By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Gilbert Hitchcock was reading his copy of the Bangor Daily News on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 2, when a sub-headline stood out to him. “[Gov.] Baldacci urges ringing of bells to mark V-J Day.” Hitchcock immediately picked up his phone to call patriots, parishioners of the Caribou United Baptist Church and veterans to gather around the church’s bell to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, when Gen. Douglas MacArthur signed the Japanese surrender papers on Sept. 2 1945 on the USS Missouri.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Veterans and Patriots alike gathered at the United Baptist Church in Caribou to ring the church’s bell marking the 65th anniversary of the military Victory in Japan Day included, from left: Gilbert Hitchcock, Bud Brewer, Freeman Wright, Bayfield Bubar and Robert Carlow.
As he stood near the ringing bell at the Caribou United Baptist church last week celebrating VJ Day, U.S. Army Veteran Freeman Wright of Caribou recalled that 65 years ago to the day he was stationed in Germany waiting to be shipped out to Japan; the end of the war, of course, put a stop on those orders.
A handful of local veterans from the generation that saved the world met with other patriots a little later last Thursday to commemorate the anniversary taking turns ringing the church’s bell continuously from noon until 1 p.m.
Those who participated in the impromptu, yet powerful, commemoration included Hitchcock, National Guard veteran; Bud Brewer, Army veteran; Wright, Army veteran; Robert Carlow, patriotic parishioner of the Caribou United Baptist Church; Bayfield Bubar, National Guard veteran; Frank Harris, Air Force veteran; Raymond Todd, National Guard veteran; veterans David Hitchings and Preston Johnston with his wife, Beverly.
