214414969-Serving-Our-Country-2014

A Supplement of the Iron County Reporter • www.ironcountyreporter.com

P.O. Box 311 • 801 W. Adams • Iron River, MI 49935 906.265.9927 • March 2014

2014 SERVING OUR COUNTRY, Iron County Reporter, Page 2

Sundelius uses passion for fl ying to help wounded vetsBy Jerry DeRoche

IRON RIVER—Growing up about a football fi eld away from the Stam-baugh Airport, Jim Sundelius took an early interest in aviation. Planes taking off and landing enthralled him. The memories of the short 15-minute or half-hour rides with local pilots are still etched deeply in his mind. Shortly after high school, Sunde-lius began his preparation to become one of those pilots. Three decades later, the 54-year-old is using his passion for planes to aid in a greater cause. Sundelius is a volunteer pilot for Veterans Airlift Command, an organi-zation out of Minnesota that provides free air transportation to wounded veterans and their families. VAC flies vets or their families around the country for medical and other compassionate purposes through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots. Sundelius, who owns Sundial Investment Group in Dallas and lives most of the year near Fort Worth, has 35 years experience behind cockpit controls. He began fl ying missions for VAC about fi ve years ago and has now accumulated 12 missions. He uses his company’s Citation Mustang on his fl ights of service. “I feel that I’ve been very blessed to realize one of my dreams to be able to fl y a small jet,” said Sundelius, who spends part of the year at his home on Stanley Lake, “and if I can share that a little bit, boy, I can’t think of a more worthy group of men and women that I would want to share it with than these vets.” Sundelius said he first heard about VAC in an article written about founder Walt Fricke, a Vietnam vet and pilot who was injured while serving. Fricke suffered a traumatic foot injury when a rocket misfi red inside the helicopter he was fl ying in. He remembers arriving back in the United States reeling both physically and emotionally. Fricke recounts the memory on a video posted on the organization’s website www. veteransairlift.org. Fricke begins on the video, “My folks and my fi ancée were 700 miles away (from the military hospital in Kentucky) and I was not doing well. I was severely wounded with the po-tential to lose my left foot. When they came to see me was when I realized that, in their eyes, I hadn’t changed as a person, that I was OK and that was when I began to heal. “VAC was born out of that expe-

rience.” After his retirement, Fricke began to organize the service missions to aid injured vets like him. VAC has now grown to include more than 900 pilots in 45 states. One of those is Sundelius, who, after hearing about VAC, called Fricke and asked to become part of the

effort. Fricke answered that he’d love to have the Stambaugh native and so began Sundelius’ service to injured vets. “Sometimes I feel a little guilty because I didn’t serve,” Sundelius said. “I was never drafted and I never volunteered while so many have. I just have a real appreciation for what

these guys have done, the sacrifi ce they’ve made for us.” So Sundelius began to use his piloting know-how to show that ap-preciation. In doing so, he’s met some unforgettable veterans with some unforgettable stories. One such vet, Israel Del Toro, was severely injured in 2005 in Afghanistan when his

For the past fi ve years, Stambaugh native Jim Sundelius has fl own his company Sundial Investment Group’s Citation Mustang jet on volunteer missions for Veterans Airlift Command. VAC fl ies wounded vets around the country for medical and other compassionate purposes. Sundelius (right) is shown at a fuel stop with wounded army Iraq vet Bryan Anderson and his service dog Mya, while en route to the Daytona 500 in early March. Sundelius, who lives near Fort Worth, picked up Anderson and his twin brother, Bob, from their hometown of Chicago.

On one of his 12 missions, Sundelius (second from left) fl ew wounded Air Force vet Israel Del Toro, his wife, Carmen, and son Israel from Chicago to San Antonio for a birthday party for Del Toro’s 95-year old grandfather. Del Toro has undergone 141 surgeries after suffering massive trauma when his Humvee rolled over an IED in Afghanistan in 2005.

Sundelius (left) fl ew Kyle Malin from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio to Fort Campbell, Ky., to attend the homecoming of Malin’s unit when it returned from Iraq. Malin, who lost both his legs in combat in 2010, wanted to be present to support his fellow soldiers because the unit had suffered numerous casualties. Also pictured are Malin’s wife, Alicia, and Sundelius’ friend Craig Dobesh, who assisted on the fl ight.

2014 SERVING OUR COUNTRY, Iron County Reporter, Page 3Humvee rolled over an improvised explosive device (IED). Del Toro suf-fered massive injuries--third-degree burns on over 80 percent of his body including his face, loss of fi ngers on both hands, severe lung trauma--and was given a 15 percent chance to live. Del Toro entered the service a muscle-bound 200-pounder who loved sports and weightlifting. He left the military hospital a 115-pound disfi gured man struggling mightily to learn to walk again. Five years after that fateful day in Afghanistan, Del Toro became the fi rst 100-percent disabled Airman to re-enlist in the Air Force. Sundelius met Del Toro when he fl ew the vet and his wife and son from Chicago to San Antonio to attend his grandfather’s 95th birthday. “The attitude he has, I was just honored to spend a day with him,” Sundelius said. “This poor guy has had 141 surgeries, has no ears, his face has been reconstructed, he has no fi ngers on either hand and just one thumb. Yet when we stopped for fuel we got some barbecued chicken and he had no problem. What was left of his hands, he has great dexterity and he’s found a way somehow to hold utensils. “He’s a wonderful guy.” Pilots interested in contributing fi ll out an application with VAC and typically fl y their own aircraft. The pilots must have a valid U.S. pilot’s license, a plane that meets ratings criteria, a clean fl ying record and a healthy medical history. Volunteer pilots are also responsible for fuel costs. Once cleared, the pilots can contact VAC if they’re fl ying a route where a vet needs to be transported or the organization can contact their volunteer pilots if a vet or family member lives close to the pilot’s home and are looking for a fl ight. Therefore, Sundelius often trans-ports vets to or from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He also gets calls from VAC when there’s a vet from the Upper Midwest need-ing transportation because of his con-nections to the area. So, when a vet from Green Bay who was recovering in San Antonio after losing both his legs wanted to fl y home to see his family and attend a Packers game last Christmas, Sun-delius accepted the mission gladly. “We got four inside seats (to the Packer game) and we just had an absolute blast,” Sundelius said. “We formed a wonderful bond in just three days.” Earlier this month, Sundelius fl ew injured Army vet Bryan Anderson

and his twin brother Bob from their home in Chicago to the Daytona 500. Anderson lost both his legs and his left hand after an IED exploded in October 2005 while he was serving in Iraq, but has rebuilt his life with courage and determination. He wrote his autobiography entitled “No Turning Back,” he’s be-come a spokesperson for Quantum Rehab, USA Cares and the Gary Sinise Foundation (which builds homes for the most severely wounded vets, among other supportive activities) and had acting roles in an episode of “CSI:NY” and the Golden Globe Award-winning 2008 movie “The Wrestler.” Sundelius, with the assistance of local pilot Stan Marcell, fl ew the twins to watch the race and interact with NASCAR legends and current drivers. VAC spokesperson Jen Salvati, who is Fricke’s daughter, is grateful to Sundelius for his service to the organization. “Jim is really a wonderful volun-teer and we truly appreciate him,” Salvati said. “We know with Jim, it’s more than a fl ight” For his part, Sundelius is just grateful to lend a hand to the injured vets who’ve made such an impact on him. “The more time you spend with these guys, the more time you want to spend with them. It just amazes

me that you do such a small thing for these guys and they thank you and thank you. I say, ‘No, no, no, this is just a small thing. Look at what you did for people you never met.’” Along that vein, Sundelius said he seeks no attention for his efforts but to remind folks of the sacrifi ces these vets have and are making and to help attract other pilots to volunteer their planes, services and money.

“I think this community, like many small communities, has been very respectful of veterans. I would say make sure we carry that on. And we want more pilots all the time.”

For more information or to donate, contact Veterans Air Command at www. veteransairlift.org and The Gary Sinise Foundation at garysinisefoundation.org.

Wounded Iraq vet Bryan Anderson talks with NASCAR driver Danica Patrick while attending the Daytona 500 weekend in early March. Anderson, who lost both his legs while on tour in 2005, traveled with Veterans Airlift Command and volunteer pilot Jim Sundelius to the festivities.

Injured Iraq vet Bryan Anderson (left) posed with actor Gary Sinese (middle) and fellow wounded vet Mike Nicholson at the Daytona 500. Sinese, who was the honorary starter for the race, has established the Gary Sinise Foundation to help wounded vets.

Wounded Iraq vet Bryan Anderson asked to sit with Veterans Airlift Command volunteer pilot Jim Sundelius in the cockpit of a Citation Mustang jet while en route to the Daytona 500 earlier this month. Anderson commented that fl ying the plane seemed like a video game, to which Sundelius responded, “Yeah, but you have to win every time.”


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A World War I uniform and cavalry boots are on display in the Veterans Room of the Harbour House Museum in Crystal Falls. The museum features artifacts, photos and items from the Civil War through the Gulf War. Of particular interest are the scrapbooks compiled by local residents during World War II. There are also numer-ous documents and resources for researching local military records.

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PFC Justin G. SnellPFC Justin G. SnellU.S. Army InfantryU.S. Army InfantryPFC Justin G. Snell, of Crystal Falls, son of Howard and Belinda Snell and brother of Austin Snell. Graduated basic training from Ft. Benning, Ga. on Dec. 12, 2012. Stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. Graduated Air Assault school October 2013.

A1c Taylor W. BartczakA1c Taylor W. BartczakU.S. Air ForceU.S. Air ForceGraduated from basic training in January 2012. Based at Travis AFB in Fairfi eld, Calif. Airman 1st class. Job: Medical Logistics. Graduated from Forest Park High School in 2010. Married the former Daryl Arcand. Parents are Jennifer Sarder and Terry Bartczak, both of Crystal Falls.

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2014 SERVING OUR COUNTRY, Iron County Reporter, Page 8On March 28, Michigan Army National Guard 1432nd Engineering Company returned home and was greeted at the Kingsford High School gym by family, friends and the community. The unit was deployed to Afghanistan for 10 months as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, disposing of improvised explosive devices and performing road-clearing opera-tions. At that time, more than 700 Michigan National Guard soldiers and airmen remained deployed worldwide.

Pre-K students welcome National Guard friend home

Steve Pietila returned home from the Michigan Army National Guard in May of 2013. His son, Jared, had help from his pre-kindergarten classmates to welcome his dad home.

By Nikki MitchellIRON RIVER—On Wednesday, May 8, students in Denise Maloney’s pre-kindergarten class marched down to the principal’s offi ce, dressed in red, white, and blue and carrying Ameri-

can fl ags, to welcome Sgt. Steve Pietila home from his deployment in Af-ghanistan and into their classroom. Leading the students was Pietila’s son, Jared. During his visit to the class-room, Pietila shared treasures he had brought back with him and spoke a little about his job, making sure roads were clear and safe for others to travel on. While deployed for nine months,

Maloney sent updates on Jared’s school activities and spoke to the class about how important Pietila’s job was. “We still wanted to keep him a big part of Jared’s day-do-day life, even though he was across the world,” she said. “We did this by talking about Jared’s dad very often in our classroom and what an important job he was doing--to help people to be safe.”

Maloney often took photos of Jared and his friends doing classroom ac-tivities and school functions like the Christmas program. She sent class schedules so Pietila could keep up with what he was doing at school and talk to him about his day on Skype at night. “Sometimes after class, I would send Steve a quick email just fi lling him in Jared’s day, who he played with, something funny he said, what we did,” she said. “Just trying to keep him in the loop.” The entire class took part last Vet-erans Day, when they made a card for Steve and sent it to him along with photos. “It was a journey that our entire class navigated with him,” Maloney said. When the classroom found out that he was returning home, they planned a grand celebration for him, which took place May 8. “It is servicemen and women like Steve that protect our country that make me so proud. Every single day,” Maloney said.

Welcome Home!

Michigan Army National Guard Specialist Jason Cronkright was reunited with wife Melissa, daughter Madison and son Jason Jr. on March 28


675 Baumgartner Rd. • Iron River, MI(906) 265-5000

Proud to be AmericansThank You Thank You

to those who to those who Serve Our CountryServe Our Country

Searching for military stories and memorabilia?

The museum’s plaque reads: The portrait is of Jack Hill (1897-1987). He served pri-marily in France at a base hospital near St. Nazarre in the U.S. Medical Corps in the 1920s.

The framed historic documentation is displayed in full color within one of the museum’s veterans areas with a plaque that reads: The pictorial discharge papers of Lee R. Gallup (1887-1960).

The museum has a number of uniforms on display, including this World War II U.S. Army Air Force dress uniform.

Service fl ags were hung in windows to represent the number of family members serving in the military. This fl ag was do-nated by the family of Gertrude Uren Sherry (1902-1994) who lived at 1405 N. 5th Ave. in Iron River. It was placed in the window during World War II to indicate she had two boys in the service: Robert Edward Sherry and Donald Terance Sherry.

Along with a display depicting service women, the museum has available many documents in the archives pertaining to women from the area that serviced in the military.

CASPIAN— The Iron County Histori-cal Museum pays tribute to the veterans of Iron County and the United States in a couple of ways. The fi rst is a War Memorial set up in their honor. The memorial is in two parts with half portraying a trench scene from World War I and the other half a collection of artifacts from the Civil War on. Some examples of artifacts on dis-play are a World War I Army uniform, World War II Marine Corps dress blue uniform, and a World War II Army Air Force uniform with sergeant stripes. There are also helmets, a painting of a nurse and a blue star service fl ag. Service fl ags were hung in windows to represent the number of family mem-bers serving in the military. The second way the museum pays tribute to our veterans is with a collec-tion of material and information located in the archives. Researches can fi nd information in personal scrapbooks that were put together by veterans or their families on the home front. You can also fi nd personal accounts from interviews or donated material, such as the color scans of the journal Capt. Silvio E. Gasperini Jr. kept while he was being held as a prisoner of war by the Japanese during World War II. We also have information on Civil War veterans that lived in the area, such as Andrew Boyington, owner of the Boyington Hotel, and Levi Rowley, caretaker of the Iron County Court-house. Visitors will also fi nd that the mu-seum’s copies of the Reporter are a foun-tain of information. For example, the newspaper printed a list of Iron County military personal serving during World

War II. There is the newspaper story of Lt. Odvin Martinson, who was killed in action during the Korean Confl ict, and the discovery of his remains in 1967 that were identifi ed in 1968 and brought home for burial. Also, there are numerous photos of loved ones being awarded medals for their actions while serving. And many more stories and points of interest are waiting to be read. If your story is not in the newspaper or our collection, the Archives is always willing to preserve it for future generations.

There are many accounts in the archives of women who served in the military. Here are few exerpts taken from those documents: --Ethel Eusibio, “I joined the navy as a Navy nurse just in time for the Korean War. I spent two years in Korea, one year on a transport ship and one year on a Navy hospital ship.” --Lillian Cook was a second lieuten-ant in the U.S. Army. --World War II Women’s Army Corp Sergeant Dorothy B. Pakula enlisted in 1943 in the WAC in Los Angeles. --Debra Sue Javoroski Welch was in the U.S. Army from 1981-1986 as a medical specialist. --Kerry Lanning Beaghan, a 1981 West Iron County graduate, who in 1985 traveled to eight countries and 27 states as presidential communica-tions offi cer stationed out of Anacostia Naval Station in Washington, D.C. She received many awards and commenda-tions during her service in the U.S. Air Force. --Mary Rossi served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1944. --Agnes Strand enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduation in 1946, and served as a staff sergeant in 1971 at George Air Force Base in California until her retirement. She was a member of the Beechwood Amvets, where she had served as post commander. --Bernice (Stone) Leppiaho of Crys-tal Falls served in the U.S. Marine Corps at Cherry Point, N.C., from 1943 to 1946, during which time she did aviation as-sembly and repair. --Lillian (Robichaud) Galbraith served as the president of the Loius Bowman Legion Auxiliary and was named “Woman of the Upper North-ern” area by the American Legion Auxiliary in 1993.


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Michigan named an All★Vet State by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce FoundationLANSING—Michigan is one of three states selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring our Heroes program to pilot its new All★Vet States initiative, Governor Rick Snyder announced recently at the Governor’s Economic Summit. “This is an exciting program that recognizes the work we are doing to attract and retain veteran talent here in Michigan,” Snyder said. “The All★Vet States initiative gives us a chance to highlight the incredible opportunities, services and support Michigan offers to attract and hire transitioning service members and military spouses.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring our Heroes pro-gram is launching the new initiative with three states - Michigan, Iowa and Tennessee. Participating states will be featured on the Hiring our Heroes website, and each state will have its own webpage dedicated to identifying the resources and services available to veterans and military families. “More than 680,000 veterans call Michigan home today, and we an-

ticipate 30-50,000 more in the coming years,” said Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes. “We are working aggressively to assist veterans and their families make that transition as smooth as possible so they can begin the next chapter of their lives here.” For more information on services and benefits available to Michigan veterans, visit www.michiganveterans.com or call 517-284-5298.

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Don McDonald (left) and Jim Johnson had it made in the shade as they wait for the May 25, 2013 program saluting their service during World War II.

By Peter NoceriniIRON RIVER—One of the highlights of the Veterans Tribute Ride on May 25, 2013 during its stop at the Reino Ameri-can Legion Post 21, was a short program honoring two World War II vets who are members of Post 21: Don McDonald and Jim Johnson. It’s fi tting that they should be hon-ored together, because both McDonald and Johnson were members of the class of 1944 at Iron River High School. “We volunteered for the Navy because we didn’t want to walk too far,” McDonald said with a wink. “Or sleep in the mud, like my brother

From IRHS to WW2 and backtold me,” Johnson added. They went to boot camp together at the Great Lakes Naval Station after graduating. Then their paths diverged. McDonald went to Virginia. “We were supposed to go to southern France on the invasion, but by the time we got on the ship, it was over already. We were fortunate,” said McDonald. Instead, he went to Oran, in present-day Algeria, where he was a radioman, taking Morse code messages from ships in the Mediterranean. In early 1945, his group had to stop everything to handle some special encrypted messages, which were then sent to the code room. “They told us later that it was Presi-dent Roosevelt. They were going to Yalta” to meet with Churchill and Stalin about post-war Europe. “We didn’t know it was them.” After Germany surrendered, Mc-Donald came back to the States and then went to the Pacifi c with the Allied forces preparing for an invasion of Japan. “But they dropped the bomb, and we didn’t have to go there, either. There is a God, and we were fortunate. “I don’t care what anybody says about President Truman. God bless him! Gen. MacArthur said if we invade Japan, we will lose 500,000 people. So I’m one of the lucky ones.” McDonald returned to Iron County for new careers in teaching, coaching and as an ace fl y fi sherman. From the training station in Wauke-

gan, Johnson went to Brooklyn, and went across to Europe on a liberty ship. “We were the gun crew on a merchant ship.” He went to Italy, then north Africa, then back to the States. “We loaded up with 10,000 tons of bombs and went to the Pacifi c Theater.” He and the bombs went to the Philippines and then waited—and then they heard about the bombing of Hiroshima, which hastened the end of the war. For a while, Johnson said, he and his crew thought the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was among those they carried across the Pacifi c. Not so. “They fl ew that one in.” After the war ended, Johnson was shipped to Guam, in the mid-Pacifi c. “I had enough points to get out [and go

home], but there were no ships coming [back to the States] at that time, so I had to stay in longer.” Johnson was an underground miner for 39 years. He worked at the Wauseca Mine here, then got transferred to Mis-souri, then to Utah (copper), then Penn-sylvania (limestone). He returned to Iron County in 1987. The two IRHS classmates noted that they nearly met at Oran during the war—McDonald, a radioman on shore, knew that Johnson, a signalman, was on a cer-tain ship. “They came into the harbor,” McDonald remembered, “and we were supposed to meet the next day. But they took off. “I did talk to him via code and light but never did get to meet him over there.”

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New vetID cards to be issuedIRON MOUNTAIN— The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center is an-nouncing the VA’s transition to a new and more secure Veteran Health Iden-tifi cation Card (VHIC) for enrolled Veterans. The new card replaces the old Veteran Identification Card (VIC) and offers enhanced features that transform it into a health identifi cation card. The card displays the Veteran’s new, unique member ID and a plan ID that refl ects the Veteran’s enrollment status in VA health care. Personally identifi able information is not con-tained on the card, which protects the Veteran from identity theft. The card is also personalized with an emblem of the Veteran’s branch of service and includes brail for Veterans who may be visually impaired. The new card will be used for identifi cation and check-ins for VA appointments; however, it cannot be used as an insurance or credit card, nor does it authorize or pay for care at non-VA facilities. Beginning in April, new cards will be automatically issued to Veterans who were previously issued the original Veterans Identifi cation Card. These cards should be received by the end of June. Veterans who are already enrolled should ensure their address on fi le with the VA is correct so their card is received in a timely manner. Until Veterans receive the updated card, they are encouraged to safeguard the old one. Once the new card is received Veterans should destroy the older one by cutting it up or shredding it. Beginning in February, Veterans who have not been issued the older VIC may request a new identifi cation card from their local VA community outpatient clinic or the VA medical center’s Enrollment Coordinator. Vet-erans must provide at least one form of primary identifi cation when applying for the new card. For more information, contact the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Enrollment Coordinator at 1(800) 215-8262; ext. 32810 or by going to www.va.gov/healthbenefi ts/vhic.

In MemoryA fl ag was placed before their names, to let the world know.They were the proud and brave who served, before eternal rest at home.

John HoltslanderJoseph “Joe” GrantJoseph StievenartJames “Bob” Haydon Sr.Henry Malcolm McNeilOle LundinLeRoy NylundWilfred “Curly” VervilleGeorge WickstromMax Margoni Jr.Conrad SkinnerErnest WalesThomas BrayAlois BalcerzakVincent SepelLeo PisoniBernard St. GermainMelford “Mel” ChristoffersonNorman EricksonKenneth WesterlundRichard “Dick” TeggeHenry Kurtz Jr.Neil DishawWilliam HasenbergGregory “Greg” Schuth

Victor ShepichKenneth StrombergGene “Beanno” BendickWilliam “Bill” BianchiRobert Barrowman, Jr.Dale EversonRobert HarrisRosemary BerginLowell FrischVernon SoderbloomLarry StreamRaymond “Ray” PerryBenjamin NorkoliRussell “Utty” ChristensenKenneth KangasGene KorhonenRonald LangMilton AndersonErnest RomettiTheodore “Ted” GawryMichael WerleyWilliam DeBruynPhillip “Guzzy” PassamoniGeorge PolichDon Ruck

Walter “Sunny” SundquistArnold BookWilliam AholaGerald TaffErnest NoveyErnest BigariJeffrey “Jeff” HanoldCarl ThoresonGilbert SeymourEldred “Al” EricksonJames HulceRichard LehtoRichard RydzewskiJohn MyefskiJack DeMarinoRobert RahlingLeo RemondiniJohn MakiFrancis MeakimJohn “Chum” WolakRueben HansenHarold Foucault, Sr.Daniel ReitmeyerDavid “Dave” GendronCarl HansonJalmer KangasAlfred “Al” RizzardiHarvey KehnRita NoceriniMary DeWittEarl “Erk” GrahamJames DunnDonald RowellDaniel “Dan” KaeppRussell “Pug” Spencer

IRONIRON COUNTY COUNTY REPORTERREPORTER.COM.COMMargaret Christensen Publisher,Director of SalesPeter Nocerini Sports/News/FeaturesJerry DeRoche News/Features/SportsJanet Rohde Outdoors/CompWendy Graham SalesKaren Otto Typesetting

Nan Borske Offi ce ManagerMark Grindatti DistributionVicky Vargovich MailroomLisa Wickstrom MailroomAdditional photos by Kevin ZiniAdditional features by Nikki Mitchell

From the Iron County Reporter obituary pages of 2013

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