Page 13 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

Interesting and notable Wayne Veterans

Wayne has had thousands of vet- he kept getting so he retired in the
erans over the years from various 30s to the UP and lived quietly. He
conflicts, and while by no means a died in 1974 and is buried at Arling-
complete list, here are some stories ton Cemetery.
of interesting men from our files. An interesting WW2 story is that
Did you know we have a War of of Irv Courtney and Robert Engle of
1812 veteran buried in Wayne? Wayne who were part of the First
Calvin Stephenson was born in 1782 Special Service Force. This elite com-
in Massachussetts and was the son mando unit was specially trained in
of a Revolutionary War veteran. He Moving on to World War I, Robert paratrooping, skiing, mountain
fought in a New York Militia during Guy Robinson is definitely an inter- climbing and outdoor cold weather
the War of 1812 at the age of 30. In esting story. Born in Wayne, Guy was survival. Their goal was getting in be-
1837 he and his wife bought 40 a carnival plane stunt flyer in his hind enemy lines in cold and moun-
acres of land in Wayne to have a teens. Somehow, he ended up flying tainous areas to sabotage the enemy.
farm. He died in 1850 at the age of planes for the British Royal Air Force In 1943 at Monte la Difensa in Italy
68 and is buried in Old Wayne ceme- and when the US entered the war he the unit scaled a 1,000 foot cliff in
tery. was a gunner in the 1st Marine Avia- freezing rain to surprise and push
Other notables are the Houston tion force. He ended up in a dogfight back the Germans. In 1968 a not so
brothers, sons of the local black- against 12 German planes over Bel- historically accurate movie was
smith. William and Almon joined up gium taking three bullets in the fight. made about the raid called "The Dev-
for the Civil War in 1862 and both His gun jammed and he ended up ils Brigade", which you can find on World War I Gunnery Sergeant,
ended up at Gettysburg. William, shooting his personal pistol at many streaming services. Irv and Robert Guy Robinson, USMC
only 20, was killed the first day, and enemy German planes, taking one Robert both returned to Wayne after the plane and he and the crew were
Almon was taken prisoner. Almon down. His plane went down in a field the war. listed as MIA. 28 years later in 1974
ended up enduring 19 months in and he was saved by friendly locals. One final interesting story is that the wreckage of the plane was found
Confederate prison camps at Libbey, He received Michigan’s first congres- of Sgt. William J. Canaday of Wayne. on some barren mountain slopes in
Belle Isle and Andersonville. He lived sional medal of honor and spent 11 Canaday, only 24, was a crewman on northern India. The five-man crew's
and ended up being a postman in De- years in and out of the hospital for a B-24 bomber that went missing fly- remains were brought home and laid
troit the rest of his life. He named his his wounds. He did not like the "Hul- ing over the Himalayas in 1945. No- to rest at Arlington, including Cana-
son William. labaloo" and hero talk and attention body ever knew what happened to day.

The Wayne Dispatch · May 2025 · 13