World War II Articles

Monroe County

August 30, 1945

  

Note: The following articles were published in the Monroe County Appeal and Paris Mercury on August 30, 1945 and generously extracted by Judy Baker Barklage.

 

 

Turned Back from Pacific.  S/Sgt. Junior GIFFORD was six days out in the Atlantic, on his way to the Orient by way of the Panama Canal when the Japs gave up.  His ship was immediately rerouted to Newport News, Virginia, and GIFFORD is now at the home of his wife’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry LINDSAY, on a 34-day furlough.  A member of the 1273rd combat engineer battalion, Sgt. GIFFORD was first stationed in England, where he went through the hazardous days of the London V-2 air raids.  Devastation and loss of life was almost unbelievable.  From England, GIFFORD’s outfit went to France, then moved into the Frankfort area in Germany.  He was overseas nine months, has been in the army for three years.  A native of Montgomery City, Sgt. GIFFORD was employed by Wal BYBEE when he entered the army, and went from Monroe County.  His wife is the former Miss Etta Jean LINDSAY.  At furlough’s end, he will report back to Jefferson Barracks, then to Ft. Leonard Wood, engineer center.

 

Prize Picture Collection.  Sergeant Everett MALLORY, who landed with the first American invasion forces in Africa, served with Allied forces in Italy and finished up in Germany, exhibited a wonderful collection of photographs in Paris, Tuesday.  The scenes, many scores in number, included people and things MALLORY found interesting in every war area.  The most gruesome of them all were of a train load of dead Jew, Poles and other sorts of people that had been taken into Germany for cremation in furnaces.  The cars numbered 50.  In one of them MALLORY detected three men who were alive.  With characteristic thrift, the Germans used the ashes of the hundreds of thousands they cremated for roads.  MALLORY has a photograph he made of a stretch of road leading to the furnaces.  The human ashes, mixed with oil, seemed to have made a fine surface.  In addition to his pictures, MALLORY has enough souvenirs from Africa and Europe to equip a small museum.  He served in the Seventh army.

 

On the Iowa.  Raymond Garold NESBIT, seaman, second class, USNR, of Monroe City, fought aboard the 45,000 ton battleship Iowa when she and other 3rd Fleet battleships, cruisers and destroyers staged a daring midnight bombardment of industrial targets on a main Japanese Island, just 740 miles from Tokyo.  Standing only a few miles offshore, the Iowa hurled more than 200 tons of flaming projectiles at war factories.  A few days before this crowning achievement in her wartime career, the Iowa’s guns had wrecked the port and industrial city of Muroran on Hokkaido, northernmost of Japan’s large islands.  Since she was launched nine months after Pearl Harbor, the big battleship has taken part in virtually all naval action in the island-to-island conquest of Jap-held Pacific territory.  She was in on initial strikes at the Marshalls, air strikes at Truk, the Carolines, Marianas, Formosa.  New Guinea, actions in the Philippines and at Okinawa.

 

Sgt. Glenwood MITTS, a paratrooper just back from Europe, is spending a furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey MITTS, northwest of Paris.  While on the German front Sgt. MITTS suffered severe burns on one hand when a German shell exploded a drum of gasoline near him.  Otherwise, he came through in fine shape, with 10 parachute jumps to his credit.  At the end of his furlough he will go to Camp Mackall, North Carolina, for further orders.

 

No Justice.  Cpl. John BAILEY went overseas with a medical unit, in Europe handled hundreds of mumps cases.  Now he’s home on a 30-day furlough, but spent 10 days of it in bed with mumps.  He got the disease while visiting friends back here.

 

To Be Discharged.  Mr. and Mrs. Sig HOLDER have received word from their son, Sgt. William Chester HOLDER, that his entire division is coming home for discharge, probably soon, as they were instructed to quit writing until they heard further from him.   Sgt. HOLDER has been in service four years, two of which have been overseas.

 

Seeing France.  Seeing France, or at least a good portion of the northern end of it, through the door of one of the miniature box cars of the French, known to the American soldiers as a “40 and 8,” was the experience of Pfc. John DASHNER, now visiting his aunt and uncle, Mayor and Mrs. Guy REED of Paris.  Pfc. DASHNER went to Europe in March, landed at LeHavre, and from three was put aboard a box car with 32 other soldiers and all their equipment.  The cars, less than half the size of an American box car, were so crowded that men could not lie down, but had to sit or stand.  Thirty-six hours of this in cold weather and the outfit went into barracks, only to be moved in a day or so to another place, then to still another.  DASHNER served for a time at Cherbourg, then went to LeHavre, one of the worst battered cities of the French coast.  There he served on the switchboard of the Signal Corps communications center until starting for the States.  It was through this central switchboard that many of the important military messages of Europe were transferred.  Unlike the population of most French towns, the people at LeHavre were extremely unfriendly to Americans, and soldiers were warned to be constantly alert, especially at night.  The fact the population was not pure French, but a mixture of many nationalities, built up through centuries as a Channel port, accounted for the unfriendliness of the natives.  DASHNER will return to Jefferson Barracks at the close of his furlough, and from there will go to Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, great Signal Corps center.

 

Pfc. Robert Harold WHITE of Kirksville, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde WHITE, returned to Jefferson Barracks Wednesday night.  He had spent a thirty day furlough at home after returning to the States from Germany Pfc. WHITE is a veteran of the Ruhr pocket, the Rhine crossing and the Bavarian campaign, and wears three battle stars.  He was a member of the 13th Armored Division.  From Jefferson Barracks he will go to Camp Cook, California.  His mother is the former Miss Nettie FREDERICK of Stoutsville.  His father is foreman of the Appeal’s mechanical department.  Sunday, a dinner in honor of Pfc. WHITE was held at Stoutsville at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cliff FREDERICK.  Attending were Mr. and Mr. Charles CRNIC and daughter, Mrs. Johnnie RICHARDSON and son and Mrs. Clyde WHITE, all of Kirksville, Wallace FREDERICK of Stoutsville and Clyde WHITE of Paris.

 

GN 3/c Warren DAVIS is just back from a stretch of sea duty with the nay in the Pacific theatre.  He went to the Pacific last November, and during the months away from home, visited most of the battlegrounds in that ocean, including New Guinea, Leyte, the Marshall Islands, Philippines, India.  He was one of the Navy men serving as guard aboard a merchant ship.  Once he shipped on an oil tanker, another time on a provision ship, a third time on an airplane freighter.  His ship was strafed several times by Japs, part of the crew killed.  His most exciting experience was the sight of Jap kamikaze (suicide) planes attaching on of our aircraft carriers.  Several were shot down, but one came through and struck the carrier, doing considerable damage but failing to sink the ship

 

Mrs. Glenn STONE this week heard from her husband, Lt. Glenn STONE, for the first time in seven weeks.  Her letter carried no date and no location, but from a statement that it was extremely hot where he was at the time, and further one that he was sick of seeing so much water, she inferred he was possibly on the Indian Ocean en route to the Pacific Theatre.  Lt. STONE served through the European campaign as an officer in a Signal Corps Construction.

 

Thirty minute eggs!  Not fit to eat, thinks the average person, but Cpl. John BAILEY, just back from Europe, where he served many months with a medical unit, says that’s what is now being fed patients by the army doctors, in preference to the former soft-boiled egg.  The theory is that the longer boiling period, which almost makes a powder of the egg, also breaks down the food particles and makes it easier for the patient to digest.

 

Sgt. Eddie AGNEW wrote his wife from Southern France, Aug. 18, that he expected to sail for the States about Aug. 20.  He has been at Camp Philadelphia with a general hospital unit which was housed in what was once a French cavalry post.

 

Pvt. James LITTRELL, formerly of Santa Fe and a grandson of Mrs. Sallie SCOBEE, has been given a citation for meritorious service with the armed forces in Europe.  He belongs to a quartermaster’s service company and is now stationed in Germany.

 

Seabee Roy HUFFMAN and Pvt. Orion JACKSON, sons of Mrs. Alva JACKSON of near Paris, are both on Okinawa Island, and have had a long visit.  James WHITE is also on Okinawa and sees Orion almost every day.

 

Petty Officer RAGSDALE is home on leave after serving for 17 years in the U. S. Navy submarine service.  He is visiting his father, E. L., RAGSDALE, and sister, Mrs. Lee HEATHMAN near Holliday.  Most of RAGSDALE’s time has been spent overseas.  When the Japs attached Pearl Harbor, Mrs. RAGSDALE and their two children were living in Honolulu, but were later evacuated to the States and are now in Santa Cruz, California.  A picnic in honor of Chief RAGSDALE was held at Rothwell Park, Moberly, August 19th.  Attending were E. L. RAGSDALE, Mr. and Mrs. Lee HEATHMAN, Mr. and Mrs. Roy MYERS of Aurora, Illinois, Mr. and Mrs. Glen MYERS and daughter Moberly, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas CUNNINGHAM, Jefferson City, Mr. and Mrs. Russell SPOTTS and family, Clifton Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley RAGSDALE of Holliday.  Petty Officer RAGSDALE docked at Pearl Harbor just three days before the Japs truck in 1941.  At the termination of his leave, he will return to Pacific duty.

 

Pvt. Jodie MENEFEE of Holliday is believed to be on his way to the western Pacific for Occupation force duty.

 

Staff Sergeant Arthur BASTIN has done considerable lecturing as a member of the Medical Corps in England, and also with the American forces in Germany.

 

Pfc. Russell SIX is back in the Hawaiian Islands, his family has learned, although they at first thought he was on his way to Japan, as indicated in an item on page 2.

 

Mrs. Louis LANE, the former Estelle WILL, received good news from her husband, Tuesday.  He is serving on a destroyer and was I the Philippines when he wrote, saying he was on his way back home, and was coming to stay.  He has been in the nay 34 months.

 

Sergeant Ray Marvin WHITE, who has been serving with the armed forces in Germany, is spending a furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ray WHITE near Pleasant Hill.  After getting a discharge from the army he hopes to complete his education.

 

Bob MORGAN, from the Great Lakes Training Station near Chicago, is spending his first leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy MORGAN, southwest of Paris.  Bob has finished his boot training but does not know where he will be sent for active service as a sailor.

 

After failing to hear from their son, Sgt. Robert M. WHELLER, for four months, Mr. and Mrs. Jack WHEELER have learned he is now in a hospital in Italy, with dermatitis, a minor skin disease of the hands.  He is with the 563rd Replacement Co., in Italy and is engaged in sending soldiers from that area homewards.  Sgt. WHEELER has had five attacks of malaria since he has been in the army.

 

Major Frank WESTLAKE, whose wife is the former Miss Virginia MORGAN of Paris, is on his way to the Pacific Theatre of Operations.  During the early part of the war, Major WESTLAKE, and infantry officer, was stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia, later Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  Recently he has been given special training in the Command and Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, Mrs. WESTLAKE plans to live in Paris if she can secure an apartment.

 

Need Apartment to Get a Teacher.  Mrs. Frank WESTLAKE, formerly Miss Virginia MORGAN, has been hired to fill the vacancy in the Paris grade school.  Acceptance however, depends on whether or not Mrs. WESTLAKE can secure an apartment or other living quarters, and someone to care for her small child during the school hours each day.

 

Lt. Homer CRAIG, who was located on Okinawa several months, may be realizing on a predication he made soon after going to the South Pacific.  Writing to Circuit Clerk Roy MITCHELL at that time Homer said he would come home by way of Tokyo.  As many of the invasion forces were to go from Okinawa, it is very likely that Lt. CRAIG of the Marines was among them.

 

Capt. Edward WILSON, son of Dr. Joe WILSON, Paris, is now a Transportation officer engaged in taking charge of troop trains transporting troops across country.  His first assignment after being put on the new work was to come from San Francisco to St. Louis as train commander of a group of soldiers coming home from the Orient.  He left California Tuesday, arrived at St. Louis Saturday, then returned to California by plane.

 

Pfc. Loy HOLLINGSWORTH Home.  Pfc. Loy HOLLINGSWORTH, son of Mrs. Mable HOLLILNGSWORTH of Paris, arrived this week to spend a 30-day furlough with his mother.  Loy has just returned from Europe, where he was a member of the famous 30th (Old Hickory) Division.  Prior to being put in the 30th, he was a member of the 76th Infantry which went through the Siegfried line battles and across the Moselle in support of Gen. PATTON’s army.  The division was in reserve during the Battle of the Bulge.  HOLLINGSWORTH was in most of the battle areas of Northern France and through Central and Southern Germany to the Russian lines near Leipzig.  He wears the ETO ribbon and three battle stars.  After furlough, he goes to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, where the 30th will be assembled.

 

Sergeant Charles BATSELL arrived from Italy last week, after hard service in campaigns against the Germans.

 

Combat Infantry Badge Award.  Pfc. Carlisle HARLEY, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl HARLEY of Paris, was this week awarded a Combat Infantry Badge at O’Reilly General Hospital, Springfield, where his is a patient.  The badge is awarded to men of the ground forces of the army for satisfactory performance of duty in ground combat against the enemy and among service men is considered among the most honorable awards given.  Carlise, who also wears two battle stars, the Pacific theatre ribbon and Good Conduct Badge, came home Sunday and will spend a 30-day furlough here with his parents.

 

Ranger Discharged.  Cpl. Estil L. THRELKELD, a member of the United States Army Rangers, one of the famous organizations of the armed forces, was discharged last Friday at Jefferson Barracks and is now at the home of his father, William C. THRELKELD, north of Paris.  THELKELD wears three battle stars, six ribbons and the Combat Infantryman badge, and has spent three of his five years in the army on overseas duty.  He was a member of the 6th Rangers and fought through the New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon campaigns in the Pacific.  On Luzon, his unit liberated 512 American prisoners.

 

Sergeant Sam SMIZER, who has been with the air forces on Okinawa for several months, may have been with the 10,000 airmen who accompanied General MacARTHUR to Tokyo this week. Sergeant SMIZER saw the Jap envoys land on Okinawa and got pictures of them when they landed recently on their way to discuss surrender terms at Manila.

 

News from Stoutsville.  Pvt. Ralph MOUTRAY of the Great Lakes Training Station is home on a nine day leave.  S. Sgt. Edward THORNTON of Camp Robinson, Arkansas, is home on a furlough.  Sgt. THORNTON is an instructor in the camp.  Pvt. Madison ABELL is home on a 15 day furlough from Camp Livingston, Louisiana.  Rvt. ABELL will report back to Camp Rucker, Alabama.

 

Santa Fe News Items.  Pfc. James WILSON has just returned from service overseas and is spending a 33 day furlough with Mrs. WILSON and Patty and J. C. WILSON and daughter. 

 

Molino News. Mrs. Claud McFADIN received a letter Saturday stating that John Paul PEAK is expected to arrive home soon on a furlough.  Pfc. PEAK was reported killed but it was later found that he was seriously wounded.

 

Weddings.  Private Gerald Lee HAYS and Miss Cordelia WILLIAMS ere married at Indian Creek, Thursday morning.  The groom, a son of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. HAYS, is stationed at Camp Wolters, Texas, and is home on a furlough.

 

Miss Norma Fern St. CLAIR of Monroe City and Marine Cpl. James P. BURNETT, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tim BURNETT of the Stoutsville vicinity, were married by Rev. WIGGER at Monroe City, Sunday afternoon of last week.  Cpl. BURNETT is a veteran of three years with the Marines in the south Pacific campaign.  He wears the Purple Heart for wounds received in the Marshall Islands and was wounded a second time on Iwo Jima.

 

1st Lt. Glendi C. HOLDER was married to Miss Ahniwake ANGLEN, daughter of J. F. ANGLEN of 3314 Center Street, Bakersfield, California, June 1.  The double ring ceremony was performed in the Wee Kirk of the Heather Chapel in Las Vegas at 5:45 P. M.  The bride wore a two piece navy dress with navy and white accessories as her wedding ensemble.  Her corsage was of red rose buds.  Attending the couple were Capt. and Mrs. Joseph B. HURST of Santa Maria.  Mrs. HOLDER attended East Bakersfield High School and Bakersfield Junior College.  Lieut. HOLDER attended Duncan Bridge High School.  He plans to finish his education in dentistry at the University of California at Berkeley.  Lt. and Mrs. HOLDER will make their home in Santa Maria where he is stationed.  The Lt. is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Farrell HOLDER of north of Madison. 

 

Mr. and Mrs. Glenn HUFFMAN announce the marriage of their son Cpl. Ivan R. HUFFMAN, to Miss Peggy Craig WILLIAMS daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Craig Williams of Earlsdon Coventry, England.  The wedding took place at St. Thomas Church on Friday, June 29.  The best man was Flight Lt. H. LEHTI, D. F. C., R. C. A. F., B. C. Canada.  The bridesmaid was Joan ANDERSON, a cousin of the bride Mrs. HUFFMAN, before joining the W. A. A. F. 3 1/2 years ago, was employed as a comptometer operator at the Armstrong Siddelg.  The newlyweds spent their honeymoon in London.

 

Miss Nell THRELKELD, who is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bower THRELKELD northwest of Paris, was married to Lieutenant Ray C. REED of Longmont, Texas, in the home of a Baptist pastor at Greensboro, North Carolina, last week.  The marriage was the culmination of a romance which began while Lieut. REED was base adjutant at Douglas, and Miss THRELKELKD was stenographer in a war plant.  After a brief honeymoon, the lieutenant left for duty in Germany.

 

Miss Pat WITTERSTAETTER, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee WITTERSTAETTER, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was married to T-Sgt. Gene Pryor KELLY, son of Dennis KELLY, of Paris, Tuesday morning in St. Stephen’s Church, Indian Creek.  The nuptial high mass and double ring ceremony were read by the Rev. Fr. P. J. GANNON before close relatives and friends of the bridal couple.  The couple was attended by Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. KELLY, uncle and aunt of the groom.  The bride wore a white crepe floor length wedding gown with a finger-tip length veil.  She carried a nosegay of white tube roses and pom-pom mums.  Mrs. KELLY wore a royal blue and white floor length formal and white daisies in her hair.  The bride is a graduate of the Hughes high school in Cincinnati, with the class of 1936 and attended the University of Cincinnati for two years.  She is a graduate of the National Business School and attended the Campbell’s Business College in Cincinnati, T-Sgt. KELLY is a graduate of the Paris high school in 1936 and prior to his entrance in the service was employed by the Neate Clothing Company in Mexico.  T-Sgt. KELLY recently returned from overseas duty in the European theatre of operations where he served as administrative specialist with the 19th Air Depot Group of the Ninth U. S. Air Force.  He will report to the Spokane Army Air Base at Spokane, Washington, Sept. 11.  Following the ceremony a wedding breakfast was served in the upstairs dining room at Smith’s.  Those attending were Mrs. Lee WITTERSTAETER of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis KELLY and Paul NIPPS of Paris, Mrs. Robert DOYLE of Midland, Texas, Mr. and Mrs. E. D. KELLY and Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. KELLY.  A two-tiered wedding cake, topped with a miniature bride and groom soldier, formed the centerpiece for the table.  The couple left on a short wedding trip and will return to Paris to visit for a few days.

 

Miss Margaret POWERS, who recently returned from a long period of service with a Red Cross unit in North Africa and Italy, was guest speaker at Thursday’s meeting of the Paris Rotary Club.

 

Mrs. James SECOY and sons returned last Friday from a visit with Mrs. SECOY’s parents in St. Louis.  Her husband is serving with the 34th division in Italy, which has been selected as the army of occupation.