La Grande evening observer., May 18, 1945, Image 6

Lee G.
Miller
4
'Easy' Life On
Cruiser Surprises
'Sweep' Officers
By LEE G. MILLER
ABOARD A CRUISER IN THE
SULU SEA (Hy Wireless) You
meet lots of interesting people
on u warship this size. Not only
iiincinii her own personnel of
many more than u thousand, but
when she's uncln.rcd the hus visi
tors. A couple of young lieutenants
Jrom a minesweeper, for instance.
They were practically goggle
eyed at tho comforts available on
this big ship, compared to the iso
lated Spartan life of those plucky,
unpretty little craft tha.t must
make the first penetration of in
vasion w'Hers. '
The visitors wore Lawrenco U
Everley of Herington, Kans., ex
ecutive officer of his sweep, and
Millard E. Emanuelson of Sato,
Me., its gunnery and communi
cations officer.
Everley's wife, who is attend
ing Baker university at Baldwin,
Kans., will he sorry to hear he's
lost the wedding ring she gave
him. It wasn't his fault, Mrs.
Everley. The only reason he
wasn't wearing it was ho hud had
a little Infection or fungus on his
finger.
Ginnnue'son used to tench sci
ence and coach athletics at Deer
ing high s?hnnl, Portland, Me.
Those Mile iwBrn carry
four officers and 30-odd men.
Theirs i a dangerous life. As
someone said, "There's not
much future In it." Nor much
iun, either, aside from the close
comradeship of lonq associa
tion among a small group of
nui i.
''Recreation is what the crew
needs worst," Everley said.
"When we're hack at base we
don't even have a bont for tak
ing the men ashore to the movies.
Once In ,i while wc can beg a
boat from n bigger ship."
"We've even run out of drink
ing water," said Emanuelson.
"We've got facilities for evap
orating sea water, but the ma
chine has to bo cleaned from time
to time, and then we're apt to
run short."
I asked how they happened to
choose minesweeper duty.
"Wo are all volunteers," said
EmuiuelBnry "My Avife didn't
think so much of it."
Everley said his wife figured
Hint if this was what he wanted
she guessed she could stand it.
Or tak my friends Lieut. Vir
gil Lightfoot of High Point, N.
C, and Warrant Officer Alston
L. Hichnrdsnn of Long Beach,
Calif., (hc'.s my roommate) unel
Warrant Machinist Oliver Kirby
of Norfolk. They're ' navy old-
timers up I l oin the ranks, as arc
,mnny others on our ship. And
they kmnv the ways nnd lore of
the navy better than ninny of the
newer, younger men of higher
rank.
The majority of the personnel
on a modern warship are con
cerned willi techniques that have
little to do with old-fashioned
seamanship fire control, radio
communications, electronics, avi
ation ami innumerable special
ties. It's a pleasure to watch Light
foil's lean figure dominating
some purely nautical business
such ns lo.voring n whnlcbonl or
securing lines to a destroyer that
a ants to "take n drink." (That
is, to lake on fuel oil from us1.
Or bringing up injured men in
CE " i ii i C
H tive you tried the
finest beer ever produced
by Roeseh Brewery? Ask
for ELK HORN BEER
tiik ukkh of
IENH
II
aSERMCE
First Lt. Wlllard W. Jones, 2:1,
son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Vernon
Jones, Jrrigon, recently received
the distinguished flying cross in
Italy for extraordinary achieve
ment while participating in aer
al flight in tho Mediterranean
and North African theaters. Jones
is a co-pilot willi a frrteimth AAF
bomb group, a veteran of 20 coin
hat missions.
Lieutenant Jones attended
Eastern Oregon college and was
a member of the championship
basketball team taken to Kansas
City by Coach Bob Quinn.
Morton Childers, Seabee, is
home from the south Pacific,
coming here from Guam. Before
entering the service, Childers
was employed by Union Pacific
railroad.
Pfc. Howard C. Webb is here
on furlough from Mather field
visiting his parents, Mr. und Mrs.
Clark Webb. Upon return to his
base he will he assigned to duty
in the Pacific. His wife, who
lives In The Dalles, accompanied
him.
Kgt. tiene Culver of linker,
recently returned from three
years service in the Europe and
who hus been visiting friends in
Baker, was in La Grande today.
Ho participated in the Franco,
Belgium, Holland and Germany
campuigns with the nth army.
His father. Charles P. Culver, re
sides in Portland.
Glen E. Alford of Joseph hus
been accepted for enlistment in
the navy and bus returned home
to await the cull to active duty.
He Is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
George L. Alford, who have two
other sons in the aimy und one
ill the navy.
BRIGHT PLANET
The planet Venus is so brilliant
in July that it can be seen ill
broad daylight, and, after sunset,
it actually casts a shadow.
"Stokes litters" for our doctors
to tend. Lightfoot used to be
the cruiser's chief boatswain. He
showed me his shins and they're
scarred from knee lo ankle from
a hundred collisions witli obsta
cles during hurried rushes to his
station in emergencies.
That transfer of injured men
was Interim ing. They'd been se
verely burned on the arms und
had been brought five or 10 miles
in a whulchout through dark und
choppy waters.
It was an eerie spectacle
from tho fantail after-ond of
the main dock. Scores of mon
were sprawled lhero asleep
driven from thoir bunks below
decks by suffocating hoat. The
airplanes lowored on their cat
apult!. Thcro was no light ex
cept from the moon and the
stars, and as wo wailed, the
ship's dc.ilist, Licet. A. L. Rus
sell of Philip, S. D was giv
ing me a lesson in astronomy.
He hadn't got further thnn the
Southern Cross, and how to tell
from it your approximate dis
tance from the equator, when a
small bo.it came dimly Into view.
Two still, sheet-covered forms
lay in her bottom. Hopes and
Stokes litters were lowered. The
boatswain's whistle began milk
ing tho:-, e infinitely various
sounds, uninU lligihlc to laymen
and to many of the ship's com
pany nnd the big crane swung
around into position.
The officers and men crowded
the rail as the two injured were
hoisted aboard one at a time,
moving their heads a bit nervous
ly. I thought who wouldn't.
dangling out there alone and
helpiess in the dark.
Ready hands carried them off
lo surgeiv, and I'm glad to re
port they're doing fine.
coon tastk
U. S. S. FRANKLIN IS JAP DIVE BOMBER VICTIM Uppar. debris is hurled into the air by ex
plosions between decks of the aircraft carrier U. S. S. Franklin after she was hit by two 500-pound
bombs from a Jap dive bomber ci March 19, 60 miles off the coast of Japan. Below, guns of the
battered Franklin coilinue lo fire although tho turret is wreathed in flames.
Carrier Franklin
Readies Port After
Pacific Disaster
(Continued fiom Page 1)
its bomb und rocket stores ex
posed. In the hours of her ordeal, 200,
000 pounds of the carrier's own
bombs, rockets und ammunition
blew up. and an estimated 12,000
gallons of high octane aviation
gasoline cithci burned in cas
cades of llanie or exploded in
volcanic eruptions.
Of the ship's complement of
more than 2,500 sailors nnd men
of air group 13, many scores died
in n flash. Other hundreds were
blown into the sea, where many
drowned. Fire, fume? and smoke
trapped and killed still others be
low decks.
Hundreds Are Saved
Heroic rescue worK, brilliant
seamanship, alio incredibly effi
cient dnm.u'.o control operations
saved many hundreds. At least
700 of the crew survived to sail
the earn.',! from tho scene of dis-1
aster, and other hundreds of sail
ers and airmen were removed
and kept in the Pacific.
The .lan-uuse reported Big Ben
sunk, and ih. navy admits that
"she should by all accounts have
gone to the bottom."
But Big Ben refused to die. For
seven hours packed with deeds of
heroism unrivaled in this war she
lay dead ,n the water. For nine
hours she had no communica
tions, no electricity, no drinkable
water. For IS hours fires burned
in Nia'4'iras of flaming gasoline
at fust; in smouldering, fume- i
generating pockets at the last, j
Drifts Near Japan I
Before Big Ben came lo life i
again and ..hook off the low lines :
of friendly .ships, she had drift- !
ed within ;ift miles of the Japan- '
ese home island of Shikokti. At '
one time, a time of horror for ,
men trapped l.e'mw decks, she '
listed 20 degrees and seemed to
lie on !lv verge of eapsimg.
But Bie, Ben refused to die
because !ier skipper, -IT-year-old
C'apt. Leslie K. Gehres of Coro- j
undo. Cali:'.. said "I won't aban
don tins slop," because her cre.v j
would not hr cowed by death; ;
because !w offices and men. j
those that lived, did all the right ;
things at the right times. !
Another reason Big Ben lives i
is that she hail a friend standing i
by. the g-iilant l'ght cruiser San'
ta Fe. V:th the crippled carrie
listing ominously, I'apt. H. C Fit. ;
put tin- S.intn Fe alongside to
take iiff .rounded and survivors. .
In so doing, the Santa Fe shar- ;
ed the H. ;: Ben's mortal danger
because, a-' the earner reported
later, "we were still blowing up
in all directions."
Children's Library
flours Are Set
Miss Main I Dotv, citv librar
ian, today announced that be
cause of llu vacation season, the
children's library will be closed
iveiy day betw.s'n noon and 1:30
P in.
The hoys' and girls' room will
be open fiom tl a.m. to li p.m
daily except duiing U)e early
..It moon closing hours, and the
sloiy hour will be conducted at
10 a m. S.itm day's.
- t: i r hi m
....... i r .a - i
Coasting Along
By HAL WOOD
By Robert Weide
United Prose Staff Correspondent
COMPTON, Calif., May 18
(UP) Bill Shleibau, that ever
winning baseball coach from
Compton college, is ready for the
dra(t now. And he'll go without
a single peep.
No battle could ever be worsd.
he figures, thun Ihe four-hour
marathon he went through the
other afternoon at Long Beach.
That's when his Tartar baseban
ds tucked away another cham
pionship by a measly 31 to 18
count.
Wc know it sounds like a track
meet or a football game, but it
Eight Seniors to
Get Diplomas at
North Powder
NORTH POWDER. May 18
(Special) Eight graduates will
receive diplomas at commence
ment exercises of the North Pow
der high school at 8 o'clock this
evening in the high school gym.
Members of the class are Joan
Johnson, Sdna Kcnworthy, Elsie
Nice, Ma tine Nofsiryer. Doro
they Petersen. Ralph Loennig,
Kerwyn Tally and Howard Tay
lor. President Ruben J. Maaske of
Eastern Oiegon college will de
liver the commencement address,
his subject being "Forward We
Look."
Rev. Owen L. McDonald will
give the invocr.lion nnd benedic
tion, nnd Waller Jacc-bson. presi
dent of the schoj'. board, will
present the diplomas. Lowell
Fuller, superintendent of schools,
w ill make scholarship and other
announceeicnts.
Miss Kenworthy. salutatorian,
will speak on "Speak Ihe Speech,
1 Pray You." and the valedictory
will be given by Miss Nice, whose
subject is "The Guiding Light." j
Mrs. Helen Spence will play
Final's "pomp and Circum
stance" is the processional, and I
musical numbers on the program '
will include "Jest For You" and '
"The Guy Trotibador," by the
boys' ejeo club, and "Lover Come
Rack lo Me," by the girls' glee
club. Miss Patricia Johnson will i
play "Hu igarian Dance" as a
piano sol i.
The haccilaui eatc service was
held Sunday night in the com
munity church under the direc
tion of Rev. McDonald. Rev.
Clarence liopp of La Grande pre
sented the sermon, and special
musical cumbers were sung by
the i;:rls' clee club.
AcWashable Interior
Paint in Paste Form
Super MuraMone
Just add water and it's ready
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numeious. i-olois.
O G
Muralite KaUomine
Casein Cold Water Paint
Ted s Paint Store
1303 Adams
United Press Staff Correspondent
wasn't. Or at least, so the
coaches' and players said. Wc
can't to sure. . The wind was
blowing up . such a blanket of
dust you couldn't see the dia
mond if you were 20 feet nvay.
In fact, when the game drew to
an end just before sundown there
was nary a spectator on hand.
The coaches und players were
sorry they couldn't say the same.
Here's how it hnppencd. Go
ing into the eighth frame, the
Tartars and Vikings were stag
ing a conservative little contest
with compton holding u 13 to 12
advantage. Then came the end
of anything remotely resembling
baseball.
It all started when Jack Hath
away, the Long Bench pitcher,
couldn't locate home plate. In
they came, high, low, but most
ly wide with bench warmers
diving for shelter. .'
Before the Long Beach poach
could muster a relief pitcher,
Hathaway had walked 24 bats
men and wclked in 11 runs.
Something of a record.
. He's probably still in there,
frantically trying to locate the
rubber, if he suddenly hadnlt be
come disgusted nnd stomped off
the field. He figured It wash',
too mortifying walking every one
of the team, 'but when a hurler
hits three butters in a row then
it's time to check out. So he did.
Well, they drafted a guv named
O'Leary to get out on the firing
line. lie only look a lew futile
lobs lo convince himself that his
ai m was sore, and lie ups and
walks off the field. Three pit
chers Inter, Ihe Vikings retired
the side, but by then nobody
cared.
They staged a futile rally in
half of the ninth, but the Comp
ton pitcher got the dust out of
his eyes and put out the fire.
Hen's the payoff. Compton
marie 13 hits Long Beach 20.
SADDLE HOKSKS
WAXTKD
For Annual Saddle Horse Auc
tion at Baker, Oregon, July
2nd. Big ci o w d s assured.
Hoise Show July 1st and
Rodeo July 3rd and 4th.
500 good quality broke saddle
horses needed to supply big
demand. Small number of
young unbroke saddle type
horses accepted. . Best price's
in years for top quality.
The good reputation of the
Baker Sale, operated by stock
men themselves insures big
gest buyers and best prices.
Feed and stall, sale and paiade
facilities furnished (at owner's
risk to horses in Baker by
8 a.m. July 1st.
Horsts examined by veterin
ary and committee. S;l fee
covers'"' entire cost. Biackie
Avers, uuctione-vr; Eldt St.'llivad
and Herb Chandler. Sales rinc
Pmanacots.
Describe your horse's ami re
serve space by June lOlbv
Further information may be
had from Cy Perkins.
Saddle Horse Sale Committee.
Ed. Mason. Chairman
Solons and Padres
Easy Winners Over
Acorns and Stars
By United Press
Only two gumes were played
in the Pucifie Coast league again
lust night as continuing rain in
the northwest prevented Snn
Frnncisco-Senttle nnd Los Angeles-Portland
from getting
stuited on their series.
Sacramento took "n 12-1 win
over Oakland after two straight
defeats, while San Diego made it
two out of three against Holly
wood by pounding four Twink
pitchers for a 10-2 decision.
jo-Jo White, veteran outfield
er, paced Sacramento's triumph
with six hits, including two dou
bles, in as many trips to the plate.
The Solons hopped on Jack Lotz
for five runs in the opening inn
ing. Lotz was batted for 10 runs
and 13 hits before Manager
Dolph Camiili lifted him in the
fifth. Norm Deweiie homered
for the only Oakland tally.
Lou Vczelich was the big gun
in San Diego's 21 -hit offensive
against Hollywood. He drove in
four runs with five hits. The
tailcnd Stars committed eight
errors. Bob Ferguson coasted to
(his first pitching win of the year,
scattering eight Hollywood hits.
Louisville Bans
Derby Visitors
LOUISVILLE, Ky Muy 18
(UP) Regretfully but obe
diently Louisville was substitut
ing a cold shoulder today for the
usual warm smile it has for Der
by day visitors.
Hotel owners, housing agencies
and railroads, airlines nnd bus
lines are complying with office of
defense transportaton regulations
designed to limit Kentucky Der
by attendance to residents of
Louisville and vicinity.
The famed horse race will be
iun June 9, ond hotels ore get
ting hundreds of requests for re
servations each day and are
refusing all of them.
Northwest Retriever
Trial Dates Set
SEATTLE, May 18 (UP)
Dates of the first northwest re
triever trials for Washington,
Oregon und ' British Columbin
dogs, have been set for June 1-2
at the Inglewood country club
here.
Although most entries will be
from the northwest, including
lop-rated Stilrovin Nitro Ex
press, ,a golden retriever, from
Portland, owned by Chnrles E.
Knell, several conlestunts are ex
pected from the middle west.
Famed Steeplechase
Pictured in Film
The running of the grand na
tional steeplechase, one of Eng
land's foremost sporting events,
is a highlight of the color mo
tion picture "National Velvet",
now showing at the Liberty thea
ter. The film includes shots of sev
eral of ihe important jumps on
the famous Airitree course : as
well as scenes around the stables
und stands.
Twelve-year-old Elizabeth Tay
lor has the title role, and Mickey
Roomy is starred.
LAND FINS
The fin - back lizard, which
lived on earth millions of years
ago, wore a huge fin on its back,
although it lived in dry desert.
THE OLD JUDGE SAYS
GEORGE: "Yes, I certainly would like to
hear why you call ttiat an old fashioned
idea, Judge."
( OtD JUDGE: "Glad to tell ypu. George.
Until recently, a person known' as an al
coholic was genetil.ly treated as a social,
outcast. Little il anything was done to
understand him or help him. But, during the
past few yean, medical research and study
has developed that alcoholics are really sick
people . . . that tnre is usually a deep
rooted physical, sriial or emotional reason
behind their behavior. That's why today so
3
LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER
Phone 600 ' -
jompiete Locai reports
Friday, May IS, 191.-)
Giants Win From
Cubs, Move Away
From Brooklyn
NEW YORK, May 18 (UP)
The New York Giants came from
behind yesterday to beat the Chi
cago Cubs 8 to 5, giving them 12
victories out of their Jast 13
games and the 20th victory in 25
games played thus far this sea
son. The Giants went into the
eighth trailing, 5 to 2. The Cubs
had fattened the margin by
scoring twice in their half off
relief pitcher Ace Adums. Adams,
w ho pitched only that one inning,
gained credit for the victory in
his 13th relief appearance in 2(i
games.
Pirates Down Dodgers
The victory enabled the lead
ing Giants to gain on the Brook
lyn Dodgers, whoso ll-gunie win
ning streak ended ul Ebbels field
as Ihe Pirutes won, 12 to 3. Tom
Seats, who pitched a shutout in
his lust appearance, was mauled
badly in a five-run Pittsburgh
third inning, highlighted by Bob
Elliott's triple. Nick Slrince
vich, the winning pitcher, also
stopped the hitting streak of Luis
Olmo at 14 games.
Ken O'Dea's fifth inning double
With the bases loaded gave the
St. Louis Cards the three - run
ninrgin (hey needed lo beat the
Braves at Boston, 7 to 4.
Walter (Boom Boom) Beck, 41-yeur-old
Cincinnati pitcher, gain
ed his first victory of the cam
paign, 4 to 2, over the Phillies at
Philadelphia, shading Whitlow
Wyalt in a battle of veterans.
Frank McCormick won the game
with a two-run homer in the
eighth.
For the fourth sliaight day.
the entire American leuguc pro
grnm wns ruined out.
A small mouth bass has n lnrgc
mouth.
Granada
much is being done to help them by finding
out and correcting the condition that leads
them to excess."
GEORGE: "How many folks are there like
trat. Judge?"
OLD JL'DGE:"cl. according to scientific
research. 9: of the people who drink,
drink sensibly. S'"c do so unwisely, at times.
Included in that 5r;- is the small percentage
ol the sick people I'm talking about."
GEORGE: "That certainly gives me a
dearer picture. It's the most sensible ap
proach I've ever heard on the subject."
U T.
Tin Wrvr.-iy-Mti tpowed
SPORTS
ljTT1 i
' , Page 6
Baseball Standings
By United Press
NATIONAL LEAGUE
. W.' L. Pet
New York ......20 5 .000
Brooklyn 10 7 .030
St. Louis ...v ill 12 .478
Chicngo i-10 12 ,455
Boston .10 12 .455
Pittsburgh .....10 13 .435
Cincinnati 9 12 .429
Philadelphia i 6 19 .316
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chicngo 12 0 .067
New York '..13 7 .650
Detroit 11 7 .611
St. Louis 9 8 .500
Washington ...10 12 .455
Philadelphia 9 12 .429
Boston 8 12 .400
Cleveland 0 13 .315
PACIFIC COAST
Portland 30 13 .000
Seattle 23 18 .5(11
Oakland 25 21 .543
San Diego 24 23 .611
Los Angeles 21 23 .477
Sun 'Francisco ..' 20 23 .465
Sacramento ?21 24 ,207
Hollywood 13 32 .289
Now Thru Tuesday
TONIGHT
AND SATURDAY
FIVE STAR ROWLERS
FLICKER FLASH RACKS
Co'rcnct f AtcvktK Bnnf Ww' . I