Evening star., 1943-12-16
Ii. Comdr. Thomas,
Capt. Kelly TO Tell
Of Jap Fighting
BY ROD THOMAS.

Metropolitan washington bowlers,
In the midst Of The Stars War
Bond bowling campaign with a fleet
Of warplanes the goal, next Sunday
night at Convention Hall will hear
from the lips of a pair OF flyers their
thrilling stories of how they've used
these mighty weapons In conflict
with the Japs.
1t. Comdr. James A. Thomas,
U. S. N, winner Of the Navy Gross
and awarded the Presidential Unit
Citation for service with the terrific
US. S. Enterprise, and Capt. Wayne
P. Kelly, U. S. M. c., who fought in
four major battles on Guadalcanal
and was cited for bravery by Sec
retary of the Navy Knox and Ad-
mlral Halsey, will take part in a
bond rally featuring the biggest
bowling show ever held in Washing
ton. 1t will bring together in one
program for the first time all of the
teams OF the mems and women's
District Leagues including every star
maple shooter in this sector.
Russ Hodges on Mike.
Master of ceremonies, who will
interview the heroic flyers, will be
Russ Hodges, popular mikeman Of
Station VOL. The spacious Hall,
with the largest erandstand of any
bowling plant In the East, will be
equipped with amplifiers for the oc-
cssion.
Chief Of the bond statesmen will
be Arville L. Ebersole, who, as
chairman of the National Bowling
Council, holds rank in bowling COM
parable to that of Judge Lands in
baseball.
The women will roll at 7 o'clock
and the men at 9. Between sessions
the crowd, which is expected to
pack the big stand. will hear from
1t Comdr. Thomas and Capt. Kelly.
1t. Comdr. Thomas, who halls
from Columbus, Ohio, and was grad
uated from the Naval Academy in
1882, was awarded the Navy Cross
for extraordinary heroism while
commanding bomber squadron
against Japanese naval forces in the
Solomons area in November last
year. BY his courageous leader
ship, exceptional skill and indomi-
table fighting spirit" reads the cita-
ton, he contributed immeasurably
to the success of bis squadron in the
overwhelming defeat of the enemy
in this engagement"
TLor'r> Hr.u n..-J
In addition to the Navy Cross
and Presidential Unit Citation, 1t
Condr. Thomas has the American
Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp
and the Asiatic-Paci Area Cam
palgn Medal. Incidentally, while at
the Naval Academy he was a boxer.
and. though small is tough looking
hombre, as we'd say in sports.
Capt. Kelly is a handsome Ma
r1ne, girls. He halls from Devils
Lake. N. Oak, and is a graduate of
the University Of North Dakota
Capt. Kelly spent three and one
half months on Guadalcanal and
was cited for bravery under she'll
fire. He wears the Presidential
Unit Citation ribbon, the Ameri-
cen Defense ribbon. the American
! aoater Campaign ribbon and the
+ iatic-Paciflc ribbon with stars for
fcIr major scraps on GuadaIcanal. /
Pins autographed by the two will
be among those auctioned for bonds
by Ebersole.
In the meantime a snappv duck
pin battle is promised Saturday
night at the Bethesda Bowling Cen
ter when an all-star lineup spon-
sored by Harry Aiken Of Grosner's
meets George W. Huguely, jr.'s, Be-
thesdans. Each sponsor is buying
81 900 bond This will be the first
Of series Of such matches at the
Bethesda Bowling Center with the
team making the best showing
against Huguelv's to be rewarded in
v'r savings by Huguely, lumber
r'7n and co-proprietor of the Be-
tNosda Center with E. P. Knollman