Evening star., 1942-05-29

Henry MeLemore. er, the Pigeon, a
boat so small and seemingly help
less that the japanese took delight
in attacking it until, as he said in
his report to the Navy Department,
"they learned the Pigeon was fall
con at heart"
The boy grown into man is from
Thomson. You could search the
world over and never find a town
more removed from Manila Bay
under fire-in spirit and tempo, II
not in miles-than Thomson.
1t was in Thomson, with its red
clay streets, its hitching posts for
mules and horses, its general store,
its neat little churches on the cor
ner, its incessant chirping of SPAR
rows, that the man, who was to
defy the Japanese at Manila TO do
their worst, was brought up.
He was like most of the other bows
in town. He treated his best girl
to sodas and sundaes at the phar-
macy-the pharmacy with its big
overhead fans that kept the flies on
the move. its handicapped tables.
He played hockey from school every
once in a while, he saved his best
suit for Sunday, he cut lawns for
his extra money and he moved his
share Of gates on Halloween night.
When he grew up and left Thomson,
a poll of the citizens who had known
him since he was a baby undoubt-
edly would have reevaled that they
expected of him no more or no less
than they did of the other Thomson
boys. He'd get his schooling, come
back TO Thomson and be useful
citizen, working in the bank or SELL
ing things on the road or working
IN one of the stores.
But the little lady we mentioned
before had a different feeling. She
felt that some time, somewhere, he
would prove that he was a little
different, that he would fulfill a
mission that was his mission alone.
The little lady was the wife of
the Baptist minister in Thomson.
One of her duties, and pleasures,
was teaching the young mems Bible
class. One of the members of the
class was the boy OF whom we are
writing.
All during the years that passed
between the time Of the Bible class
and Manila Bay she knew some
thing. She told me about it when
she showed me clipping reporting
what the boy had done at Manila
Bay. The clipping told of his valor,
and OF how he had stayed with the
little mine sweeper Pigeon until
the bridge was awash: how he had
| fought off attack after attack BY
japanese bombers; how he had
towed an America nSubmarine to
safety despite tremendous enemy
opposition and without the use OF
the Pigeons regular steering appa-
ratuS, and how he had been awarded
the gold star for the Navy Cross
he already possessed.
THE last time I saw him." the
| little lady told me, was one after
noon in Thomson, years ago. I was
busy about something in the pas
torium when there was a knock at
the door, and he asked me If I would
talk with him.
He told me he was leaving home
and wanted to talk about the Lord.
So we sat there in the living room
and talked. Then he asked me to
pray with him. can see him now
bless him-kneeling beside the table.
and can hear him, asking the Lord
to watch over him and to give him
the strength to do the things he
should. I have always treasured
that memory. Now I'll treasure it
even more"
The young man who knelt that
day in sleepy, dusty little Thomson
was 1t. Comdr. Richard E. Hawes,
who only a few days ago in WASH
ington was awarded the gold star for
his Navy Cross by Secretary of the
Navy Frank Knox.
The little lady who told me ths
story, who treasures it, is my mother.
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate, Inc)