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Minnesota man writes novel about Civil War

Historical Society plans to re-dedicate Grand Army

of the Republic Hall

Bruce Cottington, state commander of Veterans

of Underage Military Service,was one of thousands of young

people who circumvented the system to serve in World War II

Learn best way to transition from

health insurance to Medicare

Serving hiscountry at 16

November‘The Taffetas’Four sisters from Muncie, Ind.,

make their national televisionsinging debut. “Spotlight on Music,” afictitious weekly 1950s televisionshow sets the framework for anevening of some of the greatest hitsof the 1950s. Performances will be at7 p.m. Nov. 5-7 and Nov. 12-14 atCrow River Winery in Hutchinson.Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner startsat 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person.Tickets must be purchased inadvance, by ordering online atwww.hutchtheatre.org, calling 320-587-7278 or purchasing in person at:Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce,or Hutchinson Center for the Arts.

‘Rocky Mountain Christmas’Dassel-Cokato Arts Association will

present “Rocky Mountain Christmas”at 7 p.m. Nov. 27 at Dassel-CokatoPerforming Arts Center. A family hol-iday tradition comes to life as JimCurry performs the music from John

Denver’s many television specialsand Christmas music collections.Tickets are $25 for adults, $7 foryouth. Tickets are available atwww.dc.k12.mn.us/pac, in the D-CCommunity Education office or bycalling 320-286-4120.

DecemberAdvent luncheon, bake saleZion Lutheran of Litchfield will

host its annual Advent luncheon andbake sale Dec. 3. Bake sale begins at10:30 a.m. The luncheon is servedfrom 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost for theluncheon is $8. The church is at 504Gilman Ave. N.

Trees and TraditionsTrees and Traditions, a holiday

event in Hutchinson, will featureChristmas trees, table settings, col-lections, music, quilts, lefse andkrumkake demonstrations, countrystore, bake shop, coffee bar andrefreshments. The event runs from 9a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 5, with a light

lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. atChrist the King Lutheran Church,1040 South Grade Road, SW.

Forest City Pioneer ChristmasThe Forest City Stockade will cele-

brate its annual Pioneer Christmasfrom 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5. Therewill be demonstrations, activities andfood. Cost is $5 for adults, free forchildren 12 and younger. The stock-ade is on Minnesota Highway 24.

‘Holiday Showcase’Litchfield Community Theatre will

present “Holiday Showcase,” featur-ing local performers at 7 p.m. Dec. 5Bernie Aaker Auditorium. For moreinformation, go online to www.litch-fieldcommunitytheatre.com.

To submit an event to be included in thisfree listing, send information, including time,date, place, and cost, as well as a contactperson’s name and phone number. Emailinformation to Juliana Thill at [email protected] or call 320-593-4808.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS||||||

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Cover story: BruceCottington of Litchfield

works to spread the word aboutVeterans of Underage Military Service

NOVEMBER 2015 | ZEST 3

PUBLISHED BYLitchfield Independent ReviewP.O. Box 307, Litchfield, MN 55355320-693-3266

Hutchinson Leader170 Shady Ridge Road NW, Suite 100Hutchinson, MN 55350320-587-5000

PUBLISHERBrent [email protected]

EDITORJuliana [email protected] Litchfield office320-234-4172 Hutchinson office

ADVERTISING DIRECTORKevin [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION OR ADDRESS CHANGEMichelle [email protected]

PRINTED BYCrow River Press170 Shady Ridge Road NWHutchinson, MN 55350

Zest is published monthly by the LitchfieldIndependent Review and Hutchinson Leadernewspapers. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form by means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording or other-wise, without the prior consent of the publisher.

NOVEMBER 2015Vol. 6 No. 9

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CONTENTS

5 In the news: Meeker County Historical Society to honor the past with a re-dedication of Grand Army of the Republic Hall

6 Medicare: Tips to transition from health insurance to Medicare

8 Money matters: Learn about the new chip credit cards

14 Recipes: Savor the flavor of autumn with Fettuccine Pumpkin Alfredo, Carrot Cake Salad, and Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream

10▲

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9

In the news:Dietitians offerhealthful eatingtips at the McLeodCounty SeniorExpo 7

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In the news: A magician entertains a crowd at theMeeker County Senior Expo

ruce Cottington has slowed down a bit since hewas a teenager serving in World War II. At 88,it’s to be expected.

However, his love for his country, his admiration of vet-erans and his involvement in the community are stillunmatched by most people. While he’s no longer fightingin the war, he’s fighting to make sure veterans are hon-ored for their service, are respected by all of us, and thatVeterans of Underage Military Service are recognized fortheir contributions to U.S. wars. In honor of Veterans Daythis month, it seems fitting to feature Cottington on thecover of our magazine and to share his story with ourreaders. Cottington was 14 when Pearl Harbor wasbombed, 15 when he talked to a recruiter about joiningthe Navy, and 16 when he was sent off to World War II.He and many other young men and women lied abouttheir age so they could serve their country. You can readmore about Cottington and his involvement with theVUMS as he openly talks about his time in and out of theservice.

Also in this magazine, we have photos that highlightsome of the activities that took place at the McLeodCounty Senior Expo and Meeker County Senior Expo.Hundreds of seniors attended and came away inspired.

Those of you who have health insurance and are switch-ing over to Medicare will find our story on the two inform-

ative. Open Enrollment for theHealth Insurance Marketplaces over-laps with Medicare Fall OpenEnrollment. However, these enroll-ment periods are not the same.People with Medicare should use theFall Open Enrollment Period (Oct.15 to Dec. 7) to review how they gettheir Medicare and make anychanges to their coverage for nextyear. If people have Qualified HealthPlan coverage that they boughtthrough the individual marketplaces,they should take certain steps whenthey are eligible for Medicare.

Our financial expert offers some information on the newchip credit and debit cards that banks and credit cardcompanies are issuing to consumers. The cards eventuallywill replace cards with a magnetic strip. Read more onhow the new chip cards offer more security and are useddifferently in credit card machines.

Cool autumn breezes have us adding more layers ofclothing, snuggling under a warm blanket and using theoven more for baking. We offer three tasty, easy-to-makerecipes that will help you savor the flavor of fall.

And to all our veterans, thank you for your service.

B

Juliana ThillEditor

A WARM WELCOME||||||

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The Meeker CountyHistorical Society invites peo-ple to celebrate the 130thanniversary re-dedication ofthe Grand Army of theRepublic Memorial Hall.

The rededication will befrom 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 14at the G.A.R. Hall, 308Marshall Ave. N., Litchfield.Sons of Union veterans andLadies of the Grand Army ofthe Republic will present keysto Mayor Keith Johnson.

Admission is free, andentertainment and refresh-ments will be provided. Formore information, call MarciaKimmerle at 320-693-8911.

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IN THE NEWS


Meeker CountyHistorical Societyplans re-dedicationof G.A.R. Hall

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Richard Neil LaBute Jr. of Buffalo, Minn., recently wrote“The Search,” a U.S. Civil War novel, published by DorrancePublishing Co. Inc.

“The Search” is a historical novel that explores the experi-ences of the officers and crew of the United States warshipWyoming during the Civil War. On a mission to find theConfederate ship Alabama, the men of the Wyoming are, bycoincidence, drawn into the conflicts arising in the danger-ous, exotic, and rapidly changing world of pre-revolutionaryJapan.

“The Search” offers a glimpse of clashing cultures andevolving worldviews, using historic events and personalitiesto create a tale of intrigue and adventure.

LaBute was born in Michigan and grew up in Washingtonstate. His writing reflects his lifelong interest in history and lin-guistics, as well as seven years of service in the United StatesMarine Corps. Since 2000, he has been engaged in animal hus-bandry and organic/ sustainable farming in Buffalo, in addition toflying corporate aircraft and air ambulance part-time. Havingtraveled, worked, or lived in more than 100 countries, including10 years spent in Japan, LaBute lives on a small farm with hiswife of 30 years, Yoko.

“The Search” is a 158-page paperback with a retail price of $15.The ISBN is 978-1-4809-0647-1. For more information, go onlineto www.dorrancebookstore.com.

Buffalo man writes novel about Civil War

“TheSearch” is anovel thatexploresexperiencesof officersand crew of the U.S.warshipWyomingduring theCivil War.

MEDICARE||||||

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The Health Insurance Market-places created by the Afford-able Care Act allow people to

shop for coverage online or over thephone.

The Marketplaces might also beknown as Exchanges. Health insur-ance plans sold in the Marketplacesare called Qualified Health Plans.

If someone already has Medicareand does not have coverage throughtheir own or their spouse’s currentemployment, they should not makeany changes to how they currently gettheir insurance. This means theyshould not enroll in a QHP for individ-ual health coverage, because theyalready have Medicare.

There are many reasons it is not agood idea to take a QHP over Medicare:

◆ It is illegal for someone to sell aQHP to someone who they know hasMedicare.

◆ People with Medicare are not eli-gible for any tax credits to help pay forQHP premiums, and full QHP premi-ums tend to be more costly thanMedicare, Medigap or Part D premi-ums.

◆ There is no guarantee that a QHPwill pay for health costs if a benefici-ary drops Medicare to take a QHP. Inmany cases, when someone is eligiblefor Medicare but does not have it, theinsurance they do have can refuse tocover most if not all of their healthcare costs. This means that they mayhave little or no coverage if they relyon a QHP for health coverage.

Be aware that Medicare Advantageplans, Medigap supplemental policiesand stand-alone Part D plans will notbe sold through the Marketplaces.

Different open enrollmentsOpen Enrollment for the

Marketplaces overlaps with MedicareFall Open Enrollment. These enroll-ment periods are not the same. Peoplewith Medicare should use the FallOpen Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 toDec. 7) to review how they get theirMedicare and make any changes totheir coverage for next year.

If someone has QHP coverage thatthey bought through the individualMarketplaces, they should take thefollowing steps when they are eligiblefor Medicare:

◆ Enroll in Medicare Part B as soonas they qualify.

◆ Drop the QHP coverage. Makesure to coordinate the end date of theQHP coverage with the effective dateof the Part B coverage.

◆ After a person enrolls in Medicare,they should consider how to get theirMedicare coverage. People have achoice between Original Medicare anda Medicare Advantage plan.

If someone already has MedicarePart B and coverage from their own ortheir spouse’s current employment,the Marketplaces do not affect howMedicare works with their employercoverage.

◆ The way coverage from a current

employer works with Medicare shouldbe the same, whether or not theemployer offers coverage through aSmall Business Health Options planin the Marketplace. A SHOP plan is anemployer plan purchased through theMarketplace. Depending on the size ofyour employer, Medicare either paysfirst or second on health insuranceclaims. If Medicare pays first, it isespecially important that you keepMedicare. If you drop your Medicarecoverage when Medicare is payingfirst, your employer plan may give youlittle or no coverage at all.

If someone has QHP coverage thatwas purchased by their own or theirspouse’s employer through the SHOPand then becomes eligible forMedicare, they should talk to theiremployer to see whether they needMedicare in addition to the employercoverage.

After speaking to the employer, theyshould confirm what they havelearned with the Social SecurityAdministration (800-772-1213). Getall answers in writing, and keeprecords of the conversations.Depending on the size of the employer,Medicare pays either first or second toemployer plans. Keep in mind, aSHOP plan is an employer plan pur-chased through the Marketplace. IfMedicare pays first, the beneficiarywill need to take Medicare. On theother hand, if the SHOP plan paysfirst, they may be able to delayenrolling in Part B.

Be aware that there may be differ-ent rules for purchasing health cover-age through the Marketplaces for peo-ple with ESRD or for those who wouldneed to pay a premium for MedicarePart A. If someone has Medicare dueto End-Stage Renal Disease or theypay a premium for Medicare Part A(hospital insurance), they may be ableto purchase a QHP through theMarketplaces and to qualify for taxcredits to help pay for premiums.

Medicare websites and helplines

Many websites and people areavailable to offer help with and infor-mation about Medicare’s Fall OpenEnrollment, Oct. 15-Dec. 7:

◆ Go online to www.medicare.govwww.medicarerights.orgwww.medicareinteractive.org ◆ Call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-

4227)◆ Call Medicare Rights Center’s

toll-free helpline at 800-333-4114

Open enrollment for these two marketplaces overlap,but they are not the same

Tips for moving from HealthInsurance Marketplace to Medicare


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November is American Diabetes MonthNearly 26 million children and adults in

America have diabetes, and another 79 millionare at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.If you are a diabetic, your physician hasprobably told you to get a diabetic eye examevery year. When you have diabetes you areat risk for what is called diabetic retinopathy.Diabetic retinopathy is the result of damage tothe tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina.They leak blood and other fluids that causeswelling of retinal tissue and clouding of vision.The condition usually affects both eyes.The longer a person has diabetes, the morelikely they will develop diabetic retinopathy.If left untreated, diabetic retinopathycan cause blindness.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:• Seeing spots or floaters in your field of vision• Blurred vision• Having a dark or empty spot in the center of

your vision• Difficulty seeing well at night

Often there are no visual symptoms in theearly stages of diabetic retinopathy. That iswhy the American Optometric Associationrecommends that everyone with diabetes havea comprehensive dilated eye examination oncea year. Early detection and treatment can limitthe potential for significant vision loss fromdiabetic retinopathy.

At Regional Eye Center we are committed toprotecting your eyes from diabetic retinopathyCall us today to set up your yearly diabeticeye exam.

Lori Pickell-Stangel talksabout “Online FamilyHistory Research” during the McLeodCounty Senior ExpoSept. 22 at HutchinsonEvent Center. Pickell-Stangel, executive director of the McLeodCounty HistoricalSociety, said the museum’s website hasmore than 9,000 imagesand documents ongenealogy. Inside themuseum is an extensivecollection of books,periodicals on genealogy, vital statistics, photos,documents, and censusrecords. For more information, go onlineto www.mcleodhistory.org.

PHOTOS BY JULIANA THILL

Karen Gensmer, a registered dietitianat Hutchinson Health, talks about“Cooking for Your Health,” at theMcLeod County Senior Expo. Duringthe workshop, she made Carrot CakeSalad. Turn to Page 15 for the recipe.

McLeod CountySenior Expo offerseducation, resources

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|MONEY MATTERS

If you’ve received a replacementfor your credit or debit cards inthe mail lately, take a closer

look. That little gold chip on the frontis going to make it tougher for thievesto steal your data.

By year-end 2015, Visa estimatesthat 63 percent of cards in Americanwallets will feature this new technolo-gy aimed at derailing counterfeitfraud. The new chip adds a unique,one-time code that changes everytime you use your card to make an in-store payment. That automatic secu-rity code change makes your datanearly impossible to use to create acounterfeit card.

Counterfeit or “cloned” cardsaccount for about two-thirds of in-store fraud to the tune of $3 billion,according to Boston-based researchfirm Aite Group. The transition tochip cards is expected to be nearlycomplete by year-end 2017.

You’ll see very slight differences inusing these cards.

First, you’ll need to insert a chipcard into a new slot on a machinebuilt for chip cards and keep it in themachine until your purchase is com-plete. You won’t have to swipe tradi-tional magnetic strip on the back any-more. You will still be able to sign,enter a PIN or just pay-and-go foreveryday transactions as before.

Just remember to take your cardwith you when the transaction iscomplete.

However, if you are currently usingan old but unexpired card or if thebusiness where you’re doing a trans-action doesn’t have the upgraded chipcard equipment, don’t panic. The stripon the back of your card will continueto work with all card terminals forthe foreseeable future.

For merchants — the collectivename for the stores, restaurants andother businesses where you use creditand debit cards every day — the tran-

sition to chip cards is moving along,as well.

Approximately 90 percent of busi-ness owners are aware of chip tech-nology, and about 70 percent havealready upgraded their equipment orhave plans to do so, according to arecent survey by Visa.

Current estimates show that 47percent of U.S. terminals will be ableto read chip cards by the end of theyear.

There’s one more incentive for allbusinesses to get on board with chipcard technology: As of Oct. 1, liabilityfor some counterfeit fraud shiftedfrom the card-issuing financial insti-

tutions to retailers unless they areable to accept and process chip cardtransactions.

If you travel overseas regularly,you’ve probably already seen chipcard technology in action. It’s basedon a global standard called EMV andis already at work in countries mov-ing to cashless options for private andpublic goods and services.

One final note: While you’re wait-ing for your new chip cards, you’ll stillbe able to use your current strip-based credit cards in new machinesunder their zero liability fraud protec-tion rules. However, debit card securi-ty rules are different, so it is best tocheck with your bank on their guide-lines so you know your funds aresecure.

Bottom line: The move from stripto chip cards will create a moresecure environment for credit anddebit card users. However, consumerswill still need to keep their cards safeand confirm the accuracy of all theirspending data.


Moving from strip to chip cardswill create a more secure environment for credit and debit card users

Nathaniel SillinDirector of Visa’s financial education program

From strip to chip: a new kind of payment card

Be aware of scammersScammers are finding new ways to

scam people as banks and credit cardcompanies begin sending chip cards totheir customers.

Scammers are contacting some peo-ple by email posing as their credit cardcompany and saying that in order toissue a new chip card, the person needsto update his/her account by confirm-ing some personal information or clickon a link to continue the process. Even ifthe email looks real with a bank or credit card com-pany logo, companies will not ask their customers to update personalinformation this way.To determine if the email is legitimate, people shouldcall the 800 number on the back of their credit card.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce offers other tips:◆ Do not provide or confirm any Social Security, bank, credit card or

other personal information.◆ Ask for written proof of the debt to be mailed to you. Tell the caller

that you won’t do anything until you receive a written validation notice,as required by federal law. The notice must include the amount of thedebt, the name of the creditor and information about the consumer’srights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

◆ Report a fraudulent call or email by filing a complaint with theFederal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or 877-382-4357.

◆ You should also contact the Minnesota Commerce Department’sConsumer Services Center by email: [email protected] call: 651-539-1600 or 800-657-3602.

New creditand debitEMV chipcards have agold “chip”on the frontthat makesit more dif-ficult forscammersto duplicateand chargefraudulentpurchases.


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IN THE NEWS

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Merline Duering, left, executive director of Prince ofPeace in Hutchinson, and Donna Whitcomb, coordina-tor of Meeker Council on Aging, got into the spirit ofMeeker County Senior Expo’s theme, “A Walk in thePark,” by dressing in costume for the day.

Meeker County Senior Expo entertains

PHOTOS BY JULIANA THILL

Comic and magician Gary Tyson, right, performs amagic trick on Dwight Barrick of Darwin and MargeTheis of Litchfield during the Meeker County SeniorExpo Oct. 13 at Church of St. Philip.

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Arecruiting officer, notary public andBruce Cottington’s own motherturned a blind eye when he fibbedabout his age on a form to enlist in

the Navy. He was a sophomore

in high school, all of 15years old in 1942, whenhe inquired about serv-ing his country.

Just months earlier,Japanese aircraft hadbombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor inHawaii in 1941, and World War II waged on.

“It was kind of exciting, in a sense,”Cottington said. “We believed in the cause forAmerica. There was a strong sense of patriot-ism. In school, guys couldn’t wait to get into themilitary. We wanted to fight for our country.”

At that time, the minimum age to join theU.S. armed services was 17 with a parent’s per-mission. However, Cottington didn’t want towait two more years to serve.

So, when he signed up for the Navy, he wrote


PHOTO BY JULIANA THILL

Bruce Cottington reminisces about the LCI(G)-462, or landing craft infantry (gunboat), he served on while in theNavy during World War II. Photos and other memorabilia are displayed in a room he has dubbed the Navy Roominside his Litchfield house. Cottington, a farm moved to Litchfield in 1968.

Bruce Cottington, like thousands of men andwomen, fibbed about how old he was andentered the armed services when he was

underage. Veterans of Underage Military Serviceare now in their 80s or 90s, and Cottington

is one of the eight members living in Minnesota.

By Juliana ThillEDITOR

Serving hiscountry at 16

down an earlier year for his date ofbirth, and those who knew better didn’t say a word to the contrary.

A smile spread across Cottington’sface as he recalled why he misrepre-sented his age.

“The reason I lied about my age wasbecause I was afraid that the warwould be over and I wouldn’t be able totake part in it. I loved my country,” hesaid. “As a 15-year-old, I was gung ho,until I got into my first battle. Then Isaid, ‘I’m not so sure. I don’t want to bea hero, because a lot of heroes are shot.’I wanted to get home alive.”

Cottington was among thousands ofmen and women nationwide who cir-cumvented recruiting requirements sothat they could join the armed forces.While some lied about the year theywere born, others altered birth certifi-cates or dropped out of high school tofool recruiters into thinking they wereold enough to serve.

In the same vein, the military could-n’t afford to turn away volunteers.

“They (the armed services) neededsoldiers, and there were wars going on,so there was a lot less of a scrutiny,”said Don Dufner, veterans service offi-cer for Meeker County. Back then, thethinking was, “‘if you want to come in,come in — Uncle Sam needs you.’That’s how the military pulled you in.”

While a few child soldiers died inservice to their country before reach-ing the legal age for enlistment, manyreturned home, and over the yearshave passed away as they’ve aged.

Child soldiersSome of America’s youngest war-

riors were or still are members of anational organization called Veteransof Underage Military Service.

VUMS represents all branches ofmilitary, and at one time had a mem-ber who was 12 when he served incombat. Other members began servingat 13, while most were between 14 and16 years of age.

At one point, there were about19,000 VUMS nationwide, saidCottington, who is the appointedVUMS commander for the state ofMinnesota. Today, there are about2,500 still living across the country.

“They’re all dying. There are a lot ofthem that went in (the service) at age15 and 16. I’m one of the youngerVUMS members,” said Cottington,

who is 88.Cottington is one of eight VUMS

members in Minnesota. “He is without a doubt, one of the

most patriotic, amazing men I havemet in recent memory,” VUMS pastnational commander John Hensonsaid of Cottington. “He served hiscountry during World War II withcourage in the U.S. Navy. He continu-ously pursues every opportunity tofurther the VUMS agenda by attempt-ing to recruit and retain men andwomen who served in the armed forcesunder age.”

There likely are veterans who arenot members of VUMS, Henson admit-ted, and Cottington has worked tire-lessly to help spread the word aboutthe organization that naturally will

see its membership decline as moreWorld War II veterans die.

“We are hampered by our member-ship requirements from any sponta-neous growth,” Henson said.

The requirement to be a VUMSmember is that the veteran must havebeen under the age of 17 when theyserved in the U.S. military (or under20 years of age for women veterans ofWorld War II).

The only other VUMS member fromthe Meeker-McLeod area thatCottington knew of was Cosmos resi-dent Marvin Hackbarth, who died in2009.

Sixteen million Americans served inWorld War 11. Today, there are about855,000 World War II veterans, withabout 15,000 living in Minnesota. Themen and women who served in WorldWar II are now in their late 80s or 90s,and are dying at the rate of approxi-mately 500 a day, according to the U.S.Veterans Administration.

As a result, approximately everythree minutes a memory of World WarII — its sights and sounds, its terrorsand triumphs — disappears, accordingto the National World War II Museum.

By 2036, it is estimated there will beno more living veterans of World WarII.

A lifetime of patriotismCottington’s strong sense of patriot-

ism and love of his country came fromhis parents and siblings.

Cottington was born Jan. 22, 1927,on a dairy farm near Forest City, Iowa.He was the 10th of 13 siblings, andhad five brothers and one sister whoserved in the armed forces

His love of water, which eventuallyled to his joining the Navy, started in1931, when Cottington was almost 5years old.

“My father decided to take a year’svacation and leave the farm. So, wepacked up seven kids in a Model Aroadster, took off for the West Coastand were gone over a year. That’swhen I got to see the ocean, and itimpressed me. I loved water.”

When Cottington was 9 years old,his father died, leaving his motherwith nine children at home and a farmto run, he said.

As World War II intensified, thethen-15-year-old Cottington went to

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SUBMITTED PHOTO

Bruce Cottington wassworn into the Navy theday after his 16th birthday.

The reason Ilied about myage was because

I was afraid the warwould be over and I wouldn’t be able to take part in it. I loved my country.

BRUCE COTTINGTON

“

talk to a recruiter aboutenlisting in the Navy, hop-ing to follow in the footstepsof two of his older brothers,one who was in the ArmyAir Corps and another inthe Army Red BullDivision.

“The recruiter said, ‘youhave to be at least 17 withyour mother or dad’s per-mission,’” Cottingtonrecalled.

So, Cottington filled outa form and wrote that hewas born in 1925, whichwould have made him 17.However, that was howold one of his brother’swas, and the recruiter became suspi-cious, Cottington said.

Aware of Cottington’s intentions,the recruiter gave the teen a new formand told him to write his birth year as1926. The recruiter then saidCottington needed to have his mothersign the form and then have it nota-rized.

“I took it back to my mom and shereluctantly signed it,” Cottington said.

Then, he visited the local bankerand asked him to notarize the form.

“He said, ‘you’re not 17, but I’ll nota-rize it anyway. I have two sons in themilitary, so you might as well jointhem,’” Cottington remembers thebanker saying.

Working as a radiomanHe was sworn in Jan. 23, 1943, the

day after his 16th birthday, and wassent to Farragut, Idaho, for boot camp.

“I was so proud to be in the Navy,”Cottington said.

He attended radio school atFarragut, and finished with top hon-ors. The chief asked him if he wantedto stay and become an instructor.

“I said, ‘my gosh, no. I want to getinto the war.’ I bugged him every dayfor three weeks, saying, ‘I want to go towar,’” Cottington said. Then one day,the chief said the Marines, which werepart of the Navy, needed radiomen.

Cottington was assigned to servewith the Marines at Camp Pendleton,Calif. He was with the 4th MarineDivision from December 1943 toFebruary 1944. Then, he was shippedto Hawaii, where he was reassigned toa landing craft infantry that had been

converted to a rocket-launching ship.He served on this vessel until October1945.

“We shipped out from San Diego toPearl Harbor. Our first combat was inSaipan, and then we took over Tinian.Then I was reassigned out of the 4thMarines to the Amphibian Navy to arocketship, LCI(G)-462, which stoodfor landing craft infantry (gunboat),”he said. “The rocketships weredesigned for the first assault wave, sowe could defend our Army and Marineswith the landings,” he said.

The rocketship made three landingsin the Philippines.

“My job as a radioman was to waitfor the command from the officer incharge, or captain, and I would getthat message and relay it to the com-mander of the ship. My orders were, ‘Ifyou’re in position, fire when ready.’One time we weren’t in position, and Ialmost sunk the other (U.S.) rocket-ship. We caught heck. I don’t knowwhat happened. There was a mix up inthe communications.”

Cottington was apprehensive aboutthe Navy finding out he was underage.

“At first I was nervous. After I wentoverseas I lost that fear because Iwished I could go home because war

was deadly. But I didn’t gohome,” he said.

Military commandersresponded differentlywhen they learned ofunderage servicemembers,he said. “Sometimes, if acommander caught up witha young enlisted person, hewould give them a choicewhether they wanted to gohome. That wasn’t legal atthe time, but that’s whatthey did. I had two concerns— one, that they would kickme out, and two, I wasalways afraid they wouldsend me back home, and Iwould be fully embarrassed.”

Unbeknownst toCottington, he wasn’t the only

VUMS member on his ship. He didn’tfind out until years later that hisfriend, Walter “Brownie” Brown alsowas underage when he entered theNavy.

“We had a small crew of 65 men andofficers, and were all pretty close. Ididn’t know he was a VUM. We didn’ttalk about it. It was one of those littlesecrets you don’t dare tell anybody,” hesaid.

After a battle at Okinawa, the rock-etship Cottington was on returned toPearl Harbor for repair and to be refit-ted in preparation for an invasion ofJapan.

“We were told we would be the firstassault wave into Japan, ‘and chancesare you probably won’t return. Thiswill be a disastrous battle,’” Cottingtonrecalled. “We never planned to sur-vive. So, we celebrated every night(before we were to leave). My job wasto go around and get money from theguys — get a quarter, get 50 cents orwhatever I could get — so I could goout and buy the booze. And I had tobuy enough booze so they could partyat night.”

He and his shipmates didn’t knowthe United States was planning todrop the atomic bomb.

“So, while we were re-arming forJapan, they dropped the first atombomb. That was a surprise to every-body,” Cottington said.

After World War II ended in 1945,Cottington was honorably dischargedin 1946, and returned home.

He enrolled at Drake University in

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SUBMITTED PHOTO

Bruce Cottington was a radiomanin World War II (when this photowas taken) and in the Korean War.Cottington of Litchfield earnedseven battle stars from World WarII and one battle star for his time inthe Korean War.

Des Moines. He joined the NavalReserve in 1947. While a junior at theuniversity, Cottington volunteered foractive duty in 1950 during the KoreanWar because the government neededradiomen again, he said.

He was assigned to a patrol frigate,and patrolled the northern coast ofKorea on search-and-destroy mis-sions. His job was to intercept NorthKorean gun carriers. He also helpedMarines and Army troops out ofHungnam in December 1950.

‘A good life’Throughout his time in the military,

Cottington earned one silver battlestar, which is the equivalent of fivebattles, and three bronze battle starsfor his service in World War II and theKorean War. The pins are to reflect thebattles he was involved with, not forheroism, he said, wanting to clarify.

“I have seven battle stars fromWorld War II and one battle star fromKorea,” he said.

Cottington was honorably dis-charged from the Navy again in 1952.He returned to Drake University, mar-ried his first wife, Florence Andersonin 1952, and graduated in 1953 with adegree in business administration.

Cottington started in the grocerybusiness with Kroger Co. in KansasCity, Mo., and he and Florence had

three sons, Scott, Jim and John. In 1957, Cottington was hired by

Super Valu grocery stores inMinneapolis to start general fieldsupervision and the dairy department.He ran a Super Valu store in BlueEarth, Minn., and then bought theSuper Valu in Litchfield in 1968. Hespent 25 years with Super Valu beforeselling the store in 1979, and retiring.

Florence died in 1996, andCottington married longtime friendMarie Rick in 2000. They laterdivorced but remain good friends.

Cottington is active with theLitchfield American Legion, LitchfieldVeterans of Foreign Wars, and is pastcommander for the Litchfield MilitaryHonor Guard.

“I think Bruce epitomizes what aveteran is,” Dufner said, “and hewants to make sure the public knowsveterans are here and around every-body. Everybody knows a veteran, andit’s good to say ‘thank you’ to them forserving.”

Cottington is one of thousands ofservice members who used to keepquiet about having manipulated thesystem to enter the military. However,now, he is proud to be an underageveteran and part VUMS.

“I’ve had a good life,” Cottingtonsaid. ■

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Other VUMS from MinnesotaGen. John Vessey Jr.

June 29, 1922 - presentGen. John Vessey Jr. was born

in Minneapolis.When he was 16,he enlisted in the MinnesotaNational Guard in May 1939,becoming a member ofHeadquarters, 59th Field ArtilleryBrigade, 34th Infantry Division.He was called to active duty inFebruary 1941.Vessey stayed inthe Army after war. During hisfirst 30 years of military service,he spent most of his time incombat divisions. He attendedthe U.S.Army Command andGeneral Staff College, the ArmedForces Staff College, and theIndustrial College of the ArmedForces. Vessey returned toWashington in July 1979 tobecome the vice chief of staff,U.S.Army. President Reaganselected Vessey as the 10th chair-man of the joint chiefs of staff, aposition he held from June 1982to September 1985. He retired inOctober 1985, and lives inGarrison, Minn., according to theMinnesota National Guard.

Marvin HackbarthAug. 2, 1921 - June 30, 2009

Marvin Hackbarth was bornand grew up in Cosmos andjoined Company B 135th InfantryRegiment, 34th Infantry Division,Minnesota National Guard inAugust 1937, when he was 16years old. He was later assignedto Company H, 133rd Infantry, aheavy-weapons company, accord-ing to “America’s YoungestWarriors,Volume III.” He servedin Africa, Italy and other parts ofEurope during World War II. Hewas discharged in September1945, returned home and tookover his father’s farm-implementbusiness. Hackbarth died June 30,2009.

Veterans of Underage Military ServiceVeterans of Underage Military Service was incorpo-

rated in 1991, and has one requirement for fullmembership. Members must have been sworn intoa branch of the U.S. military service before reach-ing the age of 17 (16 or younger for World War IIMerchant Marine veterans and 20 years of age oryounger for women veterans of World War II).

VUMS’ main purposes are:◆To establish and maintain contact with those who

served in the armed forces while underage.◆To assure all underage veterans that there will be no retribution from

the government because of their fraudulent enlistment.

VUMS has obtained policy letters from all military branches stating thatunderage veterans and military retirees have nothing to fear for enlistingunderage. VUMS provides free copies of “Underage Veterans Handbook andGovernment Policy on Underage Veterans” to any underage veteran.

Life membership is available for a one-time fee of $25. For more informa-tion, go online to www.oldvums.org or call 888-OLD-VUMS (888-653-8867).

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Across1.Those who malign10. Soils composed of

sand, silt and clay15. Plastic film, brand name

(2 wds)16. Cereal killer17.Accustom to a new

environment18. Musical notation for

repeat19. Change, as a clock20. Bolivian export21. Sage22. Baby’s socklike shoe24.Adaptable truck, for

short25. Overthrow, e.g.29. Divine retributions31. Product quality assur-

ance35. Deception36. Bypass37. Balloon filler38. Doctor Who villainess,

with “the”39.Alliance that includes

Ukr.40. Inflammation of the

small intestines42. Family subdivisions44. Bond, for one45. Biochemistry abbr.46. Check50. ___ of roses

52.“A jealous mistress”:Emerson

53.Analyze, in a way58. Choice59. Buildings’ covered

entrances61. Busy places62.Visionary persons63. Lilac, e.g.64. Plunder

Down1. Boris Godunov, for one2. Dash3. Parentheses, e.g.4. Broad valley5. Condo, e.g.6.Valley (Welsh)7.A Muse8. 4:1, e.g.9.All in

10. Inferior11. Sundae topper, perhaps12.Antibody that causes

cells to clump together13. Believer in one god14.The Rolling ___, band22. Car accessory23. Female sheep25. Having I-strain?26. Deeply thoughtful27. Bring up28. Crumb30.Winged32. Masefield play “The

Tragedy of ___”33. Little bird34.“... ___ he drove out of

sight”38. Fix, in a way40. Ring bearer, maybe41. Backstabber42. Pie charts, e.g.43. Least cooked47. Fleet48. Chip away at49. ___ throat51. Call from the flock53. Bundle54. Battery contents55. Santa ___, Calif.56. Rectangular paving

stone57.“___ quam videri”

(North Carolina’s motto)60.Toni Morrison’s “___

Baby”

Crossword puzzle answer on Page 15

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Crossword puzzle

1 package (16 ounces) fettuccine3 cups milk1 cup canned pumpkin1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese2 tablespoons flour1 teaspoon McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice1/2 teaspoon McCormick Chipotle Chili

Pepper1/2 teaspoon salt8 slices bacon, chopped1 small onion, chopped

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drainwell. Meanwhile, mix milk, pumpkin,

Parmesan cheese, flour, pumpkin pie spice,chipotle chili pepper and salt in mediumbowl until well blended. Set aside. Cookbacon in large skillet on medium-high heatuntil slightly crisp. Remove bacon. Drainon paper towels. Set aside. Remove all but2 tablespoons bacon drippings from skillet.Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or soft-ened. Stir in pumpkin mixture. Reduceheat to low; simmer 10 minutes or untilthickened, stirring occasionally. Place pastain serving bowl. Add pumpkin sauce; tossto coat well. Top with crisp bacon. Serveseight.

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Fettuccine Pumpkin Alfredo

SOURCE: WWW.CULINARY.NET/MCCORMICK

Savor the flavors of fall with these tasty, easy-to-make options

Answer toCrosswordPuzzle published on Page 14

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3 cups grated carrots1/4 cup raisins1/4 cup chopped walnuts1/2 cup diced pineapple (fresh

or canned in juice)1 cup light yogurt1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/6 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/6 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all ingredients in a bowland serve. May refrigerate forone to two days until ready toserve. Serves 8.

2 cups heavy whipping cream1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger1 cup solid-pack pumpkin1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies

Beat heavy whippingcream, extract, cinnamonand ginger in large bowl onmedium speed with electricmixer until stiff peaks form.Combine pumpkin andsweetened condensed milk.Fold pumpkin mixture andgingersnap cookies intowhipped cream mixture.Pour into 9-by-5-inch loafpan or other 2-quart con-tainer; cover. Freeze 6hours or until firm. Makes2 1/2 quarts.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream

SOURCE: WWW.CULINARY.NET/WWW.EAGLEBRAND.COM

SOURCE: WWW.CULINARY.NET/FOODANDHEALTH.COM

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Carrot Cake Salad

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We offer rides to VA medical appts at the

Minneapolis (even days) andSt. Cloud (odd days)VA Medical Centers.To schedule a ride call 320-693-5445

Don DufnerMeeker CountyVeterans Service Officer

[email protected]

Please call Don or LindaMeeker County Family Services Bldg.114 N. Holcombe Ave. Suite 120Litchfield, MN 55355

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For over 30 years, Ecumen of Litchfield has been the #1 providerof quality senior housing and healthcare services in Meeker County!

Emmanuel Care Center• Medicare-certified skilled nursing, short stay rehabilitation

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