May 1952
- charliebunton
- Nov 3
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 3
The morning air along Lake Huron's shore was enveloped in an eerie stillness before the water arrived—not in crashing waves, but as a relentless surge that seemed to breathe with the lake itself. Residents of Rogers City watched in awe as the tidal wave grew, a glassy wall of steel-gray water that caught the pale spring sunlight, transforming it into dancing ribbons of silver. The smell of fresh water intensified, sharp and mineral-rich, as the surge advanced with a sound like a thousand whispers building to a roar. At the Calcite plant, workers stood mesmerized as the loading slip filled nearly to the brim, with the gauge recording an astonishing 37-inch rise that seemed impossible yet undeniable. Along the waterfront, the waves swept over the fish docks with relentless force, the cold water flooding across weathered planks with a rushing, sucking sound that drowned out the cries of startled gulls. More than two feet of water engulfed the Mertz and Vogelheim docks, while inside the Mertz packing house, four feet of Lake Huron sloshed against walls that had never known such an invasion, leaving behind the briny tang of disturbed sediment and fish. The surge loosened dock moorings with groaning, splintering protest, and even the beloved bathing beach surrendered to the water's advance, its sand pulled away grain by grain, requiring the city to rebuild what the lake had so suddenly reclaimed.
Meanwhile, the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and VFW Auxiliary has been busy installing new officers. Eugene King Jr. was re-installed as commander of the VFW Post, while Mrs. Clayton Ferguson was inaugurated as the new president of the Auxiliary. The festivities included a speech by guest speaker State Senator Frank Andrews of Hillman. Additionally, three students from Rogers City High School were awarded prizes by the Auxiliary in a nationwide contest titled "America is Everybody's Business." Winners included Judy Gregory, Janet Getzinger, and Joseph Valentin.
It has been a busy month for students in Rogers City schools. Students from Rogers City High School took over the management of the city for one day at city hall to better understand how city government works. Among the students appointed to government positions were Darwin Tulgetske as mayor; Patricia Nowak, Gloria Poch, Kenneth Kamyszek, and Judy Gregory as city council members; Douglas Nauts as city manager; Mark Eilers as city engineer; Delores Yarch as city clerk; Franklin Meyer as assessor; Bernadine Wojtaszek as treasurer; Richard Jones as director of public works; William Leszinske as public safety chief; Donna Voigt as city attorney; and Patricia Kerr as health officer. Members of the Latin Club met in the high school auditorium for their spring meeting. Additionally, members of the Safety Patrol at each local school were honored with a banquet at the St. Ignatius Parish Hall by the Women's Civic League. George Larsen, faculty supervisor of the Public School Patrol, acted as toastmaster while Gerald Mulka, a member of the St. Ignatius Patrol, spoke of his recent trip to Washington D.C., where he joined 25,000 other patrol boys from across the nation at the 16th Annual AAA National Safety Patrol Rally.
In Korea, troops continue to hold and improve defensive lines around the 38th parallel, characterized by trench warfare, relentless artillery duels, and sudden, fierce night attacks. Among the men arriving in Korea are Private Marvin Schaudt and Pfc. Raymond Savina, serving with the 7th Infantry Division stationed on the rain-drenched east-central front, as well as Private Theodore Kowalski, serving with the 25th Infantry Division currently stationed on the mud-bogged eastern front in Korea, who have been holding down a battle line northwest of the punchbowl. Frederick Greene notified his parents of his safety following a recent backfire explosion in turret No. 1 on his ship, the U.S.S. St. Paul, which killed 30 of his fellow crewmembers while engaging in gunfire support operations. Pfc. Chester Felax was recently awarded the Bronze Star while serving with a combat medic unit in the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion when he ran down a front-line hill under Chinese fire to give first aid to six infantrymen. His story of bravery was featured in a recent issue of "The Castle," a newspaper printed and distributed to members of his battalion.
Finally, the new Michigan Limestone Company Tug Limestone arrived at the port of Calcite from the Dafoe Boat Works dock in Bay City. She immediately went into commission the following day, taking on her first tow of the Str. Carl D. Bradley coming to dock. The tug has an overall length of 94 feet, a 24-foot inside beam, a molded depth of 13 feet, and diesel-electric propulsion, making her one of the most advanced tugs on the Great Lakes. The Tug Limestone will be under the command of Captain Russell Lamb, with Frank Flewelling as engineer.
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