CROTHERSVILLE
Crothersville’s oldest living veteran, we salute you.
Glen Henry, 95, a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, was the star of the show Thursday during the opening ceremonies of the 46th annual Crothersville Red, White and Blue Festival.
Each year, the kickoff of the three-day event includes a tribute to a veteran in the community.
This year, it was Henry’s turn.
“I liked it,” he said with a big smile after being presented a plaque by the festival committee.
So what did he like about it?
“The fact that I’m here. There’s not too many of us left,” he said of World War II veterans.
He was joined by family members, including daughter Donna Judd of Carmel and son Glenn Henry of Crothersville.
“We knew he was awesome,” Judd said, smiling. “It’s nice to let everybody else tell him the same thing. He has just always been awesome.”
The Crothersville native attended school in town until choosing to enlist in the U.S. Navy on Feb. 29, 1944.
He spent nine months in a supply depot in Finschhafen, New Guinea, before joining a minesweeping auxiliary oil and gas tanker.
“I went up to Manus Island, and then they sent me back down to New Guinea to get this ship. They put me on that AOG 60. It was a tanker,” Henry said. “I stayed there in New Guinea on it for landing until they sent me in the minesweeping task force.”
His task was to refuel minesweepers at sea.
“Any time that ship got underway, I was in the engine room,” he said. “They sent me into Shanghai, China, and I headed up for the invasion of Japan in ‘45.”
Henry’s service came to a close in 1946.
“Two years, two months and eight days,” he said. “I served the country as being there, but actually, it was another thing that had to be done, so I did it the best I could.”
Back home, he worked as a mechanic at a garage in Seymour from 1946 to 1976. Then he went to work for Cummins in Columbus for at least 10 years before retiring.
“Anything that they needed to be done,” Henry said of his responsibilities at Cummins.
“And help Mom because she was there, too,” Judd said.
Henry received the Victory Medal, American Area Campaign Medal and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for his military service.
A few years ago, he also went on the Indy Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., spending a day with his son-in-law touring the war memorials.
“Oh yeah, I remember it,” he said. “There was too much to see in one day.”
Katie Masters spoke about Henry while he received his plaque Thursday.
While it’s important to honor all veterans who unselfishly served the country to ensure freedom, Masters said everyone also should remember those currently serving and the heroes no longer with us.
“The freedom we enjoy is extremely special, and that is why we must defend it,” she said. “Now is the time for each of us to take part in protecting it. We must remember that the defense of freedom is not just for those in the military. Each of us here shares that duty and responsbility. We must work together to ensure that everyone feels the benefits of freedom.”
People can do that by volunteering in their community and teaching children what it really means to be an American, she said.
“Thank you for honoring Glen Henry and all of our veterans today,” Masters told the crowd gathered for the patriotic ceremony. “Let us walk toward tomorrow still honoring them by living in the freedom they protected.”
The ceremony also included a presentation of the colors by Staff Sgt. Robert Jackson, Chief Warrant Officer Howard Bennis, Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Clark Jr., Pvt. Ron King and Capt. Bryan Kovener of the Indiana Guard Reserve, the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “Taps” and Kevin Konetzka playing “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes.
The Indiana Guard Reserve members also paid tribute to fallen comrades with The Last Patrol.
“Some did not have the luxury to say goodbye to a fallen comrade because they are busy fighting to stay alive,” Kovener said. “The military started to use the rifle and helmet to mark where a soldier was buried so that the mortuary team could retrieve the soldier’s body for proper burial after the battlelines had vanished.”
Battle buddies didn’t have closure until after that was over and they returned to base camp. There, they began using a modified version to say goodbye to a brother or sister whose body was removed from the battlefield, Kovener said.
“The planted rifle represents their fighting is over, the boots represent their travels and deployments are done, the helmet is no longer needed to protect his life and the dog tags of the fallen are the memory of the name that has died to protect our freedoms that they died for and we enjoy today,” he said.
Albert Stormes closed the ceremony with a prayer.
“We come to celebrate our community, to celebrate those that have sacrificed their lives for us, as well, and we thank you for the men and women that are currently serving for our country and for our community,” he said.
“As we go through the rest of the festival, I pray that we can be united in spirit, united in love and to share with each other the joy of life,” he said. “Coming out of 2020 in 2021, we come to this celebration, and may we all just rise and give you thanks and praise that we can even have this. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
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46th annual Crothersville Red, White and Blue Festival
Today
7:30 a.m.: Kids Mini Run and 5K run/walk registration
7:30 a.m.: Breakfast at Hamacher Hall
8 a.m.: Kids Mini Run
9 a.m.: Food and craft vendors open
9 a.m.: 5K run/walk
9 a.m.: Crothersville-Vernon Township Volunteer Fire Department’s waterball fight
9 a.m.: Car show registration
10 a.m.: Car show
11 a.m.: Pedal tractor pull
11:30 a.m.: Wild West show and shootout featuring Annie Oakley
12:30 p.m.: Stars and Stripes Cloggers
1:30 p.m.: Parade
2 p.m.: 2019-20 Crothersville High School boys basketball sectional championship team trophy and jersey presentation
3 p.m.: Wild West re-enactment
4 p.m.: Pet and bike parade for kids
4 p.m.: Baby contest judging
4:30 p.m.: Baby contest winners announced
5 p.m.: Colt Wienhorst
6 p.m.: Double XL
7 p.m.: Jackson Snelling
8 p.m.: Dusty Road Band
9 p.m.: Brian Fink and Mudslide
10 p.m.: Fireworks display
A carnival, several food and craft vendors and a tractor show also are a part of the festival. Plus, today is the second day of the RWB Hoopfest Youth Basketball Tournament in the school gymnasium.
For festival questions or event information, contact Erica Gorbett at 812-569-4019 or email [email protected] or visit crothersvillerwb.com or facebook.com/crothersvillerwb.
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