Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Auctioneer finally gets WWII medal
BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
What the heck, it's only 55 years late, but who's counting?
Referring here to Newtown auctioneer Mr. Don Bates and the Bronze Star he won for courageous service in the Battle of Buggiuo (Philippines) near the end of World War II.
People around town know Bates plenty well. He's celebrating his 50th year as an auctioneer, specializing in institutional liquidations (restaurants, hospitals, stores) and estate sales.
But most know him from parties: He donates tons of time as guest auctioneer at all those benefits charities love to throw. They like his sassy mouth, especially when he berates buyers for being cheap.
So anyway, here he is at age 73, collecting his medal. “Damndest thing. I got a letter last July 9 saying it would be here in 60 days. It finally came last week,” Bates said.
“I was supposed to get it in '45, but I got sent to Tokyo instead of home and somebody lost track. It's been sitting in Washington, waiting for someone to go through files and clean up loose ends.”
This is the fourth Bronze Star for Bates, who “quit high school after the 11th grade, lied about my age and joined the army. Took me 'til 1995 to finally get my high school diploma.”
The new star will join the other three in a large frame on his living room wall.
SANTA REVISITED: Well dang, here's something to curdle your Post Toasties : You're sitting there browsing the morning paper. You come across a 1960 photo of a girl whispering in Santa's ear and, well, it's you, 40 years ago.
It happened to Sandy Grause Dyer of Cheviot on Christmas Eve when we ran a photo essay on Cincinnati's Christmases past.
“My husband said look at this,” Dyer says, “and I said Omigosh, that's me. But I wanted to be sure, so I took it to Christmas dinner the next day. My dad took a look and said "yep, it's you.'
“It's the headband that gives it away. My mom cut my bangs and I always tried to disguise it. In that picture, I think I was 5.”
And saying what to Santa? “Oh, I'm sure I was probably asking for Barbie dolls.”
KEEP TRYING: What you do see: Radio mouth Bill Cunningham, dressed in an Uncle Sam suit and looking a whole lot like Alfred E. Newman, doing a commercial for Mike Castrucci auto sales.
What you don't see: The 60-second spots took the better part of a day, close to 100 takes according to people who were there.
Odd, 'eh? Cunningham's been doing commercials for a thousand years and usually gets it right the first time. What gives?
Seems they taped it at Channel 12, and to get to the studio, Cunningham had to walk through the newsroom in costume. That was too much for TV 12's staff: A crowd followed him to the studio, which is OK, then broke up every time he opened his mouth, which isn't OK. That got Cunningham laughing, so the take was scrapped.
Hence the eternal shoot.
What you'll see next: Turns out they'll do a new one each month, always themed to key date in said month. Next up: Cunningham as Washington crossing the Delaware.
Another 100 takes?
Knip's Eye View appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Have an item to report? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
