Dale County AlArchives News.....News of Our Men and Women in uniform, Apr.6. 1944 April 5 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 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100 May 30, 2004, 10:21 pm The Southern Star 55 Years Ago, April 6, 1944.. Reprinted April 7, 1999 NEWS OF OUR MEN And WOMEN IN UNIFORM PFC. BAILEY GRIMES AT ON FURLOUGH Bailey Grimes, stationed at Camp Hullen, Texas, is spending a few days at home with his family. He will return to Camp Hullen Sunday BILLY FAUST, S 2/c AT U.S. NAVAL SCHOOL Mr.and Mrs. Wm. M. Faust, Jr. have been notified by the Navy Department that their son, William (Billy)F. Faust, S 2/c, has been transferred from Great Lakes U. S. Naval Training Station to U. S. Naval School of Music, Washington. D.C. PVT. HENRY N. CLOUSE AT HOMEON FURLOUGH Pvt. Henry N. douse, stationed at Camp Croft, South Carolina, arrived home yesterday for a visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Clouse. PVT. OLIVER D. KINGSLEY AT HOME THIS WEEK END Pvt. Oliver D. Kingsley, stationedat Red River Ordnance Depot, Texaskana, Texas, spent the week end at home with his wife and Baby. WYATT A. JOHNSON, JR.,LANDS IN ENGLAND Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt A. Johnson received word from their son, Corp.Wyatt A. Johnson, Jr.. that he had landed safely somewhere in England SGT. JAMES HARPER RECEIVES AERIAL GUNNER'S SILVER WING Sgt.James Theodore Harper, husban of Mrs. C. Harper, (Christine Wells) of Ozark, Alabama, was graduated last week from the Army Forces Flexible Gunnery School,Laredo Army Air Field, Larcdo Texas, a member of the AAF Training Command. He Is now qualified to take his place as a member of a bomber combat crew. Along with his diploma, he received pair of Aerial Gunner's silver wings at brief graduation exercises held here. He was prepared for his place in America's stepped-up air offensive by a comprehensive six weeks course in every phase of aerial gunnery warfare. Besides learning to fire every type weapon from camera guns to the deadly calibre .50 Browning he studied turret manipulation aircraft Identification, stripping and reassembling of machine guns while blindfolded. He climaxed the course by air firing off towed targets. GETS LIEUTENANT BARS IN U.S. MARINES ATLANTA, GA., March 1-Robt.S. Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Johnson Of route 2, Skipperville, Ala., was commissioned a second lieutenant In the U. S. Marine Corps after successfully completing the rugged officer training course at the Marine Corps School at Quantico, Va. The new lieutenant will now begin a two-month advanced course at Quantico before being assigned to lead Marines in battle. His commission was awarded at a colorful ceremony at the Leatherneck school. PFC. ACREAL ANDREWS BACK HOME FROM ALEUTIAN IS. Pfc. Acreal Andrews, son of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Andrews, is at home on furlough. Acreal has seen action in the Aleutian Islands and has been stationed in Alaska for some time. He Is now stationed at Camp Shelby, Miss. PVT. JAMES R. BROWN NOW IN INDIA Pvt. James Robert Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Brown of Ozark route 3 Is now in New Delhi, India. He writes that he is In good health and likes India fine. He entered the service in March, 1943 and was sent overseas In October. He stayed in North Africa two months and was later sent to India. Pvt. Brown wishes to hear from his friends back home. His address is: Pvt. James R. Brown. 34708911 Hq. & Hq. Co. SOS, USAF, CBI, A. P. 0. 885, care of Postmaster, New York, N. Y. WILLIAM J. CARTER, USN RETURNS TO NAVAL POST Seaman William J. Carter has returned to his post of duty in Maryland after spending a few days at home with his wife and children. Seaman Carter was Red Cross director at Camp Rucker for several months before enlisting In the Navy. MIDLAND CITY SOLDIER AWARDED SOLDIER'S MEDAL Aviation Student Talmadge M. Adams,25,of Midland City, Ala., who has.the distinction of having been awarded the Soldier's Medal, is now taking prefllght pilot training at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. He received the award for risking his own safety while dragging two unconscious people from a wrecked, burning car. Before qualifying for aviation training, Adams was stationed at Fort Benning and Camp Gordon in Georgia and at Camp Howze,Texas. During his three years and eight months in a motorized division. Adams rose to the rank of staff sergeant. LOONEY C. BROWN RETURNS TO THE STATES AFTER TWO YEARS IN PACIFIC One of the Navy Seabees who helped construct those first airfields and bases from which American planes and Ships protected the vital Allied supply route to Australia. Looncy C. Brown, carpenter's mate third-class, USNR, has returned to the United States for a thirty-day leave after almost two years duty in the South Pacific. The 42-year-old Seabee veteran, whose wife and two children live in Ozark, Ala., was a member of the Second Naval Construction Battalion which sailed in April 1942 and landed at the American Samoan, Wallis and Ellice Islands. Natives in full war paint and armed with knives greeted the Seabees when they first landed but soon responded to the friendly overtures of the Seabeea and were valuable allies in helping the Navy's construction men complete vital in- stallations. Despite advese weather conditions and the inadequate construction equipment, the Seabees, by working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, completed their assignments in record time. And his mates of the First and Second Battalions were the pioneer Seabees who began work on the great new Naval baseg which were first constructed to guard our Pacific lifeline and now are serving as a jumplng off points for the mounting offensive against the Mikado's forces. The naval bases which dot the Tonga, American Samoan, New Hebrides and Wallis Island groups are almost entirely their work. Throughout their twenty-three month tour of duty, however, these Navy construction battalions had to combat the triple threat of primitive wording conditions, ennui, and the constant health hazard of the dank, tropical climate. Under these conditions many of the men fell victim to tropical ailments, particularly malaria and filariatsis. The average age of the Seabees in the First and Second Battalions was higher than in most units. All were volunteers- highly trained specialists who had left established businesses and given up strong draft deferments in their desire to avenge their fellow construction workers who had fallen at Pearl Harbor, Guam, Wake and Cavlte. Some were veterans of World War I. 2 From Southeast Ala. Wounded In Action Two Southeast Alabama soldiers were listed today by the War Department as having been wounded in action in the Mediterranean area. They are Private John T. Rogpr,son of Mrs. Pearl Irene Rogers, 211 East Crawford street, Dothan and Private Louie 0. Willis, son of Mrs. Della P. Willis, Ozark route three. They were among 16 Alabamn soldiers listed in the announcement, as wounded in action. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 7.4 Kb