The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-01-29
War Writer Meets A Chaplain,
Movie Star And Unwelcome Dogs
BY FLETCHER p. MARTIN


GUADALCANAL Via AirmaiD
Captain Simeon T. Johnson Chap
lain), Of Roselle, NJ. stopped here
enroute South recently. The son
OF the late Bishop William Decker
Johnson (AME) has spent almost
two years in the South Pacific and
he doesn't look as fresh as he did
back in 1892 when he strolled daily
across the campus at Morris Brown
college.
He. among other things, wanted
to know how Negroes were faring
in the Southwest Pacific where" !
had been assigned for some months.
Then over cigars Quxuries) he
asked me to recall some experiences
in New Guinea. There are two
that stand out in my mind, both
humorous. but they are Like the
proverbial sore thumb.
For instance. the time Godfrey
Hutton. Australian correspondent
sang "Once l Was BARNARD" dur
ing an intense Japanese mortar at
tack at Satelberg. We had been
listening TO Ian Morrison, London
author, discuss Japanese life Che
taught in the university there)
when the mortar started bursting
overhead Eight correspondents hit
the dirt simultaneously. The pro-
jectiles started with low whistle
and on exploding sounded like all
the arch-deacons Of hell playing a
symphony with cymbols. We
crawled across the road where
trenches were located and squatted
awaiting the worse.
Sings Between Explosions
young Godfrey" as we called
him. began to sing between explo-
sions We could hear his nervous
voice crying:
Once l was a bar-maid, down in
Drury lane.
Ny master he was kind to me. my
mistress was the same,
When along came sailor, hand
some Lad was he.
And he was the cause Of all my
misery"
II was a delightful song and !.
for one, impatiently awaited each
verse. crouching lower in the hole.
sang loud and long. When he had
finished came the awful silence.
The attack too had halted. Then
the Australian told jokes to break
the stiffness. We couldn't see him.
but his shrill voice could be heard
crying out in the dark.
Have you heard this blooming
one?"
II was comforting, almost securi-
~. Thank God for Godfrey Hut
ton during that time.
The Famous Address
The other happened in Noumea.
New Caledonia. Chaplain j. A. T.
Grant, Of Memphis. Tenn. on hear
ing that I had covered action in
New Guinea. arranged an address
to be given to soldiers whose work
kept them far behind the lines. We
drove "a miles to a Red Cross club
where was located q small arena.
II was o beautiful night and ~
the command car cut short the
curves on the winding road. Cap
tain Grand kept repeating. II know
these men will like hearing you.
They want excitement but back
here now is like my church on
Easter Sunday"
We finally reached the club. !
learned that Alice Faye was also
on the bill that evening in one Of
her ditties called -Alexsnder's Rag
Time Band" / felt that I should
have followed the glamorous star.
but il was arranged the other way
around. The Special Service Of
ficer was lavish in his introduction
i sat in the audience awaiting the
cue. The crowd. predominantly
white. applsuded vigorously. had
on field jacket with "U.S.A War
Correspondent" scrawled across IT,
But not until they saw me did the
audience family suspect me a Ne
gro The hush-hush voices were
embarrassing.
The Dogs Appear
On reaching the stage I learned
that there were many Air Corps
officers in the audience. What
could I tell these men that they
did not know about combat. Well.
l started and was doing fairly we'll.
I knew this because OF the silence.
About halfway through, I felt a
warm hairy body brushing my left
leg. cooked my left eye and
caught sight Of a huge Sheppard