NEARLY 4.000 COPIES OF THE
ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE
HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY
AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN
THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME XLiX—NUMBER 3
Williamsion, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, January 8, 1946
NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE
ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE
HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY
AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN
ESTABLISHED 1899
Sale Of Fertilizer
With Chlorine High
Content Is Allowed
——<*\~—
MannfarJtwrers urtrf .JSetaUerf
IVilow Tag
On Bag, However
The Smith-Douglas Company, Inc,,
of Norfolk, Va., manufacturers of
fertilizers, won a victory in its dif
ference with the State Department
of Agriculture, when the State Board
of Agriculture passed a resolution
permitting the sale of tobacco fertil
izers containing 3.5 per cent chlorine
in this State through June 30, provid
ed each bag carries a yellow tag not
ing chlorine content. Heretofore,
the maximum content permitted has
been three per cent.
The question of the maximum con
tent of chlorine to be permitted in
tobacco fertilizer first arose in pub
lic view at a conference here on
Wednesday of fertilizer manufactur
ers, agronomists, and farmers. The
conference was called by Assistant
Agriculture Commissioner D. S. Col
trane in an effort to determine what
should be done with 35,000 tons of
“Orange” and "Old Glory'' tobacco
fertilizers manufactured by Smith
Douglass which contain 3.5 per cent
chlorine, in alleged non-compliance
with the department’s rule of a per
mitted maximum of only three per
cent.
At the conference, and again at
the board session later in the week.
Coltrane contended that research ex
ports held that a small quantity of
Chlorine in fertilizers was helpful,
but that a large amount proved in
jurious to tobacco, reducing its burn- !
ing qualities and producing a heavy,
thick, soggy leaf which did not lend
itself to proper curing. “Our control j
must parallel research if it is to be
effective,” Coltrane said.
As he did at the conference, Ralph
Douglass, of Norfolk, vice-president
of the Smith-Douglass Company, told
the board that the offending fertil- 1
izer was manufactured in August and
September in ignorance of the maxi
mum three per cent requirement.
He said that he thought it “remiss” \
of the department to wait until No
vember to notify the company of the j
maximum.
Douglass also questioned the light
of the board to impose such a rule j
but he did not press the point. Colt- ,
rane admitted that there was no i
“hard and fast” regulation concern
ing chlorine content. Douglass ask
ed that the board fix a regulation
effective on a stated date, or that
he be allowed to sell his company’s
3.5 per cent fertilizer with the bags
bearing a tag proclaiming the chlo
rine content. He insisted, however, i
that the tags not be red tags. Red
tags denote low quality.
After a lengthy discussion, the
board went into executive session
and emerged with a unanimously;
passed regulation which permits
Smith-Douglass and any other com
pany which may have offended on
the same score, not only to sell any
fertilizer they may now have on
hand containing 3.5 per cent chlo- [
rine, but to manufacture and sell
such fertilizers through June 30, i
1946.
The regulation states:
"The maximum chlorine guaran
tee in regulation field crop tobacco
fertilizer branded as such shall not
be more than three per cent; how
ever, said fertilizer may carry a!
maximum guarantee for 3.5 per cent I
chlorine provided there is attached
to each bag in a conspicuous man
ner a yellow tag furnished by the
State Department of Agriculture
reading as follows:
‘This fertilizer contains one-half
per cent more chlorine than is rec
ommended by the North Carolina
Experiment Station or approved by
the North Carolina Board of Agri
culture. for the growing of tobacco
with good burning quality.’
"Said tag shall be placed on all
tobacco fertilizers carrying a guar
antee for 3.5 per cent chlorine sold
or offered for sale whether by the
manufacturer or dealer from this
date henceforth. This regulation rel
ative to 3.5 per cent chlorine shall
be null and void on and after June
30. i946."
Coltrane and other agriculture of
ficials were of the opinion the yellow
tag would warn off would-be buy
ers and that, in spite of the leeway
given manufacturers, no more fertil
izer with a chlorine content of 3.5
per cent would be manufactured in
the period between now and next
June 30.
Funeral Held For
Victim Of Burning
-——
Funeral services were conducted
at the graveside near Jamesville last
Friday morning for five-year-old
Fay Sawyer of Plymouth who was
fatally burned two days before
Christmas and who died last Thurs
day. Rev. W. B. Harrfcpton con
ducted the last rites at the home of
her grandmother, Mrs. Willie Mob
ley in Jamesville Township.
Besides her mother and grand
moiner, she is survived by'two LituXit
ers, Franklin Sawyer of Norfolk, and
Coburn Sawyer of Williamston, and
a sister, Peggy Sawyer of Plymouth.
The child left the familv in one
room and went into another and
lighted a candle, firing her clothes
and fatally burning herself.
Warn Farmers of Changes To
Come In Farming This Year
___^_
Now that the war is over, many
changes in farm production in North
Car<rftna will be necessary if heavy
■io s re if ■ * liim ~i t * i*
th" last vv„r, are to be avoided, says
the sixty-seventh annual report of
the Agricultural Experiment Station,
recently released by Director I,. D.
Baver.
The report cites the 30 per cent
increase in peanut acreage as com
pared with pre-war years as a good
example of what has taken place in
many phases of crop production. The
acreage devoted to truck crops has
been increased by about one-half.
The increase in hens and pullets
has been considerably more than 50
per cent, and indications now point
to a large surplus of eggs and poultry
meat during the year.
“Tobacco gl owers should be or* the,
alert for ways of increasing the I
quality of the crop and of reducing 1
production costs," the report sug-j
£e^ts'~~' Tm?"holds true hot oiiiy for'
tobacco but also for all crops and
livestock products.
“At the present time, additional
attention must bo given to produc
ing that quality of cotton most need
ed by the domestic market.”
The report calls attention to the
need for more dairy cows in North
Carolina but suggests that a large
portion of the increase in the num
ber of animals be used for family
milk cows to improve the general
diet of the farm population.
“Vegetable crops will have to be
adjusted to domestic demands, which
may mean a marked decrease in
acreage," the report says.
Loses Life In County’s
First Aeeident In 1946
John Henry Lynch
Killed Instantly
On Hamilton Road
Driver Of Death Car Absolved
Of Rlanie Following
Investigation
The first fatal accident on the
j highways of this county in the New
Year was reported early last Sunday
'evening when John Henry Lynch,
l white man, was struck and fatally
injured by a car at the intersection
of the Williamston-Hamilton and
Poplar Point roads at the Sherrod
farm. The victim, his left eye
knocked out and his head crushed
'and a leg broken, died on the spot
before medical aid could reach him.
Accompanied by John Burton,
j Lynch got off a truck at the inter
section on the Poplar Point Road
!side. Partially blind, Lynch started
I across the highway and Burton pull
ed him back and out of the path of
an approaching car. After that car
passed, Lnch started across the high
way again and walked right into the
I radiator grill of a car driven by
: Isaac Hobowsky who was driving
toward Hamilton. Hobowsky, 43
year-old Scotland Neck man, swerv
jed to his left in an effort to miss
j Lynch but could not. The car, said
to have been running about 35 miles
jan hour, traveled hardly more than
I seventeen or eighteen yards after
| striking Lynch who was carried that
distance and dropped to the ground
! a few feet away.
Hobowsky was accompanied by
| Edward Myers of Scotland Neck
[and there were other witnesses to
j tile accident who explained that it
I could not be helped by the driver of
[the car. After investigating the ac
cident, Cpl. W S. Hunt of the High
j way Patrol, said that no charges
[would be brought in the case.
Mr. Lynch was born in Nash
j County on October 12, 1883, and mov
ed to this county and was mairied in
1920 to Miss Sudie Brown who died
[in 1940. He worked as a carpenter
I for a Hamilton firm for many years,
land at the time of his death he was
employed by a logging contractor.
Several years ago he lost his sight,
but partially regained it following
an operation.
He is survived by six children,
Mary, Emma Lou, Lena, John Hen
ry, Jr.. Walter Earl and Willie Jesse
Lynch; a sister, Mrs. Bob Edmond
son fo Hamilton, and a brother, Wil
liam Lynch of Hamilton. Another
| brother married a German girl in
Holland following World War I and
(Continued on page six)
Car Taras Over In Collie
Steamp Early East Sunday
A Studebaker, ownership not yet
!determined by the highway patrol,
turned over in Collie Swamp be
tween Everetts and Robersonville
during the early hours of last Sun
day morning. As far as it could be
learned no one was hurt, but no of
jficial report could be had since the
i accident was not reported in time for
a first-hand investigation.
ROUND-UP
r
V.
J
Five persons were arrested and
jailed here over the week-end
to run the number of persons
incarcerated during the first
week of the New Year to 21.
Eighteen of the 21 arrested from
last Monday until Sunday eve
ning were charged with public
drunkenness. One was charged
with larceny and receiving, one
tor assault and the third one was
" I'fiai Vrt.' W'i'Ui ki g jiA.hai
liquor.
All five of those arrested last
week-end were charged with
public drunkenness. Two of the
five were white and the ages of
the group ranged from 21 to 3t(
years.
I PRICE SUPPORT I
V _J
Addressing a meeting of the
Washington Chamber of Com
merce and a number of eastern
Carolina politicians, Clinton P.
Anderson, Secretary of Agricul
ture, said that under the Stegall
amendment farm support prices
would be maintained at 90 per
cent oi parity through 1948.
The bone of contention now
centers around the question.
What is parity?
Secretary Anderson declared
that North Carolina farmers are
as solid financially as at any
time in their history and the fu
ture of agriculture is extremely
bright.
Many Real Estate
Changes In County
—®—
Quite a few real estate changes
have been reported in the county
during the p^st few days.
Jamesville reported a sale of about
a block week before last, one report
stating that the property, belong
ing to Ira T. Coltrain, sold for $6,000.
Another lot on the highway there
sold for $500.
One or two small tracts of land
and several lots and houses were sold
in Hamilton last Thursday for a re
ported $13,000. The Bennett farm
on the Poplar Point Road sold for
$2,000, the Groves residence and
twelve acres of land in Hamilton for
$3,800, the Sherrod house, $2,400.
Several lots and tenant houses there
sold for $3,275, the lots ranging in
price from $125 to $300.
The burned residence and lot own
ed by K. B. Crawford on Smith
wick Street here was reported sold
last week-end to S. A. Mobley for
approximately $4,000. Mr. Craw
ford bought a lot on Smithwick
Street and Grace Street extended,
near the high school, and plans to
build a duplex just as soon as ma- j
terials can be had. Mr. D. E. Dar
den bought a lot in the same block j
a short distance east of the R. Edwin
Peele home on Grace Street, extend
ed.
Mr. Jesse Whitley bought the Hill
Woolard home on Grace Street a few
days ago. Mr. and Mrs. Wocjlard are
planning to move to Plymouth where
he is making arrangements to enter 1
the furniture business.
-1
Native Of County
Dies In Virginia
-<*.
Funeral services were conducted
in Newport News Sunday afternoon
at 4 o’clock for Mrs. Kate Elizabeth
Powell Johnson who died there last
Friday afternoon at 1:15 o’clock in
the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wil
liam D. Baylor. She had been in de
clining health for some time. Rev.
R. B. Denson of Rocky Mount offi
ciated, and burial was in Greenlawn
Cemetery, Newport News.
Mrs. Johnson was born in this
county 86 years ago, and following
her marriage to George Powell, a sol
dier in the Confederate Army, the
! family moved to Portsmouth about
half a century ago, later locating in i
Newport News after the death of her
husband
Mrs. Johnson was a great church
woman and a member of a family I
for many years prominent in the
early history of this county. She
was a member of the Primitive Bap
tist Church in Norfolk and attended
its services for 32 years without a
single interruption.
Surviving are three daughters, Mrs.
Baylor, Mrs. T. F. Horner of Arling
j ton, V'a., and Miss Enuly Johnson,
also 0* Arlington, two sons, G. T.
Johnson of Kelford and J. S. John
son of Falfurris, Texas; 14 grand
children and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was a half-sister of the late
Mrs. Eli Edmondson of this county
and the grandmother of Mr. R. D.
Johnson of Williamston.
Thousands Trained
In North Carolina
For War Industries
-Q—
j.E#UBWrted 100.000 Skilled
! Mfjr and Wom » in*’
iNow Available
North Carolina faced the greatest
war in history with less than 60,000
trained skilled workers. It faces the
new world after the war with almost
200.000 workers who are skilled in a
scare of trades and and over hun
dred specific jobs.
North Carolina has always been a
State in which unskilled and semi
skilled labor is in such demand that
no real need has ever shown itself
for skilled labor. When war came
there were just enough skilled lab
orers to keep active the high-priority
textiles, and furniture.
Draft quotas, migrations of work
ers to industrial centers outside the
State cut into the available pool
dangerously. Within the public
school system, the Vocational Train
ing Division produced 42,428 skilled
workers.
Automotive services trained 2,423,
sheet metal work 2.238, and welding
2,664. Another 1,847 were schooled
in radio service, 258 in electrical
services, while 158 and 170, respect
ively, were graduated in forging and
foundry work in a state which was
not producing iron or coal in com
mercial quantities.
Within the industrial plants of the
State, 18.231 persons were trained
for supervisory and highly-skilled
positions.
The very factors which produced
the shortages at the beginning of the
I war have now made available around
100.000 skilled workers. The man
power survey estimates thot 165,000
native North Carolinians migrated
to war jobs in other States, and
practically all of them have return
ed. Eighty thousand of these were
competently trained in shipyards,
mines and machine shops, with the
remaining 20,000 classified as non
industrial workeis.
Finally, the Army, Navy and Air
forces completed the training of 20,
000 men in the many highly special
ized branches of communication and
maintenance, and these will be avail
able us soon as demobilization is
completed.
Just what the industrial set-up in
North Carolina will do with this pool
of trained workers is already evident
in the preliminary figures of another
survey being made by the Division
of Commerce a Industry, not yet
ready for publication, covering new
North Carolina Industries.
Oak City Man Loses i
Much Cash To Thief
—®—
Breaking into the humble hut
home of Frank Shields, colored man |
who lives alone near Oak City, a ,
thief broke open the man’s trunk I
and stole approximately $400 ip cash '
early last Saturday evening while the
owner was in town buying a few gro
ceries. In the hurry to make the
haul, the thief overlooked a box with
$529 in it hidden under Shields’ pil
low.
Accumulated over a long period of
years through humble but honest
toil, some of the money was in the
old style, large size dollar bills,
j Sheriff C. B. Roebuck was called
ISunday, but no progress in running
down the thief has been made.
Shields, acting upon the advice of the
officer, banked the remainder of his
cash in the bank.
Farmers Applying
For Soil Payments
—*—
A large majority of the approxi
mately 2,000 Martin County farmers
last Friday and Saturday applied for
their 1945 soil building practice pay
mints A accurate report could not
be had immediately because the ap
plications forms will not be submit
ted to the farm agent's office until
tomorrow. The sign-up was more
than 95 percent complete in several
townships, while in others it lagged.
Those farmers who could not file
formal applications for the payments
last week-end are asked to report to
the agent's office after tomorrow and
apply for the payments due them.
IThey will have until the 25th of this
|month to make formal application,
jit was learned.
r
SINGLE
v.
j
Yesterday, for the first time
since early 1942, a Martin County
boy left alone to enter the armed
services. Six were called, but
most of them were transferred
and a sixth one chose to volun
teer when he passed his pre-in
duction physical on December 7.
James Whit Clemmons, just 28
years old last July, left today for
i •'-final induction, fie is a Wil
Uamston colored boy. g
.iiiitoil Theodore Outlet bridge
of Williamston and Norfolk vol
unteered in December.
William Andrews, another one
in the current call, was trans
ferred to Chester, Pa., along wtih
Warded Jones, RFD 3, Williams
ton.
Contract Awarded For
Widening Bridge Here
—— .4-- . ... _ . . I
Road Problems Are
Discussed At Board
Meeting Yesterday
——
Highway Commissioner Of
fers Little Kneoiiragemeut
For Iniproveiuents Soon
A contract for widening the Roan
oke River bridge at Williamston has
been awarded and the contractors,
Bowers Brotners and Company, are
slated to start work within the next
three weeks, First District Highway
Commissioner . lerrill Evans, of
Ahoskie, said Monday in a meeting
with the Martin County Commission
ers in the* courthouse. Bad weather,
it was explained, delayed the con
tractor in locating equipment to start
the job, it was explained. Accord
ing to Commissioner Evans who met
with the board to discuss general
road problems, the job will require
at least a year.
Studying Martin County’s road
problems in detail with the commis
sioners, Commissioner Evans said
that the State Commission had plac
ed orders for two million dollars
worth of mcahinery, that delivery
was slow and that, in his opinion, no
marked improvements to the system
could hardly be expected in 1946,
certainly not in the first half of
the year. ‘ When machinery is made
available and conditions get adjust
ed somewhat, you can expect mark
ied improvement in the highway sys
tem in this county,” Mi. Evans assur
ed the commissioners.
[ Commissioner Evans was accom
(panied by Engineers T. J. McKimm
/and George R. Mack, and the group
plans to return to the county on
January 21 to tour the county roads,
it was learned.
Meeting in regular session Mon
day, the commissioners devoted most
of the morning to petitions for road
I improvements and routine matters,
such as reports from the heads of the
various departments.
A request was made for improving
the road leading from the old Wil
liamston-Greenville Road at Joe H.
Mizclle’s via II. W. Leggett’s, Willie
Ausbon’s and others to the old Leg
gett Mill Road near J. D. Leggett’s,
ia distance of 3.6 miles.
Another petition requested that
the road from Smithwick’s Creek
via Wm. Feel, Geo. Hodges, Marion
and E. T. Hodges, Vance Peel and
others to Highway 17 at Batts Cross
Roads in Beaufort County be im
proved.
A petition, carrying 34 signatures,
was presented asking that the road
from Holly Springs to Farm Life be
paved.
An eight-signature petition re
quested that the Creek Road in
Cross Roads Township be improved.
Running distance of about four
miles and serving 34 families, the
road is too narrow for a mile and
one-half for vehicles to pass one an
other, it was explained. There are
bad washouts, the petitioners also
pointed out. The authorities are
asking the petitioners to be patient
a while longer with the expectation
that bad conditions that have exist
ed so long will be remedied as rap
idly as possible.
Lawrence Hyman, recently back
from overseas, was appointed a
member of the Martin County ABC
Board, the appointment being sub
ject to approval of the boards of edu
cation and health.
Tax relief orders were granted as
follows:
Randolph Ormond, Williamston,
poll taxes for 1944 and 1945, for be
ing in the army.
Bryant Cherry, formerly of Wil
liams Township but now out of the
county, was relieved of the payment
of $2 poll tax.
Vester Coltrain, of Griffins, was
(Cdntinued on page six)
Wreck First Stills
Of Year Last Week
——#—
Raiding along the Martin-Beaufort
boundary last Thursday Enforcement
Officer J. H. Roebuck, assisted by
Deputy Roy Peel and Beaufort ABC
officers, wrecked two liquor plants
and poured out four hundred gallons
of beer. The first of the plants,
located just across the line, was
equipped with an oil drum for a still
and a keg for a cap. Later that after
noon, a second plant was wrecked,
the officers pouring out 200 gallons
of beer and blowing up an oil drum
used for a still.
Last Saturday afternoon, Officer
Roebuck invaded Robersonville
Township and wrecked a 50-gallon
capacity oil drum still and poured
out fifty gallons of beer.
Tha stills were the first wrecked
in this county during the first week
iit' Lite ,*'»*-vV 'i“i.iiV.
Monday a*J»rnoon, Officer Roe
buck assisted by Deputy Roy Peel
and Julian Roebuck raided in the
Poplar Point section of Hamilton
Township and wrecked a 50-gallon
capacity drum and poured out 75
gallons of molasses beer
j viAUfiiMvTmivK
V.
Plans for extending the na
tion-wide Victory Clothing Drive
into every section of Martin
County will be formulated and
announced this week, Chairman
Bob Tarkington said yesterday.
The committee composed of
Irving Margolis, Ben Courtney,
Jack Manning, Gaylord Harri
son, A. M. Fussell, C. E. Pittman,
Ernest Mears and J. D. Page, will
meet shortly to map out plans for
the drive which is already under
way in many sections of the
country at the present time.
Martin County people are be
ing asked to donate everv avail
able piece of serviceable old
clothing they ran spare during
the drive to help relieve the des
titute millions in foreign lands.
Two Are Injured In
Year’s First Wreck
Two persons were slightly hurt in
the county's first highway accident
of the New Year last Thursday eve
ning at 6:15 o'clock when a light
truck plowed into a two-horse wagon
on the Washington Highway near
Corey’s Cross Roads.
Lon Rogers, colored man driving
a wagon team for Farmer Oscar Peel,
suffered a bruised hip and arm, and
K P. Martin, driving the light pick
up truck in the direction of Wash
ington, was cut on the jaw and in
jured on his side and had a thumb
sprained. Mr. Martin, reporting his
lirst accident since he started driving
back in 1917, was hospitalized but
later moved to his home.
Mr. Peel and his workers were
harvesting soy beans on one of his
farms near his home and Rogers was
driving the load of soy beans down
the highway to the barn. It was just
a little after dark and as Martin
drove up from the rear a car was ap
proaching from the other direction
and blinded him. “I did not see the
wagon until 1 was right on it,” he
was quoted as saying. He turned to
the left, struck and tore the wagon
almost to pieces, but the mules were
not hurt. Rogers was thrown to the
ground, and soy beans were thresh
ed by the bushels.
Damage to both vehicles was esti
mated at $300 by Patrolman W E.
Saunders who investigated the acci
dent.
Farmer Peel, explaining that night
overtook him, staled there was no
light on the wagon and he was quoted
as saying that he would accept re
sponsibility for the accident.
Slade B. Harrison
Dies In Bear Grass
—»—
Slack* Biggs Harrison, 84, died at
the home of a son, S. Anders Harri
son of near Hear Grass, Saturday
morning at 7 o’clock after a long
illness. Funeral services were con
ducted in the Bear Grass Primitive
Baptist church Sunday afternoon at
2:30 o’clock by Elder A. B. Ayers and
Elder B. S. Cowan, Primitive Baptist
minister of Bear Grass.
Mr. Harrison, son of the late Jack
and Millie Rogers Harrison, was
born, reared and spent his entire
life in Martin County. He was a
farmer.
Surviving are four sons, Earl Har
rison of Calico Cross Roads, Anders
Harrison, Floyd Harrison of Suffolk,
Va., and James Bonner Harrison of
Grimesland; five daughters, Mrs. M.
G. Cowan of Suffolk, Va., Mrs Fan
nie Harrison of near Edenton, Mrs.
Bertha Bailey of Halifax, Mrs. O E
Edwards of Atlanta, Ga., and Mrs.
Ivy Gurganus, of Grimesland; 38
grandchildren; 40 great-grandchi)
dren; and one great-great-grand
child.
Firemen ('.ailed To ('.roan
Fire On Rliodea Street
-—<%
Local volunteer firemen were call
ed out yesterday morning at 10:30
o’clock to a grass fire on Cemetery
Road or Rhodes Street, The fire,
said to have started around a wash
pot, was burning toward the George
Moore home, but caused no damage
f SUPPORT PKICKS_J
Support prices for the 1946
peanut crop will be fixed at 90
percent of parity as of July 15,
this year, it was announced re
cently by the Department of
Agriculture. If a large crop is
planted this year, it is possible
that support prices will come in
handy. If a medium size crop is
planted and the consumer de
mand continues promising, the
I 'pfltcs will jiaruiy ue a
material factor in the open mar
ket, it was pointed out.
aJ^trchases deemed necessary
under the support price plan will
be made until July 30 of next
year, and loans will be available
until January 31, 1947.
Jas. S. Whitehurst
Reviews Record Of
Cafner’Shangfita^*'
Martin County Yonnp Man
Vv ah On Famous Ship Dur
ing Pacific Campaijpi
(Machinist’s Mato James White
hurst in previous installments has
give the pre-battle history of his
ship, the Shangri-La. Pick up the
story as he relates it further.—Ed.)
Hunting Japs—A Specialty
It was a quick one-night stand at
Ulithi anchorage, however, because
less than 24 hours after dropping the
hook we were under way again—
this time finally entering the long
awaited “Indian Country".
Still, not a moment was wasted in
getting the ship ready for combat
In company with the U. S. S. Iowa
and three destroyers, one of which,
the U. S. S. Haggard, was later to be
hit by a Kamikaze, we concentrated
on gunnery practice and putting the
finishing touches on air operations
There were planes towing target
sleeves most of the day, with all five
ships firing every gun on board. At
the same time Air Group 85 sharp
ened up its coordinated attacks.
To many it seemed like just so
much more training until one morn
ing, the 28th of April, we finally
reached our goal. Task force 58, the
marauding fast carriers of Vice Ad
miral Marc A. Mitscher, was in the
refueling area that day and we were
welcomed by all hands a long-ex
pected member of the team. We had
reached the big leagues.
It wasn't all gunfire and bomb
blast the first few weeks after >ve
joined the famed 58 outfit, but the
action wasn't long in coming either.
Just to get us into the spirit of
things, the air group was given its
first bit of real meat to chew. That
was tiny Kkino Daito Jinia, a phos
phate depository southeast of Oki
nawa, which the Japs had been using
for a weather observatory.
After Air Group 85 sent thirty-six
sorties over the target, dropped some
twenty-eight 500-pound bombs, and
eleven half-tonners and twenty-four
rockets, and brought back pictorial
evidence of the damage inflicted, we
decided it was just a phosphate de
pository once more and continued
up to the big show—Okinawa.
By the time we had arrived, the
Battle of Okinawa had entered its
bitterest phase. The Japs were en
trenched in caves on the southern
tip of the island and the Army and
the Marines were engaged in the
bloody job of rooting them out.
We soon saw that this was where
we came in- to do a bit of blasting
on those caves of our own and to
help keep the Jap air force out of
the skies.
Our first kill came three days aft
er entering the combat area around
Okinawa. Ensign John S. Patton, a
night fighter pilot, was put on the
tail of an enemy contact about fifty
miles from the task group. In the
half-darkness before dawn he first
thought the plane to be a friendly
B-2fi. But his controller in CIO as
sured him htat there were none in
the area and to give it a burst any
way. The result: Splash one Jap
“Betty" in flames and first blood for
the Shangri-La.
Then came our turn for some ex
citement aboard ship. Early one
morning we were called to “GQ”.
We spurted out of hatches and pas
sage-ways and had hardly reached
ourt battle stations when we learned
two groups of Jap planes were head
ed our way. There was no dallying
about putting on flashproof gear,
helments and life belts this time.
They were uncomfortable, but we
didn't mind. Our combat air patrol
was already engaging the nips and
were having good success when sud
denly down through the clouds came
the Jap we all dreaded—a single
plane.
As he came in, anti-aircraft fire
from a cruiser and a battle ship in
our group bracketed him with flak.
Closei he came through that wall
(Continued on page six)
Town Board Holds
Uneventful Meeting
——$—
Williamston’s town commissioners
held a short and uneventful meeting
last evening when they limited their
discussions to one or two new busi
ness matters and handled routine
duties. Clerk G. H. Harrison was
absent for the first time in years.
All other members of the board and
Mayor John L. Hassell were present.
A motion was made to buy about
an acre of land adjoining Woodlawn
Cemetery on the south, the site being
the one where the old colored school
building once stood. The purchase
will square up the cemetery on that
side and make available considerable
space for plots between Rhodes and
Broad Streets.
A lot in the ravine on Williams
Street was sold to R. T. Griffin foi
ls with certain provisions to be met.
me Dual d is iSSUiiig ail Older
warning all town motor vehicle own
ers to buy and display the 1946 li
cense tags on their cars arid trucks
on or before the first of next month.
Prosecution is to be expected after
that date if the order is allowed to
go unheeded.