Tag Archives for Warwick Beacon

From Detroit to Pawtucket, and back again: The journey of a WWII footlocker

Published on January 13, 2025 in RINewsToday

“There and Back Again.” originating from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, is an expression that means a complete round trip to a place, including the journey back to where you started.

The journey of my late-father’s military olive-green footlocker began last June, after I was notified by a Detroit couple, Michael Shannon and his girlfriend Cetaura Bell, that it had been found cast away on a sidewalk for anyone to claim. The long-lost trunk that I never knew existed, had been stored in a vacant garage for over 60 years, ultimately ended up on my front steps, delivered almost 700 miles by FEDEX from Detroit to Pawtucket.  

Shannon, a 55-year-old retiree of Detroit’s wastewater facility, and Bell, a retired teacher, didn’t have to seek me out to return the footlocker to the family. They could have just kept the vintage military footlocker for use as a coffee table, or could have sold it at a flea market or on eBay.

But they offered to give me my father’s footlocker, as a gift, asking me for nothing in exchange. Shannon told me that he was just glad it could end up with the family of its rightful owner instead of being dumped in a landfill or another stranger’s home.

After the footlocker arrived, I closely examined a faded mailing label on its top.  By enlarging the label, filled out by my father, Lt. Frank M. Weiss, with Photoshop, my graphic designer was able to identify his  Detroit mailing address, 16841 Wildemere Avenue,  (which matched the address in his military records) on the label.  It was like winning a million-dollar lottery. Now I was convinced that this trunk was owned by my father.   

The footlocker, meantime, sat in my basement. Although it was empty when it arrived, I placed a folded American flag, given to my family at my father’s funeral, his military memorabilia, scrapbook of faded photos of his comrades in arms and assigned military bases from his long-ago days during WW II, and military documents for safe keeping.

What a story to share?  

In a crazy world where people don’t care about strangers, but an act of kindness returned a WWII veteran’s lost military footlocker to a family member.  My article, published here, and in the Blackstone Valley Call & Times, detailing Shannon and Bell’s kindness, was picked up by the Cranston Herald, Warwick Beacon, Senior Digest, and then later by Columnist Neal Rubin, of the Detroit Free Press, a Gannet publication, in both their digital and print editions. Then other Gannet papers, including the Providence Journal, the Cincinnati paper and the Indy Star, reprinted Rubin’s column. Perhaps the biggest connection, though, was made Military Reporter, Corey Dickstein, with Stars & Stripes – the US military’s independent news source with a circulation of over 1 million readers, reported on this story.

There and Back Again

After a talk at the Hope Historical Society (HHS) about my father’s footlocker’s return to Rhode Island from a street curb in Detroit (a most appropriate topic for a monthly meeting scheduled around Veterans Day), Fred Faria, a retired professor at Johnson & Wales and one of HHS’s founders, asked me how this footlocker would be protected after my passing away.  Being over age 70, this question induced me to act.

So, I reached out to the Washington, DC-based Smithsonian Institution’s’ National Museum of American History, offering to donate this military heirloom with a unique background story. 

“The footlocker indeed has a wonderful story but at present time this item is outside the scope of our current collecting plan. Might I recommend your state history museum or the National WW II Museum [in New Orleans] as worthy homes for this piece?” said Frank A. Blazich, Jr., PhD., Curator, Military History, Division of Military and Society, responding to my offer.   

Following up Blazich’s referral, this is a response off the New Orleans-based Museum. “We would be happy to have the contents of the footlocker for our collection; however, due to the number of footlockers that we already have and the size of these items, we are not able to accept the footlocker itself,” said Assistant Curator Brandon Daake, Assistant Curator.

 “If you are interested in keeping the footlocker and its contents together to tell one story, I would suggest reaching out to the Michigan’s Military Heritage Museum (MMHM), or another museum in the Detroit area,” suggested Daake, recognizing the fact that my father was a Detroit WW II veteran.

And that I did…

Small military museum takes possession of military footlocker 

After several phone calls, a conversation with Scott Gerych, MMHM’s Chairman, the deal was quickly sealed.  My father’s military footlocker, with its Detroit, Michigan ties, would return to Michigan to become a unique addition to their growing collection of military artifacts.  

In a message left on my Apple iPhone, Gerych, a 25-year veteran who served in the U.S. Army and a noted author, said: I am just dropping a line to say how neat it was to receive your father’s trunk with items from his service in WWII. What a joy! To have it go from Detroit to Rhode Island and now back to Michigan is certainly a great story to tell and to ultimately have it reunited with the items your dad saved from his wartime service is just awesome!”

“We are proud to have received it and will be getting it, all cataloged so we can eventually work it into an exhibit here at the MMHM. We love to see these stories saved and get them out on the public eye for all who are interested to see. Once again, thank you for thinking of us here at the museum,” said Gerych.

From its first home, at the Coe House Museum in Grass Lake, MMHM set up a one-room display showcasing uniforms and original artifacts of veterans highlighting their military service.   

With a growing reputation and growing number of supporters and donations of historical military items, MMHM found a larger home, a 3,300-sf building in Grass Lake. After its five-year lease ran out, the small military museum found new location near the site of Camp Blair, a former 11-acre Civil War Union camp in Jackson. The military camp was an assembly point for  new recruits and a discharging station for soldiers after the war’s end.

The collection of military artifacts grew and in 2021, the 3,600-former store-front in Jackson, Michigan, MMMH, opened its doors (now open half days, four days a week or by appointment.). This permanent location would allow MMHM to showcase thousands of military artifacts and large military vehicles,  including  three military jeeps, a Spanish-American War ambulance wagon,  a WWI Model T ambulance, a replica of a M3 Lee tank and even four cannons.  Specifically: a 1831 6lb cannon from the Mexican War and then used by the Confederates in the Civil War; a WWII German Pak 40, a standard antitank gun; and a WWI US M1905 gun.

Getting MMHM Off the Ground

The idea of starting a Michigan military museum started off with questions posed to a small group of friends who later helped to establish the MMHM.  That is, “what happens to all these individual collections when we are gone?”  Most of the original group were collectors of some type of militaria and all were interested in seeing the stories preserved.

That question was asked in 2013 and their idea would be answered by filing articles of incorporation with the state and later establishing a 501 C 3 nonprofit corporation in 2016.

As the group grew, meetings were held, partnerships created with the local historic society.   After Liam Collins, who was knowledgeable about Michigan history and archaeology and an original member of the group passed away, the group not only preserved the memory of Liam by sharing the stories of the state’s veterans.

According to the nonprofit military museum, its mission is to tell the stories of “Great Lake State” military veterans through interpretive displays of artifacts, pictures, and written and oral histories.  “Our state has currently two aviation museums and a museum dedicated to Medal of Honor Recipients and Astronauts,” says Gerych but nothing for the average service member who sacrificed and endured so much for our freedoms. We will be that institution,” he says.

The museum served as the headquarters for Michigan’s World War I Centennial. During 2019 and 2020, the museum participated in the 75th Anniversary of the end of  WW II.  

The nonprofit’s Board members, all extremely interested in Michigan’s military history brings different skills to the table, says Gerych, noting that one has a master’s  degree in history and museum studies, another is an archivist who has decades of experience, as well as a Distinguished Fellow in the Company of Military Historians. “No one is paid,” he adds, saying that all are actively involved because of their love for history.

Gerych estimates that 5,000 to 8,000 visitors come to see the museums exhibits and learn about the personal history of everyday veterans.  “Our records indicate that these visitors come from more than 30 countries and all 50 states,” he says.

From Detroit to Pawtucket and back again. Now my family’s military heirloom has truly come home to become part of the MMHM’s growing military artifact collection.

Watch a JTV television commercial advertising MMHM. Go to https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1079607069959492

For more information about the MMHM, 331 N. Wisner, Jackson, MI 49202, call  (517) 926-6696.  Or email mmhminfo2020@gmail.com.

 

Wide Sampling of Issues Sharped Writer Commentaries in 2016

Published in Woonsocket Call on January  3, 2017

As 2017 approaches, it is a time one naturally reflects on the year that has past, the people we have lost, and look towards what the incoming year will hold. Newspapers also look back of the interesting stories that shaped the news, too. This “aging beat” columnist reflected on his coverage of aging, health care and medical issues. During 2016, 47 weekly commentaries appeared in the Pawtucket Times and Woonsocket Call, some even were printed by Golocalprov.com, the Warwick Beacon and Cranston Herald. A myriad of issues were covered in this weekly commentary throughout the year.

During the very heated 2016 presidential I called on both Democratic and GOP candidates in the primary and election to give us the specifics about their policy positions on Social Security and Medicare. But, we saw aging issues mostly ignored in the more than two dozen debates that took place in this election cycle (21 primary debates and four general election debates). With Donald Trump taking the White House from the Democrats and his party controlling both chambers of Congress another commentary sounded the alarm about the GOP’s impending assault next session on Social Security and Medicare, America’s most popular domestic programs. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, other commentaries covered legislative initiatives on Smith Hill. One looked at Sen. Louis P. DiPalma’s call for increased wages for the state’s direct care workers. These workers deserve this pay raise. Another covered Rep. Katherine S. Kazarian’s successful efforts to mandate holocaust and genocide studies in educational curriculum for all middle and high school studies. With anti-Semitic incidents increasing throughout the Ocean State we “must never forget.”

Of course, throughout last year my commentaries also addressed caregiving issues, making readers aware of scams and to educate them as to how they could protect themselves. One even shared my personal experience of putting down Abby, my 11-year-old chocolate Labrador, to end her suffering. Pet owners throughout the Ocean State have gone through this universal, painful experience and could identify with my painful decision.

Readers also learned about the very interesting details of a Near Death Experience of Tommy Rosa, a Bronx-born plumber, who came back to life with a spiritual knowledge of health and healing. Rosa’s chance meeting at a conference with Dr. Stephen Sinatra, an integrative cardiologist and psychotherapist, seen on “Dr. Oz” and “The Doctors,” would lead to the publishing of a 247-page book, “Health Revelations from Heaven and Earth.” This book is a great read for those seeking spiritual insight into maintaining good health.

Finally, in 2016 one item was scratched off my bucket list. Readers learned about my first book, “Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly,” being published in August. The 313-page book is a compilation of 79 of my weekly commentaries and is chocked full of researched stories and insightful stories with experts and everyday people who shared their personal observations about growing older and aging gracefully. Go to http://www.herbweiss.com for more details.

Below is a sampling of articles from 2016 that will allow you to see the breath and depth of my commentaries (over 200 of these previously published commentaries can be found on my blog, herbweiss.wordpress.com.) Enjoy.

“Older Americans Impacting the Economy,” published in the September 25, 2016 issue of the Woonsocket Call; in the September 26, 2016 issue of the Pawtucket Times

Everyone has heard this comment one time or another during their life — older people are a drain on the economy. But, in 2016 a newly released AARP report shatters this myth once and for all by detailing a rise in spending and workforce contributions of aging baby boomers.

AARP’s 28 page report, The Longevity Economy: How People Over 50 Are Driving Economic and Social Value in the US, takes a hard look at how our nation’s population of 111 million 50-plus consumers impacts the economy.

According to this report, released on September 20, the 50-plus age groups generates a whopping $7.6 trillion in economic activity (a $500 billion increase from 2013), including $5 trillion in consumer spending by people 50-plus. The researchers say the increases reflects the nation’s shifting demographic and spending patterns of this group due to longer life spans and prolonged employment.

“Does Exercised Aid Brain Heath: The Debate’s Yet to be Determined,” published in the August 31, 2016 issue of the Woonsocket Call; in the September 1, 2016 issue of the Pawtucket Times

According to AARP’s latest health aging survey findings released last year, age 40 and over respondents who regularly exercise rate their brain health significantly higher than non-exercisers. They also cite improvements in their memory, ability to: learn new things, managing stress, and even making decisions. On the other hand, the findings reveal an overwhelming majority of these respondents. see the benefits of exercise, but only 34 percent are meeting the Global Council on Brain Health’s (GCBH) recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week.

These findings in the 37-page Survey on Physical Activity report, note that having willpower, enjoying exercise, identification as an “exerciser,” lack of enjoyment and feeling like you have the energy to exercise or lack money to exercise are the key factors that differentiate exercisers from non-exercisers.
Although health care experts applaud the benefits of exercise and its positive impact on organs in your body, but the findings on improving brain heath are self-reported at best, not empirically derived.

“AARP Exec Seeks to Change America’s Perception of Growing Old,” published in the March 7, 2016 issue of the Woonsocket Call; in the March 8, 2016 issue of the Pawtucket Times

In 2016, AARP/CEO Jo Ann Jenkins released her new 272-page book, “Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age.” AARP’s top official suggested it is time to redefine what it means to grow old in America. Throughout its pages the Northern Virginia resident encourages readers to re-think the negative stories they consistently tell themselves and others, urging them to come together to change both the conversation about aging and its reality. While sharing these ideas with others, and meeting fearless people working to change what it means to age in America, Jo Ann was inspired to write her book.
In Disrupt Aging, Jenkins focuses on three core areas—health, wealth, and self—to show people how to embrace opportunities and change the way society looks at getting older. Here, she chronicles her own journey and that of others who are making their mark as disruptors to show readers how we can be active, healthy, and happy as we get older. Through engaging narrative, she touches on all the important issues facing people over age 50 today, from caregiving and mindful living to building age-friendly communities and making our money last.

“Experienced Workers to Seek Greener Pastures in 2016,” published in the January 25, 2016 issue of the Woonsocket Call; in the January 26, 2016 issue of the Pawtucket Times

In 2016, an AARP survey found that with an improving economy older experienced workers were seeking new employment, making “more money” was the key motivator.
The “Experience in Work” survey (with its findings detailed in a 47-page report) reported that of the approximately 4 in ten inclined to seek new work this year, 23% are either extremely or very likely to try to find a new job this year, and another 16% say that they are somewhat likely to job-seek during that period.
Researchers say that respondents, ages 35 to 64, cite career growth potential (21%), better work flexibility (25%), more enjoyable work (30%), as well as better health benefits (28%) as reasons they plan to seek new employment this year.

Meanwhile, experienced workers are willing to take the leap outside of their job sector. A quarter (24%) of those likely to switch companies say that they do not expect to remain in the same industry. An even larger percentage (42%) do not even know what type of business they will end up in.
Responding to AARP’s survey findings Ed Mazze, a widely acclaimed Rhode Island economist says that retaining employees is quite simple. “To build a good workforce, the company must make work interesting, recognize the accomplishments of its employees, provide good working conditions, have a competitive compensation system and an opportunity for the employee to be promoted and continue to learn,” he says.
Throughout 2017 I look forward to penning weekly commentaries that will shed light on aging issues, most importantly providing you tips on how to age gracefully.