ISWANN ANOA
THE HOME
OF
FRIENDLY
MERCHANTS
Beautiful Swannauoa Valley
MOORE GENERAL
SWANNANOA, N. C., Stories of
torture and starvation and brutal
mistreatment by their jailers are
related by American soldiers li
berated from Nip Pow camps who
are arriving at Moore Hospital in
a steady stream from the west
coast. The majority of these men
made the infamous Death March
from Bataan to Camp O’Donnell;
some were captured on Corregidor
or Mindano; and some took to the
hills only to be captured by the
Japs later.
Among the western North Caro
lina men now at Moore General
after three and a half years in
Japanese prison camps are Cpl.
James R. Arrington of Waynesville
captured on Corrigedor while a
member of the 69th Coast Artil
lery; Sgt. Arthur R. Buchanan of
Clarisea of the 27th the Bomber
Group who escaped to the hills and
was captured later; Staff Sgt.
Houston B. Buckner of Stocks
ville, captured with other Air Force
troops in Mindano; and Staff Sgt.
Wayne Carringer of Sateetlah,
captured with 27th Bomber Group
on Bataan.
Other North Carolina men in
clude Maj. Benjamin F. Stakes of
1011 North Eugene Street, Greens
boro; Major Alvah L. Hamilton,
Morehead City • Major Henry J.
Pierce, Durham; Cpl. Damon C.
Albertia, 2314 Spruce Street,
Greensboro; Staff Sgt. Raymond
C. Ferrell of Woodleaf; Cpl. Ford
Shelton of Runtdale; and Cpl. Clyde
A. Cox, Jr., of Rocky Mount.
Major Stakes was left behind by
guards at Camp O’Donnell be
cause he was dying and to weak
to move to another prison camp.
Only the arrival of a group of me
dical prisoners at the camp days
later saved his life.
Cpl. Albertia started out with
the Air Foreves on Bataan until
all the planes were shot down; then
he switched to the Infantry, but
this arm was forced to surrender
on Bataan. Albertia then escaped
to Corregidor and teamed up with
the Marines until the island fort
ress fell May 6, 1942.
Two liberated prisoners of war
now receiving treatment at Moore
are Colonel Hiram W. Tarkington
of 1816 Enorice Avenue, Colum
bia, S. C., who commanded the 61st
Field Artillery, last force in the
Philippines to surrender, and Co
lonel Pembroke A. Brawner of 122
North Great Road, Chattanooga,
Term., assistant chief of staff for
Headquarters, Philippine Depart
ment.
Trankington and Brawner enter
ed the Army over 37 years ago and
.met for the first time at Fort Lea
venworth in 1917. They served in
Hawaii in 1918 until orders separ
ated them until they met again
under less happy suspices in the
Formosm prison camp in 1944.
Lt. James M. Taylor of Grand
Junction, Tenn., assigned to the
14th Air Force in China, was shot
down over Hengyeng on November
11, 1944 while piloting a P-40.
None of his squadron saw him
bial out, and their reports back
to the base were responsible for
Taylor having been declared dead
shortly after the War Department
notification to his next of kin that
he was missing in action.
The Japs had the Ameican Air
Force as Hate No. 1 on their list
and Taylor’s treatment from the
time of his capture until his re
lease bore this out. He was left
tied to a tree for a whole day after
he landed in a field near Han
gyeng. His shoes were taken from
him and he was paraded through
the city. In Hankow, after being
cuffed around, the usual treat
ment meted out to captured Aanks,
he was thrown into solitary con
finement for two months. Every
time planes raided the city, the
Japs retailed by cutting off the
prisoners’ rations, sometimes fT
three or four days at the time.
Cpl. C. Klein of La Grande,
Ore., bears the scars from bums
on his arm and wrist caused by ig
nited oil which the Japs poured on
him and then lit. He was luckier
than others who were burned all
over their bodies, he explain .
Klein served with the 194th Tan«.
Battalion and was captured on
THE BLACK MOUNTAIN news
SWANNANOA SECTION
Bataan April 8.
Ist Lt. Frank A. Fomi of Carls
bad, N. M., assigned to the 515th
Coast Artillery December 8, 1941
when the Japs 'attacked, was cap
tured later on Bataan. When the
prison ship on which he was being
transported was bombed, he was
forced to swim ashore.
Another officer itemed with Lt.
Forni who has arrived at Moor
is Major Julius C. Burge, Jr., of
York, S. C., captured on Bataan.
All the prisoners told of such
incidents as public beheadings of
prisoners by the Japs for some
minor misdemeenor. They were
forced to stand attention in the
snow without shoes until their feet
froze. Others had their teeth jerked
out by strings. Many of the pris
oners resorted to breaking their
own arms and feet to escape heavy
work on them.
Most of the fomer prisoners have
not seen their families in four
five or six years and will head for
their hometowns as soon as they
are in physical condition for sick
leaves or furloughs. Some of them
have children they have never seen.
A few of them have a girl waiting
back home who have stayed with
them in spirit through their long
and terrifying ordeals, and it will
be wedding bells for these as soon
as possible.
Included among the liberated men
are the following:
Sgt. James R. Marcus, Avendale
Savannah, Ga., T-Sgt. Grover Wind
ham of Knoxville, Tenn., Ist Sgt
John P. K. Phillips, Greenville
S. C., Walter A. Dansby, Memphis
Tenn.; S-Sgt. Lawrence W. Hinkle
Cremont, Texas; Cpl. Thomas E
Richards, Knoxville, Tenn., Sgt
Odis E. Vinesett, Gaffney, S. C.,
Sgt. Bunyan A. Courson, Hamburg,
Ark.; Cpl. Charles H. Smith, Cow
an, Tenn.- Sgt. Jesse C. Strick
land, Greenville, S. C.; S-Sgt. Isaac
B. Piercy, Unicoi, Tenn.; Cpl
Grover C. Brumnett, Harrods
burg, Kv.; Cpl. Wade W. Waldrop,
Chossnoe, S. C., Cpl. Pete J. Dino,
Memphis, Tenn.; Cpl. Jesse J.
Driggers, Harrisburg, Pa.; and Sgt.
.Leon Healey, Pickens, S. C.
Beacon Basketball Team
Enters W.N.C. League
The Beacon Mfg. Co. have or
ganized a basketball team and
have entered the W. N. C. League
Some of the teams to play in the
league are: Waynesville, Ashe
ville, Marion, Sylvia, Canton, Enka
and Beacon Mfg. Co. of Swan
nanoa. t
Each team is to play two games
a week, one at home and one
away from home. All of Beacon’s
games at home will be played in
the gym of the Swannanoa High
School.
Coach J. D. Hardin has been
drilling his boys for the past two
weeks.
Good prospects for the team are:
Kenny Rudeen, Dwight Patterson,
Charles Talent, Ted Folsum, Ned
Strahela, Buggie Sides, Fred
Powals, and Joy Lynn Burgess.
This coming Saturday the team
will meet the team from Ben Li
peen School at the Asheville Audi
torium.
Swannanoa P. T. A.
Sponsored Hallowe’en
Carnival Wednesday
A costumed parade featured the
Halloween carnival held Wednes
day night at 7:30 o’clock at the
Swannanoa School under the spon
sorship of the Parent-Teachers As
sociation. Mrs. Fred Davidson
judged the costumes.
Some of the other features they
had were fortune telling booths,
fishing ponds, the house of hor
rors, Benebeards den, bingo games
and apple bobbing contests.
A small admission charge was
made.
Mrs. Mary Brothers was general
chairman of the event. Mrs. Mary
Powell is president of the Parent-
Teacher’s Association, Mr. E. N.
Howell is principal.
Now is the time for all good
people to come to the aid of the
Black Mountain News. Let us put
your name on our list.
The Swannanoa Camp
By David Hall
Besides all other amusements
and occupation, Beacon Manufac
turing Co., etc. there are other
things for our enjoyment in Swan
nanoa. Up in the mountains about
a mile and a half from Beacon, a
gang of boys have built a log cab
in and is getting to be a very
popular place to camp despite the
coming winter. The cabin was built
early this summer and there has
hardly been a night that which
there wasn’t at least four or five
boys.
It is located in the place which
was formerly the Scout Camp of
Troop 28. Boys go camping regu
lar and take their blankets and
food and eat up there.
We have a swell place for cook
ing and the cabin contains nine
bunks for sleeping in case of rain
or a cool night. We are making
improvements so we can stay some
in the winter. We have just
bought a new stove and it will heat
up the place in a giffy. There has
been up to 16 or 20 boys in one
night but there is. always plenty
of room.
It has been said that there is a
panther loose roaming in this sec
tion and there has been a num
ber of reports concerning the pres
ence of it. Some people have
claimed something has killed som
of their cattle and now usually we
carry at least one gun when we
go to the mountains to camp and
ramble.
Athletic’s Committee
Gives Dance Friday
Friday night a dance sponsored
by the Athletic’s Committee w-as
given in honor of the football
team. Decorations were in blue
and gold and music was furnished
by a group of tenth grade boys.
Drinks and ice cream were sold
for refreshments.
Admission was ten cents to stu
dents (except the football team,
which was admitted free) and
twenty-five cents to adults or stu
dents not of this school. A large
crowd was there and everyone had
a good time.
Barker Avenue News
The happenings on the one and
only Barker Avenue this week are
great and exciting. Our secretary
was fired because she was caught
setting in the president’s (Billy
Robinson) lap. Ed Padgett, our
watch dog, was badly beaten up
for biting the vice president (Nor
man Agers). Howard Edwards
has really been kept busy this past
week because the leaves are fall
ing and his job is keeping the
streets clan. This great avenue
that you will hear about from now
on is located just off Blum St.
(Plum through town) up Richmond
to the right of the Rainwater Res
idence.
By Howard Edwards,
(Street Cleaner)
CPL. THAD GREEN
IS HOME AGAIN
Cpl. Thad Green, brother of
Helen Green of the eleventh grade
is now home after serving three
years and eight months in the Pa
cific. He has seen action on Lu
zon, Bouganville and the Fiji Is
lands. He holds the American De
fense Ribbon, the Good Conduct
Award, Asiatic Pacific Theatre rib
bon with two battle stars. He con
tracted malaria while serving in
the Philippines. He brought home
many souvenirs which were very
interesting. S. Sgt. Jack, another
brother, landed in New Jersey
City Friday. He is expected home
this week.
BLANKENSHIP BROS.
IN ARMED SERVICE
Pfc, Earl Blankenship of U. S.
Army has returned from the Euro
pean Area and has been overseas
for 8 months. He entered eervice
two years ago and during this time
seen action most of the time he was
overseas.
James Bhinkenship, S. 2-c, has
just left for overseas after en
tering service two years ago. He
was stationed at Miami, Fla. They
are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Zeb
Blankenship of Swannanoa.
HERMAN GOERING’S
BULLET-PROOF CAR
WILL BE ON EXHIBIT
Former Reichsmarshall Hermann
Goering’s much publicized bullet
proof car will be on exhibit at
Moore General Hospital next Mon
day in connection with the Victory
Loan Drive which started Mon
day, Lt. Marvin L. Golden, post war
bond officer, announced Tuesday.
The car will be seen in front of
post headquarters and at other
convenient spots on the Post, Lt.
Golden said.
The Victory Loan drive was of
ficially underway Tuesday at the
post with the kick-off featured by
a meeting of minutemen from all
departments of the hospital.
The minutemen were addressed
by Colonel Frank W. Wilson,
commanding officer of the hospital,
who urged that all civilian and
military personnel increase their
pay deduction allotment for bonds
and then if possible buy an extra
war bond for cash during the drive
which ends December 7.
Colonel Wilson stressed the need
of hospital personnel continuing
to support the government during
the period of occupation and re
conversion. He pointed out tha
it will cost millions to maintain
police forces in occupied defeated
enemy countries and to bring mei
home from overseas.
Regular meetings of the minute
men were announced for regulai
intervals during the course of the
drive.
SWANNANOA
SCHOOL NEWS
Ruby Adkins
I would like to express my ap
preciation toward a certain teacher
in Swannanoa School. She is Mrs
Sidney Croy, teacher of the se
venth grade. She is really my
ideal of my a teacher.
I happened to be in her room
in the sixth grade and she liked
our class so well, she taught us
in the seventh grade.
I made good grade during my
two years in her room. I took a
great interest in my work and
each subject meant a lot to me
Mrs. Croy fully explained all of
our lessons and it wasn’t at all
complicated.
There was always some kind of
entertainment, such as parties
picnics games, each week or so
We had very nice rimes in our
entertaining hours and also in our
working hours.
“Outstanding Needs For Swan
nanoa School”
Emma Ballard
Since this is near the beginning
of a new school year, T think we
should try to put every extra
thing into our school that we pos
sibly can.
Books are valauble, so we want
to learn to read them the way we
should to get the most out of
them. We should love them and
take the best possible care of
them. Our vocabularies seem quite
limited and a good way to increase
them is by reading.
We all need more way to provide
this would be to organize a debat
ing club. Personally, I should be
very much interested in one and
I think many others would be also.
Besides having a debating club,
we should be a*'le to buy some
amount of time and give prog
rams, respresenting Swannanoa
School over W. W. N. C. Broad
casting station. This might to be
prove to be very good experience
at low cost.
On the inhole if we could “ge
our heads together” we might
improve Swannanoa School a great
deal.
Mable Likes The News
We, the people of Swannanoa
School, wish you to know how
much we appreciate your interest
in the news from this section. We
also appreciate the other news and
items of interest from the other
sections. We think you are doing
a grand job with the paper.
—Mabel.
Interesting People
Os Our Section
The most interesting person of
our section of Swannanoa is Mrs.
T. J. Jones of Jones Cove, Swan
nanoa, Route 1, better known to
most people as Grandma. She
moved to this section when every
one was living in log houses. She„
too, lived in one until the other
part was added some years later.
She. is 83 years young, moves
about as good as a woman of
thirty and even better than most
of us young folks. She does her
own work, raises chickens, plans
the garden before it is planted,
and even works in it after it is
planted. She can cook some of
the most delicious foods some of
which are her teacakes and ap
plebutter that will just melt in
your mouth £hey are so delicious)
But greatest of all speaking of this
wonderful person is her flower
bed, cultivated by herself, of
chrysanthemums of all colors and
even mixed colors. She has many
more different kinds of flowers
during the four seasons such as
poppies, zenias, marigolds, comos,
flags, gladiolas, and many others
She, also, has many beautiful
bushes growing in her yard, such
as lilacs, white ash and snowballs.
MRS. T. J. JONES
Doris Jones
I will tell you about the most
intedesting person in our communi- !
ty. She is Mrs. T. J. Jones of
Jones Cove, Swannanoa Rout 1.1
She is eighty three years old young,'
and as active as a woman of thirty- j
five.
She plans the garden before it
is planted works in it after it is
j
planted, raises chicken, mends j
clothes, and always makes her,
stitches nice and neat. She can
cook some of the most delicious
foods especially teacakes and ap
ple butter that will just >melt in,
your mouth they are so delicious. :
But greatest of all speaking of
this wonderful person is her beau
tiful flower bed of all colors and
even mixed chrysanthemums. She
will reply, “One caine up from the
seed and 1 tended it in a bucket
and then transplanted it to the
ground again, when you ask her
where she got such beautiful flow
ers. She has many more beautiful
flowers through the seasons such
as dahlias, poppies, marigolds,
zenias, larkspuis, cosmos, lilies,
flags and many others. She tends
her flowers herself.
She has some pretty bushes in her
yard, also such as lilacs and white
ash.
MAJ. CLAPP RETURS
Major Hubert L. Clapp has op
ened his office again at Swan
nanoa. He has been in service the
past four years with thirty-one
months of this overseas. He en
tered the service as First Lieu
tenant in the Medical Division and
promoted to Captain in the same
year, then to Major in April of
1942. Major Clapp was stationed
in the Fiji Islands for 26 months
and' later sent to India near the
Burma border where he joined ser
vices with the General Hospital
there.
He was there for the remaining
five months and in December of
1944 he flew back to this country
landing at Miami, Fla. Major Clapp
came home on a furlough immed
iately upon arrival but returned
to the redistribution station to be
assigned to a hospital in Ft. Sill
Okla. He received his discharge
in September and he and his family
reside near Swannanoa.
Many of his friends will welcome
him home again and have missed
his care and advise over the past
four years.
Pfc. Wilson On Luzon
James L- Wilson is with the
35th Hospital Unit that is now sta
tioned on Luzon. He has been
overseas twenty months and in
service three years. James has
the Bronze Star and Good Conduct
Medal. He is he son of Mr. and
Mrs. James L. Wilson of Swan
nanoa.
BUY VICTORY BONDS
COL. STUART WOOD ARRIVES AT
MOORE GENERAL HOSPITAL
Col. Stuart Wood of Southern
Pines, intelligence officer to Gen
eral Jonathan Wainwright, has ar
rived at Moore General Hospital
for recuperation from the hard
ships of Japanese prison camps.
One-time assistant military at
tache to Japan and later to China,
Colonel Wood saw United States
soil for the first time in over nine
years when he landed in San Fran
cisco October 20.
Other liberated prisoners of war
who arrived at Moore General
with the Colonel are Major Eu
gene B. Conrad of Charlotte, Maj.
Eugene S. Horney of Greensboro,
and Capt. Frank H. Burwell, Jr., of
Spartanburg, S. C.
Colonel Wood, a native of Eliza
beth City, left the States with his
wife, Mrs. Mary Sutton Wood, in
October of 1936, and served in the
Philippines with the 24th Field
Artillery until July of 1938 when
he was assigned to the American
embassy in Tokyo to learn the
Japanese language. The two and
a half years study which enabled
Wood to speak the difficult lang
uage fluently was later responsi
ble for his assignment as intelli
gence officer to Wainwright and
served him well during his long
imprisonment.
In March of 1941 Colonel Wood
was appointed assistant military
attache to Japan and served in this
post until his assignment as as
sistant military attache to China.!
Wood took over his new- post in 1
rlon ? Kong in August of 1941 and
would have been serving in this
capacity, when war struck the Pa-!
rifie if the need for an operation
had not necessitated his leaving !
for the Philippines in November.
Colonel Wood was recuperating!
from his operation in Baguio when
the Japs bombed the Islands. He!
was immediately assigned to G-2 in
the Philippine department and then
made a member of General Wain
wright’s staff as indigence of
ficer.
Late in April of 1942 when Am
erican resistance on Corregidor
was drawing to a close, Colonel
Wood and a handful of key men
on Wainwright’s staff were or
dered to USAFFI in Australia.
Two Navy bombers slipped into a
spot off shore between Corregidor
and Fort Hughes just before mid
night on April 29 and picked them
up. They were flown to Lake La
nao on Mindenao to load addition
al passengers bound for Australia,
Swannanoa Valley Is
Visited By Panther
News of a panther being loose I
in the Swannanoa Valley section |
has thrilled us very much. In fact,
it gives this section an honor for
a thing like that to visit our val
ley.
A guard at Moore General, Post
N0..3, stated that he saw the panth
er and had shot it three times. He
must have been a bum shot or he
would have killed it.
Two families, Mr. Ray Tipton
and Mr. L. E. Carrol also stated
that several of their chickens were
missing and that ‘they saw tracks
of w'hat resembled a panther. They
both live in the Grovemont sec
tion. *
Mr. Carrol’s son, Junior, claimed
that he saw the panther one night
going home from the show in a
T-Model Ford. He said that when;
he saw it, he stripped the trails-;
mission by feeding it too much
gas in low gear. He was home |
in double time. My pal and 1 nev
er go out at night unarmed or'
without a flashlight since we heard
the news. This is supposed to all
be true but some of it could pos
sibly be rumers. Any way, it’s
news of Swannanoa Valley, the
place we love.
Thank you,
Ray W. Milton,
George T. Dunlap.
Girl Scouts Take Notice
Saturday, November 3rd is Na
tional Girl Scout Out-door Day.
Troops I will meet with Troop II
for a day hik«\ Start 10:45 at
the Presbyterian Church. We will
hike to the Mount Mitchell Motor’
Road.
NOV 11 94 c
I SWANNANOA <
MERCHANTS ;i
ASK YOU |
TO BUY
AT HOME -
Where Friends And Nature Meet
and the following night the motors
again were reved for takeoff.
Plane No. 2 skimmed out over the
water and turned its nose toward
Australia. Following in its wake
plane No. # 1 with Colonel Wood
aboad roared to the take-off and
just before lifting out of the lake
struck a hidden reef. The under
side of the huge Navy ship was
ripped and torn.
A quick reconnaissance by the
crew revealed that the plane could
never get its nose out of the bay
with the extra weight of the pas
sengers adding to the load. Si
lently the men and nurses who
came so close to safety climbed
out of the bomber and watched it
take off without them. Ten days
later Colonel Wood surrendered
with the forces on Mindanao.
Held prisoner at Malay Bala the
Colonel used his Japanese to se
cure food and a few supplies for
those imprisoned with him. On
June 23 he and other members of
Wainwright’s staff were whisked
to Manila for interrogation, and
then he was sent to Tarlac where
he was imprisoned with the Gen
eral. The entire group was shipped
to Formosa in August of 1942, and
finally in October of 1944 Colonel
Colonel Wood was transferred to
the prison camp at Mudken in
Manchuria.
He last saw when
the general and other high ranking
officers were flown through the
airfield at Mudkert. Hearing that
his chief would be passing through,
Wood confiscated an automobile
and was waiting at the airfield
when the plane lanedd carrying its
load of prisoners.
Colonel Wood was liberated
August 20 when Russian forces
reached his prison camp. Back in
the States he was joined by his
wife whom he last saw when she
left Japan in February of 1941.
Mrs. Wood is now residing in
Black Mountain awaiting the Col
onel’s discharge from the hospital.
Among the other officers who
reached Moore General with Col
onel Wood, Major Conrad and Cap
tain Burwell are survivors of the '
Death March. Conrad who served j
with the 31st Infantry and Bur- 1
well who was with the 71st Infan
try surrendered on Bataan in April,
of 1942. Major Horney served
with the 63rd Infantry which wart
among the last forces to surrenderi
on Panay May 25 of 1942.
PEARSON RIDDLE
TAKEN PRISONER j
Pearson Riddle, Jr. was taker !
prisoner at Wake Island at the;
time it fell to the Japanese. Pear l
son was working for the Pacific
Naval Airbase Co. at the tirm l j
and their heroic efforts to stave'!
off the attack will never be for-1!
gotten.
He was then taken to Shangh j!,
China where he was put to wort
and later transferred to Tokoyo
He is back again in the States as '
ter being absent for the past three
years with no word of his where [|
abouts during this time.
PENLAND—ALLEN
Mrs. Emmitt Allen, Swannanoa
announces the engagement of he:
daughter, Miss Vivoleen Allen t<, i
Mr. William Penland, son of Mr ;
and Mrs. Ed. Penland of Buckeye
Section.
The marriage will take place ii
the very near future. Happy ad
venture to you both.
RIDGMLY, Md., Oct. 27 - A !
fifty-si x-year-old filling station
operator was burned to death,
early today as he was carrying a
box of trash to a nearby dump.
Louis Hammer, whose gasoline
station is on the Greensboro road
near here, died before medical
aid could be given him afte
flames destroyed his clothing,
Sheriff Saulsbury Sparks said.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 27 - Th.
Army Air Forcea said today thatM
7,233 officers were eligible for ;
discharge under the new A.A.F
point plan permitting the releas
of certain officers in this country
with 44 or more points and twr.
years’ service.
Some of these already have
been separated, the A.A.F. said. ,