The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1944-12-21

serving with the Armed Forces.
Pvt. James H. Baumgarten, son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. John A. Baumgarten,
348 South Locust street, who enter
ed the Service on July 25, has finish
ed his basic training at Camp Croft,
South Carolina, where he qualified
as an expert rifeman. After enjoy
ing a Today leave with his parents
he reported to Fort Meade on Mon
day for further orders. A graduate
of Hagerstown High School, Private
Baumgarten was employed at Fair
child's before entering the Service
Second Lieut.. Earle w. Brown,
SON of Mr.. and Mrs. Julian O..
Brown, 609R Sunset avenue, was
recently awarded the Air Medal for
Exceptionally meritorious achieve
ment in aerial combat over Ger
many and enemy occupied Europe"
Lieutenant Brown, combat flyer
with the 467th Bombardment Group,
Eighth Air Force, Second Bombard-
ment Division, is navigator on a
B-24 Liberator Bomber He entered
the Army on December IA, 1943, and
went overseas on August IL, 1914.
In civilian life he was a Diesel ap-
prentice at the Baldwin Locomotive
Works and is graduate of Hagers-
town High School.
Second Lieut.. Samuel l.. Goetz,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Rae F. GoetZ,
922 Concord street, reported to Nc
Cook Field, Nebraska, on Tuesday,
after spending a 15-day leave with
his parents. Lieutenant GoetZ re-
ceived his Bombardier wings at the
Carlsbad Army Air Field on Sep
TENDER 2 and has just completed his
transition flying at Almagorda, New
Mexico, and will undergo training
with BIG bombers at his new base.
Pvt. Charles Hafer. those wife,
Mrs. Betty Hafer. lives at 81 West
Side avenue, shares in the important
task of repairing and servicing ar
tillery pieces of the 88th blue Dew
III Division of Lieut.. Gen. Mark W.
Clark's Fifth Army in Italy.
Hafer is a member of the arma-
ment section of the divisions ord
nance unit, keeping primed for con-
slant Smelling of the Nazis all types
of weapons.
Frequently he has to service the
artillery under fire, going by Con
tact party to the firing batteries
to repair damaged or defective
pieces. Recently, a section member
was hit by shrapnel while working
on a howitzer in position in the
Apennines.
Most of the repair work is minor,
but sometimes damage is serious
and necessitates hauling the gun to
the ordnance shop area. In many
cases the howitzers have been fired
so much the barrels have to be re-
placed.
During brief rest periods out of
the line, the armament section
checks and services every artillery
piece in the division.
Hafer has helped maintain the di-
visions artillery through eight
months of combat in Italy, from the
Garigliano River to the Pc Valley.
He joined the 88th at Camp Grub
er, Oklahoma, in October 1912.
Master Sgt. Donald L. Hetzel, son
of Mrs. Louvera Hetzel, Lydia, has
returned home on furlough, after
spending "a months in the South
west Pacific with the Air Corps.
David A. Miller, son of Mrs. Mil
dred Miller, 81 Ridge Avenue has
been promoted to the rank of Staff
Sergeant, according to recent an
nouncement from his unit head
quarters.
Sergeant Miller. who entered the
Army in December 1941, has been
on foreign service since August 1912.
He was employed by the Hagers-
town Wood Products Company pri-
or to entering the Army and is now
serving as an aircraft mechanic of
Fifteenth Air Force Service Com
mand service squadron in Italy.
Ensign Richard r. Lowman, Jr..
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Richard r.
Lowman, 1872 South Locust street,
who served for several months in
the South Pacific as co-pilot of al
Navy bomber, has been promoted to
Lieutenant (jg) USNR, and has