Huron Expositor, 2005-05-04, Page 91
Mother's Day Special
Buy bulk and Save BIG!
24 X Boz 5 LB BOX
Strip Loin Smoked
Steaks Pork Chops
s85.00 $28.00
equal to $3.54 each! Centre Cut!
'IIICKEIt'S 11EiIrl' SHOP
27 Main St., Seaforth
527-0036
�JL�vvvv ,
4
• Full Hot Entree Buffett
• Cold Salad Buffet
• Seafood Buffet
• Hot Country Breakfast Buffet
• Assorted Homemade Breads
• Huge Homemade Dessert Buffet
• Tea, Coffee & Juice Bar
Adults $16.99
Children $7.99
Under 4 FREE
"By Reservation Only"
As space limited.
YOU WON'T GO
AWAY HUNGRY!
527-2220
5 Main St. Seaforth
,.v
3RD Annual Seaforth BIA
Mother's Day
Draw
Enter
pt
participating
Seaforth
businesses
Wore
Sunday,
May 8
WIN A PRIZE
PACKAGE
WORTH OVER
$ 400.00!
Prizes include...
•
Gift Certificates from...
Anna's Dress Shoppe $70
Bloom's and Rooms $35
Keatings Pharmacy $30
Michelle Henderson
(Massage) $30
Nifty Korners $30
Queens $30
Dollar Haven $30
Needful Things $30
The Looking Glass $25
Total Image $55
Archies UPI $30
$400 Value
mg um mom me me
USE THIS FREE BALLOT TO ENTER THE SEAFORTH BIA
Mother's Day
Draw
1
I Name:
I Address:
1 Phone #:
1
1
1
1
1
1
ENTER AT PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES BEFORE SUNDAY, MAY 8. 2005
a
News
THE HURON EXPOSITOR. May 4. 2005-9
DeJong defies the odds surviving
sweeping mines for Dutch army
From Page 1
sharp, well-dressed army -
just spic and span - but you
could see them deteriorating
as the war went on. And, we
knew they were losing
battles from our shortwave
radio," he says.
Three months before the
end of the war, DeJong was
at his father's home - no one
was afraid of the Germans
anymore since they didn't
seem to have time to
terrorize the Dutch.
The Allies decided to
bomb a train that was being
loaded with missiles in
DeJong's hometown. While
they missed the train
altogether, seven bombs were
dropped on the town and 11
people were killed.
DeJong's family home was
one of the buildings
destroyed and his family
made it out just in time.
"My dad was home at
noon to eat and do some
bookwork and the bombs
started to drop. I said, 'Dad,
let's get the hell out of here'
but he just shrugged his
shoulders as if to say 'What
difference did it make?' But,
I ran out and he followed just
before the bomb dropped on
our house," he remembers.
DeJong's younger brother
Bill, who was only four at
the time was walking outside
the house with a little girl at
the time. When the bomb
dropped, DeJong said a wall
Susan Hundertmark photo
Badges for veterans
Seaforth cub Riley Ward presents a badge recognizing
the Year of the Veteran to Seaforth veteran Jack Eisler.
Gift Ideas
for
Gardening Moms
6/Hanging Baskets
+!/Plants
4/Patio Pots
An Excellent Selection In Stock Now!
Bring in your planters and we'll fill them!
FLOWER
MAGIC
36 Main St., Seaforth 527-1110
ToM
With L
m,
ve...
Danica & staff invite you
to choose from our large
selection of fine giftware!
-Home Decor
-:-Candles ❖Frames
❖Chocolates
Quilts
-:-Trunks
-And much more!
Choose from the area's largest
selection of greeting cards.
RadioShack
Your Lottery Headquarters!
We're Open
Monday - Friday 9-8
Saturday 9-8
Sunday 11-5
Nifty Korners
33 Main St. Seaforth 527-1680
of the house fell on the girl
killing her but just missed
Bill.
Three days before V.E.
Day, DeJong's hometown
was liberated by Canadian
soldiers who drove into the
village in trucks and told
everyone the war was over.
"The rumour went around
like wildfire and all hell
broke loose. There was
dancing in the streets and
what have you. There were
still Germans in town - they
were hiding in the school
building. They never came
out," he says.
Shortly after, DeJong -
then 18 - signed up with the
Dutch army. After basic
training, he joined the
artillery, went to
ammunitions school and
became a mine sweeper.
"We had to go to school to
Learn how to diffuse bombs,
mines and booby traps. And,
I spent the next year and a
half clearing mines," he says.
DeJong's new job was just
as dangerous as being in war
and he had his most
devastating experience after
the war ended.
Diffusing bombs and
mines took him into danger
every day. Wearing a large
battery on his back that was
attached to earphones and a
mine sweeper he carried to
detect buried mines, DeJong
spent his days listening for
the bell that would sound
whenever the device found
an explosive. A partner
following behind would then
dig up the bomb and defuse
it if he could.
"Every step you took was
your life. You knew that
when you left camp in the
morning," he says.
He was in many situations
where a fellow mine sweeper
was blown up. once when
someone's battery died and
could no longer warn him of
a mine beneath him and once
when a buddy jumped into a
trench where a mine was
buried.
"I jumped in one end and
my buddy jumped in the
other, right on a mine. I got
thrown back and it took a
chunk out of my skull," says
DeJong pointing to his
forehead.
The worse time was the
day his unit was transporting
explosives they were unable
to defuse to a warehouse.
Two trucks were carrying the
mines and DeJong's truck
got a flat tire. He stayed
behind to deal with the flat
tire while the other truck
went ahead to the
warehouse.
As he, his lieutenant and
sergeant sat down to eat their
lunch before fixing the tire,
they heard a huge explosion
and looked up to see the
warehouse levelled.
"There was nothing left.
Somebody had made a boo
boo - we never knew what
happened," he says.
Assigned to help gather the
bodies, DeJong found the
hand of one of his buddies
and it was still wearing his
wedding ring.
"His wife's name was
carved on the inside of that
ring. Returning that ring to
her was one of the hardest
things I ever had to do," he
says.
As to how DeJong avoided
death so many times despite
the many close calls, he
experienced during the war
and after, he laughs
ironically.
"I was lucky as hell. I
don't know why. I've always
made the joke that I wasn't
good enough for heaven and
not bad enough for hell so
the good Lord left me here,"
he says.
Huron East man
charged after
incident at dance
An 18 -
year -old
Huron
lltu•on UPI'
East man
was charged with a liquor
violation after Huron OPP
were called to the BX93
dance at the Seaforth
Agriplex on April 30 shortly
after 1 a.m.
ter•
For Mothers Day
may we suggest :Z\
Flowers from
rt
43 NSt1,
kv4/411GCD
RIN
GREENHOUSE
ANNUALS
Bedding Plants
Patio Pots
Hanging Baskets
V;- PERENNIALS
I.
OPEN:
Thurs. I p.m. - 8p.m. )
Fri. 9a.m. - 5p.m.
Sat. 9a.m. - 5p.m.
or by appointment
519-527-0761
Bert & Carol Reinink `4
rk (Landscape Designer) r
r71• & family
x`_43079 Hullet-McKillop Rd ,
R.R. #4
Walton
Officers
arrived to
find a
young man in the custody of
security officers after a
young woman had
complained about being
assaulted.
The man was taked to the
Huron OPP detachment
where he was picked up by
family members.
The young man was also
charged with possessing
more than one driver's
licence. Investigations
continue into other
allegation.
The man is scheduled to
attend court in Goderich on
June 16.
DIVORCE
RECOVERY
HOTLINE
• LONELY
• FRUSTRATED
• DEPRESSED
• ANGRY
• MONEY OR
EMOTIONAL
PROBLEMS
(519) 524-5724
Never be afraid to
reach out for help.
DR. CHRIS MORGAN
Separation and
Divorce Counselling
Call for info pak
BAG SALE
Sat. May 7 - lOfl^n - 3�
si
+ a non-perishable
food item for our
Frxxl Bank fills the Bag
We supply t.lie bags!
BI.ESSINCsS
Community mun ltyy 5t ore
ZiTRICII