davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

drafting costs. Don w. Weeks is the
director.
A survey by Fire Marshal Arnold
c. Renner recently discloses that
few courthouses In Michigan possess
fireproof storage facilities to protect
important documents such rs prop
erty descriptions.
Because the snowfall last winter
was not heavy, only SO counties will
share in the 1914 highway removal
fund, compared to IA counties a
year ago. AS the annual 5000 900
distribution is based on the previous
winters snowfall, the net result will
be to increase the amounts to par
ticipating counties. Thus, Chippewa
county will receive $14,304 compared
to $5,242 last year.
Inc state conservation commits
sion has agreed to buy the General
Motors corporations holding of tim
Der in the most rugged portion of
the Porcupine mountain area. The
purchase amount Is $4,000.
A sales tax income Of approx
mately $1OOOO0,OO0 is in sight for
1914, according to Louis M. Minis,
commissioner of the state revenue
department. Tax payments are ar
irving at the rate Of $97.5OO,OOO a
year with the Christmas buying
season yet ahead. The U. S.
department of commerce has fore
cast a decline in consumer income
for 1915. Minis puts his l945 fore
cast at 100000.
The state stream control commits
sion has ordered the city of Sagi-
nav to complete a sewage collection
and treatment system and to stop
dumping raw sewage into the Sagi-
nav river. The commission served
Its first notice in September, 1888.
because OF wartime conditions,
tuberculosis deaths in Michigan are
on the increase, so reminds the
Michigan tuberculosis association
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

The last fighter left the crippled
Fortress about 10 miles from Trip
oil. Fortunately. the swarm Of Ger
man fighters started home at the
same time, for their gas was low
too.
The Thunderbird flew on an
other 20 miles. Then . single =
German fighter appeared, and
dived at them. Its guns did
great damage to the already
crippled plane, but simply could
not knock Ii out of the air.
Finally the fighter ran out of
ammunition, and left. Our boys were
alone now with their grave troubles.
Two engines were gone, most Of the
guns were out of commission, and
they were still more than 400 miles
from home. The radio was out. They
were losing altitude, 500 feet a min
ute, and now they were down to
1000.
The pilot called up his crew and
held a consultation. Did they want
to jump? They all said they would
ride the plane as long as it was
in the air. He decided to keep going.
tn ship was completely out of
trim, cooked over at a terrible angle.
But they gradually got 1t trimmed
so that 1t stopped losing altitude.
BY now they were down to 900
feet, and solid wall of mountains
ahead barred the way homeward
They flew along parallel to these
mountains for a long time, but they
were now miraculously gaining some
altitude. Finally they got the thing
to 1900 feet.
Maybe it's as the pilot said: I'VE
didn't come over the mountains, we
came through them"
The co-pilot said: 81 was blowing
on the windshield trying to push her
along. Once I almost wanted to
reach a foot down and sort of walk
Us along over the pass"
And the navigator said:
eff I had been on the wingtip
could have touched the ground with
NV hand u,har, We uer,t throiioh
the pass"
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30
ALL ELEMENTS
AGAINST THEM

The navigator came into the cock
pit, and he and the pilots navi-
gated the plane home. Never for q
second could they feel any real as
surance Of making 1t. They were
practically rigid but they talked q
blue streak all the time, and cussed
as airmen do.
Everything seemed against them
The gas consumption doubled
squandering their precious supply
To top off their misery, they had O
bad headwind. The gas gauge went
down and down.
At last the navigator said they
we're only 40 miles from home. but
those 40 miles passed as though
they were driving horse and bug
gy. Dusk, coming down on the
sandy haze, made the vast flat des-
ert an indefinite thing. One oasis
looks exactly like another.
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

deal of attention, for this returning
is daily routine thing.
Finally they were all in-all, that
is, except one. Operations reported
Fortress missing. Returning pilots
said it had Jagged behind and lost
altitude just after leaving the tar
get. The last report said the For
tress couldn't stay in the air more
than five minutes. Hours had passed
since then. So 1t was gone.
Ten men were in that plane. The
days accomplishments had been
great, but the thought of 10 lost
friends cast a pail over people.
We had already seen death
that afternoon. For one of the
returning Fortresses had re-
leased a red flare over the field,
and I had stood with others be-
meath the great plane as they
handed its dead pilot, head
downward, through the escape
hatch onto stretcher.
The faces of his crew were grave
and nobody talked very loud. One
man clutched leather cap with
blood on it. The pilots hands were
very white.
Everybody knew the pilot. He was
so young. couple of hours ago. The
war came inside us then, and we
felt it deeply.
AS we stood on the tower looking
down over this powerful scene, the
day began folding itself UP. Fighter
planes, which patrol the field all
day, were coming in. All the SOL
dierS in the tent camps had fin
ished supper. That noiseless peace
that sometimes comes Just before
dusk hung over the airdrome. Men
talked in low tones about the dead
pilot and the lost Fortress.
VIC tAlOuSilI VIC WOulO Wall d lew
minutes more to see If the Germans
we're coming tonight.
MISSING FORTRESS RETURNS
And then an electric thing hap
pened.
Far off in the dusk a red flare
shot into the sky. 1t made an arc
against the dark background Of the
mountains and fell to the earth.
1t couldn't be anything else. II
had to be. The 10 dead men were
coming homel
where's the flare gun? Gimme
q green flare!" yelled an officer.
He ran to the edge Of the tower
shouted, Look out below!" and
fired green rocket into the air.
Then we saw the plane - Just
. tiny black speck. It seemed
almost on the ground, Il was so
low, and I'm the first glance we
could sense that Il was barely
moving, barely staying IN the
air. Crippled and alone, two
hours behind al the rest II wss
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30
dragging itself home.

I am a layman, and no longer of
the fraternity that flies, but I can
feel. And at that moment I felt
something close to human love fo1
that faithful battered machine, that
far dark speck struggling toward
us with such pathetic slowness.
ALI Of us stood tense, hardly re-
Numbering anyone else was there
With our nervous systems we seemed
to pull the plane toward us. sus-
pect q photograph would have
shown us all leaning slightly to the
left.
Not one of us thought the plane
would ever make the field, but on
it came-so slowly that 1t was cruel
to watch.
1t reached the far end of the air
drome. still holding It's pathetic lit
tie altitude. 1t skinned over the
tops Of parked planes, and kept on,
actually reaching QUIT seemed to
us-for the runway. A few hundred
yards more now. Could it? Would it?
Was 1t truly possible.
They cleared the last plane, and
they were over the runway. They
settled slowly. The wheels touched
softly. And as the plane rolled on
down the runway the thousands of
men around that vast field sudden
ly realized that they were weak and
that they could hear their hearts
pounding.
MORE MORE
The last of the sunset died, and
the sky turned into blacknesS, which
would help the Germans If they
came on schedule with their bombs.
But nobody cared. Our 10 dead men
were miraculously back from the
grave.
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30
BRINGING THUNDERBIRD

The 10 men who brought then
Flying Fortress home from q raio
on Tripoli, after they had beer
given up for lost, undoubtedly will
get decorations. Nothing quite like il
has happened before In this war
Here Is the full story:
The Tripoi airdrome was heavily
defended. by both fighter planes
and anti-aircraft guns. Flying into
that hailstorm, as one pilot said
was like mouse attacking a dozer
cats.
The Thunderbird-fo that wa;
the name of this Fortress-was first
hit just as it dropped its bomb load
One engine went out. Then a few
moments later the other engine or
the same side went.
When both engines 60 out on
the same side IL is usually fatal.
And therein Hes the difference
VI SAAA8 AC0b AtOni VsACh hkSSotlOCo
of bringing damaged bombers
home.
The Thunderbird was forced tc
drop below the other Fortresses
And the moment Fortress dropS
down or lags behind, German fight.
ers are on it like vultures. The boy:
don't know how many German;
were in the air, but they think
there must have been 30.
Our Lightning fighters, escortine
the Fortresses. stuck by the Thun.
derbird and fought as long as they
could. but finally they had to leave
or they wouldn't have had enough
fuel to make It home.
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

which opened its Christmas Seal
Champaign this week.
Anticipating the eventual enroll
ment Of $4,000 veterans in Michigan
colleges and universities, the state
board of education has approved
applications of rs educational in
stitutions to train war veterans un-
der the Federal CT bill Of rightx
law.
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30
Ernie PyIe's Slant on the Var:
Crew Returns From the
Dead in Miracle Fortress
Crippled, T,Vo Engines Missing,
Left Alone to Fight Nazi Air HOrdes
By Ernie Pyle

Editors retsls his experiences while
Doughboy during the North Africa campaign He is
taking a long needed rest in New Mexico.
A FORWARD AIRDROME IN FRENCH NORTH AFRI-
CA-You read the official communiques few days ago
about devastating raid by Flying Fortresses huge
German bomber airdrome Tripoh What you didn't
read at least in any detail the story contained in these
next columns.
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

giving it softneSs.
It was time for
the planes to start
coming back from
their mission, and
one by one they
did come big
Flying Fortresses
and fiery little
LightningS. No.
hOdv mid q 0root
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

1t was late afternoon at our des-
ert airdrome. The sun was lazy, the
air was worn, and a faint haze Of
propeller dust hung over the field,
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30
IS YEARS AGO
IN WYANDOTTE

A branch of Detroit Institute Of
Musical Art was formed at Superior
boulevard. Under the direction of
Miss Mabel Roger, the school Of
fered instruction in piano, voice,
violin, mandolin, ukelele and bal
acka.
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

The city commission granted the
Wyandotte Terminal Railroad COM
pany permission to lay a siding
from Michigan Alkali company
works No. / to connect with the
Grove sstreet siding.
A full military funeral was held
for three Wyandotte soldiers who
had died In service In Russia, fol-
lowing services at st. Joseph's
church, which were attended by the
Mayor and city commissioners. The
cortege included ex-service men In
uniform, local Legionnaires from
the newly formed post, and q firing
squad Of regulars from Fort Wayne
who gave the final honors at the
graves.
The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1944-11-30

Postwar construction projects Of
Michigan local governments total
sos. 000, 900. This information was
revealed recently when local gov
ernments filed applications with
the state planning commission for
part of s5,OO0,000 set aside by the
legislature for state aid IN meeting
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07

Can't 0.IO Fisher CAP wing
OPERATIONS officer. announced TO-
DAY that all qualified poi >oniteI
arc. eligible 10 receive advanced
training by army instructors ou
I the LAC. l9lcS' ar. army Ink 'tI1 liner a
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07
Saginaw Police
NdbSuSpectS !

SAGINAW, Oct. Give min
utc, after learning by radio Of a
l44l4ur- A1u-c- ruhhlrN- IN Caro- SaE-
nav police picked up two men
suspected ol tho Job.
They arc Charles Whalon L.
of $50 y Third described as a
thrice convicted fclon, and Alex
+. Stewart, 90 of 2l7 Wisner.
4 6j-yo8r-old woman. Mrs. John
Baker discovered the crime from
her trailer behind the store and
managed fo obtain their license
number before She was Slugged by
the bandits
Police here said blood was
found 0r thC mon and on thc
liquor case, found in The car.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07
Red Gross nit
Opens Classes

Classes i'm motor mechanics
beginning and advanced ErUIle
nutrition and knitting and a
course tor staff assistants have
been opened for member, ot The
-AatN CrnAp-Rpd- Clu4A---lll
The unit established last Janu-
airy. reelected Mary Louise HON.
mel a Detroit senior. us chairman
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07
F. 6 A. M. Reunion Fefe

BAY CITY oct. rs A thred-
day fcunion bf 30 \256A + and
A. ~ observing nJ 75dh amir
3cr>arS WIll be concluded tompr-
Ipw evening with "a banquet. EX-
qualification lof the Master Ma
Spn degree II scheduled for to-
wfuow aitcr'roon 10 the lodge
rooms 40 So +. Mldland,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07
A WISHING WELL 4
By Bob Kane
By Zane Grey
little hoy :,
By Jimmy Halo

I ERE pleasant little that will message
every day II numerical puzzle designed to spell
letters the number
subtract II the number is less than
result key number Start at the left
hand rectangle and check every
numbers right Then read the message the letters
the checked figures give you. IO-7
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07
Heads Tourist Group

GRAND RAPIDS. oct. 8 tUPl
George Y Brandt today began
his second term as president of
the Western Michigan Tourist and
Resort Association.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07

nourishmcrt in those big. crisp
toasted flakes. And you're ENJOY.
ing grand nut-sweet flavor. Go get
those Mheaties-at your grocers.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07

Main objective heapinG bowl
full of milk. fruit, and WheatIes
famous breakfast of Champions
You're capturing real whole grain
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07
Army Traininq Open % CAPLMembers

/OnlE thqselwho have completed
nc. FogVNar GAP Link training
COARSE e1h- make application. he
SAID Information may be obtained
bylcalhtg capt VI. :, IH0ldetness.
at IPrb> bcct 66lS. IbctWdcn 9 a. m
anil ) \ tn. 4
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07

ACROSS
1-PefectS.
s-NOices between
bass and tenor.
10-Civil WRr rres-
-- .SaRi -.E-aff-s-
1i--iAdy IT..
] B. Melodies.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-07

ADVERTISEMENT
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
Christmas In Europe
Nv RUSSELL LANDSTROM

LONDON, Dec. 23.-R'-For the
sixth straight year, the Christmas
spirit will bypass Europe, its bel
lieerents locked now in perhaps the
final struggle and most OF Its
hearths desolate.
The German counteroffensive has
nulled up the Allied armies faulty
and made them determined to set
right this reverse on the Western
Front.
Tn the mud and snow of the bit
+erlv-contested ground where Field
Marshal Won Rundstedt cast his
challenge, there can be nothing ap'
nroximating Christmas, not even
fhe ordinary Christmas at the front
when special food and gifts are
passed forward.
Consequently, London, Paris,
Brussels and Rome naturally feel
far less disposed to celebrate.
Yet the people do not want to
be-nor are they encouraged to be
l-morbidly gloomy. News Of peace,
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
From Don To Dawn:
From Don TO DaWn
Big Pilot Dreams Of Christmas Day
With Tiny Daughter He Longs To See

Editors Note: From Don to
Dawn this is a Christmas letter
transmitted by tn e Associated
Press from Capt. Donald W..
Thompson, 25-year-old veteran of
several Bog flights over Tokyo and
Nagoya to his wife, Dawn Thomp-
son, Ridgewood, N. j.
(Thompson, a West Point gradu-
ate and former Colgate University
student, named his Superfortress
''Punchin' judy for his daughter,
Judy, who will be year old Feb
ruary a His BIG has an amusing
painting of a be-diapered young
boxer coming out of his corner,
raising clasped hands over his
head in cocky fashion. His letter
Somewhere on Saipan, Deem
Der, 1914.
Dawn Darling:
your last letter came on a beau
tiful Sunday morning and was so
in tune with all that Sunday can
mean. 1t was a rare day, some
how, although I did some of the
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
100000 SLAIN
IN NAZI CAMPS
Russians Report New Afro
cities Committed In
Poland

MOSCOW, Dec. %. - (Fl - A
Soviet Extraordinary State Com
mission investigating war crimes
reported today that 100000 persons
including an undetermined number
of citizens Of the United States
and Britain, had been killed by
the Germans IN three camps in
LWow province. Poland. ...-
The report did not list the names
of the Americans and Britons, nor
did it give any further details con-
corning them. The victims of all
nationalities were said to include
both civilians and prisoners of war.
Writers, artists and musicians
were made to wash the stairWays
of one seven-story building with
their tongues, and then were COM
PEELED to pick up garbage with their
lips, the report said.
In another incident, the report
related, the commander of one of
the camps, the Yanov camp, threw
two four-year-old children into the
air and shot them to amuse his
own nine-year-old daughter.
The committee said it was also
established that at the three camps
Continued on Page Seven; Col. A.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
NEWS BLACK0UT'
PROBE TO START
Congress Plans Inquiry
Into Lack OF Data
To CTS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-tP,-
Rep. Brooks D-La.) said today the
House Military committee will in
vestigate what he called com
plete blackout'' of news to Amerl-
can fighting men abroad.
Brooks is member of the COM
mittee, which recently completed
a four-week inspection of Eu-
ropean battlefront areas.
American troops, he complained,
are not getting enough news of the
rest of the world and most of what
they do get is old.
The French edition of the Army
publication, Stars and Stripes, he
said, gives very little news 10
the troops and what news is given
is highly colored," Some of the
news it publishes, he added in a
statement, is "a month or two
DID,
1.-The paper does have one column
for 'gripes,' which is used to air
grievances of the men in the serv-
ice, and is satisfactory, but it fails
completely to give news coverage
from home," he declared, adding
Continued on Page Seven; Col. -
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
Charles Dana Gibson,
Creator OF Cay COS
Fashions, Dies At II

NEW YORK, Dec. % up -
Charles Dana Gibson, II, whose
pen-and-ink creation, the Gibson
girl, was the model of American
womanhood from 1894 into the 10th
century, died of heart ailment
today.
The artist, who had been in fail
ing health for some time, succumb-
ed at 9 a. m. in his New York
apartment. Mrs. Gibson, the form
er Irene Langhorne of Virginia,
sister of Lady Aston, was at his
bedside.
Gibson, native of Roxbury,
Mass, had built a solid reputation
as an artist by the time he was 70,
but with the publication OF his
sketches of alluring, lovely and
fragile girls, the artist became an
arbiter of fashion and manner Tor
the whole gay ZOOS" era. women
consulted the latest Gibson girl
sketch before they dared plan their
uyardrObeS
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
300 Billion Debt
Faces u. S. Money
Experts Next Year

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.- Up -
Fiscal experts took look today
at a prospective National debt of
$500, 100000, 900 and said its man.
agement will afford one of the
greatest challenges ever to con-
front the Government.
At stake in finding sound
method of handling it are the sol
vency of the Government, stability
of the National economy and the
savings and investments of every
American.
These experts aren't exactly wor-
|ried yet. But they are working
on a budget, which President
Roosevelt will submit to Congress
in about ten days, which will hoist
the debt upwards of $500, 100000
900.
In former years, they say, it
didn't matter greatly if there was
a bit of a deficit-or even a size
able deficit-for the total debt was
relatively small and there always
were prospects of running into a
period Of good years which would
permit trimming it to comfortable
size.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24

on the Southeastern front in
many sectors.
The Soviet communique ignored
a German radio announcement
that Red Army forces had en-
tered the southern and eastern
suburbs of beleaguered Budapest
in a new frontal assault, but de-
scribed heavy fighting at dis
tances northeast, north, northwest
and southwest of the Hungarian
capital.
The drive towards Bradshaw
and Vienna through mountainous,
wooded country below Ipoly Sag
and north of the Danube, captur-
ed nine towns and reached the bar
rier of the Ipoly river on a TO-
mile front down to its confluence
with the Danube, Moscow disclos-
ed. The Russians were virtually
on the river for another ten miles
right up to the 1poly Sag area.
The German DNB agency in a
late broadcast conceded that the
Russians actually had crossed the
Ipoly and had reached the valley
of the Hron Gram river a dozen
miles farther west on former
Czechoslovak territory.
Berlin, purposely obscure about
the exact location of this action
claimed a German counterattacl
had cut off this Soviet wedge and
encircled an isolated Russian
grouping of troops.
The. Moscow communique an
nounced, without giving place
names, that ''in the area north
of Ipoly Sag (Sahy) our troops
successfully repulsed counterat
| Continued on Page Two; Col. ~
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
CITY PUBLISHES Y
YEARLY REVIEW
Covers Everything
From Azaleas To
Murder Rate
BY JOHN Comfy

Wilmingtonians currently alb
sorbed in wondering where their
money has gone-a not inconsider-
able group at this time of year
may be able to find part of their
answer in a natty blue pamphlet
published Friday by the office of
City Manager A. c. Nichols.
It is the first prirzed edition of
the annual municipal report, and
among the enlightening items on
it's IS pages is not only fraction
by-frac ton account of where the
taxpayers dollar went, but vari-
gated information to the effect that
81, 900 azaleas were raised this year
III Greenfield Park gardens, that
murders fell away in the same pc
Rod from "a to IL and that the
downtown sidewalks are now bath
ed with soap in the wee hours once
a week.
Handsomely made up by J. Fred
Rippy, Jr., administrative assistant
to Mr.. Nichols and product of
the University of Chicago's up-to-
date graduate school Of municipal
administration, the brochure con-
tains graphs illustrating financial
progress and photographs submitted
by city employees and interested
citizens.
In amplification of the last-page
scale Of income sources and eXpen-
Continued IN Pare Two: Col s.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-24
YANK LIBERAT0RS
HIT CLARK FIELD
Airborne Division Helped
Strike japanese On
Leyte

GEN ERAL MACARTHUR'S
HEADQUARTERS, PHILIPPINES,
SUNDAY, Dec. 24-(R-Headquar-
tiers today reported a smashing
daylight air raid on Clark Field,
near Manila, in which the majority
of 100 grounded japanese planes
were destroyed, and said also that
U. S. troops had completed the
destruction of Nipponese in the
bloody Ornnoc corridor of Leyte
Island.
Liberator bombers, operating
from an undisclosed field, possibly
on Mindoro island. which is only
half hours flight from Manila.
made the Clark Field raid Fri
day, Philippine time.
1t was the first daylight Lib
orator operation against that main
japanese air center in the Philip
pines and an Army spokesman said
it was a first class surprise to
the Nipponee, who got only nine
of their fighters in the air to meet
the assault.
Eight of the nine interceptors
were shot down by U. S. Thunder
fCo~%:ruoJ ~. Do ~, Couoa, CoI 0\