Page 8
THE ECHO
April, 1943
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Staff Sergeant
BOYS IN MILITARY SERVICE
(Continued From Page 3)
Pvt. Z. Cecil Smathers, son of Mr.
and Mrs. J. B. Smathers of Canton,
has graduated as an airplane me
chanic from Keesler Field. Pvt.
Smathers has just completed the 17
weeks’ course including specialized
training in maintenance, hydraulic
systems, engines, electrical systems,
fuel systems, structures, instruments,
propellers, and inspection. The last
phase of the course is a training
period under simulated battle con
ditions in the open. The graduate
must know how to apply what he has
learned in school, how to camouflage
his plane and even provide his own
shelter against attack as no build
ings stand in the training area.
A recent Brevard visitor was Staff
Sgt. Clifton Moore who is now sta
tioned at the Greenville Air Base.
For a time he was stationed at Scott
Field in Belleville, 111., where he at
tended radio school, and at Tyndall
Field, Panama City, Fla. “Coot” was
formerly on the Cleaner Crew at
Ecusta and has been in the service
for over two years.
Kenneth Roberts, S 1 /c, was Mac
hine Tender at Ecusta and left here
for service in February of 1942. He
took boot training in Norfolk and
was assigned to sea duty out of So.
Brooklyn shortly thereafter. Ken
neth spent a short furlough in Bre
vard this month and we were very
happy to be included in his visiting
list. During his comparatively short
assignment to sea duty, he has seen
and been a good many places and
had some interesting tales to tell.
Good luck to you Kenny.
Cpl. James C. Dixon left Ecusta in
October of 1942 and was a recent
visitor here. He was Office Clerk
before entrance into the service. He
was stationed at Fort Jackson, S. C.
Staff Sergeant Edward H. Mack-
ey has recently been transferred
from Fort Bragg to a camp at
Greensboro, N. C. He received his
present rating after having been
at Greensboro only three weeks.
Before entering the Army in June
of 1941, Edward was Beaterman at
Ecusta.
Finishing Touches
(Continued From Page 5)
grudge, maybe? . i . Where are all
those letters coming from, Katherine?
OK then, I wont tell! . . . Jeanne
really struts those stripes. Sure,
they’re on a soldier but she was strut-
tin’ the soldier around so what’s the
difference? . . . Nita went to H’vile.
That all? She doesn’t say much, ya
know, so I don’t know much, ya see.
. . . Could anyone tell Lucille where
she lost her belt? She just knows
she lost it, that’s all . . . Gk>sh! Jes
sie with goggles! But we like you
with or without . . . Ever give it a
thought? Lessie and Nancy come
around, slow us down, punch holes
in our paper, make marks all over
our bobbins and get paid for it! . . .
We’re glad to have Fred back. Bet
he missed us. Anyway, we missed
him . . . Bye now—think I’ll go read
the want ads.
—Snoopy
SEVEN WILDCATS
There were seven brand new “wild
cats”
Parking on a flat top’s deck.
Gassed and ready, waiting.
For the 1-A final check.
I
The C. 0. barked his orders
Mechanics now did move.
And the Pratt and Whitneys rumbled
Hitting solid in the groove.
Out the speaking tube came orders
“All you flyers hit the deck,”
At attention did they cater
While the C. 0. made his check.
Brown and Robins, Hendricks, Olson,
Mayfield, Jeum, and Shook,
And they snapped again to atten
tion
As the C. 0. closed his book.
You men have had your orders
And your navigation’s true,
Here’s good luck with a handshake
And I hope you all come through.
You all have had your ships gassed
Here’s your ammunition too,
But before you leave this flat top
There’s one thing more to do.
You remember Jones and Bartell,
Minnesota and Texas Jim,
So before you leave this decker
Offer up a prayer for them.
I hope all you boys come back here
With your buddies safe and true,
But it’s possible that someone.
Won’t return from o’er the blue.
Check ignition, raise the wing flaps
Clear the deck, we’re coming through
Yes, we’re Seven Hellish Wildcats
With a mission now to do.
There’s the flagman at the comer
And he’s signalled, “open decks,”
There they go, they’re not from
Georgia
But they’re “seven rambling wrecks.”
Out they sail and up they climb there
Out and up into the blue.
Check gun buttons, clear your sights
there
And make each burst quick and true.
heart. No, one is really beate»^^g>
less he is discouraged. — Lord
bury.
Jim Newbury
Here they come, a flock of Zeros
Here they come from out the sun,
“Tallyho,” says every fighter
Peel off now and watch your guns.
In the next ensuing minutes
While all hell is breaking through,
Montana lead is spattering
Here and there throughout the blue.
See the flame there, and explosion
Bullets singing close and true,
Now the dogfight is all over
They reassemble in the blue.
Now they’re heading toward the flat
top
And their navigation’s true.
See the numbered planes now land
ing
One and four, six and two.
There were seven when they started
Seven Wildcats, all brand new,
Only four are yet returning
From their venture in the blue.
As they scramble from their cockpits
With a sympathetic look.
The C. 0. calls the roll now
As he checks them off his book.
Robbins and Hendricks
Mayfield and Shook,
“Sorry boys” he murmured
As he checked them off his book.
As the flyers left the tarmac
Through the tube there came a yell,
“How many did you get boys
Of those yellow sons of Hell?”
Only eighteen whispered Robbins
Only eighteen bit the dust.
Only eighteen of those devils
Bred on hate and death and lust.
All the pilots sat so solemn
While the C. 0. had his say,
Let’s forget this little incident
There’ll come another day.
But our boys are not forgetting
They’re remembering and true.
As each day they wait for Zeros
On patrol out in the blue.
where he took his basic training and
was later transferred to Camp Sib-
ert, Gadsden, Ala., where Cpl. John
Gribbin, also of the office force is
now stationed. Jimmy is now an in'
structor in Chemical Warfare.
We had a letter from Larry Dixon
who worked in the greenhouse lab
last summer and who is now in the
Air Corps Technical School at Kees
ler Field, Miss, studying to be an air
plane mechanic and gunner. We were
surprised to leam that that once stur
dy bulwark has diminished by somp
20 pounds. This is somehow diffi'
cull to imagine but he seems none
the less interested and enthusiastic
about his new job with Uncle Sam-
Best of luck Larry, and keep ^
posted.
Chief Petty Officer Jack Alexand'
er, former Athletic Director at Ecus
ta, and his wife, Thelma, who was
employed in the Champagne Offic®>
were visitors at the plant recently-
Jack has been stationed in NorfolK*
Va., since his enlistment over a
ago. Thelma, who joined him a
months after his induction, is also
a war worker at the Naval
where she issues orders for sbipj
ments of supplies to all U. S. Naval
Bases.
Phil Riddle, who left us early
year, has completed boot training
and came in to see us the other day-
Phil is S 2/c and is stationed at
Bainbridge, Md. Upon his return ^
Md. he expected to be assigned ^
ship’s company, to be sent to school
or to sea. Good luck, Phil
We are pleased to welcom®
“Whitey” Russell and Jack Wilb®^
back to the employee ranks.
men have completed their Army
Force training at Hinds Junior Coi'
lege in Raymond, Miss., and have re
turned home to await further orders
In the meantime they are getting ^
those extra licks in the beater voo^
before taking off a second time
a destination as yet unknown.
Lyle W. Merrill, Ironer in End'
less Belt left us in October of l^^^'
He is now in the Quartermaster
Truck Regiment Division of
Army at Fort Custer, Michigan.
(Continued On Page 11)
In Pacific Area
Pvt. Frank R. Carson,
an electric trucker in the Pulp
left us to enter service in
of 1942. No news from him ^
an oversea address % Postmast® ’
San Francisco.
Bricklayer: “Hello, Bert.
that helper you took on—the c
that used to be an artist?”
UaP
Second Bricklayer: “Haven’t
heard?” Soon as he laid a coupl®
bricks, he stepped back off the ^
fold to admire his work.”
After a certain age you seei^ ..j
spend more time at the dent^
than you do at the barber’s.
Do not lay things too mucli