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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 1944)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER H, 1944 THE. JOUENA1, PliATTSMOTTTH, , NEBBASXA : ? PAGE THESE This Page is a regular feature of the Monday edition of the Semi-Weekly -: THE SERVICE JOURNAL :- Correspondents and others having items for the SERVICE JOURNAL will please mark "Service" and place on separate sheet from other items. Service Editor Donald Pittman Tells Of Wonders Of City Of Rome T. Sgt. Pittman Has Short Pur lough and Views Scenes of the Eternal City of the World T.'Sgt. Donald Pittman, weather forecaster, attached to the air corps in the Italian area, has written a very interesting letter to his mother, Mrs. Anna Pittman, telling of his recent visit to the city of Rome, and a part of the wonders of the city that he enjoyed. 30 August, 1944! i Dear Mom: i Quite nice weather lately hut nor mally hot through the day. It was that way during my short stay in Rome. I was ahle to get a plane ride so got to see a little of Italy from the air. Most of these towns are cramped close together and the buildings seemingly arranged in a haphazard fashion, crooked streets. From the air this is apparent. How ever, some of the Dewer places are moaern and well arranged, with new looking apartments and long, straight streets. I noticed one town arranged in a circle with streets all around the town and all leading to a center. Rome itself, combines the old with the new. It isn't spread out too much for a big city. Most of the dwellings are apartment houses, some of which present a streamlined appearance as modern as any in the States. The main streets are wide but the side streets have the same narrowness. The city is clean. Some civilian automobiles are seen on the streets. Quite a few Italian makes, yet some of the larger, models look expensive, streamlined and well appearing. I got to stay at the Air Corps Rest Camp provided for the use of the Air Corps men. Other rest camps are for other groups of the service. The place formerly, was a military school and is a modern building and a real nice place. " The Red Cross conducts tours. Bus es are used to transport the men to various places of interest. The main places which we stopped at were the Catacombs, the Pantheon, Victor Emmanuel monument. and Vatican City. The Catacombs are along the Appian Way. Most of the burial grounds of ancient times were along this main road. At the present time the guides and supervisors are Fran ciscan monks and are under the care of the Holy See. A charge of seven lires was made, this money being used for purposes of general expenses as well as charitable works. They also sell religious articles there. For merly there were electric lights plac ed through the passage ways and main chambers, but at the present time they have no bulbs, so we were given small candles, which did not give much light. One of these pass ages, according to the guide, extends " eight miles under ground. There is writing on the fragments of marble slabs, the monk translated for us the one mentioning Saints Peter and Paul. These two saints were buried here until removed. The remains of St. Peter now lie nnder St. Peter's Cathedral. There is also a church built over the main entrance of the catacombs which is of ordinary art. The Pantheon is considered the most perfectly preserved of ancient buildings In Rome. Being built in 27 B. C. by Marcus Agrippa, Somei. ' x. . .. ! Circus of Nero where many Chris alterations and changes have been made. It had been a pagan temple but later converted to a Christian temple. As Christianity grew in pow er more churches were built from the remains or from other construc tions. (Because this was used as a Christian place of worship it was spared somewhat.) The bronze doors on their original hinges, weighing twenty-eight tons are still in place. The portica over the entrance re mains as built, with little change. The huge granite columns, about forty-five feet high and several feet in diameter, were brought from Egypt by slaves it must have been quite a job to bring those immense slabs, that long distance over land and sea. But I guess slave labor was plentiful in those ancient days. The Victor-Emmanuel Memorial is of modern construction and is mainly to commemorate the unity of Italy. The Italian 'unknown soldier of World War 1 is buried here. There is a large.- bronze statue here, and according to the guide, eighteen Gerald Jones Is Named To Naval Academy By Buff ett Plattsmouth Young Man Is Select ed Candidate for the Academy at Annapolis spuaxjj uvw SIU. jo qsiA aqi sj ssaaons jjaA9 bathj jCbui aq bu.x '31-iO-a. 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(It gives you an idea is to the size of the horse). There are so many arches, old memorials, walls, etc., that they be come common. We also saw the Coliseum, or rather what was left of it. One can still get some idea of the huge size of it. It would hold, in its day, some seventy to eighty thousand people. It had so many entrances and exits that, it is claimed, it took only ten minutes to evacuate the place. (The term, arena, comes from a Latin word, from this place, meaning sand, as they used sand in the center of the area to give the gladiators bet ter footing. This building was built before Nero's time, but many Chris tians were supposed to have been killed there. We were told (as we studied in our history) that unusual ly meny of the early Christians were slaves, and for sporting purposes the slaves were given the chance to combat their masters. If their mas ters were satisfied with the slave's ability, the sign thumb's up was given and the slave became a free man, but if the sign was thumb's down he remained a slave. To go on with the description of the building. The huge blockks of the Coliseum were held together by four bronze pins in each corner and set by molten lead. The next blocks were secured to these pins and the building proceeded upward. We could see how the corners of the building were chipped out, as the metafc got scarce in later days. The Vatican City, which is main ly the St. Peter'B Cathedral, largest church in the world, is beautiful be yond description, vast, yet well pro portioned. The dome of the cathedral was copied from the dome of the Pantheon, by Michael Angelo who was given the task of building the tians were martyred and where St. Peter was crucified and buried. The pope's altar is over the tomb of St. Peter. It isn't really possible to ade quately describe the artistry. All the mosiac art work is very beauti ful and the people who did the work must have had a wonderful eye for blending of colors. They had to fit those tiny pieces of colored stone into proper places, everything bal anced as in a fine painting. I suppose you want to know if I saw the Pope. Yes, I did, along with a large crowd, mostly service men. The pope is a democratic person, gave us a 6hort talk in several langu ages. He was dressed in white. The guards had on thoBe funny togs and were quite picturesque. These is so much to see in such a short time in Rome. However, I am glad I got the chance to go there even if I couldn't Bee everything wanted. Donald FIGHT B7 HIS SIDE Buy Bonds Entertain Guest Mr. and Mrs. Doran Bowman en tertained at a 7 o'clock dinner Thurs day evening in honor of Mrs. Bow man's - brother j : 1st - Class Petty Officer ( Mason -tWall- and wife and daughter and Mary Jane Kvapil of Ft. Collins, Colo. Mason leaves Sun day for his base at Norfolk, Va. His wife spent three weeks with him there the last part of June. Mary Jane also leaves Sunday for Ft. Col lins. Those present at the dinner were: 1st Class Petty Officer and Mrs. Mason Wall and baby, Mary Jane Kvapil, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Wall, Mr. and Mrs. Doran Bowman and son DeWayne. Receives Appointments In the selection of Gerald Jones of this city as the principal for the appointment to the naval academy at Annapolis, Congressman Howard Buffett also made the appointment of two other Cass county boys as alternates to the academy. These are Theodore Roland Brun son of Louisville and David Frasher Cook of Elmwood and the appoint ments were made after a careful ex amination of their qualifications by the congressman. Brunson, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Forest H. Brunson, has secured a second alternate appointment and Cook, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Emmett J. Cook, will be a third alternate. Both Brunson and Cook will have the opportunity of taking special work at the Naval Academy Pre paratory school at Bainbridge, Mary land. Hears of Nephew's Death J. H. Graves of this city received word Friday of the death of his nephew, Edward Graves. 28, a mem ber of the U. S. army in France. The information stated thet the young man had been killed in action in France on August 17th. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. George Graves of Peru and is known to a number here and at Murray. To Visit Husband Mrs. Ralph Timm is departing on Monday for the west where she will visit with her husband, lc CPO Ralph O. Timm, who is located at Bremerton, Washington. Ralph is stationed at the naval receiving cen ter where he has been since com pleting his boot training at Great Lakes. Mrs. Timm will enjoy a visit of several weeks there with the hus band. The Army ordnance motto "Ser vice to the Line" held true recently in a different way when ordnance soldiers In Normandy repaired print ing equipment of a former French newspaper, damaged in the fighting. Soldier-reporters and editors then brought out, on July 4, their first Continental Edition of the "Stars and Stripes," the combat soldier's daily newspaper, first started in Paris in World War L Home on Furlough Pvt. Albert Young, who has been in training at Camp Otis, California, arrived home Wednesday afternoon for a short visit here while on short layover while on his way to Abeline, Texas. He is in the field artillery and has just completed his basic training at the California camp. Showing Improvement Mrs. Blanch Rhoden of this city, has received word from her son, Dar win Keith Rhoden, S2c, that he is improving at the 12th naval hospital of the U. S. naval training station at Farragut, Idaho. He was first suffer ing from a respiratory infection that later developed into pneumonia, and at the last word was responding to treatment and getting along as well as possible. Home on Furlough Pvt. M. H. Williamson who has been in training in the chemical war fare section of the army for the past year, stationed at Camp Siebert, Alabama, is home on a furlough. He will enjoy a visit here with his wife and his sons before returning to the south and then expects to have a new assignment. Buy War Bonds Lt. Richard Eppings Down In Yugoslavia Murdock Man In Air Force Beach ed land of the Yugoslavia Parti sans and Safe Mrs. J. H. Eppings of Murdock has just received the happy news that her son, 1st Lt. Richard Eppings, "has completed his fifty missions and is looking forward to coming home soon. His last mission was a very exciting one. As they were over Aus tria it became apparent that they could not complete their homeward journey and prepared ta bail out, but they were fortunate and were able to reach the Yugoslavia border be fore they went down. They fell into the hands of the Yugoslav Partisans and with their help were able to reach the home base in three days. Lt. Eppings is a pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber with the 15th AAF based in Italy. He holds the Air Medal with three oak leaf clus ters and has been recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross. The distinguished flying record of this Cass county airman will be learned with interest by the friends over the county. Lt. Eppings is a nephew of J. E. Lancaster of this city, Earl Lancas ter of Murray and Mrs. Virgil Arnold of this city. Here for Week-End Pvt. Nervin Bartek and wife, were in Omaha over the week end at the home of Pvt. Bartek's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bartek, coming from Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, where Pvt. Bartek has been stationed. In hon or of the occasion a famiy dinner party was held at the home in Oma ha and attended by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Born of this city, grandparents of Pvt. Bartek, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Schiessl and family, Mr. and Mrs. Art Sprieck and family, Mr. and Mrs. Will Bartek and family. Home On Leave S2c Kenneth Cottingham, who has been stationed at Camp Bradford, Virginia, is home to visit with Mrs. Cottingham and also at Murray with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cottingham. Kenneth is a member of the L.S.T. force and one of the few from this section that has been enrolled in this important naval service. He is expecting to report to Boston at the end of his leave and be assigned to active duty on one of the new ships that are being commissioned. Leave For West Coast Mrs. Lloyd Schneider and Mrs. Robert Schneider of Cedar Creek, left Turshday evening for Los Angeles, where they will spend some time with Robert Schneider, Sic. Bob has a leave while his ship, an aircraft carrier, is in harbor, they having just completed another trip in the South Pacific. Leaves For West Coast T. Sgt. Elwin Leesley, who has been visiting at Omaha and in this city with his wife and his parents, Mr. and rMs. Earl Leesley, left for the west coast. He was taken to Omaha by Mrs. Leesley and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Donat to take the train. Apply For Ballots County Clerk George R. Sayles has ballot applications from 175 of the Cass county men that are in the armed services of the United States in the various training centers as well as overseas. The ballots are to be sent out to the men and are to be mailed by the men sometime be fore November 6th and areiven un til November 30th to be received and counted. Departs for School Monday Richard Soennichsen, who has been spending the summer vaca tion nere with his grandfather, H. M Soennichsen and other relatives, departed for Boonville, Missouri, where he will enter the Kemper mili tary school. Richard attended the school last year and likes the course of training offered as well as the pleasant as sociations very much. During the summer he worked part time at the BREX and recently had a vacation trip to Colorado before taking up the school work. Glenwood Wins Tournament The invitational baseball tourna ment at Glenwood, terminated Mon day with the host club proving the winners of the tourney. Council Bluffs, second, Plattsmouth, third, and Elliott, Iowa in the last place. In the opening games Sunday Plattsmouth was defeated by Glen wood 11 to 8 while Council Bluffs won from Elliott by the score of 6 to 3. The games Monday resulted in Plattsmouth turning back Elliott 7 to 6 and Glenwood rolled over Council Bluffs by the score of 10 to 0. Hear from Children Tuesday evening while Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Knorr were quietly spending the evening at their home on high school hill they received a long distance telephone call from New York City. It was a real treat as the parties calling ' were their Bon and daughter, Sic" Bill Knorr, and Miss Jean Knorr. Bill had arrived in port and sought out the sister, who is attending a musical school, in that city and they enjoyed the day taking in the sights of the great city and in the evening joined in the message home to the parents and friends. Killed in Action Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Adkins re ceived a telegram this morning stat ing that their youngest son, Pvt. Oscar Adkins, was killed in action on August 15th, in France. He receiv ed three medals which included the Purple Heart, good conduct medal, and Silver Star for capturing eight Germans. Pvt Oscar Adkins was from Huntington, W. Va., but lived in Plattsmouth before going into the army. His parents moved here re cently. He has two sisters in Hunt ington. One brother in the army, Pvt, Harrison Adkins, he also has two brothers living in Plattsmouth, they are Henry Adkins and Raymond Adkins. His parents are residing at 715 So. .1st. Receives Commendation Three Nebraska men, along with other members of the 7th AAF bomber group, have been commended by Rear Admiral H. W. Hill, for the support the bomber unit gave ground forces in the battle of Tinian. One of the members so" honored is known locally, being 2nd Lieuten ant Leston G. Sorrell, " 24," son ; of Senator and Mrs., Frank Sorreil of Syracuse, and the husband of Doro thy Turner Sorreli of Lincoln, for mer Plattsmouth girl. The two other Nebraskkans are 1st Lt. Donald L." Dow, 29, Kearney, and S. Sgt. Gerald A. Speedlin of Crete. Elmore Brink Home Today is a very happy occasion for the W. N. Brink and Ray Bryant families as Pvt. Elmore Brink, avia tion mechanic in the air corps, ar rived home for a ten day furlough with Mrs. Brink and their son, as well as other members of the family circles. "Toots" is he was known to the many friends, has been in train ing at Keefer Field, Mississippi, and is now changing stations. He goes to Fort Worth, Texas for further train ing. NEW JET UNIT Washington, Sept. 8. (UP) The navy announced today that it has developed for immediate use jet pro portion units to assist carrier planes and flying boats to take off with heavier loads, in shorter spaces and at greater speed. The navy carrier fighter now will be able to cut its take-off run in half, the navy said, it is permitting carriers to ub more of their deck space for planes. The new unit, each an engine in itself, look very much like bombs except that they are fastened to the fuselage. Once in the air the pilot can generate the units. Generally, more than one unit each of which delivers approximately 330 horse power thruout the take off- would be used on a single plane. ; ' The jet unit is a cylinder full of solid perpellent which includes oxy gen in the mixture bo it can burn without air. It has an electric con trolled spark plug which seats it off and a rocket-like vent through which the jet gasses give their thrust. . . Glen Albin Missing In Action In France Since August 8 Well Known Eesident of Near This City Missing After Two Days in France The dessage has been received by Ezra Albin, of south of this city, telling of the fact that his brother. Pvt. Glen Albin, is missing in action somewhere in France since August 8 th. Pvt. Albin, a son of Mrs. Dora Al bin, was called to the colors two years ago and has been overesas for some time and on August 6 th landed in France and two days later was listed as missing in action. The exact status of his case is un determined as he might be a prison er of the Germans or in a hospital and his listing not reported to the company where he was serving with. Captain Tritsch Improved Mrs. Henry Heldt has returned home from Springfield,- Missouri, where she was at the O'Reilly hos pital during the ventriculogrom per formed on Captain Marvin Tritsch on last Saturday. The condition of the patient Beems improved altho he is still far from well but through with surgery. He will be required to remain under treatment for some time at least before he is able to register definite gains. Mrs. Florene Palacek, a sister of Captain Tritsch, will remain at Springfield for a few days to with the brother. be Sunday Guests Sunday afternoon and evening guests at the E. C. Smith home were Mrs. M. E. Smith and Miss Ethel, of Omaha, Cpl. A. E. Milhollan of Camp Beale, California, and his wife and two children who reside in Omaha. Cpl. Milhollan is home on a 15-day leave. Undergoes Operation Captain Marvin Tritsch, brought home to the United States from ser vice in the Pacific, critically ill, was operated on at the O'Reilly hospital at . Springfield, Missouri, Saturday. The patient stood the operation in excellent shape and at last reports was doing as well as possible. -.Mrs. Frank Palacek, a sister, and Mrs. Henry Heldt, of this city were at Springfield for the operation and to be with the patient. Reunion in Italy The reunion of three Plattsmouth young men in the armed service is told in a letter received by Mrs. Harry Porter from her husband, Sgt. Harry Porter. . Sgt. Porter, Pfc Jack O'Donnell and Robert Willis, all three from this city, were able to get together recently when they were on leave, and had a real visit and the inter change of news from the home front ia the United States. It was revealed that Porter and Willis had been sta tioned only two miles apart. Jack who is in the infantry has covered a great deal of territory with the American Fifth army advances and had the privilege of being in the American advance into Rome when that city fell to the allies. V-12 Trainee Returns to Ohio Robert C. Grassman, AS, left Oma ha Sunday noon, after spending a weeks leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hilliard Grassman, and family. He is attending Denison uni versity at Granville, Ohio. He V-12 trainee in the Navy. is a Here from So. Carolina Cpl. George Rhoden, who has been Btationed at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, is home for a twenty day furlough in this community with his. parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gailen Rhoden and the other relatives. Cpl Rhoden is located at one of the well known army posts In the south and where a number of the Plattsmouth and Cass county men are stationed. On his return to the south he is expected to be transferred to an other station. Tells Of Wounding Mrs. W. O. Reeves has received a letter from her son, Cpl. Lester Reeves, telling of the nature of the wounds suffered while in combat duty in France in July. He states they were in action near a town, with plenty of German opposition, and as Lester and other troops mov ing up in trucks, were dismounting the Germans opened fire with mach ine guns. He suffered injury when two steel splinters from the bullets, struck him in the face and head, one being just below the hair line and just above the eyebrows and other injuries sustained by lacera tions on the cheek. The young sol-, dier feels fortunate that the bullet did not strike lower, causing an eye injury. This is the second time he was wounded in the Normandy cam paign. Wins Air Medal Fifteenth AAF in Italy Staff Sfe. Harold W. Grant, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Grant of Rural Route 1, Plattsmouth, Nebraska, has been awarded the Air Medal. In the words of the citation, Sgt. Grant was awarded the medal "for meritorious achievement in aerial flight while participating in sustain ed operational activities against the enemy." A ball-gunner, Sgt. Grant is sta tioned with a heavy bombardment squadron of B-24 Liberators which has been bombing Ploesti, Fried richscafen, Vienna, Bucharest, Buda pest and other vital targets in the German network of industrial sec tors throughout southern Europe. In civilian life Sgt. Grant gradu ated from Nehawka High school and prior to his entry into the service December 15, 1942, he was employed by LeRoy Cook of Elmwood, Neb. The Plattsmouth flier has parti cipated in more than 21 combat mis sions against enemy-held territory since his arrival overseas in July. Now in England . Pvt.Charles Lewis is now located in England with the chemical war fare service, a cablegram and letters received by his wife states. He is feeling fine and had a nice trip across. This isn't his first trip to England as he made two trips last year while with the Merchant Mar ines. Pvt. Lewis entered the army Jan uary 25th and 'received his basic training at Camp Sibert, Alabama, large chemical warfare camp, he also had training as a motor mechanic. . Pvt, Lewis was home on furlough in June and then was sent to Camp Reynolds, Penn., from there - to P.O.E. He has a brother somewhere in England and another that has just returned after two years service in the Aleutian islands. Here from Scottsbluff Captain J. A. Capwell who is one of the personnel in charge of the prisoner of war camp near Scotts bluff, is home for a few days visit with Mrs. Capwell. Captain Capwell now has German prisoners in the camp instead of the Italians that have been transferred to other points, and the new prisoners are a great deal different from the light- hearted Italians who were pleased with their status even as prisoners. The German prisoners now at the camp are largely men taken in the Norman invasion and have a high educational status as compared with the Italians. Home from Overseas Sgt. Neil Iugsch, who has just re cently returned to the United States after twenty-nine months spent over seas, was here Sunday to visit with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lugsch, and his brother, Quinton. Sgt. Lugsch has been in the India Burma campaign and has a great experience in the air service in these campaigns against the Japanese foe. He was serving in handling the planes used in supplying food and supplies to the American and Chinese troops in the field and away from the ordinary lines of transportation. Sgt. Lugsch has been visiting at Glenwood with the relatives and on his departure is going to Santa Mon ica where he will be stationed for a short time at the base at that place. Keep Baying ' War Bomb