North Carolina Newspapers

f , vjf. h World War II Whitener Served His Country Well Basil L. Whitener had married oriy a few weeks, hU law practice was growing, and he had just been given the op- portndty to serve for a second term as a Representative in the State Legislature. But it was not a good time for a capable young man to consider first himself and his career. Wtnrld War n was underway. Whitener, like many others at his fellow Americans, obeyed the call to battle. And he placed himself in the midst of the conflict raging for Europe by active combat du^ in the fierce North Atlan tic and the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. An Ensign, he was assigned to the Navy's Armed Guard Service to de fend aga'hrt the enemy sea ^ and air acti^ During the quiet times which come to all combat men, En sign Whitener observed andre- porM fay letters to home the conditions of suffering and de privation he fowL The let ters helped also to maintain his cherished links with home, Gaston Coiaity, and the people from among whom he came. It was as Navy Gunnery Ot- flcer of the SS Louisa B1 Al- cott, that Whitener, then a lieu tenant (jg), received an im portant document. It came from the Secretary (tf the Navy and it said: "The Department has been informed of your outstanding . r devotion to duty as Commanding Officer of the United States Armed Guard aboard the SS Louisa M. Alcott during action against enemy aircraft while engaged in convoy operations August 13, 1943. With the guns completely manned within a minute alter the general alarm was sounded, your Armed Guard opened fin, fore and aft, port and starboard, as hos tile aircraft converged and covered die entire convoy. ^ "Constantly alert to the enemy's strategy of coordinat ed attack by high-level bcunbers attempting to draw your fire torpedo planes came in frmn tte low lying sun to strike at close range, your crewfwced the hostile planes to chat^ course and veer away while the guns of the SS Louisa M. Alcott scored numerous direct hits in a concerted barrage which downed several enemy planes. "For your courageous initiative under fire, and the excellent combat discipline of the Armed Guard throughout this action you are hereby commended.” That ccunmendation proved to be one of many sincere tri butes Whitener was to receive over the years for a succes sion of jobs - well done both at h<»ne and in Washington. Armed conflict is elsewhere, now, and Lieutenant Whitener is no longer involved in it. But (piieter, tougher fitting continues, as it will until men are fully free and secure in their own rights. Now it is Congressman Whitener in the middle of the battle. But, just in case, he has add^ another dimension to his knowledge of military science and he is now Major Whitener of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, also. Rep. Whitener Keeps District Weil Informed Basil Whitener strongly feels that a well infcnrmed citizenship is necessary if the American people are to have an effective voice in their government and if our American way of life is to survive. In keeping with his view that the people should have all available information on mat ters of national interest Basil Whitener makes a radio pro gram each week while the Con gress is in session. It is a public service, educa tional program, and Basil makes every effort to have as a guest on his ppogram aMem- ber of Congress or some other important person concerned with a matter of current na tional interest. Radio stations carrying Whitener*s "Washington Re port” are: WCGC - Belmont WEGO - Concord WAAK - Dallas WBBO - Forest City WAGY - Forest City From The People WLTC - WGNC - WGAS- WIRC - WHKY - WSPF - WGTL • WKMT WBRM WNNC wrap - WMNC WADA WOHS- WTOE WDBM WSTTH WTLK WSVM Gastonia Gastonia Gastonia Hickory ■ Hickory Hickory Kannapolis ■ Kings Mountain • Marion Newton Mooresville - Morganton - Shelby - Shelby - Spruce Pine - Statesville - Taylorsville - Taylorsville '• - Valdese Basil L Whitener Has Served The People CoatiiiMd from Page 1 He was only a child when his father died and at the age at seven he was selling news papers to help support his family. It was a grave responsibility for one so young but then Con gressman Whitener has always shown courage and a respon sible nature in matters con cerning his fellowman. At 14, he was a cotton mill ^-^weeper. But he was deter mined and continued to work in order to finish high school. All the while, he was helping to support his family and saving money for college. His summertime paychecks, between college sessions, were saved in order to be able to return to college in the fall. / Even at college he was work ing — doing odd jobs, waiting on tables — to pay for his education. His enthusiasm and great energy were enough, also, to allow him to find time, not only for study, but for par ticipation in sports and social organizations while in college. This was instnunental in helping him to learn early the values of team work, coopera tion, fellowship, and fair play — characteristics that had been ingrained into him early in life by a loving family. Hardships were many but they were not obstacles. Rather, the challenge resulted in Basil Whitener being the youngest member of his col- ■ lege class to receive a law degree. He immediately returned to Gastonia and took up the prac tice of law. As a young attorney on the way up, whitener lost little time in finding a pUce of pub lic service. He was a member of the North Carolina General Assembly by the time he was 25 — the youngest member of the 1941 session. As proof of a job well done, he had no opposition for re- nomination to the General As sembly. But his love for coun try came ahead Of self en deavors and he resigned from the House of Representatives in 1942 to join the Navy. As a fighting man during World War H, he distinguished himself with outstanding serv ice that resulted in a com mendation frobu the Secretary <rf the Navy. ^ - Lieutentant Whitener was cited for " courageous initiative while under air attack.” He spent 27 months of sea dutv in the North Atlantic, Carib bean, and the Mediterranean. Returning home after the war, he took up his role in civilian life as a dedicated at torney, loving family man, de voted church leader and tire less civic servant. In 1946, he became solicitor of the 14th District which was composed of Gaston and Meck lenburg counties. He stood tall in the solicitor's post for 10 years, stepping down in 1956 to make his first try for Con gress. He had gained a wide rep utation as solicitor for pro tecting the rights of individ uals — regardless of their sUtion in life — and for fair play. He didn’t find an easy road to Congress. He came in second in a three-man race and against great odds won the nomina tion in a second primary. He was given overwhelming ap proval in the general election and took his seat in Congress in January of 1957. Basil Whitener had come a long way since the early days when he sold papers to help keep his family together. But getting to Washingtonhas been only half Uie story. Since arriving in Washington 10 years ago, he has served his country and his district well. His high attendance at roll calls has shown his firm dedication of service and his voting record has been the envy of many na tional leaders. He has con sistently been given important assignments on committees and in matters of national concern. His five terms in Congress are proof that he has served his district well. Never, though, has he for gotten that he had his begin ning in a textile community in Gaston County. No prob lem has even been too small for his understanding and for his concern. Never one to let success go • to his head, Basil Whitener knows literally thousands of people by their first names. ■ He doesn’t hesitate to cross the street to say hello to a friend. i He stands tallj not only in stature, but in ^performance. Love for his fellowman has 'been his creed. He is loved and admired. The life of Basil Whitener, as in the cases of many other great Americans, is tlte dra matic story of a young man from humble origin attaining a position of leadership and in fluence on the highest national level through dedication, de votion, perserverance, hard work, and belief in God and the American way of life. Basil Whitener sees a little of himself in everyone he meets. His is the American dream c(Mne true but not by accidenL The loth District needs Basil Whitener back in Washington for the next session of Con gress. The welfare of the people he represents has been the primary concern of Basil Whitener. His personal in terest in the problems of his constituents is well known in the rarious government agen cies and d^MUtments. Basil’s office in Washingtcm^ and his district office in Gas tonia are alvrays open to his constituents. Hundreds ofthei^ , visit each year, and thousands 1 of others contact him by letter, 1 telephone, and telegraph. Every request for information and every personal problem re ceive Basil’s sympathetic con sideration and attention. Here are smne excerpts from letters oi appreciation Basil has received this year from people who found him anxious to assist them with their prob- - lems: "We have been fortunate to have you as our representative. I personally have long admired your consistent and seemingly untiring efforts for right legis lation and sincerely hope you will continue to represent us.” —C.R.C. “I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your prompt assistance in having my medical statonent processed by the Army. It gives me a good feeling to know that we have in the 10th Congressional District a representative that will consider the interest of - an individual citizen in such an emergency.” ~ W.W.C, •«*4[*«***** "1 want to express to you my sincere appreciation for the valuable service you are rendering not only to me per sonally but to all the people of this districL” — J.R.R., Jr. ****4[«***** “I want to express to you my deep awreciation for your support of the recently passed cotton research and promotion bill. No other piece of legis lation I know of has aroused such interest and hope on the part of our cotton farmers. This may very well prove to be one at the most significant pieces of agriculture le^sla- * tion ever passed.” — H.E., Jr. *♦**♦♦♦♦♦*•*♦* “Thank you for taking time out from your busy schedule to show me a little of Wash ington. I want to thank you for the fine job you are doing for us in Washington. I have all confidence in you.” — F.C.S. "I am deeply gratehil for| your kind and unseUish effort in getting my wife admitted to the National Institutes of Health.” — A.R. 0m********* "Please allow me to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to you for your assistance in obtaining an emergency leave for my son several weeks ago. ~E.S.C., Sr. ************ - "I appreciate your thought ful letter dated February 28, 1966, and I feel that you are doing a very fine job for our country.” ~ C.F.L. *«*«*««*4i* i "I would like to express my appreciation for your services in the Congress. You are doing a good job, Mr. Whitener, in a difficult position and are a credit to our district. I hope that you will continue voting on bills in the same manner as you have in the pasL’’ —A.F.L. > "It is good to know we have a Congressman who thinks so much ot you to help out in our situation. It is so good to have our son with us while his daddy is so sick.” ~ B.F. *4i4i*4i**4i4i*«** " We certainly awjreciate your efforts on our behalf in helping us bring our position to the attention of the GSA.” —I,S.M, ************* "I want to thank you very much for your prompt reply to my letter and your im mediate action. It is cer tainly a comfort to know we have a friend to call on when we need one.” — L.T.Y. ************ "It sure is nice to have someone to help who knows what to do.” “ A.I. *********** "I am most grateful for your assistance in connection with the chronic boxcar short age in the Nation. Your ready and effective help is proving to be great value to shippers in North Carolina.” —J.C.B.E.,Jr. "We have received the good news that H.R, 11029 relating to tariff treatment of various woven fabrics has cleared the House and is now ready to be signed by the President. We want to thank you for your good work in getting this bill to this stage.” — P.M, Whitener Works Hard Cmitiniied from Page 1 The 10th District Congress man has been active on the Floor of the House ot Rep resentatives whenever legis lation concerning veterans and their dependents has been under debate. His philosophy concerning veterans’ affairs is best illustrated by the statement he made in the House of Repre sentatives voicing his support of the bill to provide a cost-of- living increase for thoi^ands of our veterans and their de pendents. "MR. WHITENER; Mr. Speaker, the House of Rep resentatives has always shown great concern for the welfkre of the American veteran and his dependents. This concern is very evident from the con sideration that the House now gives to H.R. 17488, a bill to relieve some <rf the burdeiB borne by our veterans and their dependents due to the high cost of living. "I have always supported legislation to provide adequate pension benefits, hospitaliza tion, and other necessary care for our veterans and their de pendents. The Nation owes much to those who have served our country in time of war and great national emergency, and the least that we can do for these patriotic Americans is to provide for them and their loved ones whenever the neces sity arises. „ “I support H.R. 17488. The time has arrived for the Con gress to take positive action to relieve hundreds of thous ands of our more needy vet erans and their dependents from some of the financial bur dens they are bearing due to our high cost of living. “The Chairman and the members of the House Vet erans’ Affairs Committee are to be commended on bringing H.R. 17488 to the Floor for artion. The bill will not upset ' the Nation’s budget On the contrary, it will stimulate the economy. The modest in crease in benefits provided under the legislation will be devoted by the recipients to the basic necessities of life. "Mr. Speaker, I hope the legislation will clear the Sen ate and secure the approval of the Fresident without undue delay.” (Paid Political Advertisement) Congressman Basil Whitener Represents Our District Well ★■A A Whitener Stands Tall Among His Colleagues There are 435 members of the United States House of Rep- Amnna the Congressmen representing every > are 435 memoers oi uw ^— -—-7 •- Among the congressmen representmg every resentatives^.^ l^tic^b North Solina’s Basil whitener stands S©CtiOtt va 9 tall amo^ his t^e House of Representatives Basil har^lSbS? Z S3er S seniority and ^ hard work and dis- luv rf oStanding qualities of leadership has become one of OI ouia^ w H Congress. He is recogmzed agencies. 'encies. ... u- The position of leadership which Basil Whitener has attained in Congress has paid dividends to the people he re^ resents. Basil Whitener xs known in Washington as a Con gressman who gets things done. He feels that his first du^ is to be of service to his people. While giving persoi^ ^ntion to the many pro^ lems his constituents call to his attention each week, Basil Whitener has found tune to fight for constitutional govern ment, a sound and prosperous economy, and other legisla tion to strengthen and improve the economic and social welfare of the country. He was one <rf the first C<m- gressmen to raise a voice against the danger of textile imports which were threat ening the jobs of the textile employees at North Carolina. He strongly supported legisla tion which has brought relief from excessive Imports in order to protect the jobs of textile employees. He has been a leader for constitutional government in the House Judiciary Com mittee. On the Floor of the House of Representatives he has opposed all legislation en croaching iqxm the ri^its of the states under the Constl^ tion and interfering with the rights of the individual citiz^ He has sponsored legislation to combat crime and other forms of lawlessness in the country. Basil Whitener believes ttot a strong national defense is the greatest deterrent to ag gression. He has suwwr^ all appropriations for the mili tary services, including providing increased pay aM other benefits for the natiotfs soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Basil Whitener recently re ceived the "Watchdog of the Treasury” award from the Na tional AssociatedBusinessmen, (Continued on Page 3) Whitener Works Hard For Our Military Yets Basil L. Whitener served 38 months in the United States Navy during World War H. As a gunnery officer of the mer chant ship he was brought into intimate contact with the fighting men of our armed forces and our merchant sea men. He knows and understands the sacrifices that war demands of our people. Since Wjorld War H ^sil Whitener has been actively identified with the militory services. He has maintained a keen interest in all branches of the armed forces. He is a major in the Air Force Re serve. Basil Whitener has always had a strong interest in, and has mA hesitated to voice his concern over, the welfare of the man in uniform. He has supported the pay increases voted by the Congress for the active members of our mili tary services and those serving in the National Guard and Re serve units. The Nation’s veterans have not been forgotten by Basil whitener. He has been a staunch friend of our veterans and their dependents. He has served as a mem ber of the Veterans' Affairs committee of the House of Rep resentatives. In orderto insure that our veterans have adequate medical treatment he has in spected hospitals and other VA facilities. He has represented count less veterans before the Board of Veterans Appeals, and his files bulge with copies of hun dreds of letters he has written to the VA in behalf of veterans and their dependents. (Continaed on Page 4) Basil L Whitener Has Served The People Throughout His Life . .. in inral and na- never forgotten, those earl The story of the life of Basil L, whitener is the epitome of the American way. J His is the stojy of the bov who worked ms way, litwally into J^^ftes Rep^ gress as a Umted .States Rep- years now, J?® fighting the battle of the little man,rf the which he once served, the furm- ture worker, the farmer, the teacher, factory hand. etc. His record is one that has brou^t praise from the educated and the uneducated, from the industrialist and from the worker, from young and old, and from the rich and the poor. That’s because Basil Whitener, from his early days as a lad in the Smyre Com munity of Gastonia, loves people — especially the peoplje of the 10th Cwigressional Disr trict. Like Andrew Jackson, his office doors have always been open to the people — all of them. That, as much as anything, is why he has been elected to Congress for five coiH secutive terms« and is now asking his fellow voters of the 10th District to return him to Washington. • u , »J,. Basil Whitener’s job is fM from done. His rise to a place of re sponsibility in local and na tional affairs is an example for others to follow. Perhaps there are others, starting out just as he did, who one day will sit in Congress. Young Whitener, as a mill boy, never dreamed of how it would one day be. He has never forgotten, those early years, either. ''lie remembers the toil, sweait, and above all, the dedication and perserver ance he put forth. These are still his trade marks. (Continued on Page 4) The Purpose 0/ The Sentinel Once again the Whitener S^tinel is being sent to you in the interest of the re-election o Basil L. Whitener to Congress. Our sole purposq is to present some ot tM facts concerning Congressman Whitener and his activities, record, and background. ^ „ The Sentinel is edited again thU yw by John Brock of Cleveland County. , „ Of this issue of thq Whitener Sentinel. Bro^ says. have endeavored to present some of the highlights concerning the outstanding record o service and the individual moral charactdir of cm 10th District Congressman — Basil L. Whitener. j ) After reading thU issue of the Sentinel, please pass your copy on to a friand so that as many people as possible may see it. And. says Brock. "Let's all work togeAer to re-riect Rei^ BasU L. Whltoiior to CongreM."