davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26

we'd rusn Tor our Lanes that mad
been assigned to night duty. Some
times the attack was a harassing
one only, and we'd return without
seeing them and go wearily back in
the moonlight to the hostel. get some
tea and a cookie. and crawl in the
bed.
Just about the time the head hit
the pillow and the body felt a little
comfortable the alert would go
again. I'd hear the tinkle of small
dinner bell and the plaintive voice of
one of the houseboys-" "Jin-bao, jim
bao-please get up, master-Jin-
bao." Off we'd go again and into
the sky. Sometimes the Jap would
feint two or three times to make us
use valuable gasoline. Sometimes
he'd circle Hengyang by fifty miles
and then go back to Hankow. We'd
spend the night between the hostel
and the alert shack; but after all,
as we used to say, you weren't sup
posed to be comfortable in a war,
and we were no exception.
Sometimes, though, the Jap didn'
feint.
General Chennault got us to pick
the best and most experienced pilots
for the night interception missions.
We'd use two to four ships and place
them at different attitudes over the
field, and wait for the Jap in the
light of the moon, with our lights
out. On this particular night John
ny Alison was at $4,000 feet, and a
thousand feet lower we had Ajax
Baumler. I'll tell you about Johnny
now, but Wen take up more on
Ajax later-for this was mostly
Johnny's fight.
Alison was superior airman,
fighter pilot, and officer, and was the
IDEAL combat leader. A Florida boy,
ne knew the Allison engine well
enough to have designed it. He
Knew the P-40's better than anyone
have ever seen, for he had instruct
ed the British in their use in the
United Kingdom and then had gone
over to show the Russians how to
iy and repair them near Moscow.
Tonight he was about to carve his
name with his six fifty-calibre guns
IN such a manner that few of us
would ever forget it, and certainly
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26

suffered stomach disorders because Of
poor quality of the food. Neither,
however, complained of mistreatment
while being held prisoner.
Bluffton men are meeting in all
sorts of out of the way places in the
world these days. Over in Italy the
other day Donavin Montgomery, son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Montgomery
of Orange township met Dick ShaIler,
a neighbor, and Robert Phillips who
attended school at Mt. Cory. Mont
gomery and Schaller are within a
stones throw in the same camp.
And out in the Southwest Pacific
as recently as last Wednesday three
Bluffton Navy men, Maynard Coon,
Don Wenger and James Gratz had a
home town reunion--and just to let
the home folks know about it, they
sent air mail letters which arrived
here the first of the week giving de-
tails.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26
Ma<~A
OeA1otsoI

Lilac time-and tulip time, too :. !.
and mushrooms still a-poppin' :.
one of the most delightful moments
of spring :. you know springs the
time when a young mans fancy turns
yeah we know-it turns to look at
the sweet young things like the one
we saw peering into her compact mir
ror and fixing her makeup Tuesday
in front of the postoffice. wonder
full what powderpuff can do-so keep
it up dearie for an ounce of complex
ion is worth ton of argument in any
market-especially now with all this
manpower shortage =. and speaking
of shortage, if you tried to get a
chicken for dinner last Sunday we
don't have to tell you they were scarce
fact is, there wasn't a chicken in
sight on the market here last Satur-
day. s. and while we're talking about
scarcity-when we mentioned last
week in these notes that clothespins
were available for the under-counter
trade-tby which we meant the regular
customers-we didn't intend to give
the impression that they were plenti-
ful +. never knew whether anyone
read this chatter until we found out
that a run developed at notion stores
here Thursday because of that OBJ
scure item-well have to be more
careful cause we don't want to be re-
sponsible for anyone being killed in
the rush and butter which was
scarce last winter now piling up i'm
retailers coolers here with little de-
mand all because they clip you "a red
points for every pound-while oleo
which was flooding the market six
months ago is getting to the vanishing
point :. and next month may be the
last time We'll pay our electric light
bill at Hauensteins-Edg resign
ing as clerk of the board of public af-
fairs after 25 years of patiently listen
ing to customers's complaints, kicks
and squawks with unruffled compos-
ure-never could figure out how he
did it !. and when you put out the
cat at bedtime Saturday night and
wind the clock remember to turn it
one hour ahead-or you'll be late for
Sunday school. :. :. or fishing !. or
mushroom hunting. or whatever
you do on Sunday morning.
And now right in the midst of spring
gardening comes a reminder that it's
time to sign that new ration card for
next winters coal-and to add a note
of realism that winters coming again
Bluffton retailer got in a shipment
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26

The surprise was that another
plane had now been found several
miles from the bomber. 1t was sup
posed to be a fighter, being smaller,
and it had burned upon crashing. /
therefore received credit for two en-
emy planes destroyed on July 81. 1t
had been my first aerial combat,
felt very proud indeed.
We found the reported prisoner,
but he was dead. While being ques-
toned he had tried to escape, had
killed several Chinese, had wound
ed others, and in turn had been
mortally wounded. Lieutenant Cluck
got to him before he died, but was un-
able to get any valuable information.
My first aerial engagement start
ed a story in Delhi found out
about it four months later. The
story told there was to the effect
that | had engaged an enemy bomb
er over China, and regardless of its
escort of two Zeros, had shot it
down. 1t had crashed into the
ground, and when they located it,
N1A1y oASO lllG tWO LGlO5t WiA1Gl
had dived into the rice paddles
at the tail of the bomber, one on
each side. Thus had the embar-
rassed pilots committed hara-kiri,
for they had lost face by having the
ship that they were escorting de-
stroyed.
Well, it was a laugh. But I'm
fairly certain the one Zero didn't
commit suicide--I'm prone to be-
lieve that some good, honest lead
poisoning from six fifty calibre
American machine guns had lot
to do with it.
Major Tex Hill was the Squadron
commander of. the outfit that / had
come to live with at Hengyang. He
was blue-eyed Texan, lean and
lanky, six-feet-two of fighting blood.
/ imagine if he had lived in the
frontier days of the American West,
he would have been a gunman over
there around the Pecos River-but
a gunman on the side of the Law.
used to shut my eyes out there, sit
ting on the alert in Human, and
think about him. | could picture
that drawling Texan walking slow
ly through a border town with two
pearl-handled ass swinging low at
his hips. Walking with his arms
stiff at his sides, and watching with
his cold, blue eyes some william"
that was approaching the other way
could almost hear the hot lead
splitting from those guns as the two
shot it out, and | could always see
the villain fall, with Tex standing
there looking at his smoking guns.
Tex would always have won, for he
was the greatest fighter that I ever
saw, the most loyal officer, and the
best friend.
I'd seen Tex shoot down Japs in
the sk.-. and I I'D followed on bis
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26
Of snow shovels Monday morning.


Blufton saddened Saturday by the
news of the death of Wayne Daley,
radio operator killed in the crash of an
Army plane in the Philippines. He
was formerly clerk at the A G 2 store
here where his mother now helps out
q the checking stand. A letter re-
eeived by his parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
u. f. Daley on Friday, written the
day before his death contained q pre-
monition of the fateful accident.
Three carloads of coal every day
that's the average required to operate
the Woodcoek generating plant of the
Central Ohio Light & Power company.
It is Bluffton's largest coal consumer
and one of the largest in Northwest
ern Ohio. The big plant supplies
electric current to more than a score
of municipalities in this part of the
state.
And speaking of big consumers, the
Page Dairy plant uses daily almost
one-quarter of million gallons of
water, furnished by the municipal
plant here. The dairy processes up
wards of 100 tons of milk-200, 900
pounds-every day and the water is
used principally for cooling purposes.
An insignia from the uniform Of a
Jap corporal arrived here the other
day being sent by 1t. Wade Mumma
of the Army Air corps to his aunt,
Mrs. Ray Mumma of Spring street.
Wade who is stationed in the India
theatre of operations flies a transport
plane over "the hump" into China.
He is the son of Carl Mumma, opera
tor of North Main street radio shop.
| Wade has completed 2S5 missions and
has a record of 1,100 flying hours.
&&~
Congratulations to Richland grange
which celebrated its 26th birthday an
niversary, Tuesday. 1t was organized
April "a, 1919 by Lawrence Huber
who served as its first master. Huber
an expert on corn borer control is now
on the faculty of State College, Pa.
The grange has an active membership
of more than 60. Charter members
include Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Huber,
Mr.. and Mrs. Ernest Gratz, Mr.. and
Mrs. Orton Stratton, Mrs. Will Hilty,
Mrs. |. M. Jennings, Mrs. Amos Mos
er and Mrs. Walter Schaublin.
Food in German prison camps is a
long way from the equal of American
army chow, as two Bluffton soldiers
will tell you after being freed from
prisoner of war camps by onrushing
American armies. Pfc. Ralph Althaus,
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Levi Althaus lost
30 ponnds and Pvt. James Stonehill
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26

no Chinese in the city of Hengyang
would ever forget the night.
We got our four ships into the air
at staggered attitudes. We heard
the radio reports from Richardson
giving the latest positions of the
Japs. Reported over Changsha.
Then North of the field. Then all
was silent while we waited. In our
positions over the field we placed
ourselves down-moon-that is, where
the bombers would have to fly be-
tween us and the moon and thus
silhouette themselves against the
full orange light.
Then I saw the FIVE bombers
against the moon. They were at
$4,000 feet. I know I swore be-
cause they were below me, and !
could imagine the cursing of every
one of the others who were at the
wrong altitude, for we could not
change altitude until the first at
tack. But they were at Johnny's
height, and listened for him to say
that he saw them. Down the field
they told us later that you could
hear the moan of one Allison engine
as P-40 moved in for the attack,
could hear it above the sound of the
ten radial engines on the enemy
bombers.
The seconds dragged, and then we
heard Johnny say, "Okay, | see
'em." And now we saw their ex-
hausts, looking like ten bushel-bas-
kets of blue FIRE. For full second,
as the enemy bombers moved to-
wards the target that was our field,
all was quiet, and / wondered If
Johnny had lost them in the dark
ness. Then l saw him. SO close to
the enemy ships that he seemed to
be in formation with them-and
clearly over my radio | heard John
ny Alison say, watch the fire.
works.
Six lines of tracers went into one
of the bombers and glowed brighter
than the two bushel-baskets OF ex-
haust fire. The first Jap bomber
trailed fire, slowly turned on its
back, and spun crafty towards
Hengyang, right over the town. Be-
low, | could see few flashes from
the exploding enemy bombs, but
most of them seemed short of the
target area and very scattered.
Johnny's tracers were still going
into the enemy ships and I could
see their return fire now, but it
seemed to go in no certain direc-
ton. I had moved in closer, trying
to get to the altitude Of the fight.
On the ground the mechanics and
the Chinese interpreters had a
grandstand seat for one of the best
moving pictures that has ever been
except that this was real. They
too had heard Johnny say, Watch
the fireworks" and had seen and
heard the heavy guns Of the P-40.
They could see pieces OF the bomber
coming off and going back into the
slipstream, rejecting the glow of the
fire that came with the explosion.
Then the whole sky lighted as the
first one plunged to the earth, with
the fire making queer sound as the
wreckage fell.
The lone fighter now was sliding
over behind the other bombers, and
the second one was exploding and
turning over. The third one tried to
turn. seemed to hang for seconds
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26
SYNOPSIS
Col. Robert L. Scott wso RelsAss

CHAPTER I: Scotts early experiences
with gliders and airplanes. He goes to
IT. Mcpherson and enlists In the regular
army as private.
CHAPTER II: Scott wins the West
Point competitive exam and gets q fur
Tough before reporting. He is graduated
as a second lieutenant of infantry and
goes to Europe. which he tours on
motorcycle. He sells his motorcycle and
arrives at Randolph Field. Texas.
CHAPTER III: Scott makes his first
solo fight. Drives 300 miles TO Georgia
over every weekend to see his girl. Scott
is now. graduated from Kelly Field and
has wings pinned on his chest Ordered
to report 10 Hawaii but wanting to get
married he lays his plight before the
General and is ordered to report al
Mitchell Field NJ Y, instead.
CHAPTER Nv. En- route to New York
Scott is stopped by police who mistake
him for a bandit He carries the mail
for Uncle Sam in order to gain more
flying time. and gets married.
CHAPTER v: The wai eoses closer
and he is farther than ever from combat
duty He has been told he Is too old
for combat flying. and after December Z.
194l. he begins writing Generals all over
the country for chance to fly fighter
plane.
CHAPTER VI: scott solos Flying
Fortress for the first time and makes
twenty practice landings. He leaves for
India from a Florida point
CHAPTER Wis Easter Sunday In AT.
rica. They fly along the Arabian coast
and land at Karachi. India. covering
$4,000 miles in eight days.
CHAPTER VIII: Col. Haynes orders
the group to report at a base in Eastern
Assam. on the India Burma border.
CHAPTER TX: Burma is falling into
the hands of the Japs. Flying over
bombed and burned Chinese towns they
land at Schwebo. Scott meets General
Stilwen and his party.
CHAPTER X; scott's group carries
refugees out of Burma. heavily overload
ing the planes. He pays a visit to Gen.
Chennault and tells him he Is a fighter
pilot and not ferry pilot and Is prom
ised the next P-40 that arrives from
Africa.
CHAPTER XXI: Open season on Japs-
the big adventure is near. Scott gets
his first japan army bomber on the
ground. He burns up some Jap trucks
and q fuel dump.
CHAPTER XII: Scott goes on some
strafing missions with his "Old Ex-
terminator," as he has now nicknamed
his Kittyhsvk. and cuts Jap battalion
to bits.
CHAPTER XIII: The AVG are told
they are TO be inducted into the u. s.
army. Scott returns to India and con-
tinues his single ship raids on the Japs.
He Is now known back in the States as
"the one man air force"
CHAPTER XIV: Col Haynes Is moved
to China to head the bomber command
under Gen. Chennault and Scott IL left
alone as commanding officer Of the Ferry
Command Scott Is ordered TO report TO
Gen Chennault In Running, China. as
commanding officer of the 23rd Fighter
Group.
CHAPTER XIV: Col. Scott is ordered
10 proceed to the Kweilin area to take
charge of fighter operations.
CHAPTER XVI: He intercepts flight
Of Jap planes and downs a bomber.
His tank is empty but he succeeds In
landing 1t dry.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26

Pathfinder, the champion of the
i3O6th signal pigeon company, has
established what headquarters be-
lieve to be world record for flying
in almost total darkness. Released
in Charleston, S. c., on a very
cloudy night, the bird arrived here
O hours q minutes later, flying
through rain all the way, and max
ing the distance of 1T air miles at
an average Of 8I4 Yards per minute.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-04-26

0unudy guests ol MT. ana MRS.
Harry Moore and family We're: Mr..
and Mrs. w. B. Kramer, Mr.. and
Mrs. S. F. Nonnamaker, Mr.. and
Mrs. o. w. Nonnamaker and family,
Mrs. Kathryn Firestone and child
rem, Mr.. and Mrs. A. E. Holmes,
Mr.. and Mrs. B. j. Stratton and
children, Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Nom
namaker and daughters, Mr.. and
Mrs. Ray Nonnamaker and sons,
Mrs. Richard Swank and son jim
my of Detroit, Miss Anna Mary
Grove of Benton Ridge. Afternoon
callers were Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur
Swank, Mrs. Richard Caughman and
son Don, Mr.. and Mrs. Chas. Hall
and children.
Mrs. James Asire of Ada and
Lodema Vogt, Huntington, Ind,
spent Saturday night with Mr.. and
Mrs. c. E. Klingler.
Mr.. and Mrs. Carl McCafferty and
Miss Margaret Guider called Sun
day afternoon on Mr.. and Mrs. Ray
Guider.
Mrs. Marion Fox and son Jimmy,
Mr.. and Mrs. Howard Hover and
son Donald were Sunday dinner
guests of Mr.. and Mrs. Erwin Moser
and family.
Mr.. and Mrs. Chas. Montgomery
and daughter, Mr.. and Mrs. Chas.
Keiffer called Friday evening on Mr..
and Mrs. Levi Hauenstein and son
Ellis.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harold Young and
family, Mrs. Imojean Ewing were
Sunday dinner guests of Mr.. and
Mrs. H. o. Hilty. Mr.. and Mrs.
Ollen Free of Dunkirk were also
callers Sunday.
Mrs. Sarah Oates and son and
Miss Clarabel Owens called Sunday
evening on Mr. and Mrs. Merle Gal
liant and family of Findlay.
Mrs. Ruth Brown and little son
of near Ada called Monday after
noon on Mrs. Chas. Montgomery.
T/Sgt. and Mrs. Robert Matter
spent Sunday with Mr.. and Mrs.
Chas. Montgomery and daughter.
Sunday dinner guests of Mr.. and
Mrs. L. A. Klingler, Findlay, were
Miss Lodema Vogt, Huntington, Ind,
Mrs. Rose Asire, Ada, Mr.. and Mrs.
Gerald Smith and son Norman, Mrs.
Clyde Klingler Jr. and son Keith,
Mr.. and Mrs. c. E. Klingler Sr.
Afternoon callers were Mr.. and Mrs.
David FOUGHT of Delphos.
Mr.. and Mrs. Levi Hauenstein and
son Ellis were Monday evening
supper guests of Mr.. and Mrs. Rolly
Moser and sons, and Thursday even
ing supper guests of Mr.. and Mrs,
Norman Sweitzer.
Sunday dinner guests of Mr.. and
Mrs. Levi Hauenstein and son were
Mr.. and Mrs. Norman Schweitzer,
Mr.. and Mrs. Rolly Moser and sons
Mr.. and Mrs. Wayne Hauenstein and
daughter. Ellis left for camp Sun
day night.
Mrs. Chas. Zerantie and children
Mrs. Lysle McCarty and son and
Miss Marjorie Parent all of Lima
spent Monday afternoon at the
Erwin Moser home.
Pvt. Ellis Hauenstein called We'd
nesday evening at the G. Z. klinglel
home.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-10-08

hcial lashes that she was wearing
at 1870 in the morning and stared
across the salon at Sandra Ed
wards.
81 want that dress"
But, Miss Dubois" protested
one OF the saleswomen, you said
evening things"
II want that dress!" the actress
repeated in the same sibilant, yet
blunt, voice. Tonight Is my last
night In Chicago. Have II ready for
fitting at 10 tomorrow morning.
Same material. Same color" She
got up and walked out, not bother
ing with the worried questions Of
Mr.. Pettijohn and the two sales
women.
Bob Wakeman did not follow
Elaine Dubois. He went, instead,
after Sandra. He did not even know
her name. viii you please come
with me to my Office, miss?"
To almost every girl in the store,
young Wakeman was an. eligible
scion. To Sandra he was her boss,
and she was frightened as she
walked with him. For some reason
Of which she was unaware she was
going to lose her job. They were
barely inside Wakeman's Office
when he stopped her.
where did you get that dress ?"
So that was it. Mr.. Wakeman,"
the girl said with spirit, I've never
seen a dress in your store cheaper
than $s5. Even with your conces-
sion to employees 1 still couldn't af-
ford to buy my dresses in the
store"
Bob Wakeman smiled slightly.
I'm not asking for a price list Of
our merchandise. I'm not rebuking
you for not wearing a Wakeman-
Benet frock. simply asked where
you got your dress"
IT made It."
did you copy II from something
in some other store or from a pic
ture ?"
II made It up out OF my head"
A second time Bob Wakeman
gave her q slight smile. Design
is a prettier word" His smile deep
ened. Elaine Dubois wants your
dress"
The pride he had expected did
not appear on the red-haired girls
face. Instead, he encountered stub
bornness. "She can't have it. This
Is the first time I've worn it."
II mean, she wants a copy"
But this doesn't happen to be a
Wakeman-Benetd dress"
Wakeman's smile faded. He said
coollyy II think 1t would be nice to
make Miss Dubois happy"
"And think II would. be nice to
make me happy. I'll sell you this
model"
But It's only three yards OF gray
wool and a buckle made Of two
screen irsoks."
Sandra Edwards eyes narrowed.
Perhaps you can explain It that
way to Miss Dubois"
After a long moment the mans
shoulders moved in submission.
Talk about female Shylocks-all
right, Miss Edwards, Wen make a
deal"
Ito Be Contlnued)
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-10-08

Red agencies are laboring for him
and the p. A. C. is at its old stand.
following the Communist party line
as closely as Sidney Hillman did
at the recent world labor confer
ence.
II seems to me that II ought to be
obvious to Americans by now that
whatever and whomever the Com
munists support. patriotic Ameri-
cans ought TO oppose. This Com
munlst party is an alien conspira-
cy to corrupt the American way OF
lie. II is a design TO weaken US
by confusions, to lessen our power
by involving this country in const-
ant internal crises. No gore did
the actual lighting OF the war end
than three years Of phoney patriot
ism disappeared and the Commun-
lists byfofficial resolution and proc
lamation declared themselves
again a revolutionary party, exist
ing for the sole purpose OF altering
by violent methods the political,
economic and social institutions OF
this country.
II is usual for candidates. when
Communist support alienates some
OF the voters taken for granted, to
announce flamboyantly that they
reject their support. That state
ment 10 hooey. The Communist
laugh out loud at II, for they never
support a candidate without a prior
understanding. And this, too, is al
ways denied. although II is always
true. The only way to know for
sure tina. candidate has no UNI
Outstanding with the Communists
is to note that they attack him
viciously and constantly.
Copyright, 1925, for Daily Press)
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-10-08

always another election in view.
In New York. for instance, a hand.
full OF Communists ana their Left
Wing adherents have the most pow
erful voice in the school system.
They utilize their organs OF publici-
ty TO brighten decent principals and
teachers. who. once they take a
stand for American ideals. are de-
nounced as "Fascists". "Anti-Ne-
gro. "Anti-Semites" II is easier
TO go along with the loud-mouthed
agents OF Russian Imperialism than
to love America and its traditions.
And m-y go the easiest way.
In the current election for mayor
OF New York. the three candidates.
Jonah Goldstein, William O'Dwyer
and Newbold Morris. are much the
same kind OF folks. But that is not
the issue. The Communists have
Endorsed o'Dwyer not by resolution
but by coalition. The Daily Work
err fights hard for him. At their
great meeting at Madison Square
Garden. at which they booed and
Kissed General Macarthur and de-
nounced American Imperialism,
they demonstrated their desire to
have O'Dwyer mayor OF New York.