Army promotions and decorations in Beckley area news
Major Charles Lewis Jr promoted to major in the US Army Air Forces after overseas service in 1943. Private Marvin Clemons recounts surviving a sinking off Oran with 300 yard swim to shore under fire. Multiple Raleigh County families report promotions and postings across camps from Florida to North Africa and England, including Homer Bennington, Luther Lilly, Philip Humphrey, Herman Martin, and others.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Charles
Lewis, Jr
Charles S. Lewis
Wickman Avenue
Beckley
United States Army Air Force
Lewis
Air Transport Command
Nancy Pat Hamilton
Oak Hill
Marvin P. Clemons
Bessie Clemons
North Heber Street
Red Cross
England
Oran
Clemons
Clemens
North Africa
Fort Knox
Kentucky
Northern Ireland
Mark Twain High School
Crab Orchard “Ay Improvement Company
Eccles
le Leonard Clemons
Hawaii
Camp Atterbury
Indiana
Eunice
Armed Forces
Homer A. Bennington
Blair Bennington
Cool Ridge
Bennington
Camp Blanding
Florida
Camp Mackall
North Carolina
Fort Benning
Georgia
Woodrow Wilson High School
Penman
Army
Benningon
la Me
Penningtonvotley
Tennessee
Humphrey
Vester Bennington
Philip Lee Humphrey
C. S. Humphrey
Pax
Army Air Force
Jefferson Barracks
Missouri
Rising Sun School of Aeronautics
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Glen L. Martin
Baltimore
Maryland
MacDill Field
Tampa
Michigan
You Cant Go Home Again A Poem And Memory Piece
A feature on the myth of returning home interweaves a W N Shanklin poem with reflections from Mrs. Vernon Bell and local letters. It recalls Greenville memories, notes the disillusionment of going back, and mentions a Sahara Rose of the Desert keepsake from Don Harris.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
W. N. Shanklin
Shanklin
Greenville
Monroe County
French Foreign Legion
Sahara
LUDIGROUS POSITION IN SCHOOL BOARD HIRING
Three board of education members Mess i Fourney Bobbitt and Daniels employed an attendance officer without the county superintendent’s recommendation. They may face court action to obtain salary payment if the superintendent and board president refuse to sign. If the hire is ruled illegal, they could be guilty of official misconduct and subject to impeachment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Board of Education
Messi
Fourney
Bobbitt
Daniels
E. M. Ashworth
C. C. Ballard
State police did not participate in raids on clubs
A Fayetteville raid on the Layland Moose club seized seven slot machines while state police did not take part. Report notes four Montgomery state policemen stationed there did not raid the Negro Elks club, raising questions about enforcement orders from Charleston and local authorities governing gambling laws.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fayetteville
Layland
Fayette
Montgomery
Register
Negro Elks Club
Layland Moose Club
Lowland
Fayette County
Charleston
Fayette sheriffs clash with state police over law enforcement
Chief Deputy G. T-Davis laments staffing gaps as Fayette and Montgomery detachments raid gambling sites. He argues state police are hamstrung by Charleston orders and should enforce all laws as intended. Citizens question statehouse control over troopers and assets.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Layland
Montgomery
G. T-Davis
Fayette County
Fayette
Charleston
Payette
Kanawha
Fayetteville
Statehouse
Government Advertising Splits Press Over Bankhead Cannon Bill
A debate over government advertising pits supporters against critics who fear press independence. Publishers warn that mandatory ad campaigns could bankrupt small weeklies, while proponents argue government ads should mirror private sector media selection. A publisher scoffs that papers reliant on government ads lack merit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Navy
Treasury
Congress
Senator Bankhead
Alabama
Representative Cannon
Missouri
Easy Money
Raleigh Trails the Rest in War Salvage Efforts
Raleigh County lags behind the state in salvaging metals for the war. Officials note the government diet limits tin to one pound per person monthly, totaling 86 687 pounds for Raleigh, yet only 31 700 pounds were salvaged in the first six months, with three truckloads from Summers county. The piece urges active local leadership to mobilize sustained citizen participation through to the war’s end.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Raleigh
Summers County
Beckley’s Rise From Boom Town to City
Early Beckley faced land disputes and speculative boom times. Samuel Dixon of The New River Company pushed rail access from Beckley Junction to Cranberry, opening Sprague Skelton and Cranberry mines and boosting trade. The Virginian and C&O railroads expanded lines, bringing growth, a 1907 charter, electricity and water, brick paving, and flood of new buildings until a 1912 fire reshaped the business district and solidified Beckley as a city.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Beckey
Samuel Dixon
New River Company
Mount Hope
Beckley
Beckley Junction
Cranberry
Piney River
Paint Creek
Sprague
Skelton
Virginian Railway
Deepwater
Tidewater
Raleigh County
Mullens
Gulf Creek
Pemberton
Fireco
Raleigh
Stonecoal Junction
Virginian
Lester
Jennys Gap
Beckley Electric Light & Power Company
America
Opie Dobyns
Bruce McNoble
Rainbow Division
Burgess Street
Rhineland
Counies
Also Mentioned on This Page
Marvin P. C
Luther B. Lilly
Luther R. Lilly
Wickan
246Th Coast Artillery
Fort John Custis
Virginia
Helton P. Spencer
Anna B., Spencer
East Rashelle
United States Maritime Service Training Station
St. Petersburg
Shelton Spencer
Merchant Marine
Spencer
Navy Yard
Portsmouth
Helen V. Spencer
Stuart
Lilly
Erman Dean Martin
C. H. Martin
Hinton
Herman Martin
888Th Signal Company
Dept. Ava
Air Depot Training Station
San Antonio
Texas
United States Army
War Department
Leon R. Operchuck
Dan Operchuck
East C Street
Leo E. Duncum
Jessie Duncum
Willis Jones
Will Davis
Glen White
Naval Training School
Iowa State Teachers College
Ames
Iowa
Clarence C. Booth
BE. A. Booth
Crab Orchard
Kkekekkkeaekeaee
Robert F. Wickline
Shawsville
Monroe Watchman
Alderson
Flying Eagles
Abe McLaughlin
Hunt
A. D. Preston
Col
T. G. Mann
Col. Mann
Wyoming County
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!