Soldier News continued, 1944

Cpl. Harold Forfhee Killed in Line of Duty

Bainbridge News & Republican, November 9, 1944

Cpl. Harold Forfhee, a member of the 506th Parachute Infantry, was killed in line of duty on Saturday, Oct. 7, in Holland, according to an announcement, received from the War Department on Oct. 26.  Cpl. Forfhee had made his home in Unadilla [Otsego Co., NY] for the past four years, residing with his sister, Mrs. Harry McLaughlin.  He entered the service on July 13, 1942, and had been overseas, since August, 1943.

 

Ensign James Fiorina Receives Navy Wings

Bainbridge News & Republican, November 9, 1944

 

Ensign James J. Fiorina

 

The first Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY] boy to receive his wings in the Navy is James J. Fiorina, son of Mr. and Mrs. Link Fiorina, who was commissioned as a fighter pilot Oct. 18 at Corpus Christi, Texas.  Ensign Fiorina entered the service March 3, 1943, when he entered Colgate University.  Later he was transferred to Alfred University.  His pre-flight training took place at Chapel Hill, N.C., primary training at Glenview, Ill., and his advanced training at Corpus Christi.  The young pilot has been spending a leave with his parents.  He also has two brothers in the service, Pvt. Raymond L. Fiorina, of New Guinea, and Ens. Edward F. Fiorina, of the Merchant Marine New Orleans, La.

 

Steward Cudworth is Member of Navy Choir

Bainbridge News & Republican, November 9, 1944

 

Stewart Kirby Cudworth, S 1/C of Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], is a member of the thousand-voice choir which broadcast a special Navy Day program over the NBC coast-to-coast network on Friday, Oct. 27, at 12:30 to 12:45 p.m., C.W.T. from the U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Ill.  The choir is made up of recruits in training at Great Lakes, and includes men of all creeds and nationalities from every part of the country.  The choir sang "Eternal Father Strong to Save," the traditional Navy Hymn; "Beautiful Saviour" with soloist Bluejacket Ed Davies; "To Thee We Sing" and "Hymn to the Nation."  Chief Specialist John Carter, back at Great Lakes after a tour of duty in the Pacific, joined the choir to sing "The Lord's Prayer."  The broadcast was from Ross Auditorium, beautiful chapel-theater at Great Lakes.  The program recalled the days of the first World War when one of the most inspiring sights at Great Lakes was the huge thousand-piece band of Lieutenant Commander John Phillip Sousa parading across Rosa Field.

 

Lt. Myron Carl Arrives in Mediterranean Theatre

Bainbridge News & Republican, November 9, 1944

 

2nd Lt. Myron L. Carl, of R.D. 1, Afton [Chenango Co., NY], bombardier on a B-24 Liberator bomber, has arrived in the Mediterranean Theatre.  He is assigned to a veteran group commanded by Lt. Col. James B. Knapp, San Antonio, Tex.  His group has participated in more than 135 major attacks against such strategic targets as the Munich Railyards, Germany, the Hermann Goering Tank Works, Austria, and other important targets in Austria, Germany, Italy and Hungary.  Before entering the Army on June 15, 1942, Lt. Carl graduated form Cornell University.  He received his commission at Carlsbad, N.M., on May 20, 1944.  His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Carl, live at the Afton address.

 

Tech. Sgt. John N. Hill Tells of Air Fight

Bainbridge News & Republican, November 9, 1944]

 

As the 18 Liberators reached Truk in the Caroline Islands, more than 125 Zeros swarmed on the small group of bombers.  "There were so many Zekes in the sky that all the gunners had to do was keep squeezing the triggers of their guns and a Jap fighter was bound to get hit." recalled Technical Sergeant John N. Hill, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hill, of Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada, who wife, Agnes, lives in Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY]. 

 

"I was operating the right waist gun on this raid which, incidentally, was the longest over water fight our outfit ever made and it was the first time in southwest Pacific aerial warfare that the Japs attacked before the target was reached." said the sergeant at the AAF Redistribution Station, Atlantic City.  "We had come from a base in Munda, in the Solomon group, and were determined to wreck the airfield.  Just as we started our bomb run I got one of the five Nip planes shot down by the gunners on our bomber.  He came in level and made a sweeping curve for the nose.  At 500 yards he tried to break out his sweep to strafe the formation and I nailed him.  Black smoke and fire popped out of his engine and he went into a spin.  I watched him crash and then explode in the water 22,000 feet below," recounted the Dauphin gunner.  "But our troubles were only beginning.  A Zeke got through our curtain of fire and shot out the nose turret and another blasted our number two engine and put a permanent wave in the prop.  "Luckily it kept spinning."  Then suddenly I felt myself being blown off my feet.  A 20 millimeter exploded in front of the waist guns and in turn exploded two oxygen bottles.  The concussion knocked me down and piled another waist gunner on top of me.  The jar raised the tail gunner from his knees right up on his feet.  None of us were injured.  "By this time we were far out over the water and the Japs we hadn't accounted for gave up the fight.  We returned to base with 96 bullet holes in our gas tanks and wings, but we had succeeded in wrecking 66 Zeros on the ground, had shot down 22 and damaged 9 others.  Our outfit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the raid," concluded the gunner.

 

The sergeant entered the service in August, 1942, and was sent overseas in August, 1943.  In addition to the P.U.C. he wears the Air Medal of nine cluster.  A veteran of 55 missions he had been employed by the American Plastics Co., Bainbridge, before entering the service.  His wife, Agnes, lives in Bainbridge.

 

Citizenship Rights Extended to John N. Hill

Bainbridge News & Republican, November 9, 1944

 

United States citizenship rights have been granted to approximately 2,500 members of the armed forces fighting in the South and Southwest Pacific areas, according to a recent article in the New York Times.  The article continues:--Among those to whom the oath was administered was John Nelson Hill (Canada), who, when naturalized at Guadalcanal, had completed 30 missions as an aerial gunner, and had taken part in three raids over Truk.  He wore an Air Medal and Four Oak Leaf Clusters.