Imperial Valley press., 1943-09-02

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Hugh (Bu6 Ritter has enjoyed
/ a visit in FL Centro with his par
entS. Mr.. and Mrs. Leland Ritter.
He is an army paratrooper and has
made nine jumps. AT present he is
/ stationed at Camp Mackall, N. c.
His brother, Leland Ritter, jr., is
training as naval pilot.
Pvt. Burton Lemons, son of Mr..
and Mrs. B. f. Lemons of Ell Cen
tro, completed his basic training at
the armored replacement training
center at Fort Knox, KY. He ar
rived in San Diego last Saturday
for a brief visit and had to leave
Wednesday. He is scheduled to
take l8 months of college work at
Ohio State university.
A new student in the Signalman
school at the naval training center
at Farragut, Idaho is Jack Mont
gomery Euchler, who started To-
WIN tOtfi SC.
The first letter from Technical
Sergeant Christy Plemons for a
long time was received by his par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. j. f. Plemons,
this week. He is in an army air
corps communications unit in
Africa. He has been in the serv-
ice for two years. His letter said
in part: 6. After IA months
finally had vacation. l believe I
mentioned the opening of rest
camp in Palestine. So when they
opened it up to our squadron, your
son wasn't one to turn down an op-
portunity like that. Although the
camp is designated as a rest camp
to me it was more of a sight-see-
ing tour because l didn't get a lot
of rest but did get away from it
all and the change was what
counted. Even nine days helps a
lot The first thing that i'm
pressed me was all the greenery
Just like coming into Imperial VAL
ley off the desert. Looked just like
home for a while, orange trees,
growing crops in the fields. Then
to get into town and no black peo-
ole. A few Arabs but not like here,
everybody black. AS YOU would ex-
pect, it's a strictly Jewish settle
ment with everything modern as
the states. In fact, quite a few
people had lived in the states. The
camp is quite a ways from town
BUT most of the soldiers except
those on sick leave stay in town.
The American Red Cross has a
hotel there that is the center of
activity. Although everyone can't
stay there, they arrange the tours,
recreation, information, etc. 1t was
quite a thrill to talk to an Amer
ican girl once more. In fact, most
of the boys just stood around and
stared when we first got here. For
three days / was out on tour but
during the rest, the beach on the
| Mediterranean and walking around
| town took most of my time.
spent a little time in the ice cream
bars run American style. There
were quite a few nice night clubs
there but they close up at 10 and
the whole town is blacked out solid
at night. Going on tour was like
taking a course on the Bible. We
started off at Jerusalem and Beth
lehem, seeing the Mount of Olives
+, place of crucifixion, the place
where the manger was, etc. I be-
lieve they built a church on every
spot visited by Christ, Mary. OF
Joseph. 1 never saw so many
churches or ruins of them in al
my life. We went to Jerico and
the Dead sea where one just sits
Cross girl with us on the trip tC
keep us from straying and to see
that eating and sleeping facilities
were ready. We spent the second
night at Hiafi where Mt. Carmel
is and the next day went to
Nazareth and then for swim in
the sea of Galilea. :"
Imperial Valley residents will be
interested in the news that First
Lit. Lyle d. Sherwood, son of Mr.
and Mrs. w. p. Sherwood, former
Imperial residents, had been award
ed the Distinguished Flying Cross
for completing 25 missions over
enemy territory. He also was
awarded an air medal of three
clusters for Is SortieS, each cluster
denoting five sorties He is visit
ing his wife and his parents In
Riverside, they wrote his aunt. Mrs
Elmer Forester. 1t. Sherwood saw
service over Germany, France. and
the lowlands. He is on furlougf
after nine months of combat dut,
as a bomberdier on flying fortress
based in England He enlisted
Feb. 5, 1941 and won his wings al
Victorville Flying school July 4
1912. He went overseas soon after
that. 1t Sherwood was born ir
Imperial and lived there several
years.
Robert Ethan BedWell, jr., son OF
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Bedwell, sr.
of Calipatria area, was commission
ed second lieutenant and receiv-
ed his silver wings at graduation
exercises held at Freeman army all
field at Seymour, Ind, this week
-o To-, A,L swA