w
AMERICA
First, Last and
Always
The Sy.lv- a Herald
AND RURALITE? CONSOLIDATED JULY, 1943
The Herald is dedicated t?
progressive service to Jack
son ... A progressive, well
balanced county.
Ye&r In Jaekscm And~Swain "Counties ? 5c Copy
Two Jackson Soldiers Reported Killed
In Action With Enemy On Okinawa Island
Parents of Gerald Bumgarner
And Pfc. Buddy Bryson
Received Death Messages
Mrs. J. R. Bumgarner of Wilmot
received a message last Tuesday in
forming her that her son, Gerald
Bumgarner had been killed May 14 in
action on Okinawa.
Besides his mother he is survived
by his fathe-, J. R. Bumgarner, who
served through World War I and
volunteered for service in World War
II and is how serving as Warrant Of
ficer in the U. S. N. R. Fleet Service;
and three brothers, K. C. and William
G., both serving in the armed forces
and Harry Bumgarner of Wilmot.
Pfc. Maurice E. (Buddy) Bryson,
son of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Bryson was
killed in action on Okinawa Jtiay 30th
according to a message received by
his parents, last Thursday from the
War Department. ,
Pfc. Bryson volunteered for duty
with the Marine Corps in March 1944.
After receiving training at Paris Is
land he was sent to the Pacific area.
He received further training overseas
and was attached to the 6th Marine
Corp and was participating in the bat
tle of Okinawa when killed.
He is survived by his parents, one
brother Carol Bryson, with the U. S.
Navy now stationed in Oran, Africa
and one sister, Mary Cecil Bryson,
student nurse at Erlanger Hospital,
Chattanooga, Tenn. ,
Pfc. Bryson graduated from Sylva
High School in the class of 1943 and |
had been employed in Portland, Ore.
prior to entering service.
Gonther In Two-Hour Fight
As Yanks In Italy Took Hill
During Final Offensive
WITH THE FIFTH ARMY, ITALY? I
Private Ambrose ^JJcnther oi^Whit
tier, North Carolina, a'rifleman, par
ticipated in a two-hour fife-fight re
sulting in capture of a 1000-foot hill
in Italy during the final offensive on
the Fifth Army front.
The attack, made by a rifle platoon
in Company K of the 337th "Wolver
ine" Regiment, 85th "Custer" Divi
sion, netted the Yanks 140 prisoners,
including a German captain, and all J
equipment of the enemy force atop
the hill.
After first flanking the height, the
doughboys climbcd to the crest, where
they were met by murderous fire from
mortars and automatic weapons,
operated by a force that had them
seriously outnumbered. The Yanks
dug in along the crest and fought it
out for two hours before finally tak
ing the hill. < ,
Gonther is the son of Mrs. Eliza
beth Gonther, Route 2, Whiuier.
Sgt. Frank Sherrill
Home On Furlough
i
Sgt. Frank W. Sherrill, who has ,
served for three years and eight I
months in the armed forces is spend- ,
ing his first furlough with his par
ents, Mr. and- Mrs. G. B. Sher
rill, of Qualla. Sgt. Sherrill has been
overseas for thirty-three months. He j
was stationed in England with the '
8th Air Force, serving as assistant ;
crew chief on a B-24.
He arrived home last Friday, his \
outfit having l'lown home on the
heavy bombers on which they work- :
ed. j
After spending thirty days at oh me
he will report to Sioux Falls,- S. D., for
reassignment.
William C. Thompson
Receives Promotion
Pvt. William C. Thompson of the ?
anti-tank company of the 376tn infan
try has been promoted to Private
First Class. Kc has also been award
ed the Purple Heart and E.T.O. rib
bon with two battle stripes.
Pfc. Thompson is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. S. C. Thompson, of Sylva.
Motor Vehicle Stamps
On Sale At Postoffice
It has been customary to place
new motor vehicle stamps on sale
at the postoffice on June 10 of
each year. This year, however,
tha date mentioned falls on Sun
day so the stamps went on sale a
day earlier.
It is necessary that every ve
hicle have ona of these stamps
by July 1st snd you may sscurs
one by going to ths postoffice.
Seaman Brown Serving
On Veteran Ship That
Has Never Been Hit
ABOARD A. U. S. BATTLESHIP
IN THE PACIFIC (Delayed)? George
W. Brown, seaman, second class, son
of Jess Brown, Sylva, N. C., fought
at Okinawa aboard this venerable
ba ttleship, which, through 33 action -
years, has never been hit by enemy
shells.
The Okinawa action was her fifth
major engagement of World War II
and one of the most dramatic in her
long career.
For more than a month her main
and secondary batteries blasted at
pin-point targets on the island. It
was not a one-sided battle. At one
time she won a duel with a shore bat
tery that was hurling shells precari
ously close. At another an enemy
bomber made a run on the ship, go
ing down with a terrific explosion as
the Navy guns found their mark.
The ship saw action in Europe and
also took part in the Iwo Jima bom
bardment.
PLEMMONS LIBERATED
2-Lt. Howard Plemmons, according
to word received by his father, R. H.
Plemmons of Hot Springs, has been
liberated from a German prison camp,
after being a prisoner since February,
1944. Lt. Plemmons is a former Sylva
boy having lived here for several
years while his father served as dis
trict engineer with the N. C. Highway
Commission. Lt. Plemmons was serv
ing as pilot on a B-17 with the 8th
Air Force when captured.
Sgt. Carl Williams Veteran
Of Siriliaiv Italian and
French Campaigns
I
Sgt. Carl M. Williams, son of Mrs. j
Ada Williams and the late R. W. Wil- '
liams, of Sylva was inducted at Fort :
Jackson, S. C., July 27, 1942, and re- !
ceived his basic training at Camp
Croft, S. C. He was later seAt to |
Camp Rice, N. Y., where he joined 1
the 45th Thunderbird Infantry Di- ,
vision as a machine gunner.
He sailed for the European theater !
June 8, 1943, and made the invasion (
of Sicily, July 10, 1943. After fight- |
ing through this campaign ho later 1
landed at Salerno, fighting his way up
the Italian Boot and spent five months
in the bloody battlefield of Anzio
without being wounded. Then fight
ing his way with his division, to the i
north of Rome, where his division was
withdrawn, to Inter make the in
vasion of Southern France, Aug. 15,
1944.
E e4>? a sergeant in command of a
machine gun section at this time, he
fcugh4 with his company up through
the Rhcne Valley, into the Alp ?vlt?.
to the border town of ^trasburg, Ger
many.
When suffering from a nervous
condition caused from his many in
vasion and long service as a front
line soldier, he was transferred back
to Italy and is now serving as a con
voy commander sergeant with the
3653 GM Trk Co., which is doing a
great job, commanded by Capt.
Trinkle of Fillmore, Idaho.
Sergeant Williams, who will have
,seen three years army service July 27,
two years of this being overseas duty,
states that he is ready and willing to j
move to the Pacific area and throw
his fighting skill at the Japs. But
better then anything else would like
to come back to the U. S. A. ,
I <
Gen. And Mrs. Hodges
Vacationing In High Hampton
General Courtney Hodges, com
mander of the First Army, who
has recently returned from the
European Theater of Operation
and Mrs. Hodges, are spending a
vacation at High Hampton Inn at
Cashiers before Gen Hodges and
his unit leave for the Pacific
area.
General Hodges has recently
come from Atlanta where huge
crowds turned out to welcome
him in parades and celebrations.
MISS WISE ARRIVES
AS FULL TIME COUNTY
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE
Jackson county has succeeded in
j securing a full-time public nurse.
Miss Ethel Wise of Asheville arrived
June 1st to begin her work. She is
a graduate of the General Hospital in
Greenville, S. C., and has recently
been discharged from the army, hav
ing spent eighteen months in Fort
Siber^, Ala., and six months at Fort
Bragg. She succeeds Mrs. Earl Pad
gett.
Miss Wise will be in her office at
the county courthouse Saturday
mornings from 9 until 12 o'clock and
alJ day on Thursdays. On other
days she will be in the field.
Miss Wise states that much of her
work will be devoted to preventive
hygiene. At a later date there will
be a program of immunization clin
ics set up.
Jackson county is to have a tonsil
clinic at the Sylva High school June
26-27.
In September Miss Wise will go to
! Chapel Hill for a course in Public
j Nursing, which the state of North
| Carolina requires.
Roosevelt Memorial Series
A special series of four United
States postage stamps has been
. authorized as a tribute to the
the late President, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt. The series will
include stamps of the 1-cent, 2
cent, 3-cent and 5-cent denomi
nations and will be inaugurated
by the placing on sale of the 3
cent stamp on June 27, 1945, at
Washington, D. C. Dates and
places for the first day sales of
the remaining stamps will be an
nounced later.
Bumgarner Advanced To
Watertender 2-c
Joseph William Bumgarner, 20,. oi
Sylva, N. C., has advanced to water
tender, second class, USNR, aboard a
destroyer of the Atlantic Fleet. He
wears the? American theater ribbon
and the European-African-Middle
Eastern ribbon with one bronze star.
The .-.on of Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Buirw
game** of Sylva, he has a brother,
Leonaid Alien Bumgarner, who is an
apprentice seaman, in the Navy.
1
Jack Skene, C.E.C.,
Reports To West Coast
For Reassignment
i Corp. Jack Skene, C.E.C., who
has boon spending a thirty-day
| furlough with his wife, left Tuesday
[night for the west coast where he will
| report for furiher assignment. Skeiie
| had served in the Pacific area before
j coming to the States last month.
Tommy and Sis,
They Can't Miss
Through his profits as a junior
street salesman or a Kansas news
paper, nine-year-old Tommy Jtovalis
is the proud po-.scr.sor of a $100 and
a $S3 War Bond. But he doesn't own
I them alone. He asked the man at
the po^t office to make them out in
his name with his two-year-old sis
ter, Frances, as co-owner. He prc
^sented them to &er on their jo'nt
i birthday last month.
Tommy has been "in business"
since last July. Every afternoon
after school, he plies his wares ? up
' and down Kansas Avenue in Topeka.
"It was his own idea to save his
' money," according to his father.
1 "As soon as he started, he began
bringing his money home to his
mother, and asked her to save it for
j him. He wanted to put it into War
Bonds. He wanted to do something
for his America."
Asked what he intended to use the
bonds for, Tommy replied, "Some
day I want to go to college, and I
want Frances to go, too."
Water-proof packaging of many
military supplies is needed because
they must be floated ashore and kept
in the open, exposed to tropical
storms.
Pfc. George Richard Ensley
Killed In Germany
Pfc. George Richard Ensley, son of
Mrs. Mamie Ensley, of Dillsboro was
wounded March 7, 1945, and died of
these wounds March 8.
Pfc. Ensley enxered service Feb. 13,
1941, and received his basic training
at Fort Jackson, S. C. In service four
years he spent thirteen months of this
time in the European Theater. He
was with the Medical Dept. of the
60th Infantry.
Surviving are the mother, three
brothers. Pvt. Ray Ensley, now over
seas; Pvt. Robert Ensley, who is home
on furlough, and Junior Ensley of
Dillisboro and one sister, Mrs. Glenn
Bowman, of West Virgniia.
FAIRFIELD INN
PLANS TO BEGIN
SEASON JUNE 16
Recently Announced Pur
chase By Wheeler, Bird
Not Consummated
Fairfield inn, the famed 100-room
resort Vctel on the C, COO-acre E. H.
Jennings estate in Jackson county,
will be opened June 16 by Walter J.
Reid, well-known hotel man, who I
will be lessee-manager, it was learn
ed today.
The recently announced purchase
oi Fairfield inn nnd the Jennings
estate by Albert C. Wheeler of Ashe
ville and F. M. Bird of Miami, Fla.,
vas not consummated, the deal hav
ing been abandoned, it was announced
by representatives of the estate here.
The original announcement of the
purchase was made here by Mr.
Wheeler.
It was announced however, that
'the resort house will be opened for
the summer under the new manage
ment of Mr. Reid. The new manager
said he is prepared to send descrip
t:ve booklets and rates, as well as to
br.uk reservations for the- summer
months.
The inn has been well known for
many years as one of Western North
Carolina's mo>t attractive vacation
spots. It is situated on Fairfield lake,
Sapphire, on U. S. highway No. 64,
midway between Brevard and High
lards. The inn stands at an elevation
oi approximately 3.000 feet and is in
the heart of one of the most beau
t ' li 1 _ soots of the Western North Car
olina mountains.
Mr. Reid has been in the hotel
business for many years and has
orrr.Vcd in various parts of1 tftn
c'.p~try? He is a native of Jackson
county.
D lily Vacation Bible School
At Baptist Church Has
Enrollment of 1 0S
Th" rl; i!v vacation T'iblo school b"
l. i at -'"o Sylva P' V i.-t church Mon
c'r.y moining with an enroiimen4
K'3. It will continue through Jl'i.h
2?rd. All childr'-r. a.-e invited to at
? c n cl .
Revival Services At
Sylva baptist * Church
Rcviv 1 ;.er' ices started at. the Sylva
Bc-.pti.st '.h'veh Sunday and will con
tir.ue through Juno 24. Much interest
is bein^ shown. The public is invited
to attend each evening at 8 o'clock.
Sgt. Alvin Cabe
Given Bronze Star
Sgt. Alvin W. Cabe, son of Mr.
&nc! Mrs. Oscar Cabe of Dillsboro,
serving in the Philippines, has been
awarded the Bronze Star medal for
gallantry in action against the Jap
anese, according to a dispatch re
ceived here. Sgt. Cabe is serving
with the 11th corps troops on Luzon.
Cpl. Henry Walker
Twice Wounded On
Okinawa Island
Mrs. Lee Walker has been notified !
I
i that her husband, Cpl. Henry Lee
Walker, has been wounded on Okin
I awa.
He received shrapnel wounds on
April 23 and alter a few days return
ed to combat, and then in May he re
ceived other wounds. He h now re- j
covering in a hospital.
Cpl. Walker ente. ea service in the
Marine Corps in December, 1943, and
received his basic training at Paris
Island, S. C. He was then sent to
Camp LeJune for further training.
He was sent overseas in May, 1944,
as a replacement in the first Marines, |
fighting in the South Pacific and has I
seen combat in several tough cam- i
paigns.
His wife, the former Miss Helen
Ensley and small son, Henry Lee,
live in Sylva.
FARMERS FEDERATION
DECLARES SEMI
ANNUAL DIVIDEND
Directors of the Farmers Federation j
have just declared the 26th consecu- j
tive semi-annual dividend to stock- i
r.olders, James G. K. MeClure, presi- I
dent, announced. This dividend will |
be payable July 1 to stockholders '
of record June 15, 1945.
The regular semi-annual dividend i
on common stock is 3 r/< , he said. This I
will be paid in cash at the warehouses
after July 1, and members of the I
Farmers Federation should call for
their money there. The regular
semi-annual dividend on preferred j
stock was declared, and cheeks cov- !
ering the payment of this dividend
will be mailed to stockholders.
I
|Pvt. Wilson Wounded
I
I I
| Pvt. K'MTrut L. W i 1: on, above, oi l
X(',Vion was wounded in action on
Okinawa on May 14. according to
' letter receiveri from him by his win I
the lormer Lola Wi;:c.
\ Pvt. Wilson is servirr.? with the In- j
fantry. He? entered i rvlce July 10, I
J
1944. took his basic ti . ? i * ; i n i? at C :mp ;
Walters, Texas. He h : . . * been on ore
;ot the Mariannas I.mw.'.o bel'oro UJ>
i' l; :?) Okinawa and .,v<.re;s
* ft ur months. His w .'. v ar.:l t ?.*.* >
I P t ; * r, ? iJVtt-J Willi lltl*
I],, i\ . Mr. a . .d ??i . . M.i Wikc
I ,
1 1 . ,C ."^VA ?.i 1 lull . .
Mrs. Davidson (men
J)<*??rce In Science At
University of Kentucky
Mr. . W ;:i XeM . ? n ;) ; vidian (.f
, Sy : ?. i \\ ; : m ? : ?. . 2"') i-'-rriert
I '.V.. ) .arCCi \'C 1 r\t the 7?>th ?li:
?. : neet.iCTV e\a . ci.\. s June 1
I ; no Uniwv.a'. \ ?: 'v it k ;y. Mrs.
Davie! on i*eeei'. v'd r.er decree of
i Master in Science m H^me Eco
nomics.
Whittier Crew Chief
And Unit Cited
T. Sgt. William G. Baumgartner,
son of Mrs. J. R. Baumartncr of Whit
, | tier, serving with a 12th Air Force
B-25 group in the Mediterranean
, theater, helped his unit contribute,
? importantly to the tremendous aerial
offensive that sped victory in North
ern Italy, according to a dispetch re
; ceived here. He is an airplane crew
chief. He holds the Purple Heart.
c>
1 7th War Loan Bond Premiere To Be Held
At R i t z Theater Friday Night
JACKSON COUNTY FAR
FROM OVER TOP IN
7TH WAR LOAN DRIVE
On Friday, night, June 15, the Ritz *
Theater, in cooperation with the
theater industry Und the 7th War
Loan Drive, will admit customers by
j the purchase of a bond of some de
nomination, only. The picture, "Belle
of the Yukon", will be shown.
There will be an authorized person
| in the lobby of the theater for the sale
kof these bonds. Only bonds that are
bought that night will count toward
admittance. Attend this important
premiere and help make this vitally
important drive a success. Jackson
county has yet a long way to go before
! their quota is reached.
JACKSON SOLDIERS
HELP BREAK GERMAN
ARMIES IN ITALY,
FRANCE AND GERMANY
SIXTH ARMY GROUP, GER
MANY ? First 36th "Texas" Division
j troops on German soil were dough
boys of the 141st Infantry Regiment
who, in 10 days, battered the
jWehrmacht from strong positions
along the Moder River through the
'Siegfried Line.
I Engaged in bitter nouse-to-house
fighting in the torn city of Hagenau.
;these U. S. Seventh Army infantrymen
j broke out from a small bridgehead
across the Moder, clashed with Ger
man rearguards and finally knocked
out 35 pillboxes and forts in cutting
thrpugh the Siegfried Line.
The doughboys, commanded by
I Col. Charles H. Owens, of Wallace.
II da ho, have left landmarks to
| a defeated Reich from Salerno, Italy,
t ) the Rhine in Germany in 353 days
of conflict with the enemy. Among
the most veteran infantrymen in
General Jacob L. Devers' 6th Army
Group, Ihey captured more than 6,000
Germans in France alone. Several
Nazi lenders have been added to their
bag in Austria.
They were the first Americans to
assault now-crumbled Fortress Eu
rupe with the Salerno landings and
later fought in the Rapido River's
"Battle of Guts" below Cassino. The
mountain city of Velletri fell to them
when they took part in the spectacu
lar 36th Division infiltration maneu
ver that opened the gates to Rome.
Spearheading a beach landing in
Southern France, they struck north
to aid in the destruction of the Ger
man IDth Army near Montelimar.
Other battles included rugged war
f; re in the Vesges Mountains, the
defense of Colmar passes, and com
bat against Germans emplaced in.
Maginot Line fortresses near Bitche.
Members of the regiment include:
Pie. Charlie L. Hoyle of Balsam,
Pic}. Tom Kelly, Sr., grandson of Mrs.
T H. Hastings, of Sylva and P:c.
Vrilliam R. Conner.
CAP!. MALCOLM BROWN
NOW AT MIAMI RE
DISTRIBUTION CENTER
MIAMI REACH. Fla.. .Tunc 1.?
Cr.pt. M 1 1 c- ? ? I m H. Brown, 2p?, Sylva,
X. C., has arrived at Army Air Force1;
Pcd : i'outl.>n Station No. 2 in Miami
Be; eh i'or reassignment processing
pfer L\>mnlot ing a tour of duty out
s'. ie the <-ont inental United States.
Me-iu :L examinations and elnssifi
0
ca tion interviews at this post, pioner
of several redistribution stations op
crated by the AAF Personnel Dis
tribution Command for AAF returnee
officers and enlisted men. will deter
mine his new assignment. He will
remain at the redistribution station
about two weeks, much of which will
be devoted to rest and recreation.
He flew 30 missions as a heavy
bomber pilot during 23 months in the
European theater and holds the DFC,
the Air Medal with three clusters, and
a Distinguished Unit Citation. He is
a graduate of Carson-Newman col
lege, Jefferson City, Tenn., and work
ed as a teacher and athletic director
before joining the AAF Jan. 5, 1942.
His mother, Mrs. E. E. Brown, makes
her home in Sylva* ? $