OBITUARY
Daily Journal - May 30, 2008
FARMINGTON — Robert Michael ‘Tinker’ Bell passed away Tuesday, May 27,
2008 at the age of 61 years. He was born Monday, February 24, 1947, in Corpus Christi, TX.
Mr. Bell proudly served his country in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War and was awarded
the Bronze Star. He was a Life Time Member of Norman L. Rigdon VFW Post 5896 and AMVET
Post 113. He was a sturn supporter and advocate of the POW/MIA service men being
remembered and brought back home. Tinker flew the largest mobile POW/MIA flag in the
United States for 13 years. Tinker never met a stranger and everyone who met him loved him
dearly.
He will be greatly missed by all that includes his fiance�, Tracy Huff of Farmington,
three daughters, Marcine Cameron of Clute, TX, Nicole Mowery of St. Charles, and Natasha
Gately of Dexter, a son, Johnathan Huff of Farmington, three granddaughters, Casandra
Brawley and Chelsea Brawley, both of Farmington and Celeste Johnson of Clute, TX, three
grandsons, Robert Bell Jr., Clint Norris Jr. and Zachary Tomlinson, all of Clute,
TX, and a brother-in-law, Mitchell Mowery. Numerous other relatives and friends also
survive.
The family will receive friends at Cozean Memorial Chapel at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 2,
2008. A memorial service with Military Honors will be at 10 a.m. with Chaplain Joel Meador
officiating. Burial will be at a later date at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the Tinker Bell Memorial Fund in care of the Norman L. Ridgon
VFW Post 5896.
Let Them Not Be Forgotten
By LEROY SIGMAN\Daily Journal Staff Writer
Jun 19, 2004
For about 20 years, Mike "Tinker" Bell carried within himself the
horrible memories of the three years he spent as a reconnaissance infantryman in the
Vietnam War, unable to share them with anyone. Two other veterans with similar memories
helped Bell tear down that wall he had built around himself and for the past 12 years he
has been a man with a special mission.
Jerry Turk and Ken Neely got Bell involved in veterans' activities and 12 years ago he was
a member of the state POW-MIA color guard. That brought him into contact with Ron Provance
of Annapolis, an acquaintance that has truly changed his life.
Provance was the owner of what Bell describes as "the largest mobile POW-MIA
flag" in the country. It measures 35-feet by 40-feet, a total of 1,400 square feet.
There are other larger POW-MIA flags in the nation, but they are all stationary, not moved
around to different sites.
Through an arrangement with Provance, Bell was made guardian of the flag about 12 years
ago. He maintains it and arranges for the flag's display at special gatherings and events
honoring U.S. veterans. It has become a regular feature of the Veterans Day event at the
St. Francois County Courthouse and also is displayed for Loyalty Day at the Desloge VFW.
Around Memorial Day and throughout the summer, Bell is called on to display the flag at
various sites in the region and the next scheduled display is July 4 in De Soto.
Hoisting the huge flag is not a simple task and Bell lauds Norman Carron of Carron Crane
Service in Farmington for his help. Carron provides two large cranes between which the
flag is suspended. This is done at no charge to Bell, despite the fact the operation of
such cranes is not inexpensive.
But it is not the size of the flag that is so important to Bell. What is important is the
message that it carries to the public. Imprinted on the black flag is the silhouette of a
serviceman with a fence and guard tower in the background. Also on the flag are
"POW-MIA" and the words, "You Are Not Forgotten."
The wife of a soldier reported "missing in action" in the Vietnam War, Mrs.
Michael Hoff, rallied the National League of Families and a private corporation to design
and manufacture the POW-MIA flag in 1971.
The flag has become "the symbol of our nation's concern and commitment to resolving
as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in
Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the nation." That
passage is included in a law adopted by Congress in 1990.
The POW-MIA flag is the only flag other than "Old Glory" that has been flown
over the White House in the nation's capital. It is flown there every year on National
POW-MIA Recognition Day. It is also flown on specified special occasions at certain
federal facilities. The flag flies year-round at the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
Korean War Veterans Memorial, and now the World War II Veterans Memorial.
Initially designed and intended to bring attention to the Americans still unaccounted for
in the Vietnam War -- the latest estimate being 1,866 -- the flag has since become a
symbol for all those not accounted for in all the wars after World War I. There are still
thousands unaccounted from the Korean War.
Bell is not alone in his efforts to call attention to the cause. Virtually every veterans
organization has an ongoing program promoting the theme of the POW-MIA. They distribute
material to keep the issue before the public. They also lobby for ongoing efforts by the
government to locate or at least account for those who have not returned from the wars.
At every VFW dinner there is a symbolic table set aside for those servicemen and women who
remain unaccounted for. That place setting is revered by all members of the VFW.
Bell, a native of Texas, served in Vietnam from 1967 through 1970 with the 6th Battalion
of the 31st Infantry Division. He was in field reconnaissance, one of the most dangerous
of all military assignments in jungle warfare.
For his service, Bell was awarded the Bronze Star, "and I am very proud of
that."
"I was very lucky," Bell said of his combat duty. "I only got scratched. I
never wanted a Purple Heart for that, not after what I saw happened to a lot of other guys
over there."
Bell lost a lot of buddies and saw others who suffered serious wounds in the war. He
admits he had more scars on the inside than on the outside. He could not talk about his
war experiences for many years. Even when others would start to talk about guns, he would
have to leave the conversation because it upset him so much.
It was in 1982 that Bell moved to Farmington and in 1984 went to work with Iron Mountain
Forge, which is now the Little Tikes Commercial Play Systems plant in Farmington. He is
still a welder with the company and proud to work with them.
Bell thanks Turk, Neely and other fellow veterans such as Tony Carrow for helping him come
out of his shell and also for being very supportive of his efforts with the POW-MIA flag.
They have become a major part of his life.
He also credits the Bravo Chapter of the Black River Area Veterans' Organization for being
very supportive in his program to promote the POW-MIA issue. That group that serves Iron,
Wayne and Reynolds counties provides some supplies and other support. Nick Guinan, chapter
president, and Steve Mills, vice-president, have become people Bell said he has come to
depend on and they have never let him down.
Just as Carron Crane Company comes through regularly when Bell has an event at which the
huge flag is to be displayed, another firm has come through for him in times of crisis.
Last weekend, while the flag was on display at a motorcycle rally in southern St. Francois
County, an intense thunderstorm moved through the area. It did considerable damage to the
flag.
Bell hauled the massive flag to the Coleman Manufacturing plant in Pilot Knob and the firm
is making the necessary repairs. The company, which makes tents, has done this on two
previous occasions and not charged Bell for the work, doing it for the cause the flag
represents.
The flag's original owner, Ron Provance, died a few years ago and the ownership was passed
along to his wife, Donna. It was her wish, as it was of her husband, that Bell continue to
be the guardian of the flag.
For Bell, that is a responsibility he cherishes. It is a task he will not forego so long
as he is able to do it. He does it not for himself, nor for the local veterans
organizations, but for the American men and women who are still unaccounted for from World
War II, Korea, Vietnam, and all the other military actions since then.
Many forget that there 34 prisoners of war and missing in action reported in Operation
Desert Storm, or that there were eight in Somalia, and four in Grenada. These are more
than statistics to Bell. These are Americans who were serving their country and he feels
should not be forgotten. |
