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THE ONSLOW COUNTY News and Views Paid Circulation Local Advertising National Advertising Classified Advertising Onslow County News The Only Newspaper in the World That Gives a Whoop About Onslow County ' VOL. VIII, m 16 JACKSONVILLE, N. C., TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 1, 1913 member op the associated mesa PRICE $2.00 PER YEAR DOWN EAST « WITH i BILLY ARTHUR #A couplc issues back I had a story told by Bishop Arthur Moore of the Methodist church, who was as famed as a recounteur as he was a man of the pulpit. After we went to press, another of his yarns was recalled. Once when presiding over a west coast conference, he found a church that had three bells ... a large bell, a medium size bell and a small bell. Asking why. he was told that the small bell was rung for ordi nary routine church service. The next largest bell was rung for revivals and special meetings. "Hut." the informer said, "when the Bishop visits us. there is. an earthquake, or any other public calamity, we ring the big bell." 0Then. I got wondering about how many good church stories 1 had tucked away in the files and went in to pull them out. At the Methodist conference when it was held in New Bern about ten years ago. one of the visiting ministers related a varn about a member of the colored race taking a liking to one of New York's most exclusive churches. Me wanted to join it and went to the minister telling him so. The pastor sensed the delicate situation and in his best manner smoothed out the problem, so he thought, with the advice that Hie Negro go home, pray over it. in vestigate whether or not he really did want to become a member, return to the pastor if he so de sired and they'd see what could be done. In about a week, the Negro re turned. the pastor thought to pe tition for admission, so he asked the decision. "I did jus' like you say." the colored fellow replied. "I prayed over it. I told the Lord jus' what you told me. and I told Him I didn't think you much wanted me in the church, and I didn't want to apply and be rejected. And He said for me not to worry about not getting in this church on first request, because He'd been tryin' to git in ever since it was built, and couldn't." # New Horn was predominately Episcopalian back in the days I used to newspaper there, and when one story I picked up started into print. I was urged not to use it. But. you know me. I can't keep a secret. In the community vcars back, the story went, the Episcopal and Catholic congregations competed vigorously. Finally the priest w^nt to ihc rector and made a gesture to let bygones be bygones. "After all. ne're working toward the same '1—to have souls. So, hcnce h we'll cooperate." the priest •red, "you working in your .»y and I in His." # Just after the story was pub lished. one of the Episcopalians, who got a big laugh out of it. came forward with a story about a highwayman holding up a stage coach in the California gold rush days. "Gimme your gold and be quick about it or I'll shoot you down like dogs." the robber told the drivers of the coach. He got it. "Anybody inside what's got any thing?" he demanded. "Nope." he was told, "onlv an aged bishop. He hasn't anything. We're taking him free." "Get him out. If he's asleep, wake him up." "Please spare me," the bishop said. "I'm an aged person." "That don't make any differ ence." "But I'm a bishop?" "What church?' the robber de manded. "Episcopal." "That's different." the highway man spoke up. "Drive on. then, Episcopal's my church, too." 0 Now mine that I picked up somewhere: There was a little church some where in the mountains of North Carolina that had a hard time— as all churches apparently do— raising funds to purchase necessi ties, and one Sunday morning the preacher arose in the pulpit and made a plea for a large collection, urging the congregation not to think before dropping money in the plate. On previous occasions he had spoken on tithing thinking about the practice, and it did little good. Thus he changed his psy chology. " We have." the minister declar ed, "a comfortable church wheree we can worship. We have plenty of coal, plenty of wood and a mul titude of things to make our church, attractive, but we need a bell to summon the people." For fully 15 minutes he expound ed on the need of a bell. "We have a steeple to put it in. We have ev erything we need except a bell. As 1 have said, we have plenty of coal and plenty of wood At that point he was interrupt ed by a member of the cortgrega tion standing in the rear of the church. "Parson," the member called, "if we have plenty of wood and plenty of coal, to heck with the bell. Put a whistle on it." 0 And of bolls: Duke University has a carillon, and before the war regular Sun day afternoon concerts were con ■ctcd People used to come from es around to attend them. W ne afternoon a man was sitting leath the tower and was ap proached by a stranger who re marked that the music was beauti 'U"I didn't understand," said the sitter. , , (Continued on page two) WAR TO PEACE—LABOR DAY 1945 TANKS TO CAPS GUNS TO STOVES Occupation Troops Await Eagerly March To Tokyo 0Yokohama— (/Pi—Allied occupa tion troops Monday eagerly prep ared to march into Tokyo, weather and G-eneral MacArthur permit ting, after the formal surrender Sunday banged shut a barred dco; on Japan's world-empire dreams. The iast of the historic array of pens inked in works the famous signatures that made Japan's cap itulation official and final. Her em pire was slashed to: four home is lands of Honshu. Kokkkaido. Kvu shu. and Shikoku, plus a few min or isles. Back to Russia went southern Sakhalin and the Kuriles. Also re moved from Japan but not yet dis posed of were the Ryuykyus. Dun ins and the volcanoes, and manda ted islands from World War 1 the Palaus Marianas. Carolines, and Marshal Is. More Nips (live l'p 0Bagiuo. Phillippines i-P) —The last of 40.000 Japanese in the Phil lipines were surrendered in a five minute ceremony by the now do cile "tiger of Malay"— Gen. Yam ashita—to Lt. Gen. Johnathan M Wainwright. hero of Batann and Corregiilor. Wainvvright flew from Japan, where he witnessed the general surrender ceremony aboard the Missouri, and settled an old score with the one time boastful Jap conquerors. Wainwright said. "I am without words to tell of the thrill of seeing the surrender and seeing the Im perial Command bow and bend to the U. S." Russians Celebrate 0 Moscow-- (/P)—Russian people Monday celebrated t ho Japanese surrender ceremony and the for mal end of a war which Premier Stalin said would mean the re turn of southern Sakhalin and the Kuriles to the Soviet Union. Prepare The War 0 London—(TP)—Major Gen. Pit-h ard .1. Marshall. Gen. Mac-Arthur's Deputy Chief of Staff Officers have arrived in Tokyo to prepare for Mac.Vrthur's entry into the Jap capitol. Tokyo radio said. Troops Hear Truman 0 Washington— i/IV— President Truman Sunday night called V-.I Day a time for great rejoicing and for solemn contemplation. In a broadcast message on the occasion directed primarily to mem bers of the American armed forces scattered across Jthe earth, Mr. Truman said: "With the destructive force of war removed from the world, we can turn now to the grave task of preserving the peace which you gallant men and women have won. It is a task which requires our most urgent attention. It is one hi which we must collaborate with our Allies and the other na tions of the world. "They are as determined as we are that war must be abolished from the earth, if the earth, as we know it. is to remain. Civilization cannot survive another total war." BYRNES TO LONDON 41 Washington—(JP)—Secretary of State Byrnes leaves for London this week with detailed plans to give the U. S. and other great powers decisive control over key island waterways of Europe. He will lay plans before a meeting of Big Five Foreign Ministers. <?> Willi The Third Meet Off Yokohama —(/P)—The I'lJiiei! States Marines shouldn't read this—or maybe it was just an oversight. As warships drew m» before Yokohama, plainly visible on ;i factory roof was a si an paint ed by the Japanese. The sign read: , "Three cheers for the I*. S. Navy and Army." Marine Lieutenant First To Put Flag On Futtsu Peninsula 1^ With the Fourth Marine Regi nenl in Japan, Aug, 30.—1 Delay "ii— (/Pi- A young Marine lieut enant from New Yoris. State was he first man to hoist the Amer can flag today on Futtsu Penin iula in Tokyo Bay. He was 1st Lt. Arliiur Jones of 'cjghkeepsie. As soon as his out it was ashore. Jones headed ;traight for the central and argesl of three fortresses on the jeninsula— Fort Okahodai. Once inside the fort—he had to ?nte:r from behind because a semi nrcular moat guards the front a approach—lie climbed to the iveather and lookout station steel ;ower and ran up his Flag. It rippled in the strong morn ing breeze, and in the bright sun ig'nt The Stars and Stripes were visible to hundreds -if American ind British ships riding in Tokyo Bay. liaising the nation,.I banner over Japan fulfilled the Marine Corps goal, sought since Pearl Harbor. And it w;is flown by the reborn Fourth Marine Regiment, the Leatherneck outfit which won fame for ils stand with the de fenders of Corregidor. Nnvy Will Slash Forces To 500,000; Point System Revised 41 Washington --(/P)— Navv plans for a cutback of 2,339,000 men within a year have been announc ed while President Truman urged continuation of the draft to meet uncertainties of the future and to release more veterans. Secretary of the Navy For rest al disclosed the sea services program at a news conference. The Presi dent's recommendation, in which he suggested 18-25 as the draft age limits and proposed a two year limitation upon the .service of new draftees, came in ;i letter u> Chairmen Thomas (D-Utah) and May (I)-Ky> of the Senate and House military committees. Forrestal said the Navy pro poses in the next 12 months io reduce its force to 500.000 men and 50.000 officers. Present strength is 3.389.000. The Navy's plan to speed up demobilization will get under way in about two months. For restal indicated. He announced that the service's point discharge program will be revised in that time to include credit for over seas service. Nick Fountain, 82, Prominent Onslowan, Passes At Hospital • Nick F 'onntain. 82. prominent l'.-iriuc"- and community loader, died at the Onslow General Hos pital Saturday afternoon at 3:21 o'clock. Youngest of a large family, Mr. Fountain was the last surviving sun of the I''.to John R. Fountain, pioneer landholder born in the same community in 1809. All other members of the family have been dead for many years. Though less than three years of age at that time. Mr. Fountain re membered vividly the events of the close of the Civil War. espec ially such incidents as the freez ing to death of refugee slaves try ing 1 make their way to the Yan kee .iimy in the dead f winter in 1865: anothe- recollection was the coming of the bands of robbers in the spring and summer of 1865. He engaged in the turpentine in dustry in its waning days in East ern Carolina, and later took a leading part in the production of tobacco and livestock in the com munity. He served for many years on the local school board and as overseer on the community road ways. at a time when all work was voluntary and locally controlled. Mr. Fountain was never affili ated with any church, though he supported actively the work of any religious or other group which aided in the moral betterment of the community. He is survived by his wife, the former Nancy Home, of the same community: and by siv sons: J. A. Fountain, of Kocky Mount: F. R. Fountain, of f.vnbrook. N. Y.: R. R. Fountain, of High Point: Dr. A. M. Fountain, of the State College fac ility. Raleigh: and F. A. and C. -T. Fountain of the home. He is also survived by 20 grandchildren, seven of whom are in the armed services. Funeral services were conducted at the Fountain cemoter\. near the home Monday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Achievement Day Set For October ?5 By County Council 4) October 25 has been set as the date for the Fall Achievement Day program of the Onslow Coun ty Council of lie.?ne Demonstration clubs, it was announced yester day by .Miss Laura Beatt.v, home agent. The date was set at a county council meet ins here at Tallman Street i SO last Thursday. Another county council meet ing will be held October 11 to make final preparations for the Achievement Day program. KMTTKRS Nl KM l> 0 Although the war is over, physi cally speaking, there will still be a great need for knitted garments that have in the past been provided by the workers of the Camp Le jeune Auxiliary of the Onslow County Chapter of the American Red Cross of the knitting commit tee. has issued a request to all persons interested in this work to contact her at Hadnot Point. Ext. 5654 for materials or information. n IS I mi: FINNISH RELATIONS % Washington — (/P) — The Stale department announced resumption of relations with Finland. Hunters Allotted 100 Shotgun Shells For Coming Season Washington — (TP) — Nim rods will be limited to 100 shotgun shells during the forthcoming hunting season. Because of the continued shortage of lead, the War Production Board announced, the same limits as last year In addition to 100 shortgun shells of any gauge, a hunter also may purchase 150 rounds of .22yca!ibre rim fire cart ridges, and 10 rounds of cen ter lire rifle ammunition (or 50 rounds if packaged 50 to the box.) This makes a total of eight boxes of ammunition of all l;h:ds. To get if. a hunter must sign a certificate provided by WPB to suppliers. Farmers, ranchers, profes sional hunters and trappers may obtain larger allotments by signing a certificate saying they need it in connection with the safeguarding of crops or the earning of a livelihood.. Co!. F!ett Enlists Son In Marines; He Will Retire Soon On September 1. 1945. Col. James YV. Flo!t will b-s relieved from active duty, and he will be placed on the inactive lis! on Octo ber A. 1945. lie is planning to reside in San Clemente. Calif. Col. Flett, as a climax to his colorful career in the United Sta tes Marine Corps enlisted his only son, James W. Flett. Jr.. in the Marine Corps this past week at Camp Lejeune. Col. Flett assumed command of the Quartermaster Battalion on July tfl. 1944. While serving as Commanding Officer of the Quar termaster Battalion and Senior Of ficer of the Fourth Area, he acted in the capacity of Director of Quartermaster Schools: served as the Senior Member of the Post Ex change Council: and was President of the Camp General Court Mar tial. Col. Flctt, whose homo is in At lantic Highlands. X. came to the Quartermaster Battalion from Oc ean-side. Calif., where he served as Camp Quartermaster and Liason Officer for construction at Camp Pendleton. Prior to his arrival at Camp Pendleton in 1942. he enjoy ed a long and colorful career in the Marine Corps which CJmmene in October. 1.913. 32 Years Service During his 32 years service he participated in the Mexican cam paign of 1914. as a member of the Marine Detachment aboard the 1'SS New Hampshire. Subsequent tours of duty in elude a period of service in Haiti in 1.915; duty with the 5th Marines in France during 1917 and 1918: duty as the officer in charge of the European Courier Service, with Headqaurters in Par is. during 1919 and 1920. He serv ed with the expeditionary force to Santo Domingo in 1921, and re mained there until 1923. He serv at various post in the United Sta tes from 1923 to 1927; in North China with the first organized tank unit of the Marine Corps from 1927 to 1930: in the Phillip pines as Post Quartermaster of the Marine Barracks. Navy Yard. Cav ite. from 1930 to 1934: as Base Property Officer at Marine Bar racks, Parris Island, from 1938 to 1939: and at Headqaurters Marine Corps as Officer in Charge of the Property Section from 1940 to 1941. Col. James W. Flctt was retired on 1 August. 1944. because of phy sical disability, but remained on active duty and has resided at Par adise Point with his wife and son while stationed at Camp Lcjeune. Farmers Reminded That Implement Tires Are Now Ration Free % Farmers needing implemen tires for their farm equipmen were reminded yesterday bj Theodore S. Johnson, Raleigh dis trie! OP A director of the Wa: Price and Rationing Board tha they could now buy them withou a purchase certificate. "Following its previously an nounced policy of removing eon trols on articles at the earlies possible moment. OPA has taker farm implement and industria type tires off the ration list." Johnson said. Truck and passenger tires re mained under rationing, he point ed out. " \mple supplies of tractor tire: are on hand to meet the require ments. and so there is 110 longei any need to keep them under ra tioning," Johnson declared. "In making this announcement I want to take occasion to thanl the farmerg of Onslow County foi their splendid spirit of eoopera tion during the period when thest tir<-s were scarce. By taking can of their individual tires and hav ing them checked regularly, the: have contributed materially t< our national rubber conservatior program." Johnson said. CHANGE MEETING PLACE 0The Jacksonville Kiwanis elul will meet at 1 p. m. today at th< Club Roanoke Island instead 0. the USO Pine Lodge. Typhoon Is Described By Onslow Survivor Four-Day S^les Week For Tobacco Markets • Raleigh—(/H- The B->ard of Governors of the Bright Bolt Warehouse Association Saturday, unanimously decided upon a to bacco sales holiday on Tuesday of this week and a sales holiday each Monday thereafter until the con gestion on the lobacco markets is relieved. The congestion has been c: used by the inability of the re cirying plants to keep pace with the sales volume. A committee consisting of the presidents of the warehouse as sociations of the ihree belts was appointed to determine when the tobacco holidays should cease. They are C. Kersey Smith of Kili st on. president of the East Caro lina Warehouse Association: Fred Roystcr of Henderson, president of Ihe Middle Belt Warehouse As sociation: and E. D. Matthews of Winston-Salem, president of the Old Belt Warehouse Association. In a statement on the present situation. L. L. Gravely of Rocky Mount, president of the Tobacco Association of the United States stated that the redirving plants have a capacity of 12,730.000 pounds a day. or, roughlv sneak ing. a capacity of fi4.000.000 pounds for the two weeks since the markets opened in the East ern Belt. "Last week." Gravely said, "there was sold more than 20.000. 000 pounds in excess of that total, and there will be sold that much this week. The redrying plants have dropped behind approximate ly 40.000.000 pounds in the past two weeks. Universal Leaf To bacco Company, has cut its buy ing 30 per cent, and officials of. the American Export Tobacco Company tell me that they wilL have to reduce their buying per centages. A holiday is just as in evitable as it can be. A failure to declare a holiday will mean a re duction in price." Representatives of the farm groups were unanimous in their offers of cooperation. R. Flake Shaw of the State Farm Bureau said: "We want you to do what you think best. If we are going to lose money by the condition of the market, we want you to fix up something that will benefit us." E. Y. Floyd of the Farm Bureau said he thought the farmers would be willing to do whatever the re driers and the warehousemen think is to their best interest. "We want the tobacco crop taken care of." he said, "and we don't want the price to drop." The farm groups' representa tives all expressed a fear of' a drop because of a holiday in sales and it was the unanimous opin ion of all those attending the meeting that a "mass holiday," or a holiday of several days in aj row. would have a disastrous effect upon the tobacco price. In a discussion of the reasons? for the flood of tobacco that has glutted the markets. T. W. Allen of! the State Grange admitted that the farmers are partly at fault. "The farmers haven't had any money in a long time." he explained. "They have a good crop and they wand | to sell it." ji 'New Japan' Theme Broadcast; Election 1 To Be Held Soon j By The Associated Press } §.\ Japan moving in a "smooth, orderly manner" toward occupa-« tion by conquering for cos while* plaaucd with the many diffculties nf building the "new Japan" of the future was sketched in Tokyo rad* io broadcasts today. A general election before thai year's end -the first in more thanj three years—was forecast by tho Domei news agency. It was bcinsj delayed, the Home ministry ex-* plained, because voting lists had been destroyed in most major cit-« ies and in provincial towns by aii? raids. Wartime movement of thel population presented the problem of revising ivpresc.utatiolh from, the various electoral districts. In a step toward an election, the cabinet removed some wartime re strictions on political ativities and the press. The Domei broadcast reporting this said the government would suppress any organization whose activities might '"compro mise the national policy" and con trol such activities as did not fit into the "complicated postwar sit uation." MARINES DECORATED 0 Five marines at Camp I.ejcuno recently were decorated for gal lantry in action against the Japs. They were: 1st Lt. Francis T. Burke. 1st Control Battalion. Navy Cross: GSgl. Percy W. Hawes, Rifle Range Battalion. Silver Star Medal: and Pfc. William P. Eisole, Redistribution Battalion. Silver Star Medal, all decorated by Col. R. F. Crist, commanding officer of the schools regiment; and Maj. Lloyd W. Martin and PISgt. Lionel Proux. who were presented bronze star awards by Col. L. B. Puller, commanding officer of the infantry training regiment. 4 Onslowans Were f | Scheduled Back In ? J America On Friday | TSGT. WALTER D. ALLEN fji\e\v y otk unsiow coun'.y servicemen listed below were •.(•h?cluled to arrive on the liner 3ueen Elizabeth at New Yoirk \ugust 31. The list was compiled oy The Associated Press from ad vance passenger convoy lists and s not a correct list as to date of jailing or date of arrival. Port authorities ask that rela :ives and friends of the men do iot contact the port for additional nformation, as that is not avail able. The Associated Press does lot have additional information, lor does The News and Views. The list follows: Hay E. Koonce. Jr.. Jacksonville. SS«t. Raymond E. Mears, Holly Ridge. Cpl. Ernest A. Justice, Sneads Scheduled on - the SS General [-lodges, due in Boston August 31 was TSgt. Walter D. Allen, Rich lands. son of Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Allen. Gunner Willie Jones Of Richlands Serving /' Aboard North Carolina ' 0 Aboard The lTSS North Caro ina Off Japan—< Delayed)—Willie \. Jones. USNR. 22. gunner's mate, second class, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie A. Jones. Route 2, Rich ands. N. C.. is serving aboard this battleship which is part of the Dowerful Pacific Fleet engaged in occupying Japan. Under the operational control jf Admiral William F. Halsey, USN, Coninvnci t of the 3rd Fleet, .he North Carolina, one of the 'glamor" ships of the Fleet, as sembled with 11 other battleships. 17 aircraft carriers, five escort carriers. 20 cruisers and more than 290 other U. S. ships to carry out the first stages of the occupation of the Japanese islands. John C. Allen, 41, I Dies In Churchton, Md.; Related In Onslow Q Benson. —Funeral services for John C. Allen. 41. native of Ben son. who died suddenly Tuesday at his summer home in Churchton, Md.. were held from the Benson Methodist Church Thursday after noon. The Rev. C. B. Culbreth, pastor, conducted the funeral. Surviving are his wife, the for mer Annie Lee Denning of Benson, to whom he was married three years ago. a six-months-old son, •Johnny: his mother. Mrs Emma Allen Masso.v of Ml. Olive and three brothers, \rchie Allen of Franklinton. llarvey Allen of Rich lands and Boyd Allen of Mt. Olive. Following the rites at the church thefuneral cortege proceeded to the Hodges Chapel church near here where the body was interred in the Allen familiy plot in the church cemetery. T. Fletcher Little ' Becomes Lexington Hospital Manager £ Lexington—T. Fletcher Little, with extended experience in hos pital management, lias been ap pointed business manager of Lex ington Memorial hospital, com munity-owned and operated hospi tal here, and has already entered upon his duties, it has been an nounced by the hospital board. The office is one newly created, in addition to having business oversight over the present plant, Mr. Little will assist the board in supervising the erection and equip ment of the new and much larger plant now well under construction. Mr. Little came to the post here from Anderson County hospital. Anderson. S. C. He had previously served hospitals at Newport News, Va.. Goldsboro and Jacksonville, N. C. 0 Behind Robert J. Darden, a second class motor machinist's mate with a first-class Southern accent, is. one of the most amazing experiences of any man who ever waged—and won—what was prob ably as furious a battle as an angry Pacific Ocean can offer. The unassuming young farmer from Jacksonville, N. C.. told the story in detail for the first lime when he reported to the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in Washington. 1). C., early this month—the story of the typhoon which claimed three de stroyers and 90 per cent of their personnel off the east coast of Luzon last December. Darden had finished his mid •vvatcla in the engine room of his proud destroyer, the Monaghan— which had gloriously come through a dozen battles with the Japanese since he boarded her in October, 1942—and turned in for some sleep in the early morning of December 18. But by 9 o'clock the sea was getting so heavy that it was im possible for him to stay in his bunk, so he made his way to the engineer's compartment to join some of the other boys who had gathered in the after part of the ship. Darden's life-jacket was at his battle station—the No. 4 gun next to the fantail. The communi cations system had been put out by the storm, but he edged his way out to his jacket because "some thing told me to put it on." l I had been in storms before, rand this one didn't worry me,'* "Darden recounted. "It didn't even worry me when I went out on deck and found the waves so high i! couldn't see the tops of them. I came back and helped eat some hard-tacks, and 1 could see that the younger sailors were scared. The ship was being whipped •u ounci so Dan inai someoooy saiu she was going over sure. But I I old him that they don't make these things to turn over. ' Just then the generators stop pea' and #.hc lights went out. and 1 heard a man say, I'm getting the heck out of here." Brother, you ain't alone.' 1 told him, and we all went up and got as near the hatch as possible. About 80 of us were grouped around there, :and some of the boys started to pray out loud. 1 figured the only way was to stay calm, but I did some praying myself without .joining in with the others." It was then almost high noon, and the storm was just about at its zenith. One of the sailors who had been on the top deck earlier in the morning had said that all the life rafts had been torn from the ship, so there was nothing to do but hope that the violent seas would subside . . . hope, and pray. One of the peacetime sailors got clown on his knees to ask the Lord's help, and "when you see une of those boys do that you know something's wrong." "I'd rather fight Japs any time," Darden interposed. "You know how to whip them." There we were, all of us pray ing but nobody getting hysterical," he continued. "Then she turned over 90 degrees and just laid there. We flung open the hatch and the waves took it right olT. We started out, and still every body was calm. No pushing, and all the boys were trying to help the others. I no more than got out when a wave picked me up and carried me 40 or 50 feet and landed me on the gunwale... I landed on my foet like a bird on a tree—without a jar. The next wave carried me out to sea, and the water seemed to whirl around and pull me under. 1 knew I didn't have five minutes more to live, but T was going to hang on until there was no fisht left in me." The lanky 29-year-old sailor from the country—he is (j feet .*5 and weighs 170 pounds —had done a lot of swimming in the Atlantic along the North Carolina coast in the week-ends before he enlisted in the Navy on March 12. 1942. "but I sure never ran into the likes of anything like this." The waves were so big that I had a hard time getting my head out of water long enouch to take a breath, but somehow I kept my M'UM1* pifliy WCil. Ill «l iVW BV.-U onds I heard someone say. There's Rebel Darden -grab him!* A hand reached out and helped me get hold of a life raft that must have been just torn loose. I was the last of 13 men to net onto it. Every wave would knock us off and turn over the raft. Then we'd have to fight to get back on. That kept up till twilight, when the raft quit flipping and we were able to get inside." The raft had two less passengers when dawn came, because a pair of Rebel's shipmates had died of injuries sustained when they were thrown against the Monaghan as she lay on her side before her fatal plunge. That and the salt water in their stomachs were re sponsible, Darden said. Searching planes passed almost directly over head during the day. but the fliers failed to spot the raft. Emergency rations—Spam and water—were divided among the boys, but an other died during the next night. The rest got into the water with only their heads above the sur face to keep warm. It was 72 hours after the Mon aghan went down that another DD spotted the raft and picked the boys up. By this time there were (Continued on Page 2)
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