The Michigan chronicle. [volume], December 25, 1943, SECOND NEWS SECTION, Page PAGE THIRTEEN, Image 13

About The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
PRE-FLIGHT CHECK-UP
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Checking their sectional chart before a routine cross-country
flight in one of Tusk ogee's many liaison trainer planes are these
Field Artillery officers who recently received their pilot ratings
and wing* at the Tuskegee Army Air field. Shown scanning the
map from left to right are: 2nd Lt. Elwood A. Smith. New Orleans.
La.; Ist Lt. Scott K. Cleaget Hamden. Conn.; 2nd Lt. Sterling K.
Jackson. Chicago. I1L; and 2nd LL Wendell W. Long. Champaign.
Illinois. n.
INSIDE ITALY
By SCT. (AMES SANDERS
“Dear Public: All of you have
read with fascination the almost
mythical exploit* of the British Bth
army; you doubtless have wanted
to take some of it* components
apart to see what makes them tick.
But to understand and appreciate
these men one must “know” them
at a closer range than five thousand
miles. Among those that I have met
Is a young corporal from Yorkshire
who was at Dunkirk. He was also
with the fabulous Bth when they
chased Rommel’s vaunted Afric
korps across the width of all North
Africa, and he was.with them when
the allies crushed Sicily.
We, the 23-year-old Tommie, and
I, rode in the back of a topless
V S. weapons carrier. It was eve
ning and we had to talk rather
loud in order to hear each other
above the rumble of the dodge
Kwered vehicle and the distant
t continuous detonations of field
pieces.
“What,” I asked, “is your opinion
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LOANS
PROVIDENT
LOAN A SAVINGS SOCIETY
Newest
Downtown Office
1308 BROADWAY
603 Tobin Bldg.
Phono RA 2542
a **ke theermM*
tor that "— dU
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TfMrS RlCHT—there’* no sub
•titute for TIME in producing a fine beer
of exquisite bouquet and rich, delicious
goodness. That's why Fox De Luxe tastes
so very good! It's aged—'thoroughly aged
—until every golden drop is matured and
with resty tang, yet
never bitter, never sweet—just wonder
fully smooth in balanced flavor.
sot D* Lai* liaf Ca>
Qra*d N«H*. Mtc*
FOX DE LUXE
Fully Afsti la Peak «f Flawr P#rf«ct«#fi
of Jerry?” “They are a bunch of
yellow (censored); every damn one
of them. They are dangerous
though, and can be pretty disgust
ing at times. The Jerry here is much
different from the chaps we en
countered in the earlier days of the
African campaign. Their arrogance
was insulting, and they sincerely
believed that they could ‘blitz’ us
out of the war " He inhaled deeply
from an American cigarette and
smiled. “But these (censored),” he
continued, “are all shells; their ar
rogance is little more than pretence.
They know’that. how do you say it?
The Jig is up." Then they added.
“They are none the less dangerous
though. 'Hie only good Jerry is a
dead one."
Always An England
But what I started out to report
is what makes these Tommies of the<
Bth tick They know that there will
always be an England. They know
that they will not lose because they
it so. All of this is the com
posite of an innate love and devo
tion to the homeland, of training
and experience, and the red badge
of courage that has come down to
them through the centuries from
William. That and the determina
tion that what happened in occu
rred European countries will not
happen to the freedom loving peo
ples of the world is the dynamic
that makes theirs a niche in history
that will dwarf that of the legions
of Caesar and Napoleon.
In spite of that none of them are
supermen nor do they consider
themselves such. They are all aver
age fellows with the same desires,
the same ambitions, the same emo
tions, and all in all the same de
gree of weaknesses as those who
fight around them in the same
cause.
Just as Johnnie Gee Eye. they
all want to get the war over but
mjJckly. They want to oat hack
mlJnlthey can drink their 4 o’clock
tea without being interferred with
by dive bombers and Sts. They want
to get back to Yorkshire and Lan
caster just as we want to get back
to Paradise Valley and Harlem.
They want to hear Big Ben Just as
we want to hear the Liberty Bell.
With such oneness of thought and
desire and determination, we will
all heil Hitler with every gun that
you send to us. Believe me to be,
as always, Jimmy S.”
Charles A. Hill Jr.
Completes Training
TUSKEGEE ARMY AIR FIELD.
Ala—Aviation Cadet Charles A
Hill Jr., son of Rev. and Mrs. Charles
A. Hill of 1660 W Grand boulevard,
recently completed his pre-flight
training at the Tuskegee Army Air
Field and has been assigned to the
66th Flying Training Detachment
of Tuskegee Institute, Ala. where
he will begin actual flying. He at
tended the Detroit Institute of
Te<*hnology from 1840 to 1843.
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Ntgroii I* Hm Army
On Tl»« Battle Front
Women In Tim Warn
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1943
Navy Admits Done Miller Is •
Missing In Southwest Pacific
The Navy Department this week
confirmed reports that Doric Miller,
first Negro bluejacket hero In this
war. Is “missing In action” in the
Southwest Pacific. His next of kin.
Mr. and Mrs. Conery Miller, Waco,
Tests*, have been notified.
Miller, a strapping, 200-pound
former fullback from Waco’s Moore
high school, was awarded the Navy
Cross by President Roosevelt for
“distinguished devotion to duty
extraordinary courage and dis
regard for his own personal safety
during the attack on the fleet in
Pearl Harbor. Territory of Hawaii,
bv Japanese forces on December 7.
1041.”
At the same time. Miller received
a letter of commendation from the
Secretary of the Navy and was
advanced in rating from mess at
tendant. third clast, to mess attend
ant. first class. In addition. Blue-
Jacket Miller has received the
American Defense Service Medal
the Fleet Clasp and the Asiiatoc-
Pacific Campaign Medal.
Gets Navy Cross
Admiral Chester W Nimltz.
commander-in-chief of the Pacific
fleet, personallv presented the Navy
Cross to Miller in ceremonies
aboard a United States warship in
the Pacific on May 27. 1042. Pin
ning the bit of ribbon and cross of
bronze on the sailor's breast, he
described his act of heroism on the
U S.S. Arizona during the Japanese
attack or the Pearl Harbor naval
base, and complimented Miller on
being the first representative of his
race to be so honored in this war.
He then read the citation which
said:
“While at the *ide of his captain
on the bridge. Miller, despite enemy
strafing and bombing and in the
face of a serious fire, assisted in
moving his captain, who had been
mnortally wounded, to a place of
greater safety, and later manned
and operated a machine gun di
rected at enemy Japanese attacking
aircraft until ordered to leave the
bridge.”
Fight Explained
Later, in January. 1843. while
visting the U. S. Naval Training
Station at Great Lakes. TTI, Blue
jacket Miller explained that the
Pearl Harbor Incident marked his
first experience with a machine gun.
Addressing hundreds of Negro blue
jackets who are now being taught
at Great Lakes to handle such
weapons. Miller said:
“It wasn’t hard. I just pulled the
trigger and she worked fine. I had
watched the others with these guns.
I guess I fired her for about 15
minutes at those Jap plane*. They
were diving pretty close to us.”
Trained at Nerfelk
Miller, whq waa born October 12,
1819. left his father’s small Waco,
Texaa. farm on September IC. ltd.
zss&tssttssrisz
Ha was sent to the Naval Training
Station at Norfolk. Vs.. and then
was assigned to the U S. Arizona
on which he served until the morn
ing of the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor. #
Official reports reveal that he
arose at 6 a m., on the morning of
December 7. and was collecting
laundry when the alarm for general
quarter* founded. He headed for
hi* battle station—the anti-aircraft
battery magazine amidships—only
to discover that torpedo damage
already had rendered it untenable.
So he went on deck where—because
of his powerful size—he was imme
diately assigned to the task of carry
ing wounded to places of greater
safety. An officer ordered him to the
bridge to aid the mortally wounded
captain. Miller heloed remove the
dying officer and then returned to
the machine gun.
Served New Ship
Since Pearl Harbor. Miller has
been assigned to various other naval
vessels Shortly before he was re
ported missing in action, he was
serving aboard the Aircraft Carrier
Liscome Bay which was sunk by
enemy action in the Southwest
Pacific on November 24. 1843.
Miller’s parents live at Route I.
Box 161, Waco. Texas. The missmg
hero has three brothers, one a pri
vate in the U. S. army.
Detroiter With
Negro Sailors
At Navy School
CHICAGO—(ANP>—Sixty sailors
carefully chosen from Great Lakes
Ships company personnel arrived
at Bainbridge. Md.. December 13.
and began study as the first Negro
squad to attend the physical in
structors school.
Included in the first squad of
Negroes to attend the school are:
Paul I* Butler. Robert L. Jeffer
son and Boned Shaw of Detroit.
Mich.; Andrew L. Ball, George W
Owens and Laurence C. Walker of
Gary. Ind : Alonzo J. Taylor. Rich
mond. Ind : # Harold M Mitchell.
David J. McCray and Samuel E
Waters, New York City; James A.
Parks and Ix*on Burke, Topeka,
Kans., and Marvin W. McKnight*
Parsons. Kans.
MORE
SCRAP
W
Means More EMPLOYMENT
More PLANES. More CUNS
To Sirs Democracy!
Old auto parts, feaea wire,
roof gnttera. broken ma
chinery ia fact anything
that contains Iron nr metall
DO YOUR PART AND GET
CASH FOR YOUR SCRAP
JONES IROnTmETAL CO.
Cor. Wyoming end Southern
Near Michigan Ace.. Dearborn
Oregon 8040
MlwifeM
MISSING HERO WEARING MEDAL
» H > / xijfir. jff' y, - •■"■>►■ ♦ •••' *
Dorie Miller, hero of Pearl Harbor, reported missing in action, is
shown hero wearing the Navy Croes he received in a ceremony
at Pearl Harbor, May 27, 194 L—Official U. S. Navy photo.
Race Hero In Italy
Wins Purple Heart
By JAMES A. SANDERS
(ANP War Correspondent)
SOMEWHERE IN ITALY—(ANP)
—Private Thurman D. Ramsey, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ramsey,
416 East Thirty-first street, Chicago,
has been awarded the Purple Heart
for injuries received as the result
of enemy action. Private Ramsey
was wounded by shrapnel during an
FORMING NEGRO
pwhhmwew
CHICAGO (ANP) Negro sol
diers are being formed into para
troop units. Those in position to
know but who preferred not to be
quoted, said they expected the unit
to be activated about January 1.;
It is further reported that the unit
will be the 501st Parachuite bat
talion and that it will be stationed
at Camp Mackall, N. C.. with all
Negro personnel.
Apparently there are Negro para
trooper units already but this is
the first one which will have all
Negro officers. Some of the crack
officers in several Negro regiments
have been asked to volunteer to
serve as officers of this outfit and
have accepted.
Two Detroiters
Rated Experts
EVERETT. Wash.—Two Detroit
soldiers, both members of an avia
tion squadron stationed at Paine
Field, have completed one of the
arms qualification courses of the
United States army and qualified
as sharpshooters with the .22 caliber
rifle
The two men are Corporal Dennis
L. Gibson, husband of Mrs. Florence
Gibson of 8270 Beaubien street, and
Corporal Orpree Patton, son of Star
ling Patton of 1529 Lafayette street.
AS WE ENTER THE NEW YEAR WE
RENEW THE HOPE THAT YOUR AIM
AND OURS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED
IN ADVANCING OUR COUNTRY'S
CAUSE TO THE END THAT THE EQUAL
RICHTS OF MAN AND THE GLORY OF
THE INDIVIDUAL MAY BE PERMA
NENTLY ESTABLISHED WITH
PEACE ON EARTH
The Great Lakes
Mutual Insurance Co.
. DETROIT I. MICHIGAN
SECOND NEWS SECTION
air raid while posted as a sentinel
over a vital military installation.
The 23-year-old engineer was
born in Nashville, attended Wen
dell Phillips high school in Chi
cago. and at the time of his in
duction was assistant manager of
the Johnson Florist shop in Detroit.
Ramsey is the first enlisted man of
his outfit to be decorated. An award
of the Purple Heart to Lt. Norman
E. Andrews, white, Orangeburg.
S. C., of the same regiment pro
ceded Ramsey’s by a week.
Asked how he felt about his cos-
I Ambmy wmL **ShudkDk Writ rii
I those foyi would hsvs done the
same thing. When a fellow Is pogtoi
aa a guard, he doesn't quit his past
until properly relieved, does herjlh,
it was nothing. Got a match?*
H. M. DAVIS
REAL ESTATE
AND PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
8232 OAKLAND AVENUE
Tr. 2-9559 Tr. 1-9773
With Best Wishes
for Christmas and
the New Year
Versatile Negro
Seabees Praised
By Com. Officer
A navy construction battalion,
whose enlisted personnel is com
posed entirely of Negro volunteers,
has discharged a record list of
varied assignments in the South
Pacific, the Navy Department an
nounced this week.
Its reputation for versatility is
based on experience gained through
an unusual circumstance, according
to the battalion's executive officer,
Lt. Com. William W. Davis, civil
engineer corps. U, S. naval reserve,
whose home address is 815 East
Jackson |treet, Pensacola. Fla.
A shift of plans relieved the bat
talion of its original assignment
construction of a hospitalization
base—so that component detach
ments could be borrowed. Among
the construction jobs completed by
these detachments in the South
Pacific war zone were:
An extensive seaplane ramp.
A series of huge gasoline and fuel
storage tanks.
Scores of Quonset huts to house
aviation personnel.
Roads to serve U. S. marine opera
tions.
A landing field for fighter planes,
later enlarged to serve large bomb
ers.
A series of gun emplacements and
roads to them.
A complete lumber camo.
Other projects to which detach
ments of the battalion have been
assigned include the malarial con
trol program, servicing of marine
artillery and maintenance of ma
rine supply lines.
Of the battalion, now reassem
bled and ready for a new assign
ment, Lieutenant Commander Davis
said: “If there is a job those men
haven't had practice doing, I'd like
to know what it is."
They are among the nearly 10,000
Negroes serving with the Seabees.
which number 215,000 men in aIL
Society
Sports
State Aad National News
PAGE THIRTEEN
■WI ;( jSflli Him H
NADELLFURS /.. ’
i at** A'*^***'
*a / /|/ r U MADE POSSIBLE BY HUGE
V/T VOLUME AND BUYING POWER.. . .
O W LOW RENT. SECOND FLOOR LOCATION
f RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE FUR DISTRICT
FUR COATS j
• Sable-dyed Muskrat .. $159
• Mink-dyed Marmot ...$159
• Grey-dyed Persian Paw. .$159
• Dyed Skunk Greatcoat. .$159
• Ocelot Paws $159
• Natural Ombre Muskrat $159
• Natural Cat Lynx $159
• Dyed Blue Fox
Creatcoat $159
• Silver-dyed Fox $159
• Let-Out Raccoon $159
Other. $67 To $895
LIBERAL TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE
A SMALL DEPOSIT
Holds Any Coot . . No Storage Chargo __ f
NAVfJ’eu#* *** a
OPIN DAIIT 9TO 9 • 9 -r mST Hi# \
OPIN SUNDAYS |»flU Q
Mai rvMi
n A U T. C S U • N \DCI I. FI RS ON THE AIR
II A.M, lo 3 r.M. UJRK . . Mm. thra FrL, It tUI It P.M
Mon thro Sat.. II « UM Noon
• ants Ntghilv on tlio *‘lator-Ra«lal A
(iooCwlU Hoar" on WJLR M
Negro Soldiers Building
‘Road To Tokio In India’
By EVELIO GKILLO
(ANP War Correspondent)
SOMEWHERE IN
—They’re building a road out India
way, a good road, a road which, to
all appearances, will be a vital fac
tor in the final conquest of Japan.
Eventually, according to official re
leases, this road wIU join the old
Burma road to become an important
artery of supply for war-starved
China. Before that Junction is made,
territory now occupied by the
Japanese must be traversed by the
‘ buildingest” engineers ever to set
foot in this country.
The route over which the road
winds itself goes over some of the
most difficult terrain imaginable
The country is all mountainous, and
it receives, according to some au
thorities. the heaviest rainfall in the
world. Added to this, during the
early days of the task, were the
difficulties imposed by shortages of
supplies and equipment here at
"the end of the line.” logistically
speaking. This has been no glamour
boy job. and it has certainly not
been a pushover.
Many Hardships
Building this road has meant,
literally, the leveling of mountains,
the moving of millions of tons of
earth. It has meant sloshing around
in veritable seas of mud for weeks
on end. weeks during which it was
all but impossible to remain dry
over half a day at the time. It has
meant groping around in ever
present clouds of dust during the
dry spells. It has meant steaming
in the humid monsoon heat and
baking under a merciless tropical
sun. It has meant a ceaseless and
often unsuccessful struggle to avoid
contracting one of the numerous
tropical diseases which plague us
here—malaria, dongue, dysentery,
and the dreaded black water fever,
among others.
It has meant ttfe pulling of minor
miracles by maintenance crews in
order to keep the heavy equipment
in operation In a situation where
it has been difficult and often im
possible to procure replacements
for outworn parts. It has meant a
consistent struggle against rain
swollen streams to get necessary
bridges bult and to keep those com
pleted from being washed away. It
has meant almost forgetting, for
weeks, that such a word as recre
ation existed. It has meant con
tending continually with landslides,
cave-ins, and washouts. Take it
from the men who have worked on
iff
TERMS ARRANGED
it for a year, thla road hat been ne
push-over.
Nor has this gigantic project
been carried out without ita toll
of heroes, unsung and undecora tad
though they be.
There was Pfc. Herbert L. Simma,
from Wilson. N C„ who lost bit
life, though not Us fight to keep a
bridge from beirv wkshed away,
when he slipped into the twirling
waters of a sfrollpjt mountain
stream while attempting to clear
away the debris which was threat
ening to undermine one of the pier*
of the bridge. And Albert Allen,
technician fifth grade, from New
York City. who. unmindful of per
sonal danger, attempted to rescue
Simms, but succeeded only in shar
ing his fate. There are those like
Sgt. John P. Powell of Washington.
D. C., who have succumbed to the
ravages of one or several of the
tropical diseases against which pre
caution must be taken continu
ally by every soldier in this theatre.
Many others, not known personally
to the waiter, have paid the extreme
price in the service of their country,
as this road has inched along.
Many Making Recerda
All the heroes, moreover, have
not been those who are no longer
with us. but who. rather, are now
enjoving their pride in assignments
brilliantly carried out. We refer to
men like Sgt. Randolph Hill, from
Hickory, Miss., and Sgt. Quincy
Bordeaux, from Norristown, Pa.,
who have performed so remarkably
with the dozers that they have be
come known throughout this area.
In like manner. Cpl. Sterling Hath
cock. from Dayton, Ohio, made his
mark. “Stumpy." as his buddies call
him, operated the leading dozer on
the road for three months and early
earned the reputation of an opera
tor “who could put a dozer where
a dozer just couldn't be put"
Then ther> is M-Sgt. William F.
Wright of Washington. N. C. (class
of ’4l, N. s C. A. & T), who for
months was the enlisted man super
vising the actual • cutting of the
road, or T-Sgt Edward F. Clark,
from New York City (class of '4O,
Oilumbia U.). who has done the
greater part of the surveying re
quired at this base Sergeant Clark
is perhaps the most widely known
and respected non-com on the road.
His reputation as a thorough and
skilled surveyor is such that re
quests for his services are often
received from higher headquarters.
He is at present engaged in the taafc
of supervising the mapping; of the
completed road.