metro

Paying Homage

JWV-Michigan display case at Beth El
focuses on local Vietnam War vet.

Stacy Gittleman

University. Allan and Russi were mar-
ried in 1959, two years after he had
enlisted in the Air Force. Though he
ith one final kiss, Russi
was killed in action in 1967, because
Cherry Arden said good-
of the hostile threat in the area, no
bye to her husband, Capt.
formal search and rescue mission was
Allan Sheldon Cherry, in the summer
launched. His body was not recovered
of 1967 as he went off to fight in the
until 1997, and it was not until 1999
Vietnam War. Five weeks later, Capt.
that forensics positively identified his
remains.
Cherry was reported killed in action
while flying a mission over North
Because they had no children,
Vietnam.
(though two of Russi's children from
As part of a tradition of
a later marriage died tragically
preserving the memory
young), she felt the best place to
of Detroit's fallen war
preserve his memory was with
veterans, the Jewish War
the archives.
"With her children gone,
Veterans-Department of
Michigan Archives will
Russi had no one else to leave
display photographs, war
with her husband's memories:'
records and other memen-
said Jan Durecki, archives direc-
tos of Capt. Cherry's life in
tor.
"She trusted us with them
Capt. Alla n
the lobby of Temple Beth
so
they
would not get lost in
Cherry
El in Bloomfield Township
history. This indeed was a sad
through June 1.
exhibit to showcase:'
The exhibit, encased in the Leo
To preserve his memory, Russi in
M. Franklin Archives display case,
January 2015 donated the collection of
includes photos of Capt. Cherry
her husband to the archives as a sort
dressed in his Air Force uniform, in
of a final resting place so that Cherry's
his younger days driving a car and
memory will be respectfully preserved.
"Many in the community whose
posing on the wing of a fighter plane
with his unit. The exhibit also contains family members served in the military
photos documenting the location
look to our organization to preserve
where his remains were found.
the memories of their loved ones with
Capt. Cherry was born in Union
dignity:' Durecki said.
City, Mo., in 1936. He and his family
Also included in the exhibit is a
moved to Detroit where he went to
POW/MIA bracelet donated to Russi in
high school and studied at Wayne State 2009 by a woman who picked up the
memento in 1993 at an air
show in Illinois. The woman
spent many years trying to
find Cherry's family. After
reading online about Russi's
attempt to return an MIA
bracelet to the family of
another fallen soldier, the
two connected.
With a core group of
archivists, the Jewish War
Veterans-Department of
Michigan Archives preserves
the memories and records of
Detroit-area veterans of all
faiths. The archives include
newspaper articles, film
footage and military records
provided by family mem-
bers and loved ones. The
exhibit is free and open to
the public during synagogue
business hours. For more
The display case at Temple Beth El memori-
information, call (248) 851-
alizing Capt. Allan Sheldon Cherry, who was
1100.

I Contributing Writer

Stacy GMlamas

W

killed in action during the Vietnam War

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May 21 • 2015

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