Thursday, June
5, 2008
Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery
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Thursday, June
5, 2008 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery |
SocietyCity Personals Sarah Crain graduates University Medical Family and friends recently attended the graduation of Sarah Frances Crain from the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentristy in Jackson. Joining Dr. Crain for this very important occasion were her mother, Carey Crain of Holly Springs, brother, Allen Crain of Jackson, Liz Ann Trayal of Germantown, Tenn., Mr. and Mrs. C.B. McClathcy of Holly Springs, Charly McClatchy of Memphis, Tenn., Dr. Edward Rather Jr. of Olive Branch, Charles Crain of Byhalia, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schmidt Jr. of Long Beach, Vic Crain of Denver, Colo. and Mary MacEachern of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Collier Carlton and Bronson Pharr just returned from a motorcycle trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. They were visiting Will and Kate Carlton and son, Bridger. (To put your news in City Personals, please e-mail maryclayb@yahoo.com; mail to City Personals, The South Reporter, P.O. Box 278, Holly Springs, MS 38635 or call 662-252-4261. You may also e-mail your City Personal news to south@dixie-net.com). Births
Clayton Chris and Candace Clayton of Potts Camp announce the birth of their daughter, McKenzie Paige Clayton on May 15, 2008. She weighed four pounds, eight ounces and was 17 inches long. Welcoming her home are grandparents Jackie and Lisa West, Stacey and Ben Hendricks and Sheila and Ricky Clayton, and her big sisters, Morgan and Natalie Clayton. Museuming Remembering 63 years ago Over a half a century ago in Holly Springs, World War II was winding down but not over as half our boys were still in the Pacific. We had been watching as world events unfolded since September 1, 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland. We thought that war was some horrible monster grinding its bones across the sea waiting to gobble up our boys. In Holly Springs, for the first time since the War Between the States, the town was full of soldiers from Camp McCain, bivouacking around here. A USO was set up in the upstairs over Linwood’s Store on the square each Friday and Saturday night where they had a piano and we had lots of parties there. There was some action here but it was tame, even for that time. We weren’t used to soldiers, but we were delighted to see them. We in Holly Springs were very patriotic and some boys “joined the cause” before finishing high school and there weren’t many boys around I remember. Everyone in this town wrote letters to servicemen. The mailman got to be our best friend. Mail meant a lot to us and I’m sure it helped sailors, soldiers and fly boys over the world. Servicemen remember nothing of rationing, as it didn’t affect them. Gasoline, rubber, metal, all went for the war effort. Civilians were issued rationing books at 35 cents a gallon for gas, also coffee, sugar and meat. No babies had a rubber ball. There were no trips to Memphis as ten gallons of gas a month won’t go far, so we went on the bus or train, which was an adventure itself. One pound of coffee had to travel across the ocean by boat amid enemy submarines to get here. One pound a month was the limit. Ten pounds of sugar a month was stretching it, especially at Christmas. Oleomargarine was vegetable oil and brand new. It emerged as a real butter substitute. There were no silk hose, all that went for parachutes; nylons came later. Incidentally, minimum wage was forty cents an hour. We got our news via radio, newspaper and at the movie houses (Holly Springs had two movie houses which we called picture shows). We followed the news reels avidly for every tidbit of information. Long distance calls were expensive and we didn’t make them except for emergencies. George Anderson, Mrs. Henry Walker’s nephew, was in Australia and called his wife, Jane, but the telephone line was an eight party line and everybody picked up to hear what he had to say. Sometimes ridiculous things happened. My brother, James Bonds, received his medical degree at the first of the war and with it came an automatic captain’s commission. I remember he wanted to go to town, but the town was full of bivouacking soldiers and he wouldn’t know how to return soldiers salutes. The only salute he knew was the Boy Scout salute. He was then sent to England and then to Italy where he spent the rest of the war. He remembered the Italian waifs by the side of the street. Later, he just knew one of them was Sophia Loren. We, as children, used to play on the World War I cannon, pointing southeast on the square, but at the beginning of the war, there was a patriotic drive for metals for the war effort and Mayor George Buchanan contributed our cannon to another war’s effort. I’ll never forget standing on the square waving at a truckload of soldiers being shipped out of Camp McCain to go overseas. They were shipped here to catch the troop trains. It was so sad and I was wondering, “how many of you will return?” I’ll never know. Following is an article that ran after Pfc. Howard G. Barmer returned from Army service. “To Pfc H.G. Barmer: Under provisions of Army Regulations 600-45, you are awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in action.” He received a citation from Major General John E. Dahlquist, U.S. Commander. Howard G. Barmer, Private First Class, Company C, 142nd Infantry Regiment, for gallantry in action on 9 February 1945 in France. Enemy troops attacked across an open field in an attempt to seize the houses on the street held by the 2nd Platoon. Private First Class Barmer and a companion, protecting the platoon’s right front, immediately opened fire and drove back the attackers as they moved across the clearing. Although they became the target for heavy machine gun fire, they determinedly maintained their position and continued firing. When the hostile soldiers moved to the flank and secured a house in another platoon sector, Private First Class Barmer and his companion were subjected to crossfire from two enemy machine guns. Undaunted, they held their ground and killing ten of the enemy and wounding others, protected their platoon against the assault. He entered the service from Thyatira, and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Barmer. Mr. Barmer entered the Army on January 14, 1944. After basic training, he was shipped to Naples, Italy, was assigned to the 36th Infantry. He was later shipped to France where he fought through that country on foot, and was wounded twice in France. One time by phosphorus grenade, the second time he was hit by mortar fire in the right shoulder. He was able to swim across the Moder River where he was helped out and sent to hospital. After his release from that hospital, he fought across Austria and was fighting in the Alps Mountains somewhere between Austria and Germany when his feet froze and he was hospitalized for this. He was in Austria when the war ended. Mr. Barmer received two Purple Hearts and two Sharp Shooter awards. We are only at the location on the square for a few short more months. Once we are gone, then it’s gone forever. You need to come and visit us now at 111 Van Dorn Ave., 662-252-3669. Visit our website at www.mchmuseum.org or email us at marshallcomuseum@bellsouth.net. Swanee’s Good News Happy Hour Be sure and listen to the radio show of Lois Swanee at WKRA 1110 AM on your dial at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Special guest this week will be Ronnie Luther, who will tell us about the Byhalia Clydesdale Festival, where the money goes to the needy families. Scott Beggs will be on the show to inform us of his China business connection to American Pacific on Salem Avenue. Jorja Lynn will be on to tell us of Theodore Link who was America’s leading architect a century ago who had a profound effect on Holly Springs. |
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