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HOME > Local News > Navy Armed Guard reunites, reminisces World War II
PUBLISHED: Sunday, September 23, 2007 Navy Armed Guard reunites, reminisces World War II
Hillary Darling Citizen Special Writer
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Snapshots -- Norman and Becky Stanchfield look through an album of past Armed Guard Veteran reunions. The reunions began in 1992 in Michigan, 1981 nation-wide for the soldiers that guarded cargo ships during World War II.
(TCC Photo by Hillary Darling)
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War Reminiscence -- Floyd Wiseley and Sam Johnston talk at the Armed Guards Veteran reunion on September 19. The group meets three times a year at different locations in the state. Wiseley , who enjoys meeting the people at the reunions, is from Marine City; Johnston, who wore his service information on the back of his t-shirt, is a retired sergeant of the Grand Rapids Police. (TCC Photo by Hillary Darling)
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Brant -- The US Navy Armed Guard World War Two Veterans group has a special connection. "When we were aboard ship," recalled group President Carl Mescher of East Lansing, "many of us forgot our families and we became brothers." Veterans and family, over 50 people, met Wednesday, September 19 in Brant at veteran Don Flegal's residence. Flegal said the meeting could have perhaps been their last one there. The organization began nationally in 1981, the Michigan division began in 1992. "We've been meeting for some time now," said Floyd Wiseley of Marine City, Michigan. "We're getting thinner though, there's not as many of us." There were 145,000 in the outfit during WWII, presently in Michigan there are around 300 members. Few of the members served on the same ship, but the group connected later because of their service in the Armed Guard division. The Navy Armed Guard was created to guard the cargo ships a year after the war started when the ships lost many people because they were unarmed. The 2,750 vessels, referred to as Liberty Ships, carried military equipment, army personnel, ammunition and food and supplies for allies to the war zones; they carried prisoners of war and enemy military equipment back. Most of the members served on more than one cargo ship and some served on tankers. The Armed Guard was involved in every invasion during WWII. The last membership was in 1945ãwhen the ships were decommissioned, the soldiers went home and there have been no new numbers since. Martin Vallee said that they probably logged more sea miles than the Navy. "We covered the world," he said. Flegal recalls playing baseball on the ship when they could. The Armed Guard stood watch in four hour shifts, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Twice a day, Flegal remembers, they had general quarters where everyone stood guard. The Michigan group meets three times a yearãonce in Brant at Veteran Don Flegal's residenceãfor potluck and silent auction. Some events include speakers and have included entertainment groups in the past. The proceeds from the auction go towards the publication of a tri-yearly newsletter. "Everyone here has served at sea and we refer to ourselves as the other Navy," said Vallee. "What we did, we did." "It's a great group," said Mescher, "we can just reminisceäwe talked about if most of us knew what we were getting into, we would have jumped ship. It was very rough."
The group will meet again in March with invitation extended to any veteran and their family in the Lansing area by their motto, "God willing and the creak won't rise."
War Reminiscence -- Floyd Wiseley and Sam Johnston talk at the Armed Guards Veteran reunion on September 19. The group meets three times a year at different locations in the state. Wiseley , who enjoys meeting the people at the reunions, is from Marine City; Johnston, who wore his service information on the back of his t-shirt, is a retired sergeant of the Grand Rapids Police. (TCC Photo by Hillary Darling)
Snapshots -- Norman and Becky Stanchfield look through an album of past Armed Guard Veteran reunions. The reunions began in 1992 in Michigan, 1981 nation-wide for the soldiers that guarded cargo ships during World War II. (TCC Photo by Hillary Darling)
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