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By DAVE FA BLEW Of The Dally Mall Stall 'Lee C. Hale, of Yaw key. Lincoln County, has been in the Army for 20 years. In his long and varied career with the Army a !«• | minute period will live forever as the most exciting and eventful period of his life.On Dec. 7, I*J4I. Hale wis serving as corporal of the guard for , the last relief at Sehoffield Barracks. Hawaii. During that last , watch he petsonally saw ihe events that directly led the United j States into the greatest war in its history*.As the sun rose in the sky Hale looked up and saw the first two waves of Japanese planes to strike the islands. “I saw themcoming, but I thought the Air Force was going to have another mock air battle over the barracks,*’ he said. “The next thing 1 knew we were being strafed and bombed.“They hit us for about 10 minutes, then joined a larger group of planes and went on to Pearl Harbor, he said. ‘The reit of Ihe day was utter confusion, hut three days later we were organized and ready tu rrpet any land attacks.The attack meant that Hale, who hadn’t been in the U. S. since February, 1939, wouldn’t get home until the summer of 1945.After 20 years he has an Army station near his home. He is currently serving as a member of the Army Advisory Team in South Charleston, The small group of Regular Army personnel aids and advises Army Reservists in the South Charleston area.After the attack Hale remained in Hawaii as part of a tank regiment. From that base he took part!in the invasions of Kniwe-tok, Kwajalein and Saipan. In the lour years of war he collected four battle stars.When the war ended Hale returned to the U. S. but decided to make a career of the Army. He was shuttled from one stateside post to another for five years,IHe was al Fort Kno*. Ky., when Ihe Korean conflict erupted, and was among the firnt In reach Korea from the states. During the two years he was there he added nine more battle stars to his collection before coming home.After Korea he was given several different stations in the states before he was attached to the staff of the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa. In 1950 he was sent to South Charleston for a tour of duty.But 20 years of moving around have left their mark. Hale wants to be on his way again. He hopes lo return once more lo Hawaii for the first time in 14 years. I want to take my family over, he said, “they’ve never seen it. Then too, I’d like to revisit the old stomping grounds myself.Hale has no intentions of quitting the Army until his full 30 years have been served. It's been a good life, he said. “Of course there are disadvantages, as with any career, but if I had it to do ove.* again I'd do just what I’m doing.
Newspaper Details
Charleston Daily Mail
Charleston, West Virginia, US
Thu, Feb 05, 1959
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Kanawha C.
West Virginia, USA 22 Jul 2021
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