HOME FRONT MONTHLY BULLETIN OF THE ALABAMA STATE DEFENSE COUNCIL
VOLUME I.
General Marshall
Appeals To Ala.
BACKING US UP
_,
Governor For WACs
The care of increasing number of
casualties arriving in the United
States, together with an acute short-
age of nurses and hospital attend-
ants necessitates urgent measures
being taken to recruit and rapidly
train women for service in Army
hospitals, according to General
George Marshall, Chief of Staff of
the United States Army.
General Marshall has telegraphed
Governor Chauncey Sparks that
there is a great need of WACS fo::
training in hospital service. Gov-
ernor Sparks has delegated to Hay-
good Paterson, Director of the Ala-
bama Defense Council 'and Chief of
WAC recruiting in Alabama the job ;
of recruiting women for training
for service in Army hospitals.
Chief Paterson, who has already
contacted district and local recruit-
ing offices wired General Marshall
that he is awaiting his instructions
to go into action; that he can ac-
tivate the program over the entire
State in forty eight hours. In ad-
dition to the Alabama Defense
Council organization which extend~
into every county, Chief Paterson
has contacted Mrs. Arthur Heustess
head of the Women's Auxiliary of
the American Legion in Alabama.
General Marshall's telegram to
(Turn to page 2-column 2)
Legion Auxiliary
Boosts Salvage I lisher of county newspapers, own-
In Lauderdale I
Mrs. Milo S. Long Chairman of
the Lauderdale County Salvage
Committee assisted by members of
the Americ,an Legion Auxiliary and
Post No. 11 collected 27,900 lbs. of
waste paper and a carload of tin
cans in Florence in one day.
The money realized from this
day'S salvage effort was employed
to wire the salvage .depot, install
heating facilities and purchase a
can opener with motor attached
The depot is managed my Mrs. Tom
Gibbons, President of Florence Uni
No. 11, American Legion Auxiliary
and members of the AuxHiary.
Tuesday has been designated as
"Paper Day" in all the Florence
schools and the school hauling the
most paper to the depot on that
day receives a banner. At the end
of the year, the school that has
had the banner for the greatest
number of weeks is given a War
Trophy.
MONTGOMERY, ALA., JANUARY, 1945 NUMBER 8
I I
-Spang Reenactme?t Of C. D.
Law ConsIdered By
Committee
The following special sub-com-
mittee on Emergency Legislation
has been appointed from an Inter-
im Committee of the Legislature to
consider the reenactment of the
Civilian Defense Law:
Senaror Vernon LaFayette St.
John representing Lawrence and
Morgan Counties is a prominent ed-
ucator. A graduate of the Univer-
sity of Alabama, Senator St. John
previously served as State Senator
for the term 1935-39. He was vice
president of the Alabama Education
Association in 1940-41 and as an
ardent Democrat has served on the
National Speakers Bureau.
Senator Jim Smith, Jr., of Colbert
County has gained reputation as a
forward-looking legislator, with a
full realization of his responsibili-
ties to the citizens of the State.
Representative Nonnan W. Harris
of Decatur graduated as L. L. B.
from the University of Virginia and
has been practsing law in his home
town, finding time to represent his
State as member of the Senate 1938-
42. Again he occupies a prominent
I place among the law makers of Ala-
Ibama .
Representative Lonnie G. McPher-
son of Fort Payne is not only well
'known in his own DeKalb County,
o but has taken an active part in
sponsoring and directing State leg-
:islation.
Representative Hunter Golson is
known'throughout the State as pub-
ing the Wetumpka Herald, the Ab-
beville Herald, and the Atmore Ad-
vance. He is a familiar figure in
Spang, Cartoonist of the Montgomery, Ala., Advertiser, in this the Capitol corridors having for-
cartoon interprets the work of the Citizens Service Corps in Mont- merly served in the House of Rep-
gomery. resentatives from 1939-43, and is
Mrs. J. Y. Brame, Director and Mrs. Louis Baker, Executive Sec- conversant with affairs of State.
retary find time in spite of their many regular duties to take care of
the vast volume of clerical work for local welfare organizations,
which because of war conditions are experiencing diffiCUlty in finding
Huntsville Women
sufficient number of volunteers. Untiring Workers
The generous bp of the Corps 'seems to' have the magic qualities
Mrs. D. B. Moose, head of the C.
of the miraculous pitcher. No sooner is it emptied than it is again D. volunteer office in Huntsville and
full, seeming never to lose its capacity for additional work. Mrs. M.ilton Anderson, Chairman of
the Citizens Service Corps, like the
proverbial busy bees have many
C. D. Policemen Clothing Drives shining hours to their credit. These
women staged and directed two suc-
The City of Sylacauga, Alabam'!. Support your various drives for cessful welfare-warfare drives and
boasts that 2 of its very best police- clothing as there has been a num- a Red Cross Drive. They are al-
men are men trained as auxiliary ber of requests from British Relief. ready making preparation for the
policemen in the Civilian Defens Russian Relief and China Relief for next Red Cross Drive. Under their
program. C. D. policemen and fire- clothing of all types as these coun- earnest leadership, the entire com-
men have been recognized through- tries have not been manufacturing munity has participated whole-
out the country as a most efficien wearing apptrel and there are many heartedly in the Civilian Defense
and praiseworthy group. I destitute cases. program.
PAGE TWO THE HOME FRONT JANUARY, 1945

Sheffield Citi'zens .Alabama Lab~r Supply Committee . CItizens Service

Win Service Bars' , . Meets To Discuss Imminent Problems Stressed By Chief
~or Fine Effort Carl Griffin, Chief of War Ser-
Vices, Alabama State Defense Coun-
As a recognition of unselfish and cil is reminding Directors of Citi-
untiJ:mg_service,~Jack J. Caruthers;._ zens Service COl;PS- that much work
Commander of the Sheffield, Ala. - needs to be done in the field. ,of
,Citizens Def"ense-Cor.ps .has 'awardeli citizens service, which -is being en-
Service. Bars to L19Yd S. Carter, larged daily by th~ returning ser..
Frank 'L. BarClay:' 'Charles Ruggles, vicemen and servIcewomen.
Miss June Caruthers, Miss Sarah Mr. Griffin is spending consider-
Hughes, E. Harris Ross, W. Burt ',- ble time in the field, making per-
Whitfield, Miss'Cora L. Caruthers, sonal 'contacts with, Service Corps
Miss Lelia Riley, Mrs. A. J. Malis- Directors throughout the State to
pino, G. D. Hampton P. B. Swoopes discuss their proI:llems with them
(col) and William Watkins (col). and assist in setting up committees
Lloyd S. Carter was awarded a to inform and aid the returning
1,000 hour Service Bar. He has par- veterans.
ticipated in the Civilian Defense
program for eighteen months and
is" now serving as' "Chief Air 'Raid Vets Assistance
Warden.
Frank L. Barclay who received the
Program Outlined
1,000 hour' Service Bar is a Zone To Alabamians
Le'ader, who 'started as a Senior
Warden. He zealously attends all REPRESENTATIVES SKETCH
meetings and has taught a Fire NATIONAL, STATE AND
Fighters Course. .LOCAL BENEFITS
Charles 'Ruggles .another winner
or" the 1,000 hour Service Bar is a Outlining the veterans assistance
Senior Warden, who was active program from the national, state
during' the practice blackouts. He and local angle, Capt. George Mur-
made 'all 'signs for the new Salvage rah, chief of the personnel division.
Depot.' . Selective Service, speaking to the
Miss June Caruthers and Miss Rotary Club in' Montgomery, gave
Sarah Hughes were presented with a thumbnail sketch of what Con-
2:000 ,hour' Service Bars for their gress has done p,'uaranteeing the
efforts in behalf of the salvage pro- veteran getting his old job back un-
gram~ .. 'Throughout the summer der the GI bill of rights, of Gov-
they' gathered;' sorted, and baled ernor Sparks' state advisory com-
waste' paper in' the Contest for mittee and of the information ser-
Housewives, a "man-sized" job and vice for veterans it prOVided, and
h'atd 'wo'rk, too. ' also the duties of the county ser-
.E. H'an:is Ross>WhO proudly wears vice officer and the local selective
his 3,000 hour .Service Bar is <;:;uo service boards in "channelling" the
tOdian of. Property. He was special- veterans to the agency through
ly activit during the practice black- which they would receive the proper
outs, the D-Day Program and is assistance.
now helping in. the.salvage progra)n. "With an approximate 12.50G,000
·W. Burt Whitfield has been given men in service now, it will take the
a 3,000 Service ,Bar for uninterrupt- _:iN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MEETING MAN- combined efforts of these variou<;
ed service w!th the $heffieid' Giti- .?OWER PROBLEMS of farm and factory is the State organizations," Captain Murrah
zens. Defense Corps. During the Labor Supply Committee, appointed by Gov. Sparkf. stated, "to prove to those men that
&u~iner he .furn~shed .a truck for The committee, which has waged war on absenteeis!'!~ the American way of living was'
the waste' paper driyes and donated worth fighting for by prOViding op-
arid worked to solve pressing manpower shortages in .portunities for the returnin'1 vet-
the building .for use as a new sal- various fields, is shown above: left to right, lower, Er-
v1J,ge depot.. eran, instead of making of him a
nest L. Marbury, War Man· Jwer chief for Alabama' problem."
.. ·Miss CQra .L. Caruthers has the Frank R. Broadway, head of the Department of Indus-
distinction of:a gold 5,000 hour .ser~ (Turn to page 3-coluilll 2 )
trial relations and committee chairman; P. O. Davis,
vice Bar, -which is the reward. for
continuous and faithful service
Director of Extension; upper, Haygood Paterson, who
Though she serves as clerk for the heads Alabama's Civilian Defense setup; Col. James '.1;'. Scout Troop War
Citizens'·'De:fense' Corps office, her Johnson, Jr., State Selective Service Director; and Van Effort Recognized
dllt~es .are .manifo~d and include Buren Gilbert, D;,rector of Public Safety. (State News-
many activities outside of the rou- photo.) For full cooperation and sunpor';
tine conduct of the office. She of the war effort through Civilian
planned' ·arid." directed the D-Day Defense activities, the Childersburg,
Program;':'assisted with the waste GENERAL MARSHALL These recruit? will be trained fo:' Ala., Boy Scout Troop, has been
paper contests;'lmd played a large assignment to a partic1..lal'ly named presented with a service award.
part· in developiiJ.g the new salvage (Continued from page 1) army hospital including the one lo- This Boy Scout Troop commanded
program.. Her willingness, loyalty, Governor Sparks read: cated in Alabama. While we could by the Rev. M. L. Young has been
and' untii'ing efforts places her in "In the Fall of 1943 I appealed not guarantee that no other as- active' in scrap paper and metal
the front tanks of 'Civilian Defense to the Governors to conduct a cam- signment will ever be given the drives, the sale of War Bonds and
workers.. ' paign for the personnel, the army platoons organized for specific Gen- Stamps and has rendered fine ser-
Miss Leila Riley, Mrs. A. J. Malis- nee(jed in the Women's Army Corps. eral Hospitals, it is our intention vice in every home front activity.
piiio, G. D. Hampton, P. B. Swoopes Now we urgently' need WACS for to make the assignments as perma-
(col)' and William Watkins (col) our sixty general hospitals. nent as possible.
were awarded' 500 hour service bars "Y6ur leadership in recruiting "If you will sponsor such a cam· mation, including arrangements to
for" meritorious' service with .the women for four such platoons will paign, I shall send som~ne to give place the army recruiting service
Sheffield Citizens Service Corps. be .a great service to the Army. your aide all the necessary infor- at your disposal," -
JANUARY, 1945 THE HOME FRONT PAGE THREE

Pintlala School Capt. Paterson

Sponsors Activ~
Defense Program
School (Montgomery County). has
assumed responsibilities and put
int'o operation a program that gives
it first place among participants in
home front activities.
The schools, too are at war, ac-
cording to Dr.' Clarence Dannelly,
Montgomery County Superintendent
of Education, and the Pintlala
The Junior Red Cross of Pintlala
School, which sponsors all student
war activities, since' our c0untry
went to war has sold $100,000 worth
'of War Bonds; collected tons of
waste paper, scrap iron and tin;
made gifts for Veterans Hospital;
and gathered a sUbstantial amount
of clothing for the Russian Relief.
Last year alone, the children of
Pintlala Junior Red Cross estab-
lished for their financial goal in
War Bond DrIves the purchase of
• ObligaHons For 1945 ",'iAnd Staff Win
Many demands will be made on the American people during the
year 1945. Many pbligations will have to be met-obligations to coun-·: Recruiting Title
try, obligations to the men carrying the fight on foreign soil, and, ob- Montgomery's U. S. Army Re-
ligations. to one's self as an individual citizen. Paramount in the latter cruiting Station led all Stations in
category is the obligation, as an individual, to profit by the bitter ex- the States of Alabama, Tennessee,
perience of the last" few weeks, and supplant over-confiqence, com- and Missi!?Sippi, in WAC recruiting
placency and optimism, with the determination that our armed forces . last year.
shall never again experience the harassing fear of a shortage in ma- Capt. J. H. Paterson; Jr., ·com-
teriel. For the customary New Year's resolution to refrain from some manding- officer and his staff .of 28
assistants al'e proud· of the 'fact that
personal indulgence, let us substitute the spirit of determination to con-
hundreds of women from Central
tribute to victory by unstinted service in every activity on the Home and South Alabll,ma are· now wear-
Front.
ing the uniform of the Women's
Army Corps as the result of their
The announcement by Chairman Krug that WPB is opera,ting'
effortS..
on the theory of an indefinite period of war with Germany, sho~ld be To establish its record, the Mont-
accepted by every citizen who has left the production lines as a. i.han- gomery office competed with re-
date to· return to his or her post. . .
cruiting stations in . Birmingham,
Memphis, Nashville, Tenn., and
Salvage drives will have to be acceyerated. The shortage<:6f. tin Jackson, Miss.
and paper continues. In every home, office and plant extreme care The .year 1945 will present Ala-
should be exercised to prevent the waste of these commodities. bama's capital city station with the
more difficult job ' of recruiting
The drastic rationing of processed foods and meats, just announc- mainly for women to train. or ·serve
ed by OPA, must bB accepted as an indication that there is a long and in specialized fields of medical tech J

a jeep, but they so Iar surpassed
the amount that their sales total-
ling $12,395,95 bought 10 jeeps.
Enough of the pupils are bond 0:
stamp purchasers to give the school
the right to fly the "school-at-war"
flag.
In 1943-44 the Pintlala School
won a plaque for being the first.
school to enroll its students 100 pe.
cent in the Junior Red dross.
Victory Gardens flourish in this
district and families of the' school
children pJanting them have real-
ized considerable profit from this
activity.
Mrs. Mary McLean Whit-, wh-·
has served the organization as
teacher-sponsor since its beginning
has never failed to attend a meet-
ing during the three years of its
existence.
Jack Hornady of the Nin~h Grad:;)
h -.S directed all stamp and bond
s·des.
Pintlala Junior Red .Cross offi-
C81'S this year are Jean Davis, Von-
cile Pettus, Edward Cook, and Wal
don Hall. Rae Ve11abl:, Pr8sid:n
of the Pintlala Gil:ls 4-H Club is
bitter fight ahead for 19411.. We can contribute a civilian's share to nology, but Capt. Paterson feels cer-
victory by conserving food and discountenancing black markets. tain his recruiters will be able to
meet the cl;1allenge.· "The job ahead.
There will be War Lo~n Drives during the year. As with previous of us is a big one," he declares, "and
War Loans the issues offered must quickly be over-subscribed in the it will become bigger as our battle
spirit of patriotism. casualties. increase and more women
are' needed to work in Army hos-'
Since Pearl Harbor Civilian Defense has been diligent and vigilant pitals, but the success we have had
in every Home-Front activity. Its. members' have contributed to the in the first few days of. 1945 has
success of War Loan Drives, Salvage campaigns, and its auxiliary fire- encouraged us greatly until· we feel
men and policemen have responded promptly and served unstintedly .confident we can continue to enlist
.n emergencies. our share of WAGs each month."
The current recruiting campaign
Civilian Defense, dedicated to service on the Home Front, will is de~igned to obtain for service in
meet its obligations during 1945.-From Civilian Front. the . WAC women who either are'
already trained or desire to receive,
trai:ning in specialized jobs i,ri the,
field of medical technology.. Women
VETS ASSISTANCE
7th War Loan Drive' tl:aihed in varidus clerical cap:lcitie>
also are being sought for enlis':-.
(Continued from page 2)
Washington, - The Seventh War me.nt. Complete information con-
President A. Sidney Coleman sub- Loan has been tentatively set for cerning enlistment either for ,ser-
stantiated Captain Murrah's state- the latter part of Mayor the. first vice in the field of Illedical tech-
ment by saying that the Rotarian of June, the Treasury Department nc10gy or for duties,.of a cl~rical. na-
was doing all he could to create op- has revealed. ture may be obtained by visiting,
portunities for returning veterans, • Probable Slogan of the drive is, writing or telephoning the U. S.
but declared that as a club the or- '''Guns or Lives?" Army'Recruiting Station, 308 Bell'
Building,' Montgomery, or·tue U Sf
ganization had indicated that it
might undertake "something" more Army Recruiting Sub~Station, 135
worthwhile.
U. S. Armed Forces New Custom House. Mobile.
~ ~

Total 11,900,OOQ
I" '

the capable reporter. Col. Chalmers Speaks , .

Other active leaders are alsJ
members of the 4-H Club. Among
them are: Jeln Davis. s;;cretalY vi
the Defense Cou,1ci, and song lead-
er of the 4-H. Club;. Rebecca Hat-
field, 4-H reporter; Edward Cook
rcpo-rter for the boys' 4-H Club,
who is in charge of collections of
stamps and bonds for the scho:;l;
Jean Stubbs, secretary of the Girls'
4-H Club and also secretary of
the Montgomery County Council of
4-H Clubs; Paula Mills, 4-H vice-
president; Waldon Hall" anothe~
collector of stamps and. bonlis for
the school; Voncile Pettus, repre-
sentative to the Red Cross Council
meetings in' Montgomery; Diwid
Dean, president of the Boys' 4-H
Club; William Nolan, secretary-
treasurer of the Boys' 4-H ClUb; and
Lural Greer, songleader.
Col. Franklin S. Chalmers, region-
al Veterans' Federal Employment
representative of the Fifth U. S:
Civil Service Regional Office, At-
lanta, addressed the general public
at 8 o'clock Wednesday night at the
City Auditorium. All recent legis-
lation affecting vet"ntns, including
the Veterans' Preference' Act of 1941
and the G. I. Bill of Rights was dis-
cussed and the part the Federal
Government plays in the adminis-
tration of them was explained.
Col. Chalmers has recently been
retired from the infantry and has
se,rved overseas in both World War
I and World War II.
Lowell J. Black, business manager
of the War Manpower Commission
in Alabama, introduced Col. Chal-
mers on behalf of Montgomery Pos;
No. 2 of the American Legion.
Washington. - The armed forces
Wyoming Reports
of the United States now number 17,935 Assigned
11,900,000. Of that number 8,100,-
000 are in the Army; the remain- Cheyenne, Wyo. ' - Nearly 20,000
der in the Navy, Marines ana CoastWyoming citizens volunteered for
Guard. civilian defense aCtivities 1n the
1943-44 biennium, and 17,935 were
T~e fig'utes are as of November 1
1944, and were compiled for us~ inassigned to specific duties' in vari-
a report to the Senate by War Mo- ous '~ranches according to. the 're-
bilization Di,rector Byrnes. They port' of' the State Council' pf De-
were cited in emphasizing the "re-fense just submitted to Governor
Lester e. 'Hunt' by George O. H::u-
markable job in mobilization" since
8'e1', exe'cutive director.
1940, when the military strength of
the country was 700,000 in all Registrations in the various di-
branches. The 11,900,000 is a _netvisions included citizens defense:
corps; 9,20'1'; citizens' service": corps,
figure after giving effect to, 1,500,-
000 discharged and killed'. 7;422'; civil air patrol,' 34;' aircraft
warning service 132 'and forest fire·
"It's not enough to buy oonds fighters service 1;143.
However high we heap 'em; The State has 75 Incal defense
We've wasted your and my 'bonds councils serving 72.3 per cent of the
Unless when bought we keep 'em." Wyoming population. '
PAGE FOUR
State Council
Encourages Use Of
Enriched Products
Mrs. Mary Carolyn Young, Execu·
tive Secretary of· ·the Alabama Nu-
trition Council in her New Year
letter to County Council Chairmen
advised that many County Councils
are starting the year off ·with work
on the enrichment program.
Mrs. Young explained that the
national enrichment regulation of
white flour and bread is effective
in wartime only and does not pro-
vide for the enrichment of degerm-
inated corn meal and grits but that
the Alabama Law which goes into
effect February 1, 1945 requires the
enrichment of degerminated corn
meal and grits as well as white
bread and flour.
The State Department of Agricul-
ture and Industries is designated as
the agency to enforce this law.
Since the Alabama State Nutri-
tion Council sponsored this law, it
is calling on the county councils to
aid in its enforcement by contact-
ing State Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, stressing the importance of en-
forcement; by getting stores to sell
enriched products; and by encour-
aging the public to ask for enrich-
ed products.
Aux-Volunteers
Denver, Col. -Robret E. Harvey,
director .of the Denver Defense
Council announced that 571 badges
have been presented to the auxil-
iary firemen and policemen of Den-
ver. The badges cost approximately
$600, and were purchased with funds
subscribed by Denver citizens inter-
ested in defense work. Auxiliary
police~en received 375 badges; 196
went to the firemen.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the
sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amidst the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset
glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we
lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch. Be yours to hold it
high! .
. If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies
grow
In Flanders fields.
By Lt. Col. John D. McCrae.
(Written during the second bat-
tle of Ypres, April 15, 1915. The
author, whose home was in Mon-
treal, Quebec, Canada, was killed
on duty in Flanders, January 28,
1918.)
HOMKERONT
JUDGE DEESE
Citize-n Of Month
Gains First Place
For County 'In
State War Chest
Frank O. Deese, for the past ten
years has served as Probate Judge
of Dale County. Born and reared in
Dale, he has taken an active part
in the life of the county and is
known far and wide for h:s civic
and philanthropic activities.
War Chest Chairman
For three years Judge Deese has
served as Chairman of the Dale
County War Chest Fund. Directed
by him, the loyal and patriotic cit-
izens of Dale County have for three
consecutive years mailed a check in
full payment of Dale County's quota
on the first day of the drive.
Judge Deese has used the same
unique plan for raising the county's
quota each year. Because of labor
and gasoline shortages, he decided
to conduct the County War Fund
campaign without the usual com-
mittees and without the usual coun··
ty-wide speech-making tours. For
three weeks prior to the drive, he
publicized it by front-page articles
in the county paper, The Southern
Star, which goes into practically all
the homes of Dale County. In the
first article, Judge Deese explained
the purposes of the War Chest and
appealed to the people of the county
to give it their support. The sec-
ond article explained his method of
making contributions by letter. The
third, published at the time the let-
ters went out over the county, ask-
ed the people receiving the letters
to place their donations in the en-
closed addressed, stamped envelopes
and mail them back promptly.
About four thousand letters were
Placement Clinics Lt. Col. Sheahan
For Handicapped Attends Meeting
The fifth Regional Office of the
U. S. Civil Service Commission and
the State Departments of Vocational
Rehabilitation in the States com-
prising the Fifth Region-Tennes-
see, South Carolina, Georgia, Flor-
ida, and Alabama-have performed
a commendable service in holding
clinics for the placement of the
physically handicapped. The first
ten clinics held in the above men-
tioned states resulted in the place-
ment of 1,500 handicapped workers
in war jobs in which workers were
urgently needed.
Auxiliary Firemen
Auxiliary firemen from five neigh-
boring towns were called December
10 to assist in extinguishing the
fire in the huge auditorium of the
Fox Theatre in Burlington, New
Jersey. Eight hunq.red persons were
evacuated wi);hout casualties.
mailed to the people of the county
and about 55% of these were re-
turned with contributions ranging
from one dollar to three hundred
dollars. The response for each of
these drives was prompt and en-
thusiastic, making it possible to
send check in full settlement to
State Headquarters on the very first
day of each successive drive.
This plan distributed the quota
uniformly among all the people of
the county. No community was
overlooked in the appeal and none
failed to make a generous response.
Judge Deese believes that when a
cause that possesses merit is pre-
sented fairly and truthfully to the
people of Dale County they will re-
spond as a unit, giving as they have
prospered.
The success of the three War
Chest Drives confirms him in this
belief, for each year Dale County
has not only raised its quota, but
has far over-subscribed it.
Letters To Service Men
Judge Deese has had numerous
hobbies during his lifetime, but his
principal hobby is trying to be of
service to the young men and women
from Dale County who are now in
the armed forces of this country.
A columnist of the "Dothan Eagle"
who knows the Judge well talks
about him informally and with the
warmth that such a personality
would inspire:
"Mr. Frank O. Deese is the pro-
bate judge of Dale County and he
is a gifted and eloquent soul, with
a capacity for making friends
quickly and permanently. I visited
him in his office at Ozark for an
hour the other day and I can't pos-
sibly tell you about him in one par-
agraph, so I'm going to stretch ou~
this piece. Judge Deese isn't 40 and
he won't see 60 again but he is as
spry as a Commando and the movies
could use him to portray a typical
Southern geni1eman like no other
man could. Judge Deese has a hob-
JANUARY, 1945
Of Ala. Fieldmen
Lt. Col. Paul R. Sheahan, Indus-
trial Protection Officer of the
Fourth Corps Area of the Army,
Atlanta, Ga., praised the Alabama
Fieldmen's Association for the fine
volunteer service rendered by its
members in the State's War Inspec-
tion Service program.
Colonel Sheahan came to Mont-
gomery to attend a meeting of the
Fieldmen's Association January 12th
in . order to discuss with them the
reinspection of certain plants. This
program, originally carried on by,
Army personnel, has been most sat-
isfactorily handle'd in Alabama by
civilian volunteer inspectors, ac-
cording to Col. Sheahan.
While in Montgomery, Col. Shea-
han visited the State Defense Coun-
cil office to confer with Director
Haygood Paterson and H. B. an-
drews, Chief of Civilian Protection.
by that he started when Dale Coun-
y men and women began going into
the service. He admits it is about
to run away with him, but he's go-
ing to stay with it because it gives
him so much pleasure and means
so much to the Dale County boys
in service. This hobby beats any-
thing I have ever seen, for persist-
ency, consistency and hard work in
keeping it going and for the cheer
it is bringing to Dale boys all over
the world. Judge Deese writes every
serviceman and woman from Dale
County twice a year, on July 4 and
on Christmas, and many of them
more often.
"To do this he had to have the
military addresses of each, and pa-
tiently he has compiled this list
through the assistance of the ser-
vice men and their families. When
a man goes into service the Judge
gets his' name and then communi-
cates with his family to learn his
military address. The family al-
ways responds promptly, answering
on a postcard. The Judge then puts
this address in a special book and
sets up a card in a special index
where the current address will al-
ways be quickly available. Then he
writes this soldier or sailor a letter
and encloses a "Courtesy Card",
signed by the 'Judge of Probate,
Dale County, Alabama, U. S. A.',
saying he would appreciate any
courtesy shown the bearer who is
known 'to be a reliable and reputa-
ble citizen' of Dale County 'and de-
serving of the favorable considera-
tion of all persons whomsoever'.
"And as for giving these cards to
all Dale County servicemen, whether
white or black, Judge Deese ob-
serves: 'so far as I am concerned,
any man or woman from Dale
County who is in uniform helping
win this war is a scholar and a gen-
tleman'. They all want these cards,
he says, and when one is lost he is
promptly asked for another one.
The NegrOeS are especially proud to
have these 'showings'."