye prior to her service in the war.

15 May 2015:

" Following an intensive 3-day search, Nepal Defense Forces located the wreckage of a USMC helicopter lost (apparently to mechanical failure) while delivering humanitarian aid to the earthquake-wracked nation of Nepal. The bodies of 3 of the 6 Marines on-board were recovered and Nepali sources indicated there was no chance of any survivors in the crash that occurred at 11,000 feet altitude between Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu and the world’s tallest peak, Mt. Everest.

" The single surviving Boston Marathon bomber, convicted on multiple Federal charges of murder and terrorism, was sentenced to death by lethal injection for his crimes. He will be executed at a Federal prison in Terre Haute, IN following what will probably be a lengthy appeals process…

16 May 1861:

The legislature of the state of Kentucky proposes that the state should remain neutral in the impending Civil War.

18 May 1775:

Col. Benedict Arnold led a raid on British Fort Sainte-Jean in southern Quebec seizing military supplies, cannon and the largest military vessel on Lake Champlain for use in the subsequent invasion of Canada and

capture of Montreal by forces under Brig. Gen. Robert Montgomery in November, 1775.

19 May 1944:

Lt. John A. Sweetland, US Army Air Forces, a Kodak Employee prior to his service in WW-II, was Killed In Action in Italy: "John A. Sweetland, ID: O-691423, Entered the Service From: New York, Rank: Second Lieutenant, Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 737th Bomber Squadron, 454th Bomber Group, Heavy, Died: Friday, May 19, 1944, Memorialized at: Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Location: Nettuno, Italy, Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster" per National WW-II Registry entry by ABMC Overseas Cemeteries. Also "Hometown: Monroe County, NY, Status: Killed In Action" per entry by NARA from War Dept. Records.

"Lt. Sweetland, of the 454th Bomb Group (San Giovanni, Italy) was lost while his aircraft was attacking the German naval base and harbor at La Spezia, Italy, on May 19, 1944. His crew, aboard B-24 tail # 42-78193, nicknamed "Star Dust II", was the only one lost by the 454th Bomb Group this date." per research shared by William L. Beigel.

On behalf of the members of VetNet, I have placed a bouquet of forget-me-nots at the on-line Memorial to Lt. Sweetland at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=sweetland&GSfn=john&GSmn=A&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1944&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=56314945&df=all& in his memory.

Stardust II, B-24 tail # 42-78193

I have also located a photograph of the aircraft showing it’s (pretty spiffy!) “nose art”. The photo can be viewed at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodakVetNet/photos/album/1660794698/pic/619311593/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=21&coun

t=20&dir=asc This aircraft was apparently named for a previous aircraft with similar “nose art” that was called “Stardust” – probably a name related to the popular Hoagy Carmichael song of that time?

BTW: Carmichael also wrote a popular WW-II song known at one time for having having the longest title of any popular song: “I’m a Cranky Old Yank in My Clanky Old Tank, on the Road to Yokohama, with My Honolulu Momma, Singing Those Beato-Beato Flat on My Seato Hirohito Blues” Ha! Ha!

20 May 1861:

In convention at Raleigh, the state of North Carolina votes in favor of secession.