beaconJan2020

January 2020 THE BEACON Page 7A
Memories and Memorobilia Displayed from World War I and II
By Katie Ulrich
In this time in which we
live, it’s easy to take for
granted the convenience of
our daily lives and the sheer
amount of goods that we have
available to us at all times. On
days such as Veteran’s Day,
we are reminded to reflect on
what was lost. The sacrifices
made by those who devoted
themselves to the betterment
of our country. Their sacrifices
have allowed us to enjoy
this prosperity today.
Thinking of World War I
and II as far away, long gone
wars is pretty easy. They were
wars that didn’t involve the
Midwest, far from the cities
in which we live. But draftees
and volunteers came from
every corner of our nation.
Every community in the country
lost sons and daughters to
the war effort. Local veterans
Tom Savage and Eric Smith
set up a display of World War
memorabilia in the Lawrenceburg
American Legion for
Veteran’s Day weekend. This
memorabilia was available to
the public and was toured by
local school kids.
While Tom Savage was
drafted right after the building
of the Berlin wall (finishing
basic training in January of
1962), he also remembers his
father’s service in World War
I. Neal Savage served from
1917-1919. He passed on
several items from his time
of service to Tom, including a
poster that had been given to
new recruits right out of basic
training. The poster listed
people in the company, including
Mr. Savage, who was
a bugler. Tom’s father also left
a helmet that Tom remembers
playing with as a kid. “We
probably gave it more dents
than he did.” The helmet has
a red diamond on the front,
representing the Sixth Infantry
Division. This division
was also known as the
“Sight-seeing Sixth” because
they marched more than any
other division. Among other
mementos, Mr. Savage has a
metal cup that was engraved
by Jack Cyrus, a soldier who
served with his father. It features
a detailed eagle, as well
as the names Jack Cyrus and
Neal Savage and their dates of
service. This engraving was
Trench art created by Jack
Cyrus while in the trenches
during WWI.
done while Mr. Cyrus and Mr.
Savage were in the trenches
waiting for a battle to start.
Engravings such as this are
known as “trench art.”
Tom Savage’s brother,
Frank, served during World
War II as a radioman on the
USS Springfield. During
the war, the USS Springfield
narrowly avoided a
kamikaze attack, the plane
instead crashing a mere fifty
feet away. Perhaps the most
notable aspect of the USS
Springfield’s career was in
carrying President Roosevelt
on his journey to the Malta
Conference. Frank Savage
lent a medical storage box
from the war for the display,
lid open and entirely empty.
The ship on which the medical
box was found was the
Tachibana Maru, a Japanese
hospital ship. When caught by
the U.S. Navy, The Tachibana
Maru was filled with smuggled
weapons and Japanese
soldiers. These soldiers had
bandages but, upon inspection,
were found to be entirely
uninjured. The elaborate ruse
was done in order to transport
able-bodied soldiers to front
lines. Frank Savage found the
medical box, full of medical
instruments, on the Tachibana
Maru and hid it. He returned
later to find it completely
picked clean. Frank is now in
his nineties and had a medal
of valor presented to him at
a luncheon on Veteran’s Day
weekend.
Eric Smith has been collecting
war memorabilia for
as long as he can remember,
as early as the age of six
The Greendale
Veterans
Memorial was
dedicated to
veterans, firefighters,
EMS,
and police
officers during
the weekend of
Veterans Day.
Frank Savage’s map from his years of service.
Photos by
Katie Ulrich
when relatives began passing
items on to him. Eric had six
uncles and three great uncles
who served in World War II.
Over the years, Mr. Smith’s
collection has become extensive.
Eric grew up in Bright,
surrounded by many World
War veterans. He recalls his
childhood, “While other kids
were playing baseball, I was
an Army nut.” Eric enlisted
in the Army at age seventeen,
with his father’s signature
of permission. He arrived in
Vietnam in January 1971 at
just nineteen years old. Eric
served in the Army for over
twenty years and as a Green
Beret for seventeen years,
teaching people how to use all
kinds of weapons.
Mr. Smith helped establish
the American Legion post in
Bright and serves as the Sergeant
at Arms. Although this
was a first-time event in Lawrenceburg,
he regularly sets
up World War displays with
the memorabilia he owns.
In tandem with the Lawrenceburg
display, Greendale
dedicated a new memorial for
The medical storage box found empty by Frank Savage.
215 E. Broadway St, P.O. Box 513
Harrison, Ohio 45030
(513)367-4545 Fax: (513)367-4546
www.jackmanhensley.com
We believe in going beyond what is
expected to offer each family a caring
compassionate service for
an affordable price.
215 E. Broadway St, P.O. Box 513
Harrison, Ohio 45030
(513)367-4545 Fax: (513)367-4546
www.jackmanhensley.com
Uniforms displayed at the
Lawrenceburg American
Legion Exhibit.
veterans, firefighters, EMS,
and police officers. Through
the recognition of the sacrifices
of these men and women,
we are reminded of the prosperous
lives we have today.
“Providing funerals and cremations with dignity and compassion.”
Sign up for Spring classes
starting January 13th!
Come to the Lawrenceburg
Express Enrollment Center
to get started!
Lawrenceburg Express Enrollment Center
(812) 537-4010
50 Walnut Street Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
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