Thursday, April 13, 1944
Our Army and Navy Boys
These men are receiving initial naval indoctrination at the United States Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois: Lacy P. Kershner, 20, Beard; George W. Duncan, 19, Buckeye; Thomas L. Houchin, 22, Cass; Lyle D. Fertig, 18, Huntersville; Otis S. Lester, 28, Minnehaha Springs; Alfred L. Jackson, 18, Marlinton, and Paul D. Sexton, 18, Marlinton.
Lieutenant Alfred McElwee, of the Engineers, stationed somewhere in England, has been promoted to First Lieutenant.
M. M. McLaughlin, Chief Petty Officer, United States Navy, has returned to duty after being at home on leave with his mother, Mrs. Mary J. McLaughlin, of Dunmore. Merle has four years’ service behind him. He has a string of ribbons showing his record of pre-Pearl Harbor service; service in the Atlantic and Pacific areas, and good conduct marks. There are a whole bunch of stars denoting participation in major engagements. This is his first visit home in three years.
Lieutenant John William de Kraft, stationed at Courtland Army Air Field, Courtland, Alabama, is home on a ten-day furlough.
Mrs. James E. Michael, of this city, and Mrs. Neil Hudson, of Huntersville, have learned that their husbands, Private Michael and Private Hudson, who are now serving in Italy, have been awarded the Soldier’s Good Conduct Medal, upon recommendation of their organization Commander. To win this award, a soldier must have, for a period of at least one year, proven by his exemplary conduct and devotions to duty that he is an outstanding soldier.
Private Enoch Pyles is spending his furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pyles.
FIELD NOTES
Harper Beverage, of Clover Creek, reports the unusual this year – a covey of fifteen quail about his barn. They came in early winter and are now quite tame. So far, not a single bird has come up missing. The birds stay in close, so they are safe from the hawks by day and the owls and foxes by night.
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On Sunday, a fine lot of sea gulls fed on the river in Marlinton. An east wind usually brings them across the mountains. As near as I could make out, these gulls were terns.
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Neighbors along Cloverlick Mountain report considerable of a disturbance on a recent Friday night when a big flight of geese, flying too low to clear the big Alleghany, got mixed up in the fog. They honked around for quite awhile before the wise old leader got his charges back in formation.
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So far, Mrs. Dan Beverage has trapped six foxes near her home on the head of Dry Creek. She got four greys and two reds. Several pulled out of her traps. With what the neighbors caught, the total is around a dozen head of foxes for that community. Mrs. Beverage got good and tired of foxes coming out in the open after her turkeys.
DEATHS
PFC Owen K. Gillispie, aged 22 years, was accidentally killed at Camp Maxey, Texas, Monday, April 3, 1944. His body was laid to rest in the Arbovale cemetery. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Gillispie, Durbin; three brothers, Harry, Denton and Donald; all at home, and six sisters, Mrs. Hazel Shears, Mrs. Ruth Lambert and Mrs. Lulu Mullenax, all of Arbovale, and Miss Myrtle and Alice Gillispie, both at home, and Mrs. Peble Alexander, Paris, Texas.
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Willis George Burner, aged 70 years, died April 4, 1944. His body was laid to rest in the family cemetery at Bartow. He was a son of the late Lee and Rebecca Gum Burner. His brother is Norlie Burner; his sisters are Mrs. Seebert Kelley, Mrs. Bessie Simmons, Mrs. Flora Johnson, Mrs. Adam Moore, Misses Maude and Belle Burner.