The Michigan chronicle. [volume], January 29, 1944, SECOND NEWS SECTION, Page PAGE ELEVEN, Image 11

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

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
Marine Officer Throws Colored Crew Off Of Train
Ipbw Battle Of Coral Sea
I Saved Negro Infantry
V By FLETCHER P. MARTIN
Combined Mefro Praia)
©UADALCANAL—(Via Airmail)
mJthe Battle of the Coral Sea. near
ly: two years old. did more than
•top the Japanese southward thrust.
|| saved from possibly annihilation
• Negro infantry force, among other
tfoops, which would have found it
difficult.'almost impossible, to
•land up under the enemy s over
whelming numbers and material.
Jfthis is the opinion of ranking army
Sneers approached on the subject.
less than a month follow
ing a very ‘red’ alert, this unit was
in the New Hebrides (May 4. 1942)
following entrainment from Fort
Banning, Ga., and embarkation from
Somewhere along the west coast of
America. Defenses were hurriedly
put up and the unit awaited what
peemed the almost inevitable.
The enemy was known to be
tm?hing southward. After his land
ings on Rabaul (New’ Britain) in
January, 1942, his forces moved
down through the Solomons toward
the southeast. Bougainville, Munda
cm New Georgia, each base was
fortified enroute. With a large naval
force he continued south through
the Solomons Islands and Louisiade
archipelago. Tulago. north across
the channel from Guadalcanal was
occupied. The fleet continnued
South.
The enemy’s strategy could w’ell
be understood. Cut off the Allied
supply route from America to
Australia. The New Hebrides had
become our perimeter of defense.
South of these islands lay New
Caledonia, the South Pacific out
fost guardlrrj the essential life line.
f this were cut off the enemy
would control the Southwest Pacific.
True, we hari landed troops in Afts
tralia. but Australia was nearly a
thousand miles away.
Time was the important element.
If the job was to be done, it had
to he done quickly. America was
sending troops into the Southwest.
On March 17. 1942, the War Depart
ment announced landings in Aus
tralia On April 26. it was offlral-
Jy announced that American forces
had landed on New Caledonia. The
enemy had to move, and quick.
The distance between enemv
holdings in the Salomons and the
American defenses on New
Hebrides was roughtly RSO miles A
few hours by aircraft, or two davs
by fast ship. The troops on the
Hebrides w ere America's hope to
Have off the attack, holding fort
Until reinforcements arrived It was
• ticklish business, a sera us busi
ness.
Alrpower Saved Infantry
On May 4, the Negro infantry ar
rived. The ships wore unloaded,
weapons and ammunition rushed
Cff. gun emplacements constructed
—everything made readv for what
seemed the inevitable. The enemy
was coming, the men knew they
were coming, they were resigned to
the fate of holding on as long as
Foaaibla.
Two days later, just two days.
American and Australian air power
•truck the fleet- -It waa a swift and
deadly blow, a surprise which later
proved disastrous for the enemy.
A* one officer explained, the Amrri
rans had everything that could fly
In the air. Aircraft came from
everywhere. For five days the
enemy fleet was hammered In the
end the Japanese had lost 11 ves
sels sunk including one aircraft
carrier and one heavy cruiser This
led to the belief that the enemy had
hundreds of troops and plenty of
equipment. It is very doubtful
whether our small forces cou’d
have survived if such enemy power
had landed.
HEADS RACE SQUADRON
AVON PARK BOMBING RANGE.
Fla —First Sergeant Thomas Stub
blefield of Nashville. Tenn., is one
of two top-ranking enliMod men
selected to head a newly consolidat
ed group of base squadron troops.
It was announced.
rep
jv
SENATOR
DIGGS
FUNERAL
DIRECTOR
- #
689 MACK AVL
TE. 1-0898
. n
4» WAR LOAN
f BULLETS .... NOW
" BREAD .... LATER
New Assignments
Jlm
r —re ——~ ■»
«k»
Assigned to the Tuskegee Army
Air Field from Camp Lee. Va..
are 2nd Lts. James A. Shields
of 4724 Williams street, com
missioned April 2. 1943. and
Cecil B. Thomas of 6042 Brush
street, commissioned July IS.
1943. Lt. Shields is the son of
Nathan Shields and Lt. Thomas
is !he son of Mrs. Lillian
Thomas, both of Detroit.
Negro Auxiliary
Police Praised
By Florida OCD
A crack Negro auxiliary police
unit is included among the nine
companies of Hillsborough County's
Auxiliary police force in Tampa.
Fla. John H. Spencer, director of
Auxiliary Police training, said in
his annual report to the Office of
Civilian Defense this week, OCD
has announced.
The report, also submitted to
Police Chief McClelland in Tampa,
said that the full organization of
more than 400 men included four
companies in a mobile battalion,
two in traffic patrol service, and
one on motorcycle duty patrolling
military routes Another, a medical
unit equipped with a trailer,
stretchers and first aid equipment,
is manned by a doctor and male
nurse.
During 1913. the report said.
Auxiliary police reported for duty
1091 times and accumulated
10.086 man hours of service, the
equivalent of 1.261 eight-hour days
which based on police pay wou.d
have cost the city $7,318.
Hospital Enrolls
172 Nurse Cadets
With 172 students enrolled in the
US. Cadet Nurse Corps, the Grady
Memorial hospital School of Nurs
ing. Atlanta. Ga.. tops the nations
Negro nursing schools in corps
membership, according to a tabula
tion made January 15. 1944. by the
Division of Nurse Education of the
U S. Public Health Service. Federal
Security Agency.
There are 32 Negro schools of
nursing in the country. Of these. 21
have applied for participation in the
US. Cadet Nurse Corps program.
Eighteen haVe been approved: the
applications of the other three are
pending. Additional applications arc
exported. Approx imatcly J.SQD cadet
nurses haw enrolled in ttjfe ap
proved Negro schools of r.ursing
since the inauguratioi) of the pro
gram last July. It is estimated that
the total will be increased by 50
per cent when enrollment figures
for February, 1944, classes arc
tabulated.
Mrs. Gladys Dillard
- TEACHER OF -
PIANO-THEORY
Community Music
Center
544 ERSKINE STREET
10 AM. TO 5 PM.
Classes Open For
Beginners and Advance Students
CLASSES IN: SAXOPHONE. CLARINET. TROMBONE.
TRUMPET AND OTHER BRASS INSTRUMENTS
PRIVATE OR CLASS LESSONS
PHONES:
TE. 2-3203 FI. 7380 or TW. 2-M77, Re*.
LOSER IN DICE
GAME HAS RACE
CREW ‘REMOVED'
OGDEN, Utah,—(ANP)—lnvesti
gation of the removal of an entire
colored kitchen and dining crew
from the Union Pacific's main train,
69294, by a white marine lieutenant
and MP’s at Lynndyl, Utah, on Jan.
8. is being made, according to Fran
cis C. Franklin, secretary of an or
ganization known as the Western
Fair Employment Practice commit
tee.
The incident which resulted In
the removal of all colored members
of dining car and kitchen depart
ments is said to have started after
mealtime when the tables were
cleared and all members of the
crew joined in some form of rec
reation, this time craps, or ‘'dice.”
The white steward, whose name has
not been disclosed, is reported to
have participated w’hich cost him
approximately $45. a sum whicji he
did not enjoy losing.
He became angry about his loss.
Knowing that he could not possibly
whip the entire crew, he realized
that at least he could have his feel
ings assuaged by ordering them off
the train on a charge of insubordi
nation. failure to properly perform
their duties, or any number of
charges. Franklin contends. One of
the crew is said to have refused to
be removed, and angrily challenged
the steward, whereupon the stew
ard left the diner and returned w’ith
a young marine, second lieutenant
and a number of white MPs.
Lined Against Wail
After lining all of the colored
crew against the wall, the youthful
marine lieutenant tried out his
choice "cuss’’’ words, not forgetting
to use the word "nigger." as he said,
according to crew members:
* You damn 'niggers ’ought to be
all shot right here, but we will
give you a chance. At the next stop
I want you all to get off this train
and when you get off I want you to
start running, and run like hell, or
you mav be shot in the back."
No effort was reported to have
been made by the young marine of
ficer to investigate both sides of the
story. As the next stop, the crew
left. Charges of insubordination
were believed by W.. M. Jeffers,
president of the Union Pacific rail
road according to a bulletin issued
the following day. Jan. 9. to all din
ing car employes from Omaha:
RR. Presidents Statement
"On military train yesterday crew
of colored cooks and waiters not
performing work satisfactorily and i
one of the waiters attacked steward
with knife, after which steward ap
pealed to trjm commander who
found food unsatisfactory and ser
vice poor, and when steward told
him crew would not obey or do
anything ordered of them, and after
military officers had made inspec
tion of diner, the officers ordered
all waiters and cooks removed from
which was done at Lynndyl.
and hrulitary took charge of the
train.
"In connection with this case,
quote President Jeffers’ telegram
J-25 date:
"Referring removal on order U
S. Marine Corps officers in charge
Main Train 69294. Lynndyl Satur
day evening, account gross insubor
dination and threatened violence to
steward, of the entire crew’ of col
ored waiters and kitchen men diner
3633"
Jeffers allegedly ordered Supt
Hanson. DC&H department, to get
out by wire a bulletin to all DC&H
department officials, stewards and
supervisors about the case, describ
ing it. and distinctly saying that
the diner was taken over and "these
men removed on orders of the mil
itary officers in charge of the
train."
Discharge Threatened
"I want it distinctly stated and
brought to the attention of every
one of these colored employes in
Union Pacific dining car service
that this sort of conduct will not be
tolerated and that if there is any
repetition, they will be summarily
discharged and ordered off the
property at ihe nearest terminal
and they will not be given accom
modations or transportation." Jef
fers telegram quoted in the bulle
tin. said. “Make it clear to them
that this country is at war and they
may anticipate that if there is more
difficulty on these troop trains mil
itary authorities will take charge
and remove them from the service;
further that if there is any similar
repetition on regular passenger
trains I will instruct, that if it be
comes necessary, armed guards be
placed on each one of our diners to
maintain order "
"Many people involved by this
order and bulletin have been faith
ful employes of the Union Pacific
for a quarter of a century," de
clared Franklin. "They have come
west as pioneers just as members
of other races. They have made all
kinds of sacrifices to do so.”
Notwithstanding the loyalty of
many of these colored employes,
men who have answered the call to
return to work after being dropped
bv the company during the depres
sion. Jeffers said. "I am not going
to temporize with any such foolish
ness on the part of these crews, and
they are either going to maintain
a proper attitude at all times or get
out of Union Pacific service."
Gilbert W Haley, vice commander
of the local colored chapter of the
SECOND NEWS SECTION
SATURDAY. JANUARY 22, 1944
ENTERTAINING ENTERTAINERS
mMmtk
i JKk'' \
RrwMM t? 0 1 War Drpirtrm Ron«« of PihHe Rrlatmna
WHEN KAY KYSER and songstress Georgia Carroll entertained
the patients of the 297th General Hospital, Banning, California. Miss
Carroll found an accompanist right among the inmates. He is Private
Clarence Evans, of 29 Second Street, Winchester, Kentucky. (Photo
by U. S. Army Signal Corps.)
Fort Clark Wac Unit
Gets New Commander
FORT CLARK. Texas—Captain
Mary F Kcamrv. of Bridgeport.
Conn , has assumed command of
the WAC Section. 1855th Service
Command Unit, the War Depart
ment announced. Captain Kearney
Plane Crash At
Tuskegee Fatal
To Boston Youth
BOSTON—(ANP)—Cadet Judson
West. nephew of A tty. W. S. West
of Boston, was killed in a plane
crash at Tuskegee Army Flying
school on Wednesday, according to
communications which gave no de
tails of the fatal crash.
The 21-year-old cadet, son of Mr
and Mrs. Tracy West of Roxbury.
Mass, had enrolled at Tuskegee
Flying school 10 month* ago and
was in advanced training He was
mechanic at the Charleston Navy
Yard before reporting to Tuske
gee.
Pvt. Rosetta Gaines
Assigned To Brooklyn
FORT DES MOINES. la—Pvt.
Rosetta Gaines of 290 Farnsworth
street. Detroit. Mich., is included in
the group of Negro members of the
Women's Army Corps assigned to
duty at Brooklyn. N.. Y. •* •
She rcce.ved her WAC training
at First WAC Training Center. Fort
Des Moines. lowa.
RETIRES AFTER 30 YEARS
FORT SILL. Okla Sergeant J
R Carter, a native of Petersburg.
Ind. was recently retired from the
army after 30 years' war Sergeant
Carter enlisted in the infantry at
Jefferson Barracks. Mo. in 1913.
and remained an infantryman for
27 years. At the time of his retire
ment he was first serveant of the
354th Quartermaster Truck com
pany.
American I-egion and vice president
of the local waiters and cooks un
ion. has been appointed as one of
six members of the railroad inves
tigating committee, Franklin re
vealed
Do YOU Want A
GOOD JOB?
Ridley's rug cleaning dept.
LlSten, has * oin * good, steady jobs
open that pay well and offer
you a good future. No
e e e e #x p er i #n ce needed!
In Ridley's modern dry clean*
Listen s ing dept, you can make good
_ _ ___ - _ money at a job you'll like. No
Ms QwMP N T experience needed. Let's talk
Apply Employment Dept.
RIDLEY CLEANERS
5901 HAMILTON • at Holden
PAGE ELEVEN
succeeds First Lieutenant Geneva F.
Bland wh i as command
ing officer since the activation of
the unit in May. 1943.
A graduate of Howard university.
Washington. D C . Captain Kearney
began her military career in July.
1942. and was a member of the first
Officer Candidate School graduating
class at Fort Des Moines, lowa.
After receiving her commission she
was assigned to duty as an instruc
tor in the Motor Transport School
at the First WAC Training Center
at Fort Des Moines. Later she .** s
, transferred to Fort Huachuca, Anz.,
I where ahe served in the same ca
i pacity.
; In April. 1943, rhe war transferred
|to Fort Devens, Mass, where she
'served as commanding officer until
the WAC training center there was
dissolved in August.
Captain Kearney was encaged in
Y.W C A. work in Bridgeport before
joining the WAC.
‘Yellow Monkey’
Talk Protested
WASHINGTON. DC—The char
acterization of the Japanese as
"yellow monkeys" by Admiral Wil
liam F. Halsey in an interview at
his home in Centerville. Del., Jan
uary 15. was protested this week
by the NAACP which wrote Navy
Secretary Frank Knox that Halsey's
remarks disturbed our colored al
ly. China, and upset the morale of
American Negro citizens
Halsey was quoted as saying the
Germans should be defeated first
and then "we can polish off the
yellow monkeys."
Add Three To List Of
Critical Occupations
The job of electric arc welder and
high pressure vessel and piping
welder has been added to the list
of critical occupations, the War
Manpower Commission announced
today.
Added to the essential activities
list under Group No. 14. finishing of
metal products is the activity,
"heat treating."
Added to the essential occupa
tions Group No. 14. finishing of
metal products, are the occupational
titles: heat treater, all around;
• metallurgist, and inspector.
ASK R.J. THOMAS
TO STRENGTHEN
WAR VETS BILL
WASHINGTON.-! ANPt—Repre
sentatives of three leading Negro
organization* last week agreed to
ask the legislative committee? of
the Congress of Industrial Organi
zations to point out to Sen Elmer
Thomas of Utah that his bill <s-1509>
which would give veterans of World
War II an opportunity to secure
further educational trairing, now
contains certain weaknesses both
from the point of view of labor and
the Negro.
The group, meeting in the office
of George L. E. Weaver, director.
National CIO Committee To Abolish
Discrimination, on Monday, had a
spokesman from the N.A A C P., the
Washington Urban League, the Na
tional Council of Negro Women, and
the history department of Howard
university.
The six proposals:
Inclusion of a general statement
preventing discrimination on ac
count of race, creed, color or na
tional origin, applicable only to the
federal government.
The colleges and junior colleges
should select students who would
go on after the first year, even if
it should be necessary to leave se
lection for public schools after first
year to states. Federal government
might set minimum requirements.
Regional or state accredited .agen
cies should establish list of schools
which students might attend. The
fear here is that some private
schools might be omitted if selec
tion is left to states.
In order to permit,widest choice
of colleges and junior colleges by
students, allowances should include
travel.
The school year should be defined
in such way as to assure nine
months in all public schools.
Appropriate principles dealing
with auditing, penalties and distri
bution of funds amon-g minorities,
as contained in the Thomas federal
aid to education bill, should be in
cluded here.
No Income Tax On
Allotment Checks
Here are some tips for ttie hun
dreds of thousands of Negroes—
especially women—who must join
millions of fellow Americans in re
porting their 1943 income on or be
; re March 15.
Wives of service men who re
ceive allotment checks from the
government should not include
these payments on their income tax
returns. Moreover, if the husband
is entitled to -postponement of his
tax return, the wife is also entitled
to the same postponement if her
1943 income was less than $1,200.
Members of the armed forces serv
ing on sea duty or outride the con
tinental United States on March 15,
1944 need not file returns or pay
the tax until after they return, or
the war ends.
Oppose Rule For
Soldier Vote BUI
WASHINGTON. D C. Opposi
tion to a special gag rule in the
House on the Rankin "states rights"
Soldier Vote bill was expressed this
week by the NAACP in a letter to
Chairman Adolph J Sabbath of the
House Rules committee.
"This Association." the letter
said, "wishes to register its protest
against the type of bill that has
been reported. We also ask that
the rules committee refuse to grant
a rule under which House mem
bers will be limited in debate and
prevented from offering amend
ments."
CHAPLAIN IS ASSIGNED
FORT RILEY. Kans —Chaplain
'First Lieutenant) John Julian
Jenkins of Milton. Pa. was recently
assigned to serve the personnel.
Chaplain Jenk.ns came here direct
ly from the Army Chaplains school
at Harvard university. He is a
graduate of Columbia university.
BERKEY SHOPS
JANUARY CLEARANCE
OFFERINC AMAZINC VALUES IN
FUR TRIMMED COATS:
FORMERLY
SPORT i o $2995
CASUAL ™ F ~
DRESS 2 F $ 79 95
A CHANCE TO REPLENISH YOUR WARDROBE
ALL SUITS i OFF
— 1 -
For COLD WEATHER COMFORT
MAKE YOUR SELECTION AT A CREAT SAVINC
SELECTED 6ROUP of
WINTER
DRESSES
$395-5595
2408 HASTINGS STREET
CORNER VERNOR HIGHWAY
OPEN EVENINCS: MONDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
Supply Sergeant Winner
Of Army Legion Of Merit
At Fort Knox
llptM i w
fHI i .
jHH
■
%smm~ »Ml§
/ A JBBr' "V\jfJCTSjSjf
Pvt. Ulysses Grunt, husband of
Mrs. Lucille Grant of 1917 Can
field. and Pvt. Leroy Norris, son
of Mrs. Fannie Norris of 8222
Klinger, Hamtramck. are among
a group of Detroit servicemen
stationed at Fort Knox. Ky.
THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO INSPECT THE
PROSPECTUS
WAYNE COUNTY
BETTER HOMES, Inc.
(A MICHIGAN CORPORATION FOR PROFIT)
6,000 Sharea 5% Cumulative Preferred Stock
Par Vefcw SIO.OO
And — * r **
2,450 Shares Common Stock Par Value SIO.OO
OFFERING PRICE:
sinoo
P II Per Share
■ For Cither Clast
Copies of the PROSPECTUS, which contain a full descrip
tion of the securities and the corporate organization,
may be obtained from the office of
WAYNE COUNTY BETTER HOMES, Inc.
1727 St. Antoine Street. Detroit, Michigan
Telephone: Cadillac 1216
This advertisement is under no circumstances to be
Construed as an offering. The offering is
made only by the prospectus.
ALL WINTER
HATS
AND HAT AND
BAG SETS
\ off
By FLETCHER P. MARTIN
(Kaprvtantinf CombiMd Nagr* Ft«m)
GUADALCANAL—<Vu*. Airmail)
—A former night club cashier In
Montgomery. Aia., Master Sergeant
Al C. Irby, infantry, ia now an
Army Legion of Merit winner on
Guadalcanal. H.s story follows:
"I was the supply sergeant in
charge of some ammunition, among
other things,’ said Sergeant Irby.
Sometimes we had tu work day
and nigit to keep c--»st artillery
batteries supplied. That's about
all. ’
Brief, concise, to the point, he re
lated that story, but the citation
added much more. It read that the
sergeant and his men traveled 60
miles through dense jungles, over
bad roads between posts. Further,
he had “displayed initiative and
originality” in construction of na
tive-like shelters to protect essen
tial supplies from adverse w-eather.
During that time the base, south
of the Solomons, was threatened by
Japanese forces which resulted in
the whole of the island being
alerted. And on these long trips,
starting at dawn and ending at
dusk, men had to be sent ahead
with rifles and knives, scouting and
cutting through the path. Each
breaking of a twig might mean the
worse. Despite impending danger
and hardship, the supply route was
kept open.'
Sergeant Irby, once a cashier in
a Montgomery night club, now a
winner of merit on Guadalcanal.
DR. OWEN’S
VETERINARY HOSPITAL
AND
BOARDING KENNEL
7737 CRATIOT
Colored Attendant
Phone PLaxa 6608
SPECIAL
ON
QUEEN-LACE
NOSE *1 49