Robert Bike
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These are photos I took of buildings, parks & scenes that I remember from my childhood, and other things and people that interest me, from my trip to Freeport in October of 2002.
A memorial to Freeporters and Stephenson Countyers killed during the Vietnam War is near the bottom of the page. Just added: those killed in Iraq.
All photos except as noted, Copyright 2002 Robert L. Bike.
This is a huge page, with lots & lots of photos. It should load fairly quickly on broadband. If you are still on dial-up, order broadband now, as loading this page could take a very long time. All the links work, so if you get a red X instead of a photo, right click on the X and select "Show Picture."
Freeport's mayor, Jim Gitz, is an old friend and classmate.
Photo of Jim stolen from his website!
Freeport City Hall
The architect wanted to put his name on the building, but the city fathers objected. So the architect put the names of famous people at the top, people whose first letter of their last names, coincidentally, spelled out his name!
The 'new' gym at Freeport High School.
The old gym and the tower at Freeport High School.
The old Stephenson Hotel. The banner celebrates the Freeport Doctrine from the Lincoln-Douglas debate of 1858. Quiz: What is the Freeport Doctrine?
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas held a series of seven debates in their run for the United States Senate. In their second debate, held in Freeport on August 27, 1858, Lincoln asked Douglas which was more binding, popular sovereignty or a recent decision of the United States Supreme Court against it. Douglas chose popular sovereignty: a territory had the right to govern itself with or without slavery.
The Freeport Doctrine won Douglas the senatorial seat, but his answer split the Democratic party and enabled Lincoln to win the presidency in 1860.
My sister Claudia Painter & the tower of plates at the old Little's China Shop.
The corner of Walnut & Main. The Walnut Hill Liquor Store. The old Freeport Hotel is the big building on the right. The historic Raleigh building is in the distance.
The dam at Krape Park.
The duck pond at Krape Park.
The waterfall & Yellow Creek at Krape Park.
The totem pole at Krape Park.
Twin Caves and Yellow Creek at Krape Park.
The 'new' Stephenson County Court House and the Civil War Memorial.
The sanctuary at St. John United Church of Christ.
St. John United Church of Christ Mission statement: Bringing the Healing Love of Christ to Our Community for the Glory of God.
Memorial to those who served in the Civil War from Stephenson County.
Friends
of mine who died during the Vietnam War:
Don Keep
& Jerry Jenner
Guys I knew: Barry Armstrong,
Bob Bonebright
Relative: Richard Otte
Others from Freeport and Stephenson County who died during the Vietnam war as listed on the memorial are Ronald Boyer, Douglas Gillette, Emil Handel, Paul Hudson, Dale Koertner, Dave Krueger, Larry Mack, Stephen Osran, Franklin Picking, Jerry Pool, Richard Reed, Ronald Schurch, Louie Shianna, Fred Welker, and Willie Wright. I have included as much information as I could find about each of these men, including the location of their names on the Vietnam War Memorial.
My uncle Bob Wienand was killed in action in World War II.
Harry Liggett, Charles McCoy and Fred Wilkins won the Distinguished Service Cross in World War I.
John Scofield won the Medal of Honor in the Civil War.
Andrew Lancaster and Neil Petsche died in the Iraq War.
Norman Cain was killed in the Afghanistan War.
If
you have more information about any of these men, please email me at .
Send photos, stories about them, any information you would like included.
Vietnam
War Deaths
Stephenson County
Dick Otte portrait in his mother's home in Freeport.
My mother, Anna Otte, with Dick's mother, Ida Otte, at Ida's home.
Richard Otte was a PFC - E2 in the Marine Corps.
He was killed by "friendly fire" on December 15, 1966 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. He was only 23.
His
name is on Panel 13E, Line 48.
Barry Armstrong died on February 2, 1970 in Binh Thuan, South Vietnam. He was killed in action while serving with the First Cavalry Division (Air Mobile). An army corporal, he was only 19.
Click on photo to enlarge the clipping. Thanks to Jim Mertins for the clipping that appeared in the February 5, 1970 issue of the Freeport Journal-Standard, and the Life Magazine photos, below.
The November 1992 issue of Life Magazine ran a feature article on the Vietnam Memorial, and in the main photo in the center of the magazine is the section of the wall that has Barry's name on it. His name is on Panel 14W, Line 92.
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Click on photos to enlarge.
Barry Armstrong is listed at the center of the photo, next to the woman's hand. |
"I got goosebumps when I looked at your memorial page. I used to babysit for Barry Armstrong, and I have the rubbing from his panel when I went to DC. I have a great appreciation for this memorial you've created. Thank you so much."—Sherry Maves
Robert Bonebright was a Marine Corps Sergeant. He died from non-hostile fire at age 25 on May 18, 1969 over Thua Thien, South Vietnam.
A Marine KC-130 with Bob aboard was refueling two F-4B jets just south of the DMZ. As the three aircraft flew in formation, with the Phantoms plugged in and taking fuel, a third F-4B collided with the C-130's right wing near the #3 engine. The collision destroyed the F-4B, sheared the wing from the C-130, and damaged one F-4B refueling from the right side. The F-4B on the left escaped without damage. The F-4B on the right crashed, but the two crewmen were rescued.
All six men aboard the C-130, including Bob, and the two crewmen aboard the F-4B that crashed into them were killed in the accident.
His
name is on Panel 24W, Line 37.
Ronald Boyer was a PFC in the army from Lena. Ronald Boyer was killed in action on February 9, 1969, in Vietnam. He was stationed with the 196th Infantry Brigade. He died from hostile fire at age 21.
His
name is on Panel 33W, Line 091.
Douglas Gillette died in a drowning accident June 30, 1968, in the Mosel River near Zell, Germany. He was stationed with the United States Air Force at Hahn Air Force Base in Frankfurt.
Emil Handel was killed August 25, 1970, in Bangkok, Thailand. He was a passenger in a bus which was struck by a train. He had been serving with the Strategic Air Command in Michigan before going to Thailand.
Paul Hudson was a fireman serving aboard the U.S.S. Essex, a US Navy Aircraft Carrier, when he was electrocuted while working on April 16, 1964.
Jerry was killed in a car accident while home on leave before being sent to Vietnam. He died October 7, 1968. He had been stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas.
I graduated from Freeport High School in 1966 with Jerry. I knew him since grade school.
Don was killed in action on January 8, 1968 in Kien Hoa Province, South Vietnam, during the Tet Offensive in the Mekong Delta. He served as a corporal with the 9th Infantry Division of the army, known as "The Old Reliables." He was only 20 years old at the time of his death.
His unit, which was on a search and destroy mission in the Mekong Delta, had been air lifted into an area of open rice paddies when it came under fire from enemy troops. Don was wounded in the initial volley of enemy fire, but remained at his post, refusing to be airlifted to safety. He was awarded the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster for bravery in action and the purple heart for wounds that took his life.
The citation which accompanied the award for bravery said that Don's "personal bravery and unwavering devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and his country's Army." He also received a Combat Infantry Badge, Rifleman's Badge with Bar, the National Defense Medal, and the Vietnam Company Medal.
Don in combat gear.
Don, center, in sweltering Vietnam.
(Photos courtesy Don's nephew, Clifford Keep, Jr.)
I graduated from Freeport High School in 1966 with Donald Keep. He was a good friend.
Don's name is on the Vietnam War Memorial Wall on Panel 33E, Line 85.
Dale Koertner, a Navy Seabee, died March 27, 1968. He was killed while at work at Virginia Beach, VA. He apparently fell from a boat into a barge-like section of an amphibious landing construction. Dale graduated from FHS in 1965.
Dave Krueger was a corporal in the army. He was killed in action March 17, 1970, while on a combat mission in Vietnam. He died of wounds received when an enemy booby trap exploded. Dave graduated from FHS in 1965. He was 22.
His
name is on Panel 12W, Line 013.
Larry Mack was a Crew Chief / Helicopter Mechanic killed in action while trying to aid a downed aircraft on April 20, 1968, at Binh Dinh, South Vietnam.
He was a Snake Doctor. Some of the helicopter assault teams used the call sign, "Rattler." The maintenance area for these helicopters became known as the Snake Pit, and the mechanics as Snake Doctors. They often flew into combat areas to repair helicopters as needed.
His name is on Panel 51E, Line 9. He was only 23.
Stephen Osran died March 16, 1969, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He was assigned to Eglin AFB in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. He became seriously ill and died at the hospital. Steve graduated from FHS in 1965.
Franklin Picking was an Air Force Major. He was officially listed as missing and probably died on July 23, 1969 at age 38. He was piloting a plane in support of an army division when he was shot down over An Khe, Vietnam. He was an A-1 Skyraider pilot with the 6th Special Operations Squadron assigned to Pleiku Air Base. He was credited with flying 35 missions in the month of May, 1969. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Franklin was the older brother of one of my Class of 1966 classmates, Darius Picking. Darius was serving in the Navy off the coast of Vietnam when his brother died.
Franklin's
name is on Panel 20W, Line 036.
Jerry Pool was a Green Beret Special Forces lieutenant. He led a military team sent to Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, as a U.S. long range reconnaissance patrol to check on enemy activity. Within an hour, his eight-man squad found the enemy, who aggressively chased them for three days. He called in a helicopter to evacuate his team when they came under heavy enemy fire.
The four-man helicopter team picked him up along with his two men and five Montagnard tribesmen. Moments after lifting off, the helicopter was hit by a rocket, exploded, crashed and burned. Because of heavy enemy fire, other helicopters nearby were not able to land and search for survivors. The crash site was about 23 miles southwest of the tri-border junction of Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam at the bottom of a valley with steep walls.
He was officially listed as missing and probably died on March 24, 1970, at age 23, in Cambodia. The crash site was found on April 12, 1995. He was declared dead on June 20, 2001, although his remains were never individually identified. On August 16, 2001, a group burial was conducted at Arlington National Cemetery for the seven Americans and the five Montagnards.
His
name is on Panel 12W, Line 040.
Richard Reed of Rock City was killed in action December 7, 1970, when a booby trap detonated at a Da Nang area base near the DMZ. Richard took basic training at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Following that, Richard was sent to Non-Commissioned Officers School, where he earned the highest marks ever achieved at that time. He then went to Jump School. He was an army sergeant, assigned to Company B, First Battalion, 20th Infantry, 23rd Division (American Division). Richard Reed was the last Stephenson County soldier to lose his life in the Vietnam War. He was only 21.
His
name is on Panel 06W, Line 113.
Ronald Schurch of Orangeville was a Lance Corporal in the Marines. He was killed in action in Vietnam when a land mine exploded. He joined the Marines shortly after graduation. He died from hostile fire on June 26, 1967 at age 20.
His
name is on Panel 22E, Line 066.
The
photos for this memorial to Louie Shianna were sent in by his nephew, Dr. Shawn
Shianna of Freeport,"Thank you for putting my uncle on your website. I'm
touched."
 |
|
| Louie
Shianna |
Louie Shianna grew up in Red Oak and graduated from Orangeville High School. He & his wife were residents of Freeport at the time of his service. Louie was an SP4 in the army. He died from hostile fire on April 18, 1969 at age 25.
His
name is on Panel 26W, Line 004.
Fred Welker
of rural Lena was killed in an auto accident while on his way home from Texas
for a 30-day leave.
Willie Wright was killed in action November 6, 1967. He was the recipient of the Silver Star, our third highest award for gallantry, for repeatedly putting himself in danger while pulling wounded comrades from heavy enemy fire. He was on his second tour of duty and had been wounded five times previously. His family had just moved to Stephenson County in 1966.
My thanks to family members and friends of Freeport's Vietnam era dead for photos and information. And a special thanks to Karen Otto Hutmacher for help in researching information on these men.
Iraq
War Deaths
Stephenson County
Sergeant Andrew Wayne Lancaster of Stockton was killed in action in Iraq on August 11, 2007. Lancaster was with the 1st Battalion 30th Infantry Division from Fort Stewart, Georgia.
A sniper in Arab Jabour, Iraq (southeast of Baghdad), killed U.S. soldier PFC William L. Edwards, 23. Lancaster and seven other soldiers rushed the house where the gunman was holed up. One of the soldiers stepped on a buried pressure-triggered bomb at the house. Lancaster and three other soldiers died; four more were wounded in the blast. Killed alongside Lancaster were Army Specialist Justin O. Penrod, 24, of Mahomet, Illinois, Sergeant Scott L. Kirkpatrick, 26, of Reston, Virginia and Staff Sergeant William D. Scates, 31, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Andy Lancaster attended Stockton High School before graduating from Freeport High School in 2002.
He was previously deployed to Afghanistan with the U.S. Army's Elite Squadron, 173rd Airborne Brigade.
He earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, posthumously. House Resolution 704 was read on the Illinois House of Representatives floor honoring Lancaster.
Ft.
Stewart honors soldiers from that base who are killed in action. A red bud tree
was planted for Lancaster at Warriors Walk among the nearly 400 planted there.
Andrew Lancaster was only 23 years old.
Marine Lance Corporal Neil D. Petsche of Lena died while serving in Iraq on December 21, 2004, from injuries received in a non-hostile vehicle incident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Petsche was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California.
Neil Petsche was only 21 years old.
Afghanistan
War Deaths
Stephenson County
Spc.
Norman Cain III, a 2006 graduate of Freeport High School, was killed in action
on Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Kot, Nangarhar Province, in eastern Afghanistan.
An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near his vehicle. He was killed
instantly.
Cain enlisted in the Illinois National Guard in July 2007 and served in Company D, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry. This was his first deployment. He arrived in Afghanistan in late October 2008. He was a part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), providing security for Provincial Reconstruction Teams that are helping the Afghan government build roads, hospitals, government buildings and other infrastructure.
Also killed were two other soldiers from his unit, Sgt. Christopher Abeyta, 23, of Midlothian, and Spc. Robert Weinger, 24, of Round Lake Beach, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy L. Bowles, 24, from Tucson, Arizona. Cain, Abeyta and Weinger were the 9th, 10th and 11th deaths from the Illinois Army National Guard’s 33rd IBCT since their deployment to Afghanistan. Eight of the deaths have occured in 2009. Cain died at the scene, while Abeyta and Weinger were taken to a hospital in Jalabad, Afghanistan, where they died.
Cain was a resident of Mount Morris. He had attended Highland Community College Auto Mechanics School. He is survived by his wife Brigette and his two children, a step-daughter, Fallon Spielman, and a son, Toryn Cain.
Here's a link to a TV news story about his death.
Norman Cain was just 22 years old.