Portrait of Burdick veterans is found
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Wendell Peterson's hands shook as he gazed at the portraits of two men painted on fine silk.
"What's wrong, Dad?" son Marvin asked, noticing his father's pale face.
"It's Glen Smith and Harvey's brother Chelsea!" Wendell exclaimed.
He had found the flimsy wisp of folded material among other items stored in a drawer in an upstairs bedroom at Harvey Hawkinson's residence in Burdick.
It was the year 2000, and preparations were being made for a yard sale because Harvey had decided to move to Herington.
The two men portrayed in the painting were the only two Burdick casualties of World War II. Smith was born in 1914 and died in a German prison camp in 1945. Chelsea Hawkinson was born in 1920 and was killed in France in 1944.
Wendell knew both of them well and also had served in the military.
The story behind the painting came to light when Wendell showed it to Harvey Hawkinson.
Harvey, a member of the 97th Infantry Division, had been stationed at Camp Cook in California when he received news of his brother's death. He was granted a 10-day furlough to return home and spend time with the grieving family.
Later, after Glen Smith's death, a local newspaper published a composite portrait of the two men. Harvey's mother sent him a clipping and he put it in his billfold.
He carried the picture with him to Japan. His ship was anchored off the Marshall Islands in preparation for a ground invasion of Japan when news was received of Japan's surrender after two massive U.S. bombings.
Harvey became part of the occupation force. One day, as he walked along a street in a Japanese city, he saw an artist painting and selling pictures to servicemen.
Harvey showed the artist the clipping of the two men. The man reproduced it on silk as Harvey watched. The artist then signed it. Harvey folded it and put it with his other belongings.
After he was honorably discharged, the silk painting, looking much like a lady's handkerchief, was stored along with other items and forgotten. Harvey does not remember if he ever showed it to his parents.
After Wendell found it, Harvey took it to someone who carefully stretched the prized painting to remove the wrinkles, then mounted it in an attractive black frame with black matting.
The painting hangs in the American Legion Hall at Burdick as a lasting memory of the young men who gave their lives for their country.
Chelsea Hawkinson was a sergeant in the 95th Infantry Division. When he was killed, he was buried in a temporary cemetery in France. Later, at the request of his mother, the body was exhumed and brought to the United States.
The sergeant is buried at Hebron Lutheran Cemetery northwest of Burdick.
Glen Smith is buried in a cemetery in Germany. His grave has been visited by a niece's daughter, who went to Europe and located it.
