COLUMN: News From Our Boys in the Armed Services: Dec. 28, 1944

SSGt Aaron Smith, U.S. Army Air Corps, is returning from seven months overseas duty in the European Theater of Operations. He will visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Smith, of Rt. 4, Andalusia. He is expected to arrive at Ft. McPherson, Ga., on Dec. 22 before traveling home. Smith will speak at Hopewell Church next Sunday at 11 a.m. Everyone is invited.

James H. Butler, SN, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Butler, Rt. 3, Andalusia, and James C. Bell, SN, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. Herman Bell, Rt. 6, Andalusia, are currently training at U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Il. When they are through training in seamanship, military drill, and general Naval procedure, they will be assigned to a shore station or immediate sea duty.

Jackson Uptagrafft Jr. COX, U.S. Navy Reserve, is spending a thirty-day leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Uptagrafft Sr. of River Falls St., Andalusia. The decorated sailor has spent several months overseas and has seen plenty of action. He has received two commendations: one for being aboard the second boat to hit the beaches of France on D-Day, and the other for outstanding bravery in rescuing survivors of another LST which went down when it struck a mine.

Uptagrafft was also awarded the Purple Heart for injuries received when his LST was sunk off the coast of France on June 11, 1944. He has also been awarded a ribbon with two stars, indicating that he has served in two major engagements in foreign waters with the enemy. He left England around the first of December and is to report back for duty on January 20. He has a younger brother, Frederick Uptagrafft, SN, U.S. Navy, who is undergoing recruit training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois.

PFC Cecil Owens, U.S. Army, son of Mrs. Nina Frances Owens, Rt. 6, Andalusia, is home for Christmas furlough. He is a patient at Oliver General Hospital, Augusta, Ga.

PVT Cebron L. Black, U.S. Army, son of Mr. Cebron W. Black, Rt. 5, Andalusia, and PVT Hubert L. Douglas, U.S Army, son of Mrs. Lizzie J. Douglas, Rt. 5, Andalusia, have both been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge for exemplary conduct and skill in action against the enemy. Both men are members of the 81^st “Wildcat” Infantry Division which recently invaded the Southern Islands of the Japanese-held Palau group, about 500 miles east of the Philippines.

Joe Pitts, SA, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Pitts, Rt. 2, Dozier, is home for a brief leave. He has finished his “boot camp” training at the U.S. Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Md. Joe was a member of the Senior Class at Rawls School when he left to join the Navy.

Joseph Reaford Daughtry, SA, U.S. Navy, appeared recently, as a member of the Naval Training Center Choir [numbering more than 1,000 voices], on the national radio broadcast of the Edgar Bergan – Charlie McCarthy Show, on Christmas Eve. Joseph is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe A. Daughtry, Rt. 6, Andalusia. The huge choir was made up for the special broadcast from many smaller groups serving in the various regiments of the Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Il. This was the first time such a large, trained choir of service men had been heard on a major network program.

Turner Brothers Serving in the Pacific

Although in different branches of the service, the two Turner brothers, sons of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Turner of Andalusia, are serving in the same war theater and are members of the Medical Corps of the Army and Navy. PVT Curtis Turner, Medic, U.S. Army, joined the Army in October 1943 at Ft. McPherson, Ga. He completed his training as a Medic at Camp Grant, Il, and was assigned for duty in the Pacific. Before entering the service, PVT Turner was employed by E. I. Dupont DeNemours Company at Childersburg, Al. His wife, Mrs. Barbara Turner, is residing with his parents.

The other brother, Henry F. Turner, HM1, U.S. Navy, entered the Navy in 1942 and was assigned to the U.S. Naval Hospital, Pensacola, Fl. After training there, he was one of three corpsmen selected for the X Ray School at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. After completing school in Maryland, he was assigned to the U.S. Naval Hospital at Memphis, Tn. Turner served as an X Ray technician in charge of instruction for 16 months before he was transferred to the Pacific war theater where he and his brother both serve. Before entering the Navy, Henry attended the A.P.I. [Auburn] School of Pharmacy.

— John Vick