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It's time for Positively Kansas, coming up.

After years of detective work.

This Derby man makes an amazing discovery about his uncle who served in WWII.

Also, a group of Wichita wome says their lives will never be the same.

Find out why their journey to Israel was the trip of a lifetime, and how they hope to use that experience to influence family and friends back in Kansas, plus.

we'll discover the world of Kansas Water Gardens and find out why these little ponds inspire such passion.

and.

Im Farming and I grow it.

Their Viral Farm parody videos have made them stars.

See what happens when the Peterson brothers bring their song and dance routine to Argonia.

I'm Sierra Scott.

Those are just some of the stories coming your way.

Positively Kansas starts right now.

Hello.

Thanks for joining us.

A Derby chiropractor turns history detective as he uncovers a new revelations about his uncle, who died during WWII.

His uncle was captured by the Japanese, and his life as a P.O.W.

was shrouded in mystery until an unlikely series of events led to the truth.

Here's Jim Grawe with this exclusive story, you'll only see on Positively Kansas.

Well, Bo Gage came to me with this story because he thought our viewers in particular would be fascinated.

For years, he knew scant details about his uncle, who served in WWII.

But then.

This gentleman, came to my offic seeking care for his bad back.

More on that in a minute.

First, here's the setup.

The end of WWII was met with celebration and honors for the millions of American soldiers who returned home.

But there was no such welcome for Lieutenant Bud Humphrey.

Humphrey died a year before the war ended.

As a prisoner of war of th Japanese, the ship carrying him from the Philippines to Japan was torpedoed by an American sub.

His nephew, Bob Gage of Derby, says that seemed to be the end of the story of his uncle Bud.

He just wasn't spoken of.

He was just forgotten.

Growing up, all that Gage knew was that he had had an uncle who was captured at Corregidor, and he never thought much about it until one day a man came into his chiropractic clinic for treatment.

That man mentioned he had first injured his back at the fall of Corregidor during WWII.

He actually had been a prisoner of the Japanese and was captured when Corregidor fell.

And so I had an uncle.

Who was at Corregidor.

Well, what was his name?

The patient didn't recognize the name Bud Humphrey, but he said, you just must find out about your uncle.

So the seed was planted.

Gage began the quest to seek out the survivors of his uncle's unit and the P.O.W.

camp, where he was held in the Philippines.

Over time, Gage learne that his uncle had been a hero, having risked his life to save many lives at Corregidor.

And then this investigation hit the motherload.

Finally connected with the daughter of his commanding officer.

And it turns out that she occasionally would go to the National Archive and explore information there.

She said, I have something I think would be of interest.

There's a diary without a name on it.

And, this, person mentioned he was going to go back to KU and get a master's degree, and he said something about sis in Ottawa and something about Kurdy, who was his girlfriend, and said, Holy cow, we have discovered his discovered his diary.

That's right.

A diary Lieutenant Humphrey kept while he was imprisoned in the Philippines, someho survived the war, likely buried in the ground before Humphrey boarded the ship for Japan.

Someone found it and turn it into the National Archives.

But nobody knew whose it was.

The origina was apparently lost, but a photo copy sat for decades in a file with no name until now.

It's just been a remarkable, trail to follow and discover all these, interesting things.

The entries cover two years and four months of Humphrey's hellacious captivity.

Not long after his capture, he made an entry, on May 31st of 1942, at sunset, the four prisoners who jumped the fence the other night were caught to go to their last rites.

They stood in their newly dug graves and faced a firing squad.

Got a pair of old patched but whole work shorts the other evening - a guy died.

So I'm using my rags for shorts.

For toilet paper.

All are actually starving on issue chow.

Men are sneaking in weeds from the farm to cook up.

Dream of home and food, continuously.

Page after page, paint a picture of courage and survival in the face of uncertainty and torture.

I think it makes you realize, Sherman was right.

War is hell.

And the diary wasn't all that Gage uncovered in the investigation into his uncle.

He made another discovery while searching for clues in his mother's.

That's Lieutenant Humphrey's sister's attic.

She had two small 78 rpm recordings.

The Japanese would sometime take a message that the prisoner had written and broadcast i from Tokyo to the United States, and ham radio operators would pick these up.

Two people had actually recorded it.

Very interesting hearing this, female Japanese person, read this message about my uncle.

It was now over a year since Corregidor had surrendered, and this was the first time they had heard anything.

they did not know that he.

Pardon me.

was, dead or alive.

Gage ha agreed to donate the recordings, along with Humphrey's diary medals and other wartime mementos to the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene.

Well, I've been told by historians that, WWII is taking on the same aura as the Civil War.

And we just think about how important these accounts are going to be, say, 100 years from now.

But as important as they may be in the future, such firsthand accounts fro WWII have a growing importance, now, as the men and women o that generation all pass away.

If you'd like to find out more about the War archive at the Eisenhower Library, look for the link on a Positively Kansas page at KPTS.org.

You'll also find a local military history on display at the Derby Historical Museum.

And there's a brand new exhibit that recognizes the impact of McConnell Air Forc Base on the Darby Wichita area.

Check out this entire room dedicated to the history of McConnell and the men and women who'v served there through the years.

It's the mastermind of air Force veteran Jim Hickman.

He's a retired aviation engineer and history buff who says not enough has been done to acknowledge McConnell's contributions to America's military and the local economy.

The people who served here have been very instrumental in helping Darby.

very instrumental in helping, people in Wichita and what have you.

And and they live their part of the community.

And a lot of them live in Derby.

Hickman is continuin to collect artifacts and photos.

Some of the real gems so far include this wooden mode of the KC 135 refueling tanker.

This particular model hung in the headquarters building out at McConnell.

It has, holes in it where it wa hung over cables and whatever.

But when it was built, the wood evidently had was a little green and it caused some splitting and separation, and what have you.

That looked like cracks that don't exist on the real airplane.

So when I get that done, we're going to display this model up at a high like it was in flight.

Meanwhile, Hickman designe this small scale refueling boom himself, and Derby City workers welded it together.

He says the collection will continue to grow, and if you have anything to donate, he'd love to hear from you.

To find out more about this and other exhibits at the Derby Historical Museum, look for the link on the Positively Kansas page at KPTS.org Meanwhile, history came to life for a group of Wichita wome who traveled across the globe.

But this wasn't just a vacation.

It turned out to be a journey of discovery that they hope will have repercussions beyond just themselves.

Here's Jim again with that story.

Well, you know, for the Jews, Israel is it.

It's the promised land given to them by God is chronicled in the Torah.

But for these Kansas women, this trip was much more than a history lesson.

If you inspire a woman, then you inspire the family.

If you inspire families you will inspire the community.

And if you inspire and inspire enough communities, you can change the world.

It is a lofty goal, but these Kansas women say they're up to it.

After an inspiring week of discovery in Israel.

One of the things that resonated with with all of u as we've been talking about it, is meeting the Israeli people and watching the commitment they have towards, to, towards making the world a better place.

In Israel, it's more of what's important is your character.

It's like the kind of people talk about someone being good person.

It's really what they do for a community, like how they treat their family, how they treat other people.

Not as much as how successful they are or how much money they have.

This trip was a joint effort by Jewis organizations in both the U.S. and Israel to bring women from all over the world to visit their religious homeland.

The trip for the Wichita Women was funded by the Joan Baron Foundation.

Mrs. Baron was a Wichita community leader and philanthropist.

Her daughter in law, Ellen, was on the trip.

My mother in law was a bi believer and you pay it forward.

She said.

There were always trees when I moved here, so my job was to make sure there'd be trees for the next generation.

And that was her analogy for how you benefit a lot by the community you live in.

And you need to make sure that you are investing in your community for the future so those can experience what you experienced.

This week long journey through Israel included stops at all the sacred locations central to the story of Israel and the Jewish faith.

We got to see the most amazing aspects of Israel.

The cities Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the Old City, Masada, just the Dead Sea.

I mean, definitely the Western Wall was the most amazing experience it was.

I didn't expect to be as moved as I was, not just by the structure itself, but by the people there, the people I was with.

It was it was truly moving and and very spiritual.

400 women from 26 countries were there that week for inspiration, to live out their faith as never before and become contagious, so to speak.

We took a class at least one class every day, some more than one.

They spoke to us about how to be a better Jewish mother, a better wife, a better person in your community.

You know, I'm just going to say this, we're a catalyst or a catalyst for change, or we're catalyst for the family support.

We we drive the family.

I mean, I absolutely not to take anything away from men, but but we do.

Every one of these women say that trip was indeed a life changing experience that cut to the core of their religious and family heritage.

Now energized by the Jewish mission of ethics, family and community.

These ladies hope they've all brought a little of Israel back with them.

And perhaps that, in turn, will make Kansas just a little bit better place for everybody.

It's a changing world right now.

We're all we're all interested in pointing fingers.

This is a nation that literally points to themselves first.

They are the change.

You can't sit and hope for change.

You can't look at a desert an say, I hope to grow something.

You must act and do it.

That kind of inspiration is wha fed us this trip gave us that.

I think we can now be catalysts not only in our homes, but in our Jewish, tiny little Jewish community here in Wichita, but make Kansas a more loving, space place.

Make the country a more understanding nation.

The Mid Kansas Jewish Federation works on a lot of good projects to improve the Wichita community.

If you'd like to learn more about it, you'll find a link to their website on the Positively Kansas page at kpts.org.

Wichita's Cowtown Museum is celebrating some national recognitio and hoping it brings more folks around Kansa to spend a day in the Old West.

True West magazine is named Cowtown, fifth in its annual rankings of the top ten Western themed museums in the United States.

The museum recreate the turn of the century Wichita along the banks of the Arkansas, with a complete old western town including actors playing the parts of old printer's tanners and people working 150 years ago.

Museum curators hope having Cowtown in the news will remind folks in Wichita about this sometimes forgotten gem in a museum district.

We get a lot of people coming through say I had no idea this was here or I lived in Wichita my whole life, and this i the first time I've been here.

And they're, you know, in their 40s and 50s, and they just never came by.

And what Wichita has had this museu for 60 years, over 60 years now.

So to to hear that there are people that have lived here their whole lives and don't know about it, it's kind of like, okay, we need to do something different.

So kind of nice that we got some national recognition for what we're doing.

Gerzen says she's been especially encouraged by the number of people sharing the news about the rankings on social media, as well as a mayor tweeting about the honor, hoping every mention of Cowtown could convince another Kansan to check it out.

Last week, we had Mario County farmer Derek Klingenberg on the show to share some of his hilarious song parodies.

But he's not the only Kansas farmer who has become famous for makin viral music videos.Im farming and I grow it.

The Peterson Farm, brothers from Saline County burst onto the scene about the same time as Klingenberg.

Oh man, and I don't know if their mission is similar to promote agricultur through song, dance and comedy, Petersen brothers have cranked out hit after hit, beginning with their take off of I'm Sexy and I Know It.

Their version is I'm farmin and I grow it, and they also do live shows.

Working farmers style.

Farmers style.

Work work work work working farmers style.

Check out Nathan, Greg and Kendall performing at Argonia High School.

They were a big hit with the kids.

Their mission is to entertain and enlighten people of all ages, country and city folks alike.

Since 2012, there's been kind of an advocacy movement of some of different farmers and people in agriculture trying to tell the story of what farmers do.

And and I think obviously our videos have been a big part of that movement.

And, and so we do feel like it's it's made a positive impact.

Greg is the oldest.

He has a degree in ag communication from K-State, from 2013.

Nathan earned his degree in ag technology in 2016.

Kendall is a senior at K-State majoring in agribusiness.

Peterson Brothers are the fifth generation to live on their family farm near Assaria.

They farm 1400 acres with their dad and have 1000 head of cattle.

You can see their videos and learn more about them by clicking on the link on the Positive Kansas page at KPTS.org.

There's so much to se and do in Kansas, but sometimes it's nice to just spend some quiet time at home.

And if you have something like this in your backyard, you might find yourself just a little more relaxed.

At least, that's what members o the Kansas Pond Society think.

They're a group of Kansans who have a passion for water gardens and like to share it with others.

The recent Water Garden tour was a huge hit.

A steady stream of visitors showed up to visit a dozen different Wichita area homes to see all the creative and beautiful ways people use water to enhance their yards.

Oh, it's just serene.

It's just real.

It's so you can relax.

It's just really, really peaceful now.

But the water, the way the waterfall goes and the sound, everythin is just really, really peaceful.

They can be all different kinds of sizes, shapes.

you don't have to have a big yard to have one.

So that's all interesting and it just gives me ideas.

Maybe someday I'll have one.

This is Barbara McKees water garden.

It used to be a swimming pool, but she enjoys it much more a a decorative pond for wildlife.

The two snapping turtle that came the herons that come, the ducks that fly in and fly ou because our dogs chase them off.

It's it's just nature.

It makes life real.

And it's relaxing.

Now, that's exactly why Kansas Pond Society President Mike Kandt is so excite about all this, and gets a kick out of seeing others enjo these tranquil backyard escapes.

Things, and have gone very well.

And, I think we've had a lot of people get a lot of ideas, you know, they're jus they're they're thrilled to see the beautiful, the landscapes, but also the diversity of, the big ponds, little ponds, and all kinds.

You have a water feature.

If you'd like to find out more about water gardens.

The Kansas Pond Society has a website.

You'll find the link on the Positively Kansas page at KPTS.org.

I'm here with Fred Fanning, an author from Salina.

We love featuring Kansas authors, by the way.

you're kind of in a genre that a lot of people don't necessarily think of when they think of authors.

Well, they do think of it but they may not read the books because there's a differenc between fiction and nonfiction.

Talk a little bit about your book and what it focuses on.

Yes, I primaril focus on nonfiction books, which are the truth or information that the public might need to do something or to prevent something from happening.

And I have a little over 20 nonfiction books, 17 of which are focusing on safety and occupational health.

And I wrote those and continu to write those based on a 21.5 year career as a safet and occupational health manager.

Gotta know your stuff by now I would think.

And also the first book that I wrote was a master's project for a master's degree.

And so the first book and then it's rewrite and the first couple of chapters I did were peer reviewed.

So I had two teams of editors that reviewed my work afterwards to make sure it was technically correct, and then I was able to publish it afterwards.

And after doing those, I, I had to wait until I retired to actually write the rest of the books because of government laws and requirements.

But if you have a wor that's based on academic work, you're allowed to publish those kinds of things.

So since I retired I've written a number of books.

12 of them I have are, in e-book format only, and the very short books take you less than an hour to read.

And they're on specific topics in safety and occupational health.

And then I have the other hardback and paperback books that are larger and encompass several, topics within that.

Now, why do you think people need to be aware?

Because you've written a lot of books about it.

Safety and occupation of health.

What do you think we don't know that we really do need to know?Well, a lot of people go to work thinking that there might be an injury or there might be a death, but it's never going to happen to them.

So tens of thousands of peopl in the United States each year are injured at work, and several thousand are actually killed because of some mistake they made or some mistake someone else made, perhaps a couple of years before in designing a piece of equipment, for example.

And we need to understand that these accidents can and do happen to people that we know mothers, brothers, sisters, and we need to take precautions to prevent them from happening to us.

So what are you hoping that people will take away from your books then?

Well, my books are primarily for the safety people that work in the organization.

So what I'm hoping is the safety people will take this information that I provided and use it in the daily work that they do within their organizations.

For example, Boeing Aircraft has a safety specialist that does his or her work.

What I'd like to see them do is take the information I have in my books and then apply it to their workplace.

And one of the thing we're talking about, nonfiction, especiall because you have to research it and it is fact based and and you have to hav a lot of people to back it up.

can sometimes be dry.

What did you do in these books that make them more interesting and more readable for people?

Well, what I do is try to read it, write it in a first person format.

So it's you and me, we in us, so that it's a little more friendly than some of the other books that are written more technical in nature, where they say one will, because a lot of peopl tell me that that's kind of dry.

I also tr to put a few anecdotes in there and look at a little bit of the lighter side of life to get people to actually want to read.

I also use examples in some of the books where people are actually hurt and, try to explain how that happened and what some people or somebody could have done to prevent that accident from occurring.

Wow, I love thi because you might save a life, or at least save maybe a limb or something along those lines, right?

I hope to.

What made you so passionate about this?

Well, when I started in safety, in occupational health, one of the things that they like you to do is write articles.

So I wrote my first article and I got a few responses back from people, and it was on the application of systems approaches to doing our work.

And I then thought, as I was in graduate school, I thought there had to be, a better way to get the information out to people.

And one of the things that many organizations do is they hire people that are collateral duty or additional duty, rather than full time people, and they do that to save money.

So what I thought I would do is write my first book, which was my master's thesis on that, on what was the information those people need so that they can do their job better because they have thousands of workers that depend on them, and they don't even have a full time job to take care of them.

So that's my primary audience, is people that are fulfilling safet and occupational health duties part time, or in addition to another job at work.

Wow.

And real quickly, you said most of them are ebooks, so we can go find them on Amazon.

Or where do we go to find it?

Yes, I've got all my books on Amazon.

The first book that I wrote is also on the American Society of Safety Engineers, but it can be, gotten at, Amazon.com as well.

Fred thank you so much, and thank you for making a difference in the workforce, because I do know people who have been injured and that hopefully will save some lives and some injuries.

So thank you for having me.

Well, that's a wrap for this week.

But on the next Positively Kansas, meet the oldest news reporter in Kansas.

Maybe the world.

She's 102 and still uncovering the juicy details of the goings on in her hometown.

We'll find out why she has such a nose for news.

And these Kansas teens ar kicking bass and taking names.

No, really, they are.

That's the motto for their business.

It's the talk of the town in Harrington.

I'm Sierra Scott.

Those are just some of the stories we're working on for next time.

Thanks for watching.

Adios, amigos.

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Security app compatible with Apple Watch and Amazon Echo.

The preceding program was brought to you by tz productions, offering 40 years of media experience.