davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1954-06-06
Henry
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first American press camp in
Normandy was set up ten years
ago. It was cold and rainy then.
1t is always cold and rainy here
l nerly June, like a chill April
in Maryland.
The scene has changed-a lit
tie. The somewhat dream-fllled
peace of half a thousand years
has enwrapped again in the land
of the Angelus and the blue
and-gold roadside shrines. War
was a brief, wild wind blowing
through this misty peace for a
few months. It's wounds all are
healed. Long since the paper
strewn, rain-soaked rubble has
been cleared from the streets
Of Monteburg, Valogne and Pont
PAbbe. The shattered little towns
have been rebuilt. The deep,
ugly burrows plowed by artil-
lery and bombs along the Cher
bourg roads are hidden forever
under the mantle of thick, new
grass.
Cemetery Is Green.
1t is so everywhere on earth.
Nature is soothing and gentle
a little more so even than usual
here in Normandy. War is just
a brief swirling of the froth of
humanity on natures surface
and always the green grass and
the buttercups come again. Five
years ago even even the Ameri-
can cemetery at st. Laurent near
here where the dead of the Nor
mandy battles are buried, was
an ugly field of mud picketed
with white wooden crosses. We
were there today. The grass has
grown over the graves. Our dead
Evening star., 1954-06-06
Guard Mount Rite
Revived at Fl. Myer
After r0o-YAofLopse

One Of the worlds Oldest mill
tary ceremonies. the formal
guard mount. will be staged by
the 3rd Infantry Regiment at
4 pm. today at the Fort Myer,
Va, parade grounds.
The ceremony will be an added
feature of the traditional battal-
ion retreat parade put on for the
public.
This is Z. the first time the
formal guard mount has been
performed by a regular infantry
regiment at Fort Myer since
1865. It is q formation marked
by split-second timing and
somber regimen.
After the special ceremony, the
1st. Battalion, 3rd Infantry, will
present q retreat parade. The
100-piece Army Band will play.
Evening star., 1954-06-06

are intruders no longer. The an
cient. mystical land. has made
them part of herself.
All the American dead left in
Normandy, 9.346 men. now have
been gathered from the scat
tered battlefields and buried at
st. Laurent. Special services
will be held here tomorrow.
with United Nations Ambas-
sador Henry Cabot Lodge, repre-
senting President Eisenhower.
and French President Coty. at
tending. 70.
The great field of marble
crosses overlooks Omaha Beach
where the first troops landed.
The beach is now almost COM
pletely cleaned up. Where five
years ago half a dozen wrecked
United States landing craft pro-
truded from the water at low
tide. there is now only one. The
others were torn to pieces by
waves or cut up with acetylene
torches for salvage.
Wander in Old Fields.
All the 1st Army correspond
ents, I think, were much with
the dead today. especially those
of our own group, as we wan
dered among the old Cotentin
battlef1elds and recalled the
scenes, both perilous and ribald.
of a bygone June. Each man
to his own memories. .,.
We came to the road junction
just east of the bomb-shattered
st. Saveur de Vicomte. There in
June, 1914, stood a life-sized
wooden figure of Christ nailed
to the cross. It was one Of hun
dreds of such figures scattered
over Normandy.
This was almost in the center
of the areas of five or six Ameri-
can divisions. all of the VII Corps
during the latter days of the ad-
vance on Cherbourg. Field COM
munications between these di-
visions and corps headquarters
had been installed by the signal
companies overnight. Wires were
suspended from any convenient
object in the wav. Sllch as ends
Of buildings, telephone posts ana
trees.
Stood Like q Soldier.
This particular cross happened
to be a conveniently located for
Evening star., 1954-06-06

eight or ten intercepting lines.
They were strung over the nailed
hands. They were wound around
the thorn crowned head. They
were held up by the crimson
tinted feet. Over these wires
messages passed day and night
through one Of the biggest and
costliest battles Of the war. They
carried orders for artillery bar
RACES, for infantry advances, for
movements of all sorts sending
men to their deaths In the
muddy bitches. D..
The Savior stood literally
bound to the stake in the middle
OF Purgatory by the wires of war.
Or. as some preferred to inter-
pret it. the Jesus of mans visions
of justice stood like q soldier at
q shell-pounded post. holding in
his nail-pierced hands the wires
over which was being woven the
pattern Of victory over the pow
ers of He'll.
The figure on the cross seemed
different today. Like the dead
at st. Laurent 1t had been alb.
sorbed once more into the pat
tern of the mistic lands ancient
and comforting faith from which
the pings of American rifle bull
lets and the rat-tat-tat of ma
crime guns briefly had aroused it.
Tragedy and Comedy.
Tragedy and comedy were
strangely mixed in those chill
Normandy weeks ten years ago.
We wandered through the
buttercup-covered pasture at
Vouilley where the tents were
pitched and recalled the jeep-
loads of calvados brought in by
raiding parties, the night when
somebody was alleged to have
discovered the alleged body of
an alleged Max Schmeling. the
time the correspondent got a
Purple Heart for wounds received
from a wine bottle In a fight with
an M. p
The terrible rainy dawn when
the 30th division crossed the
The VIPS-Congressmen, gen.
erals and the like-who COM
planned that correspondents were
both disrespectful and insani-
tary ..
The green glow worms that
Evening star., 1954-06-06
By GEORGE Kennedy


Vinton w. Dove IL q big man
Of IL with q hearing aid in his
good ear. He was q tractor OPP
orator during World War II and
the drum of his. other ear was
burst when his third bulldozer
was shot from under him during
the Battle of the Bulge in De-
cember, 1914.
He is a paving contractor with
home and Office at 1888 Yuma
street NV. Ten years ago today
his work with one Of the big
numbering earth movers did a lot
to make the Normandy invasion
successful.
The Caterpillar Tractor Co.
of Peoria, Ill.,, suggested that he
be interviewed on his recollec-
tions Of D-day. On that occasion
he was operating one Of the Cat
erpillar DIT tractors with a
bulldozer blade. Encountered on
a peace time construction job,
he comparatively mounted one
of the tractors yesterday and
showed how he had pushed aside
the sand dunes at Omaha Beach.
Several Crewmen Killed.
Here is his story:
1--WE were on an Let Oand-
ing Craft Tanks. Zero hour was
6 am. It was broad daylight.
We had on board the tractor
with a bulldozer blade, a half
track, a jeep and a weapons car
rier. Our Let had been hit sew
eral times by German 88 shells.
OF the six men crew. two had
been killed and one wounded. We
had a combat squad Of about 35
men on board and several of
them had been killed or wounded.
1.-THE tractor was the first to
20 of. That was at 6:15 and
in about six feet of water. That
was as close as the landing craft
could get to the beach. But I and
my assistant, Willie Shoemaker
he's living in California now
had worked hard at waterproof
ing it. The motor kept going
and we rolled up on the beach.
"The machine gun and rifle
fire was so hot that all we could
do was to lie in the bottom Of
the tractor. Then naval fire
gave the Germans another 60
ing over and softened 1t up so
we went to work. We got out
our steel cable and hauled the
other vehicles out of the surf aft
er they had taken the plunge.
Pull Out "HedgehOgs."
"The Germans had planted
steel rails in the water that
would puncture the hulls Of land
ing craft as they came in. They
were called hedgehogs. You
couldn't push them into the sand
but it was easy to hook them
with the cable and pull them
out.
1.-THE four soldiers of the COM
bat squad assigned to guard our
tractor were all hit. At one time
I got out of the tractor, took my
rifle and went up to the dunes
but I couldn't do any good. A
German division was on the bluff
practicing invasion defense with
wooden bullets for several days
before we landed. But they were
shooting lead on the 9Th. They
were in foxholes about 3 feet
deep. I only got one shot so I
went back to the tractor" Mr..
Dove said.
II thought I was hit once but
1t was only a couple of pebbles
kicked up by an exploding SHE'LL"
he went on. "They hit me in the
center of my forehead. My only
protection was bullet-proof
vest. Sitting on the platform Of
the tractor left me in the open.
was pretty lucky.
"A combat correspondent came
up and asked my name. He was
Evening star., 1954-06-06
Handicapped to Benefit

A mass meeting for the benefit
Of handicapped children will be
held at $3.50 pm. Wednesday in
the Parish Hall, CroSsman Meth
odist Church, Falls Church, Va.
Evening star., 1954-06-06

lined the Normandy roads at
night. the farmers daughters
whose cheeks were red like ap-
Piles, the pink and white roses
that filed the hedgerows late in
June.
Evening star., 1954-06-06
The BuIIdozer Kept on Showing
As the Germans 88s Whined

Don Whitehead Of the Associated
Press and his story about me ap-
peared in The Star three days
later. It was delayed in trans
mission.
"My wife was surprised. I had
only been in the Army six
months and I had written her
that I was to be in a rear eche-
lon. That's what they told me.
"The tanks were unable to get
of the beach. One right next to
the tractor was hit and blew wide
open like an exploding can. A
medico climbed UP on it and
looked in. He just walked away.
The four men in it were gone.
About 8 o'clock we used the
tractor to open q road through
the dunes. It was easy. All we
had to do was shove the sand
aside. Beyond the dunes was an
area Of anti-personnel mines.
The bulldozer blade swept them
aside. Some of them exploded
but the heavy blade protected us.
Beyond that were tank traps
-moats filled with water about
10 feet deep and 20 feet wide.
We used the bulldozer to fill them
with sand" Mr.. Dove continued.
Clears Road to Bluff.
"The bluff beyond the beach
was about $50 feet high and
there was a road up it to the
right. The Germans had blocked
it with everything they could
f1nd, cement mixers. old auto
mobiles and heavy Junk. It was
easy for the bulldozer to push
them over the drop-o7 side of
the road. I was alone at this time.
Shoemaker was somewhere back
on the beach.
I'VE were held up for q time
by a stone wall with machine
guns behind it. We had to wait
until infantry got around be-
hind the machine guns and
knocked them out.
I'VE had to get to q hard
road paralleling the beach on
top Of the bluff" the bulldozer
man went on. because the tanks
could not operate in the fields.
That was because Of the hedge
rows bordering the farm. For
centuries the Normandy farmers
had been removing stones from
the fields and throwing them on
these hedgerow borders.
"Once we got to that road the
tanks and troops were able to
get to the rear of the Germans
and relieve the troops massing
on the beach from the deadly
rifle and machine gun fire. I
kept going all that day, all that
night and all the next day. BY
noon the next day the German
firing on the beach had been
pretty well eliminated although
there was occasional sniping for
days from Kraut hiding in over
looked foxholes. I finished up
with two broken fingers.
Decorated by French.
Shoemaker and I were nomi-
mated for the Medal Of Honor.
AS we were not wounded, the
Distinguished Service Cross was
given us instead. Something that
was OF great satisfaction to us
was the award of the SCroix de
Guerre with palm by the French
Government. I believe we were
the only enlisted men in the 1st
Army to get it.
About three days later a jeep
drew up alongside our tractor
and Gen. Bradley got out.
He said. Were you the men
with the bulldozer on the beach?'
I'VE had our names Dove and
Willie stenciled on the back of
the tractor and he probably could
read it while watching us with
his binoculars. I told him we
were.
He spoke about the tractor
going up the road to the bluff.
What held you up?' he asked.
II told him it was a stone wall
with German machine guns be-
hind it.
HE got back in his jeep and
was driven away"
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06
ROckport Choir Members Of 5O/Yrs. Ago
Return To Sing At Church Anniversary

When the RocHport Presbyterian
church marked thk 5Oth anniversary
of the dedicatiqh h of the present
church building Sunday, a selection
was heard FROM five members of the
choir which hah originally sung the
very same nun Der at the church ded-
ication half afcentury before.
This unusual part of the program
was provided by Mrs. Elnora Mar
shall Burkhdder, Mrs. Minta Camp
bell Burlincoart, j. o. Cupp, and Orlo
and Walter Marshall.
The Rev. EN-. Bigelow, pastor of
the First Presbyterian church, Find
lay, and former pastor of the Rock
port church, gave the sermon in the
afternoon session, following the regu-
lar morning service conducted by the
Rev. L. w. McIntine, pastor of the
church.
A noon luncheon was followed by a
renewal of old friendships of men,
bers and their gaests.
The original Dedication Day, May
l, 1904, had fSllowed a decision the
year before Il erect new church
building after lightning had struck
the steeple fo the second time. Al
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06

though the building proper was not
badly damaged, the congregation had
decided to use repair money for the
erection of new building. The build
ing committee included John r. Mar
shall, Isaac Campbell and Jacob lei
ders.
The building was erected on half
acre plot acquired from E. Trumbo,
across the road from the old building.
In June of 1908, the ground was
broken. Plans were drawn by Archi-
tect Mullen of Columbus Grove and
the contract was given to Isaac
Stauffer of Bluffton for the construc-
ton.
Ten of the stained glass windows
in the building were fprovided in
memory of former ministers and
members.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06

Part II, Mrs. GleI Huber, Year Book
of Prayer, Mrs. John Hamblin. All
women of the 4 dlurch are invited to
attend these meetings.
Marriage VOWS were e-exchanged by
Miss Mary Carolyn Stephens, daugh-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Wilhaml lStephens.
and Charles Billings, son If Mr.. and
Mrs. Grant Billings of Rtf1, Harrod,
in ceremony in the Stephens home
west of Rockport at 2:3O Sunday
day afternoon.
The bride was graduate of
Beaverdam school ahd is employed
at the j. c. Penney 20. in Lima. Mr..
Billings an alumnus pf Harrod High
School is employed at the same store.
After a short wedding "trip the couple
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06
ROckpOrt

Mr.. and Mrs. Harold Marshall were
Saturday evening dinner guests in the
home of the latter's brother and wife,
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lemley in Find
lay.
Mr.. and Mrs. F. c. Marshall spent
Saturday with their son Robert in
Columbus. Robert, who is senior
in the Medical College at Ohio State
university will complete his work in
June and will intern at a Hospital irS
Grand Rapids, Mich
Clarence Begg who Vas a Surgical
patient in Memorial hospital in LIMA,
returned home the frst part Of the
week.
Mrs. w. E. Marshall abd Mrs Oro
Marshall were among TT Iose who IT.
tended meeting Of khs Past Mat
ron's club of Blaffton Chapter o. E.
S. held in the home of Mrs. Clair
Bowersox near Rawson last Wednes-
day evening. Others present were:
Mesdames Grace #Longsdorf, Louella
Stauffer, Emma Studler, Alice De-
vier, Elsie Buckand, Blanche Har-
mon, HERNIA Rauenbuhler and Effie
Herring. Mrs. Carrie Powell of Raw
son was guest,
Mothers day. will be observed at
the Presbyterian church, Sunday,
with special program at the Sunday
School hour. AS in former years, an
offering will be taken for the work
of the Presbyterian Vacation Schools
in Southeastern Ohio The need for
increased service in this area is caus-
ed by the Atomic Energy plant being
built here and the rapidly increasing
population that cannot be taken care
of by the present facilities. The
Mothers Day offering is major
factor in meeting the challenge in
this spiritual need.
Mr.and Mrs. Harold Marshall had
as their guests Tuesday evening, Mr..
and Mrs. Adrian Lugibihl of Colum-
bus Grove, Mr.. and Mrs. Don Huff
man and Mr. and Mrs. Homer Gratz
Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene Basinger OF
Vaughnsville are the parents of q
baby daughter, Deborah Elaine, borr
at St. Rita's Hospital in Lima, Thurs,
day. Little Douglas Basinger is be,
ing cared for in the home of his aunt
Mrs. Isaac Neuenschwander.
Mr.. and Mrs. A. ]. B. Longsdorf
Mrs. c. D. Steiner and Mr.. and Mrs
Orlo Marshall were Saturday evening
guests of Mrs W.aD. Keel and daugh
ter Mildred in Bluffton and theil
guest Clarence Day of Oakland
Calf. Mr. Day, son of Mr.. and Mrs
Ed Day, was reared in Pandora ant
at the age of 20 moved with his par
ents to Topeka, Kan. Since that time
this is his second visit to see forme
relatives and friends in this area
Last week he spent Several days will
Mrs. Mertie Reese and family anc
Harriet Krohn ana other relative
and friends in Pandora. He left thi
week for New Lyndon, Conn, New
York, Washingtow d. c., and Waldo
Fla. At the lattet place he will visi
Mrs. Effie ParlB Winter and sol
Charles and Mr.. and Mrs. Ed Parke
| all well known inSPandora.
This community was we'll repre-
sented at the Achievement Day o
the Home Demonstration Clubs o
Allen County held in the Methods
church in Beaverdam last Friday
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06
REAL ESTATE DEALS

The following real estate trans
actions were reported during the past
week by the office of the Allen
county recorder.
Bluffton: Emery and Lavitta
Strunk to Lydia Gratz, lot sos and
566, Kraft-Romey Addition, tax
$1.10; Helen R. Stratton, administra-
trix, to Helen r. Station, undivided
half interest, lots p and 244 Vance's
Addition, tax $4.4g
Richland Township: Clarence L.
and Laura Dorothy Moser to Marvin
M. and Bernita Z. Miller, 1894 acres,
Section %, tax $500. Loyal D. and
Sarah M. EveStt to William E. and
Gertrude M. Iong, acres, Section
20, tax $1.10.
Salt will help to remove fish odors
from the hands and dishes.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06
SeUen From BLufftOn
At ChiLiicOthe Event

Seven membersfof the Wayne w.
Daley Chapter, Blue Star Mothers
of Bluffton joired group from the
Lima Chapter Hast Sunday to motor
to the Veterafs' Hospital near Chill
licothe wherefthey participated in the
Hospital Dag parade.
Representing Bluffton in the long
parade which stretched over two
mile course were Mrs. Clara Burk-
holder, Golda Weiss, Mary Frick,
Esma Bronson, Bertha Oberly, Eva
Kohl and Rhea Amstutz.
The hospital grounds at Chillicothe
is the site Of the former Camp Sher-
man of World War /.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06

Mrs. RAlphmsryhsl, a member of
the Richland Twp. Club was installed
as. Count ty Prebiderh at the morning
seIsion.7 I
MI And Mfs. Isaac Neuenschwand-
VI and chiIafen John and Susan were
Sunday afternoon guests in the home
of Mr.. and Mrs. Hiram Neuensch-
wander in Bluffton.
Mrs. Donald Anderson was re-
admitted to Memorial Hospital in
Lima after spending several days at
home.
A meeting of ting Presbyterian
Missionary Society viii be held in the
home of Mrs. Harold Marshall We'd
nesday afternoon of next week. The
program: Devotiqns, "a Happy
Church., Mrs. John Burkholder;
Study Book, within These Borders,
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06
Vesper Choir Plans
4-StOp Weekend Tour

The Bluffton College, \Vesper Choir,
making a short weekend tour, will
appear Friday evening at the First
Mennonite Church in Wadsworth,
sing in Galton Saturday evening and
in Sugar Creek and Smithville on
Sunday morning al id afternoon
respectively.
The choir, accompanied by its di-
rector, Prof. Russell A. Lantz, will
also appear on the Monday noon
program of THE Lima Rotary club.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1954-05-06

will make their hol lne with the brides
parents until Mt. Billings enters
service in the armt.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-10-22
cAlIFoRNiANS CONCLUDE
DELIGHTFUL VISIT
TO TWIN CITIES

Concluding an enjoyable ten
day visit, Mr. and Mrs. Acie Lee OF
Berkeley, Calf, houseguests of
their aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs.
James Williams, S26 Rondo Av.,
left by motor for their home on
Thursday. October Il.
On Wednesday evening, October
10, Mr. Chester Oden. was host at
dinner in the Waikiki Room of the
Hotel Nicollet, Minneapolis in
honor of Mr.. and Mrs Lee. Other
guests were Mr.. and Mrs. James
Williams and Mrs. Rosa Price.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lee were the re-
cipients of numerous social cour-
tesies during their short stay. A
mong some of the hosts were Mr..
and Mrs. George Crooks Jr., Mr..
and Mrs. Lyman Myers. Mrs. Irene
Jackman and Mr.. and Mrs. Leon
Smith.
Gifts were presented by the
Mines. Leila DeBerry. Lizzie Clark
Clark. Carrie Green, Florence
Fletcher, Mae Edwards, Marie
Sykes. and Mabel Milan.
Enroute the motorists plan to
stop in Denver, Colo, to visit a
cousin of Mrs. Lees.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-10-22

oDr Club; Mr.. and Mrs. Fred
Gales, 2sIs Fifth Av, s, win be
hostess to the oDT club on satur-
day evening, October 80.
"Wednesday Matinee Club; Mrs.
Ida Taylor, 526 Emerson Az. NJ,
was hostess 10 the Wednesday
Matinee club on October Is. Two
new members were welcomed in
10 the club. They are Mrs. Cleota
Grigsby and Mrs Mary Huggar.
After a short business meeting. a
delicious lunch was served at
which time Mrs. Bertha johnson
was honored with beautiful
birthday cake, She received many
lovely gifts and cards from the
members, The next meeting viii
be at the home OF the president,
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-10-22
Elizabeth covinsfons
Little Friends Enjoy
Her Birfhdoy porfy

The home OF Mr.. and Mrs. Ro-
bert Covington, 1904 Clinton Av.
was the scene OF merriment and
gaiety ON Saturday. October l6,
when they gave party in honor
OF their daughter, Elizabeth Jeans
sixth birthday.
Between the hours of three and
five o'clock. fifteen of Elizabeth
Jeans little friends and play
mates were on hand to wish her
happy birthday and join in the
various games played Prizes were
awarded TO winners Of the games.
Each guest was presented cap,
balloon and noisemakers by the
hostess.
The blue and white color scheme
carried out In decorations added
10 the beauty of the setting, A
highlight OF the gala party was
hiAN bii NAihaN tNaNN iiiaht AA eAic
shape OF an open book, Inscribed
on one page was Happy Birth
day" and on the opposite, Betty
Jean" with three candles at the
top OF each page,
The many beautiful and useful
gifts received by the little honoree
were opened 20 the delight of her
guests, Ice cream, cake and punch
served by the hostess ended the
happy afternoon for the children
Those helping In the celebra,
ton were Deborah and Gretchen
Wallace, Beverly and Warren Ar,
thur Lee, Novilla Clack, william
Wade Jr., Theodore Lockett, De
borsh and Gregory Miller. Can
nandra Lee. James and Robert
Morrie. Audrey walker and Jose
lyn Jones
Mrs. Covington supervised IN,
games.