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War of 1812: Royal Navy Capt. Robert Barclay had a hard-luck life

By
Frank Kuron
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Ever feel like the world is against you? I think we all have. Oh, I’ve had unlucky days. Like the time I overslept for the trial on which I was juror No. 7. As I strode through the courtroom to my seat, two hours late, the stares of disdain from the lawyers and judge melted me into the woodwork. It was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day.
Some of us get more than our fair share of those days; Capt. Robert Heriot Barclay of the British Royal Navy was one such unfortunate.
Who? Sure, you all have heard of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the victor of the Battle of Lake Erie, but you probably haven’t heard much about his adversary Barclay. Th e battle was fought Sept. 10, 1813. Perry won; Barclay lost. As a result, Perry became a superstar, and Barclay, well, he faded into a history book.
Born in Scotland with an instinctive love of the sea, Barclay left his family at the tender age of 12 and proudly enlisted in the British Royal Navy. A note in a family album suggested that he was “ill-used” as a teenage midshipman and that seems to hold true as the good hearted and hardworking young man was frequently taken advantage of. Despite stoic performances at sea, he just never seemed to get ahead.
In 1805, during the early Napoleonic Wars,it seemed he was on his way up with his assignment to serve on the Victory under the famous Lord Horatio Nelson.
Soon he was promoted to lieutenant and assigned his own ship, Swiftsure, which he commanded successfully through therenowned British victory at Trafalgar.
Instead of being promoted further, however, he was repeatedly assigned to lesser ships.
From 1809 on, the unlucky Barclay always carried a combination knife and fork utensil with him so he could cut his food one-handed, having lost his left arm in battle
with the French that year.

After serving four more years in the Atlantic, he was sent to North America, finally as commander of all naval forces on the lakes. Ten days later, however, his title was usurped by his superior officer, Sir James Yeo. Commander Yeo in turn ordered him to Lake Erie as a mere senior officer, a post he was offered only because Yeo’s first choice for the position refused it as a demeaning assignment.
Because England was preoccupied with Napoleon in Europe at this time, Barclay had the daunting task of organizing a British fleet that was undermanned, underequipped and underfed into a competent force.
He succeeded as well as anyone could have expected and aboard his flagship, Detroit, he boldly took on Perry.

Unfortunately, Barclay lost himself in the battle — parts of himself, that is. About an hour into the fight, a canister shot took out a chunk of his thigh. An hour or so later, his right shoulder blade was shattered by grapeshot (golf-ball sized metal, clustered like grapes and shot from cannons).
As if the wounds weren’t enough, Barclay soon faced a court martial for losing the contest. As he was escorted into the courtroom, his mutilated body brought tears to the men who served with him.

He was acquitted of any wrongdoing, but, deeply depressed by his appearance, he offered his fiancée a release from their engagement. She responded that if there was enough of him left to contain his soul, then she would marry him, and she did. Finally, some solace came his way.

Ironically, just four years afterBarclay’s death, his ship Detroit, which was decrepit but periodically used as a merchant ship after the battle, became the object of a publicity stunt. A number of businesses along the Niagara River, which runs over Niagara Falls, decided to send the old ship over the edge in order to draw customers to the area.

The shores were lined with curiosity seekers for this spectacle, which many felt was tasteless.
As it turned out, the boat was tossed and broken by the rapids, but became permanently lodged against an island. Like its former commander, the rest of its life was spent disfigured but in bittersweet peace, as life rushed by.

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Frank Kuron is author of the War of 1812 book, “Thus Fell Tecumseh.” Email him at [email protected]

Food bank “baffled” by church’s comments

By
John McCartney
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Pilgrim Church staffers recently announced they have to cut its food pantry to once a week, citing an area food bank’s dwindling supply as the reason.
But the announcement surprised the Toledo Northwest Ohio Food Bank (TNOFB), where Pilgrim Church has actually picked up 10,000 more pounds of food this year compared to last year.
The 97-year-old church, located at 1375 W. Sylvania Ave., has operated a food pantry for the past fi ve years, distributing food twice a week. On June 7, pantry program director Dawn Wilsonreported to a Toledo broadcast media outlet that the church food pantry was “being forced to take away” a day of its pantry service “even though the need for the food is not dwindling.”
Wilson told Toledo Free Press Pilgrim Church was forced to eliminate Tuesdays as a food distribution day because the TNOFB is having trouble keeping its shelves stocked.
“There isn’t enough food for us to choose from,” she said. “A lot of times, we go down there, and they don’t have a lot to offer us.”
But James Caldwell, president and chief executive officer of TNOFB, disputed Wilson’s statements that his food bank couldn’t adequately serve its clients.

“We’re just kind of baffled,” Caldwell said. “I really don’t think they know what they’re doing. I’m not trying to be negative. I just really think it’s a lack of experience.”

Pastor Ellis Young stepped into his position at Pilgrim Church three weeks ago. Wilson has been food pantry program director for three months.Barbara Grandowicz, TNOFB’s director of operations, said Pilgrim Church has received 35,000 pounds of food so far this year.

Wilson said one solution the church is pursuing is to find a second source of food.

TNOFB is not the only food bank in the city, but most people are unaware the Toledo Seagate Food Bank exists, said Deborah Vas, executive director of Seagate. She said the majority of the calls she receives come from food pantry operators who had only recently heard of her food bank.

When Wilson took the position at Pilgrim Church in March, she was not informed about the Seagate bank. While she’s not sure why the church has not used its services in the past, she said it is working on becoming a member.

Vas confirmed that Wilson has begun the application process for Pilgrim Church to become one of more than 400 nonprofi t member organizations that the food bank services. As of June 13, 2012, Vas reported that Wilson needs to submit a copy of Pilgrim Church’s 501(c)(3) (nonprofit) status. Aft er receipt of that document, Seagate personnel will conduct an inspection of the church’s facilities, confirming the existence of a pantry room and documenting proper refrigeration and cleanliness standards, a process that Vas said may only take a week to complete.

“At that point, they’re notified that, yes, they will receive food,” Vas said.

Vas said she is puzzled by the public’s lack of awareness about Seagate. She also suggested that the responsibility of membership rests with the food pantry itself.

“I think those who may not be taking advantage of both food banks simply are not aware of Seagate,” she said. “And that happens. When a new organization calls, they’ll say, ‘Well, somebody told me … there’s another food bank. How do we get with you?’

“That’s the only answer I can have. If you find an organization that does not take advantage of both, I would ask them, ‘Are you aware that there’s twofood banks? Are you aware that you can get something for free?’”

Other reasons for the elimination of Tuesdays for food distribution day included the cost of food, an increase in demand, the lack of an adequate number of volunteers and the concern that a few clients may be using the services in excess or as a “personal scheme.”

“We deal with a population that sometimes likes to ‘shoot the gaps,’ if you will,” said Young. “You were just here Tuesday, and now it’s Thursday. You’re back. … We don’t have a problem with that if the need is there. But sometimes we deal with gluttony. I think it’s becoming more and more common.”

But Young said the majority of Pilgrim Church clients truly need help.

“Understand, it’s not these bums out here who won’t work,” Young said. “A
lot of times, these are fine, upstanding people who would do better if they could, who would be responsible for feeding themselves if they had the resources. They just don’t have them.”

Barhite: The men who make Toledo the ‘manliest’ city

By
Brandi Barhite
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How fitting that Toledo was named the manliest city in Ohio just before Father’s Day.
The reasons forthis accolade are linked to the number of home improvement stores, monster truck rallies and motorcycles per capita.
Cleveland is the second manliest city in Ohio and Cincinnati is the third, according to the study released by Bert Sperling and Combos Snacks.
But the real test of a man has nothing to do with Harleys, going to Lowe’s or the lack of girly nail salons and boutiques in Toledo.
My dad gets the manliest man award because he had three daughters and never once said he wanted a son. People always teased him about the drama of three girls, but he dismissed it with a shrug and said he was happy with us three. That’s a real man.
My husband’s grandpa gets a nod because he married into a family with four young children and raised them as his own. That’s a real man.
A friend gets the award because he moved away from the Toledo area to live in his wife’s hometown after herbrother died in Iraq. That’s a real man.
At the Zepf Center in Toledo, I recently learned about more real men. They graduated from the Nurturing Fathers Program, which is a 13-week training course that teaches parenting and nurturing skills to men.

The classes provide skills for healthy family relationships and child development. It also helps the fathers with career development and assists with employability. Statistics show that states with fatherhood programs see an increase in child support compliance, employment rates, incomes and time spent with children, according to the Zepf Center.

Real men ask for help. New father Vince Guerrieri will celebrate his first Father’s Day this year. He channels “The Godfather” when it comes to real men.
“A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man,” Guerrieri said.

Longtime Toledo resident Matt Zaleski thinks back to all the men he saw as he was growing up. They worked hard to support their families, had a spiritual direction and still managed to spend time with those they loved.

And then there is father of five, Troy Johnson. For him, real men are strong. But not just strong in the “I can open that jar for you” way. Real men are strong enough to ask for help, strong enough to put family first, strong enough to come to the aid of their community.

All these men live in Northwest Ohio; all these men are the reason why we are the manliest in the state.

Treece: Inflation or deflation? Yes

By
Ben Treece
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Anyone who has an interest in finance should subscribe to John Mauldin’s biweekly newsletter. His information is timely, relevant and always contains citations, usually from leading economists and money managers.

In one of his last newsletters, Mauldin noted that when asked whether the economy will experience inflation or deflation, his “ready answer is, ‘Yes.’”

Many investors believe inflation is simply printing money. Inflation is actually a resulting  price increase for goods or services because a currency lost value. Deflation is just the opposite: Prices drop because of a currency suddenly strengthening. Inflation and deflation occur when the relationship between economic growth, as measured by the annual change in gross domestic product (GDP), and money supply go out of whack.

Contrary to what many people believe, printing money is perfectly OK — if the nation has the economic growth to substantiate it. If the economy expands by 5 percent and money supply does not grow at all, currency becomes much more valuable since there is a relatively smaller amount than there was before that economic growth.

Th is is our main problem with the standard: While it can be good to have a commodity backing a currency, it limits the amount by which the government increases the money supply. In the situation we currently find ourselves in — with a massive national debt — the standard seems like a great idea. On the flip side, when the economy expands and we do not increase the money supply, goods will have to be sold for less than what it cost to produce them. Th is could spell disaster for an economy in recovery.

It is also important to note that between the late 1800s and the early 1900s while the U.S. was on the standard, we experienced a depression approximately once every seven years.

Relating specifically to the United States, Mauldin asserted that we will see both inflation and deflation over time. As I have mentioned before, two factors must be present for inflation to exist: volume and velocity.

Following the quantitative easing policies of the Federal Reserve in the past decade,
there is plenty of volume, but there is no velocity.

Velocity occurs when money turns over in the economy. For example, if you were to have $1,000 on deposit with Bank of America, and the bank was hypothetically only required to have 10 percent of that deposit on hand, it could loan out $900. Th e money has turned over by one depositor becoming the creditor to a borrower while the bank profits.

When banks begin to loan funds to consumers and small businesses, we will absolutely see inflation.

We will likely not begin to see new loans until borrowers are certain that interest rates have bottomed, and that will not happen until interest rates begin to rise. Nobody wants to catch a falling knife, but when borrowers can see a tangible bottom for rates, they will want to snag a loan as cheaply as possible.

I believe inflation will not occur before a bout of deflation. We are already seeing positive economic news but what will truly spark real economic growth in this country will be a sharp decline in gas prices once we begin to tap into our four big domestic oil and natural gas reserves.

Most Americans do not have the option to pay or not pay for oil-based energy. Between home heating and fueling automobiles, this money must be spent and takes away from their ability to purchase consumer goods. Going aft er our domestic oil will create jobs
in the refi ning and transportation industry, but will also stimulate the manufacturing industry.

If manufacturers’ costs are lower, they can justify hiring more employees considering the new increase in demand as well.

I have no doubt energy prices hold back domestic economic growth, so as soon as we can bring those prices down the economy will expand. Th e Fed will have a difficult task trying to keep the inflation rate relatively similar to GDP growth to avoid high deflation or inflation.

As Mauldin put it best, will there be inflation or deflation? Yes.

Make sure that you are positioned accordingly or else your portfolio may suff er the consequences.

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Ben Treece is a 2009 graduate from the University of Miami (Fla.), BBA International Finance and Marketing. He is a partner with Treece Investment Advisory Corp (www.TreeceInvestments.com) and a stockbroker licensed with FINRA, working for Treece Financial Services Corp. The above information is the express opinion of Ben Treece
and should not be construed as investment advice or use

Retirement Guys: Who will get your Beanie Babies?

By
Mark Clair & Nolan Baker
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Remember Beanie Babies? The little stuffed animals filled with plastic “beans”? There were nine original Beanie Babies and it is a mystery to me (Mark) how many there are today.

I have seen articles saying there are more than 300, 600 and as many as 2,000 you can collect. I guess we will have to leave that to a Beanie Baby aficionado.

They were introduced in 1993 and became a craze to collect. I have heard some of the original nine could be worth more than $4,000.
My father-in-law had an old Gibson guitar from the 1950s and I had heard guitars from that era could be worth as much as  $100,000. This one turned out to be worth about $1,500.

I have watched the reality show “American Pickers” a few times. These two guys go on expeditions to find vintage valuables they can acquire and sell for a
profit. It is amazing they can find something old and decrepit and realize it’s something someone would pay a lot of money.
As an estate-planning attorney, I have drafted estate plans for folks with classic car collections, comic book collections, and, yes, Beanie Babies. These items are typically of great sentimental value to the owner because of the effort spent acquiring them or perhaps some connection to family. But what will happen to these collections
when the owner passes away?
My mother-in-law had a collection of dolls and it was important to my wife to preserve this collection when her mom passed away. Sadly, what often happens is the children or heirs come into a decedent’s home, divide up tangible personal items and toss the rest. It could be because of ignorance of the value or just the goal of not accumulating so much “junk” that producers want to do an episode of “Hoarders” about you.
If you do not have an estate plan, such as a last will and testament, you should consult with an estate planning attorney right away to create one. You can list specific gift s in your will.

I suggest keeping it simple, but list items that would be important to you to get where you want them to go.

Here is a tip: Sometimes things don’t get listed because most folks are not going to go back to the attorney’s office to change their will every time they acquire something new.

This can be overcome by inserting a clause into the will referring to a “separate writing.” This clause states that from time to time you may want to designate specific gift s from your estate effective upon your death.

The advantage of this is the clause includes an attached form where you can list items after the will has been drafted. As long as the form is witnessed, the designated gifts become part of the document after the fact. Pretty neat.

If you have not created a will yet, or need to update it, get it done right away.

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Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. NEXT Financial Group Inc. does not provide tax or legal advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group.

Letters to the editor, June 10, 2012

By
Dock David Treece
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Only owner can decide future
of sexually oriented business

TO THE EDITOR,

I appreciate and share Toledo Free Press’ enthusiasm for the growth of Downtown Toledo. The area Tom Pounds mentioned (“Addition by subtraction,” June 3) surrounding the Monroe/Huron intersection certainly has been energized by private and public investment and serves as a wonderful hub of activity for Downtown.

Adult establishments, classified as “sexually oriented businesses” under the Toledo Zoning Code, are permitted in the Downtown Commercial zoning district subject to spacing requirements.

As noted in your column, these businesses are required to be 500 feet from any residential zoning district, church or use established specifically for the activities of minors, such as schools and parks, and 1,000 feet from any other sexually oriented business.

We checked on the spacing requirements and determined that the business at 715 Monroe is 530 feet from Fifth Third Field and approximately 700 feet from Glass City Academy.
As much as I share your desire to keep downtown “family friendly,” there does not appear to be any legal basis for disapproving the zoning permit.

Your suggestions regarding creating a sexually oriented business-free zone or prohibiting a sexually oriented business within so many feet of a sports arena could not be applied retroactively, so ultimately it will be up to the building owner to decide if the proposed sexually oriented business opens at 715 Monroe. ✯

TOM LEMON, AICP
Director, Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions

Closing of Raceway Park is a loss

TO THE EDITOR,

There is much talk and excitement about the new casino.

However, what is being overlooked in all the exciting newsmstories about the grand opening is the price we paid for the new casino.

As some people may remember, Raceway Park is set to close its doors soon. The new casino, while adding pizzazz and jobs to the other side of the river, has added blight and destruction to North Toledo.

Our concerns about Raceway Park were subdued in the initial casino proposal when Penn National Gaming hinted that the new facility would not adversely affect Raceway Park.

Now everyone who visits the new casino is basically they are willing to overlook that. I am not. People will argue that the new casino is a nicer facility than Raceway. They would be correct, although if Penn National put a fraction of the money they put in the new Casino into the Park it would not be so.

They might also argue that the new casino provides more jobs than Raceway Park. Again, they would be correct. But what Penn National leaves behind in its wake is the further destruction of the North End.

But really, who cares about the North End anyway? North Towne Mall is gone as well as numerous other businesses. Most Toledoans have little or no occasion to visit that blighted area and now with Raceway Park closing one less reason to visit.

If we keep playing our cards this way perhaps one day there will be nothing of interest left at all.

Does no one remember we fought a “war” with Michigan for that area? Perhaps we should give it back because it seems we don’t really want it anyway. ✯

DANIEL P. FINKEL
Toledo

McCord students earn award for saving teacher

By
Toledo Free Press
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From left, Jaret Hoschak, Sarah Sabol, Connie Root, Andy Riggs, Mark Curtis. Photo by George Tanber

Seven months after they helped save the life of their sixth-grade science teacher, four McCord Junior High School students have been recognized by the American Legion Auxiliary for their quick-thinking actions.

Sarah Sabol, Jaret Hoschak, Mark Curtis and Andy Riggs were presented the auxiliary’s Youth Hero Award on June 4 at the school’s year-end academic awards assembly.

The students acted swiftly when their teacher, Connie Root, collapsed in their room Nov. 9. Sarah, using the classroom phone, called a teacher in a nearby classroom. Andy hustled next door to another teacher’s classroom.  Jaret and Mark sprinted to the cafeteria where they found the school’s principal, Keith Limes, and Kathleen Theiss, a teacher.

Theiss performed CPR on Root, who had stopped breathing after suffering a severe heart attack. Paramedics from the Sylvania Township Fire Department and Lucas County EMS, who arrived within a few minutes, brought Root back from certain death.

During a five-day stay in Toledo Hospital’s intensive care unit, doctors found Root, amazingly, had not suffered brain damage after her heart stopped.

On Nov. 16, Root walked out of the hospital.

A week later, Evelyn Navarre, treasurer of the legion’s Sylvania auxiliary, Joseph W. Diehn Unit 468, read a Nov. 23 article in Toledo Free Press detailing Root’s ordeal.  She was moved to tears by the actions of the students.

“They had a courageous attitude. And they didn’t panic,” she said. “I thought ‘This is amazing. I have to do something.’”

Navarre submitted the students’ names to the national auxiliary headquarters in Indianapolis, where officials agreed they deserved the award that was established in 2002 for exactly this type of situation.

In introducing the students at the assembly, an emotional, teary-eyed Navarre said: “May you all be reminded of the example of Andy, Sarah, Mark and Jaret, and never hesitate to go and get help when the need arises. Their teacher, Connie Root, is here today because of their quick actions.”

One by one, the students approached the podium to receive first a certificate from the Sylvania auxiliary president, Marian Darr and then a medal with a red, white and blue ribbon which Mariam Wuwert the auxiliary’s Children & Youth chairman, hung around their necks.

As their families clicked away with their phone cameras, the students couldn’t stop smiling.

“I feel good about it,” said Mark, 12. “I was kind of proud.”

Jaret, celebrating his 13th birthday, said: “At first, I just thought I helped out. Now, with people recognizing me, I think that’s cool.”

Nearby, an overjoyed Root couldn’t stop crying. Gradually, she’s going off the medications required since her attack. Otherwise, she’s receiving good reports from her doctors and said she feels great.  She still marvels at her students’ actions.

“It’s just amazing what they did. Someone was in trouble, and they knew what to do.”

Glancing over at her students with a warm, tear-laced smile, she said, wistfully: “I don’t think they’ll realize what they did and the impact it had on so many people until they get older.”

Szuch move to Signature Bank ‘like going home’

By
Toledo Free Press
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John Szuch will take a leadership position at SignatureBank. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr

Nightly news of banking blunders, like the recent report that incompetence at J.P. Morgan led to a loss of more than $2 billion, frightens many Americans. That national trend is not indicative of local banks that make news with reports like Signature Bank’s announcement, that it had appointed John S. Szuch to its board of directors and an executive officer position.

Szuch’s appointment brought a smile to local businessman Rob Armstrong’s face. Armstrong, executive vice president of Bennett Enterprises Inc., a corporation that operates 21 restaurants and four hotels in Northwest Ohio, said he is one of Szuch’s biggest fans.

“John has been very helpful to our organization for over 30 years,” Armstrong said. “John may well be the most respected banker in Northwest Ohio. For John, going to work at Signature must be just like going home.

“Signature Bank was a great bank before John joined. John is going to be just another feather in their cap.”

Armstrong said he is convinced Szuch’s move to Signature Bank’s staff will only enhance Armstrong’s 10-year association with the bank, a financial institution that he said has done especially well at “presenting us with direct access to any of their people. I can pick up the phone and talk to any individual, from the chairman and president all the way down the ladder. I even have the personal cellphone numbers of the officers.”

Armstrong’s “going home” reference alludes to Szuch’s work, starting in 1971, at local banking powerhouses that include TrustCorp, Capital and Fifth Third banks.

After 17 years at TrustCorp, now known as KeyBank, Szuch and colleague Bob Sullivan co-founded Capital Bank on July 1, 1988, and opened for business a year later, Aug. 24, 1989.

Twelve years later, in March, 2001, Szuch and Sullivan sold Capital Bank to Fifth Third Bank, and both men joined Fifth Third’s staff. A group of Capital Bank executives who didn’t make the move to Fifth Third founded Signature Bank in April 2002.

One month after its 10th anniversary, on May 9, 2012, Signature Bank hired Szuch, their longtime friend and former boss. For Szuch, that meant leaving the corporate world of large banks with thousands of employees who “do a huge volume in a standard format, and have everything channeled through specific people. They’re very good at standard, everything-between-the-lines things. They do it very efficiently and price it well,” he said.

In its place, Szuch enters a banking institution in which all 97 employees focus on personal attention, individual needs and creating a service environment, according to bank President Dave Reed.

John Szuch

“We’re like the old, smalltown banks,” Reed said. “You know the people, they know you, and we try to make it easy.

“There’s a lot of complexity out there in the world. You’d like to be able to count on some people who you know you can come to if you have something unusual, and it will get done. It will get seriously considered quickly, which is a big component of what we do,” Reed said.

Szuch chuckled upon hearing the word “quickly.”

“‘Quickly’ is a big word,” Szuch said. “You don’t know how long it takes to get something through at the other places. I mean, weeks sometimes.”

It’s Signature Bank’s timeliness that appeals to Jan Ruma, vice president and executive director of Toledo-Lucas County CareNet for the last 14 years.

“We work with Signature Bank because, simply speaking, they are able to meet our needs,” Ruma said. “We have limited staffing, and running to the bank uses up a lot of our resources. Signature provides simple things, like a courier service.

“Anything we need is just a phone call or an email away. We always work with the same people, and that’s comforting. We don’t call and get a voice recording or extension 262 to contact. We get a personal response.”

Rick Brunner, with 22 years experience in the banking industry, is Signature Bank’s chairman and chief executive officer. He says the addition of Szuch will enhance Signature’s collaborative approach to customer service.

“John has an enormous wealth of experience in a lot of different facets of banking,” Brunner said. “John has a vast network of people he’s worked with over the course of his career that will help him attract clients to Signature Bank.”

Brunner says Szuch’s 41 years of experience will help Signature Bank meet its clients’ unique needs.

“We like to make banking simple, straightforward and efficient, and a big piece of that is the personalized, customized piece of dealing with people, understanding what they need,” Brunner said. “In a lot of different industries, it’s ‘Let me tell you what you need. This is the right product for you.’ Our approach is more, ‘Let’s talk about what you need. What will help you? Are we a fit for that?’ ”

Szuch said he is humbled that Signature Bank created this executive officer position especially for him.

“Is there pressure?” he asked. “Yes, but the only pressure on me is self-imposed because I want to make sure bringing me here was a good decision.”

Workshop to teach how to collect stories from veterans

By
Jeff
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Veteran LaMont Gee's story is preserved in the Library of Congress. Toledo Free Press photo -- SARAH OTTNEY

When LaMont Gee was hit in the throat by shrapnel while defending a bridge in Belgium during World War II, his friends thought he was dead.

The 18-year-old was drafted in 1943 and assigned to the Army’s 988th Engineering Treadway Bridge Company, which built bridges to replace those destroyed by the retreating German army. He was injured during an attack by a German airplane attempting to destroy a recently completed bridge. After a field hospital operation and two months of rehabilitation in England, his voice returned and he rejoined his company in Germany.

“I walked over and the guys just looked at me,” said Gee, now 87, a Silver Star and Purple Heart recipient who served as grand marshal of Sylvania’s Memorial Day parade this year. “They said, “‘What are you doing here?’ I said, “‘Where’s my duffel bag?’ It was still in the truck. I got it and we just kept on going. When there’s a job to do, you do it.”

Veteran LaMont Gee’s story is preserved at the Library of Congress.

The Sylvania resident’s story is among those archived at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., as part of the Veterans History Project. The ongoing nationwide project, which started in 2000, collects audio- or videotaped firsthand accounts of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts from veterans as well as U.S. citizen civilians involved in supporting war efforts, such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors and medical volunteers. The project also collects original documents, such as photographs, letters, diaries and maps.

Free workshop

A free workshop for those interested in learning how to interview veterans will be 1-3 p.m. June 15 at Owens Community College, 30335 Oregon Road, in Perrysburg, in the Audio/Visual Classroom Center rooms 125-128.

The session will be taught by Tom Barden, Northwest Ohio regional coordinator of the Veterans History Project. No interviews will be conducted during the training.

“It’s an amazing project,” said Barden, dean of the Honors College at the University of Toledo and a Vietnam War veteran. “To me as an academic, all oral history is important. History is written about the famous people, but to me the more interesting stories are those of the average person and their lives.”

Local interviewer

More than 75,000 stories have been collected so far, including more than 500 by retired Sylvania resident Bud Fisher.

“Seventy-five thousand may sound like a lot, but it’s not when you consider how many millions of people served,” said Fisher, who compiled many of his interviews into two books: “What a Time It Was” about World War II and “30 Below on Christmas Eve” about the Korean War.

Each of those millions has a story and Fisher enjoys giving them a voice.

“What I enjoy the most is watching these fellows open up,” Fisher said. “When they came home they didn’t sit their families down and tell them about the war. They took off their uniforms and went back to work or school. A story might have come out here or there, but I provided the means by which they could really open up and talk about their military service from start to finish. I helped to transport them back 60 years to when they were young.”

Copies of the interviews are also archived locally at UT’s Canaday Center or Perrysburg’s Way Public Library. The veteran also receives a copy of the interview.

“That’s like a genealogical treasure,” Fisher said. “When they are long gone, their family can hear their voice, which is priceless. I’d love to hear my grandfather’s voice or my great-grandfather’s voice, even though I know a fair amount about them. It’s like a voice from the past.”

Another local interviewer is Richard Baranowski, local history librarian at Way Public Library.

“Fifty years from now, 100 years from now, a descendent of one of these guys will be able to go to the Library of Congress and see his ancestor on a video camera,”  Baranowski said. “If we had that from the Civil War, how valuable would that be? History dies with people. A lot of the people we’ve interviewed have died. It’s a good idea to see what you can preserve.”

Some veterans are determined to never talk of their experiences again while others find it therapeutic, Fisher said. Some are talkative while others need more prodding to open up.

“No one has ever said “‘I’m sorry I did this.’ Everybody is happy they did it,” Fisher said.

Fisher, who served during the Korean War, said being a fellow veteran has helped, but anyone can conduct interviews if they know what questions to ask.

“The process is simple. I take my recorder to their kitchen table and we talk,” Fisher said. “It helps to be a student of history, but you don’t have to be knowledgeable about the war. You just have to know what questions to ask.”

Fisher asks veterans to bring his or her discharge papers as reference. Barden suggests doing some background research, but then just listen.

“Do your homework, but don’t use it,” Barden said. “People want to feel like you know what they are talking about, but if you start talking like a historian, they might get intimidated.”

Start with a family member, Fisher suggested.

“Everybody’s got a father or grandfather or uncle who was in the service and you can practice on them,” Fisher said. “Not everybody has to do 500 interviews.”

Some veterans tell him their contributions are not important enough to talk about, but Fisher disagrees.

“I tell them not everybody won the Medal of Honor, but every story is important. If you served, your story is important,” Fisher said. “Historians talk about the generals and the admirals and the leaders of the country. They don’t talk about the people who did the work. This is a way to finally have a history of the common man, the ordinary GI. We’ve heard enough about Douglas MacArthur and Adm. [Chester W.] Nimitz and Gen. [George S.] Patton. We know all about those guys, but finally we’re going to hear the stories of the guys who made them famous.”

Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor of the workshop. Other sponsors include U.S. Representatives Bob Latta and Marcy Kaptur, Northwest Ohio Honor Flight and American Red Cross Greater Toledo Area Chapter.

Pounds: China Summit

By
Tom Pounds
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Toledo Free Press was honored to be a sponsor of the May 31 China Business Summit, presented by Communica at The Toledo Club.

With more than 400 million people in its middle class alone, China presents an incredible market.

As reported by Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Morgan Delp, all of the speakers at the event talked about the challenges and benefits of expansion into China.

In addition to the four main presentations, the event included brief remarks from Jim Rush, executive vice president and head of business development at Communica, Debbie Monagan, president of Communica, Mayor Mike Bell and Regional Growth Partnership President and CEO Dean Monske. Minhua Wu from the Confucius Institute at the University of Toledo also presented on the institute’s Chinese language and culture courses, which it offers to teachers, business people and students in the area.

“You cannot be successful in any foreign market unless you know the challenges,” said William Sinn, president of the Cleveland-based Sinn & Company consultancy.

He said these challenges include a language barrier even within the country of China, due to all of the different dialects. When illustrating the drastic language difference amongst neighboring towns in China by comparing them to Ohio cities, Sinn said that unless using the same dialect, “Toledo could not talk to Bowling Green.” He said that acquiring a skilled and reliable translator was essential in overcoming this obstacle.

John Tang, attorney and head of the Shanghai-based Brennan, Manna & Diamond group in Akron, said a big aspect of Chinese culture is that people focus on outward appearances because they are extremely concerned with “saving face,” or retaining a respectable image.

Tang gave the example of the successful American chain, Victoria’s Secret, which tried to expand into China, but had to scale back because the Chinese were not interested in spending money on undergarments that could not be seen by others.

Wei Shen, managing director of BridgeConnect LLC in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., said Americans need to understand that business deals cannot be made on the first visit with potential Chinese clients. She said gaining the respect of potential clients and having patience in negotiations are key to gaining wealth in China.

However, many differing aspects of the Chinese way of life offer promising business opportunities, Tang said.

“China is very polluted due to the factories, and the government knows that, so if you are in an industry with environmentally friendly products, they’ll offer a lot of incentives and open a lot of doors for you,” he said.

Toledo Free Press has long advocated bringing international business to Toledo, and has supported the Bell administration’s efforts to do so. We will continue to support events such as the China Business Summit and urge local entrepreneurs to continue to engage in the global conversation.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at [email protected].

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