Here's what RuthAnn Rives Hellemeyer has been up to
Service to honor World War II veteran
By DAN BRANNAN
The Telegraph
September 23, 2007 - 9:11PM
Rives
The journey for a final memorial service for Lynn Rives will end at 11 a.m. Saturday at Alton National Cemetery. Pastor Tim Gill will be the one coordinating the ceremony and the VFW Post 1308 in Alton will handle the military rites. Louise Jacoby at Gents Funeral Home in Alton has made arrangements for a flag at the ceremony.
Rives died Nov. 26, 1943, when he was a passenger on a British transport ship, HMT Rohna. The Rohna was hit by a German HS293 glider bomb dropped by a Henkel 177 bomber in the cold waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Hundreds died upon impact of the bomb. A total of 1,015 American troops, three Red Cross personnel and 120 crewmen perished in the situation. Lynn Rives’ twin brother, Glenn, survived the attack.
Ruthann Rives Hellemeyer has led the efforts to remember her uncle Lynn with a memorial service. “I encourage family and friends who remember my uncle Lynn Rives or my dad, Glenn Rives, to contact me for further information or to attend the memorial service,” she said. “I am eternally gratefully to all who have helped me on this endeavor. I think my grandma Rives and dad would be pleased.”
Hellemeyer attended a Rohna reunion May 23-27 in Nashville, Tenn., and met 18 men who were on the Rohna, or convoy, that helped rescue some of the men. “There were over 100 survivor and casualty family members in attendance this year in Nashville,” she said. “Many family members were like me and on a quest to get answers to the questions regarding the loss of loved ones on the Rohna and why the survivors never spoke much of it.
The Tennessee House of Representatives recognized the men of the Rohna for their courage and service to their country on May 24, 2007. The House stopped their proceedings and gave the men and their wives a standing ovation.”
Last year, Hellemeyer called a local cemetery where her dad was buried and was told it would cost $300 to have a marker placed where her parents and her dad’s four siblings were buried. Hellemeyer then discovered a military stone was provided for free at National Cemetery in Alton because it was government cemetery. “On July 12 the stone for Lynn Rives was set at Alton National Cemetery,” Hellemeyer said.
One of the reasons the men never talked about the Rohna situation was the military sealed case documents for 50 years and the men aboard were sworn to secrecy. At the time the ship was attacked, the U.S. didn’t want the Germans to get knowledge of the success of the bombing. For more information about the Saturday memorial service for Lynn Rives, contact Hellemeyer at (618) 377-9835.
RuthAnn is hip-deep into her family tree and I have quite a bit info for my family tree. Does anyone else in our class do family tree research?
posted by LindaWright @ 10:52 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
What a wonderful story Ruth Ann. I also do genealogy. My grandfather came from England and died in the coal mines in 1933 after his death contact with his siblings in England was lost. Last year I found his great niece and her mother is still living.
My Mother died when I was 3 and I grew up not knowing her family. Through historical newspapers I was able to track them down in Harrisburg Il. just 3 days before a family reunion. It was awesome. My cousin was caretaker of the cemetery where my great grandparents were buried and all their siblings and family. I had done so much research on them I knew more about them than my cousin did. It's very rewarding research. I bet we both have hundreds of success stories.
I also found out my great great great great grandpa Calloway ran with Daniel Boone, and was scalped by the Indians. Calloway County Ky is named after him.
Ruth what a wonderful memorial to your loved ones past. I'm grateful for their service to our country.
Patty, how interesting! My cousin has has done research on my paternal grandmother's side and I'm looking forward to reading what she found.
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