Effingham County residents honor those who served

May 24—Ahead of Memorial Day, people in Effingham County and around the world observed Victory in Europe Day. Some see the day as a time, not for celebration, but for remembering the human cost of World War II.

A group of residents and history buffs alike gathered at the Effingham County Museum on the afternoon of May 9 to listen to a presentation about the impact World War II had on Effingham County's residents and commemorate Victory in Europe Day, which marks the anniversary of Germany's unconditional surrender to the Allies on May 8, 1945.

The presentation, which was organized by the Effingham County Museum and the Effingham Public Library, was delivered by the museum's president, Delaine Donaldson.

"We're very proud of the partnership that we have with the library, and it has worked out so very well," Donaldson said.

While Victory in Europe Day was celebrated by many throughout world, the war dragged on in the Pacific Theater for several months before officially ending in September of 1945, and many families continued waiting for the return of relatives who were still fighting overseas. This is largely why Donaldson believes that Victory and Europe Day, like Memorial Day, should be a solemn occasion rather than a joyous holiday.

"We want you to remember all the sacrifices that people have made," Donaldson said.

Donaldson's view of Victory in Europe Day echoes a statement made by the Selective Service of Illinois at the time arguing that the day should be a "holy day, not a holiday."

"And that holy day would require a lot of prayers," Donaldson said. "There was a need for some kind of way that we could be very solemn, and we could think about all of the losses that had taken place, think about everything that was still ahead and what would still be taking place because the letters were still coming home from the Pacific Theater."

During Donaldson's presentation, he discussed the history surrounding Victory in Europe Day, including the local reaction to the horrific atrocities committed during the war.

In September of 1944, Altamont Mayor Walter Klitzing told residents that in celebration of Victory in Europe Day, businesses would be temporarily closed, all residents would attend church service the following morning, and church and school bells in the city would ring in celebration.

Additionally, the Effingham County Board declared that no alcohol would be sold for a 48-hour period while observing Victory in Europe Day.

"The Effingham County Board, in Effingham County, decided that one threat that would be there to draw from the holiness of the day would be the fact that some people would just turn it into a party," Donaldson said.

According to Donaldson, the concerns of local governments like the Effingham County Board were not without reason, as one veteran was killed in September of 1945 while on a troop train that stopped in Effingham amid the chaotic celebrations following the end of World War II.

The solemnness of the day is also reflected in former U.S. President Harry Truman's declaration that Victory in Europe Day would be designated as a day of prayer for Americans.

"This a time of extreme hurt, extreme sorrow, but yet in the knowledge that the war was coming to an end," Donaldson said.

Many Americans didn't learn about the atrocities being committed during the war until it neared its end, often hearing about them from those often witnessing them firsthand. Donaldson read a letter during the meeting that was written by U.S. Army Soldier Irmal Wallen of Beecher City and sent to his parents in 1945.

"To some this may sound like propaganda, but I have seen the dazed and starved looks on their faces every day," Wallen said in the letter regarding the Jewish and Polish population he came across while serving in Europe.

"And then he goes on to talk about horror stories that he had witnessed," Donaldson said. "The public was being made more and more aware of what was taking place."

In addition to this letter, Donaldson showed attendees a photo of a mass surrender at the Ruhr pocket in Germany that was taken by U.S. Army Soldier Gernon Henderson of Effingham.

Donaldson has his own personal connection World War II as well. His father, Frank Donaldson, served under General George Patton in the Fifth Division of the United Stated Third Army and was among those that landed on the beaches in Normandy during the war.

While Frank Donaldson saw the horrors of war, which included machines used to dig mass graves, he also brought home with him a story of humanity that occurred in the midst of this darkness. Donaldson said his father helped a young and wounded German soldier get the medical attention they needed during the Battle of the Bulge.

"My dad was looking and he was seeing his neighbor boy," Delaine Donaldson said regarding the German soldier. "This was an 18 or 19-year-old. My dad was 21 years old, so they we age peers. And his attitude was one that had a high respect for him as a person even though he was the enemy."

"The basic thing is that we have lost that reverence for life that causes people to not want to commit atrocities toward other people."

Among the residents who attended the commemoration were brothers Tom Borries and Leonard Borries of Teutopolis.

"Delaine's always great," Leonard Borries said.

In addition to being history buffs, Tom and Leonard Borries have relatives that served in the military during World War II, including their father, Joseph Borries, who served in the U.S. Army.

"Our dad, he served in the Philippines," Tom Borries said. "He was to be part of the invading force, had the war not ended."

"And he was part of the occupation force in Japan," Leonard Borries said, noting that his father arrived in Japan after the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Tom and Leonard Borries said that their grandfather's cousin, Raymond Borries, also served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was killed in Europe in Feb. 1945, just months before the war ended.

"He's buried over there," Leonard Borries said.

In an interview after the presentation, Donaldson argued that days like Victory in Europe Day and Memorial Day are as important as ever because the reverence for veterans in the United has diminished since World War II, in part as a result of the unpopularity of the Vietnam War.

"Now, what was happening was there was a change taking place with reference to the attitude toward the military in general," he said.

Donaldson also sees days like Victory and Europe Day and Memorial Day as an opportunity for citizens to come together with a collective appreciation for the sacrifices humanity has made over the years for a cause greater than themselves.

"I think there is something that we need to connect with other generations. That is a spiritual connection," Donaldson said. "Memorial Day establishes a spiritual base for the country."

"And I think, probably, humans who are willing to sacrifice themselves to work for a greater good is a very very important part of what we need to educate our young people about, and unfortunately, I think that we've lost that."

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.