The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-04-19

tOOh oil I'LL CdolllS1J PiO4llllIC1At pau
in civic affairs of Hagerstown and
vicinity.
General Byron'was one of the most
widely known men in Boy Scout
leadership. He was a member Of
the National Council and was also
chairman of Region Three.
His interest in public health, begun
when he saw the value of typhoid
NEGOTIATIONS during the Mexican
campaign, was credited with virtual
ly wiping out typhoid in Williams
port by his insistence on inocula-
lions for the tannery employees, a
practice which spread throughout
the town.
He also helped to organize the
Washington County Public Health
Association back in the days when
there was no health officer here, and
was president of this group at the
time of his death. In the 1905, Gen
eral Byron took an increasingly
prominent position in advisory and
official capacities with the national
government.
He was one of the civilian advisors
appointed at the organization of the
MIRA. Later, he became head of
the leather and shoe section of the
WPB. He served as advisor to Gen.
c. C. Williams, deputy administrator
of the MIRA, as industry advisor for
the leather industry in 1888, and in
1889, became chairman of the hide
and leather committee, Army-Navy
Munitions Board. One year later,
he was appointed in an advisory ca
pacity to the administrator of export
control, visiting hide leather markets
in Brazil and Argentina as a part Of
his duties.
With the coming of war, General
Byron returned to the military serv-
ice of his country. He was appointed
brigadier general in August, 1912,
and assigned to the Army Post Elk
change Service.
Soon becoming director of the
special services division, Army Serv-
ice Forces, General Byron had charge
of the enormous recreation program
of the Army and it's post exchanges.
The Army itself described this
work as the greatest program of rec
reation and entertainment in the
world, the biggest athletic program
on earth, the largest retail store
chain in existence, the most extern
sive library system, the biggest NOV
lie circuit, the most expansive pro-
gram for art and handicrafts ever
offered in such short period of
time, and the largest program of
music ever attempted.
General Byron travelled 10000
miles in the course of his duties, lead
ing personally songfests in overseas
recreation halls. For his achieve,
ments, he won the Distinguished
Service Medal and a number of other
high honors.
Even after VJ-Day, General Byron
Z: continued his service to his country,
keeping the troops entertained while
they were awaiting their return to
civilian life
After his retirement from active
service in the Army, General Byron
remained in an official post for the
= United States, becoming director of
the National Security Resources
Boards division concerned with ma
: tional security planning as related to
shoes, leather and hides.
General Byron had been president
of the First Federal Savings and
! Loan Association for number of
years.
General and Mrs. Byron had only
: recently moved into their new home
t in Fountain Head Heights.
He was member of the Rotary
3 Club.
!, Another brother, Rep. William D.
Byron, was killed in the crash of an
4 airliner on February 81, 1941, while
/, serving his second term in Congress
e as representative of the Sixth Mary
land District.
:, The survivors are: his wife, SUI
: same Rice Byron; two daughters,
Mrs. Vernon N. Simmons, Jr., Falls
d Church, Va; and Mrs. F. Kent Brad
It ford, near Sharpsburg; two sons, 1t
y Joseph r. Byron, Offutt Air Base
Omaha, Neb.; and Cpl. Sedgewick r
Il Byron, Lakeland Air Field, Lakeland
: Texas; sister, Miss Elsie Byron; q
# brother, David w. Byron, Hagers-
: town; and nine grandchildren.
IS This is your town - Boost it
On puhIic pav RoI1