Edwin (Ed) H. Bettis, 90, of Skaneateles, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on Monday, July 20, 2020, at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. He left his loving family at noon and went on to join other family and friends that had gone before him and to take his place in God’s Heavenly Kingdom. Ed was born in Flint, MI, during the Great Depression to Harvey and Elizabeth Bettis. Shortly after his birth, the family returned to Skaneateles to live.
Ed was a confirmed member of St. James Episcopal Church. As a youth he sang in the All Boys Choir along with friends Carlton, George and Jack. He enjoyed trekking for miles into the fields and woods between his home and the waterfalls off Gully Road with his neighborhood friends.
While attending Skaneateles Schools during World War II and due to the shortage of manpower, Ed worked to help the local farmers and also helped to manage the operations at the “Pea Vinery” (Birdseye Frozen Foods) located on Highland Avenue.
He played football in high school and received a Block “S” Letter Award. He very often said “that growing up in the small town like Skaneateles and having the lake to explore was an incredible experience to be appreciated and never to be forgotten.”
In 1946, Ed enlisted in the United States Army and took his basic training at Ft. McClellan, Alabama. He was trained specifically as a Light Mortar Gunner as well as an M-1 Rifleman.
He chose to go to Ranger School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. After going through half the cycle, the training came to a halt and the program was disbanded. He finished boot camp at Camp Kilmer, NJ, and shipped out on the USS General Callen from New York City for Leghorn or Livorno, Italy, then sent by train North to join the 88th Division (Blue Devils). He was assigned to the 350th and the 351st Infantry Regiments for the first few months for various guard duties and the transport of war prisoners. At this time during the occupation of Europe, the Army was weakened by a shortage of good noncommissioned officers. Ed passed the testing with high marks and entered the 88th Infantry Division’s established NCO training Program and was sent to Venezie Giulia, Italy. The training center was on Lido Island was not a school in the traditional sense, but a model battalion in which the non-coms lived by the “book” for six weeks. The program was built around teaching discipline and enforcement of standards, and also taught leadership, guard orders, customs and courtesies and other typical duties expected of NCOs.
After the training, he was assigned to a Special Guard Unit. This unit guarded generals, presidents, dukes and duchesses
He then was transferred and assigned to the 349th Infantry and sent by train to Geritza, Italy, and then by truck to join Easy Company on the Morgan Line. He was promoted to Corporal and put in charge of a squad of 12 men. The squad held the line/border between Italy and Yugoslavia under some very stressful moments at times but the border was maintained. When his enlistment time was up, he was given an Honorable Discharge and put on Inactive Reserve Status.
Ed married in 1949, just before the Korean War broke out in 1950. He was requested for active duty and was sent to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky with the 11th Airborne. There he completed an 11-day refresher course and went onto San Francisco. He shipped to Ft. Drake Replacement Depot in Tokyo, Japan. From there the troops were put onto the SS Tango Maru, a Japanese Luxury Liner and onto Hungnam, North Korea and assigned to the 3rd Div then reassigned to the 7th Div. He was with Headquarters Co at Koto-ri until December and fought in the Battle of the of the Chosin Reservoir. Those that survived made it to Hungnam where the Navy took them off the beach and moved them to Pusan and north to Taegu. At the Taegu Headquarters he was sent to the G Company, 31st Infantry Regiment. The war continued through the harsh winter of 1950 and 1951 with soldiers of “G” Company, always moving forward and walking for miles, no big battles, small skirmishes, shooting and chasing the enemy around the mountains of North and South Korea.
Ed was trained in the use of light mortar guns; he was able to train others in” G” Company and the Platoon. He would take the “Forward Observer” position many times on operations. Certain skills he learned in earlier years helped to keep the soldiers safe and warm. In the spring of 1951, the battles intensified and the sniper’s fire caused casualties and death.
On June 7, 1951, Company “G’s” mission was to seize and secure a hill in the vicinity of Hanagok, N.K. At about 1530 hours “G” Company in the 1st platoon was hit with napalm from the Navy planes that were strafing enemy ground targets. Many men were killed in that operation.
Ed was badly burned all over his body and with help from other “G” company survivors they got him off the field, transferred to a MASH unit and then unto a hospital Burn Ward in Osaka, Japan for two months. While in Japan, he met up with a boyhood friend, Walter Williams of Skaneateles and they came back home together by ship and then by train across the country. He retired from the Army at the age of 21 with an Honorable Discharge and the rank of Corporal. Ed was greeted by his daughter, Sherry when he returned home. She was born on his birthday while he was serving in Korea.
Upon returning to civilian life, Ed went to work for the Mead Paper Company in Camillus, making boxes, having had previous experience at the Delevan Box Company.
He later moved on to work as a” gear matcher” for Chrysler Corporation’s for a period of time. The job was eliminated and he returned to Mead Paper Company. He got his GED, took business management courses at University College in Syracuse at night and studied Industrial Relations at SUNY which allowed him to move up in the company. He retired in 1985 as manufacturing manager with 27 years of service. In earlier years, while working at Mead Paper, he was associated with owning and operating the “Harbor House” Restaurant in Skaneateles. It was located in the village on the lake side of Genesee Street near the Colonial Movie Theatre. As a business owner he was an active member of the Skaneateles Jr. Chamber of Commerce.
Ed had a passion for speed (small sport cars and watercraft). In the mid 1950s he got caught up in the world of hydroplane racing. He owned a hydroplane called the “Too Bit” or perhaps “Two Bit” and entered into competition races that were held on various lakes in Upstate New York.
Ed’s interest in what lay under the water on Skaneateles Lake began at an early age with some of his friends. The equipment they used was very simple, a metal pail and a tire pump which progressed to a diver’s helmet. Several years later he and his diving partner, Carl became certified scuba divers. They ventured with some other divers and a friend that owned a cruise boat to do some shipwreck and artifact diving in Lake Ontario between the U.S. and Canada and the St. Lawrence River. The two dive partners worked with the State Troopers and County Sheriff Department on numerous occasions which involved underwater search and recovery operations. Ed joined the Skaneateles Volunteer Fire Department in July 1966 and was a life member for 54 years. He was a past second assistant chief. He served in various capacities within the SFD including numerous line officer positions and recording secretary on two separate occasions. Ed was also co-founder of the Skaneateles Fire Department’s Underwater Search and Rescue Team. In 1973 Ed participated with other highly trained divers to form the Onondaga County Volunteer Firemen’s Underwater Recovery Team and was also secretary of the newly-formed Onondaga County Volunteer Fire Departments’ Divers Association. Upon retirement from Mead Corp he decided to try using his skill at repairing, refinishing wooden boats and recanvassing canoes. The demand for someone with that skill increased and he decided that the time needed was a little more than what he expected so he chose to take a break and just continue working on his own watercraft.
Ed was an active member and held leadership positions in the Skaneateles Lions Club He was a member of the Chosin Few, a veteran’s group of those survivors that fought in the “Battle of the Chosin Reservoir” NK, winter of 1950-1951. Ed served as an assistant scoutmaster with Scoutmaster Bill Nettle for the local Boy Scout Troop. He directed them in learning close order drill procedures and help them sharpen their camping skills. He was Life member of the Otisco Valley Memorial VFW Post 5494 and 43-year active member of the Robert J. Hydon American Legion Post 239 in Skaneateles. In his early years as a Legion member he helped establish a competitive Color Guard Unit that participated in the local Labor Day Parade and other area parades. As a Life member in the Skaneateles Rod and Gun Club, he served as their club president for two years. Ed took his knowledge of firearms and shooting skills seriously. He freely shared this knowledge with his family and friends. For a number of years Ed and other club members would travel to Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio, to compete in the National Matches sponsored by the Civilian Marksmanship. A trip to Camp Perry one year stood out particularly favorable for Ed, as he took a Bronze Medal with a 1903 Springfield Rifle.
In 1989 the Skaneateles Party was formed. It was of both Republican and Democrat persuasion. Ed and Dr. David Robinson were consulted and asked if they would run as town board candidates for the newly formed party. On Election Day that year the two candidates won and in January 1990 were sworn in to begin serving the community as representatives on the Skaneateles Town Board. Ed served from 1990 to1997. Having had experience serving on the Town Zoning Board he was able to take an active part working along with other board members on adopting the first comprehensive plan, updating zoning, sewer district, a new fire house and many other challenging projects for the Skaneateles community. In the mid 1980s, Ed did some research on a national Army Veterans association known as the 31st Infantry Regiment Association. He found out that the organization was holding annual reunions in Lawton, OK, at Ft. Sill. When the 31st Association was founded in the 1970s most of the members were from the western states and comprised of veterans from WWII and Korea. Ed had kept in touch with a few of his “G” company buddies over the years, so he reached out to them and told them about the 31st Association and some became members.
Ed and his wife Judy, whom he married in 1972, attended a small gathering of “G” company veterans at Gettysburg, PA. in 1989. The goodness of that reunion grew and “G” Company was back again, so they decided to further their reach and attend the association reunion at Ft. Sill At one of those reunions they were delighted to meet the Steelers NFL Pro Football Player, Rocky Bleier, a 4-31 Infantry Regiment Veteran who had served in Viet Nam. “G” Company members convinced the Western Association members to move the reunions around the country to get more veterans involved. In 1995 the 31st Infantry Regiment was deactivated at Ft. Sill, OK, and reactivated in the spring of 1996 at Ft. Drum Army Base in Watertown. For many years Ed was the NE Regional Director for the 31st Association and also served as Vice Commander. In 1998 at the Cincinnati, Ohio, reunion he was elected to be commander of this national Army Veterans association. When he completed his almost three years as Commander, he remained as the NE Regional Director continuing to maintain steady support and dedication to the POLAR BEARS of the 4 31 Infantry Regiment at Ft. Drum and the 31st Infantry Regiment Association. The men of his Company “G”, their wife’s and some family members would meet for reunions in Pigeon Forge, TN, for years to come.
Ed was a great reader, especially of the comics section in the Sunday Post Standard. He enjoyed reading books on many subjects, especially history and specifically the Civil War.
Upon meeting Ed for the first time or by chance out in the community, he would have a story for you, generally of a humorous nature or of his life experiences. He enjoyed being around his family for all types of gatherings for holidays, birthdays or just a friendly visit.
Ed will be missed by us all but will be in our hearts forever.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Mary E. He is survived by his very loving wife of 48 years, Judy. His six wonderful and loving children, Sherry (Joe), Peter (Julie), Sandy, Beth (Juergen), Michael, Maria (Dan) and his brother, John D. Bettis (Bud) Eight Grandchildren: Kelly, Peter, Hannah, Peter V., Jacob, Kai, Brandon and Sepp; six great-grandchildren: Kip, Jimmy, Hunter, Owen, Barrett, and Ellery Sora. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins in New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Memorial services are private. Burial services will be at Lakeview Cemetery, Skaneateles, at a future time.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the following: Smile Train, 4-31 Inf Polar Bear Store/Restoration of George (mail to: 4-31 Inf Regiment ATTN: 1LT Logan Hunt, 10210 North Riva Ridge Loop, Fort Drum, NY 13602), Skaneateles Volunteer Fire Department, SAVES Ambulance,
Skaneateles Rod and Gun Club, Robert J. Hydon American Legion Post 239 or a charity of your choice.
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.
