The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1945-05-10
Washington County
with the Armed Forces

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Paul M. Brown, %, ships cook,
third class, whose brother, Russell
w. Brown, lives at 801 Virginia
ave-, Hagerstown, had grandstand
seat aboard a U. S. Battleship, from
which to view the invasion of Oki-
nawa.
This hard-hitting ship, while I'M
der threat of air attack, moved up
within 5000 yards of the shore,
cruising slowly back and forth and
pulverizing the beach targets at
point-blank range. The crew could
clearly see the explosions from the
ships shells as her guns smashed
pillboxes, gun emplacements, ware
houses and trench Notifications.
The ships anti-aircraft gunners
fought off deadly air assaults during
the bombardment period, and on
one occasion only skillful vancouver
ing of the vessel by her commanding
officer saved her from torpedo
which had been dropped.
At one time Jap "Zeke" bomb
er, pursued by two U. S. Navy
planes, came within range of the
ships 20-mm. and 40-mm. guns, and
crew members of this ship and
those of another. closely had the
satisfaction of seeing the enemy
crash into the sea. Another time,
bombs from Jap plane fell only
20 yards off the port bow.
By early afternoon of invasion
day, the big ships primary target
area had been captured and she was
free to lend her powerful support
against other enemy held areas.
Pvt. Clarence E. Cramer, son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence G. Cramer,
1107 Pope avenue, and husband of
the former Miss Lora Lee Mulligan,
who resides at 1106 Pope avenue,
arrived in France about five weeks
ago and is now in Germany with the
Seventh Army. In a recent letter
home he said that he, was only sick
once on the trip over and he also
mentioned that the country where
he is at present stationed must have
been beautiful before it was ruined
by the ravages of war. He wound
up his letter by saying that he is
getting plenty to eat, including
fresh eggs, milk and chicken.
Private Cramer, who is former
employee of the Herald-Mail Pub
fishing Co., has been in the Service
since October II, 1914. Friends
wishing to write him may obtain
his address by phoning his parents.
Their number is 3894-M.
Pvt. Harry L. Daley, whose wife
and two children, Ray and Resale,
live at 761 Spruce street, recently
indicted into the Armed Forces, is
taking his basic training at Camp
Blanding, Fla. For friends who
would like to drop him a few lines,
here is his address: Pvt. H. L.
Daley, 33992OO6, Co. D, 226 ITB.
9th ITR, Camp Blanding, Fla.
Pvt. Richard H. DeLaughter,
whose home address is 100 Alexan-
der street, was a member of the
cannoneers of the 977th Field Artil-
lery Battalion of the U. S. Seventh
Army, whose drive across the Rhine
River and deep into Southern Ger
many began as a sight-seeing-tour
a viewing of miles of landscape free
of the German Wehrmacht.
These veteran artillerymen sped
through Germany for Is days, NOV
ing behind infantry and armored
spearheads of General Jacob L. De-
vers' 9th Army Group. They met
first organized resistance IS miles
east of the Rhine and there put
their 155-mm guns into action.
They fired at close range on Ger
man troop and armored concentra-
tons pinned in by American thrusts
from the north, south and west, and
pounded enemy communications
centers by hitting towns as far as
IA miles away. Barrages of high ex-
plosive shells knocked out infantry
while high explosive and phosphor-
GUS shells destroyed and burned the
villages. During one counterbattery
mission, the Long Toms silenced two
German self-propelled guns.
The 977th, commanded by 1t. Col.
Frank H. Sicily of St. Louis, Mo-,
has record of fierce combat in Italy
and France. Its guns fired 10000
rounds of ammunition in IL months,
Smelling the defenses of Casino, An
zio and Rome and German strong
points from the Riviera to the
Rhine.