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Heaven Can Wait |
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Six members of the Honor Guard of American Legion Post #377 of Delano, MN, posted the colors and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance in Victoria, MN, on October 13th, 2018. The audience consisted of family members of the B-24 bomber plane that was shot down by the enemy on March 11th, 1944, in the throes of World War II. The name of the B-24 was Heaven Can Wait. |
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For their courageous service during the War, crew members of Heaven Can Wait received the Air Medal and Purple Heart Awards. FRONT (l-r): Donald W. Sheppick (2nd Lt., Navigator), Herbert G. Tennyson (1st Lt., Pilot), Michael J. McFadden Jr. (2nd Lt., Co-Pilot), Thomas V. Kelly Jr. (2nd Lt., Bombardier). BACK: Edward Gorvetzian (T/Sgt., Engineer), Eugene A. Reinhardt (S/Sgt., Gunner), Walter W. Graves (S/Sgt., Gunner), Paul W. Martin (S/Sgt., Tail Gunner), Eugene J. Darrigan (S/Sgt., Radio Operator), Donald W. Burd (S/Sgt., Gunner). NOT PICTURED: John W. Emmer Jr. (S/Sgt., Photographer) of Minneapolis, MN. |
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Jim Emmer of Victoria was born three years after his Uncle John went missing in action. Said Jim, “I’ve got relatives here tonight that I haven’t seen for a very long time.” He thanked Kathy Brown, Principal of the Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, who generously offered school facilities, including theater and dining room, for the reunion of family members of Heaven Can Wait. |
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Said Kathy Brown, “We are in the Holy Presence of God.” Everyone fell silent at the solemn words and the Spirit in the room. Also, the school’s chapel is just down the hall.” |
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Jim Emmer also introduced Sandy Althaus of Austin, Texas, who is photographed here with son Scott Althaus and grandson Curtiss. The passionate search for the bomber on the ocean floor began with Sandy Althaus, a first cousin of crew member Second Lieutenant Thomas W. Kelly, Jr. “Without my son, this wouldn’t have happened,” said Sandy. |
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Hansa Bay is located on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It is the site of military action in the Pacific from January 1942 to the end of the War in August 1945, with significant losses of aircraft and servicemen. Heaven Can Wait was found in the fall of 2017 in Hansa Bay by Project Recover and confirmed in the spring of 2018 as Heaven Can Wait. |
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This is a photo of the Heaven Can Wait B-24 bomber shot down in Hansa Bay on March 11th, 1944. Ironically, it seems Heaven Couldn’t Wait for the eleven young servicemen aboard. They shall not grow old. |
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This is a screen shot of a Project Recover online video of part of the wreckage of Heaven Can Wait. |
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Dr. Eric Terrill, left, and Dr. Mark Moline, center, two of the three co-founders of Project Recover, conducted a flag ceremony at sea for the crew of Heaven Can Wait. Flags were transported back to the U.S. to be delivered to surviving descendants. |
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Four members of the Project Recover team came to Victoria, MN, for the reunion of Heaven Can Wait families. They included, left to right: Dr. Mark Moline (co-founder, Delaware), Dr. Eric Terrill (co-founder, California), Dr. Patrick Scannon (co-founder at the podium, California), and Andrew “Drew” Pietruszka, lead underwater archeologist. |
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The patriotic ceremony included the distribution to family members of flags unfurled at sea and folded as for presentation at the funeral of a veteran. Said Clayton Emmer, far left in the photo, nephew of crewmember John W. Emmer Jr., “John was not initially scheduled to be on that fatal flight, but he stepped in when someone called in sick.” |
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“We consider it a great honor to be able to pay tribute to members of the military,” said Mike Brandenburg, Adjutant for Post #377. “We are all veterans.” L-r: Marty Howers, Mike Brandenburg, Tim Falde, Joel Branes, Brandon Boorse, Bugler/Sergeant at Arms Carl Janzen. |
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The Honor Guard prepared for the final moment at the reunion of families of Heaven Can Wait. |
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The eleven crew members of Heaven Can Wait were part of the Greatest Generation which is, indeed, fading from sight as are eye witnesses and firsthand accounts of World War II. |
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Thank you, John W. Emmer, Jr., and all of Heaven Can Wait, for your service on behalf of freedom and the U.S.A. |
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After the program and presentation in the theater of HFCHS, people gathered in the dining hall for conversation, drinks, and dinner planned and hosted by Jim and Nan Emmer. Many Emmer family relatives attended the October reunion of Heaven Can Wait. Left to right: Mike Sullivan Jr. (Edina), Mike Sullivan Sr. (Edina), Jim Emmer (Victoria), Congressman Tom Emmer (Delano), Bridgett Sullivan Reddan (St. Louis Park), Tom Emmer Sr. and his wife Patsy Emmer (Edina) . . . |
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. . . Bill Emmer (Delano), Jacquie Emmer (Delano), John Emmer (Delano), Nan Emmer (Victoria), Katie Emmer (Delano), Patrick Emmer (Brookfield, WI), Dave Reddan (St. Louis Park), Finn Reddan (St. Louis Park), Tom Sullivan (Deephaven). Several other members of the Emmer family were in attendance but not in these photos. |
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Rachel and Rob O’Brien of Victoria assisted with serving beverages that evening. |
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Youngest person who attended the Heaven Can Wait reunion was 15-month old Lewis Sakry, held by his dad Paul Sakry of Inver Grove Heights, MN. Paul's grandmother was Genevieve Emmer, sister of John W. Emmer Jr., who wrote to each other often during the War. |
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Nan and Jim Emmer pose with Drew Pietruszka, lead underwater archeologist with Project Recover, and Dr. Mark Moline, co-founder of Project Recover. Mark attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and his parents live in Wayzata. |
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Nan was responsible for many of the preparations and details behind the scenes for dinner that evening at the high school. |
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John W. Emmer, Jr. 1917-1944
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It was an honor for us (Allan and Sue Orsen) to be invited to this remarkable, historical event, and to pose with Drew Pietruszka who informed us that new technology today makes discoveries possible that were not possible in the past. |
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Email: Sue@PrintsPublishing.com HomePage: www.PrintsPublishing.com |
