Egbert Vander Kooi - Family Hero #2

Egbert J Vander Kooi (Uncle Eg to me) is pictured on the left above in this army uniform in 1946. He was one of my mother’s younger brothers. Egbert was born to Johannas & Bertha (Baukje) Vander Kooi on November 23, 1918, just 12 days after the end of WWI. Johannas & Bertha both came to the United States from the Netherlands in 1903 and 1889 respectively. My grandpa was 22 and my grandma just 9 when they arrived in our great country. I don’t know a great deal about Egbert’s early life. However, it is known that my mother, Egbert and their siblings grew up on a farm that was heartbreakingly lost during the great depression. That was not all that of an uncommon event during the 1930’s. However, Egbert’s youngest brother Dave (pitchered above on the right) says it was really the hand of God as the farm where they moved had much richer soil that gained them a higher crop yield. The house however was smaller.

Egbert and Dave were very good friends of my father and his brother Tony Bartels. Every Saturday night the 4 of them would go to the Colonial Theater in Holland to see a movie and the newsreels of the war in Europe. After the show they would go to the very first Russ’ Restaurant to get chocolate milk and a hamburger, both for 25 cents.

On March 21, 1941 he enlisted into the army at the age of 22. However, before I share with you what I have found out about this very brave leader in battle, I want to reflect on the man as I knew him. When our family moved from the farm to Zeeland during the summer of 1966, Uncle Eg’s house was on Garfield Street less than one block away. He was a quiet man that had a kind heart and incredible love and compassion for his wife Beatrice. “Aunt Beat” showed the signs of Parkinson for the entire time that my memory reaches back. He took care of his wife with much patience and tenderness. I admired him greatly for this.

I recall a time in 1968 when I was a sophomore in high school. Uncle Eg asked me to mow his lawn for him. He had one of the smallest lawns in the city and he could probably have mowed it himself, but did this to help me. I was not really excepting to get paid for the task. However, he did place some bills in my hand when the job was complete. When I saw how much it was I recall commenting that I thought it was more than I deserved for such a small lawn. He just replied that I did a good job and he appreciated me doing this for him. I am also mindful of all the kind things he did for my mother after my father died. That was the kind of man he was, unselfish and giving of himself to help others.

So, back to the beginning; on March 21, 1941 he enlisted into the army at the age of 22. His official enlistment record shares some facts with us. He enlisted as a private in Kalamazoo and indicated his occupation as a cabinet maker. He was single, had a grammar school education and was 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 162 pounds.

The fact that he enlisted prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is an indicator to me that he was a young patriot. He saw the newsreels in the theatre about the war going on in Europe and other places and must have wanted to serve his country. The first few days in the Army were spent relatively close to home at Camp Custer near Battle Creek Michigan. He then shipped out to Camp Roberts in California for his basic training. The day after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, December 8, 1941 he was transferred to the Los Angeles area to guard the west coast in the event the Japanese tried to attach the mainland. He remained there until late May of 1942 when he went through more training at bases on the west coast. Officer Candidate School (O.C.S.) at Fort Knox, Kentucky followed from December 1942 until the end of March 1943. (to be continued)