Lone Ranger Sgt Spurrier Captures Town in Solo Action
Sgt Spurrier, a Bluefield native, earns rare solo credit for capturing a town during a World War II patrol. He eliminated Nazis with grenades and a bazooka, killed three, captured officers and 18 enlisted men, and set fire to a barn to trap escapees. He later led outposts and was nicknamed Superman Spurrier with a wartime sketch accompanying the feature.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Beadline
Spurrier
Bluefield
Btaff
J. Spurrier
Lynen
Roecker
Superman Spurrier
Serg Eant
Adhain
Army
South Pacific
New Guinea
Camp Carson
Colo
San Francisco
Calif
Camp M . Md
Aearcat
Princeton Avea
Promotion of William Leckie From Second to First Lieutenant
The War Department announced yesterday the temporary promotion of William Leckie of 100 Augusta Street Bluefield West Virginia from second to first lieutenant.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
War Department
William Leckie
Augusta St. Bluefield
W. Ve
Daily Doings Of Area Men In U S Service
Mr and Mrs R H Gilpin of 125 Juniper street report their son J William H Gilpin is somewhere in France after joining in April 1941 and serving three years in Panama a brother Robert Gilpin has been in France serving in an engineer unit Gunnery Sgt Arnold G Nub Porterfield USMC has returned to the US Navy hospital in Asheville NC his wife remaining here Sgt eevee and wife plan to spend Christmas in Asheville Staff Sgt Paul H Whittaker son of Mr and Mrs J W Whittaker of Highland avenue has arrived
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
James C. Morefield
E. J. Morefield
Harman
Corsica
12Th Air Force Headquarters
Italy
Morefield
Mediterranean
Claude E. Blankenship
Bishop, Va
Normandy
France
Charles H. White, Jr
Keesler Field
Miss
Detroit
Mich
C. H. White, Sr
Maybeury
Charles Severn
Northfork
G. W. Lawrence
Harrison Street
Princeton
Leonard H. Kessinger, Jr
Frank W. Wood
George William Lawrence
John A. Wike
Patrick C. Twohig
Set
Kessinger
Leonard Kessinger
Camp Creek
Germany
Vienna
Australia
Army Air Force
Norfolk Navy Yard
Corporal Wood
Lawrence
North Africa
Navy
South Pacific
G. W. Lawrence, Heating and Plumbing Company
Wike
John H. Wike
Baltimore
G. C. Murphy Company
Washington, D. C
Twohig
Gibson Brothers
A. V. Gibson
Fifth Street
Marvin A. Gibson
U. S. Marine Corps
Carl V. Gibson
James E. Gibson
Army Tank Corps
Fort Meade
Richard R. Gibson
Field Artillery
Matin Gibson
Franks Bakery
Billie
Marine Auxiliary Air Station
Camp Gillespie
Carl Gibson
Clark Purniture Company
Tommy
Carolina Avenue
James Gibson
Norfolk and Western Railway
Jimmy
Linda
Hoge Street
Corporal Gibson
Clark Furniture Company
Dudley Moore
H. B. Moore
Richlands
Everett Allen
Camp Blanding
Fila
Pvt
Raymond J. Neal
I. G. Neal
Grassy Branch
Bluefield
Florida
Mississippi
Georgia
Maryland
Fort George S. Meade
Neal
Cpl
Essie David Cline
Fred Cline
Widemouth
Corporal Cline
Matoaka High School
West Virginia Business College
Hercules Powder Company
Radford
Charles
Bob) Saunders
W. G. Saunders
Tip Top
Holland
War Department
Camp Maxie
Camp Swift
Tex
Donald Saunders
Camp Bradford
Ruth Whittaker
Tazewell
Lacy
Chemical Warfare Service
Thirl Edward Whiteworth
U. S. Navy
Norfolk
Big Vain
Southwest Pacific
W. Whitworth
Sane
John 8. Hill
C. R. Hill
England
Corral Hill
Servce
Raymond D. Baldwin
J. N. Baldwin
Cumberland Road
University of Ta
Minneapolis
Frances Melvin
33Rd Place
S. E
Washington
National Electrical Accompany
This
T. C. Sutherland, Jr
U.S. Navy
T. C. Sutherland
Jefferson Street
Sutherland
Sicily
R. H. Gilpin
Juniper Street
Recon
William H. Gilpin
Gilpin
Panama
Robert Gilpin
Arnold G
Porterfield
U.S.M.C
U.S. Navy Coger Hospital
Asheville
N. C
Eevee
Rae
Highland Avenue
Paul H. Whittaker
J. W. Whittaker
Sergeant Whittaker
Army Air Corps
San Antonio
Texas
Whittaker
J. W. Whittaker, Jr
W. A. Goodwin
U.S.N.R
Lucille Wilson
Goodwin
G. M. Goodwin
Ft. Schuyler
N. Y
Bowdoin College
Brunswick
War Casualties List Local Servicemen Wounded Overseas
Area servicemen are listed with injuries and statuses from Europe and the war department. Names include Pvt Edward J Burnopp wounded in France on November 19 and hospitalized near Paris, Pfc Clifton Burnopp overseas, Cpl Cardale Thompson wounded in Germany on November 26, and Pfc Edward A Kessinger wounded in France in August and back on duty in October. Other entries mention Pfc Allen L Archer, Sgt Ralph Gibson severely wounded in France November 19, and service histories, training sites, and family notices Still to be notified or confirmed by the war department.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Edward J. Burnopp
Blair Burnopp
Bluefield Avenue
France
War Department
App
Paris
Camp Fannin
Tex
Pfc
Clifton Burnopp
Cpl
Cardale Thompson
Charlie Thompson
Maybeury
Germany
Corporal Thompson
England
Ireland
Camp Wheeler
Meade, Jr
Edward A
Jiggs) Kessinger
Ceton
Kessinger
Infantry
Army
Camp Forrest
Tenn
Camp Phillips
Kan
Los Angeles
Calif
Yuma
Ariz
Fort Dix
N. J
Ralph Gibson
Fletcher Gibson
Freeman
Gibson
Camp Wallace
Camp Davis
N. C
Bragg
Local Servicemen News and Christmas Homecomings
Families welcome returning service members for the holidays. Staff Sgt J W Whittaker Jr arrives overseas duty noted by parents. Ensign W A Goodwin RN R earns lieutenant junior grade after training and Pacific assignment. Sgt Jack Pletcher returns home from Walter Reed Hospital to spend Christmas with the Fletchers.
Tens of thousands of tires returned from overseas duty
About 100000 used tires from overseas war duty have arrived for disposal by the treasury surplus property office. Rowland D. Schell, regional director in Cincinnati, said the tires mainly feature mud and snow tread on trucks and are too worn for reconditioning by the Army. After repair they may serve civilian uses and will be sold to manufacturers at 30 dollars per ton, who will pass them to repair shops at 40 dollars, then sold to consumers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Treasury
Rowland D. Schell
Treasury Procurement Office
Cincinnati
Schell
Three Sons and Son-in-law of J J Long Pictured in Railroad Magazine
The Norfolk and Western section foreman at Bluefield shows four family members in uniform. Pfc Jack R Long now in the Marine Corps in the South Pacific. Cpl William R Long furloughed railroad employee now in Holland with parachute troops. Pvt H Long furloughed switchtender who recently received a medical tafta son. Leon oo husband of tees Dene ue eee.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
J. J. Long
Norfolk and Western Railway
Bluefield
Railroad
Jack R. Long
Marine Corps
South Pacific
Cpl
William R. Long
Holland
Pvt
H. Long
Also Mentioned on This Page
Sgt. Spurrier
Lone Ranger
Fred Williamson, Jr
Fred Williamson
North Tazewell
Jack A. Hensley
A. S. Navy
C. R. Hensley
Hensley
Phil Kirley
Joe Kirby
Wheeling Avenue
Philippines
Snow
Donald Snow
John Snow
Mullens
Harold Snow
Elkhorn
Mullens High School
Camp McCain
Port Jackson
McCain
Prio
Audrey Snow
Histher
Portsmouth
Fort McClellan
Ala
OKIE
Asbury
U. 5S. Navy
J. T. Asbury
Philpie Islands
William Kell
Charles M. Weeks
C. L. Weeks
Sampson
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
U. S
Hubert W. Kessinger
Edna Lucado
E. H. Lucado
Allen L. Archer
Cleo Archer
Archer
Jack Pletcher
Walter Reed Hospital
A. J. Fletcher
Bland Street
J.J. Long