Dale County AlArchives News.....News Of Our Men and WOMEN IN UNIFORM March 1, 1945 ************************************************ 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 March 11, 2005, 8:04 pm The Southern Star March 1, 1945 Reprinted from THE SOUTHERN STAR Wednesday, MARCH 2, 2OO5-4B 60 Years Ago, March 1, 1945. SGT. TAYLOR THOMAS AND CPL. ROSS H. THOMAS MEET IN PHILIPPINES Mr. and Mrs. Ross H. Thomas received a letter from their sons, this week describing their meeting somewhere in the Phi1ippines. Both sons took part in the Philippine operation and the meeting ot these brothers was a joyful occasion, graphically described in their letter to their parents. Sgt. Taylor Thomas left Ozark with the Tank Company and has been in the Pacific since December, 1941. He has bsen in several campaigns in Gen. MacArthur's long, hard tight back to the Philippines. Cpl. Ross H. Thomas, Jr., has been in the pacific since early last year. It was the first time he had seen his brother in almost fOur years. LT. WILLLIAM W. WOODS AT HOME FROM FRANCE Lt. William W. Woods arrived home a few days ago from France for a 30 day leave after continuous action in Europe since D Day last June. Lt. Wood is the son of Mr, and Mrs. Wyatt N. Woods of Ozark. Going overseas early in 1944 Lt.. Woods was in England for sometime and took part in the invasion, of France on June 6th, 1944. A member of a Tank Battalion attached to the 9th Infantry Division, Lt. Woods was assigned to the 146th Tank while that unit was in training at camp Rucker. Lt. Woods wears the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the European Theatre ribbon with three major engagement stars. He has been in the service since January, 1941. CAPT. H. D. CHILDREE AWARDED HONORS IN EUROPEANW WAR ZONE A U.S. TROOP CARRIER FORCE BASE EUPOPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS-Captain Hamilton Dewitt Childree of Clio, Ala., has been awarded the Distinguished Unit Medal Symbolic of the Presidential Citation recently received from the War Department by the, 437th Troop Carrier Group to which he is assigned in the European Theatre of operations. Captain Childree whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Childree. reside at Clio, Alabama, is the exectutive officer of his squadron Within the group. The Presidential Citation commends Captain Childree's unit for outstanding performance of duty in powered aircraft and glider sorties, which were part of the mass airborne assaults on enemy held terrain by Major Paul L. Williams U.S. Troup Carrier Forces, Air Components of Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton's First Airborne Allied Army. CPL. MASON K. ANDREWS ENJ0YS THE STAR From "Somewhere in Germany" The Star received a very much appreciated letter from CpL Mason K. Andrews who is a member of Company C 778th Tank Bn. and his address APO 403, care Of Postmaster, New York, N. Y. Star" readers will enjoy Cpl. Andrews letter, published below; Friday, Jan. 26, 1945 Dear Mr. Adams: Here is a line to let you know that I am getting The Star regularly and it seems like a visit home with each copy I get. There's no need to tell you that I enjoy reading the home town paper. I really do. It keeps me oriented on all the old gang that I used to know and i like to know where they are. I am getting along swell, even though I have seen action in two battles. The first one was at Metz, and the other is withheld for security reasons. It sure isn't funny to be a target for the "Jerrles" to shoot at, either. Well, I had a letter from George LIsenby about two months ago. He was O. K. I could write a whole column but there's no use to give the censor extra work. He would only cut it out. It is "chow" time. so I guess that's about all anyway. Your friends. Cpl. Mason K. Andrews. CPL. PAUL TURNER AT HOME FEW DAYS Corporal Paul Turner Is spending a few days at home with his mother and family. He is a patient in Lawson General Hospital for wounds received on Leyte. Cpt Turner has been in the service since 1941. He left Ozark with the Tank Company and has seen much service In the Pacific. He is being warmly welcomed home. CALIFORNIA BOY AWARDED MEDAL Staff Sgt. Charlie D. Cispponi, son of Mrs. Elvira Zugnoni,of Chowchilla, CAlifornia, and husband of the former MIss Inez Davis, of Ariton, Ala., has been awarded the combat Infantry Badge for exemplary conduct in action against the enemy. VISIT BROTHER AT McCLOSKY GENERAL HOSPITAL, TEMPLE, TEXAS, Mr. Sam Childree and Mr. Frank Childree. of Ozark. Ala., have returned from Temple. Texas. where they visited their Brother, PFC. Hildry Chl1dree, Pfc. Childree was wounded in France on Sept. 14th, 1944. He was a Machine Gunner with the 35th Division. He spent four and one half months in a hospital in England before being sent to McClosky General Hospital at Temple, Texas. The Childree brothers state that they found their brother doing fine and in the best of health except for the loss of his right leg, and hopes he will soon be able to get a furlough home. CHEMICAL UNIT KEEPS BUSY DOING EVERYTHING WITH THE SUPPLY FORCES IN FRANcE-The course of the war took away the job they had been trained to do and now the 114th Chemical Processing Company has become one of the most versatile units in the United States Army. Trained for processing clothing against possible German use of poison gas the company has had little of this work to do since after D-Day. Prior to the invasion they had processed the clothing of a good part of the assault units with anti-gas impregnite. Since landing in France in August, the unit commanded by Captain Chester C. Conlee, of 1455 Harrison Avenue, CIncinnati, Ohio, then has swung from one jOb to another, keeping busy all the time. While waiting tor assignment on the landing beaches the company assisted an Ordnance unit in assembling jeeps, trucks, and tanks, many of which were shipped and unloaded piecemeal. Some of the men helped load ammunition speeding to the front lines. When the Brest campaign was at its peak vehicles of the unit, driven by the men were used to carry ammunition to the front lines. The rest of the men prepared a camp site, and when that was finished went just behind the front where they erected a shower system, photo dark room. barber shop, and laundry and cleaning service for the infantrymen for use during rest periods. After the Brest campaign the 114th did a similar job for men of a Port busy unloading supplies. Since completing that job, and with no use of gas warfare as yet the unit has been set to work guarding German prisoners, But they're ready to do something else tomorrow, and the day after that, something still different. Members of the unit include Private Haywood Hutto, of Ariton. Ala. PVT. JAMES HALCOMB AT HOME FROM SOUTH PACIFIC. Pvt. James Halcomb has arrived, home from the South Pacific. Wounded in action when his outfit made its successful attack on Angaur, Pvt Halcomb was recently given a medical discharge. A member of the famous 81st "Wildcat" Division Pvt. Halcomb, has seen considerable service in the Pacific since the Wildcats left the States. He is spending sometime here With his wife and her parents, Mr, and Mrs. D. T. Bayne. The 81st Division was activated at Camp Rucker. A recent issue of yank had the following to say about the "Wildcats": "The 81st 'Wildcat' Infantry Division participating With the Marines in the attack on the Palau group have captured the strategic Island of Angaur, after three days of fighting." Known as the "Wildcat Division" ever since it adopted the insignia of a black wildcat, common to the hills of the Carolinas. In the last month of fighting,in France in World War I, the 81st is comprised largely of men from those states and Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The shoulder patch with a black cat on a circular back ground of olive drab was worn by the men of the 81st for the first time during the big push in "the Meuse- Argonne. It also was the first time an American division had ever worn such an identification and certain members of the higher brass were outraged at this, breaking of Army traditions. Orders were issued for the 81st to get rid of their Wildcat patches, but the division's officers protested the orders and General Pershlng not only upheld the protest, but ordered all other divisions, in the AEP to design and wear identifYlng insignias. The 81st fought for only 37 days in France in the Fall of 1918. but during that time the "Wildcats" took part in two major operations- the occupation of the St. Die Sector and the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The division won a commendation from the commanding general of the latter action and 22 men were awarded the DSC. The division was reactivated June, 18, 1842, at Camp Rucker,Ala., went through intensive training and maneuvers and was brought overseas by Maj. Gen. Paul J. Mueller, who took it into acton at Angaur. PFC. SAM HAWKINS PRISONER OF NAZIS Private first class Samuel Mixson Hawkins is a prisoner of War in Germany. His parents, Mr. and Mrs, C. H. Hawkins, of Mldiand City, Route 2, have just received a telegram from the War Departmen, conveying the above InformatIon which had been transmitted through the International Red Cross. Some weeks ago Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins had been advised by the War Department that their son had been missing in the Luxemburg area. since December 20th, last. JIM CULLENS FREED FROM JAP PRISON Ozarkian Among Internees At Los Banos Camp MANILLA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, Feb. 27 - James W. Cullens, of Ozark, Ala., a Red Cross worker, was among those rescued from LOs Banos prison camp south of Manila. Feb. 23. Cullens had been serving in the Philippines since the Fall 1941 and was interned when the Japanese took the islands. He appeared in good health,dispite having lost considerable weight and now is under care in a rest home at the 41st Field Hospital. Cullens directed, establishment of Red Cross installations in Philippine Army camps. He helped to arrange the sailing of the Red Cross hospital ship S.S. Mactan, evacuating wounded American and Filipino servicemen, from Manila one day before its fall. Choosing to remain in Manila, he assigned Irving Williams, Patchogue, Long Island, to the ship which later reached Australia. He was interned at Santo Thomas where he was successful, for a time, in procuring food through the Philippine Red Cross chapter for the internees. Later he was transferred to Los Banos. When the news came over the radio last Saturday that American Troops had brought relief and freedom to 2,146 Allied and co-belligerent captives in the civilian internment camp at Los Banos, 30 miles south of Manila, there was more than the usual joy and happiness that such news has created in the hearts of our people since our forces have returned to the Philippines, as it was known that Jim Cullens last known whereabouts was at Los Banas. Mr. cU11ens. son of Mrs. F.B. Cullens of this city left the States in October, 1941 for duty with the American Red Cross in Manila. He had been in the PhilIppines only a few weeks when the Japs made their sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. He was a prisoner at Santo Thomas until his removal to Los Banas a short time ago. Mr. Cullens family was notified by National Red Cross officials Monday afternoon of his freedom. A World war I veteran, Mr. Cullens haS been engaged in Red Croes work for many years, He was stationed at Paris Island, S. C., for several years before accepting the PhilippIne assignment in 1941. Friends here and throughout the Southern states where Jim has been engaged in Red cross work, share with his family a measure of the joy And happiness over his release from the Japs, and look forward to that happy day when they Can welcome him back home. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/newspapers/gnw338newsofou.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 9.9 Kb