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Show TWMU) SOCIETY! , W f : :l J U ARCH CLAYTON By VES HARRISON If you didn't attend our Sept. 21 meeting, we're sorry! You missed a real treat! We told you previously that the city had presented three large framed pictures to us containing contain-ing the photos of 66 men and three women from Centerville 1st Ward who served in the armed forces of our country and its allies during World War II. THE PICTURES were compiled com-piled by the First Ward MIA in 1943-44 and presented to the city by the MIA officers of the time. These officers are listed as Tecla Holmes, Mary Randall, Ran-dall, Louise Grant, Leonard Mitchell, Sutherland Clayton and Clyde Mclntyre. We regret that serval additional addi-tional First Ward members who also served in that war were not included, probably due to entering the service at a later date. THERE WERE also a goodly good-ly number from Centerville's other ward, the Second, and the most accurate estimate of the total from Centerville seems to be about 1 10. Several lost their lives and joined the ranks of America's honored dead. We owe much to these, and the other servicemen and-women and-women of our nation, not only in World War II. but in every ft , I ' " ' I - : ft j. ''' .. -toy LOWELL STEED armed conflict in which our country has been engaged. AS ONE WAY of paying tribute tri-bute to these heroes, Grayce Tingey invited a number of those still residing among us to recall their experiences and relive re-live their memories for our benefit. be-nefit. From the moment Golden Allen began to recount his experiences ex-periences until Les Beer concluded con-cluded his interesting narrative narra-tive by showing us some of his priceless souvenirs, we were enthralled, and made ever more appreciative of the debt we owe our gallant servicemen and women. WHEN GOLDEN first heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor he was shocked beyond belief, as he hud always al-ways assumed that no nation would dare attack the United States. After training, he was shipped to New Caledonia. While there he by chance ran into Archer Clayton. For two months they had a close association, until Golden was transferred to Munda. He was put in charge of 12 LTC's, w ith the job of landing supplies from Liberty ships to the shore. He was later sent back to the States and trained for further amphibious work. Then back to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, and ultimately to Guadalcanal. 1 l.'Tt U arnvinc saw three Army nurses, the first white women he had seen in a long time, and he was so taken up with the situation that, although no coffee drinker, drink-er, he sat around all morning eating doughnuts, drinking coffee and watching those women. lAh. Golden, coffee, women and doughnuts. That'll do it every timet He had many thrilling and frightening experiences ex-periences before the hostilities ended. including landing in Japan. Bill Winn nct related his experiences. He was first assigned to a Chemical Warfare War-fare unit. They had to decontaminate decon-taminate an area of mustard gas. They were given some solution to apply which was to present being contaminated by the mustard gas. They carefully care-fully rubbed it on their skin, then when the exercise was finished they disposed of their clothing. SOON THEIR faces started burning, then blisters developed. de-veloped. They were examined and told that they were supposed sup-posed to put the stuff on their clothing, and not on their skin. He sailed overseas in luxury -on (he Queen M.uy. The only drawback was that there were 18.500 troops aboard. All of their tunc on board was spent standing in interminably in-terminably long lines just to get their two meals a day. He arrived ar-rived in Scotland, and fiund that he had been transferred to the Quartermaster Corps. After Af-ter nine months in England, he went to France where, almost miraculously he ran into his brother Griffin. The two weic able to do some traveling around together for u shoit period before being separated. NEXT TO speak w as Archer Clayton. After the war began he sent in an application lor a commission in the Navy. Before Be-fore his commission arrived he was inducted into the Army. Two days later his naval commander com-mander came through, so he-has he-has the distinction of receiving honorable discharges from both Ihe Army and the Navy in one war. Nol very many can claim this distinction. j ,. i , 1 I t : -if ,mm m 1 "'" TOM LINGE In the Pacific he was attached to Admiral Halsey s staff He was stationed in the South Pacific for two years, where he was chosen to be the leader of the LDS group. WHILE ON New Caledonia Caledo-nia in addition to meeiing Golden Gol-den Allen, (can you believe this?) he met seven other fellows fel-lows from our lilt le town' Arch related how Wallace Walton furnished shrubs to landscape the new home Arch had finished just prior to leaving for the service. He also expressed appreciation, apprecia-tion, us did the others, for receiving re-ceiving the little Centerville Newsette" while overseas. During a brief R&R in New Zealand, he hud an opportunity opportun-ity to stay with a guide on the shore of a lake, where he caught nine and 10 pound fish in great numbers. Shortly afler returning to Noumea he was shipped to the U.S. for the balance ba-lance of the war. TOM LINGE follow ed in the footsteps of Golden and Aicher in the South Pacific just as he followed them to the podium in our meeting. One of his reasons for joining the Navy was because his fa'.hcr had served in the Nay dunr.g the Spanish-American War He was first trained as a machinist in Minneapolis. Tom's mother pjseJ a'a during this period. His group made landings on the Solomon Islands. Bougainville and Guadalcanal, among others He was stationed on the island is-land of Tulagi for many months until being returned to the States. Later, he was b.ik in New Guinea and Ihe Philippines, Philip-pines, where they were under heavy fire. His ship w.i in Ccbu when the war cnJ.r.g bomb was dropped PR Vk 1)1 CX w.,s ihe next speaker He receded training as an Air Force mechanic in Chicago. Then follow c J a vpecul svh,osl .it Chanule Field where he n'.v.n-culated n'.v.n-culated as a propeller specialist. special-ist. Next assignment was tothe Air force as a ground mechanic mecha-nic in California He repaired nun planes before be-fore thev flew oscrccas Then followed stmts m the Philippines. Philip-pines. Okinawa. China, '.hen over the hump i n I o I n d . a where they serviced the plans flying over the hump Alter awhile he was retutend to Manila and thence to Palm Beach. F I a . where he remained re-mained for the resi of the war Frank has been in some JO i!d countries in the irid. hut h.,s alwavs been grateful ti come back to America LOU H l. SUKl) then told of his experiences in the Co.m Guard. He was working at the ammunition plant at Sunscl. and was told he could gel a deferment, but he retused it Before his name came up he .ioincd the Coast Gu.ud At'ict Ihiec months m Idaho he was assigned to a Beach Paitol in Washington to gu.ud the entire west coast of Ihe U S I owcll was ihcic to, alvut ., year and a half, until the coast was seemed. He helped tescue a Russi. n ship that had tun agiound. Of the 54 ciew nicm-bets nicm-bets on this sluts. iivr- f,. women. Next he was sent lo Dululh. Minnesota and on a ship Ihiough the Cne.il I akes to Ihe Atlantic, then lo Boston and on to Noilolk. wheie thev liainedNavy men to sluvtcci tain weaoons AKol'inlccliopuihim,n Ihe luispual ,or 0m mom)v When he was scpaiaied at ! i i r f . " . '' FRANK DUNCAN j A t -A GOLDEN ALLEN" X. V- - V i BILL WINN jf; t f r i . ! ' - , - i I FSFIF FITS w .it's end t-c sf-t h - : separation icr'.c: '' U nia. rc'.t s 'to; ck l'r:r w he-c he cv..'.t sec h. Ito-11 t'-e tT.on I he fir..,! srsr.sker Peer In his on I es w as a non co"t.,' ' spent an moi.-. tc time il.Mi'c KP. rtvc f '" in the g u a r cl h s1 u s c couidn t has e been boss c cr as his n-1 t.-' s; took htm to s.;,h p North Xliis.i. Sic ih . t. asmo. Ks'fC. N. " Si 1 lope,. Cc'T..-v ; monc his cxps'T-c-ss"' ' meeiing Ihe Pop." in K'1" V KING 1IM. sp.-hospii.,1 sp.-hospii.,1 m 1 ncars). N" opsoilunii lo sec "' count! side 1 es c-'-'' talk b show ing lis a W I ucei . a 1"-S pistol. J o"" dl ess sys oi d. a Vt.'l " belt bus klc and .. s'' bannei Vv e pi sMimcd t' name ol Ihe umuenti'1'' the I cms svh.vl put;'1' last month She's I Peas turn See vouoniV, |