Wisdom and Grace: Freedom isn't free

It all began with a shopping visit to "North 40" in late 2020. Kip Van Valkenburg spied the perfect Christmas present ... for himself! It was a picture of a combat soldier wrapped in eagle's wings. The wings were colored like an American flag. Wilma, Kip's wife, agreed that it was indeed something special and bought it to be Kip's Christmas present.

The more Kip and Wilma looked at the beautiful picture the more they began to recall the members of their families who had served in the Armed Forces. They came up with the idea to recognize family members with "a wall of remembrance" in their home. They went to the local lumber yard and chose knotty pine tongue and groove wood for the background. Their good friend Neil Larson made the beautiful "Freedom Isn't Free" metal work sign for the top of the display.

Kip is from Turner, Montana, and Wilma hails from Jackson Center, Pennsylvania. They met in California, where Kip was stationed in the Navy. Wilma had moved to California and was living with her sister, Faye, and working at a pre-school. Kip's cousin Maxine Miller was living in the area. To help her out, Kip would drop off or pick up Maxine's son at the pre-school. Whether Kip spied Wilma or Wilma spied Kip isn't known. But three weeks after meeting, Kip and Wilma were married on December 12, 1969! And on December 12, 2021 they celebrated their 52nd anniversary. When you know you've found the one, you know! Kip and Wilma are living proof.

They began contacting relatives from Montana to Florida to California and many places in between. Some relatives they had not talked to in years and others they had never even met. They requested a picture, preferably in military uniform, which military branch they served in and any other information that might be unique. The more they searched the more relatives they found who had served our country.

One of the most remarkable stories came about Wilma's uncle Furman Gray. Furman served in the Army Air Corp in WWII. He was a Tail Gunner in a B17 and was shot down June 13, 1943 on his third mission over Germany. He was incarcerated for two years in a prisoner of war camp named Stalag 17 in Austria. He was liberated May 2, 1945.

Hugh Hutton, Kip's uncle, served in the Devil's Brigade, a joint Canadian/United States WWII commando unit trained at Fort Harrison, near Helena, Montana. The Devil's Brigade inflicted an estimated 12,000 casualties on enemy forces and took 7,000 prisoners during the war and gave rise to the U.S. Special Forces.

Kip's father, Lee Van Valkenburg, served in the Navy and was involved in the Battle of Midway. The Battle of Midway became one of the most important American naval victories of WWII. Code-breakers were able to decipher Japanese naval code, allowing American leaders to anticipate Japanese maneuvers. The U.S. Navy was able to launch a surprise attack on the much larger Japanese fleet in the area.

Ernie Boitnott, Wilma's father, served in the Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge which lasted from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 25, 1945. This was the last German offensive campaign on the Western Front. The losses were so great that the German army could not resist the Allied advancements.

Kip served in the U.S. Navy from April, 1966, to January 15, 1970. He was on the U.S.S. Persistent, MSO 491, a mine sweeper.

The following is a 2021 Christmas letter that accompanied a picture of the wall. This was sent to 26 families, some of them containing more than one picture and letter.

"In God We Trust"

"As we come to the end of another year, 2021, we, Kip and Wilma Van Valkenburg, want to honor all family members who served in the Armed Forces from WWI to present day. On the next page is a list of all who served, the branch of service, how they are related and the letter D for those who have gone before us.

"What an honor it has been for us, Kip and Wilma, to research and contact relatives we have never met. An experience of a lifetime!

"We would like to say thank you. We honor each and every one of you. We cherish all the memories and stories from past to present.

"We know "Freedom Isn't Free."

"Merry Christmas 2021

"May God Bless

"Kip and Wilma (Boitnott) Van Valkenburg"

P.O.W.

Furman F. Gray S/Sgt

Army Air Corp

Serial No. 35478017

Unit: 8th Air Force

412th Squadron

Born: August 11, 1918 in Lyon County, Kentucky

Died: April 25, 1989 in Lyon County, Kentucky

Inducted into service: April 28, 1942 at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana

Military Occupation: Aerial Gunner, Tail Gunner in B17F

Shot down on 3rd mission over Kiel, Germany June 13, 1943 in B17F Ser# 42-29737

Taken prisoner and sent to Stalag 17 in Austria

Liberated on May 2, 1945

Date of Separation: October 10, 1945

Medals: Purple Heart

D Ralph Hutton – WWI, Great Uncle of Kip

D Ernie Boitnott – Army (Battle of the Bulge), Father of Wilma

D Furman Gray – Air Corp, Uncle of Wilma

D Hugh H. Hutton – Army (1st Special Forces), Uncle of Kip

D Lee Van Valkenburg – Navy (Battle of Midway), Father of Kip

D Clint Hubbard – Army, Uncle of Wilma

D Thead Jones – Army, Uncle of Wilma

D Glynn Salyer – Navy, Uncle of Wilma

D Marie (Hutton) Van Valkenburg – WAC, Mother of Kip

D Gordie Booth – USAF – Cousin of Kip

Phil Coutter – Navy, Brother-in-law of Wilma

D Connie (Boitnoit) – LLCIN USAF, Aunt of Wilma

D Ted Thompson – Navy, Brother-in-law of Wilma

Hugh L. Hutton – Navy, Cousin of Kip

Ken Meyers – Navy, Cousin of Kip

David Monroe – Army, Brother-in-law of Kip

Kip Van Valkenburg – Navy, husband of Wilma

Steve Overlin – Army, Cousin of Kip

Jack Jones – Army, Cousin of Wilma

Frank Sagulla – Army, Brother-in-law of Wilma

Larry Boitnott – Army, Brother of Wilma

D Don Boitnott – Army, Brother of Wilma

John Boitnott – Army, Brother of Wilma

Jim Lewis – Army, Brother-in-law of Wilma

D Gordie Booth – Navy, 2nd Cousin of Kip

Matt Eckhart – Navy, Nephew of Wilma

Matthew Ruminer – Navy, Grandson of David

Charles Lewis – Army, Brother-in-law of Wilma

Victor Gimonze – Marines, Step Nephew of Wilma

Amber Holden – Navy, Niece of Wilma

Daniel Lewis – Army, Great Nephew of Wilma

Bailey Eckhart – Marines, Great Nephew of Wilma

James Calmey – Army, Great Nephew of Wilma

Will Eckhart – Army, ex Brother-in-law of Wilma

Thank you Kip and Wilma for helping us realize that indeed "Freedom is not Free." May God bless you!

John 15:13 – "Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one's life for one's friends."

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Ila McClenahan is a retired chaplain and activity director living in the Amos area north of Havre. She keeps busy writing, speaking at various events and trying to be a good grandmother.