Sikeston Navy Radioman Relays Message From Japan Prison
Sikeston families receive a broadcast believed authentic from James S. Griffin a Navy radioman third class reported missing since 1942 and later listed as a prisoner of war. The message dated Sept 20 mentions health parcels and hopes to return home. Griffin, 25, graduated Sikeston High in 1939 and served on the submarine Canopus before it was scuttled.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sikeston
John Z. Griffin
Authentc
James S. Griffin
Southeast Missouri
Philippine Islands
Griffin
Ruth
Ruke
Love
Jack
Rube
Betty
John
Young Griffin
Navy
Sikeston High School
Canopus
Has Medals Enough, Wants to Come Home
Lieut Donald J Pasaka of the Eighth Army Air Corps in England says he has all the medals he wants and only wishes to return home. He has Air Medal Oak Leaf clusters and a Distinguished Flying Cross after flying a P-51 Mustang on the RAF shuttle bombing runs to Russia and Italy, logging 5,000 miles in a week.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Donald J. Pasaka
England
Eighth Army Air Corps
Pasaka
Lieut Pasaka
Lieut Pesaka
Russia
Italy
Heroes of the 349th Infantry in World War II
Sikeston’s Don T. Vinson serves with the 349th Infantry Regiment, part of Lt. Gen. Mark Clark’s Fifth Army in Italy. The unit, known as Kraut-killers, broke Gustav and Hitler lines, advancing 95 miles in 46 days up the peninsula with Southeast Missouri men among its ranks. Pvt. Charles J. Stanley, Pvt. Wm. O. Blue, Pvt. Marion C. Kassinger, S/Sgt. Oden A. Capps, and Pvt. Frank D. Morgan are listed, while Pvt. Willian Landers enjoys a 10-day furlough before reporting to an eastern Army camp.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pic
Don T. Vinson
Sikeston
Mark W. Clark
Fifth Army
Garigliano
Arno
Italy
449Th
Penisula
Dougaboys
349Th
Fonds
Adolf Hitler
Southeast Missouri
Charles J. Stanley
Malden
Wm. O. Blue
Matthews
Marion C. Kassinger
Poplar Bluff
SiSgt
Oden A. Cap
Poem by Marine on Tarawa Surfaces in Return
Pfe Cletus Stovall brings a friend’s poem written by Pfe Frank A. Pion who died on Tarawa. Titled My First Air Raid the piece recalls a night raid and the fear of sailors in action. It ends with a vow to drive the enemy from land sea and sky.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tarawa
Pfe
Cletus Stovall
South Pacific
Frank A. Pion
Air Service corporal earns praise for engine overhaul record
Cpl. Ellis M. Sanders son of Mrs. W. M. Sanders near Sikes ton wins high commendation for helping to shatter engines overhaul records at an Air Service Command Depot in Europe. Last month Sanders and crew overhauled engines totaling two and a half million horsepower, the highest since operations began in England. Brig. Gen. Isaac W. Olt called his contribution a knock-out blow against Germany. Sanders, a former Southeast Missouri farmer, entered the Air Forces in February 1945. The note also mentions Sgt. Charles Beal of Camp Gruber and other relatives visiting from Missouri and Alaska.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cpl
Ellis M. Sanders
W. M. Sanders
Sikeston
Air Service Command
Europe
Cpl. Sanders
England
Germany
Isaac W. Olt
Missouri
Lieut Billy Tinder Assigned to Panama Fighter Squadron
Second Lieutenant Billy M. Tinder age 20, son of Mr and Mrs M P Tinder of Sikeston, has joined a Sixth Air Force tactical fighter squadron in Panama after completing an extensive transition course. He trained in combat flying theory, tactics, formation flying, gunnery, dive bombing, navigation, weather, plus ground schooling in armament, engineering, combat intelligence and Spanish. Tinder entered the Army Air Forces in October 1942 and previously worked as an aircraft mechanic for the Missouri Institute of Aeronautics.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Billy M. Tinder
M. P. Tinder
Sikeston
Sixth Air Force
Panama
Sixth Air Forces Fighter Command
Tinder
Army Air Forces
The
Missouri Institute of Aeronautics
Completes 50th Mission Heroic Air Crew Tales
Herbert E. Yancy 20 son of Mrs Neva Yancy Sikes ton flew his 50th combat mission over Europe as radio operator on a B 24 Liberator. A Linz Austria attack fight left the ship damaged and crew to parachute after engines failed. Yancy decorated with Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart. Also notes on Lieut Marvin C Shelby Air Medal veteran bomber missions, and Lt Clifton C Foster released from Romanian camps. Mentions Pvt Albert Caney Pvt Andy Hill and others with brief hometowns and duties.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Herbert E. Yancy
Neva Yancy
Sikeston
Europe
Fifteenth Air Force
Italy
Aadio
Yancy
Linz
Austria
Set Yancy
Morehouse High School
Las Vegas
N. M
One of Four Hundred Saved When Ship Sank
Sikeston resident Clifford Swafford a Navy veteran, wounded at Marshall Islands, survived sinking of the USS Chicago on January 29, 1943. He recalls rescue off New Caledonia, praise for Salvation Army, and serving 27 months overseas in England Cuba Iceland Alaska Scotland Puerto Rico and Panama.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Clifford Swafford
Sikeston
Kroger
East iMatone Avenue
U. S. Navy
Swafford
North Africa
Marshall Islands
Chicago
South Pacific
New Caledonia
Salvation Army
Herald
Seattle
Wash
Treasure Island
California
Calif
England
Cuba
Iceland
Alaska
Scotland
Puerto Rico
Panama
Pearl Harbor
Lieut Lyman Fox Decorated For Meritorious Service
Lieut Lyman Fox son of Mr and Mrs John Fox is shown being decorated by his commanding officer for meritorious service during the invasion of France. He sustained wounds after his transport was sunk in the English channel and remained in the water 45 minutes before rescue. His brothers Billy and Jerome Fox also serve. Prof John Fox is a school superintendent in Honolulu. Father is in a Veterans hospital in Kansas. mother ill in Kansas City. They hope to return to Sikes ton when health permits.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lewis Woodyard
C. M. Ljc
Navy
Pensacola
Fla
T. M. Woodyard
Billy Keith
Woodyard
Kansas City
E. J. Keith
Lyman Fox
John Fox
Fox
France
English Channel
Billy
Jerome Fox
Veterans Hospital
Kansas
B. F. Laws
Kas
Sikeston
Military families and training notes from the region
TiSgt Max Brasher son of Morley residents serves in Hawaii while his brother Ward Brasher guides Army Air Forces instructors in Norfolk. Audley Freed near Matthews rises to sergeant with 145 months overseas. Fay Freed, now a corporal, has 13 months abroad. Sgt Charles M Lee of Charles ton visited home. Joella Patrick of Bertrand finished boat training and moves to Miami University for radio training. The piece recalls Calbraith Rogers 1911 New York to Pasadena cross country flight in 59 days.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
TiSgt
Max Brasher
Mr. Brasher
Morley
Hawaii
Set
Ward Brasher
Army Air Forces
Norfolk
Scott County
Gideon
Audley Freed
J. H. Freed
Matthews
Fay Freed
Joella Patrick
Bertrand
Hunter College
New York
Oxford
Ohio
Miami University
Calbraith P
Interesting meeting for State Guard drills and plans
Monday night at the armory Company D of the Missouri State Guard held a session led by Sgt Earl Cook and Vodrel Kirby covering riot formation mob control gas mask use and firearm demonstrations. The unit announced recruitment for Sikeston men aged 18 to 55 and invited attendance at the next meeting.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Earl Cook
Vodrel Kirby
Missouri State Guard
Charles Loback
Sixth Missouri Infantry
Sikeston
Sgt Harold Godwin Expected Home Today From Overseas
Cecil F. Godwin of Bertrand says his son, Sgt. Harold T. Godwin, is en route to the United States and expected to arrive today. He anticipates an early furlough upon return.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cecil F. Godwin
Bertrand
Sgt
Harold T. Godwin
United States
Sgt. Godwin
Chinese minister backs free news flow amid wartime censorship
Information Minister Linga Chan-Chao said the Chinese government endorses free interchange of news among nations. He described current censorship in China as purely a wartime security measure.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Linga Chan-Chao
China
Also Mentioned on This Page
Pvt
Willian Landers
Canaloa
Pvt. Landers
Harry J. Kosky
M. M. Lie
Seabees
Elmer Poage
Charles Beal
Camp Gruber
Okla
Mrs. Beal
Henrietta Beal
Rexall
Nyal
New Madrid Street
Sikeston, Mo
Spap
Bill Tinder
Marvin C. Shelby
Air Medal
Lieut. Shelby
Charles Shelby
Matthews High School
Northwest Nazarene College
Nampa
Idaho
Armed Service
Shelby
Worth St. Paul
Minn
Clifton C. Foster
Bell City
Ploesti
Earl Powers
East Prairie
Steyr
Albert Caney
U. S
South Camp Hood
Texas
L. C. Cook
Army Tank Corps
Camp. Campbell, Ky
Andy Hill
Camp Hood
Hill
T the
U. S. Infantry
Arthur B. Ramsey
Malone Drug Store
85Th
5Th Army
Sgt. Ramsey
C. L. Malone
Army
Rome
Malone
Company K
140Th Infantry, National Guard of
Loren G. Dennis
Annie Adams
Keesler Field
Miss
Herman L. Scherer
Marvy Scherer
Near Commerce
Nifth Army
Cpl. Scherer
Sith
Red Bull
Thomas S. Myers
Marshall Myers
Canada
Co. C. Hughes
P. O
R. J. Hughes
H. H. Hughes
Baker
Philadelphia
New Hebrides Island
Service of
Tech
Dayton L. Ford
Young Ford
Henry
Morehouse
Gilbert E. Ford
Cpl. Ford
Camp Barkeley
Oklo
William H. Edwards
W. C. Edwards
Greensboro
N. C
Z. W. Killgore
Edgewood Arsenal
Thomas H. Hatley
Sile
Farragut
Young Hatley
A. T. Hatley
Rhea Hatley
Milton Poe
Guadalcanal
Saipan
Tinian
Wif
H. M Poe
Ardeola
Cpl. Poe
James Poe
Merlin Taylor
Hondo
C M. Taylor
Joe Matthews
Jack Matthews
Jackson
Jefferson Barracks
Great Lakes, Ill
Facials
St. Louis
L.A. Woods
Front Street
Sikeston, Missouri
Lieut
Honolulu
Charles M. Lee
Charleston
John Lee
B. F. Elliott
State Guard
H. A. Bach
Metz
Mole of
Zeebrugge
Destend
Champs Elysess
Paris
Argonne Forest
Malone Avenue
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!