Thursday, March 8, 1945
Our Army and Navy Boys
T-SGT. WILLIAM MARVIN JEFFRIES
Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Jeffries, of Marlinton, received a telegram on March 2 notifying them that their son, Technical Sergeant William Marvin Jeffries, had died on January 20, 1945, on Luzon, as a result of wounds received in action… He entered the service October 1936… He was 27 years and 22 days old at the time of his death…
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Mr. and Mrs. Walter Broyles have received word that their son, Albert, is a prisoner of the Germans. The first report was that he was missing in action.
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Harper M. Smith has received word that his nephew, chaplain Sam Neel, is a prisoner in Germany. He had been reported among the missing since December 16.
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Mrs. John Clark has received word from a hospital in England that her son, Private First Class John G. Quick was making normal improvements. He was wounded in Luxemburg, France… He was awarded the Purple Heart.
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Rex Sharp, of the Medical Corps, serving in Italy, has recently been awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Sharp, of Frost.
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Technical Sergeant Allen D. Pugh with 43 months’ service behind him, most of it served in the Pacific Ocean Areas, is home on a 30-day furlough with his parents, Rev. and Mrs. J. W. Pugh, of Boyer. He wears six gold stars, denoting his participation in three major battles. Rev. and Mrs. Pugh have five sons in the service. Another son recently received his medical discharge from the Army.
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Lieutenant James Samuel Brill, of the Air Corps, is home on a ten-day leave with his mother, Mrs. Lura M. Brill. He was graduated as a bombardier and received his commission March 1 at Concho Field, San Angelo, Texas.
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Ray Viers, of Marlinton, was graduated as an airplane gunner at Las Vegas, Nevada.
LETTER
Mrs. Sallie McChesney sends in the following letter from her brother, Pvt. Edward Walker, in Ogden, Utah.
Dear Sis;
I just came here from California where I had been going to a gunnery school, and all of your letters were waiting for me. I had a nice trip. It was like spring out there, but we have plenty of snow here in Utah.
Well, Sis, I don’t know just when I will get my furlough, but I hope about the 1st of March.
I made it fine in school; I was classified as an expert, so maybe I will get a job soon. Tell mother I have really seen some country since I left home. I was in Idaho and Nevada a few days ago, and we had a very nice trip, but it really did snow, and was tough driving, but we made it okay. I met a man in Wells, Nevada, who is from West Virginia, so we had a swell time. Tell mother not to worry, and write when you can.
Your brother,
Edward
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Mr. and Mrs. P. W. Underwood, of Huntersville, send this letter from their son, T-Sgt. Hoil P. Underwood, who is somewhere in France:
This leaves me well and hope it finds you the same. The sun is shining bright and the air is beginning to warm up. I hope the mud dries up by this afternoon.
We are still at the same old French house. This has been the home of a well-to-do Frenchman, but the Germans have carried off everything that was loose. We have a fireplace in the building which we use for warming up rations. (We need some cocoa and popcorn). We can’t buy any kind of food over here. We are trying to make the place as comfortable as possible. We made a shower yesterday and believe me it really felt good slipping under a hot shower. We also have electric lights and a radio.
I did a little laundering today for we have to wash our clothes. There aren’t any cleaners here.
The French people are very friendly to me, but they are really suffering for food and clothing, more than I realized until I saw them.
Have you heard from Norman lately?
Dad, I suppose you are beginning to start the spring plowing or is the ground still frozen?
Well, I must close for this time.
Hoil
FIELD NOTES
On March 2nd, the sound of the frog was heard in the land. I have heard these frogs as early as the last week in January.
March 4 was the fairest day in a hundred, and this was the first day for me to hear a grouse to drum.
On February 1, my friend, Henry Alderman, made the trip in the snow from the Three Forks of Williams to the mouth of Tea Creek. In this distance of thirteen miles, Henry and his companion made note of no less than eleven bear trails crossing the road. There certainly was no less than six separate and distinct bears, clearly shown by the different size tracks. This was one winter in which bears wandered the whole winter through.
One day last week, Dan Carpenter saw a panther – mountain lion – over on the head of Williams River. Dan and his dog were looking for bear. Dan saw a brindle animal in the cover, and he figured it was a neighbor’s dog. Then he got a fair look and he saw it was a panther, but it was too late to shoot. His own dog caught the scent and began to bay, but refused to run the track. This dog is a noted bear fighter, too.
A fine big seagull was seen flying on the Greenbrier at Marlinton Tuesday morning.
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Wymer, of Hillsboro, a daughter, Margaret Ruth.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Jackson, a son.