OCR Text |
Show News from Our Washington County People At Service Camps and the Nation's Battle Fronts By MABEL JAKVIS Life In India "Little puny things" is the phrase used by Pvt. Byron Reber, son of Mrs. Elsie Reber of Washington Wash-ington in describing the people in the section of India where he is located. Most of the men, women and children, have no shoes, scarcely any clothes and appear never to comb their hair. He is amused at the way the women cover their faces when white men are near, but figures they shouldn't worry. Their habit of packing everything on their heads, their lack of any knowledge know-ledge of soap and their use of cows instead of horses all add up to the reason why he prefers the United States. However, he does get a kick out of the elephants and monkeys. He says he is well and not in any danger now, although he has been plenty near the Jap lines. Since arriving in India he has developed a sun tan equal to that of a native and is getting a real kick out of life. la fa Pa Promoted Mr. and Mrs. Leo Hirschi of Rockville have received word that their son. Blaine has been promoted promo-ted to RDM 3c in the U. S. Navy. He is aboard a destroyer escort and has made many trips to England. Ireland, Scotland and France. He hasn't been home since enlisting in May, 1944. His brother, Pfc. Clayton Hirschi, Hir-schi, who spent 33 months in the Aleutians is now in Hawaii trying to get acclimated for later service in China. His sister, Ray Hirschi Yoeman 3c is stationed at Boulder, Bould-er, Colo. la R s In Italy Pvt. Alvin Hardy, son of Bp. and Mrs. Alvin Hardy of Spring-dale Spring-dale is now based in Italy, having been overseas just a few weeks. He figures he may be over there for a long time since he has had operational training suited for post i war service. He is one of the boys who figures he must have the News to keep up with the doings of his home town and other events. R S At San Antonio Cadets from Utah now in training train-ing at the San Antonio Aviation cadet center include Karl Witt-wer. Witt-wer. son of Mrs. Winona Wittwer of St. George. The rigorous ten-week ten-week program of instruction these cadets receive will prepare them for crew members in the Army Air forces. They study maps, charts, aircraft identification, small arms and other subjects, while being physically conditioned for the work ahead. f B B Back With Unit "Well and safe" was the message mes-sage received by radiogram last week by Mr. and Mrs. Heber M. Holt of Enterprise from their son, .Heber Wayne Holt in Germany. He has been spearated from his unit, but is back with them again. Pa n E Transferred Pfc. Augustus P. Hardy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Hardy of St. George, was recently transferred to Fort Worth, Texas, to continue his military training. Mrs. Hardy and their daughter, Ramona, are living at Weatherford, 25 miles from his post and plan to remain several weeks. n n b Ambulance Driver Ambulance driving for the U. S. Navy gives Russell Neilson S2c, son of Mr. and Mrs. Antone Neil-son Neil-son of Washington, a busy time in San Diego. He says he has a really swell job. His brother, FO A. J. Neilson was a member of the final B-17 graduating class at Williams Field, Chandler, Ariz. He is now flying a 11-24 and hoping hop-ing for a B-20. n n n Take A Ietter When a soldier has a piece of shrapnel in his arm it. is mighty good to have somebody handy to do the writing. A teehnician in a hospital in the Philippines was secretary for Pfc. Joseph Truman Iil;ik Out there they call him "Joe." Joe, he explains, had a piece of shrapnel in his shoulder, but it's out now and he is recovering rapidly. Me wants Joe's folks not to worry because "we have very good surgeons and plenty of the U'st care and equipment available availa-ble anywhere. I am one of the technicians here and Joe is oriel of the best patients we've ever had. He never complains, but. is taking it like u good soldier." On Forgotten Front Pfc. Clare A. Tanner of Washington, Wash-ington, who is a member of the 66th Black Panther Division on the Forgotten Front in France cabled his mother, Mrs. John E. Tanner of Washington on Mother's Moth-er's Day. His letter of May 3 said he was sending his mother the Purple Heart, which he had just been awarded for wounds received on Christmas Eve of 1944. He has since received the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star Medal and his present pres-ent rating. (5 R S Visiting in St. George Seaman Floyd Atkin. who is with the U. S. Navy, arrived on Sunday form San Diego to spend his leave with Mrs. Atkin and their small son. He will return to his port early next week. R Kl Promotion Reported A news release received May 21 from an Aleutian base, reports the recent promotion of Calvin Ruesch of Springdale to the rating rat-ing of staff sergeant. Sgt. Ruesch is a construction machine superintendent super-intendent with an Engineer unit and has been stationed in the Aleutians the past 19 months. He js the husband of Mrs. Elsa Ruesch of Springdale and was inducted in-ducted at Ft. Douglas in May, 1943. Along with other awards, he has the Good Conduct Medal, a Pa n Distinguished Unit Sgt. Duward Spendlove, son of Mrs. Sarah Spendlove of Virgin is a cook with the 450th Liberator Libera-tor bomber group of the 15th AAF in Italy, known as the "Cottontails." "Cot-tontails." The entire group was recently awarded a second Distinguished Dis-tinguished Unit Citation for heroic leadership and outstanding performance per-formance of duty in striking the initial blow in the battle of Ploe-sti Ploe-sti on April 5, 1945. The first citation was granted in January for their attack on the Regens-zurg Regens-zurg Prufening aircraft factory in Germany. They have flown more than 250 combat missions and participated in five major campaigns. cam-paigns. ea ra Pa Advanced Wilber Hardy was advanced two months ago to the rating of MM3C with the U. S. Navy, but has been too busy to write and let his parents know of this promotion pro-motion until recently. He 'has been serving in the Atlantic area since 1943, taking part in the invasions of North Africa, Italy and Southern France. Recently he saw Wayne Carter, son of Mrs. Leonard Carter of St. George. When he wrote, he had had no mail for three months, but was hoping to hear from home soon. Mate Hardy is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Rogers Hardy, who are now living in Las Vegas. Another son, Seaman Chester Hardy is also in the service. He was wounded about four months ago, but is getting along nicely now. His ship is operating in the Pacific area ancl has been torpedoed four i times. P-5 Pa Lack leadership ! German soldiers are good fight- ers. but they can do nothing without with-out their, leaders, while the Americans can carry on no matter what happens, asserts Pfc. Buster Holt of Mt. Trumbull in writing his friend Henry Ferguson from Germany on May 5, 1945. He was trying to contact Bud Franklin, also from Mt. Trumbull, who handles one of the big guns with the field artillery, which he figures are the machines that have speeded the time of victory by "knocking out lots of stuff" ahead of the rifle troops. His letter was written on a German typewriter which he will bring home as a war souvenir, and he really wants to get back on the "Strip" and run his cattle again. m m n Jtecelved Medal The Good Conduct Medal was recently awarded to Pfc. Marden .J. Riggs, member of an AAF I depot in the Marianas. At this huge depot, It-20 Superfortresses are overhauled and repaired for their aerial assaults against Japan. Jap-an. Tons of equipment, for combat com-bat aircraft move through its warehouse. Pfc. Riggs' mother, Mrs. Jssa II. Teeplcs, lives ill Hurricane, and his wife, Adeline J. Itiggs lives in Orlando, Florida. Alter atlendiiig Hurricane high 'school. I'fc. Kiggn was employed hj' McNeil Corift ruel ion o. at I. as Vegas until be entered the I Army in 1942. |