Henderson County TX
MILITARY NEWS
ATHENS WEEKLY NEWS
JANUARY 20, 1944
No Purple Heart
Somewhere in the Southwest Pacific—U.S. Marines here had just sat down for noon chow—when Jap bombers arrived for a luncheon raid and everybody scrambled for shelter. Private First Class James Vesey of Casper, Wyo. Toted along a canteen-cup full of steaming coffee. As he scooted into a dugout while bombers thundered nearby, he stumbled over Pfc. Joe Keminsky of Brooklin, N.Y. and spilled some of the hot coffee on him. “My God, they got me!” shrieked Kaminsky as he reached for the burning spot. It took Pfc Vesey some time to convince Joe that his “wound” was hot coffee, not shrappel. “The” reports Vesey, “guy bawled me out for depriving him of his Purple Heart. That's gratitude for you.”
JANUARY 27, 1944
Sgt. Garner Arrives Safely at Location Somewhere Overseas.
Staff Sergeant Alvis Garner has landed safely at a base somewhere overseas, according to a message received by his wife. The message did not disclose the location of the base, but it is known, that he sailed from an East Coast port. Sgt. Garner is a top turret gunner on a Flying Fortess. He is the son of Mrs. A.N. Garner, of Athens, and his wife is the daughter of Mrs. Ben Dave Dickerson.
Son of Malakoff People is Selected for Pilot Training
E.A. Tanner, Jr. of Malakoff has been selected for pilot training in the United States Army Air Forces and will soon be transferred to one of the Air Forces Western Flying Training Command elemetary schools where he will begin flight training. He is in California.
Former Athens Boy Completes Course at Chanute Field, Illinois
Prt. Verdue Lee Frentress, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Frentress of Lubbock, formely of Athens, route 3, has completed training and has graduated from the Army Air Forces Command school at Chanute Field, Illinois. He received instruction in electronics and in various technical operations vital to maintenance of fighting planes. Prt. Frentress entered the service on May 17, 1943, at Lubbock. He was a registrant of the local selective service board.
FEBRUARY 1, 1945
William Smith, Now Captain
First Lt. William G. Smith of Athens has been promoted to captain at the AAF Regional and Convalescent Hospital, Miami (Florida) District, where he is the intelligence officer. Capt. Smith resided at 410 West Larkin before he entered the Army at Brooks Field in 1939 as a private. He and his wife, Mrs. Gladys Smith, reside at Miami Beach, Florida. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Smith of route 3, Quitman. Capt. Smith rose to the rank of master sergeant by July 20, 1941 when he received a direct appointment of first lieutenant. Immediately before going to the hospital three months ago, he was stationed at the Aviation Cadet Center, San Antonio.
Mitchell Gets Silver Star
First Sergeant Horace T. Mitchell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert O. Mitchell of Mabank, has been awarded the Silver Star for Galantry in action in Holland with the 104th Timberwolf Division. He is First Sergeant of Company C of an Infantry Regiment. The citation says that “On the night of November 5, 1944, Sgt. Mitchell volunteered as leader of a combat patrol mission of clearing the route to the battalion objective. After advancing 500 yards, the patrol entered an enemy mine filed, exploding numerous mines and wounding several members of the patrol. With complete disregard for the danger from unexploded mines, Sgt. Mitchell immediately administrated first aid to the wounded, reorganized the patrol and proceeded to the objective obtaining the desired information. His courageous leadership resulted in saving the lives of several of his wounded comrades, and reflects the hightest credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States. Sgt. Mitchell also wears the Combat Infantryman's Badge.
Arnold Wade Writes From Prison Camp
Mrs. J.A. Martin, West Larkin has received word from her grandson, Pvt. Arnold W. Wade, member of the “lost battalion.” captured with the fall of Java, and now a prisoner of war of the Japanese. It is the first direct word received from him in more than a year. “I am well and working,” the brief message stated. Pvt. Wade, who was with the artillary, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. M.J. Wade of Pecos, formely of Malakoff. He entered the service in 1940, and prior to that time was employed in Athens as a mechanic.
Louis C. Eoff In Battles of Belgian Bulge
Louise C. Eoff, son of Mr. and Mrs C.C. Eoff, was in the history-making battle of the Belgian Bulge. “I went to the graveyard in Belgian the other day. It was the most pitiful sight a fellow ever saw—watching them bring in the boys and bury them,” he said in a letter to his parents. “It is very cold over here, and there is lots of snow.” The soldier, who went overseas last August, is with a tank-division which figured in some of the major battles which stopped the great German offensive and started the Nazis on the road back. A brother, Raymond G. Eoff, who participated in the struggle for Aachan several months ago, is now just a few miles northwest of that city in Germany. He, also told his parents that it is very cold there, and that there is lots of rain. Still a third member of the family, Miss Dorothy Marie Eoff, is serving her country. She is a registered nurse in the Navy Hospital at San Diego, California. She has been there for more than two years and thinks she may get an overseas assignment soon. “They are calling for nurses—the need is urgent,” she told her parents.
Card Received From Ira Lewis, Prisoner Japs
Mr. and Mrs. Ira Lewis, who are now residing in Rusk, received a card last week end from their son, Ira Lewis, Jr., prisioner of war of the Japanese. The first direct word from him in one and a half years. The soldier has been transferred from a Phillppine prison camp to a prison camp on the island of Honshu. He said that he was well, and asked for letter and pictures from home.
Hennessee Personally Honored by General For Fighing With 29th
Pfc. Ezra Hennessee, route 1, Athens, has received a certificate personally signed by his commanding general honoring him for fighting with the Twenty-Ninth Infantry Division from D-Day to St. Lo. The announcement of the award said that the honor is a personal salute from Maj. Gen. Charles Gerhardt to the officers and men who battered their way through flooded areas and the Normandy hedgecrows and stormed the key city of St. Lo. in a campaign where the taking of over 500 yards was a major battle. “The Army reckons the Normandy fighting as one campaign which entitles participants the one star on their theater ribbons, but Gen Gerhardt's certificate recognizes the unusual toughness of the fighting. “The 'Blue and Grey' Division has won two unit citations and its members have been awarded 4,620 personal decorations since the outfit stormed the invasion beaches. The 118th Infantry Regiment was cited for being the first unit into St. Lo,” the story stated.
“Tough Going” Says Soldier of Belgian Bulge
“The weather was rought and the going was tough,” says First Sergeant Alton G. Stringer, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.O. Stringer, in commenting briefly on his participation in the battle of the Belgian Bulge. The letter, written on January 4, was his first since December 3—the intervening period covering the time of the most furious fighting in stemming the offensive the Germans had hoped would turn the tide on the western front. He sent his parents a Gran Duche de Laxembourg bill of Cinq Francs denomination, picked up on the battlefields. Sgt. Stringer, who has been in the service for four years this month, was a member of the Athens Honets when they won high honors in football under the coaching of Jimmy Kitts. He has two brothers in the service, Staff Sergeant Franklin V. Stringer, stationed in In La ferrying supplies into China, and Fireman Second Class Joe T. Stringer, aboard an LST with the Atlantic Fleet. Joe's ship is in dock in New York at the present time.
Sailor In Pacific Thanks Athens Man for Gift Through War Agency
Jack Newbill believes this is a reward for his contribution in a war agency. He has received this letter from a Coast Guardsman maned Leo Kettle, somewhere in the Pacific area; I suppose you are wondering who this is that is writing. I am Leo Kettle of the United States Coast Guard. The reason for writing is to thank you for the gift I received. Your card was with the gift so I presume it was made possible by your donation. I thought you would enjoy knowing where you donation went and who got it. As I am now overseas, you can be sure it was twice over appreciated. It is things of this sort that make fellows realize that there are people back home who are trying to make things easier for us over here. Naturally we would rather be home, but as long as we can't be it is people with your thoughtfulness that does make things a little better to understand. So, let me say again, thanks to you.
Transcribed by Peggy Allen dixie95@tvec.net
Old Newspaper Articles of Henderson County
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