The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-04
Service Briefs


10 months service overseas.
Two OF these missions were on
ID Day The crew had been up
since five in the morning, waiting.
At noon came the news over the
radio and the men said simply,
We'll. | guess this is it,"
Sergeant Starr, who has received
the Air Medal with two silver and
one bronze cluster, is very modest
about his experiences. but conced-
ed that there was one narrow es.
cape when the engine of the ship
caught fire on a return trip from
France. They we're able to reach
their flying field in England and
land safely. At another time one
OF the gunners was wounded by
flax. but this was the only casualty
in his bomber group during all the
fighting. I'VE were Just lucky" he
says. Painted on the back of his
leather jacket is the name OF his
ship, Horrible He'll" over the
form Of his Satanic Majesty. An
other crew took the ship up one
day and due to some engine trou-
Bile crashed. All that crew received
the Purple Heart, but as soon as
Sgt. STAIRS crew was given a new
ship they promptly renamed it
HORRIBLE HELP and started in
again.
On a short leave in France he
went to Paris, where the shops
were well stocked with Injuries in
food and clothing, but prices were
extremely high. The French people
were very friendly to the American
soldiers. and even the little chill
dren would run to greet him.
Sgt Starr entered the Army Air
Force in October. 1912. He received
his gunnery training at Fort Myers,
Fla. attended armor school in Den.
yer, Colo. and joined his bomber
group at Will Rogers Field. Okla,
leaving for overseas in March,
1914.
His home was in Nutley. n. j..
where he attended school, but his
father, Russell Lynn Starr and his
sister, Miss Frances Elizabeth
Starr came to the Ford Bomber
plant TO be employed in war work
shortly after Sgt. Starr entered the
services. This is his third furlough
on which he has visited them on
Ecorse Road. His uncle is r. Garlic
ton Starr, this city.
At the end OF his 90 day furlough
Sgt. Starr will go to Santa Monica.
Calf, to await further orders.
T Sgt. Harry Whitfield, Jr.. "a,
of ia North Summit St, has ar
rived at Army Air Forces Redis-
tribution Station No. in Miami
Beach for reassignment processing
after completing a tour Of duty
outside the continental United
States.
He flew SO missions as a B24 en-
gineer and gunner during four
months in the European theater and
won the DFC and the Air Medal
with four clusters. He worked for
Pan American Anyways in Africa
before joining the AAF Jan. -,
1913. His wife, Donna, lives at the
same address, while his father,
Harry Whitfield, lives at 211S Ken
more Court, Brooklyn, n. Y.
Ronald B. Hoag, IS, son Of Mr..
and Mrs. Paul w. Hoag, 516 n.
River Blvd. and James D. Leslie,
%, son Of Mrs. Maude l.. Leslie,
500 Ferris St, are receiving their
initial Naval indoctrination at the
L. S. Naval Training Center, Great
Lake, Illinois.
Pvt. Jack H. Baird. Willow Run
Village, has been assigned TO the
convalescent facility at Fort Gus
ter.
Promotion to Private First Glass
OF Pvt. Frederick ]. Cook, son of
Mr.. and Mrs. John Cook, OF 1871
Oaklawn Ave, has been announced
at an Air Transport Command
Base. India.
Before enlisting on June 20, 1912,
Pfc. Cook was tool maker. He has
been in the India Burma Theater
since April 20. 1913. serving with
the India Wing of the Air Trans
port Command. This is the Army
Air Force unit which operates the
famed United Nations aerial sup
ply route to China over the Him
alaya Mountains Of North Burma.
flying transport planes on an
around the clock basis.
=
A farewell dinner was given by
Mr.. and Mrs. Paul Daschner and
family in honor of Pvt. Donald F.
Block who will be stationed at Fort
Ord, California. The dinner was at
the home of Fred Block and fam
lily. Also attending were Mrs. Don
aid Block and family and Mr.. and
Mrs. Kenneth Holcomb and fam.
lily.
1t. Og) Atwood McAndrew
came home Monday morning TO
spend few days leave at the home
OF his parents, MIR. and Mrs. At
wood McAndrew.
Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur Ferguson
have received New Year greetings
from their son, Capt. Arthur f.
Ferguson. who had just arrived in
Los Angeles, Cal. He expects to be
home this week The Fergusons'
other son, S. nc Donovan G. Fer
guson il stationed in Shoemaker.
Cal. and sent greetings.
Motor Machinist Fireman &c
II