Soldier News continued, 1944

1st Lt Donald Patchen Receives Citations

Bainbridge News & Republican, September 7, 1944

1st Lt. Donald J. Patchen

 

Mrs. Earle V. Benedict, of R.D. 3 Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], has received the following letter from the War Department announcing that the Air Medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters have been awarded to her son, 1st Lieut. Donald J. Patchen, Air Corps, now a prisoner of war in Germany.

 

My Dear Mrs. Benedict:

I have the honor to inform you that, by direction of the President, the Air Medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters, representing two additional awards of the same decoration, have been awarded to your son, First Lieutenant, then Second Lieutenant, Donald J. Patchen, Air Corps.  The citations are as follows:

 

Air Medal

"For meritorious service in aerial flight in the completion of 10 operational sorties, or the equivalent thereof, over enemy occupied Continental Europe."

 

Two Oak Leaf Clusters to Air Medal

"For exceptionally meritorious service in aerial flight over enemy occupied Continental Europe.  The courage, coolness and skill displayed by this officer reflects great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States."

 

Since these awards cannot be formally presented to your son at this time, the decorations will be presented to you.  The Air Medal and Oak Leaf Clusters will be forwarded to the Commanding General, Second Service Command, Governeurs Island, New York, who will select an officer to make the presentation.  The officer selected will communicate with you concerning your wishes in the matter.

Sincerely yours,

J.A. Ulio,

Major General, The Adjutant General

 

Lt. Howard Archer, Jr. Wounded in Action

 

Lieut. Howard L. Archer, Jr., son of Lieut. Col. and Mrs. Howard L. Archer, of Walton [Delaware Co., NY], was seriously wounded in action on Saipan on June 23, according to word received by his family.  Now recovering from his wounds in a hospital in the Hawaiian Islands, Lieutenant Archer sustained a broken shoulder and left arm, a shrapnel wound in his hip and shrapnel wounds in both ankles.  Colonel Archer, the lieutenant's father, is serving on New Britain Island with another division to which he was transferred from the 27th.  Lieutenant Archer's wife, Lieut. Rubye Archer, formerly of Bedford, Va., is a member of the Army Nurse Corps, assigned to the hospital in which her husband is confined.  They were married in Honolulu on Nov. 4 , 1942. [Bainbridge News & Republican, Sept. 7, 1944]

 

Lieut. Howard Archer, son of Col. and Mrs.  Howard L. Archer, who was wounded in action in the southwest Pacific battle zone, has returned to his mother's home to recuperate.  He was wounded at Saipan and hospitalized in  Hawaii before being returned to this country.  A sergeant in old Co. F. New York State National Guard at the time the company left four years ago for basic training at Fort McClellan, Ala., under the command of his father, Capt. Howard L. Archer, who since that time has been promoted to the rank of colonel. Stationed for some time in the Hawaiian Islands, he was engaged in combat missions.  [Binghamton Press, Oct. 26, 1944]

 

Pfc. John Moran Killed in Action

Bainbridge News & Republican, September 7, 1944

 

Pfc. John Moran, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Moran of Hancock, was reported by a government telegram sent to his wife, Mrs. Edith Moran, to have been killed in action on Aug. 12.  Mr. Moran would have been 31 on Sept. 25.  In April, 1931, he and Edith Weber were united in marriage by the Rev. Father O'Connor, of the Deposit R.C. Church. They have two children, a son, Donald, and a daughter, Dolores Marie.  He is the first Hancock man to be killed in action overseas.

 

Marion Doi is WAC Specialist

Bainbridge News & Republican, Sept. 7, 1944

 

"Yes people are curious and ask me a lot of questions, but they don't bother me much when they realize that I have no sympathy for Japan," said American-born Japanese WAC Private Marion S. Doi, of Sidney [Delaware Co., NY], when she reported at Atlantic City, NJ., for assignment.  "I suppose their curiosity is natural," continued the private, who has just completed the specialists' course at the WAC statistical Control school in Orlando, Fla.  Reporting at Atlantic City for her first U.S. Army assignment in the Personnel Distribution Command Statistical Control Division, she said the anger and resentment which she felt when she read about Pearl Harbor left me speechless with rage.  'It also inspired me with an urge to do my utmost in the war effort," she said.  Unable to attend college, and study medicine, she went to work in the Scintilla Magneto Division of the Bendix Aviation Corp. in Sidney as a clerical worker and continued working there until she enlisted.  She received her basic training at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., where she was a member of the 1st Co. in the 21st Regiment, and subsequently completed the specialists' course at Orlando, Fla.  "I know I'm going to like it here," commented Private Doi, who parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Doi, reside at 49 Riverside, Sidney, "for I've made more friends since I've joined the WAC than I've ever had in my life!  Besides, the WAC uniform symbolizes everything I believe in, and will show people how glad I feel when I read about American victories in the Pacific."

 

Lt. Myron Carl Member of Combat Team

Bainbridge News & Republican, September 14, 1944

 

 

 

All American combat team ready for action.  Lt. Myron L. Carl, (extreme right, back row), bombardier on a B-24 Liberator bomber is shown with the other members of his crew after completion of combat training with the Second Air Force at Gowen Field, Idaho.  Lt. Carl is the son of Isaac L. Carl, Route 1, Afton, and was graduated from Cornell University prior to his entry into the armed forces, Lt. Carl's engagement to Miss Jean Rainey, of Honesdale, Pa., was recently announced.