Decatur Newsletter for the boys in Military service.

News about you and your friends--about the Decatur Community High School and Decatur County.

V. I, Issue 1.  May 10, 1942    
Edited and compiled by Marian E. Cathcart, Oberlin, Kansas.

The yellow paper is to give you that “back at D.C.H.S.” feeling—the onionskin for airmail for those overseas.... Who can help me on these addresses? Wilbur Barrett, Wilbur Bystrom, Cordette and Francis Cevely, Jack Cleland, Herbert Dyer, Lyman Gage, Arthur Moss, Dallas Patrick, or any others whose names we have not listed?  The town fishermen spent a recent Sunday in the gutters gathering fish worms after the flood. Raymond Wurm is employed in the Santa Monica, Calif. Douglass Aircraft Co. …A play let in one act.  The time—11:00 a.m. one sleepy Sunday morning. The place—Oberlin’s main street, action starting in front of Addleman’s Drug Store.  Actors——the father and small brother of one of you boys of the navy. The prop—a letter from you. The action—a page of the letter is in the hand of each. A slow step forward as each scans his page eagerly, unaware of onlookers. They stop, and in rapid conversation each tells the other what he has read, the small boy carefully keeping his finger on the spot——another slow step forward and another exchange of news——on the third step the pages are exchanged. Action continues until each has read the entire letter. Brother disappears in the direction of home at full speed and father crosses to Stevenson’s for the Sunday paper.... Wanted! A simpler address system for you men of the army.... My favorite cartoon__ ”Private Breger” in the Satevepost. Surely so many mishaps cannot possibly befall one of you.... Guy Bryan must be a magician living in two camps as the last newsletter indicated. We’ll leave him in Camp Roberts, at least until your Uncle Sam says differently.... And Emerald KahIor does a swift transfer from maritime to navy.... My recipe to determine the number of newsletters to run is much as that for green apple sauce—use twice as much sugar as I think it can need——close my eyes and add that much more.... Marie Howard and Reva Mae Kelley are also in Washington, D.C....It was an interesting visit with Bard Claar and many were the questions he answered for me. He tells me there are three lines of work within the maritime service——deck, engineer, and steward.  Deck was chosen by Lotker who now has the rating of Coxswain.  This is the phase, with further training, that can end in an officer’s rating. Bard chose the steward line and his rating is that of second cook. The maritime training, which formerly took nine months, was condensed to six, and now to three. If one were to choose to ship without the training, as might be done, three years of apprenticeship would be necessary to obtain the ranking that is given at the satisfactory close of maritime training. The old time sailors resent the hiring of fresh maritime graduates and the new man in turn must be able to take it. Bard gave an excellent talk in assembly. They have returned to New York. Before their trip home they had just completed the second trip to Mexico via tanker.... Lorraine Love is an assistant dietitian in one of the state institutions located in Lincoln, Illinois…Carol Stevenson was elected to Mortar Board at Kansas State.... Evan Clark is making a very satisfactory recovery from a long illness. A handsome growth of whiskers qualifies him for the House of David. 

This letter is by the courtesy of Supt. Mahon and the Board of Trustees—I only do the assembling and the typing.... Lester McDowell, who left for service from Colorado was greatly surprised to find old schoolmates at Camp Barkley. He says, “From the list of men in the service, I can very easily see why I thought Oberlin deserted at Christmas time.  I believe Oberlin is doing its share in furnishing men for the service.”  Clarence Manning has been transferred to the truck division at Camp Wolters.... Clinton Ufford has completed his five weeks recruit training and is in the Outgoing Unit, ready for transfer to a school where he will study photography. I envied Clinton’s skill as a cartoonist those few weeks I had time for an art class. Tech. Serg. Harold Nitcher writes concerning Camp Chaffee, Arkansas—“This camp is an entirely new one and although not complete has around 10,000 soldiers here now. It is headquarters of the new Sixth Armored Division and has some very fine armored equipment. This makes my second new army camp to help open; as I was one of the first fifty men to be sent here. It is indeed something to witness: The erection and completion of one of these camps and then the arrival of thousands of troops——some recruits and some veterans. My job is and has been for some sixteen months a technician in Surgery. Here we have four major operating rooms and one minor as well as sterilizing rooms, supply rooms, etc. When the camp is filled to capacity we will do from ten to thirty major operations per day and that many or more minor cases.  It is surprising to know how many need operations and care when as yet we’re not fighting troops.  I often wonder just what it will be like when and if we do see front line service.”.... Virgil Cathcart reported after his first rifle range practice, “I not only missed the bull’s—eye, I very nearly missed the target.”.... Bill Pryor is taking auto motor training at Camp Crowder.... It seemed an age between the radio announcement of the sinking of the destroyer Sturtevant and the news that Dale Thornburg had wired his parents, “Ship sunk by underwater explosion. I was rescued and uninjured”. The Sturtevant, a 1,l90 ton, flush deck, 4-stacker of 1920 vintage, was sunk off the coast of Florida on April 26. It may have boon a torpedo or possibly a floating mine. Dale is now in Oberlin and is enthusiastic about the navy. He has made trips to Iceland to Ireland, and through the Caribbean. It is hard to realize that only last year Dale wrestled in the 112 lb. class—he would have a time making the 145 lb. class now. His leave will be up next week...Blackie Lindquist says the army doesn’t call it a “tardy slip”…. The redbuds in the park were specially pretty this year. The tulips beds are gorgeous--now the lilacs are in full bloom, the spirea and iris are beginning to show color.... It is now Captain Joseph D. Roberts—-the map was a “honey, and the other material also. Thank you...Arthur and Vivian Landau-Dowling were recent visitors, their home is in Amarillo, Texas. She is one of the prettiest girls I ever have had the privilege of seeing.  Jack Hendrix was glimpsed recently climbing aboard the Zephyr. It is law school at Nebraska next year, your Uncle Samuel willing.  How the school will miss Miss Douglas next year. She announced her retirement from the schoolroom recently at a party featuring a cake with 24 candles for the years spent as an instructor in D.C.H.S., but she will be about and interested as always in her former students…. Eugene Pruden writes “greetings to all his old friends” from some unknown point…Ted Pettis ran into Maynard Burkholder recently...Bud Raymond (Sergeant, if you please) is an aircraft metal worker since 1940 and likes it very much. He is married to a former high school teacher of Georgetown, Illinois and has a tiny daughter, Patsy Elaine.... We are hoping to have Lt. Col. Harwood Benton as our chief speaker of the evening at the Alumni Banquet.... Alex Francis is located at Stamford, Texas where he assists with physical education at the Stamford Flying Schoo1. Mike is picking up that southern drawl. Alex is enthusiastic about his work… The D.C.H.S. letter men were recently entertained by the Chamber of Commerce…Gloria Benton shared honors with the cherry blossoms on the front page of a recent Washington Post.... Noted among the visiting college students at Easter time were: Lefty VanPelt from Salina, Darrell Landau, Joe Ridgeway and Von Kirkendall of Manhattan, Gustave Lippelmann of the K. U. law school, Alice Beardsley and Marian Hawkes of Colorado Women’s College. The Oberlin Herald is running an excellent column, “With the Boys in the Service”—as well as the lively comments of Alice Coldren under the title, “G Girl’s Week” which deals with her Washington experiences.... Dennis Fraker is the new wrestling captain.... The seniors maroon caps and gowns are plenty “snazzy”....Add these to your list: Dutch Harbor, Alaska——Chas. Wade, Kodiak, ——Leslie Brown. Phoenix, Arizona ——Sgt. Bernard J. Pankaskie (the Mrs. is the former Irma Kaspar).  In California we find these additions or changes——Camp Haan-Anton Vacura, San Jose-Leo Rathbun (Tiny, if you please), Camp Callan——Vearl Claar and Corporal Robt. Hitchcok, Camp San Luis Obispo—-Harry Unger, Indio——Glenn Miller, San Diego Naval bases——Dean Clawson, Raymond Hague, Lloyd Woolley, Kenneth Swisher, San Pedro Naval Base——Rex Gill. In Florida, Frances Hackney is located at Camp Murphy. Add Dale Carlisle to the Great Lakes Naval Training center, and Sgt. Lyle Jones to Fort Sheridan, Ill. Shelburne Hendricks is at Ft. Des Moines, Iowa. It is Camp Polk, Louisiana for Fred Urban, and Baltimore, Maryland for Gordon Johnson. Darrel Gaines is at Camp Crowder and French Landau at Ft. Leonard Wood, both of Missouri. Marion Drescher and George Keisner have naval addresses at New York City. Add to those overseas——Duane Haresnape and Gene Pruden, while it is Australia for Kenneth Williams. Down Texas way are Lester McDowell and Neil Nicodemus at Camp Barkley, Lemoin Landau,—cadet at Sheppard Field, and at Camp Bowie, Frank Myers (better known as Pollock).  Claxton R. Bryan is located at Salt Lake City, while the naval base at Norfolk, Virginia, claims Dean Hinze, Don Everist, and Don Claussen… John Walker visited here recently from the Great Lakes Training Center. He is enthusiastic about the navy and will enter the hospital training corps on his return… Blaine Hagadorn is taking a medical course at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Ill.... Dean Hinze was recently graduated from the aviation metal smith class at the Naval Air Station, Alameda, California...Bi1l Smick has enlisted in the Naval Air Corps and will enter training soon. He earned his primary pilot’s license a year ago and has continued work this year.... Pfc. Bernard Thummel, Turner Field Army Air Corps Albany, Georgia, recently visited in Oberlin.... Raymond Hague is right at home in San Diego since the naval training camps he has occupied have been named Camp Mahan, Camp Decatur, and Camp Kidd. He says, “Don’t join the navy to get out of marching because we do our share of drilling and part of the army’s, too. But all in all the navy is really swell”.  Pete Everist writes concerning the training he and Don Claussen are sharing, “Naval construction is operated under navy rules and regulations, During the three weeks we were at Great Lakes we were formed into a company and most of us are still together here (Norfolk, Virginia).... Since we moved here our training is mostly teaching us how to build pontoon bridges and huts, and how to blend the colors with the surroundings. The “chow” is either getting better or else I'm getting used to it.... It is quite an art riding these hammocks without falling out.”

Harold Rehm is located at Fort Devens near Boston.  He is hoping he and Harry Brown see each other... Harold Loewen was learning the Morse code when he wrote...Pfc. Perry Mach and LaVern Patterson of Yuma, Arizona were married at Yuma on May 5. Perry is in the cavalry of the regular army located at Yuma.... Vern Kirkendall will go to Washington soon to become a draftsman in the Naval Ordnance Laboratory… Lester Kirkendall, member of the faculty of the University of Oklahoma, recently visited in Oberlin.... Married recently were Cletus Kelly and Hertha Fuhr.... Ralph Chambers was seriously wounded in action at Corrugators according to word received by his mother, Mrs. C. C. Chambers... Ten men left the 8th for medical examination——they were Lawrence Urban, Louis Tuxhorn, LeRoy Linn, Kenneth Schmoker; Charles Corcoran, Harold Graves, Lloyd Corcoran, Everett Adamson, Dale McConnell, and John Mazanek, Jr. A quota of 25 men will be filled on the 18th, all of which will be in the first or second registration, it is said.... Add to the second generation——Susanne Elizabeth Frohardt, whose mother was the former Myra Redman, and Nancy Lee Anderson, daughter of Nels and Willye Cook-Anderson, now residents of Greely, Colorado.... Mrs. Don Claussen (Genola Waldo) left last night to join her husband in Virginia.... Add these to your list of marriages——Norman Bainter and Dorothy Counter…Norma Dodson and Allen Richards.  Erma Logan and Gustave Lippelmann, Leora Leist and George Sines. Dorothy Marsh and Otto Degner. Harold Brown and Doris Willcoxon. Dorothy Diehl and Harold Chambers.  Helen L. Johnson and Dale Johnson-- (both are teaching in Chicago and attending Chicago University.) Margie Bogart and James Plotts.... Virginia Harmon is attending Business College in Denver ——Elaine Bogart is in nurses’ training at the General Hospital in the same city.... Chiz Ruzicka holds the league record in the mile.... Irene Walker is transferred to the Philipsburg office of the Gas Co....Sgt. Max Bobbitt is visiting in town. Other recent visitors, called by the tornado deaths were Everett Beneda and Fred Urban, the former from San Luis Obispo and the latter, Camp Polk, La....Bard Claar writes from Baltimore that Jay Fawcett, Floyd Lotker and he will sail on the same ship——a now one, I believe…This letter would not, of course, be complete, without the story of the recent devastating tornado. With the permission of the Oberlin Herald, I am copying their lead story from the special edition as it best gives what happened:

“Grief stricken but calm and courageous after the first dreadful shock, relatives, friends and people of the entire community have settled down to the grim realities con-fronting them following the worst tragedy ever visited upon this county. The raging tornado that struck just east of Oberlin Wednesday night (April 29), about 10:30 has to date reaped a toll of 15 dead, and left 12 other persons in the hospitals receiving treatment for many types of injuries.... No other tragedy has ever reaped such a toll of death, injuries and destruction in Decatur county, not excepting the Indian raid of September 30, 1878, when 16 settlers were massacred by the raiding Cheyenne Indians... Although it was at the Frank Urban farm a mile and a half south and a half-mile east of Oberlin that the tornado first struck any buildings, it has been learned that the twister first came to earth on the Dr. Tilden farm 8 miles south of here. From there to the Urban place it traveled through fields, and in places stripped the fields down to solid subsoil.... By the time it reached the Urban place the tornado was in full fury and made complete its destruction of the small home, granary, barn and all sheds. Norma, 14 yr.-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Nicholson was killed, her parents and Mrs. Frank Urban were injured, the latter fatally. Clarence Nicholson, 12, had remained in the basement and was uninjured. The Nicholsons lived with Mr. and Mrs. Urban, parents of Mrs. Nicholson. (Mr. Urban was visiting in Nebraska). .... Straight north, a mile and a quarter, the Fred Bliss property was the next to feel the force of the swirling giant; and not a sign of a house, barn or shed remained. Huge cottonwood trees were uprooted or stripped, and clothing was found hanging on stumps and trees. Mr. and Mrs. James Beneda, Jr. and their daughter, Alene, 14, lived here, with Duane Harold living with them. Mr. and Mrs. Beneda were both injured as was Duane Harold, and Alene was killed. Mrs. Beneda and Duane later died of injuries...Next in the path of the storm was the Jay Paddock farm a half mile north, occupied by the Dale Paddock family, which included Dale and Mrs. Paddock, 4 yr. old son Elvin and Leon and Gail Railsback, brother and sister of Mrs. Paddock. All but the Railsback girl was killed, and Gail died the next day. Here again not a building was left standing as the tornado, tearing them to bits, carried the pieces across the creek 50 feet west of the house. Pieces of farm machinery were twisted hunks of scrap and trees were uprooted....It was here the tornado swerved to the west, and traveled some 400 yards up the Sappa creek....Fortunate indeed were Mr. and Mrs. Charley Kirkendall, for their home was caught only in the edge of the storm.  Windows were broken in the house and part of the roof torn off, and some damage was done to other buildings. Awakened by the storm Charley, possibly one of the first ones to discover the tragedy at the Paddock place. He dressed and went over there, and he discovered the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Paddock and Leon Railsback. He hurried over to Glynn Shaw’s for help and to report the disaster.... Then it seemed to lift and left only a little evidence of its path until it swooped down a mile and a half north to completely destroy the Gus Leinwetter place, killing two members of the family, Gus Leinwetter and daughter Naomi, and Naomi’s classmate who was spending the night with her, Mardell Leitner.  Mrs. Leinwetter and Stanley died in the hospital a few hours later. Nothing but the cement block in front of the door was left of the house…A little farther north, on the Harold Andrews place, an unoccupied house was demolished and from there it went to Robert Castle’s, a mile north. Here the house must have been caught in the edge of the twister, for it turned the house around and moved it about 100 feet off the foundation. Windows and doors were blown out, but none of the family was injured.... Continuing its devastating drive, the tornado hurled itself against the home and farm buildings of Fred Euhus, 3 1/2 miles north of town, where, by only an unexplained miracle, seven persons were scattered about the yard without loss of life. Mr. Euhus and Lloyd Leavitt, school boy, were seriously injured. Two miles farther north, but still in straight north- south path, a heavy toll was taken at the James Beneda, Sr. farm, where the house, all buildings and many pieces of farm machinery were demolished.... Mr. and Mrs. Beneda were injured, though it is believed not critically, and son Frank, 22, is in the hospital with a broken back and other injuries.... From the Beneda place the twister apparently lifted for several miles and then, with less fury, came to earth east of Cedar Bluffs to damage buildings on the Dem Moore farm. It is understood one or two other farms in that locality suffered some loss to farm buildings, but no injuries were reported from that section.... With grief and suffering such as was caused by the storm little thought has been given to value of property destroyed or damaged, and certainly it is of little consequence at such time. R. F. Landau, who had inspected all farms affected, made the first estimate of the property damage yesterday. He placed the total property damage at $100,000, explaining that this probably would be a minimum figure, and then only an estimate...Financial loss included houses, farm buildings, machinery, automobiles, furniture and livestock…With three of their students and classmates dead and three critically injured, all victims of the tornado, faculty members and students of  D.C.H.S. carried on their school work with heavy hearts… Alene Beneda and Norma Nicholson, freshmen, and Leon Railsback, a senior, were killed instantly while Duane Harold, who was critically injured lived until Thursday morning, Gail Railsback, a sophomore, died Thursday noon in the McCook hospital, and Lloyd Leavitt, a freshman, is in a very serious condition in the Oberlin Clinic”…This from Dorothy Kelley’s column, “Sometimes there seems to be no suitable words in the dictionary with which to express ourselves. When some important event takes place words seem so powerful; it is easy to find just the exact words to describe that event, to make the reader see what we see. But once in each man’s lifetime such a stunning thing will occur as to make it impossible of description; impossible almost of realizing that it has truly happened even after we have seen it for ourselves. Such an event was the tornado of 1942, as it will be told and retold for many, many years to come… The reactions of the thousands of persons who visited the places where those homes had stood, was almost entirely one of stunned incredulity. It didn’t seem possible that any wind could be powerful enough to uproot some of the largest trees in the entire county, leaving a hole several feet deep, in a minute’s time; it didn’t seem possible that the arm of a chair was the largest piece of furniture to be seen; that farm machinery could be twisted out of shape as easily as if made of rubber. It didn’t seem possible that a normal average family had lived in a house on this spot, and that only a minute of inferno was required to leave—nothing. That was the awfu1 part of it, —-the completeness of the destruction, human, animal and material. No wonder the crowds were quiet, as they viewed the evidence of how fragile a thing man’s efforts are, compared with the might of the elements. Such things we have heard of often, but they always happened to the “other fellow”. They couldn’t happen here.  But they did.” The injured are making satisfactory recovery at the present time. To those of you who suffered bereavement, I extend my deepest sympathy.... Mrs. Pruden writes a very interesting letter regarding Eugene and the place in which he is located. I wish I might quote it in its entirety—-here it is in part, “The fine tourist hotels were bought by the U. S. Government, the gold-lined bath tubs, ve1vet—lined dresser drawers and gilt trimmed elevators were removed and the bui1dings are used as barracks and offices by our forces”… Junior Prom was last night——Mexican fiesta in theme. The decorations were beautiful——but I am still hoping just once the balloons will remain on the walls until the dinner is over… Commencement is Thursday evening. The 111 seniors constitute the largest class we have graduated.... Marian Pfrimmer has entered Nurses’ Training in connection with Kansas State College…Marguerite Roach graduates from Fort Hayes State College this spring as does Elsie Cathcart.... Ray Votapka writes very interestingly of his present location. We are sorry we have misplaced his letter. I well remember Ray’s “Toonerville Band” at a local dramatic presentation——It was as good a bit of comedy as I’ve had the pleasure of seeing.... A fourteen weeks silence has been broken by the news of the arrival of a nephew in Australia. If you are headed in that direction now is the time to cultivate a liking for mutton…. The many letters, cards, and calls by mothers in regard to this newsletter have been appreciated.   If your address is changed, I need to have the new one.  I have thought putting a finger on the spot where you are is like trying to imprison a drop of quick silver——you are long since departed to another area.

Adios !

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Wednesday, October 20, 2004