On the road
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Milwaukee and the 110th
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Frank was drafted into the U.S.Army in 1943 at the age of
18.
After basic training, Frank was sent overseas to Italy.
There his job was that of machine gunner for his platoon.
Some of Frank’s most memorable experiences were the freezing
weather of the Italian Alps, and the distinction of being the first troops to
march through Rome after it’s capture from the German’s.
Frank received three battle stars and the Silver Star for
capturing two German soldiers. He also received the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Don enlisted into the U.S.Navy on January 4, 1945 at the age
of 17.
Soon he found himself on a train with about 20 other
recruits and they arrived at the Great Lakes Training Center in Chicago. During
his training, Don was selected to be a member of the Blue Jacket Choir on the
base. He was part of the group when they sang happy birthday to President
Roosevelt.
Don was trained as a radioman and really wanted to become a
crewmember on a PT boat. During the summer of 1945 the PT boat program was
cancelled. Don was instead assigned to a communications ship, the USS Catoctin.
Unfortunately for Don, the ship never went to sea during Don’s 11 month service
on the ship. He was discharged on July 16, 1945 in St. Louis, Mo.
In 1950 Don was called up at the start of the Korean War. He
received his orders and was assigned to the USS Yancy AKA 93. He sailed to
Japan and landed on the island of Honshu. Eventually Don made 4 ½ trips
overseas including one where the ship was struck by a typhoon. During the
storm, a safe was launched off a shelf and landed on don’s head which caused
him to stay in sick bay for most of the trip.
Don was on the Yancy about 5 months when he was transferred
to Hawaii and was assigned to CINCPAC (Commander in Chief of the Pacific) on
May 15, 1951. This was good duty and Don was able to bring his wife and
daughter over to Hawaii while he was stationed there.
After four years of active duty and two years inactive, Don
was discharged in June, 1953 with the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Arlie enlisted into the U.S.Navy in April, 1944 at the age
of 21.
After basic training, Arlie was assigned to the U.S.S. Whitley,
AKA-91 in the South Pacific. The Whitley was a newly commissioned attack transport.
Arlie was a coxswain on a landing craft and he participated
in the landing of the 5th Marine Division on Iwo Jima in the Spring
of 1945. Some of his duties were transporting wounded Marine’s off the island
to nearby hospital ships. He also loaded supplies to be taken to the island.
On the night of February
23-24, 1945 the Whitley experienced an attack on the ship by an unknown number
of Japanese aircraft, The Whitley’s anti-aircraft guns opened up with inconclusive
results.
Arlie made it back to the states safely and was discharged
in February, 1947 with the rank of Coxswain.
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Glenn was attending Oklahoma A&M College when he enlisted
in the United States Naval Reserve in May, 1945. His goal was to become a naval
aviator. He was 17 years old.
Glenn experienced what many prospective pilots in the late
stages of World War II encountered. There were too many pilots in both the Navy
and the Army Air Forces at the time and the war in Europe was already over.
However it was thought that the war with Japan would possibly go into 1947 or
1948 and so only the best cadets were sent on to flight training.
Glenn was placed into the Navy’s V-5 program where he was to
complete two years of college while still in the Navy waiting for flight
training.
In 1946 Glenn was transferred to Patuxent River Naval Air
Test Center in Maryland. There he was to wait his turn to begin pilot training.
Because the Navy assigned candidates for pilot training by a sort of lottery
according to Glenn, other men were sent to pilot training and others simply had
to wait their turn.
In March, 1946 Glenn was transferred to Olathe, Kansas where
he worked on maintaining and servicing aircraft on the base. Soon, he found
himself in Glenview, Ill. where he began flight training in Stearman aircraft.
He soloed in the Stearman at age 18.
Later, Glenn flew Stearman’s and Texan training aircraft in
Corpus Christy, Texas. In October, 1947 Glenn trained and qualified in a PB4Y-2
Privateer which was the Navy’s version of the B-24 Liberator.
In June, 1948 Glenn was sent to Seattle, Washington where he
was assigned to Fleet Air Wing 4, Patrol Squadron 27, Kodiak Alaska. He flew
PB4Y-2 Privateer’s while stationed there. He flew patrols over the North
Pacific between Alaska and the USSR. In December, 1949 the unit was
decommissioned and Glenn was discharged from the regular Navy.
Glenn continued in the Naval Reserve flying out of NAS
Dallas until 1958 with the rank of lieutenant.
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Robert enlisted in the U.S.Navy on December 5, 1940 at the
age of 17.After basic training Robert was stationed in Hawaii at NAS Kaneohe
which was attacked just minutes before the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor. The naval
air station suffered extensive damage including the deaths of Navy and Marine
personnel plus many PBY Catalina flying boats as well as other aircraft being damaged
or destroyed.
Robert was trained in aircraft ordinance. One of his most memorable
experiences was when a bomb dropped near an adjacent shack on the base. The
resulting explosion knocked Robert down but he was uninjured.
Robert was discharged on December 31, 1936 with the rank of
Chief Petty Officer.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Bill enlisted into the U.S.Navy in February 1944 at the age
of 18. He enlisted in the Navy because this was the branch of the military that
he most admired.
After basic training Bill was sent to the South Pacific
where he operated landing craft. His unit was Standard Landing Craft-Unit 28.
He remembers off-loading
cargo while anchored 2 miles off shore of Samar in the Philippine Islands.
There were several American fighters in the area such as the twin boomed P-38
Lightning. They were tasked with the job of keeping Japanese aircraft out of
the area while the off-loading was being conducted.
Bill didn’t say, but he probably was discharged in 1946.
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Russell was drafted into the military in 1942. Specifically
he was inducted on September 12, 1942 at the age of 21. Russell was chosen to
be assigned to the Army Air Forces.
After basic training Russell was sent overseas to England
with the famous 9th AAF. The 9th was generally
responsible with escorting the four engine heavy bombers of the 8th
AAF using long range fighter escorts. The 9th also utilized medium
bombers such as the B-25 Mitchell, the B-26 Marauder and later the A-26 Invader
among others. These were used for tactical bombings missions over France, the
Low Countries and Germany.
Russell's job while in the 9th was that of
Technical Corporal. He was involved in armament and was also a mail courier and
clerk at one of the many air bases in England.
He was honorably discharged on January 6, 1946.
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 Honor Flight DFW
William’s father served in the U.S.Navy during WWI. When it
came time to join the military after graduation from high school in 1943, it
was a natural fit for William to join the Navy. He was inducted into the Navy
on May 18, 1943.
William was trained as an Aviation Machinists mate. He job
during his time in the Navy was that of repairing and installing naval aircraft
engines. He served in the American Theater during the war.
Some of William’s awards were the WWII Victory Medal, the
American campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct award.
William was discharged on May 4, 1946.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
September 2013 Dallas Police Shield
On New Year’s Day 1944 the DMN reported that Dallas Police,
shore patrol and military police were all out in force downtown waiting and
watching for trouble that never came. They all reported a quieter New Year’s
Eve than last year and the holiday was actually quieter than the Christmas Eve
celebration the week before.
Prices of $1.65 to $7.88 (where did they get this) per
person in night clubs and various New Year’s dances around the city brought
capacity crowds to the various bars and dance clubs. Dallas Police made fewer
arrests for drunkenness and other offences than on New Year’s Eve 1942.
On January 13, 1944 an unusual and disturbing article
appeared in the DMN. Apparently a “temporary policeman” was given 15 years in
the penitentiary for “assaulting to rape” a 16 year old Dallas girl. The
temporary officer’s defense was that he lived a virtually “blameless” existence
until the five months that he was in the police department prior to the night
of October 15, 1943 when he “hustled” the young girl and her 15 year old male escort
into his car and drove to White Rock Lake.
The girl’s companion somehow got the jump on the bad guy and
stabbed the temporary officer in the back with a knife in a successful attempt
to stop the attacker. In testimony the temporary officer said that he was a
simple man, but had been dazzled by the bright lights of a big city and that he
drank so heavily that he was temporarily insane as a result. He also spoke of
the evils of liquor and how it destroys the mind and willpower of the average
man.
The jury deliberated for three hours and said that this
“temporary policeman” was guilty. I’m not sure what a “temporary policeman” was
in 1944 but it could have been since there was a shortage off regular officers
because of wartime, almost anyone could be a police officer. As we all have
seen in the past when qualifications are lessened to hire more people, it
always comes back to bite the department in the butt.
On January 18th a trail was held in Dallas to
recover $3,064.25 from the police department’s pension fund by a former police
officer. The suit was brought against the City of Dallas and the Policeman and Fire
Alarm Operators Pension Board. The City’s position was that the claim was
barred by the statute of limitations. It didn’t really go into detail about
what the suit was all about but there you go.
I remember that during my time with the DPD, especially in
the 1980’s and 90’s that there was always a survey being conducted by some I’m
sure very expensive focus group or newly minted whiz-kid MBA about how the DPD
could better serve the public and if officers felt good about themselves, the
people they put in jail (?) and their job.
In 1944 it was going
on as well. August Vollmer of lie detector fame and former chief of the Berkley
California police department was scheduled to come to Dallas and conduct a
survey about “streamlining” the department.
The Dallas Morning
News article waxes’ nostalgic for a simpler time, when officers walked the beat
twirling his baton on his finger, and knew everyone .The DMN’s article however laments
the fact that since officers now rode in squad cars with a two-way radio, “on
the jump to keep up with his radio log book,” he had a tendency to become lazy.
The article goes on to say that no more is there a big, honest policeman
walking the beat with a friendly smile. He’s now out of touch with the
neighborhood, transferred from district to district and his association with
the barber, druggist, dentist and shopkeeper has come to an end. It also said
that the public lost a friend when they took the cop off the beat and that his
passing is something of an American tragedy.
Also the modern Dallas Police officer no longer pauses to
wipe little Johnny’s nose after his ice-cream cone was stolen by the neighborhood
bully. He now is too busy with that “radio log book” and that the DPD, along
with other department’s around the country, are already too “streamlined.” The
article concludes that the DPD is not the department that it used to be. Either
from the standpoint of colorful exploits (what?) or from the results of
fighting crime.
The wartime DPD budget only allowed for a force of 325
officers. There were currently 316 including a few civilian “typists.” The
article reported that at present there were 94 “temporary officers,” okay now
we know who these guys were, whose duration status is “not an incentive to
learn police work from the ground up.”
I guess the guy at the beginning of this piece just didn’t
learn.
And yes, I believe this same problem of the officer in the
squad car, out of touch with the community, was still being debated when I was
on the department. And, maybe it still is.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW
Charles enlisted into the Navy just a few months after the Japanese
surrendered in September, 1945. According to the Veterans Affairs Office, those
servicemen and women who served in the military up until December 31, 1946 were
considered to have served in WWII. Charles was 19 years old.
Charles was trained to become a hospital corpsman. His rank
was of Pharmacist Mate 3C. During his time in the Navy, Charles was stationed
at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was responsible for various medical and
business phases of hospital administration.
Charles says that even though he did not go overseas, he did
see the results and heard many stories of men who served at sea during the war.
Charles was awarded the WWII Victory Medal and was
discharged on November 29, 1947.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Profiles Fall 2013/Spring 2014 HFDFW
Thomas was drafted into the U.S.Army and reported to duty on
February 8, 1943. He was 20 years old. Thomas was shipped by rail to Camp
Mackall North Carolina where he completed his basic training.
Soon Thomas found himself onboard a troopship and headed to
the South Pacific. After docking in New Guinea, Thomas volunteered to jump out
of airplanes as a paratrooper. He earned his wings while he was on the island.
Among his other duties Thomas was also a chaplain’s assistant
for four chaplains.
In late 1944 Thomas was part of the long awaited invasion to
take back the Philippine islands. He hit the beach in Leyte Gulf and fought in
the jungle for a month hunted Japanese soldiers.
Later Thomas hit the island of Luzon and eventually the
capital city of manila. There he most likely observed the horrors that the
Japanese had inflicted on Allied POW’s and the citizens of the Philippines’.
After the Philippines’ were declared secure, Thomas’ division
was transported to the island of Okinawa. After the end of the war, Thomas’
division was the first to occupy Japan, having landed at Atsugi airstrip.
Thomas and a chaplain were the third or fourth airplane that landed on now
occupied Japan.
Thomas’ awards included the Asiatic Campaign with 3
arrowheads and six stars. He also was given the Bronze Star, Parachutists
wings, Expert Rifleman Badge, the WWII Victory medal as well as the Good Conduct
medal.
He was discharged from the military on February 16, 1946.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Profiles HFDFW Fall 2013
Joseph enlisted into the United States Army Air Corps (later
air forces) on November 29, 1942. He was 18 years old.
After training as a navigator, joseph was shipped overseas
to join the famous 15th AAF based in Italy. He was assigned to be a
navigator on the B-24 Liberator.
His station was in Manduria, Italy and was part of the 450th
Bomb Group, 721st Bomber squadron.
At some point during his service, Joseph mentions that his
aircraft was shot down over Yugoslavia. He also mentions that he got out of the
B-24 and we assume that he parachuted out.
Joseph was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) the
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Good Conduct medal as well as the
American Campaign medal.
In addition he was awarded the European-African-Middle
Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver (in lieu of five bronze) service star
for participation in Normandy, North Appennines, Southern France, Northern
France and Air Combat theater campaigns. The WWII Victory Medal and the French
Legion of Honor was presented to him as well.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
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