Looking Back

(Editor’s Note: This column looking back at St. Francis County’s history is featured each Friday on this Lifestyles page along with the week’s History Photo. The items included in this column were printed in previous editions of the Times-Herald.)

July 1945

Widener Man - Among the hundreds of men assigned to the Air Transport Command's Pipeline Project at Morrison Field, key base of ATC's Caribbean Division, is Staff Sergeant Louis T. McBee of Widener. Sgt. McBee is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert McBee of Widener. The pipeline project, one of the biggest maintenance operations ever undertaken by the Army Air Forces, involves the repair and overhaul of a huge fleet of C-54 Sky-master cargo planes flying personnel and vital was supplies via ATC routes between Florida and India and then over the "Hump" of the Himalayas into China and on to the doorstop of Japan.

Bronze Star Medal - Captain Richard J. Rawlings Jr., Field Artillery, United States Army, has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in connection with military operations against the enemy at Morotal, Netherlands East Indies and on Northern Luzon, Philippine islands, during the period of Jan. 1 to May 10, 1945. During this period, Captain Rawlings acted as battalion gunnery officer of a field artillery battalion and by his tireless efforts, trained the battalion fire center to a high degree of combat efficiency. During the operations, Captain Rawlings directed the effective, rapid and accurate delivery of close supporting, interdictive, harassing, neutralizing and destructive fire on all missions assigned. By his commendable performance of the duties which are normally the responsibilities of a field officer, Captain Rawlings has reflected great credit on himself and the military service, according to the citation at the time the award was made. Mrs. Rawlings, the former Etta Mae Hargraves, resides here with her parents, Attorney and Mrs. S.S. Hargraves, at their home of 915 North Rosser Street.

Fatal - July 10 - Robert C. Bright of Harmony was killed instantly in the explosion of a hand grenade he was testing at the Southwestern proving grounds here. Bright had been employed at the proving grounds since 1943.

Killed In Plane Crash - Cpl. Donald E. Horton, member of a prominent St. Francis County family, was instantly killed in a plane crush Friday, July 13, while engaged in a routine training flight at Tyndale Field, Fla. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Earl Horton and the family resides in the New Castle community near here. The young Air Corpsman was born there on July 13, 1923. The accident occurred about nine miles north of Panama City, Fla., at 11 a.m., Friday. He met his death on his 22nd birthday. Cpl. Horton graduated from Forrest City High School in 1941 and attended Arkansas State College at Jonesboro and the University of Arkansas, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He entered the armed services in March of 1944, at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and received his training at Keesler Field, Miss., Daniel Field, Ga., Tyndale Field, Fla., Kearney, Nebr., and at Mountain Home, Idaho. He was a speedy ball gunny on a B-24 Liberator at the time of his death and was receiving advanced expert training. Thirteen members of the crew of the huge bomber were killed in the crash and only one member was able to parachute to safety. Cpl. Horton was a member of the Methodist Church. In addition to his parents, he is survived by one brother, Dale Horton. His body will arrive here at 10 o'clock this evening and will be taken immediately to the home of his parents.

22 and Counting - Henry Brown was in town this week and made his annual report to Geo. Parker, local furniture merchant. This time Henry reports the birth of a son in the family. You will probably remember this last report on this steadily increasing family, made last year in the TimesHerald. Henry, now 45, and his wife, 43, are the parents of 22 children, made up of two sets of twins, one set triplets and of 15 other children. Henry calls roll each evening to be sure that nothing has happened to his large brood during the day and to be certain they are all present and accounted for before locking his home and going to bed. Two of the children are now out in the world on their own and four have failed to survive. Henry is the son of the late Mural Brown, now deceased, who was one of the pioneer colored settlers of St. Francis County. She owned and operated a farm at the foot of Crowley's Ridge across from the Graham farm. Henry is a good worker and a splendid manager-he has to be; and has taught his children to work in the field, to raise poultry and livestock and to always cultivate a large garden. Henry is always in a cheerful frame of mind and when asked if he ever got worried, he replied; "Why should I worry? With all the help I have right in my own family, nothing can stop me!" His biggest worry seems to be keeping up with the correct number of his big family and when asked again how many children had brightened the Brown household, he replied; "To date only 22!"

Palestine News - Pfc. Jack Schaeffer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Scharffer, arrived here this week for a 30-day furlough with his family and friends here. Pfc. Sheaffer recently returned from Germany. *** Mrs. Preston Stanley received a wire from her husband Seaman 1-C Stanley stating that he had arrived in the States from the Pacific, where he has been on duty with the U.S. Navy for some time past. ***Miss Florence Billingsley of Memphis spent the weekend in Palestine with relatives. *** Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Poe of Leachville and son, Sgt. Jerry Poe Jr., U.S. Army, spent Wednesday and Thursday here with Mr. and Mrs. John Poe. ***Harold Woods is now on his vacation from Sulcer Bros. store. *** E.G. Couch Jr., of Memphis is spending today in Palestine and will speak at the Church of Christ here tonight.

Colt Resident Helps - James L. Hobbs, aviation chief machinist's mate, USN whose wife Mrs. Onice Hobbs and son James Larry, live in Colt, has completed a nine-month tour of duty with a Navy search-plane crew that operated in the forward area of the Pacific. Now returned for leave and reassignment, he flew in a twinengine Martin Mariner that climaxed its air cruise by helping pave the way for the invasion of Borneo. During the pre-landing operations his crew sank 12 small enemy vessels. The crew began its drive again at Japan shipping from a base at Moratai, early in November, 1941. On its first hop a night bombing mission, it sank a 4,500-ton cargo vessel. A month later it sent two more cargo ships to the bottom. While operating from a base at Leyte, his plane ran into trouble when it flew in low to inspect two burning Jap destroyers that had been hit the night before. As the Mariner came in close a third destroyer, camouflaged in a nearby cove, opened fire. Though the accurate antiaircraft fire severed the rudder controls, the plane was flown safely back to its base. Upon completion as plane captain on 33 combat sorties. He attended Forrest City High School, where he played baseball and football. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. P.L. Hobbs.

Delta Ice Truck - Delivery of ice by the retail service of the Delta Ice Company was curtailed here today when four drivers failed to show up for work. The local manager of the company refused to comment on the question, but said the general manager of the company was here today making an investigation. He could not be reached by a Times-Herald representative that local police arrested a young negro employed on the ice platform last night on charges of assault with intent to kill, for an alleged attack made with an ice pick. He was released when his father, delivery driver for the company, posted a cash bond.

Round Pond News - Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Anderson and family are new residents of the town, having moved here from Parkin and now living in the Edwin Walker home, where the Gatlifts formerly lived. ***Mr. and Mrs. Oscie Walker entertained the

Walker family at dinner on July 4th. Those present included Mrs. George Walker Sr., Mr. and Mrs, George Walker Jr., and Mr. and Mrs, Clement Walker and family. ***Staff Sgt. and Mrs. L.L. Shawver arrived Friday from Jefferson City, Mo., for a visit with his mother, Mrs. M.A. Pope and Mr. Pope. ***Mrs. C.V. Powell entertained on Sunday with a turkey dinner party honoring Mr. and Mrs. Jack Callahan of Memphis. Mr. and Mrs. W.D. Gooch of Hernando Miss., and Mr. and Mrs. Will David and son, Corporal Billy David of Forrest City.

Harris Succumbs - Billy Riley Harris passed away at the Roy Hospital where he had been a patient for the past five days. Born July 15, 1894, at Palestine, he was the son of Martha Williams Harris and the late Albert Warren Harris. He was a member of the Baptist Church and a veteran of World War I. He was a member of the local Legion Post and was 51 years of age. Surviving him are his wife, Mrs. Leota Fleetwood Harris; one daughter, Mrs. Christine Royal; his mother, Mrs. Warren Harris; four brothers, Jeff, Galen, Watnie and Johnnie and by five sisters, Mrs. R.F. Moye, Mrs. Tommy Stout, Mrs. W.R. London, Miss Alice Harris and Miss Goldie Harries,

Ends Life With Pistol Former West Memphis City Marshal Claude Cliffton Culp died at his home in West Memphis of a self inflicted bullet wound. Deputy Sheriff Max Rieves said, "The 55-yearold Crittenden County politician had been highly nervous for several days.” The civil liberties trial in federal court in January, 1942, resulted in prison sentences for Culp, an attorney and a trusty in the Crittenden County Jail at Marion. They were accused of depriving persons of their liberty and of extorting money from them for their release on faked charges. He served one year and nine months of a twoyear sentence and was released from a federal correctional institution in October of 1943. Since his release he had operated a shoe store in West Memphis. He was a former deputy sheriff under sheriff C.W. Cooper. He leaves his wife, two daughters, two brothers and a sister.

Recounts His Experience - A certain Gray Lady interviewed patients in the U.S. Navy Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., recently and among them was M 2-C Jerald Ray of this city. I had a whole boxful of bracelets and necklaces and picture frames and other loot I was saving up to send home, but I lost the whole lot when the ship went down, said Seaman Ray. His brown eyes twinkled and he chuckled at the joke on himself. "I was on a rescue and salvage ship and in our spare time we all used to make loot in what we called the Loot Room." "Was your ship bombed? asked the Gray Lady. "No, torpedoed. In the night." he answered lucidly. "We were lucky though, we lost only six men. The ship was practically in splinters. It went down almost right off." "How did you escape?" "Oh life rafts. It was moonlight. I'll never forget two of my buddies sitting upon a raft and singin' Shine On, Harvest Moon." They all seemed like they were happy, all hollerin to each other "Don't give up you guys. You don’t want your wives to get that $10,000." "He and his buddies," thought the Gray Lady proudly as she continued her rounds. "Are certainly typical of American youth, laughing at themselves, kidding each other and singing Shine On Harvest Moon in the face of catastrophically wonder they're unconquerable." M 2-C Ray was aboard the ship Extractor and has served in the Navy since 1942. On returning to the states he was injured in a car wreck and is now in a hospital in California.

Our Boys - A.S. Keneth McCown, who is stationed at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Millington,Tenn, spent the weekend here with his mother Mrs. N.C. McCown and family on East Dillard Street. ***Pvt. Fred N. McCollum Jr., left for Camp Beale, Calif., for reassignment with the Army, after a two weeks visit here with his parents on North Forrest Street. ***A-S Pat Wilkinson, who left for the U.S. Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Ill., for his boot training, will arrive here soon to spend a furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Banks Wilkinson.