m
I
: c
i ,
c
c
c
r'
. C
i..
<■ t-
Al I BackThe Attack
VOLUME 24. NO. 10.
Hak rail
BOUGHT VOIIR
^BONOS
Souiliorii. PinGS# North Carolina Friday# February 4# 1944.
TEN CENTS
Marine Lieutenant
Vividly Describes
Reaction to Battle
Says You Feel As If
Bones Are Frozen But
You Drip With Sweat
Lee R. Page is sharing with PILOT
readers an interesting letter from
25-year-old Lt. B. S. Royster, III, of
the Marine Corps, who trained at
New River. His parents are Mr.' and
Mrs. B. S. Royster, Jr., of Oxford
and his father was an army captain
in World War 1. Lt. Royster’s letter,
dated December 28, tells more in
detail of just how war affects one
than any we have seen. It follows, in
part:
“Since I reached Bougainville
(yes, censorship has finally relaxed
and we can tell something about it)
only three of your letters have reach
ed me. I expect more when mail
comes up again.
“Now as for the action I saw on
Bougainville, I can tell you in a
general way what has been done.
First, you have never known what
cold, stark fear is. I have known it
for the first time in my life. Your
being afraid of lightning and thun
der is nothing but fright. The fear
I have known on several occasions
can hardly be described, but I’ll
try.
“First, your heart feels like a
large cold stone about the size of
a millstone. You move forward into ^
rifle and machine gun fire, and you
can’t see where it comes from. You
try to shrink as small as is possible.
You feel cold all over as if your en
tire body were void of blood, and
as if your bones were frozen, but
you actually drip with sweat.
“You see youc men hit and woun
ded, some killed, and yOu can think
of no plaiisible explanation why
you, too, weren’t hit. About then,
the man next to you is hit, and
something hot starts at your head
and proceeds to engulf your entire
body. It is some strong stimulus
that first makes you so mad you
could kill anything in your way.
Then you realize you have to do
something and Quickly. You become
suddenly very calm and effective.
You think logically and act quickly-
under those circumstances you are
at your best. You never lose or for
get that dreaded fear, but you know
you can’t remain pinned down un
der their fire, and regardless of fear,
you do what you are ordered, and
what you think is best
“In war there are no hefdes and
no cowards. All are filled with a
great fear, but a few are not quite
strong enough to know fear and yet
face it and carry on.
“I think I have told you that
there are no boys in the world like
our boys. I’ve seen them killed, and
hit and wounded by small fire arms,
grenades, mortars, and artillery, yet
never in the six weeks have I heard
a single cry or complaint. They come
out with bad wounds in very high
spirits.
“On one occasion a scout was hit
by sniper fire. A fire line was built
up, and under the cover of friendly
fire, the stretcher bearers got him
out. When he came by me, I said,
How badly are you hit?’ He
WELCOME TO OUR
OPEN HOUSE
On February 4, 5, and 6. Fri
day through Sunday, the 2,800
USO's are holding Open House.
The public is cordially invited.
Your husband- or son has prob
ably mentioned what USO
means to men in uniform
(monthly attendance at USO
clubs and lounges is over 30,-
000,000 and at USO Camp
Shows, 2,000,000)—so come in,
look around, get a first-hand
impression.
threw up his hand, raised his head
and smiled, and said (and he was a
badly wounded man), ‘Not bad. Sir.
I wasn’t so lucky that time, was I?’
“And the Japs expect to beat boys
like that!
The main trouble is you can't
see them. I don’t mean it’s hard to
see them, or it’s nearly imnossible
to see them. I mean you can’t see
them at all. As a matter of fact, I’ve
never seen a live Jap who I can say
was killed later. I know we have
killed a lot of them, too. You can’t
scare them off. You have to kill
them. Our artillery has done that
to an astounding extent.
About the worst tune I’ve ever
spent was a night some days back
when we were pinned down in a
swamp. The water and mud was be
tween waist and shoulder deep. The
Japs were thirty yards in front of
us. We could hear them whistle,
chatter, run around and chop tfees
all night. We could not smoke, clear
our throats or cough, as this would
give our position away. That’s where
these boys’ training really showed
up at its best. They want you to fire
(Continued on Page 5)
W. H. Chambers
Rotary Club Speaker
W. H. (Bill) Chambers, District
Governor of the 188th District, Ro
tary International, was the guest
speaker at Friday’s Rotary lunch
eon at the Highland Pines Inn.
Governor Chambers told the Ro-
tarians that on an official visit, it
was customary to discuss club prob
lems and how to meet them..
“But J want to talk to you, though,
about something that is very near
to me, and I believe will be near to
you,” he said.
“It began as a hobby with me”,
he continued, “but as it developed,
and the possibilities of its meaning
to the youth in the community be-
/came apparent, other clubs have
adopted it as an objective. I offer
it to you as a very worthwhile and
major club objective.”
The plan offered as a major Ro
tary objective was then outlined by
Rotarian Chambers. Every four
weeks in each community, the Ro
tary Club would have an outstand
ing boy selected from the Senior
Class in High School- The select
ion to be made by the Principal of
the High School, and on the basis
of merit alone. The boy selected
would become a Junior Rotarian,
and for four weeks meet with the
Rotary Club at its regular weekly
luncheon.
In that manner,” said Rotarian
Chambers, “The Junior Rotarian
would become acquainted with the
aims and objects of Rotary, its eth
ics, and its ideals. But much better,
you Rotarians would become ac
quainted with the outstanding
youths in your community and from
such acquaintance have a better un
derstanding of their hopes and am
bitions. We often complain that we
don’t understand our youth of today,
but perhaps the youth of today
could, with justice, say that they
don’t understand us.
“Let’s see (hat we establish a cTbse
relationship with our Junior Rotar
ians of today, based on a mutual
understanding of purposes and ob
jectives, and ideals, for he is tomor
row’s leader for a better community,
a better America and a better
world.”
Joe Deberry, who has just return
ed from, Kentucky, presided at the
njeeting and presented Governor
Chambers.
Earl Sprague of Bridgeport, Conn,
and N. A- Wells of Rochester, N. Y.
were visiting Rotarians.
Waist Gunner on Flying Fortress Comes
Through 25 Bombing Missions Uninjured
St. Sgt. John C. Blue Re
turns From England After
Distinguished Service
Back in the States from England
after ^ twenty-five bombardment
missions over enemy occupied con
tinental Europe on which he served
as a gunner on a Flying Fortress,'
23-year-old Staff Sergeant John C.
Blue, son of Lonnie Blue of Jack-
son Springs, has not, one scratch to
show for his encounters with the
enemy.< But he says that he .did
come pretty near getting killed one
day . . . not by a German, but by a
fall from a bicycle as he was on his
way to clean his guns . . . had to
stay in the hospital two weeks with
head knee and elbow injuries.
Sergeant Blue has been in the
service eighteen months. When
questioned as to where he received
his training he obligingly set out to
name the places, but after going
through Utah, California, Texas,
Wyoming and Kansas, found it sim
pler to say that he had trained in
forty of the forty-eight States.
Leaving America on April 20,
1943, he landed in England the 11th
of May. His first mission over
Germany was on June
22.. Sergeant Blue named a number
of places that he had beeen over, in
cluding Bremen, Keil, Hamburg,
Hannover and others- He went on
one raid over Onslow, Norway, and
on one to Poland which required
ten hours, a record distance for a
Flying Fortress.
Twenty of his missions were made
with the same pilot, Lt. W. W, Dun
lap of Lubback, Texas, with whom
he had trained. Sergeant Blue ex
plained that he was sie.k and..missed
five missions with Lt. Dunlap, but
they were together December 5th
on their twenty-fifth. Two of his
missions were made in a group in
which Clark Gable was serving as
a gunner.
Sergeant Blue in December was
awarded the coveted Distinguished
AERIAL GUNNER
S. Sgt. JOHN C. BLUE
Flying Cross with the following ci
tation: “For extraordinary achieve
ment while serving as Waist Gunner
on twenty-five bombardment mis
sions over enemy occupied Contin
ental 'Europe. Displaying great cour
age and skill. Sergeant Blue, fight
ing from his gun position has ward
ed off many enemy attacks and has
materially aided in the success of
each of the twenty-five missions.
The courage, coolness and skill dis
played by Sergeant Blue on all these
occasions reflect the highest credit
upon himself and the Armed Forces
of the United States.”
'fcv addition. Sergeant Blue has been
awarded the Air Medal with six oak
leaf clusters, the E. T. O. and A. T. O.
service bars and the good conduct
ribbon.
After spending some time at his
home. Sergeant Blue left last week
to report Friday at Miami Beach,
Florida.
FREE TICKETS
Newly Created Town Planning Board Is
Offering Prizes for Betterment Ideas
Plans for Meeting Post-
War Changes Are Wanted;
Contest Ends February 29
FIREMEN GET EIGHT CALLS
WITHIN FOUR DAYS
The Southern Pines Fire Company
was called out four times Saturday
and once on Sunday. Two still alarms
Saturday morning sent the men to
a grass fire at Maine and Ashe
Street, and then to South Bennett
Street near Morganton Road. At 2
o’clock the alarm sounded for a
woods fire between Barber’s Lake
and McDeed’s Creek, and at 5 o’clock
for the same fire which had crept to
the Midland Road east of the creek.
At four o’clock Sunday afternoon,
a grass fire near the Laundry on
New York Avenue, again brought
out the men.
Two more alarms were turned in
on Monday afternoon. The first, at
5:15 o’clock was for a fire in the deep
gully north of the Garner house on
Beimett Street, and the second, for
a brisk grass and brush fire on the
north side of Young’s Road near
the town line. 'The fire here reached
such proportions as to endanger
dwellings in the vicinity.
Then again at 5:15 Tuesday after
noon the firemen were called to the
block between Pennsylvania and
'Tew Hampshire Avenue west of
Leak Street for another brisk brush
blaze.
The Town Commissioners, after
giving much thought to the econom
ic changes the Town is certain to
face at the conclusion of this war,
has appointed a Planning Board con
sisting of John M. Howarth, chair
man, Dr. William C. Mudgett, Nor
man Shenk, L. V. O’Callaghan and
Howard FT Burns.
The Planning Board held its first
meeting Wednesday evening, Jan
uary 26th, to consider the applica
tions from three Airlines that are
interested in serving this commun
ity in the very near future, and to
make a study of the needs and re
quirements of the Town in order t6
prepare for the change that is likely
to come about.
The Planning Board, after going
into many worthwhile projects anti
needs for future development, de
cided to sponsor a contest in which
the people of the Town will be giv
en an opportunity to present their
ideas and views on the .subject.
Through the Chamber of Com
merce, the Board is offering as first
prize a 1^50.00 War Bond, a $25.00
War Bon(^ as second prize, and $l0.00
in War Saving Stamps as third prize
to the persons submitting the most
practical and valuable plans for the
future development and betterment
of the Town. The winning sugges
tions will be published in the Pilot..
The following rules will govern the
contest, which opens on Friday,
February 4th, and ends February
29th:
All entries shall be postmarked
not later than February 29th.
All papers must be legibly writ
ten or type-written on one side of
plain standard size, 8 1-2 by 11”,
stationery, and shall not exceed
1,000 words.
Each entry must contain the name
and address of its author, and should
be mailed to the Post War Planning
Editor, The Pilot, Southern Pines,
North Carolina.
The contest is open to everyone
TO MR. ANONYMOUS
We appreciate your communi
cation and would like to run it
in our "Public Speaking" col
umn rwfJtt week if yen will send
us your name. We will not print
the name in the paper if you do
not wish us to, but we must
know from whom communica
tions come as it is against our
policy to use anonymous arti
cles.
—The Editor.
Hor«e Show Sunday
at SP Country Club
•f
Sunday’s gymkhana at the Sou
thern Pines Country Club horse
show grounds promises to be of un
usual interest and is expected to
attract a large number of entries
and spectators.
Six events are scheduled. A spec
ial feature will be a class for mid
dle and lightweight hunters to be
run over a picturesque course of
brush and timber jumps. There will
be an open jumping class, a class
for men in uniform, one for junior
horsemen, a class for amateur _ rid
ers, and a potato race.
Mrs. Thorne Smith of Millbrook,
N. Y., will be the judge and Mrs.
Frances Van Houstan, wife of Lt.
J. A. Houstan, will award the rib
bons.
There will be ho charge for park
ing space, but an offering will be
received for the American Red
Cross.
The Carolina Theatre in Sou
thern Pines, in prbmotion of the
Fourth War Loan Drive, an
nounces that free passes good
for matinee or night perfor
mance at the local theatre on
Wednesday, February 9, will be
given to each person purchasing
a bond in Southern Pines be
tween February 1st and 9th.
The Sunrise Theatre is giving
a ticket to every purchaser, good
for any show to February 15th,
Citizens Are Urged
to Buy War Bonds
To Limit of Ability
Moore County Now Has
About Three-fourths
of $532,000 Quota
Southern Pines, which last week
reported bond sales in the amount
of 40 per cent of-its quota, has jump
ed to approximately 75 per cent;
Pinehurst has climbed from 75 to
85, and Robbins, which last week
had only about one third of its quo
ta now reports 80 per cent, according
to figures given out Thursday by
County Chairman E. C. Stevens. Mr.
Stevens thinks that the county as
a whole has raised 75 per cent of
its $532,000 quota. Late reports from
other towns have not beeen received,
but Aberdeen, following its big bond
rally, will probably have interest
ing news to relate.
The Carolina Power and Light
Company has allocated a consider
able amount to Moore County from
its bond purchase and the State of
North Carolina, which has invest
ed a large sum in Fourth War Loan
bonds, has credited Moore County
with $43,500 of the amount. Both
theatres are giving passes to bond
buyers and splendid co-operation is
being given on every hand.
There is keen rivalry between the
Women’s Division and the E. C.
Stevens office. The women, $7,000
ahead last week, are now $7,000 be
hind. The two branches have sold
a little more than $100,000 worth of
bonds.
The Chairman urges that every
citizen support the drive to the lim
it of his or her ability. Time is get
ting short; only eleven more days
remain before the closing date and
Moore County must not lag behind.
McNeill Gets 25 to
30 Years in Prison
for Killing Michael
Tenders Plea of Guilty
of 2nd Degreee Murder
of Local Taxi Operator
Pvt. Willie McNeill, Negro, of San
ford and Camp Mackall, was last
Friday sentenced by Judge A. H.
Gwynn to serve from 25 to 30 years
in State Prison for the second degree
murder of Oscar Michael, taxi oper
ator of Southern Pines.
McNeill, who following the fatal
stabbing of Michael early in Nov
ember had confessed his guilt, ten
dered a plea of guilty of murder in
the second degree, which plea was
accepted by the State. There were
no eye witnesses to the crime.
The substance of McNeill’s ver
sion of the affair was that he en
gaged Michael to drive him to West
Southern Pines and when' Michael '
stopped at the wrong place he cur
sed and told him that he knew that
wasn’t where he wanted to go; that
Michael resented this and got over
to the back seat to fight him and he
stabbed him in self defense. How
ever, it is sa'id that there were no
marks on McNeill.
including Army families and visitors
giving constructive ideas and sug
gestions.
The judges of the contest will be
Mayor W. Duncan Matthews,
Struthers Burt, R. L. Chandler and
N. L. Hodgkins, and the decision of
these judges in selecting the win
ning suggestions will be final.
Couple Under Bond
In Muse Robbery
A preliminary hearing was given
the soldier and woman being held
in connection with the robbery of
Royal P. Muse lak Monday, and they
were bound to Superior Court un
der bond of $1,000 each on a charge
of robbery from the person.
The woman, who gave her name as
Ruby Minor, 24, of High Point, has
been in jail in Carthage for about
two weeks. The soldier, booked as
John W. Lyle of California, was turn
ed over to Sheriff McDonald by
Camp Mackall authorities last Fri
day.
Both admitted being with Muse on
Saturday night before he was found
dead in his car at Sanford, and the
woman testified that the soldier rob
bed him, but he denied this. They
are expected to be tried at the May
term of criminal court.
CONCERT
Thomas G. McCarthy, who will
give a concert at the Southern
Pines Library Sunday at five
o’clock, may have been heard by
many of you last Sunday when he
played with the New York Sym
phony over N. B. C. Mr. McCarthy
will present an all-Gershwin pro
gram for the Birthday Open House
of the USO.
He has studied-at Columbia Uni
versity, St. Cecilia’s College of Mu
sic in Rome, and with the well-
known Pietro Yon and Guiseppe
Boni. He was^on the faculty at Pope
Pius X School of Music in New
York. He was, before his induction,
associated with the Columbia Broad
casting System and with the Nation
al Broadcasting Company. His wife
is Celia Ross of the Metropolitan
Opera Company.
Sherwood Brochwell
Is Kiwanis Speaker
By Howard F. Burns
Sherwood Brockwell of Raleigh,
State Fire Marshal, in an address
to the Sandhills Kiwanis Club at
its luncheon Wednesday at the Pine
hurst Country Club informed the Ki-
wanians that fire losses in North
Carolina in 1938 reached an all time
low, but in 1943 jumped to a high
of $1,000,000.00 a day in the United
States.
He urged the Kiwanians to in
spect fire hazards in their homes
and places of business, pointing out
that it is now impossible to secure ■
building materials and furdishings
in replacement. He declared there
has been evidence of sabotage in
World War Two, calling attention
to the big fire at Fall River, Mass
achusetts, in which one of the coun
try’s large supplies of rubber was
burned. Another great loss was the
high octane gasoline fire in Indiana
and still a third was thb grain el
evator fire in another part of the
country. He cautioned against the
danger of large storage tanks of
gasoline in some of the cities in
North Carolina and the possibilities
of sabotage that might be committed
in their destruction.
Mr. Brockwell further informed
the club that many of the fire de
partments of North Carolina had lost
many firemen to the armed services.
Continuing, he said it is almost im
possible to secure a double jacket
fire hose and other fire equipment
and it is more important today that
the people of the State guard
against fire hazards as the depart
ments in many cases are handicap
ped at the present time more than
during the pre-war days, pointing
out that fire losses are not only the
loss of the building but the loss of
employment and the loss of busi
ness which in many cases amounts
to a three to one ratio.
The speaker was introduced by
John Ruggles.'
Leon Seymour, chairman of the
National Salvage Campaign, report
ed that the County had turned over
1,500 pounds of old clothing.
JOHN W. FRANK, 80,
DIES AFTER ILLNESS
Funeral services for John William
Frank, 80, who died Friday in his
home at Niagara, were held in Cul-
dee Church at 2:30 Sunday after
noon with the Rev. Troy D. Mullis
officiating. Burial was in the church
cemetery.
Mr. Frank, the son of J. W. Frank,
was born in Essen, Germany, and
came to the United States at the age
of sixteen years. A resident of Niag
ara for thirty years, he is survived
by his widow and a son, J. B. Frank
of Lumberton.