Thursday, November 15, 1945
Our Army and Navy Boys
Mrs. Margaret Knapp, of Renick, has received word from the Industrial News on Guam that one of the first ships that was converted at the Naval Base there had been named the U. S. S. Maynard Rupert Knapp, SF 2-c in honor of her husband, who is serving with the U. S. N. on Guam.
Private First Class Herman P. Menefee is home with an honorable discharge, after 28 months’ service with 22 months’ duty with the 34th Division in Italy. He wears a French citation awarded by General DeGaulle, the E. T. O. ribbon with four bronze battle stars, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, American Defense ribbon, Victory ribbon and four overseas bars.
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Oris Udell Jackson, water tender, first class, USNR, Marlinton, West Virginia, had helped the light cruiser USS Birmingham build up a record of 138,000 miles of sea travel, during which she took part in most of the major Pacific campaigns, before she was assigned the duty of bringing the veterans back home.
The Birmingham saw action in both theaters of operation, her major campaigns included the Sicilian occupation, Pacific raids, including Tarawa and Wake, the Treasury Islands, Marianas, western Caroline, Leyte, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
The cruiser is credited with 16 planes, more than 3,000 tons of shipping and attacks on many shore installations. She was damaged twice during the course of her operations, her Honor Roll showing 284 killed, 507 wounded and 11 missing. Awards to her men total 533, among them the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Air Medal and the Bronze Star.
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Okinawa – Delayed – Charles Arthur Kramer, carpenter’s mate third class, Marlinton, West Virginia, who served with the U. S. Naval Construction Battalion, played an important part in the final drive that helped bring Japan to her knees.
The outfit was one of the Seabee units responsible for the rapid development of this Ryukyu island into a formidable base. The 125th arrived just one day after the fighting had been officially declared ended and, within a few days, its members were helping complete the Awashi airstrip.
Two weeks later the battalion moved to Yonabaru to begin to work on the airfield originally started by the Japs…
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Among the soldiers home from the war this week with honorable discharges are Leslie Gehauf, Donald Jack, Charles Edward McElwee, James Michael, John Taylor Townsend, Emmett Hamilton and Francis Skaggs.
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A number of discharged soldiers have returned to their homes: Nathan Walker, Harrison Evans, Jr., Hayden Tibbs and Matthew Tibbs. Word was received last week that Carl Boggs has returned to the States. Ed Walker is home on furlough prior to leaving the states.
ANNUAL BANQUET
Alleghany Post, No. 117, American Legion held their annual banquet in the Durbin school auditorium on Saturday evening. A most enjoyable time was spent by the veterans and their friends. The banquet was sponsored by the good ladies of the Methodist church and their helpers and a grand feed was served…
Tots Win Loving Cups
Little Jane Kay Michael, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Michael, won the loving cup for the little girl with the most votes, and Charles Lowell Camper, the three year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Camper, won the loving cup for the little boy with the most votes in the Victory Tiny Tot contest held in connection with the play “Victory Vanities” sponsored by the Marlinton Woman’s Club.
FIELD NOTES
Some weeks back, the forestry force was clearing fire trails over in Buckley Mountain. They heard a big animal running, and soon one powerful big buck deer came by carrying mail for certain. He was pretty well blown, head stuck forward and running like a fat pig, rather than like a lordly buck with head thrown back. He carried a regular rocking chair in the way of antlers, with five or six snags to the beam. Nobody ever saw a fatter deer. The men said, dogs, for sure, and gathered throwing rocks to stop them. They had not long to wait when they heard the pursuer coming hard on the trail; instead of a silent mouthed dog, it proved to be a measly spike buck, mad as a hornet. When the men stopped the little buck, he looked like he had more than half a notion to attack them.
You know the old saying in these Endless Mountains about little bucks with their sharp spikes getting under the guard of the great bucks with their spreading antlers, and punching their insides out. Only last year Brown McComb found one powerful big buck with great antlers done to death by stabs in the breast and paunch, evidently the dirty work of a yearling deer with sharp pikes for antlers.
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Late one evening, the late Andrew Workman, standing at the mouth of Tea Creek, shot a chunk of a buck deer. It looked like he had killed it dead as he had waited long enough to get up if it was ever going to. Taking hold of an antler to turn it around, the deer came to life with a looseness. Holding on to the horns, Mr. Workman got a small birch tree between him and the deer, holding on to an antler with each hand. The deer fought him all night long, until other members of the party came to him about daylight. Pulling his arms back and forth on the bark of the tree not only wore away coat and shirt sleeves, but skin and flesh, as well. Mr. Workman carried great scars his lifetime through. Though the temperature that winter night went to zero and below, Mr. Workman said he sweated the whole night long.
DEATH
Dennis Willard Dever, aged 72 years, died at the Charlottesville Hospital Friday, October 26, 1945… On Monday afternoon, his body was laid to rest in the Mountain View Cemetery. The service conducted from the Westminster Church…
Mr. Dever was a charter member of Westminster Church…
He was the son of the late Francis and Matilda Harper Dever. He married Miss Allie McLaughlin, who preceded him in death some years ago. To this union were born three sons, Earl B., Leo and Willard, two daughters, Mrs. Julian Lockridge and Miss Bly Ann.
Thus is noted the passing of a citizen of the highest ideals and character. Mr. Dever left his impression for good upon his community, where his entire life was lived.