Young Sailor's Convinced
That Number 13 Is Lucky
Son Local Woman
Tells Experience
In Pacific Area
Marvin Scott, son of Mrs. Mary
Poytrass of Roanoke Rapids and
the late Paul Scott, believes that
his lucky number is 13, and that
without this good luck omen he
would not have been able to sur
vive a long series of sea disasters
which has followed him consis
tently since joining Uncle Sam’s
Navy on October 13, 1941.
“Don’t tell me 13 isn’t my lucky
number”, he said in an interview
in Raleigh Sunday. Scott, one of
the 13 survivors of the U. S. S.
Sims, which was sunk in the
Coral Sea Battle on May 7, was
visiting Mr. and Mrs. Bill Gatling
in the Capitol city.
Scott joined the navy as a fire
man first class on October 13,
1941, he shipped out of Norfolk
on December 13; he arrived at
Pearl Harbor on February 13, and
was one of the 13 survivors of a
bombed vessel.
Scott stated that 35 enemy
planes early in the morning at
tacked the Sims, which was es
corting an oil tanker. A Greens
boro boy, Boyd Pike, shot down
the first plane; Scott shot down
the second. A third plane circled
the ship and dropped a bomb. On
the way back the pilot stuck his
fist out of the window and shook
it at the crew of the Sims. A
few moments later Scott hit the
plane. It caught on fire, and
dived at the tanker, killing the
pilot.
The Sims was so badly wrecked
by the bombing—only 16 of the
crew of 257 survived—that the
survivors had to take to a life
boat. While the ship was sink
ing, Scott cut the lines holding
one side of the lifeboat, climbed
to the boat seats and cut the oth
er lines. He and the boat fell into
the sea, going far below the water.
He started a motor, threw a
rope to the other boys, but the
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ing the engine. The men paddled
away from the sinking Sims.
When far enough out, Scott dived
into the water, and loosened the
rope.
Three of the 16 survivors died
during the first night. The re
maining 13 were in a lifeboat for
three days, with no water or
food. Most of the time was spent
in bailing out water. On the
fourth day, they boarded a badly
damaged tanker that they had
been escorting.
Upon boarding the tanker, Scott
went in quest of fresh watery
finding a tap three decks below
the water level. He also found
some orange and tomato juices,
but there was no food to be had.
For two days and nights the 13
sailors worked at getting a large
lifeboat off the tanker, and upon
finally getting it on the sea, an
allied plane located them.
Sometime late an American
picked up the 13 survivors of the
Sims and the survivors of the
tanker. “When I saw the smoke
from that ship coming toward us”,
Scott said with a smile, “I started
praying, ‘Lord, don’t let it be a
Jap’ ”.
Scott has been engaged in four
Pacific battles to date. He was
on the Yorktown when it was
bombed at Midway. His vessel
was bombed at Pearl Harbor. In
fact, his nine months in the Navy
have been crammed full of action
—and he likes it fine.
Revival To
Open Sunday
At Quankie
Revival services will begin at
Quankie Baptist Church on Sun
day, August 2, at 12 o’clock, East
ern War Time, according to an
announcement issued today.
There will be an afternoon ser
vice at 3 o’clock, according to
the announcement, and lunch will
be served on the grounds at 3
o’clock.
Rev. Edward W. Greene, the
pastor of the church, will be as
sisted by his brother, Rev. R.
Thomas Greene. There will be no
services on Monday morning, but
on Monday night at 8 o’clock the
first night service will be held.
Two services will be held daily on
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday, at 10:30 A. M. and 8
P. M.
According to the announcement,
Rev. Edward Greene will preach
half the sermons during the re
vival, with his brother taking care
of the other half, alternating each
morning and evening.
Rev. E. W. Greene is a gradu
ate of Wake Forest college and is
pastor of Mt. Grove, Paudall’s
Chapel and Quankie churches in
the Tar River Association, and
State Line Baptist church in the
Concord Association in lower Vir
ginia.
Rev. Robert T. Greene is a
graduate of Dabney High School
in Vance County and will be a
Junior at Wake Forest College
this Fall. Both of these young
men are married and each has a
daughter.
The public is cordially invited to
attend these services.
Wilson Given
Commission In
Medical Corps
MEDICAL REPLACEMENT
TRAINING CENTER, CAMP
BARKELEY, TEXAS — (Special)
July 29—It’s Lieutenant Wilson
now! Clunet Raine Wilson, 24,
erstwhile sergeant, and son of Mr.
and Mrs. T. O. Wilson, 738 Roa
noke Avenue, has risen from the
ranks and is now wearing the gold
bars of a second lieutenant, Med
ical Administrative Corps. Lt.
Wilson, prior to training at o
ficer’s school, was attached to
Company B, 105 Medical Battal
ion.
One of a class of 238 enlisted
men chosen on their merits to
attend Officer Candidate School,
he completed the 12-weeks’ intens
ive training and received his sec
ond lieutenant’s commission on
July 22 from Brigadier General
Roy C. Heflebower, School Com
mandant. Major Charles L. Dris
coll, M.A.C., administered the oath
of office to the members of this
first class to graduate at the new
Camp Barkeley Medical Adminis
trative Corps Officer Candidate
School. Lieutenant Colonel George
E. Armstrong, M. C., Assistant
Commandant and school director,
presided at the ceremonies.
In civilian life Lt. Wilson was
a clerk. He attended the Turbe
ville High School.
New "V-Mail11 Is
Service Offered
Soldiers Abroad
Local postal officials have an
nounced the arrival in the local
office of a supply of the new “V
Mail” blanks, which has been
made available to provide the
most expeditious dispatch and re
duce the weight of mail to and
from the personnel in Uncle Sam’s
armed forces outside the conti
nental United States.
When addressed to points where
micro-film equipment is in op
eration, Postmaster L. G. Shell
said, a miniature photographic
negative of the message will be
made and sent by the most ex
peditious form of transportation
available for reproduction and de
livery to the boys who are now
on foreign soil with American
troop consignments.
Messages addressed to or from
points where micro-film equip
ment is not in operation will be
transmitted in their original form
by the most expeditious means
available, according to Shell.
The new “V-Mail” sheet is made
up in the form of a letter, which
is blank on one side, for writing
purposes, and has a place for the
name and address of the person
to which the letter is being sent,
and can be folded up so that it
forms an envelope which meets
present postal regulations.
These letter forms can be se
cured from the local post office
at any time, to be used for writ
ing to boys who are serving out
side of the continental United
States, only.
I
Letters should be short and to tht
point. Their content does nol
necessarily express the views of
th' newspaper. However, wt
welc- j short letters of expres
ions on any matter of general
public interest from any Herald
ubscriber. All must be signed.
io tne Owner & JKditor of
The Herald
In reply to me reading in the
Herald about our boys in the ser
vice getting our home town pa
per. I think the owner and editor
of this paper is doing a great ser
vice in cheering our boys, sweet
hearts and husbands with the
home town paper. To the folks
here at home, let’s put ourselves
in our boys’ places that are serv
ing and fighting for our country
and just think how we would feel
to get the home town news so
far away from home. Our boys
look forward to the paper just
like they would a letter from
home. Our boys are giving their
service for our country. Citizens
of Roanoke Rapids, let’s help our
owner and editor so he can con
tinue to send our boys the paper.
I have a son, Pfc. William H.
Evans, in Temple, Texas. He says
the home town paper is a great
pleasure and comfort to him. Am
very grateful to the owner and
editor of the Herald for sending
it to him. I enjoy the home town
paper very much but would be
willing to give up the whole paper
for some boy in service to get a
Herald. Thanking you,
Mrs. Lucy Evans
1014 Jackson St.,
Roanoke Rapids, N. C.
r
CONFERENCE CLU
Miss Margaret Boyd was hos
to the Conference CSub on Ti
day evening, July 21, at her h<
on Cedar Street. Miss Dorc
Topping gave the program, ‘‘Ct
tian. Growth”.
Bill Peede and Rena Rade;
gave short talks on the “Iina
ance of Youth Training”.
Miss Boyd served Pepsi-t
and cakes.
DON'T
leave your tire
on the pavement!
When wheels are out-of-lin
your tires suffer. Wheels tl
wobble and shimmy grind an
rubber. These and other re
alined conditions eat the tr«
away. Thus every mile j
drive, imall particles of rubl
are left behind on the paveme
You can save your tires—f
more mileage and save moi
by having your wheel alinenu
inspected at our shop on gei
ine Bear Wheel Alinement
quipment. This service not o
saves you money but off
greater comfort, easy steeri
and safety, too. Drive in tod
Identify our shop by
this Happy Bear sign.
BRICKED
MOTOR CO.
WRECKER SERVIC
Dial R-414-1
A rye whisky, distilled,
aged and bottled under
Government supervision.
BOTTLED IN BOND
5 YEARS OLD
*125 *035
-1- pint mai quart e
100 PROOF
—
CONTINENTAL DISTILLING CORPORATION, PHILADELPHIA, PA. *
Beautiful New 7-Room House
For Sale By Owner!
Located Corner of 14th & Washington Sts.
Has hardwood floors, built-in cabinets
Screened Back Porch, Modern Light Fixtures
and is beautifully finished throughout. Idea3
location — 60-ft. front lot. House built b11
• ;
owner for private occupancy — but have now
decided to sell. Terms arranged. See
J. ROY TAYLOR I
1917 Daniel Street South Roanoke Rapi|^