NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN THE ENTERPRISE NEARLY 1.000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN VOLUME XL VIII—NUMBER 41 Williamston. Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday. May 22. 1945. ESTABLISHED 1899 Pvt. Bryan Haislip Tells of Army Life Out In Mississippi County Youth Is At Kccsler Field Studying To Be An Army Pilot Writing to The Enterprise under a recent date. Pvt. Z. Bryan Hai slip, county youth, tells of life in an Army camp out in Mississippi. His letter follows: “Today was our sixtieth phase of basic training, so now we are of ficially through with the first part of our training as career gunners. It has included a little bit of every thing—army discipline, first aid, close order drill, and two trips to the firing range and bivouac area. And, to be training for the Air Corps, there was a heck of a lot of walking. I guess they figure we should know how to walk before they begin to teach us to fly. We had three forced marches with full pack—one for two hours, one for three, and one for four. The infantrymen tell us our basic training is really soft, but it suits me just fine. “One of greatest disadvantages has been this Mississippi weather You can’t depend on it at all. When we get up at the ungodly houi* of 4:30, it’s cold enough to wear an overcoat and by noon we’re down to our shirt sleeves. And I believe the Army has an agreement with the weather man. It never rains except on Sunday, or, at least, not until after 5:30. One afternoon it started a little early and caught us just as we were leav ing the drill field. The funnv thing about this place is that when it rains, in no time at all it’s about two feet deep. That’s because the sea leavel is low here. Well, that aft ernoon we came marching in with the water up to our knees singing “Wait Til the Sun Shines, Nellie”, and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. While we were on the bivouac area sleeping in tents, it rained one night and we were all but washed away in the night. But in the Army, we learn to take anything with a grin_ that’s the best we can do anyhow. “I’ve been very lucky—so far I've been with a bunch of North and South Carolinians. In fact, Haywood Mobley of Williamston, has been right along with me, although in another flight. But when we got to Keesler Field, they made a big mistake—they put some boys from Ohio and West Virginia and Indiana with us. You can imagine what I started—the Civil War all over | again. Now, we’re kept up till all hours of the night by some die hards who consider a guy from above the Mason-Dixon line only a little better than a Nazi. One rebel even claims that until he entered the Army he never knew damyankey was two words. Well, my grand father settled that war for my fam ily, so I just stay out of it. “The last time I was on the' firing range, I saw another Williamston ! serviceman, Staff Sergeant Edgar Taylor. I was very glad to see him Sgt. Taylor left Monday for a 15 day furlough. You don’t know how badly I wanted to go with him. Wil liamslon’s main street would be a welcome sight, I can assure you. And in that way, The Enterprise has been wonderful. All the letters from guys in service—some that I knew, some I knew only slightly and even those I actually don’t know at all— make me feel I’ve had a short leave at home. Keep up the good work.” I Poppy Sale Will Be Held Here Saturday Poppies to honor America's dead warriors of two World Wars will be worn in Williamston on Saturday. May 26th, Mrs. John A. Ward, presi dent of John Walton Hassell Unit of the American Legion Auxiliary, an nounced today. The little red flowers will pay tribute both to those men who have died for their country in the present war and to those who fell 27 years ago in France and Belgium among the swaying poppies. The money that is received for the flowers will be used to aid the afflicted veterans of both wars and their families. Extensive preparations for the ob servance of Poppy Day are being made by the local unit of the Auxil iary here under the leadershin of Mrs. John A. Ward and various mem bers throughout the county. Every one in the city will be able to buy the flowers of remembrance from the many volunteer workers from the Auxiliary who will be on the streets all through the day. The flowers are made of crepe pa per on the pattern of the wild pop py of Flanders. They have been or dered from Fayetteville where dis abled veterans made them under di rection of state and national depart ments of the Auxiliary. Making the poppies has helped these veterans keep their minds and fingers occu pied, causing the otherwise tedious months to pass quickly and at the same time furnishing the men with a means of livelihood. This year it is expected that more Americans than ever before will wish to wear the poppies as a salute to the dead soldiers and their bereav ed families, and as a financial aid to the living but disabled soldiers and their needy families. RANGOON KEY TO NEW ASSAULTS 300 *00 ;QQ »<*lt IN M»?WTt S CHITTAGONG# BAY QEI BENGALI CHINA INDIAN! OCEAN BORNEO S RSI ROUND-UP Local and county officers re ported very little activity on the crime front in this area last week-epd. Five persons were ar rested and detained in the coun ty jail, but none of them was un der thirty years of age. Two women, one of them men tally ill and the other drunk and disorderly, were included in the round-up. One of the three men was booked for drunken driving, and the other two were drunk. Four of the group were colored. Sgt. Beaird Gets Fifth Battle Star —*— 437th Troop Carrier Group, Eu ropean Theater of Operations—Four times previously awarded battle par ticipation credit for Troop Carrier sorties on the Western Front, 1/Sgt. Woodrow W. Beaird, of Williamston, j V. C., has been authorized his fifth jronze battle star, significant of serv- j ee in five major campaigns in the European Theater of Operations. Sgt. Beaird’s wife, Dolores Beaird, resides at 212 Main Street, William- j don, N. C. His father, 'Thomas Beaird, resides at Route 1, Roanoke, Ala. Be fore entering the service he was em ployed as a foreman at the William don Package Manufacturing Com pany, Williamston, N. C. Climaxing its previous aerial op erations, Sgt. Beaird’s organization, the 437th Troop Carrier Group, made listory in the Rhine airborne assault rt Wesel, Germany, by being the first troop carrier unit to fly a dou ale glider-tow formation into eom aat. Col. Donald J. French of As toria, Ore., the group commander, lolds the distinction of being the ' first piled to lead an operational flight formation of C-47’s towing two gliders into a combat campaign. The 137th has performed troop carrier nissions in the areas of Normandy, i Southern France, Rome-Arno, North ?rn France, and Germany. Sgt. Beaird is the first sergeant Aiith his organization. The group was cited for its suc ■essful fulfillment of airborne drop iperations on D-Day in Normandy. part of Maj. Gen. Paul L Wil- i iams’ U. S. Troop Carrier Forces omprising the American flying ■chelon of the First Allied Airborne fVrmy headed by Lt. Gen. Lewis H 1 Brereton, the 437th has dropped , reight totaling approximately 28, 191,982 pounds, transported airborne :ombat personnel figuring about 13, >00, and evacuated by air thousands >f casualties, since D-Day. --• t ails From Was! Coast To Hear Voice Of Home Folks After traveling the waters of the Far Pacific for nearly nine months, Joxswain Clayton Revels returned , ;o San Francisco a few days ago for ; i stay of a few hours. Unable to get j tome and back in time to catch his | ship, Seaman Revels, anxious to hear j he voice of someone he knew and ;o hear direct from home, telephon- , d relatives here about 2:30 o’clock - one morning. It wasn’t a visit home, out it was the nearest thing to it. . His wife, the former Miss Gladys ; Lilley, and their two children, Mary Lilley and Rodney Revels, are at , lome here on West Main Street. : Bears Lose Their First < Game Of Current Season -♦ After winning eight games in a •ow, the Williar.iston Bears bowed :o that strong nine from Camp But 1 ler last Sunday afternoon by a 9-6 ount. The Bears had trouble with :hat same aggregation a year ago, out in the first match of the season, i the soldiers were turned bark by the ] locals. ] McIntyre hit for the circuit, but < ?ven with that the Bears were un- i able to overcome their opponents' < lead. 1 Liquor Traffic Dealt Heavy Blow In This County Last Week Six Muiiufucliiriiii; Plant* Are Wrecked, and One Man 1* Arrested The illicit liquor business in this county was dealt a staggering blow last week when ABC Officer J. H. Roebuck and Deputy Roy Peel wrecked six liquor manufacturing plants and with the assistance of oth er officers arrested one man and charged him with possessing illegal liquor. Going into Bear Grass Township last Tuesday, the two officers wreck ed three plants. The No. 1 outfit was equipped with an oil drum and worm. The officers poured out 100 gallons of molasses beer. At the No. 2 plant, the operators apparently had suspended business, the officers finding a 20-gallon ca pacity copper kettle and cap buried in the ground. The owners were just setting up Iheir equipment for operations at the No. 3 plant when the officers moved in and wrecked a 100-gallon capacity in still and poured out 300 gallons >f beer made with sugar and honey. 1’here isn't enough sugar available for table use and for preserving, but the illicit liquor trade continues to get the sweetening in fairly large quantities. Last Wednesday afternoon the of ficers raided near the Hickory 3rove church in Williamston Town -hip and wrecked a plant equipped with a 30-gallon capacity oil drum. Mo beer was found there. Raiding on Great Branch in Rob •rsonville Township last Thursday, he officers dynamited a 50-gallon •opacity still and four fermenters, rhey poured out fifty gallons of beer ind confiscated two gallons of white iquor. Returning to Robersonville Town ship Friday afternoon, the officers wrecked ^.heir sixth plant of the week, including a 50-gallon oil drum md four fermenters. Five gallons of iquor were found in front of the lome of Orlando Purvis near Gold , Joint. The plant was hot and all the jeer had just been run through the ■till. Climaxing their activities of the week, the two officers, accompanied yy county and Robersonville offi cers and members of the highway Dutrol, made several raids Saturday light. They visited the home of Jim vlordecai in Robersonville and found (Continued on page six) Vfrs. Nora Goff Died In Virginia Sunday —®— Mrs. Nora Goff, mother of Rev fohn L. Goff of Willianiston, died it her home iri Madison Heights, Va., ast Sunday night following a long leriod of declining health. She suf ered a third stroke of paralysis last veek, and her condition had been :ritical since that time. She was 69 rears of age. Mrs. Goff had often visited her ion, and made her home here for ibout three months last summer. Funeral services are being con iucted at the home this afternoon ind interment will follow in the amily plot in the Madison Heights :emetery. Besides her son here she is sur vived by two daughters and three ons. -— 3aptistg To Vote On Pastor At Meeting Tomorrow Wight ——» Meeting in the church tomorrow light at 8 o'clock upon the call of 4r. B. S. Courtney, chairman of the iu!pit committee, members of the lo-! al Baptist church will vote on call ng a pastor, it was announced to lay. All members are urged to be iresent. i THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Only two minor accidents were reported on ' Martin County highways last week, and both of them were on Highway 64 in or near Robersonville, according to reports reaching here. No one was hurt and property damage was slight. The following tabulations of fer a comparison of the accident trend, first, by corresponding weeks in this year and last and for each year to the present time. 20th Week Comparison Accidents lnj’d Killed Dam'ge 1945 2 0 0 $ 275 1944 110 000 Comparison To Date 1945 23 11 3 $6375 1944 20 7 1 3450 County Youii£ Man Is Fatally Wounded In Foxhole on Luzon "****■ —®— Commanding Officer Tells of Death of Dennis llarrison Of Bear Grass -a In a letter to Mr. Ernest Harrison in this county, Captain Edward J. McGuire recently extended sympa thy and condolences and briefly de scribed how Pvt. Dennis Mayo Har rison, Bear Grass young man, was f Rally wounded on I .uzon, Philip ! ine Islands, last March 30. Captain McGuire’s letter follows: ‘‘On behalf of the officers and men of Headquarters Company, First Battalion, 128th Infantry, 1 wish to express to your our deepest sympa thy and sincere condolences on the loss of your brother, Dennis. War is a terrible thing and one of its sad dest aspects is the loss of our loved ones as a result of it. “Dennis was an excellent soldier, admired and respected by all his comrades. His death has been a great loss to all those with whom he serv ed. "During the early morning hours (Continued on page six) Funeral Wednesday For Horace M. Evans —®— Mr Horace M. Evans, father of Mrs. Henry Griffin of Williamston, died at his home in Liberty, Tenn., last Tuesday morning at 10:30 o’ clock. A retired business man, Mr. Evans had been in declining health for several years, and the end was not unexpected. A native of Tennessee, Mr. Evans was associated in the operation of business undertakings in this state at Wilson and Enfield for a number of years, but maintained his home in Liberty. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday afternoon in the Salem Baptist Church at Liberty where he had served as chairman of the board of deacons for a quarter of a cen tury. Burial was in the family plot in the Liberty cemetery. Besides his daughter here, he leaves his wife; a daughter, Mrs. C. H. Neville of Socltand Neck; two sons, Bratten Evans of Nashville, Tenn., and Holt Evans of Enfield, and a brother, Felix Evans of Liber ty, Tenn. --a>--.-.. Wounded Youth Visits In County j —®— Painfully wounded in Germany last March 6, Pvt. Dewey Stalls, just recently back from overseas, visited relatives in Hassell last week-end. The young man is stationed at Swan nanoa, near Asheville, where he is undergoing further treatment. Pvt. Stalls was near Pvt. Wm. J. Ether idge when the latter was taken pris oner in early February. Pvt. Ether idge also returned home last week. Pvt. Stalls, struck by shell frag ments during the push through the Siegfried line, suffered severe injur ies to his right arm and hip. He has limited use of his arm and is now able to walk fairly well. It was stat ed that he was unattended for al most four hours after he was wound ed, but after he was found good at tention was given him and two days later he was in a hospital in Eng land. Small Child Dies At Parents’ Home —«— A victim of poor health for some time, Cecil Bernard Powell, Jr., died at the home of his parents near Ev eretts last Friday morning at 3:30 o’clock. The son of Cecil Bernard and Ed na Mae Saunders Powell, he was born December 12, 1941. Funeral services were conducted last Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock by Rev. E. C. Wilkie, Robcrsonville Baptist minister, and interment fol lowed in the Robersonville Ceme tery. Fourth of County’s 4E’ w Bond Quota Been Sold Over $100,000.00 Is Invested In Bonds During First Week Cross Komis to Hold Ilia Hal ly Wednesday Nipht; Komi Show Here Next Week Opened on May 14, the Seventh War Bond Drive made splendid progress during last week, accord ing to a preliminary report released yesterday by Drive Chairman D. V. Clayton. The three main issuing agencies, (he Branch Banking and Trust Company and the Guaranty Bank in Williamston and the Guar anty Bank in Robersonville, report ed “E" bond sales in the sum of $100, 1108.25 during the first week of the drive. The sales to date are well ov er one-fourth of the "E’' bond quota assigned the county. Drive Chairman Clayton pointed out that quite a few purchasers had delayed buying bonds until last week so their pur chases would be counted in the drive, that only wholehearted cooperation and real patriotism could carry the drive over the top. Below is the county "E” bond quo ta broken down by townships witli the salt's reported during the first week of the drive. Jamesville $ Williams Griffins Bear Grass Williamston Cross Roads Robersonville Poplar Point Hamilton Hassell Goose Nest Quota Sales 14.750 $ 4,181.25 7,300 75.00 18.500 2,287.50 13,000 2,812.50 157,500 49,987 50 11,300 2,250.00 111,300 29,935.75 7,300 5,775.00 14.750 4,181.25 7.500 11,300 1,406.25 $371,000 $100,398.25 The above figures, while subject to correction, offer an impressive picture of the work being done in some of the townships or districts. Poplar Point, for instance, is push ing on toward its goal, and if Pop lar Point can successfully meet the challenge every other district in the county should be able to come across. The first of the district bond ral lies has boon scheduled in the coun ty. Cross Roads Chairman Paul Bai ley is offering a free picture show for Wednesday night, May 23, at 7:45 o’clock in the Everetts school auditorium. In addition to the free picture, the chairman will offer special prizes, including cakes, pies, merchandise and other items such as five; gallons of cylinder oil. Sher wood Roberson will auctioneer. Chairman Bailey is anxious to get out a large crowd and carry bis dis trict over the top with its “E” bond sales at the rally. Sgt. Raymond Rang, just recently back from ov erseas where be lost both feet in a prisoner of war camp, will attend the meeting if he is able and will recall a few of his experiences. Chairman Herman Bowen an nounces a special bond show for Williamston to be held on Wednes day night of next week. A special picture, released in advanced, is being shown through the coopera tion of the owner-operator, J. W Watts, of the Marco Theater. Ad mission will he limiterj to those buy ing bonds between tomorrow morn ing and the time of the show a week later. Seats will be issued in ac cordance with the price of the bond. Negotiable bonds will be placed on sale on June 14. Martin County people have been asked to invest $374,000 or more in that, type of bonds in addition to the $371,000 they have been asked to invest in “E” bonds. -« County Boy Homo From War Prison —— After a stay of nearly two months in a prisoner of war camp in Ger many, Pvt. William J. Etheridge re turned to his home near Hassell last Thursday. Indirect reports reaching here stat ed that the young man lost between thirty and forty pounds during his stay in the prison camp. Pvt. Eth eridge, home on a 30-day furlough, was captured without firing a shot. The young man with several others were billeted for the night in a cellar somewhere in Germany when the enemy closed in during the night and trapped them. Liberated on April 1st, the young man has regained much of the lost weight and is looking real well. Firemen Called To Filling Station Here hunt Evening —.-'omeone dropped a eiga» Re into a dove and fired an accumulation of japer and trash. Some smoke leak ed into the room and persons pass ng the station and seeing the smoke :hought the building was on fire and sounded an alarm. U-Boat Skipper COMMANDER of the surrendered | German submarine U-85H that was brought in at Cape May, N J., Lt. Thilo Bode, 27, nonchalantly ingra tiates himself with Americans by blowing smoke at us and sneerin ' a bit In the best Nazi manner, lie and his crew—4 officers, 52 men—are now prisoners of war. U. S. Navy photo. (International Soundphoto) Attends University Of South Pacific With U. S. Armed Forces on New' Caledonia. A Williamston, N. C., sailor is one of the more than 1000 servicemen and women enrolled in the “University of the South Pacific,” first Army overseas educational in stitution of its kind in the world. Herbert E. Lee, SC’B 3/e, husband of Mrs. Herbert E. Lee, RED 3, Wit liamston, and son of Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Lee, is enrolled in the school’s course on Small Business. Assigned to the Navy at this base on New Cal edonia, French-owned island, Lee entered the service in April, 111-14, and came overseas in July. After attending school in Green ville, N. C., he worked us a meat salesman for 1). M Roberson, Wil liamston, and also for C. O. Kersey, Jr., in New Bern I Classes in this Army University [are held three nights a week at Ma jor General Frederick Gilbreath’s South Pacific Base Command head I quarters. Students, attending in off duty hours, include sailors, soldiers and marines- -officers and enlisted men—Army and Navy nurses, Red Cross girls and New Zealand civil ian employes. Instructors are Army and Navy officers and enlisted men. I Offering credits for college and high school m 2(i different courses, I the University was established to supplement correspondence courses available through the United States Aimed Fim c Institute, which fuin ishes textbooks for the South Paci fic classes. Its facilities enable many to resume educations interrupted by the war, while others are studying now with a view to post-war em ployment in a specialized field. So populai is the University that more than 1000 applications were turned down for the first semester of six weeks because of limited fa cilities. Returns Home After Long Stay Spent In Africa Miami, Fla. Florida’s palm fring ed beaches looked good to Cpl. Jos. O. Wiggins, when the ATC plane in which he rode nosed toward a land ing “But the sight of Witliamston, N. C, will look even better,” the 23 yi ur old corporal said today as he cleared Air Transport Command's Miami Army Air Field enroute home. Overseas in Africa for 27 months with the Air Corps, he was flown home to the States in a huge ATC ocean spanning plane. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Wiggins, RFD 1, Williamston. Local Man Uninjured In Minor If reck Last Friday No one was hurl and very little property damage resulted when a truck owned and driven by Joe Mike Mitchell of Williamston and a 1039 Ford sedan driven by R. C. Alexan der crashed on Highway 64 near the Roberson vilit- Cemetery last Friday evening about 6:40 o'clock. Alexan der, according to information reach ing here, started to make a turn and his car was struck by the truck dur ing a rain storm. Damage to the truck was estimated at $25 and that to the car at $100 by Cpl. W. S. Hunt of the Highway Patrol. Bitter Struggle For Okinawa Is Believed Near Turning Point i l iisi \nipricana \re 011 Way Home for Furlough* be fore Going to Pacific After turning back a suicidal counter-attack and even though bit ter fighting continues unabated, a turning point is believed near in the bloody anti costly struggle for Oki nawa. The Japs, using uniforms taken from the bodies of Americans and captured American weapons, staged the counter-attack but were repulsed with heavy losses by the Sixth Division Marines Sunday night. Fierce action, some of the hottest of the long southern Okinawa cam paign.. raged all along the Naha Shiiri-Yenaba.ru line, but Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz said the 10th United States Army made advances on both flanks and in the center yes terday. Attacking before dawn, 77th Di vision infantry raptured Taira Machi, north of Shun, despite in tense small arms fire. This “Statue of Liberty’’ division already was within 900 yards of citadel Shuri’s northeast fringes. Fighting doggedly all day and throwing back enemy attempts to retake Taira, the '77th moved south of the town in the eve ning. Recent gains by the Chinese in and around Foodchow are being con nected with the unofficially report ed movement of American ships in to the territoi ial waters off the China coast. River traffic from the coast lias been extended inland for a distance of about forty miles, and reports state that supplies are being moved in from the Chinese forces. It is too early to accept the Jap reports, hut it is possible that if a big U. S. naval force is moving into the China area it is connected with a possible landing. In the Philippines, General Mac Arthur’s men are continuing their gains on Mindanao and are within one mile of their goal. , After mopping up in the European theater, General Courtney Hodges’ famous American First Army is now on its way to Tokyo via the United States. General Hodges, a few of his officers and a small number of enlisted men are expected in At lanta on Thursday. Others are moving by boat to the States where they will spend furloughs before continuing on to the Pacific. The post-war strain in the Trieste area in Europe has been eased by the withdrawal of Tito’s forces from the disputed area, hut it remains to he seen whether the move was a vic tory for the imperialists or for the people's democracy. In San Francisco, Secretary of Slate Stettinius says the United Na tions Conference nearing its goal and that the task will be completed possibly within the next two weeks. On the home front there is talk about increased gasoline rations and the lifting of restriction on the man ufacture of more civilian goods, in cluding automobile parts and house hold goods. The meat shortage is gradually becoming worse and a chicken gets no closer to the pot than it did hack in the Hoover days. Most men over 40 are now eligible for discharge from the Army. r ■ V I nas narrow escape In Crossing Rhine With the 84th Infantry Division m Germany- (Delayed)- After ov erturning their small homemade boat and dispersing as best they could in the water, four enlisted men and one officer of Third Battalion Headquar ters Company, 333rd Infantry, bob bed around like corks while at tempting to escape a rain of bullets from enemy guns just a short dis tance away. The four men, after recovering the boat, searched in vain for the offi cer before returning to the Ameri can-held side of the Rhine River. After paddling across the Rhine m moonlight, the five man patrol proceeded up one of the barge canals which branched into the east side of the river. Suddenly, four German burp guns and two rifles began to fire at them. The patrol members immediately overturned the boat. Enemy bullets began to fall around them like hail stones. Two of the patroi members rapidly lost strength swimming in the water with their equipment. Realizing they would not be able to last much longer, Private First Class Bennie E Bland, Hassell, North Carolina, swam in the direction of the enemy fire to recover the row boat. At the same time. Private First Class Paul N. Arnette, RFD 4, Lew iston, Illinois, assisted the two ex hausted patrol members in remain ing afloat, and brought them safe ly to the shelter of a nearby pier. Meanwhile, Bland had recovered (he boat and was swimming tluuUgh the small arms fire towing the craft behind him. Under cover of the pier, Bland and Arnette assisted the two * exhausted men into the boat. Using their hands to paddle, the doughs searched for the missing of ficer and then returned to the west bank of the Rhine.