Browse Collections (24 total)
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Sun And News
The Hastings Public Library wishes to thank Smith Imaging of Rockford, MI for their work digitizing the Sun & News.
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The Sun & News is one of the older newspapers in Barry County, MI. All copies held by the Hastings Public Library have been scanned to PDF for easy public access.
Available years cover 1981 - 2022.
Note some years are incomplete while others are missing. Some missing issues during the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 may be found in harcopies of The Reminder. The Library has these available upon request.
See How to Use Online Newspapers for more information about using and searching online newspapers. -
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Nashville News
The Hastings Public Library wishes to thank Smith Imaging of Rockford, MI for their work digitizing the Nashville News.
View the items in Nashville News
The Library also wishes to thank the Nashville Michigan Historical Society for their generous support in underwriting all digitizing expenses to have the Nashville News scanned into PDFs.
The Nashville News is one of the oldest newspapers in Barry County, MI. All copies held by the Hastings Public Library have been scanned to PDF for easy public access.
Available years cover 1873 - 1966.
Note some years are incomplete while others are missing (1942-1943).
See How to Use Online Newspapers for more information about using and searching online newspapers. -
Michigan Central Railroad Crash - 1914
Photographs and Newspaper article about a crash that happened near Nashville, MI in 1914.
View the items in Michigan Central Railroad Crash - 1914 -
Maple Valley News
The Hastings Public Library wishes to thank Smith Imaging of Rockford, MI for their work digitizing the Maple Valley News.
View the items in Maple Valley News
The Library also wishes to thank the Nashville Michigan Historical Society for their generous support in underwriting all digitizing expenses to have the Nashville News scanned into PDFs. The Maple Valley News from 1967-1969 was included in that project.
See How to Use Online Newspapers for more information about using and searching online newspapers. -
James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot
This collection recounts the early life, military training and combat career of WWII P-38 pilot James P. Dibble of Hastings, MI.
It includes information on:- His early life through time spent in Chicago just before the war,
- The efforts of his nephews to unearth more information about him,
- The story of finding his crash site in Italy,
- His posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross medal,
- Personal correspondence,
- Military records and eye-witness information surrounding not only James' final flight but other WWII air battles,
- Information on the memorial erected to him in Italy where he died.
We hope you enjoy learning more about James and help us honor his contribution and ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe.
The collection is divided into the below sections: View the items in James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot -
James P. Dibble: We Got Married!
James and Maxine dated in High School and after. They decided to get married while he was in flight training and tied the knot on October 29, 1942.
View the items in James P. Dibble: We Got Married!
See photos of the day, a couple of letters James sent home before the big day and the local newspaper announcements. Note the letter where he had to get his parents' permission for the military as he was still not of age.
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James P. Dibble: The Search for Answers
Learn about the 30+ years James' nephews Jim and Ted spent investigating his death to unearth what actually happened.
Using private investigators, government contacts and tenacious research, see how they learned what really happened the day James died, how they found his crash site, including witnesses, and made new friends in Italy along the way.
Included are photos and documents about James' posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross, photos of the crash site and finding plane wreckage, plus documents and letters amassed during their search for answers.
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James P. Dibble: The Monument in Padula, Italy
The citizens of Padula, Italy, were extremely friendly and helpful during Jim & Ted Dibble's search for answers to their uncle's death.
View the items in James P. Dibble: The Monument in Padula, Italy
As everyone learned more about James and what happened, they viewed James as a hero and wanted to honor him. In May 2005 they erected a monument to his memory and sacrifice in helping them win freedom during WWII.
See photos from the dedication ceremony, including the monument itself, along with transcriptions of the speeches given.
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James P. Dibble: The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943
From Jim Dibble's account titled "The Day of Armegeddon" included in this collection:
"Following the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the missions flown out of North Africa by the 1st Fighter Group pilots in their P-38 Lightnings had a common objective of preparing for the invasion at Salerno, Italy by the United States Fifth Army."
A mission on August 25th was highly successful, with a loss of only 8 P-38's. The 1st Fighter Group earned a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for their efforts, but the August 30 mission, for which they would earn a second citation, was not so easy.
See mission reports, photos, first hand accounts and more information about this infamous air battle known as The Day of Armageddon.
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View the items in James P. Dibble: The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943
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James P. Dibble: Mission Reports
A collection of Mission reports from James' combat flights.
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James P. Dibble: Letters Home
Getting letters from home was always a highlight of the week for everyone overseas. They wrote home frequently as well as evidenced by the volume of James' letters.
Here is a collection of letters and postcards he sent home to his wife Maxine, brother Bill and parents while serving in Africa and Italy.
Be sure to look at the letter dated 1943-04-10. Notice how James indicated he censored his own letter and look at the special form he had to use to send it home.
Notice on other letters where they are stamped whether they were censored or not. Like most others, James had to be careful not to divulge too much information about where he was.
James was killed on September 9, 1943. Be sure to read his last letter home, sent the day before.
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View the items in James P. Dibble: Letters Home -
James P. Dibble: Killed in Action
Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.
He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.
Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.
James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at FindAGrave.com.
See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.
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View the items in James P. Dibble: Killed in Action -
James P. Dibble: His Early Life
Born in Hastings, MI, James grew up in the area. He attended one room schoolhouses around Hastings, spent some time in Grand Rapids and ultimately graduated from High School in 1939.
View the items in James P. Dibble: His Early Life
This collection is entirely photographs of James' early life with his parents and brother Bill.
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James P. Dibble: High School into the Army Air Corps
An athlete, James played on the Hastings High School football team for several years and later was active in sports at the YMCA in Chicago. In High School, James met Maxine Erway who would ultimately become his wife.
View the items in James P. Dibble: High School into the Army Air Corps
After graduating from Hastings High School in 1939, he went to Chicago and began working in the bakery business. He worked for a time at the Schultz Bakery in Chicago and was even sent to New York to learn at the Fleischman Lab.
This colllection contains high school graduation information, photos and letters.
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James P. Dibble: Flying with Eisenhower
See records of the flight where James and other P-38 pilots flew escort for Eisenhower in 1943.
View the items in James P. Dibble: Flying with Eisenhower
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James P. Dibble: Flight Training
James trained on a number of different planes in preparation to be a P-38 pilot. His training took place in California and Arizona in late 1942.
View the items in James P. Dibble: Flight Training
He flew a P-38 similar to this one:
[admin_image id=1,size=fullsize]
See photos, documents and letters home during James' time in flight training. Be sure to look at the Chico and Luke Field yearbooks that were produced when his class graduated from those training facilities. -
James P. Dibble: Combat!
James spent his combat time based out of North Africa and helped clear the way for the eventual invasion of Italy in 1943.
He was a member of the 94th Air Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, and flew the famous twin-engined P-38. Learn more about the P-38 at:
Don't miss the section titled Day of Armageddon recapping the events of August 30, 1943. This air battle over Italy ultimately earned James the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was lucky to survive - many pilots made the ultimate sacrifice.
See photos, letters, mission reports and more about James' time spent in combat over Africa and Italy in 1942 and 1943.
Jump to other sections of the collection: View the items in James P. Dibble: Combat! -
Hastings Public Library's 125th Anniversary
Did you know the Hastings Public Library has been around in one form or another since 1896?
View the items in Hastings Public Library's 125th Anniversary
It started out as the Women's Club Reading Room and over time, grew into the vital and vibrant public institution we all know and love.
Look through this collection to learn about where it all started, see the how the efforts of so many helped the library grow, and have some fun seeing photos of the past.
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Hastings Herald
The Hastings Public Library wishes to thank Smith Imaging of Rockford, MI for their work digitizing the Hastings Herald.
View the items in Hastings Herald
The Library also wishes to thank the Nashville Michigan Historical Society for their generous support in underwriting all digitizing expenses to have the Nashville News scanned into PDFs. The Hastings Herald from 1896-1913 was included in that project.
See How to Use Online Newspapers for more information about using and searching online newspapers.