February 17, 1944
Our Army and Navy Boys
Staff Sergeant Charles Edward McElwee, son of Mr. and Mrs. June McElwee, is home from the army on furlough. His outfit is now on maneuvers down in Louisiana. Junior Warren, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Warren, of Buckeye, who had been stationed with Charles Edward, at Fort Lewis, Washington, is also in Louisiana on maneuvers.
E. G. Herold, Jr., of the Marines, stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina, is home on furlough.
Charles D. McClung, who is serving somewhere overseas, has been promoted to Corporal. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony McClung, of Charleston.
Cecil Anderson, who is now serving somewhere in England, has been promoted from Corporal to Sergeant. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harper Anderson, of Marlinton.
Edward Wagner, of the Navy, returned to his base at Jacksonville, Florida, Monday, after spending a ten-day leave here with homefolks. His brother, Burton, also of the Navy, stationed at Norfolk, spent the weekend at home.
Sherman Beard, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Beard, of Lewisburg, has been transferred to Oklahoma and is now on the last step to become an army pilot.
Corporal Jesse Slayton, who has served in the army since July 29, 1943, and is now stationed at Camp Barkley, Texas, was home on furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Slayton, of Beaver Creek.
FIELD NOTES
I hear that J. O. Kellison down Jacox way has cashed in on eighteen foxes and four wild cats since the first of February. Fred Sharp has picked up ten foxes, hunting mostly on Saturdays around Edray. Down on the Kee Flat, Austin Duncan and Jesse McNeill have asserted themselves. They have caught eight gray foxes, got two holed up, and know of only two more on the Flat. They say the grouse on the Flat are down to a bare half dozen, with rabbits about gone too. From Burr Valley, Ernest Burr says he has not got to going so strong on the foxes, yet; his kill is less than a dozen so far.
– – –
I heard a new wrinkle the other day, how to break a hound not to chase deer. My friend, Jake Malcomb, on Knapps Creek, uses it successfully, and so far as I know, he thought it up. Every fall when he kills his buck deer and when his neighbors get theirs, Mr. Malcomb peels off the scent glands on the bucks’ hind legs. Then he ties the little wad around the hound’s neck. The smell of deer is ever with and on the dog. So, when cold trailing a fox, the hot scent of a fresh jumped deer is neither new nor exhilarating; nothing to get excited about and forget the business in hand.
RURAL RAMBLES
With Charles Washburn
As A Farmer Sees It
“Peace now!” is the cry and aim of a lot of muddle-heads who ought to, but don’t know any better. By rights, they should all be gathered up and put in the crazy house until the war is over.
For peace now, a negotiated peace, is what Hitler and Hirohito want. Such a peace would give them a great part of what they have stolen, and leave them unpunished to plan another war of rapine, famine and murder.
You can’t have peace with a copperhead. The only way is to render it innocuous and keep it that way. To cry peace now is treason.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. Like any other sensible man, I detest and abhor war. But now that the muddling of American and British so-called statesmen have got us into it, we want to see it through to the final finish. That means the overthrow of Germany and Japan, their occupation, and control of their ability to make war for at least a hundred years.
But mark my words! As soon as the Allies are victorious and the war is over, this same vicious element which asks for “Peace now!” will weep for the woes of the vanquished. They don’t weep for the ravished girls and women and the cruel murder of the menfolk of Poland, Europe, China and the Philippines. No indeed. But they will say that the people of Germany and Japan were innocent, were misled, and should not be punished for the crimes of their leaders. Rot!
As individuals, most of the Germans are good citizens, most of the Japanese are harmless and industrious. But as nations, the “Kultur” of the German, the “Civilization” of the Japanese is a thin veneer… Children should not be allowed to play with fire, nor these two nations play with the implements of war. No, never again.
And further, as soon as this war is over, this same lunatic fringe of peace mongers will begin to cry for disarmament. They cannot comprehend that it is not the peaceful nations that should disarm. They cannot see that a strong, ready to fight, well-equipped army and navy is the best insurance against war.
In an imperfect and war like world, the one and only salvation, the only possible guarantee for peace for a peace loving nation, is to be always and ever strongly prepared for war.
