PAGE FOURTEEN
THE ECHO
July,
News from Our Many Employees In Servicf^
DIVISION RATES RUSSIAN
AWARDS
A letter from Pfc. Warren R.
Alexander is headed “With the
‘Railsplitters’,” Stederdorf, Ger
many. He writes, “I spent VE Day
at a reinforcement center. We were
glad it was over, but not very gay
about it, for most of us held too
many memories of pals who had
sacrificed all, that the day might
come . . . We were guarding a V-1
bomb plant until a few days ago.
This division took Hanover in their
drive across Germany. This com
pany was the first to go on front
lines from the division, first to
make contact with the enemy, first
to receive a Purple Heart, first
to receive a battlefield commis
sion, first to receive a silver star
and bronze star. Also out of 28
Russian awards to the division, we
received three.—Not a bad rec
ord.”
Sgt. Charles Russell Dreams About His Buddies
TOWN NOT WRECKED
Pfc. Wade M. Scruggs writes
from Germany, “We are in the
town of Speyer; came here after
leaving Belgium. It is a very pret
ty town, and one of the few that
hasn’t been completely wrecked.
I have been receiving the Echo
regularly, and have a few friends
who enjoy reading it as much as
I do. Roy Johnson is one; his
home is in Pisgah Forest and he
used to work for Mr. Patton in his
store . . . Give my regards to the
boys in the Pulp Mill.”
ALSO WORKS GRAVEYARD
W. H. Medford, F 1-c, is sta
tioned at Ft. Pierce, Fla., and
writes, “This leaves me fine, but
longing for a few whiffs of old
Carolina air. It’s very hot here,
now. I am still firing these boilers
—firing with oil, now, and it’s
much cleaner, quite interesting
and not too hard. We surely get in
enough hours. (Oh, yes, grave
yard, too). Send regards to the
Boiler Room for me. Also to the
Police Force. I have often wanted
to express my thanks to them for
their kindness shown me on my
visits to the plant. It means a lot
to a guy to see good courtesy
agam.”
COMPLETED 5th INVASION
William E. Greien, GM Z-c, says
in a letter from the Pacific, “I re
ceive the Echo a month or so late,
but regularly. It’s just like read
ing a long letter from all the em
ployees of the mill. I read it from
front to back, then from back to‘
front, -to see if I’ve missed any
thing. We have quite a few boys
on here from N. C. who have been
around Brevard on several occa
sions, and they read it, too . .
Since I last wrote, we have com
pleted our fifth invasion. We were
at Okinawa on April 1st. I have
been in the Carolines for a month,
but it isn’t the Carolines I want
ed.”
In Hospital Unit
MEETS RETURNEES
From Camp Blanding, John A.
Hamlin, WO jg, USA, writes, “I
completed the administrative
course at the Adjutant General’s
sehool. Camp Lee, Va., on June
20, and received my assignment
here at Camp Blanding. Have
never seen a place as hoWnot a
bit like W. N. C. I am in a posi
tion to see some of the boys com
ing back from overseas, but haven’t
seen any Ecusta boys yet.”
16 MONTHS ON 'ITIAIN
From Bournemouth, England,
Sgt. Chas. B. Peevy writes, “I
haven’t been in combat, but have
been doing my 'bit’ for the wound
ed men on the hospital train to
which I am attached. I’m rather
glad there aren’t so many trains
running through Brevard, ’cause if
someone should ask me to take a
train ride, I might punch him in
the nose, after living on one for
sixteen months. I am stationed in
a lovely town on the beach, not
too far from London. We go
swimming in the ocean, but I wish
it were the lake at Camp Sap
phire. Here’s hoping to visit you
people in the next month or *o
for a few days.”
SEES 800 BODIES
From Germany, T-4 Melvin L.
McCormick writes, “It has been
very hot here, but this time only
from the weather. I guess every
one was happy to hear of the war’s
end. We were, here, but our cele
bration was mild, as we still have
one to go ... I saw some of the
people the Germans had murdered;
they had just dug 800 bodies up
from a pond. I haven’t yet seen
one of the camps ... I am near
Gettling, In the Carpathian sector
of the Bavarian Alps.”
TAKE TURNS FOR PATROLS
Sgt. Clarence W. Israel writes
from Germany, “I am now stationed
in the town of Langen, about ten
miles south of Frankfurt on Main.
We have been cleaning equipment
part of each day. We swim, play
ball and go to movies for recrea
tion. Each battery takes turn for
guard and patrols. That comes
round every four days for my bat
tery ... I hope to be seeing the
mountains of N. C. in the near
future. Say hello to the gang for
me."
CROSSED ELBE j,
CpL Dewey S. Winchept®*'^
the Third Army, part of tb® jj
of Occupation, and is stati®*' ,,|
Pleinfeld, Germany. He
hope to leave Europe In pj(
thirty days . . . When jjtfi
came, we were In a jjirf
Schwerin, In northern
It Is not far from the
SGT. CHARLES B. PEEVY,
above, is attached to a hospital
unit near London. The picture
was made in a London studio.
Charles has been assigned to a
hospital train for 16 months;
he has beien overseas almost two
years, but expects to come home
soon. Charles was employed in
the Machine room and entered
service in May, 1943.
USED TO HEAT
J. M. Mims, EM 3-c, writes from
the Pacific, “It is awfully hot here,
but I’m used to it now, and it
doesn’t bother me. Thanks for
sending the Echo. I enjoy it very
much. Best of health good for
tune to all.”
SAW PRISON CAMP
We hear from Pfc. Oscar L. Gas
person, in Bemberg, Germany,
“This Is a real pretty country,
where it Isn’t torn up. Some of
these towns are nothing but a
trash pile. We came through some
of the prison camps that the Ger
mans had had our boys in, and it
was awful the way they were
treated. I sure like to get the Echo;
It makes a body feel better to get
the home news. Tell everyone hello
for me, and I hope to see you all
soon.”
LIKES MIAMI
1st Sgt. Ray M. Winchester
writes from Miami Beach, “En
joyed my visit with you all very
much; just hope it won’t be too
long before I’m back to stay. Hav
ing a wonderful time, but It’s a bit
warm hea-e (but definitely!)”
We were working with the ® jff
and were part of the
can troops to cross the E'? ' jjijl
German troops gave up pjf
sector three days before
Then we came to Number^-
was a 550 mile drive in thre® .[li
We are now 30 miles to tb® /jJ
In a small village. We ha^®.jtel*'
set-up, as we are living ^ i
There is plenty of beer
sunshine, but we can’t F
as the AiTny is afraid , •
for the girls over here. ¥
Keep the paper roUIng
return.”
PEACEFUL—BUT FOB
From the Pacific, J- ^
MoMM, writes, “We are c* ^
around out here the ^ jO/
home I’ve ever been—a J
000 miles ... The water f f
bright blue, and almost a® ^ jt ^
a fresh water lake. Wb® ^ F
calm, you can see bottom "
feet down at times.
when we are anchored
swimming off the fantau M
ship. It’s quite a bit of
1 never can keep froin
about sharks. We always
fellow on the ship with ,,.'
just in case any come ‘’L
If you run into any of
Beater Room gang, tell ^
drop me a line.”
COOKING EXPEBIE.^^^V'!
Pfc. John F. Drake
Wiesbaden, Germany, ^
it is really beautiful
now, and I sure wish
back at Ecusta working- ^ j I
and getting along fine, ^ I ^
still cooking. Maybe hi^ J
come back, I can get a
Cafeteria. I surely l^P* joV*
be too loag, for I’d
see W. if. C. one more ^