Dale County AlArchives News.....News of our Men & Women in Uniform December 7 1944 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Christine Thacker CGT714@AOL.com February 2, 2005, 3:01 pm The Southern Star Our Men and Women in Uniform (Reprinted Southern Star Dec. 8, 2004, pg 4B. 60 Years ago, Dec. 7, 1944 SGT. M. E. PATTERSON GETS THIRD OAK LEAF CLUSTER AN 8TH AIR FORCE BOMBER STATION, England-Staff Sergeant Maurice E. Patterson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude A. Patterson, of Ozark, Alabama, and husband of Mrs. Charlene G. Patrerson, of Russellville, Kentucky has been warded his third Oak Leaf Cluster to his Air Medal, it was recently announced by the commanding General, Eighth AIr Force. Sergeant patterson, ball turret gunner of a B-17 Flying Fortress, is a veteran of many of the Eighth Air Force's huge daylight precision bomblng assaults against the Nazi War machine. He has participated In missions over Hamburg, Frankfurt and. Mersebury, as well as troop support missions over Metz and the area around Aachen, all of which were carried out with excellent results and greatly aided our ground forces. The courage, coolness and skill displayed by Sgt. Patterson off these occasions reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States. Prior to his entry into the Army Air Forces, In 1941, Sgt. Patterson was a student at the Dale County High School. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ LT. RAY HARnZOG AT HOME ON LEAVE Lt. Ray Hardzog arrived home a feW days ago for a 30-day leave to spend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Hardzog. Lt. Hardzog iS stationed at Camp Hood, Texas. He suffered a serious accident several months ago and his friends here are delighted to see that he has almost fully recovered from the injuries. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ SGT. DENTON BACK FROM 51 MONTHS IN PACIFIC In MIAMI BEAOH, Fla., Dec. 4-. T/Sgt. Dewey C. Denton, 25, hUSband of Mrs. June G. Denton, Ozark, Alabama has returned from service outside the continental United StaTes and is now being processed through the Army Ground and Service Forces Redistribution Station in Miami, Beach, where his next assignment will be determined. Sgt. Denton served 51 'months as platoon sergeant In the Southwest Pacitic theater of operations. Army Ground and Service Forces RedistribUtion Stations are located in various parts of the United states. Military personnel returning from overseas are processed through these stations before assignment to military organizations and Institutions within the United States. During the period that returnees stay at an Army Ground and Service Forces Redistribution Station, they are given a painstaking occupational and physical classification, as well as physical and dental reconditioning together with various lectures designed to reorient men recently returned from combat areas.This processing is carried on without haste in pleasant Surroundings conducive to mental and physical relaxation. Before entering the service Sgt. Denton was employed as a farmer. He became a member of the Armed Forces on March 8, 1939. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SGT. PAYTON S. ROBERTS RETURNED TO STATES . SGT.PaytON S. Roberts, a member of the Medical Dept., recently returned to the States, after being wounded in France, July, 29th, 1944. He enlisted in the Army July 21, 1940 at Fort Benning, Ga.,and was stationed there for two years. During these two years he went on maneuvers in Tennessee, Louisiana and South Carolina. Then he was sent to Fort Bragg,N. C., where he got his overseas assignment. Sgt. Roberts was among the first American troops to land in North Africa. Later being sent' to England, then to France, where he was wounded In the battle of Normandy. After a period of hospitalization in England he was returned to the States, being sent to the Battery General Hospital, Rome, Ga.He was awarded the Purple Heart. At the present time, he Is home on thirty~days furlough with his wife, the former Mary Kyle Hays. of Clio. Sgt. Roberts is the son of Mr. J. A. Roberts, of Clio. He has a brother now in the European Theater, Cpl. Pearson T. Roberts also a brother in the South Pacific, Sgt. Edwan J. Roberts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SGT. SAMMY J. ANDREWS AT HOME FROM-PACIFIC Staff Sergeant Sammy J. Andrews, arrived home a few days ago on furlough to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arnie Andrews. Sgt. Andrews haS been in the Pacific for the past thirty-five months. He entered the service in January 1940 and left the States with the Ozark Tank Company. It is his first visit home in three years and he is being given a warm welcome by a host of friends and relatives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CPL. OLIVER KINGSLEY AT HOME ON FURLOUGH Cpl. Oliver Kingsley, station in Texas, is at home on furlough, visiting his wife and baby and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. O. F. Kingsley. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WILL IVY ANDREWS AT GREAT LAKES, ILL. Will Ivy Andrews, 18, Daleville, Ala., is receIving his Naval Indoctrination at the US NTC Great Lakes, Ill. His Recruit training will last from six to 12 weeks. During this period Of training a series of aptitude tests will be taken by the recruit to determine whether he will be assigned to Naval service school or to active sea duty. He will receive a period of leave after the completion of this training. He attended Daleville High school prior to his enlistment in the U. S. Navy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PVT. WOODROW GAMBLE ARRIVES IN ENGLAND. Mrs. Woodrow F. Gamble, Sr., has received word that her husband, Pvt. Woodrow F. Gamble, Sr., has ,arrived safely in England. Pvt. Gamble is in the Field Artillery and received his training in Camp Bowie, Texas. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CPL. ROBERT DAVIS IN SOUTHWEST PACIFIC Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Davis, of Akron, Ohio, formerly of this city, recently received the following letter, concerning, , their son, Cpl. Robert Davis: Warrenton, Va., Nov. 27, 1944. Dear Mrs. Davis: I am Captain Moffett and have just returned from the Mariana Islands for a leave. Cpl. Robert Davis, your son, is in my Battery, and I am sure you will be interested in news of him. Cpl. Davis has served with me for many months and he is one of the finest soldiers I have ever met. His work is in supply and much of the success of our recent move can be accredited to the efficient work of Cpl. Davis, your son. He has one of the best personalties any one could hope to possess. He has served faithfully his country many months overseas and certainly deserves a rest. Cpl. Davis looks well and is in the best of health. Mrs. Davis, you have every right to be very proud of your son, because of the excellent job he is doing. I sincerely hope this finds you in good health and a very Merry Christmas to you for the coming season. Sincerely, Captain A. G. Moffett. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DALE CO. SOLDIERS WITH 338th REGT., VETERAN, OF MOUNTAIN FIGHTING WITH ThE FIFTH ARMY IN ITALY- T/Sgt. B.. Smith, son of Mrs. Lada Smith, route 3, Ariton, platoon sergeant, and Pvt. George W. Peacock, son of Mr. John H, Peacock, route I, Daleville, anununition bearer, are fighting in Italy with the 338th Infantry Regiment which has been credited with killing and wounding many hundreds of Germans and taking nearly 700 prisoners in four weeks of cold, bitter fighting in the Gothic line. They are called the "old timers" these men and Officers of the 338th,. part of the 85th "Custer" Division in Lieutenant General Mark W. C1ark, Fifth Army. They are veterans of bloody Solacciano Ridge and the Gustav Line, Formia, the Gaeta Peninsula and Rome. They are now standing at the approaches to the Po Valley, a long haul from Minturno where the regiment entered the lines on last April 21. (Abstracted CGT) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RANDOLPH M. PETERS BACK AT HOME Mr. Randolph M. Peters, son of E. H. Peters of this county, received a medical discharge from the Army last Monday and has returned home to Dale county. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JIMMY MIXON, MERCHANT MARINES AT HOME Jimmmy Mixon arrived home a few days ago for a visit with his father and family, Mr. P. B. Mixon of this city. He is a member of the U.S. Merchants Marine and has seen service practically all over the world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SGT. ALFRED GRIFFIN AT HOME AFTER 18 MONTHS IN ALEUTIAN ISLANDS Sgt. Alfred Griffin arrived home a feW days ago to spend his furlough with his parents after 18 months active duty in the Aleutian Islands. sgt. Griffin is being warmly welcomed by his friends and loved ones. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SGT. WILLIAM KINGSLEY AT HOME ON FURLOUGH Sgt. William Kingsley, stationed at Ft. Jackson, S. C., is at home on furloUgh, visltlng his parents, Mr. And Mrs. O. F. Kingsley. He was accompanied home by Mrs. Kingsley and babY. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LOCAL MAN FIGHTS WITH BN. THAT FIRED FIRST SHELLS INTO PO VALLEY With THE FIFTH ARMY IN ITALy- Sgt. Charlie H. Johnson, route 3, Ariton, mechanic,is a member of the 698th Field Art1l1ery Battalion, whose big guns recently fired the first shells into the Po Valley. (Abstracted CGT) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/newspapers/gnw277newsofou.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 9.9 Kb