Memories from WWII ~ Hughes County Heroes ~ 1946
Lt. Col. Warren Awaits Orders to Go Overseas
Lt. Col. John L. Warren, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Warren, will be transferred from Randolph Field, San Antonio, TX, to Greensboro, NC this week for assignment overseas.
Lt. Col. Warren has been in the service for the past six years, most of which time he has been stationed with the Army Air Forces at Randolph Field.
For the past two years he has served in the office of the Air inspector as assistant to the air inspector for the General Flying Training Command.
Two City Youths To Enlist in Navy
Bob Robinson and J.T. Baxley have enlisted for two years in the navy.
They will report to Oklahoma City Tuesday for physical examinations and acceptance. They will be sent to San Diego, CA, for boot training.
Both were graduated from Holdenville High School this spring.
Robinson is the so of Mrs. Ola Mae Robinson and Baxley is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Baxley.
Elmer Newman Is Released by Navy
Signalman 3/c Elmer Earl Newman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ira Newman, has received his discharge at the New Orleans, LA naval personnel separation center.
Newman recently returned from 19 months duty in the Pacific theater and spent a 30-day furlough with relatives and friends in Holdenville before reporting to New Orleans for his discharge.
While serving in the pacific, Newman participated in the liberation of the Philippines.
Five City Men Are Released by Navy
Five Holdenville veterans received discharges recently at the Naval personnel separation center, Norman. They were:
MM Robert Autry Pettit, Holdenville, a veteran of 16 months serving in the Pacific, was last stationed on Okinawa.
S/1/c Henry Clay Langdon was last stationed aboard the USS Cape Cloustry, and served 16 momths in the Pacific theater.
Nathan Long served nine months in the Pacific theater and was last stationed aboard the USS Kleinsmith.
MM Arvel Walter Reed, a veteran of 17 months service in the Pacific and was last stationed at the naval base, Orange, TX
SK Raymond Jean Tassin who was last stationed aboard the USS O’Bannon and served 21 months in the Asiatic-Paci fie theater.
Yeager Man Discharged
James Franklin Chancellor, Yeager, had received his discharge at the naval separation center, Norman.
Chancellor served three months in the Pacific theater, and was last stationed at the naval station, Orange, TX.
William Stafford Is Now Stationed In Washington
Pvt. William A. Stafford, son of Mr. and Mrs. Grady Stafford, has been transferred from Randolph Field, San Antonio, TX to Geiger Field, Spokane, Wash.
40 Guests Honor Sgt. J.D. Yates At Open House
Approximately 40 guests attended open house at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Yates sr., Sunday afternoon honoring their son, Plt/Sgt. J.D. Yates Jr., who recently returned from overseas.
Misses Delores Marie Hardwick and Janice Lee Crews, nieces of the guest of honor, presided at the refreshment table, which was laid with a lace cloth and centered with lilies, Shasta daisies and gladioli in a cut-glass bowl.
Mrs. G.B. Lovelace, sister of the honoree had charge of the guest book.
Other members of the family present were Mrs. J.D. Yates Jr., and daughter, Martha Jean; Maj. And Mrs. Damon McLain and children; Mr. and Mrs. Exir Wallace; Mrs. Dewey Gambill and daughter; O.B. Lovelace and son, and Mrs. Elsie Hardwick.
2 County Sailors Due to Participate In Atom Bomb Test
Two county naval servicemen, T.J. Cagle, Atwood, and Joseph E. Harris, Holdenville, will take part in “Operation Crossroads.”
Cagle, who is assigned to the USS O’Brien, a destroyer, will be on patrol performing routine services in the Marshalls prior to the explosion of the atomic bomb.
Following the explosion, the destroyer, with army, navy and civilian scientists aboard will obtain special oceanographic data.
Harris will be assigned to the USS LST-52.
The mission of the task force is primarily to determine the effects of the atomic bomb upon naval vessels and military equipment in order to gain information of value to national defense.
Edwards Released By Coast Guard
Ashley Edwards, Holdenville, received his discharge from the Coast Guard this week, following more than four years service.
Former SM 1/c Edwards joined the service in December 1941, and received his boot training at Fort Lauderdale, FL, and served about three years overseas.
While in the service, Edwards served aboard the USS Shreveport, a patrol frigate used for about two and one-half years. He also was stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Blanchard for about eight months.
He served about one year in Havana, Cuba; one and one-half years in the North Atlantic area in Iceland, Newfoundland and Greenland, and four months in Brazil.
Prior to entering the service, he was a student in Holdenville High School, graduating in 1940. His plans for the future are indefinite.
Fielder Discharged
MM 3/c Arley Leroy Fielder, Holdenville, has received his discharge at the naval personnel separation center in Norman.
Fielder served 13 months in the Pacific theater of operations and was last stationed at Kisarzu, Japan.
Grady Johnson to Leave Friday
S Grady Johnson, now spending a sixday leave with relatives and friends in Holdenville, will leave Friday to report to the San Diego, CA, naval base for assignment.
Joining the service April 15 of this year, Johnson only recently completed his boot training at the San Diego base. Prior to entering the navy, he was an operator at the city theaters.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John M. Johnson.
Wetumka Soldier Dies in Manila; Rites Held There
Military services for T/4 Claude E. Pruitt, 19 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. C.F. Pruitt, Wetumka, were recently conducted at Manila. P.I.
Pruitt died June 3 at the Fourth General hospital, Manila. Cause of death is not known.
Survivors include: his parents, five sister, Mrs. Flossie May, Mrs. Florance McLyea, Mrs. Madge Brinley and Mrs. Gladys Asborn, all of Wetumka, and Miss Betty Jo Pruitt of the home.
Also three brothers, Lonnie and Lowell Pruitt, both of Wetumka, and Douglas Lee of the home.
Sgt. Pruitt entered the service Dec. 21, 1944 and received his training at Camp Robinson, Ark, and Camp Rucker, AL. He went overseas in August, 1945 and served on Leyte and Luzon before going to Manila.
Born August 14, 1l926 at Wetumka, Pruitt attended grade and high schools in this vicinity, and until his entry into the service assisted his farther in farming.
Six member of Pruitt’s organization, Headquarters Detachment, Special Troops, AFWESPAC, served as bearer at the service. Lt. Joseph Hayes and Chaplain Mark Maxey conducted the service.
Ralph E. Buchanan Enroute to Guam
S 2/c Ralph E. Buchanan sailed from treasure Island off the coast of San Francisco, CA, for Guam Wednesday, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. VC. Buchanan were notified by telephone Tuesday.
Buchanan entered the navy March 14, 1946. He graduated from Holdenville High School in 1945 and was employed in the mechanical department at the Holdenville Daily News before entering the service.
Upon his arrival he expects to be assigned to sea duty or stationed on a land base there or on an adjoining island.
Harry K. Bayless, City Major, Picked For Regular Army
A total of 290 Oklahomans were among 9,200 U.S. soldiers nominated today by President Truman for permanent commissions in the regular army.
The 9,200 names were chosen from more than 100,000 applications by the most modern and scientific method of selecting leaders yet devised, the war department said.
The grade given each officer in the following list is his permanent grade in the regular army. In practically all cases the officers have held higher, temporary commissions.
Those appointed from Oklahoma included Maj. Harry K. Bayless, FA, Holdenville.
Bayless, former Hughes County AAA administrator and holder of the Silver Star, reported for active duty as a lieutenant of artillery at Camp Wallace, TX in October, 1942.
He transferred to the air corps in January,
1943, and is now stationed at Maxwell, TX. Bayless was awarded the Silver Star while serving with the 92 nd division in the MTO on April 6, 1943. He returned to the states the later part of 1945.
A graduate of Oklahoma A. and M. College, sTillwater, Bayless came to Holdenville in 1940 from Stillwater.
The Bayless’ have two children, Billie Joyce and Harry Jr.
Gordon R. Scruggs due to Participate In Atom Bomb Test
S 2/c Gordon R. Scruggs, serving as a projection operator aboard the USS Avery Island will participate in the atomic bomb test on Bikini atoll today.
Scruggs, who entered the navy Oct. 21, 1945, received his training at the San Diego, CA naval base. He has been stationed on Bikini for the past month.
In a letter to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. O. Scruggs, he explained precautions to be taken by crew members of the USS Avery Island, which will be 13 miles from the test site.
He said they would “wear special suits, pellets in their ears and had instructions to flatten on the deck and cover their eyes with their arms at the time of the explosion.
Scruggs attended Holdenville High School before entering the service and was a carrier for the Holdenville Daily News and a projection operator at the city theaters.
Leroy Rice, Lamar, Home on Furlough
Sgt. Leroy Rice, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Rice, Lamar, arrived this week from Japan to spend a 30-day furlough with his family and relatives in this area.
Rice will report to Fort Leavenworth, KN, on July 26 and expects to receive his discharge soon after reporting. Overseas for the past two years, he flew from his station in Japan, landing in the states, early this week.
In the service for the past two and onehalf years, Rice was stationed on Luzon on V-J day and later was transferred to Japan.
Prior to entering the service, he was a farmer in the Carson community. His wife and daughter, Bobby June, made their home at dewar while he was in the service. His plans for the future are uncertain.
