Local History Restored
WISNER — A shelved piece of history has been uncovered and donated to Fairgrove VFW Post #7486.
“Byron Prime was a collector. When he passed away, his niece found a flag, photos, a list of soldiers from the Wisner area who served during World War II, and presented it to the post,” said Tuscola County Veterans Affairs Director Ron Amend, who is also the adjutant at Post #7486. “It’s a very unique piece of history.”
There are photos of Byron and his brother, Virgil Prime, the inside of the Methodist Church in Wisner, letters, an invitation to the dedication of a flag by the Sunday school class, a list yellowed with age of those from Wisner Township who served in that war, and of those who didn’t return.
“The list has 45 names on it,” said Amend, noting it was humbling to see the names of that many men from such a small township who had done their duty for their country.
“We were very surprised when she presented those items and the history they represented to our post.”
There is a flag with 27 blue stars and four gold stars. Changing a blue star to a gold one was done to show that solider had died in service. During World War II it was common for families to display a blue star for their loved one in the service, and when they were killed the blue star was changed to a gold one, which is where Gold Star Mothers came from.
Back then, it was the tradition to place the gold star over the blue star with the blue star’s edges showing as a way to show the family had suffered a loss, and their loved one was “gone but not forgotten.” The blue and gold stars of the flag are on a white background surrounded by a field of red trimmed with gold fringe. “There are 27 stars, not 45. I’m not sure what the significance of the 27 stars is,” said Amend. “At the time, it must have had some meaning when it was made.”
According to Amend, Dennis Haske, who is also a post member, made the display cases for the flag and other mementos.
The World War II soldiers’ whose names on that tattered, handwritten list are: Vernon Black, Arthur Brink, Clayton Brink, Lorne Brinkman, Harold Causley, Roy Causley, Chester Childs, Donald Cozadd, Billie Downing, Clifford Downing, Edward Lee Duke, Richard Duke, Walter Garrison, Donald Glasser, Eugene Glasser, Laurene Glasser, Andrew Houthoofd, Daniel S. Huffman, Allen LaGrow, Daniel Lincoln, Maurice McCreedy, William J. McCreedy, Ralph John Metiva, Alvin Partlo, Bernard Partlo, Leslie Partlo, Wilbur Partlo, Chloris E. Pomeroy, Byron Prime, Milton Prime, Virgil Prime, Lloyd Raymond, Albert Ray Sharp, John Shevchenko, Jr., Edison Wiergowski, Robert Wiergowski, Steve Wiergowski and George John Wood.
Also on the list are Sydney Bennett, Joseph Downing, Herman Strevel and Thomas C. Thompson. They each died in service.
VFW Post #7486 members thank the Prime family for the donation, those soldiers, soldiers who gave their life for their country and to all those who served and are serving.
Article in the Tuscola County Advertiser~ November 8, 2008 written by Ms. Mary Drier.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser.

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