Thursday's letters: Proud of these soldiers
The article by Linda Conley in the Feb. 19 issue of the Herald-Journal ("Black history's freedom fighters") brought back a host of memories for me.
The article by Linda Conley in the Feb. 19 issue of the Herald-Journal (“Black history’s freedom fighters”) brought back a host of memories for me.I served with black troops for 2� years overseas. At that time, the military did not have a sufficient number of black officers and used white officers to fill in with black units. I happened to be one of these and was assigned to the 1955th Quartermaster Truck Company.Ours was a self-contained unit consisting of three white officers, 90 black soldiers and 52 trucks. We had our own cooks, clerks and mechanics. Our cooks became especially good at preparing our limited supply of food to make it more appetizing. Spam and powdered eggs can be fixed a lot of ways.Our main work was supplying air bases with bombs, ammo, fuel and other necessary material. Our men were well-trained and moved easily into the job when we arrived in Oran, Algeria, North Africa (after recovering from seasickness). They worked diligently and very effectively in all kinds of weather, the heat of the desert and the deep snow in Europe. Also, road conditions were a challenge to drivers. We worked our way from Algeria to Sicily, Italy, Corsica, France and Germany.We received special commendations from most of the organizations we served. Morale remained good throughout this ordeal, even though these men would not enjoy all the advantages of white people when they came home.These men were good soldiers, and we were very proud of them and their record. We have no regrets about having served with black troops.George WheelerGaffneyDescribing the extraordinary Landrum High School boys’ basketball team in your Sunday edition, letter writers Gary and Mary Lytle voiced an accurate description of these young men. We were privileged to participate in some team meals and devotion time with this team. Never shall we forget its commitment, integrity and ability.It is important to note that perhaps these traits come from the top down beginning with the superintendent, principal, and especially Mr. John Cann, athletic director. Head coach Lyn Smith instills desire for excellence into the hearts and minds of these kids, both on and off the court, as do coaches Steven Whiteside and Tre’ Kirkland.No doubt we would see and hear more accolades regarding public schools were they all as blessed as Landrum High in the caliber of its coaches and leaders. Records indeed were broken, but part of our future was a great sight to behold.Gary and Jayne DickeyBoiling Springs