Henry Kampe 1916-1983, what was his relevance in Liberia?

Everyone has a story to tell. This short narrative is just a piece in the life of my dad, Henry Kampe, 1916-1983. What compelled him to travel to Liberia? Who did he meet in Liberia? So, as a historian, I will work from the known to the unknown. Hopefully others will fill in my many blanks and unanswered questions. The three people involved in this saga include Eleanor Schuler Boldt, 1910-1995, William Boldt, 1905-1989, her husband and Henry Kampe, my dad and her brother-in-law. Eleanor is my aunt, my mother’s sister.

Aug 1990 my question to Eleanor, “Is this the people and place that you visited? Is this the place where dad’s radio equipment went?” Her answer in tears, “Yes, gone, all gone.” We never brought up the topic again.

Liberian Troops Accused of Massacre in Church

… Survivors of the attack said Government troops had broken into St. Peter's Lutheran Church, in the city's Sinkor refugee district, and killed men, women, children and babies with knives, guns and cutlasses... The survivors said a group of 30 soldiers firing machine guns had broken the door and fired point blank at some of the 2,000 refugees who had been there since rebel forces reached the capital three weeks ago….

 “Liberia Troops Accused Of Massacre in Church.” New York Times. 31 July 1990. Accessed on-line 26 April 2019.

Spring 1983 Henry died February 1983, mom knew that Liberia was very close to dad’s heart. Dad was a ham radio operator, W90KM; his call name was “Old King Midas.” Dad was very active in ham radio, civil defense, jamborees, and world-wide contests or ham days. After dad’s death, some of his radio equipment was donated to a radio station in Monrovia, Liberia.

Again, what was my dad’s connection? The following is only speculation; please help me verify the connection!!!

ELWA website

...ELWA traces its roots back to 1952 when SIM (then known as the Sudan Interior Mission) joined with the West Africa Broadcasting Association to start the first Christian radio station in Africa. Radio ELWA (Eternal Love Winning Africa), located outside of Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia, aired their first broadcast in January 1954...

When civil war broke out in Liberia in 1990, SIM missionaries were forced to abandon the ELWA campus as it became a battleground between the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and government troops. Without any resolution in the civil conflict, missionaries returned to rebuild the ministries in 1991 under a cloud of uncertainty....

How come I chose this radio station? Dad was very involved with radio, was this how come he went to Liberia, to possibly assist with their new station in the 1950s? The ELWA Ministries Association USA address is Warrenville, Illinois. This is close to where my parents lived in Illinois. Dad may have kept in touch with them all the years between his trip and death.

  

August 1959, dad was on a solo trip through Egypt, Afghanistan, Russia and other mid eastern countries. On another venture around this time, dad, Bill and Eleanor traveled through several African countries. On their trip, they spent time in Monrovia, Liberia. It was at this time that dad became acquainted with and built his friendship with the Liberian people. William, Uncle Bill to me, and Eleanor Boldt were liaisons between the missionaries and the Lutheran mission board in the U.S. Since this was way before computers and internet, Bill and Eleanor traveled around the world to support missionaries. What were their needs? How were they using their resources? What would further the mission work of telling the world of the love of Jesus Christ?

A dear friend loaned me the following four books. Thank you authors for sharing your story!

DeShield Sadie L. and Leonard T. DeShield. Beneath the Cold War: The Death of a Nation. Professional Press.  Chapel Hill, NC. 1999. Thank you, Mrs. Deshield for sharing your personal memories on the ongoing war, bloodshed and murder.

Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. Liberia: A Promise Betrayed. New York. 1986. A Report on Human Rights. What difference has this report made on Liberia?

Norman, Christine Tolbert, compiler. It Is Time For Change: Speeches of William R. Tolbert, Jr. Victory Publishing. 2002 updated 2014. “…President Tolbert, a visionary, had a concern for mankind and this was his challenge.” Introduction to Acceptance Speech 17 July 1979 by Leonard DeShield (Chief of Protocol, 1980). Written in Greensboro, N.C. 2002.

The Liberian Civil War Through The Eyes of Children. Published by The Education Secretariat, Catholic Archdioceses of Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 1992. This is the result of an art project.

The Isaac A David School, Paynesville, Liberia, mentioned in several books connected to Tolbert and DeShield. This will give rise to a very interesting research topic for another article.

Stories will never be complete. Hopefully someone will be able to fill me in with names and dates for Liberia.