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Show May, 1945 THE CENTERVILLE NEWSETTE Two Brothers Meet; Third Gets Wings A Service News and Notes From the Mail Bug Very welcome is the following letter from Douglas Roberts in Karachi, India: Today the April copy of the Newsette arrived and I was surprized and happy to see the picture of our Church group here in India appearing in the home town paper. It was a real favor to me and I want you to know that it was appreciated. The thing that took my eye was the picture of the Centerville Hot Shots and a mighty fine looking outfit too! The only thing that puzzled me was who these strangers were that were posing as representatives of the Town of Centerville. Of course after reading the names I could make out a resemblance to some small fry that I once knew back in Zion. Yes, it is really remarkable the change that has taken place in those kids since I last saw them and you can bet that I am anxious to get back and see them in action. Letters from the servicemen are always of great interest to me its good to read about the experiences of my friends, especially when they are able to meet up with someone with whom youve grown up; someone who believes the same as you do; someone who talks your language, so to speak. Ive had that experience twice since being in India; first when I met Gordon Walton on his way to Assam, and later Jay Streeper, who flew in from Iran on a routine trip. My visits with these two have been the highlights of my two-yestay here in India. I ar know what it means to meet someone from home. So I say thanks to you, Ves, and the rest of your staff for a iob well done and for the many hours you must have spent in preparing each and every publication. If things go well I may be able to thank you in person by next June or July, and you can bet that I am looking forward to that time with great Certainly one of the most servicemen widely traveled from Centerville is Sgt. Charles (Chick) France, son of Mr. and y Mrs. Marlin France, on a furlough last month after touring most of the Pacific isles. Before he went overseas, Charley joined the Marines in September of 1942 and was with the 3rd Mormon Battalion, in- meeting in the Philippines was the happy experience recently of Wesley P. and Warren (Barney) Tingey. Wesleys outfit was in Manila and Warren was stationed outside the capital prior to the meeting. Barney was one of the very earliest Centerville boys to enter the service. He enlisted in the National Guard in March, 1941, and has been overseas 33 months. Wesley entered the service in August, 1941, and has been overseas 22 months. At almost the same time that the two met, their brother, Dale, received his wings at Pecos, Texas. BROTHERS THREE About the time Warren and Wesley Tingey met in the Philippines, their brother, Dale, got his silver 30-da- Mormons, at San Diego for boot training. Later the battalion was broken up because, says Charley, The officers there told us if a bomb should happen to land on us, there wouldnt be any more Mormons in Utah. After San Diego, Chick was at Memphis, Tenn., for the study of different plane engines, and he attended church quite frecluding 64 quently. Then he returned to San Diego where he flew around the states in a 6 Commando, for training in overseas duties. The Commando, the same type of plane Gordon Walton flies, carried 28 litter patients and 54 ambulatory patients, according to Charley. The most inspiring thing he came in contact with was on the C-4- .'xXvC-X- island of Oahu, Hawaii. He attended church there and heard a testimony given in the Hawaiian tongue. He also saw the L D S temple which he agreed is very beautiful. He told us about the gooney bird which he saw on Midway, in the Johnston group. Mid- he says is the only place where the Gooney bird hatches her eggs. They will follow a ship from the island for miles and miles, always returning. He fights almost anything. At one time on the island there were several planes which couldnt get off because the Gooneys would attack the planes, flying right into the propellor. Another funny thing the, Gooneys always has to take off into the wind just as does a plane. A few other islands Charley was on are Samoa, Funi Futi, Makin, New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and Appemama, where Robert Louis Stevenson got his Treasure inspiration to pen Island, in Fu Bay. While Charley was there the natives built a large white temple which was beautiful to behold along with the palm trees, etc. I had a girl to do my laundry while I was on Appemama, says Chick. They beat the clothes on rocks to get the dirt out and when they way, It was a tough battle and I was shot in the thick of the fray. cld have a particularly stubborn stain, they chew it out. Later she was married and I was invited to the marriage festival, where they danced; and ate taro root, fish, small pigs, bananas and many tropical fruits. To roast a pig, they dig a large pit and fill it with leaves, then put the pig in, cover it over with all kinds of food, cover that over with more leaves and build a roaring fire over it. When it is opened it is steaming hot, served on banana leaves. Strangest thing probably to Charley was meeting Ray Wi- 4- wings in Texas. Dale Warren Wesley 15-year-- Dear Newsette Readers: Page Three Roberts on Kwajalein. Says I was unloading Charley, wounded from a plane one day and bumped into a fellow checking off names. I turned around to beg his pardon and it was Ray. After talking it over we discovered we had been working almost side by side for about five months without knowing it! Charley flew to Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Peleliu, Los Negros, Oui, Biak, New Guinea and others. These islands he describes as similar to Antelope island in Great Salt Lake. We were bombed a few times on Saipan, says Charley. There was a Jap in the irrigation ditch near our work for three or four days with a machine gun, probably waiting for us to get in a group so he could get a good shot. We walked past him every day to the chow tent. Finally a negro guard noticed him and took care of him with a grenade. Charley also flew over Iwo Jima before it was invaded. They dropped a life raft to a fighter pilot who had been shot down. Call it a luck, coincidence or anything you like, but Charley received his orders to come home just about the time his crew was ready to fly in on the invasion of Iwo! Hilda Beer reports that her brother, Leslie Beer, recently flew from the front lines in France to a hospital in England to undergo a minor operation. Les says it is worth an operation to get between white sheets again. Heres hoping his recovery will be speedy. Pfc. Itoy F. Hatch, U S M C, was on a short furlough last month. Roy entered the marine corps June 16, 1944, was at San Diego for boot training and has spent most of his time in the Pacific. (Turn to pnge four) |