Capital journal., April 21, 1945, Image 12

1
12 Capital, Journal, Salem,
it Serving
Edited by
While others of Uncle Sam's soldiers are marching in on the
Germans, Tech. 5 Robert H. Eckley drops in on them from the
sky and hopes to take them by surprise. When the ground troops
were crossing the Rhine on barges and bridges, Eckley, son ol
Mr. and Mrs. Junior Eckley, boarded a plane, hopped across the
Rhine and then dropped down;
with enough equipment to at
tack the Nazis.
The technician, a member of
the 17th Airborne division, is
not one of those who fears the
consequences of the number 13,
but rather believes it to be his
lucky number. The Rhine jump
was his 13th jump and he trad
ed planes with the- man ahead
of him so that he could be the
13th man to jump from his
plane, which was the second in
the formation.
Telling of his jump across
the Rhine Eckley says: "We
were taken from the rest camp
by army van to a railroad sta
tion, where we boarded box
cars with our equipment and
had a cold ride for 24 hours to
'a town.' We got there about 3
or 4 a. m. and were again load
ed onto truck vans and taken to
Robert H. Eckley
Writes to Cherrians
Salem officer receiving a sur
prise, when he opened his March
copy of the Salem Cherrian was
Capt. Harry Carson, the pic
ture of whose small daughter,
along with those of other Sa
lem servicemen was published
in that issue.
The captain, now stationed on
Okinawa, in writing to the
Cherrians, told of his apprecia
tion of the paper, which pub
lishes home town news for the
men overseas and mentioned
that the Seventh division of
which he is a member had in it
four Salemites, Maj. Bob Good-
fellow, Lt. Bob Brownell and
"a fellow named Tucker."
Carson stated that the men
on the island had been under
going terrific enemy artillery
barrages lately and noted that
the Japs seemed to have excel
lent observation and to know
how to use the "stuff."
Describing the Island Itself,
the officer pictured it as a
place that could be very pleas
ant if it were not for the Nips.
The climate was said to re
semble 'that of Oregon in the
spring, warm and clear in the
day times and with just the
right amount of frost at night,
which to the men is a real treat
after spending a long time in
the tropics.
Agriculture was said to be the
chief occupation in the island
with the fields small, very neat
and well Irrigated. The principal
crops are cane grains and vege
tables with some livestock on
the island. The natives, who
have fled to the hills, were de
scribed as seemingly more doc
ile and backward than the true
Jap,
Salem Marines Home
Two Salem marines, Second
L,t. Allen R. Semb and Pfc
Walter A. Rutherford, recently
returned from the Pacific.
Lt. Semb, home on leave af
ter serving as a fighter-bomber
pilot with the "Flying Deuces"
first marine air wing squadron,
made a direct hit on a ware
house on Mindano and strafed
an airfield on that island. He
also took part in bombing and
strafing sweeps over Cebu and
Negros and hit military objec
tives on Luzon. From his base
on Green Island he had previ
ously sunk two Jap barges in
Simpson harbor, near Rabaul,
on New Britain. Smith, who
has flown 100 missions, and has
logged 300 combat hours, got
five more in waters near Ka
vieng. He is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Anton Semb of 946
Belmont street.
Rutherford, the son of Mrs.
L. M. Rutherford, route 7, Sa
lem, last served with the first
marine division, and wears the
Purple Heart ribbon for wounds
received in the battle for Pel
eiiu. He is a former student
of Salem high school.
Dutch New Guinea Second
Lt. Edward W. Reindl, son of
Mrs. Emmet W. Reindl of
Florence, Oregon, has been
awarded the Purple Heart med
al for wounds received in action
with General MacArthur's lib
eration forces near Rosario, Lu
ton, Philippine Islands.
k V
Ore., Saturday, April 21, 1945
Uncle Sam
Margaret Mace
an airport.' There we spent
a few days getting ready for
the big thing: being briefed
looking at maps of the area we
were to jump into and really
going down to fine details. We
were told our expected oppo
sition and knew the whole
score.
"Finally 'D' day eame, March
24, and we got up awfully ear
ly and started getting ready
for our big experience. We
went out to the planes and made
our last minute preperations
putting on our equipment and
parachutes. We entered the big
C-46's (first ones to ever be
used in an airborne operation)
and took off about 'blank' o'
clock in the mornong.
"The planes circled around
until all were off the air port
and into formation, then we hit
into an asmeth toward our drop
zone. Finally our crew began
putting on their flak suits and
we knew we were getting near
to our objective. Previous to
this, around a half hour from
the Rhine, huge formations of
English gliders and planes came
in from our left to assist in our
spearhead. The sky was filled as
far as you could see with planes
and gliders, all heading toward
Germany. Then we got the
word from the pilot to stand
up. We did so, checking our
equipment for the last time
Suddenly we got the green light
and there was a mad scramble
for the door."
In telling of the drop the Sa
lem man said that flak filled
the sky with the German ma
chine guns firing like water
spurting from a hose and that
a sort of smokey haze covered
the ground where the artillery
was making black dugouts all
over the green pastures.
On hitting the 'ground Eckley
said that he rolled over on his
back and looked up into the air
where he could see the C-46's
still unloading troops and glid
ers being cut loose and starting
their descent. The gliders
were followed all- the way
down by flak, some being hit,
others crashing into barns, trees,
house and power lines and still
others coming in for a three
point landing with no tails,
wings ripped off, the sides out
of them and the hulks filled
with holes. Men, however, were
still jumping out of them and
on landing started taking
charge of the situation. Also
landed were light British air
borne tanks, jeeps, motor cy
cles, field guns and other
equipment. Forced to make a
crash landing were two of the
C-46's that were on fire.
According to the Salem para
trooper the Germans were ex
pecting the airborne army, as
they had positions already dug
in the drop zones for miles
around. At the time of the
landings, however, they were
not in them, but in farm hous
es lazying around writing home,
shaving and relaxing.
With the Nazis caught una
wares, the doughboys and the
British had within an hour or
so cleaned out the positions and
the houses and had taken a
few hundred prisoners, as well
of the enemy's ack-ack batter
ies, artillery, trucks, motorcy
cles and other equipment.
With most of the opposition
in the area wiped out the allies
were within a short time using
the prisoners and captured ve
hicles to their advantage.
Equipment bundles were pick
ed up and after putting up the
hospital tents and doing other
rough jobs they drove on to
their objective from where they
spearheaded the drive.
Lt. and Mrs. George Neuner
Jr., who have been spending the
past week at the home of her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Peck,
in Astoria, returned home on
Thursday. Lt. Neuner's fleet
unit, with which he has been
serving for more than a year
on the southwest Pacific, is
now at a Pacific coast port.
Mrs. Neuner is making her
home here while he Is in the
naval service.
Jefferson Mr. and Mrs. T.
P. Harris have received
four letters from their son,
Pvt. Arthur Harris, since
he has been in a German
prison camp. He is working
in a sawmill there, and has been
in the prison camp for almost
two months. Another son,
Pitchlynn Harris, AMMIC, who
has been in the service over
four years, left for overseas
duty early in March, from Point
Mugu, Calif. He is machinist
mate with the ground crew.
Mr. and Mrs. A. Wilson have
received word that their son
Clarence Wilson, SOM3C, who
was stationed at Dearborn,
Mich., for a short time after
over two years of overseas serv
ice, now is at the receiving ship,
general detail, San Francisco,
Calif.
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Robert Lloyd Riches (left), son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd T. Riches
of Salem and Joseph Raymond Bittler (right), son of Mr. and Mrs.
Ben Bittler of Mt. Angel, who were among those completing their
bombardier training at the Carlsbad, New Mexico, army air field,
April 19. Riches was commissioned a flight officer and Bittler, a
second lieutenant. (Air corps photo.)
41st Infantry Division
Takes 136,200 Square Miles
Hq., 41st Infantry Division, the Philippines In a combat
crowded total of 34 historic days the 41st infantry division has
swept the Japanese forever from an area of 136,000 square miles
rectangled across the western 8
and southwestern approaches to
the Philippines.
In a large sense, the gains
scored during these jack-hammer
drives are as sensational as
any yet achieved in the Pacific
war by a single division in a
limited time, for by accomplish
ing four distinct and resounding
ly successful amphibious opera
tions in 34 days, the 41st has
established a record unequaled
in World war II.
The first of the series of light
ning lunges made by the veter
ans of three years of overseas
service was arrowed at string-bean-shaped
Palawan, western
most isle of the Philippines. The
strike, on February 28, rocked
the Japanese by surprise and the
island was conquered. A second
punch, directed by Maj. Gen.
Jens A. Doe, himself, was the
initial Invasion of Mindanao.
Landing in the teeth of deter
mined opposition, the 41st
staved in stout enemy defenses
Walter Meyer Wood, son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Wood of 570
North 21st street, who was com
missioned an ensign in the naval
reserve and designated a naval
aviator at exercises held recent
ly at the naval air training base
at Pensacola, Fla. (Navy photo.)
Senator Carl A. Hatch
of New Mexico
Pays tribute to Press and Radio for the manner
in which they handled the news of the death of
President Roosevelt. Senator Hatch told the
Senate:
anga peninsula.
Accelerating the pace, an ele
ment of the division hit Ba
silian island, March 16, in three
days completely secured it. On
April 2, the 41sters landed on
the off-end tip of Tawitawi and
seized control more rapidly than
they did on Basilian.
In this four-ply push the
highlights of the 41st accomp
lishments are: The two air
dromes on Palawan are within
fighter range of Indo-China and
a flat 1000 miles from Singa
pore the nearest allied ap
proach to the former British
bastion. From Palawan's pla
teau the South China sea is
completely dominated, and all
Japanese shipping between the
homeland and fabulously rich
Malaya, Java, Sumatra and Bor
neo automatically ceases.
The Sulu sea is now bounded
entirely by 41st jungleers. Be
low it the Celebes sea is for
ever condemned as is the
sprawling, windmill-shaped Cel
ebes isle. Borneo, almost visi
ble across the 30 miles from
Tawitawi, contains 25,000 hope
lessly rat-trapped troops.
On Palawan more than 1000
Nipponese were killed or scat
tered into the mountainous wil
derness to starve. On Zambo
anga a like fate was dealt and
two airfields were put to U.
S. use. The strong enemy force
on Jolo was doomed by com
plete encirclement. The garri
son on Tawitawi was snuffed out
like a guttering candle and its
two airdromes and wide naval
anchorage acquired.
This 1945 series of scythe
strokes through Japan's thefted
domain bests the record set last
year by this division, when,
within a span of 36 days the
41st broke the two-year-old Nip
grip on New Guinea.
In that series of strides up 900
miles of Guinea's tangled jun
gle, the 41st, between April 22
and May 27, smote and sprawled
the foe at Aitape, Hollandia,
Wakde and Biak.
HATS OFF TO RADIO!
"Press and radio friend and foe alike of the pre
vious administration through editorial com
ment, through the news services, and in every
possible way, rose to the occasion with a patriot
Ism never before witnessed In any country.
"Had the communications systems been di
rected and controlled, as they are in many coun
tries of the world, the tributes to the departed
Commander-in-Chief and the good will expressed
for the incoming president could not have shown
a more united spirit than was demonstrated here
in free America by concerted, purely voluntary
and wholely cooperative effort inspired only by
patriotic devotion to the country's welfare."
For World Wide News Keep Tuned to
1390 on your dial K S L M Don Lee M"8'
Family Church
Dinner Planned
Stayton The Stayton Metho
dist WSCS held its monthly
business meeting at the home
of Mrs. Ed Schlies with Mrs. A.
C. Stowell co-hostess.
Mrs. L. H. Wright, president,
conducted the meeting at which
it was announced the annual
summer school, sponsored by
the Oregon conference, would
be held at Pacific university in
Forest Grove, from August 19
to 24 inclusive.
This month's tea will be in
the form of a missionary tea
and will be held at the home of
Mrs. Ross Hughes on the after
noon of April 25 with the Lyons
WSCS as special guests. Mrs.
William Fair, and Mrs. D.
George Cole will be co-hostesses.
The speaker will be Al
len C. Wilcox, director of re
ligious education, Chemawa
campus church, U. S. govern
ment Indian school of Chemawa.
He will also speak at a cov
ered dish dinner at 6:30 o'clock
in the evening of the same day
at the Methodist church for the
those who cannot hear him in
the afternoon.
The quarterly no-host dinner
will be held April 23 at 6:30
o'clock in the Methodist church
basement. This is a family
church dinner.
Likes Salem News
How the old home town, the
products of the Willamette val
ley, and especially the Salem
Cherrian, official publication of
the Cherrians, are appreciated
by the boys overseas is well
expressed in a letter received
by King Bing Sidney McNeil
from Coxswain W. C. Hage
dorn of the Seabees, dated at
Samar, P. I., April 11. He
writes: "I really do enjoy read
ing the Cherrian, because of the
brief news items it carries of
'home' and of the men and
women in service. You are do
ing a good job with the pub
lication. Congratulations. Keep
it up.
"I have been' wanting to
write to someone for a long
time about the Salem products
I have seen in the southwest
Pacific and the Philippines. Our
outfit has eaten many, many
cans of Labish string beans, and
good old Willamette valley
prunes. And during my assign
ment in' New Guinea, the Ad
miralty islands, and the Phil
ippines I have seen ream after
ream of Western Paper Con
verting company mimeograph
and bond paper. If possible,
pass on to Lloyd Riches of West
ern Paper that I recommended
his firm to A. Z. Poticano of
Leyte, whom he has heard from
by this time, I'm sure, since I
have seen the reply Mr. Riches
sent back. So in a way I'm
sort of a Salem Chamber of
Commerce here. There will be
wonderful 'business opportuni
ties in the Philippines for Am
erican products after the liber
ation. The people here chave
American merchandise.
"So once again let me thank
you for your thoughtfulness in
sending me the timely Cherrian.
My brother, R. E. Hagedorn.
GH 3c, USS LCL 1052, FPO
San Francisco, has been out in
t J - V -4' .
- f S - :
P flits
X
Pfc. Robert S. Casteel, whose
patents, Mr. and Mrs. R. S.
Casteel, this week received word
from the war department that
he had been wounded in action
in Germany.
Edgerton Wounded
Salem officer wounded in ac
tion in the European theater is
Major Roy C. Edgerton, whose
wife, the former Shirley Even
son, of 495 North Summer
street, received word this week
that he had been slightly wound
ed in action April 7, while serv
ing with the 19th corps field
artillery of the 9th army in Ger
many. Edgerton, overseas since July,
1944, before entering the ser
vice was connected with t he
Oregon state highway commis
sion. Spending a two week fur
lough with her mother, Mrs.
Alex Slater of 2349 Myrtle ave
nue, will be Pvt. Velma Mc
Namara, Wac now on duty at
the Seattle port of embarka
tion, where she is a statistical
clerk in the control division of
the transportation corps. Pvt.
McNamara, prior to entering the
Wacs in September, 1944, was
a teller and bookkeeper at the
Union, Oregon, branch of the
First National bank.
Salem Seabee stationed in the
Philippines is Seaman 2c Glenn
Orville Lewis.
the Marshalls a good many
months, and would probably
like to receive the Cherrian too.
if possible."
1
A whale of a lot of energy
- Is needed to haul in fish;
So the Master Bakers supply it
In a very tasty dish.
MtW' W5
Band to Play
Blossom Day
Observation of Blossom day
Sunday will center on the Sa
lem high scnool band 'concert,
scheduled to 3 o'clock on the
west steps of the state capitol,
weather permitting. The band
is conducted by Vernon L. Wis
carson. Blossoms in valley orchards
are going to be at their best
Sunday, and while no routes of
travel have been? set up on ac
count of war restrictions on
gasoline, it is expected that
some motorists will use a bit of
vehicle fuel for a drive about
the valley.
The program for the band
concert follows:
St. Julien March. Hughes: Grandiose
Overture, De I.amater: Rythmoods. El
inzton: Children'a March. Goldman;
Swanee. Gersnwln: In a Persian Mar
ket, Ketelby: Polnclana. Simon; Clap
Yo Hands, Gershwin; Amparlta Roca.
Texldar.
Intermission.
Booster March. Klein: I'm OettlnB Sen
timental Over You, Washington: There's
Something About a Soldier, Arr Yoder:
Louisiana Hayride. Dletz: Powerhouse.
Scott; stars and Stripes Forever, Sousa;
Star Spangled Banner.
Pyle's Signature
Stolen from Book
San Francisco, April 21, (U.R)
Newspapermen of San Fran
cisco learned Friday that the
signature of the late Ernie Pyle,
famous war correspondent, ap
parently had a great attraction
for a "meanest thief."
When Pyle went through San
Francisco recently to his last
assignment he visited the San
Francisco press club and signed
the following in the club guest
book, "Ernie Pyle: Destination:
"God Knows Where."
Today club members went
to the guest book to photograph
the signature for their annual
magazine.
The signature has been stol
en page and all.
Seventeen-year-old Clifford
J. Remington of. route 3, enlist
ed in the marine corps April
18 and left for the San Diego
"boot" camp immediately fol
lowing his enlistment.
Assigned to the AAF train-
ing command radio school at'
Enriched!
1
Sioux Falls army air field,
Sioux Falls, S. D., for training
as a radio operator is Pvt. Rob
ert E. Erickson, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Gustave S. Erickson of
1800 State street. The air corps
man, a graduate of Salem high
school, was with the Salem fire
department before entering
service.
Meet in Europe
Stationed in Salem in the fall
of 1942 as a special service of
ficer with a unit of the 44th di
vision, Lt. Lawrence Scheftel,
who when here knew Mrs. Clif
ton Mudd, crossed a continent
and the Atlantic ocean to meet
her son, Lt. William Mudd.
Both Lt. Scheftel, with the
intelligence section of the army,
and Lt. Mudd, have been over
seas for several months. They
met April 5 when both were in
Paris, Scneftel wrote to Salem
friends in a letter dated April 6
and received here Friday.
Scheftel, a New Yorker, had
gone to the oculist in Paris
and was registering with the
nurses when an officer stepped
up and gave his name as Lt.
Mudd. On questioning Mudd
the easterner learned that he
was from Salem. The two had
lunch together and spent two
hours with each other. Telling
of- the Salemite Scheftel stated
that he was well decorated anja
mentioned that he was passing
through Paris on his way back
to his outfit after a leave spent
in England.
Riding a General Sherman
tank up the jagged rock of hill
382 on Iwo Jima and helping
knock out the Japs dug in on
the ridge was a marine from
Salem, Sgt. James F. -Snook of
route 4.
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