ROBERT E. MAY MARVIN WILLIAM SCOTT WINFIELD HASTY
R. H. McCOMMONS WILLIAM II. CAMP JR. DANIEL E. FAISON
JAMES W. WHITBY GROVER WOODRUFF ROBERT LEE MOORE
THE R.OAN1UK RAPIDS
VOLUME XXIX_ ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C. THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1944 NUMBER 48
GG
4
I 5 FOUR ABERNATHY BROTHERS SERVING COUNTRY^/
PVT. BENNIE ABERNATHY
Mrs. Franklin Abernathy, 1123
-flenry street, Roanoke Rapids, is
the proud mother of four sons
serving in the armed forces of the
United States. The boys, varying
in age from 20 to 26 years, are in
the Army, Navy and Air Corps,
and all four are seeing overseas
v fluty.
Donald, the youngest, age 20,
is a petty officer second class, in
the Naval Air Corps. He enlisted
in May, 1941, at the age of 17 and
ris now believed to be in Africa.
Donald attended Roanoke Rapids
■j^Iigh School.
Seaman 1/c John S. Abernathy,
22, joined the Navy the latter
part of October, 1943. He attend
ed Kennedy Memorial School at
Kinston, and is a former employee
jyt the Rosemary Manufacturing
PVT. CONNER
HISSING' IN
: ITALIAN ZONE
f^Forrest G. Shearin of this city
j received word yesterday from the
K adjutant general, Army of the
| United States, that his nephew,
f Pvt. Earl Conner, "is missing in
I C.firm **
Conner, a member of the Air
Force, is believed to have been
stationed “somewhere” in the Ital
ian war zone. Nothing definite,
rwever, was given in the message
Mr. Shearin.
Pvt. Conner is the son of the
late Mrs. Conner and Mr. Con
ner, of Weldon and Norfolk, Va.
I Children's Day
Service Sunday
The annual Children’s Day ser
vice 'will be held at Lebanon Me
lodist Church next Sunday, ac
cording to an announcement made
today. The public is invited to at
tend the morning service c'.d also
participate in the picnic dinner on
ithe ground. The service will be
■jjpnducted by Rev. D. L. Fouts of
I S 2/o JOHN S. ABERNATHY
✓
I PO 2/c DONALD ABERNATHY
RFC. INGRAM
REPORTED AS
BEING ’LOST*
Pfc. Robert Lee Ingram, son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Ingram of this
city, has been reported as “miss
ing in action” in a message re
ceived by his parents, Monday,
July 3.
Private Ingram, 20, entered the
regular Army when he was 18
years old, in March, 1942, and has
seen action in North Africa and
Italy. While the telegram to the
parents did not state the locality
in which their son is missing, it
is believed to be somewhere Jn
Italy, due to the fact that Robert
had written home from Anzio a
short time ago.
Ingram attended the local
schools here, but volunteered for
service before 4he graduated. Mr.
and Mrs. Ingram have another
son, John Thomas Ingram, who is
in the Air Corps, stationed at
i Sheppard Field, Texas.
ii i. JLl : ■ . ' i . A
CPL. JAMES ABERNATHY
Company, but at the time he en
tered the service was working in
Norfolk. John is believed to be
“somewhere” in the South Paci
fic.
Corp. James Abernathy, 24, has
the longest service record of any
of tlie four brothers. James first
went^nto the Army in May, 1938,
when he was only 18. He had
been out only three months prior
to the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor and immediately re enlist
ed. He has seen service in Ha
waiian Islands, North Africa, Sic
ily and is now somewhere in Italy.
James also attended Kennedy
Memorial School at Kinston.
Pvt. Bennie Aberriathy, 26, en
tered the service in June, 1942.
He is a former employee of Roa
noke Mills No. 2, and is now sta
tioned “somewhere” in England,
CARPENTER
IS WOUNDED
IN FRANCE
Pvt. Martin R. Carpenter, 19, son
of Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Carpenter,
of Triplet, Va., has been reported
by the War Department as slightly
wounded in France, according to a
message received by his parents
this week. He is now confined in a
hospital in England. Pvt. Carpen
ter, whose picture appears else
where in this issue of The Herald,
along with three other brothers
now in the service, is the youngest
of four boys in the Army.
Air Medal Won
By Sergt. Shay
Award of the Air Medal for "ex
ceptionally meritorious achieve
ment while participating in six
separate bomber combat missions
over enemy occupied Continental
Europe’’ to Staff Sgt. James W.>
Shay, Jr., 24, 235 Washington S£*
Roanoke Rapids, was announced
recently "somewhere in England.”
Sgt. Shay is a top turret gunner
on a B-17 Flying Fortress. His
wife resides in this city, -
' y-t
overall ^uofa of County,
However, Oversubscribed
As Campaign Nears its End
Bond 5!h@w Is
Big Success
The special War Bond show
given at The Peoples Theatre last
Thursday night was the greatest
success yet had by any previous
show of like nature in Roanoke
Rapids^ As announced today by H.
E. Lee, Halifax County War
Finance Committee Chairman,
the sale of bonds for admission
to the show totalled $130,000.
COUNTY BOYS
PARTICIPATE
IN INVASION
News of local boys who parti
cipated in the recent invasion of
the Normandy Peninsula in
France, is beginning to come
through to relatives. Among those
known to have taken part in the
Treatest of all military undertak
ngs are:
Pharmacist Mate 2/c Herbert F.
Vick, son of Mr. and Mrs. V. C.
Vick, of Weldon. His wife is 'Mrs.
Mildred L. Vick. Prior to entering
the service Vick was employed by
the Peoples Theatre. He has two
brothers, Jack Vick, now in Italy,
and Lewis Vick in the Merchant
Marines.
Gunner’s Mate 3/c Melvin P.
Williams, son of G. C. Williams, 44
Jackson street, Roanoke Rapids, is
another of Halifax Countys sons
to take part in the action in
France. Prior to going into the
Army, Williams was employed in
the local mills.
Another member of the assault
force from this section was Alton
C. Lynch, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Leland Lynch of Blackridge, Va.
This was the first battle action
in which these soldiers had par
ticipated.
HEARING ON
TUESDAY FOR
ELI PUTNEY
Eli Putney, 60-year-old negro,
charged with the slaying of Ruth
Eva DeLoach, negro girl, about 14
years ago, and who escaped after
the killing, and later arrested in
Baltimore, Md., a few weeks, ago,
will be given a preliminary hear
ing in Halifax County Recorder]
Court next Tuesday, it was an
nounced today.
Putney’s hearing had been
scheduled for last Tuesday, bu *
was postponed on account of ab
sent witnesses.
Friday of last week, however
Chief of Police Dobbins, County,
Attorney Wade Dickens and Sher-<
(Continued on page &—Sect. A)
■ 1
The sale of “E” War Bonds, de
signed for purchase by the indi
vidual, is lagging "terribly,” ac
cording to reports received this
morning. With a county quota of
$500,000 “E” bonds, only $193,000
had been sold through July 3. This
leaves a quota deficit of over $300,
000. However, it is believed that a
considerable number more of the
“E” securities will be sold during
the rest of the month.
In the county as a whole, with
an overall quota of $1,567,000, the
bond campaign has been a success.
Through July 3, $1,779,000 worth
of government bonds had been
sold. This is $212,000 over the
quota, and with two more days to
go before the general driv: closes,
it is believed the county will go
well beyond the $2,000,000 mark.
Sale of "E” bonds will be con
tinued through the rest of the
month, and officials in charge of
the campaign believe the "E”
quota will not show up so badly
when the final figures are tabu
lated.
It is urged, however, that if you
have not already purchased an “E"
bond, do so at once. They are the
most valuable of all securities—
and it is an investment in victory.
There is one sure thing: Your
money is good now, but if the war
should happen to be lost, it
wouldn’t be worth anything.
WELDON MAN
WOUNDED IN
BATTLE ZONE
Pfc. Matthew C. Hale, 20, hus
band of Mrs. Odell Peterson Hale
of Weldon, is reported by the War
Department as being seriously
wounded in the Normandy battle
area. The message was received by
Mrs. Hale last Saturday morning.
Hale, who was employed in a
Weldon mill before he entered the
service in 1940, has suffered pre
vious wounds in battle, and was
recently awarded the Purple Heart
by the President in recognition of
his valiant services.
'Safe and Sane*
Fourth of July
The Fourth of July in Roanoke
Rapids was certainly a “safe and
sane” one, according to Chief of
Solice Dobbins. All day Tuesday
le streets of the city were prac
tically deserted and most a*I
business firms took the day off.
The Mills closed down Friday
night for a four-day holiday for
the employees. They resumed op
eration Wednesd y morning.
Safe In England
'T,ord has hfi£.n received, by rela
Corp.Andrew F. Fer
** arrivk safely
. Englanc Ferguson en
t 10, 1942.