TimberTown Trailhead Dedicated to Local Rescue Officer

TimberTown’s Border to Border (B2B) trailhead was dedicated Sept. 30 to Captain Joel Gentz, a Chelsea graduate who was killed in action in 2010. According to Gentz’s mother and father, who had the opportunity to cut the ribbon for the dedication, Joel was an avid outdoorsman who was involved in Chelsea High School’s (CHS) cross country, swim and tennis teams.

“Obviously, he’s greatly missed every single day, but the love and support of this community has been what has helped our family to heal and to get through our immediate grief,” his mother Judy Gentz said. “Joel was raised by a village, and we’ve been carried by the same village.”

Joel graduated from CHS in 2002, going on to receive a degree in Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University. Initially interested in being a pilot, he ended up becoming a Combat Rescue Officer, “whose mission is to recover injured or downed troops from all branches, as well as civilians in the USA and abroad,” according to the plaque at the newly dedicated trailhead.

“He said, ‘Mom, I just don’t see myself dropping bombs on people,’” Judy said.

Following in the footsteps of his parents, both of whom were nurses before retiring, Joel remained a Combat Rescue Officer until 2010, when he was killed in action with four other airmen while giving medical assistance to a wounded officer in Afghanistan. Because of his service and love of nature, his name was suggested when B2B brought the idea of a revitalized trailhead to Chelsea City Council.

“It’s been widely supported and a wonderful surprise, because a lot of people don’t know his story,” said Jeff Hardcastle, a local member of the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative (HWPI).

The trailhead’s dedication marks another step forward in B2B’s goal of creating accessible, non-motorized trails for the local communities.

“On the other side of Dexter, we’re putting in a lot of effort to connect Dexter and Ann Arbor,” Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Project Manager Roy Townsend said. “Because once you get to Ann Arbor, we’ve already connected to the Wayne County border, and then working with Van Buren township in Wayne County, we’ve gone beyond that, too.”

The Joel Gentz memorial trailhead will serve as a rest spot for travelers on the trail, as well as a reminder of the dedication and leadership of Joel.

“As long as their name is said, they’re still with us,” Judy Gentz said.