The skanner., June 01, 2011, Page 3, Image 3

local news
Vet
continued from page 1
If anyone were to ask, ordered the officer,
the murdered troop died in battle.
“What can you do when you’re a million
miles from home,” Jones asked. “They shot
this kid and we could’ve gotten him out. I
thought that was dirty. I don’t know if he’s
living now, but I doubt it”
Jones says he never saw that officer again
and thinks that he probably was killed in
action.
The White officers told the Black soldiers it was
because their food had been lost at sea, but
Jones said he knew they were lying. He’d seen
the pits where tons of food had been dumped
a
PHoto by briaN StimSoN
Ever since seeing his uncle come home in
his uniform from the 10th Cavalry – of
Buffalo Soldier days – did Jones want to
join the armed forces. There was also anoth-
er reason.
“Money,” he said. “We didn’t have no
money in those days. It was during the
depression.”
Graduating high school from a rural area
in Kansas, his mother wouldn’t let him join
Visit The Skanner’s YouTube Channel to watch an excerpt from the interview
with Russell Jones.
right away. Finally, at the age of 19, he
enlisted in Coffeeville, Kansas and was sent
to basic training in Fort Leonard Wood.
“Just before basic was finished, war broke
out,” he said. “We were shipped out the next
day to the South Pacific.”
Heading through the Panama Canal, onto
Australia, Jones and his crewmates finally
landed on New Caledonia for training.
During a standdown on the island – Jones’
all Black 810th and 811th Engineer Aviation
battalions were assigned to build bridges. A
weapon carrier fell on an unsuspecting
troop, pinning him.
“We had all sorts of equipment, we could
have pulled the truck off him,” he said.
An officer came over and said we can’t
get it off him.
“He pulled out his pistol and shot him in
the head,” says Jones.
In Guadalcanal, Jones says that it was hot,
humid and full of mosquitoes. It’s not like
the ships were any better. He said that on
one carrier, the head had overflowed
sewage into the sleeping quarters, causing
many soldiers to sleep on deck.
“You couldn’t get any rest,” he said.
There were weeks when the entire unit
would go without food. The White officers
told the Black soldiers it was because their
food had been lost at sea, but Jones said he
knew they were lying. He’d seen the pits
where tons of food had been dumped.
“I started going to different tribes on the
island to get food,” he said. “Fish and chick-
en. It wouldn’t help completely, but it was
something.”
Iwo Jima was the big battle, he says.
“Our main objective was to keep the
airstrip open,” he said. “It’s just a rock. Not
tree in sight.”
Getting to the island – getting to any of
the islands – for Jones was a worry.
“Me, not knowing how to swim, I was
really in trouble.”
At one point, trying to board the small
boats, he had to descend a rope ladder. He
missed the mark, fell into the water and the
next thing he knew, he woke up next to his
battle buddies. Someone, he doesn’t know
who, had pulled him out of the water.
For much of the war, Jones said he got
used to tolerating the racism and mistreat-
ment by his senior officers.
“Aboard the ship, they stripped all our
ammunition away from us,” he said, leaving
the Black soldiers only with the rounds in
their rifles. His superiors told them to ‘take
(bullets) off the bodies on the beach.”
“Well, I thought that was a poor answer,”
he said. “The Japanese weapons and our
weapons are different … Anyway, I got the
message. Later on I asked, ‘Why is it that all
the Afro-American units have White offi-
cers, and they said ‘That’s because they’re
used to taking care of slaves.’ I thought that
was a good answer. I thought that’s what
they would say.”
During R&R, he learned that his entire
unit was wiped out. The war was over for
him.
Spending years in the South Pacific, Jones
says he has many more stories to tell.
He continued his military service, making
a career out of it and was promoted to the
rank of sergeant.
Library
continued from page 1
they feel about library programs and servic-
es. It’s impacted by how the community
feels about those same things and what they
value. So I want to learn all of that. I’m also
geographically challenged so trying to fig-
ure out how to get around to each of
the libraries is going to take a little bit
longer.
the Skanner news:What are the
major challenges facing libraries in
general?
Marcellus turner: Libraries in gen-
eral across the country are facing a
couple of things: remaining relevant
and of value, which is not going to be
a hard one for the Seattle Public
Library because it is such a valued
library system. The second thing is
funding, trying to find stable funding.
And the third thing is trying to stay on
top of technology and where it is tak-
ing us in the library field in general.
the Skanner news: How is technology
affecting libraries?
Marcellus turner: We are moving into an
information age, where everything hinges
on knowledge and information. Where tech-
nology comes into play is that information
is now available at your fingertips and at
your earlobes because it’s coming at you
through all of your mobile devices; it’s
mobile in itself because you can take that
quest for information wherever you need to
go. So those are the types of things that we
are doing. And then everything is becoming
information, from how to build something
to directions to an event. All of that “is”
information and people want it when they
want it where they want it.
the Skanner news:There is a challenge
there in that not everyone can afford these
mobile devices.
Marcellus turner: Right and I think that’s
where the library plays a very crucial role
which is providing access to information for
those who do not have a means to get to
are reading is useful. Whether it is the back
of a cereal carton or if it’s a comic book,
then that is going to be valuable for them.
And then they will move on to reading other
things.
the Skanner news: What are you
reading at the moment?
Marcellus turner: I am reading a
couple of things – and one’s an audio
book. I’m listening to Push, the book
that the movie Precious was based on.
And I’m reading ‘Slow Love’ by
Dominique Browning. She was with a
major publishing house and she lost
her job. She was the publisher of
Conde Nast’s House and Garden mag-
azine. So the book is about her experi-
ence. And I’m reading a third book
called Giraffe. I’ve been reading it for
a while, so I apologize. I love Giraffe –
so that’s the first thing. I thought it was
going to be a bit more interesting that it was.
It’s about an experiment
where Giraffe’s were
moved from one country to
another to populate and
bring Giraffes as a zoo
item for a country.
Somewhere in this it goes
awry and I’m not sure
what happens. I haven’t
made it that far yet. That’s
what I’m reading.
the Skanner news:
Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Marcellus turner: Both. Giraffe is fiction.
Slow Love is a nonfiction. Actually it has a
full title. ‘Slow Love. How I lost my job,
put on my pajamas & found happiness.’
Push is fiction. And I just read a book about
the editor of Parade magazine who lost his
Libraries in general across the
country are facing a couple
of things: remaining relevant
and of value, which is not
going to be a hard one for
the Seattle Public Library ...
second thing is funding
information through a mobile device.
the Skanner news: What would surprise
people about what libraries are doing?
Marcellus turner: I don’t know if people
would be surprised at what we’re doing or if
it is more of an Aha.
Libraries are playing an important role in
connecting the community through, for
example, activities. That’s something
libraries have always done, but I think we
are going to see a lot more of that. Libraries
have an opportunity to partner with the
community, to really be a partner through
hosting events and offering our facilities so
that neighborhoods can come together.
the Skanner news: How can libraries
help get kids reading?
Marcellus turner: We can keep them
engaged and keep them involved. I think
people have to recognize that whatever kids
job and found happiness. So I’m not sure
why I’m on that track but I think I like it
because it’s more about how they found
happiness.
the Skanner news: In Portland, every
year the library and the colleges choose a
book that everyone can read together. Is
there a book that you would recommend
that everyone should read?
Marcellus turner: I’m laughing because
in fact it was the Seattle Public Library that
started the City Reads program. So it will be
exciting to go into that. But you know there
are just so many great books out there that I
couldn’t even begin to recommend one that
everyone should read. My favorites tend to
differ from others. But I find a lot of value
and interest in what others suggest so I’m
always happy to just hear what the book
title is and then read it.
the Skanner news: Anything else you
want to let people know?
I think people have to recognize
that whatever kids are reading is
useful. Whether it is the back of
a cereal carton or if it’s a comic
book, then that is going to be
valuable for them
Marcellus turner: I’d like to send a warm
‘hello’ to Vailey Oehlke, (director of
Multnomah County Libraries).And I’d like
her to know that I’m very glad that I’ll be
in the same part of the country.
June 1, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 3