The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1942-12-31
What Our Soldier
Boys Are Doing
he World Over

Blair Ridgeway has been home
on furlough from service with the
army air corps, visiting relatives
at Warland He was in Libby the
first of the week RidgeWay is sta
toned in Australia and, while a
member of the ground crew, was
involved in the Coral Sea battle.
He talks interestingly of life in
Australia and the fighting ability
of the Japs.
Stephen Ludvikson of Libby has
recently been promoted to the rank
of corporal He is in the aircraft
mechanics school at Sheppard
Field, Texas.
A news item from the Great
Lakes Naval Training Station says
that Warren G. Brown, former Lib
by man, is undergoing an intensive
16-Weeks' course in the school for
gunner's mate. He was selected
for training as a specialist in the
navy on the basis of aptitude tests
given every navy man during his
recruit training.
Burl L. Grigg of Troy is now a
Bluejacket in the u. S. Navy. He
reported at the base at Farragut,
Ida, this past week and will be
taught the fundamentals of seaman
ship at the u. S. Naval Training
Station located on the shores OF
Lake Pend Oreille, one of the larg-
est fresh water lakes in the coun-
try.
An item from Jefferson Barracks,
Mo-, states that Carl E. Bessey OF
Libby is a neWly-arrived soldier
at that base. There recruits are CIV
en- vocational aptitude tests to quail
ify them for important duties in
various arms and branches of the
service. Later they will be selected
either for technical schools or spe-
cialized occupations within the
army.
A note from Camp Berkeley,
Texas, states that Kenneth G.
Karnes, formerly of Libby, has
completed training there and has
received his commission as a sec
ond lieutenant in the Medical Adj
ministrative Corps. His parents in
Libby have received word that he
has been transferred to Boston.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ed Woodward of
Warland enjoyed long distance
conversation with their son, Rob-
ert, on Christmas day. Robert is
with the coast guard and is sta
toned at suburb of Seattle
Mrs. B. H. Boberg of Ural is
leaving within the week to visit a
son, John Montgomery, who is in
the service in the east. He had a
furlough but it was not long enough
to permit his coming home, SO Mrs.
Boberg is going back to visit him.
Another son in the service, Joe
Montgomery, was here from ILL
nois, and she will go back with
him.
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Schmalz
were recently overjoyed to receive
a lot of news from their son, Rob-
ert, who is with the army in Aus
tralia. He was recently promoted
to sergeant, but another interesting
bit of news was that he had mar
ried a lovely Australian girl. The
new daughter-in-law wrote a fine
letter to Mr.. and Mrs. Schmalz and
enclosed her picture, all of which
was very welcome. Robert is cook
ing for the officers mess in the
unit to which he is attached. He
and Blair Ridgeway of Warland,
now home on furlough, often see
each other in Australia
-
Mr.. and Mrs. L. L. Lake of War
land were interested in the news
that their son, Thomas, had recent
ly been promoted from corporal to
sergeant and had been ordered to
report to Yale University where he
is to be an instructor in the train
ing of men for the air corps. He
frop4ipr,aI ~, y,a0~ A.