The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-02-22
'Honored As
Fighting Family
Of Week
Interesting Article In
Wings About Libby
Brothers and Sister.
ONE is IN FRANCE,
ONE A JAP PRISONER

Here is very readable article
concerning Libby people who are
saluted as the Fighting Family Of
the Week in an article in Wings"
publication put out by the Air
Corps at Geiger Field, Spokane. The
article pays honor to three MEM
bers of the Rubard family, Betty.
Jim and Ray Rubard, giving much
of interest concerning this trio. The
article follows:
Dark-eyed Betty Rubard, Branch
c. Supply, has more than a patriotic
incentive to do her Keep En- Fly
ing" job well. Her two brothers are
in Army uiform--one Jap prisoner
Of war, the other fighting inside
Germany.
Sgt. Jim Rubard was on Corregi-
dor in the spring of 1912 when the
Japs Numbered in. He was taken
prisoner. Since then, his family has
received two brief cards-one in
1913, the second a week ago was
an undated card from Osaka prison
camp in Japan. Jim wrote: I'm we'll
and hope to be home soon"
Jim enlisted in the Army in June,
1889, and the next month went to
the Philippines where he remained
until those dark days Of the Ameri-
can surrender.
Pvt Ray Rubard, 81, is fighting
with an American infantry division
inside Germany. In one of his re-
cent letttrs to Betty, he said. Nov
I'm back in der Fatherland we
started out in Belgium, crossed the
border into Holland and fought sew
eral weeks there. Then we went to
Germany. When we aren't actually
fighting in foxholes up front we
stay in abandoned houses in the
German towns we have captured.
The people have usually fled in
a hurry, leaving the furniture and
most of their possessions. Right
now, we have our CP Command
post) in the living room OF better
German house-it boasts a piano, a
davenport and all the comforts of
home. If you follow our division in
the news, you should know what
army I'm in and where we are
fighting. We've been having 1t pref
ty rugged lately
Il went to Paris on combat leave
around Thanksgiving the Red
Cross gave lis luxurious private
rooms at the Hotel du Pavilion in
the center of Paris. We really lived
in the luxurious continental style,
ate in the dining room of this hotel
(Which the Red Cross has taken
over for GIs on combat leave), and
bowling head walters, a salon or
chestra. Paris is the most beautiful
city have ever scent is hardly
touched by the war.
The people are all we'll dressed,
the stores are full of fine merchan-
disc and except for the fact that
there are few cars in the streets
and quite a civilian food shortage,
/ could hardly believe that several
months ago Paris was. occupied by
the Nazis.
Scared Cathedral
I'VE toured the night clubs on
Saturday night, and on Sunday
went to high mass at the Cathedral
Of Notre Dame. There we saw the
only sign Of the war-there were
fresh bullet scars in the carving on
the face of the cathedral, which
were made when Shippers fired on
De Gaulle during the liberation.
About a week ago we saw the
movie Best Foot Forward in a
theater in captured German town.
1t was the first real movie we've
seen since I've been overseas.
I've got lot of different types
of money in my billfold First, we
were paid in French francs, then
in Belgium francs; we picked up
Dutch money while in Holland and
now they're paying us in German
invasion marks"
Naturally, Betty is extremely
proud Of her fighting brothers and
feels that she is backing them up
on the home front WINGS salutes
Betty Rubard and Ray and Jim as
the Fighting Family Of the Week.