Veterans Voice: Family clambake welcomes a world of naval officers to Rhode Island

Editors note: The cousin with whom Rocky Kempenaar works has been corrected, it's is Chuck Kempenaar.

On Aug. 18, some 450 guests crowded the outdoor tables of the Kempenaar Clambake Club in Middletown. They were ready to enjoy one of the highlights of the summer season on Aquidneck Island — the annual bake welcoming another class of international naval officers and their spouses to Rhode Island.

Some dove right in, while others looked askance at this monstrous insect called a lobster. “Do you really expect me to eat this?” followed by “How do I eat this?” were common questions at many tables. That was also the perfect icebreaker, as local residents were happy to show their new friends how it’s done.

Veterans Voice: Relatives of RI Aviation Hall of Fame honorees sought

Commander Greg Adams, deputy director of Naval War College International Programs, said, “It all starts at the clambake. Shortly after the international officers arrive, social and cultural barriers come crumbling down as they and their spouses don plastic bibs and learn the messy intricacies of eating a lobster. And they do this shoulder-to-shoulder with R.I. business and government leaders and local residents.”

By the end of the evening, all the class members are Rhode Island citizens. Following a tradition started a number of years ago, Gov. Dan McKee conferred the title of "Honorary Citizen" on the entire Naval Command College class.

We may think this is just window dressing, but these officers appreciate the gesture and take it seriously. For example, Admiral Mihai Panait, now chief of the Romanian Navy and a 2008 clambake attendee, includes: “Honorary Citizen, Rhode Island State, USA” in his awards and decorations list on an official Romanian Navy website.

Veterans Voice: Navy vet left his mark as a philanthropist

Birth of the International Program

During World War II, the famed Admiral Arleigh Burke learned that personal relationships were very important to conflict resolution. He thought that if he and other senior officers had had the opportunity to meet and establish personal relationships with their counterparts in enemy navies early in their careers, the war in the Pacific might never have happened.

When he was promoted over a number of senior admirals to become Chief of Naval Operations in 1955, he saw the chance to act on this belief. He directed the establishment of an educational program for foreign officers, designed to build trust, confidence, and cooperation between American military leaders and their international counterparts.

Burke wanted to include three countries in particular: Japan, Italy and Germany — America’s former adversaries. Officers from those three countries were included in the first class.

The growth and success of this program over the past six-plus decades has resulted in what is arguably one of this country’s greatest strategic advantages over its global competitors.

This advantage comes in the form of lifelong friendships, shared experiences, and an appreciation and empathy for differing world views.

According to the Naval War College, there have been 2,460 Naval Command College graduates from 107 countries since 1956. Of these, 1,204 have become admirals or generals. Upwards of 200 have gone on to serve as heads of Navy, chief of defense, ambassadors, or president of their country.

In 1972 a second college for junior international officers was added, called the Naval Staff College. When you add in these grads, you have an alumni network of more than 5,000 international military officers stretching across six continents.

That is a powerful and influential network.

Walking RI: 5 great hikes with ocean views

The Kempenaar family contribution

Each year, 100 to 150 foreign officers come to the United States for an 11-month, in-residence academic program. These students, representing 40 to 50 countries, study strategy, warfare, decision-making and ethics. Just as importantly, they learn about America and our way of life.

The first stop on that journey is the Kempenaar clambake. The total cost is underwritten by the Kempenaar family, as it has been since 1956, when Esau Kempenaar invited the first class of foreign students to enjoy some local hospitality. He was one of the first citizens to come forward to offer assistance in welcoming the students to the U.S.

“My grandfather Esau emigrated from The Netherlands, so he knew what it was like to be a transplant from another culture,” said Robert “Rocky” Kempenaar II. “He wanted to make the foreign students feel welcome here on Aquidneck Island.”

The Newport Daily News reported on that first bake on Sept. 26, 1956, describing the “wonderful buffet supper party” hosted by Esau and his son Charles at the Clambake Club. “A delightful evening for all, and one that will be long remembered…it was complete with heart-warming remarks by Mr. Kempenaar and Dr. Michael Walsh, R.I. Commissioner of Education.”

The genesis of the clambake

Esau was born in Ter Aar, Holland in 1889, and came to the United States in 1908. He first worked as a gardener for a nurseryman responsible for Newport mansions.

By 1910 he filed his citizenship papers. The same year, he and a young Dane, Frederick Christensen, started their own nursery business.

The business grew into Boulevard Nurseries, one of the biggest on the East Coast, encompassing 15 greenhouses over 350 acres in Middletown.

In 1945 he built Kempenaar’s Clambake Club. It started out as a place for his fellow workers, family and friends to relax, but word spread and the family found itself in another business.

A New York Times article described the early days of the bake business. “The local Democrats found out, then the Republicans, fire chiefs, police chiefs, professional groups of plumbers, dentists – all wanted their own clambake,“ said Don Booth, who managed Kempenaar‘s in 1992. “The club members were his gang of professional friends who worked like the devil to put on the bakes and had a terrific time.“

When he received the URI Award for Civic Service for his horticultural work in 1960, the citation also stated, “You have even used your Dutch-Yankee ingenuity to improve on the traditional techniques of the R.I. clambake.”

Esau had three sons and two daughters, and from the beginning, the Kempenaar clambake was a family affair.

“I remember coming out as a kid and working the bake,” said John Kempenaar. “We started with two bakes a year; they were expensive, and it would take three days to get the coals going, break out the spit and have everything ready.”

Esau’s 1972 obituary stated, “His fame as a nurseryman was rivaled by that as a bake master, and he was host to hundreds of clambakes held on nursery property, especially for foreign naval officers…”

It never crossed anyone’s mind to stop holding bakes after Esau died. His children took over.

As Rocky’s father Robert aged, he passed on more and more of the responsibility to the next generation. Robert died in 2008, and for the past several years Rocky and his cousin Chuck Kempenaar have been at the helm.

The Kempenaar family dedication to military causes in general, and the Naval Command College in particular, is somewhat unusual for a family without its own strong military heritage.

Rocky himself is not a veteran, nor are most of the Kempenaars of this generation.

However, Rocky’s father Robert served in the Air Corps during WWII, enlisting in December 1942, serving with the 462nd Army Air Force Base Unit, He was discharged as a sergeant in 1946. Robert’s brother Charles was also an Army sergeant during the war, and Rocky’s uncle Frederick Kempenaar served in the Navy from 1950 to 1954 during the Korean Conflict.

Esau also did not serve in the military, but clearly, he supported military causes. In 1949, he donated a boulder and plaque for placement at Fort Greene to honor the soldiers and sailors from Rhode Island who participated in the Revolutionary War.

International Park

Perhaps the most prominent memorial to a civilian at the the Naval War College is the park dedicated to Esau Kempenaar in recognition of the family's friendship with the Naval War College.

Newport Navalog of June 24, 1977 described its dedication; “Beside the pathway is a memorial plaque to the late Esau Kempenaar…the plaque reads, ‘In memory of Esau Kempenaar for service in the cause of international friendship.’ ”

The park was rededicated in 1992 and is now home to the anchor of USS Constellation, a 36-gun frigate launched in 1797. She served as the stationary training vessel berthed at Newport from 1894 until 1946. The anchor was removed from the ship in 1906 and has been on display since then. It weighs 6000 pounds and is 13 feet long by 15 feet wide.

Veterans Voice: An advocate for others with service-related injuries

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Every Thursday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Art Expression Group at the Providence Vet Center (2038 Warwick Ave, Warwick, RI 02889). Free instruction provided by professionals. Vet Center Eligibility Required. To participate, please contact Heather Tarducci at Heather.Tarducci@va.gov or by phone at (401) 739-0167.

Every Monday, 4-8:30 p.m.; Learn Archery in North Kingstown; Narragansett Bow Hunters, 1531 Ten Rod Rd., North Kingstown are offering an opportunity to learn archery at no charge. Everything you need will be provided (bows, arrows, arm guards, targets, finger tabs, and instruction). This is strictly target shooting – no hunting, or desire to hunt, is required. The range is indoors so this event is rain or shine. For further information call (401) 295-7228 or visit www.narragansettbowhunters.org

Ocean therapy available free to veterans through October 16. One-on-one sessions as well as an 8-week program are available. Break Through Waves combines yoga, mindfulness, and breathing exercises with surf therapy or stand-up paddle boarding. The one- to two-hour session is free and is specifically designed for those who have experienced trauma or who have been diagnosed with PTSD.

For details or to sign up visit www.breakthroughwaves.com

This programming is made available through the Providence Vet Center

CALENDAR

Thursday, September 15, 4:30-7:30 p.m.; Learn to surf cast for free. At Scarborough Beach, Providence Vet Center is teaming up with the Narragansett Surf Casters to offer a class to 15 service members/veterans. All the equipment you need to learn to catch fish from shore, along with instruction, will be provided by members of Narragansett Surf Casters. Please sign up with Justyn Charon by phone at (401) 739-0167 or via email at Justyn.Charon@va.gov.

Saturday, September 17, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: R.I. National Guard Resource Fair, Camp Fogarty, East Greenwich. Resources and Connections to help service members and families.

Saturday, September 17, 10 a.m., the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will host their annual Suicide Prevention Walk at Butler Hospital. If you would like to participate in this free event please register at: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). For more information, contact Kerrie Constant at 917-920-0639 or via email at kconstant@afsp.org

The Providence Vet Center will be present.

To report the outcome of a previous activity, or to add a future event to our calendar, please email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com

Rhode Island Beach Guide: Everything you need to know about the best beaches in the state

Clams and cannon fire?: Amy Russo has a blast at a historical clambake in East Providence

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Veterans Voice: Naval officers welcomed to RI at Kempenaar Clambake