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The Kings Mountain Herald | www.kmherald.com
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Jewelry sale Oct. 1,2
Health Care Foundation of
Cleveland County and Caro-
lina Healthcare System Kings
Mountain volunteers will spon-
sor a Masquerade $5 jewelry
and accessories sale Thurday,
Oct. 1 from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. and
Friday, Oct. 2 from 7 a.m.-3
p.m. n the Kings Mountain
Hospital Main. Lobby. Pro-
ceeds will benefit scholarship
projects.
Thursday
Kings Mountain Weekend Weather
Friday
Saturday
September 26
Sunday
September 24
September 25
fi Ne
September 27
Partly Cloudy - 75°
Showers - 78° Showers - 72°
20% Chance of 60% Chance of 80% Chance of
precipitation precipitation precipitation
Night time Low 60° Night time Low 62° Night time Low 58°
Showers - 78°
40% Chance of
precipitation
Night time Low 58°
Serving the community for over 38 years!
Nie LBY DENTAL CARE CENTER]
129 West Ross Grove Road, Shelby, NC | 704.487 0345
www.OneDaySmileDentures.com
The Chinook
of the Vietnam War
Eddie Leftwich looks out at the helicopter which had a crew of five in the Vietnam War.
(Ed. Note — Jim Medlin
along with the Kings Moun-
tain Vietnam Veterans are
sponsoring ‘a campaign to
help some Vietnam veterans
go to Washington, DC to
see the Vietnam Memorial.
Individuals and/or clubs
interested in sponsoring a
veteran can call Medlin at
828/443-7933, or Grindstaff
at 704/739-6964, or Bolin at
704/739-8639.)
by Eddie Leftwich
I went to Vietnam in July
of 1969 and returned home in
July 1970. I was stationed at
Dong Ba Thin, South Viet-
nam. Dong Ba Thin is lo-
cated near Cam Ranh Bay.
I was stationed with the US
Army 243rd “Freight Train”
ASHC.. “There were count-
less events that took place
from 1968 until 1972 when
the unit stood down and was
sent back to the states.” This
is my story and is a small rep-
resentation of what took place
during my years of service.
“The men of the 243rd served
proudly and with honor
throughout their tours in a
hostile environment.” Some
“gave all” and did not return,
for me it was a life changing
experience.
I was a left-side door
gunner and crew-chief, man-
ning a M-60 caliber machine
gun. [ flew in the A-model,
Chinook, CH-47 which is
an American twin-engine,
tandem rotor heavy-lift he-
licopter. We had a crew of
five. The CH-47 is among
the heaviest lifting Western
helicopters, internal and ex-
ternal cargo capacity of ap-
proximately 18,000 pounds,
top speed approximately
170 knots (196 mph). Its
name comes from the Native
American Chinook people.
The Chinook was designed
by Boeing Vertol in the early
1960s; and, was one of two
“work-horses” of the Viet-
nam era and stands beside
‘the Lockheed C-130 Hercu-
les, fixed wing, cargo aircraft
with primary roles of both
aircraft of troop movement,
artillery placement and battle-
field resupply; and the CH-47
and C-130 aircrafts are still in
production today.
Our typical cargo was am-
munition, food and water for
troops located in fire bases
throughout a 450 mile radius
of Dong Ba Thin. ‘Addition-
ally, we would be sorted to
pick up downed aircraft and
return them to base or to an-
other location. In the year that
I served we flew in excess of
600 flight hours and received
7 air medals and decorations
for the service we provided to
the men and women serving
. in-country.
I was involved in one
crash while in-country. We
had just off-loaded our cargo
and refueled with 620 gallons
of JP-4 fuel. Our LZ was lo-
cated on a mountain top and as
we were lifting off to execute
our return to home base, the
front transmission failed, we
were going in hard. Seconds
passed but eternity was felt.
As you might imagine, the
aircraft hit with tremendous
force and split in two pieces.
Fortunately, no one was lost
but I had to crawl back onto
the aircraft to shut-down the
engines; fuel and hydraulic
fluid was flowing everywhere
and we didn’t want any fires
while rescuing our crewmem-
bers. Upon climbing out of
the aircraft one of my crew
buddies ask if I was OK and
I said yes. He handed we my
wallet. Point of fact, upon
impact of the aircraft with
the ground, one of the rotor
blades came through the side
wall of the plane where I was
located and cut my wallet out
of my pants pocket, missing
leg and body tissue by inches.
At the time of impact, I did
not realize that the rotor came
that close—I was very, very,
lucky,...someone or some-
thing was sitting on that air-
craft with me and 1 felt his
presence! I thank Him every
day!
Each year in June the
243rd “Freight Train” ASHC
gathers for a “Bunker Party”
to remember those days,
hours and minutes we shared
as crewmembers and flight
buddies while in a faraway
land call Vietnam. Gener-
ally, we have approximately
40 veterans who return for
this festive, and sometimes
tearful, occasion. But this
year and in addition to our
“Bunker” gathering, I will
do something very special
and different because of my
Kings Mountain friends;
sadly, I had a good friend
killed on December 10, 1969,
I plan to find his name on
the “Wall” and say a prayer.
Thank you for giving me that
opportunity!
EASTSIDE Baptist Church to present
special DVD series beginning Oct.4
A special DVD se-
ries entitled “Agents of the
Apocalypse” by Dr. David
Jeremiah will begin on Sun-
day evening, October 4th,
at 6 p.m. at Eastide Baptist
Church, 308 York Road.
The series contains ten
sessions approximately 45
minutes each in length. The
series will be presented each
Sunday evening. Seven of
the series will be presented
- from October through No-
vember 15. The remaining
three sessions will resume
in January.
The series addresses
a riveting look at the key
players of the end times.
The old saying, “You can’t
tell the players without a
program,” originated in the
early days of stadium sports
before players’ names ap-
peared on the back of their
uniforms. But programs are
still important in many areas
of life—including the study
of the end times.
A vast cast of “play-
ers” will populate the play-
ing fields of the coming
seven-year Tribulation and
the thousand-year Millen-
nium. Keeping the cast
of characters straight in
the dramatic and graphic
book of Revelation can be
a challenge apart from in-
depth study and correlation
with the rest of Scripture.
“Agents of the Apoca-
lypse,” will identify and
explain the roles of the most
important characters soon to
come upon the world stage.
Ten agents, one of
whom is John, the author of
Revelation, are identified:
the Christian martyrs of the
Tribulation, the 144,000
Jewish evangelists, God’s
two witnesses in Jerusalem,
Satan, the Antichrist, the
False Prophet, and Jesus
Christ—Victor, King, and
Judge.
As we view “Agents
of the Apocalypse”, David
Jeremiah will explain the
end-time players in the book
of Revelation—and provide
biblical guidance on how to
avoid being a participant in
the Tribulation through faith
in Christ.
Dr. David Jeremiah is
the senior pastor of Shadow
Mountain Community
Church in El Cajon, Califor-
nia. His popular radio and
television program, Turning
Point, reaches millions of
people each day, both na-
tionally and internationally.
Dr. Jeremiah has written
more than forty books in-
cluding Captured by Grace,
Signs of Life, When Your
World Falls Apart, What in
the Word Is Going On?, I
Never Thought I’d See the
Day, and What Are You
Afraid Of—Faceing Down
Your Fears With Faith.
" Come and join us for
this study of prophecy and
the end times," said Pastor
Ron Caulder.
Legion Riders to ride
to help Darrell Queen
American Legion Rid-
ers Post 155 will sponsor
a benefit poker run Oct. 10
for Darrell Queen, a rider
who was injured in a mo-
torcycle accident Sept.7.
He continues to recover at
home.
Proceeds from the bene-
fit will be used to help pay
Queen's medical expenses.
The ride will start and
end at American Legion
Post 155. Registration is
from 9 am.-11 a.m. and
last riders out at 12 noon
and last riders in at 5 p.m.
The cost is $15 for riders
and $10 for passengers.
All motorcycles and
vehicles welcome to par-
ticipate. After the run food!
will be served. :
For more information
contact David Carroll at
704-418-1695. :
“Grease” musical opens Oct. 9
by Cherryville Little Theatre
Cherryville Little The-
atre's fall production,
“Grease,” will be presented
Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18
with a cast of 21 in ages
ranging from 15 and up.
Pete DeGregory is di-
recting the 1950s rollicking
musical featuring Rydell
High's spirited class of
'59 gum-chewing, hub-
cap-stealing, hot rod loving
boys with leather jackets
and their wise-cracking girls
in teased curls, bobby sox
and pedal pushers.
While hip Danny Zeke
and wholesome Sandy
Dumbstruck resolve the
problems of their mutual
attraction for each other,
the gang sings and dances
its way through nostalgic
scenes at the pajama party,
the prom, the burger palace
and the drive-in movie.
“Come back in time and
relive those glory days,"
says Gregory.
Show times are Fridays
and Saturdays at 7:30 pm.
and Sunday at 3 pm. Show
dates are October 9,10,11
and Oct. 16, 17,18 at the
Cherry ville Little Theater
SAVE 20% ON ALL
ECHO UNITS!
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 2015
8:00 am to 8:00 pm
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26, 2015
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
BRIDGES HARDWARE, INC.
301 West King Street
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
704.739.5461
20% off MSRP discount applies to all ECHO units on the day of the sales event only.
ryville.
1EeHE
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on Mountain Street in Cher- |
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Tickets are $10 for se-!
niors and students and $12
for adults.
ga ge
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Not fo be combined with any other offers.