Airport won't be named for WW II ace

Friday, February 22, 2008 By Steve Gunn
sgunn@muskegonchronicle.com
MUSKEGON COUNTY -- In the end, Muskegon County commissioners agreed that the late U.S. Navy fighter pilot Ira "Ike" Kepford was a true American hero.
But most commissioners also believe that many local military veterans deserve as much recognition as Kepford -- particularly those who returned to Muskegon after their time in the service.
That's why commissioners voted 7-2 Thursday against renaming the Muskegon County Airport after Kepford, a World War II flying ace credited with shooting down 16 Japanese fighters in the South Pacific.



"He's one of many veterans," said County Commissioner Don Aley, who called for possible establishment of a "wall of fame" at the airport to honor all local military veterans. "Other veterans are just as deserving, or in some cases maybe even more deserving.
"He left Muskegon, never to return. We had others who stayed in Muskegon."
The decision was crushing for Bill Bos, a 74-year-old North Muskegon resident who has been lobbying commissioners to rename the county airport after Kepford since last summer.
The suggested name was "Muskegon County Airport at Ike Kepford Field."
"This is very disappointing for me," said Bos, who followed Kepford's military exploits as a boy. "I think they were just trying to ignore us.
"They kept bringing up crazy things that had nothing to do with what we were talking about. It isn't like Muskegon is some kind of exclusive club, and if you leave you're not allowed back."
Kepford was a member of the elite VF-17 "Jolly Roger Squadron" during World War II

The squadron produced more ace fighter pilots than any other during the war, and Kepford was the best of the aces, shooting down 16 Japanese planes in a four-month period in late 1943 and early 1944, according to Bos.
Kepford grew up in Muskegon, where he was a star football player at Muskegon High School before playing at Northwestern University.
After the war, he moved to Connecticut, married, raised a family and became president of the Liggett-Rexall Drug Company. He retired and moved to Harbor Springs in the 1970s and died in 1987.



Bos wasn't the first one to suggest naming the airport after Kepford. That came from the Bentwing Foundation, a Florida-based nonprofit group dedicated to aviation history.
Representatives of the group came to Muskegon, searching for information about Kepford for a TV documentary. When they found little evidence that Muskegon was aware of Kepford, the group wrote The Chronicle, offering the airport idea.
Bos then contacted the group and took up their cause. He approached the county board last July and lobbied on and off for seven months before finally getting an answer.
Bos said he was particularly annoyed because a special committee, which he said included himself, the county administrator and several county commissioners, met twice to study the issue. But the committee never returned a recommendation to the county board, he said.
County Administrator Jack Niemiec said the board simply asked him to meet with Bos, and he invited several commissioners to join them. It was never a formal committee and there was never a request for a recommendation, he said.
The issue wasn't on the agenda for a vote Thursday. It was only after Commissioner Bill Gill, chairman of the transportation committee, recognized Bos in the audience that the debate was stirred up.
"I believe these people deserve an answer," said Commissioner Marvin Engle, who offered the motion to reject the airport name change.
Niemiec said there was never an intention to delay a vote. He said a series of circumstances, like disagreements over the potential cost of a name change, pushed the issue back so many months.
Even before the vote, when it was obvious that the name change would not pass, several members of the audience reacted with anger.
"I've been gone from Muskegon for 30 years, and now I come back and find the same old Muskegon -- never looking forward to anything," said Barbara Swanson. "I've lived in several communities where their airports were named after a hero. It was always a very proud thing for the residents."

Airport won't be named for WW II ace - mlive.com

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman

Another bunch of ignorants who think they know it all. This would have been a great opportunity to pay a tribute to this valuable veteran and war hero. I'm sure they will find some fashionable politically correct name inspired from reality TV.... Good thing they were smarter at O'Hare.

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True, but O'Hare was named during a different era, when people honored and respected service to the country.

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Best Regards,
JW

Most likely they were concerned about "political correctness" in lieu of what the opinion in Japan would be.

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All the Best
Jack

Not as spectacular, but 2 years ago a school was named after a U.S. airmen who crashed in the area during the war. This was near Beauvais in France.

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Hello Skipper!

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All the Best
Jack

Hi Jack I have found some more pictures for you, I will post them on the Hollandia post the following days.

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A simple solution to the whole mess-since some ID10T's decided they have to be politically correct is-why not give it some name that represents ALL Veterans? Something along the lines could be: Veterans County Municipal Airport or something like that. And then, have a momument with all of the names of all the Veterans from that area, placed at or near the entrance to the airport.

Stupid politicians grrrrrrr.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Agreed Carl, I know a lady who saved two airman during the war, she was arrested and escaped. She has never been decorated. I asked why to an official. The guy was really nice and sorry about it and said that if you wanted to get a medal nowadays it is much easier to be a singer or a football player than for a war hero......

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Hi Skipper thanks. Yep, that singes my a$$ that it is so "hard" for the Govt to give someone some recognition for their deeds. I can''t understand why-since they waste so much of the citizens tax monies on garbage, that why can they not seem to want to reward somehow, someone who gave their time and could have given their life for that matter; to help out a few helpless strangers.

I'd rather my money (if it HAS to be spent) i'd rather it be given to people such as that lady you know. In the least, I think she should be given at least one check of a substantial amount given to her as compensation for not being recognized for what she did.

I have a saying that i've used for many years now-when it comes to Govts and big business-which is: "If it makes sense, they will not do it."

I almost forgot to mention:

While I was riding a city bus just this past Saturday. I met a Gentleman who was in his 90's who was on the seat just ahead of me. We got to talking and, I found out that he was a US Army Vet from WWII. As we had plenty of time to talk, I also found out that he was a guard stationed at Alamagordo Proving Grounds in New Mexico (or) the place they developed and tested the Atom bomb. I thought that this was fantastic and we got to talking about some of what he witnessed. Well, to make a long story short, he did have many a "colorful" experiances while stationed there. If I see this guy again, im going to try to interview him as he seems very willing, to talk about the past.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Excellent Carl, one of the most interesting talks I had with a Vet was a Lorrain forced engaged in the Wehrmacht soldier survivor from the Battle of Metz. I sat next to him on a flight form Paris to New-York and he told me all of it for almost six hours.

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Double dittos to you Skipper ;-)) I bet that was a nice experiance. That reminds me of what it was like to spend 12 hours at Remy Schrijnen's home in Hagen.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

I can imagine the thrill, this experience was exceptionannal. I was stuck in the aircraft and "had to" listen, even the quotes in Gemran and I tell you you'd think he still in the trenches when he spoke.

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Hi Skipper, i've met a few Vets that are like that too. One in particular was a Luftwaffe Sergeant in a Flak 88 unit. I met this gent at a gun show six years ago. I wished I could have had more time to spend with him but, his son-who has no interest in the war, seemed to be wanting to get the Father out of the gun show and home-I guess because of his age?

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.