6A | FROM PAGE ONE The Joplin Globe | Thursday, May 26, 2022

SAILOR
FROM 1 A
brought about by the Great
Depression.
“People (today) will nev-
er know how hard it was
back then,” Issacs said. “It
was hard times.”
Unlike a vast majority
of Americans, Ellsworth
was guaranteed three hot
meals a day while working
as a machinist.
“My God, Ellsworth acts
like he’s living at the Ritz,”
Isaacs said with a chuckle.
“I mean, he goes on and on
about how good the chow
is on the ship and how
great the guys are that he
works with, and there’s
not a critical moment
about the Navy anywhere
in his letters.”
In one letter to his old-
er brother, Richard, he
wrote about the luxurious
living conditions he had
inside the barracks, which
included brass fixtures.
He asked Richard not to
relay any of what he wrote
waves attacked the naval
base and air fields on Oahu.
Their destroyer was one of
the first ships to escape the
harbor and reach open sea.
A ship gunner even man-
aged to destroy a Japanese
bomber with a .50-caliber
Browning machine gun. In
total, the Worden earned
four battle stars during her
World War II service and
participated in the critical
Battle of Midway.
At some point, Isaacs said
— he doesn’t know exactly
when — the two brothers
split up. While Ellsworth
went to back to school to
serve on submarines, Rich-
The USS Triton was a submarine during World War II. ard continued his service
Ellsworth Lines, of Joplin, was on it when it went miss- aboard the Worden.
ing in 1943. COURTESY PHOTO On Jan. 1, 1943, as the
Navy attempted to dislodge
about the Navy to their his uncle replied with a Japanese troops from two
father — “He’ll think I’m shrug — “I wanted to eat.” islands in the Aleutians,
living like a millionaire.” a strong current ran the
Richard would later take BROTHERS IN WAR Worden aground at Am-
the bait and enlist in the For a time, both brothers chitka Island, at the tip of
Navy himself. Years later, wound up serving on the the Aleutians. The impact
Isaacs asked his uncle same ship — a destroyer, broke the ship’s back. The
Richard if he joined the the USS Worden — in late 186-member crew aban-
Navy out of a sense of pa- 1941 at Pearl Harbor. doned ship, plunging into
triotism, considering war The two brothers were the icy waters of the Bering
by then was raging across there Dec. 7, 1941, when 353 Sea.
Europe and in Asia. No, Japanese aircraft in two “Richard went into the
water when they were told
to abandon ship, and he
came within minutes of
dying,” Isaacs said of his
uncle. “He said there was
a rescue boat that came by
him there in the water and
a guy called out his name,
and he later told me, ‘I had
the strength to get my arm
out of the water, and they
dragged me aboard the
boat.’ So he came within
inches of dying out there.”
Fourteen U.S. sailors died
in that event.
Ellsworth, meanwhile,
was by now serving his first
tour aboard the USS Triton,
a submarine with a crew of
73 men. On March 15, 1943,
the sub began stalking and
sinking Japanese ships in
a convoy near the Admi-
ralty Islands. Three enemy
destroyers hunted the sub-
merged Triton for hours.
Soon after, Japanese sailors
on one of the destroyers
saw an oil slick, debris and
items with American mark-
ings bubbling to the ocean’s
surface.
On April 10, naval offi-
cials officially recorded
the Triton as lost. Then
the telegrams went out.
SEEKING ANSWERS
Isaacs’ wife, Pauletta, said
Richard’s experience in the
Bering Sea was part of the
reason Jess wondered about
the fate of his other son,
Ellsworth, after receiving
the telegram.
“On one hand, one of
his sons had survived a
shipwreck, so he couldn’t
understand why his other
son couldn’t survive one,”
she said.
“He couldn’t wrap his
head around it. Why was he
missing? Why couldn’t they
find him? He should have
been off that ship and in the
water somewhere,” Isaacs
said.
“That’s the main reason
why he went to California,”
Pauletta said.
“He was, by God, going
to talk to someone and get
those answers,” Isaacs add-
ed.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Joplin Globe
continues its series on Jess Claude
Lines and his search for information
on his son Friday and concludes it
Saturday.

SUIT
call 911 as they checked
on his condition. It claims
the security video shows
that Roberts-Day was
to Junge Stadium, not the
high school gymnasium.
A school emergency
action plan could have
Local blood center to send
donations to Uvalde, Texas
FROM 1A observed struggling to prevented the death, if it
breathe from 5:02 p.m. un- had been followed, the pe-
security video recorded til almost 5:20 p.m., when tition alleges. The policy,
of the team’s Sept. 4, he sits down with his back according to the petition,
2019, practice, where Rob- against the wall, accompa- requires district staff to
erts-Day and other players nied by Shaw and Carder. call 911 immediately if FROM STAFF REPORTS nity Blood Center of the blood every day. As we en-
ran up and down bleachers Roberts-Day moved to his a student has difficulty news@joplinglobe.com Ozarks, in a statement. “In ter a holiday weekend and
and around a track wear- hands and knees a minute breathing. The policy also addition to our thoughts, the summer season when
ing full pads. The practice later; at 5:26 p.m., he is requires staff to adminis- Community Blood Cen- prayers and condolences, blood donations typically
was held indoors at Joplin seen in the video collaps- ter CPR or use its automat- ter of the Ozarks, the sole CBCO is sending blood decline, we are calling on
High School’s Kaminsky ing, according to the peti- ic external defibrillator supplier of blood products products to assist the all blood donors, especially
Gymnasium because of tion. in the event of cardiac to 44 area health care fa- victims of this senseless those with type O negative
high temperatures. According to the lawsuit, arrest — neither of which cilities, will send blood tragedy. CBCO was able to blood, to help replenish
Roberts’ attorneys in a few of the defendants was done, according to the products to Uvalde, Texas, respond quickly to the re- the local blood supply and
the petition allege that spoke with Roberts as plaintiff. where a gunman on Tues- gion’s call for help through be prepared for any other
staff members knew about her son struggled but did Roberts-Day’s death was day shot and killed 19 chil- our partnership with Blood emergency that might
Roberts-Day’s asthma not call 911. Roberts had used as a rallying point for dren and two adults at an Emergency Readiness arise.”
and watched Roberts-Day asked the coaches to call the team during the 2019 elementary school. Corps and the support of People can find a blood
struggle to breathe for 26 an ambulance during one season as it clinched its The Springfield-based our valued blood donors drive and make an appoint-
minutes during a condi- of those calls, according to first Central Ozark Con- center, which supplies here in the Ozarks.” ment at www.cbco.org/
tioning exercise, waiting the petition. ference title and played its both Freeman Health Sys- Officials with the blood donate-blood.
to call 911 only after he be- Attorneys also allege way to the state champi- tem and Mercy Hospital center said their ability to
came unconscious and was the team members did not onship game. Members of Joplin, is a partner in the respond so quickly is be-
not breathing. let emergency workers the community also helped Blood Emergency Readi- cause of area donors who
The petition alleges know about Roberts-Day raise funds to support the ness Corps, a network of gave blood in recent days
several of the defendants not breathing until after team and Roberts-Day’s community blood centers and weeks.
seen in the video attending they were already on the twin brother, Kaian Rob- established to be prepared “Your donations made it
to Roberts-Day pulled out scene — a process delayed erts-Day, who also played for mass-transfusion emer- possible for us to answer
mobile phones but did not by responders going first for the team. gencies. the call when it came,”
“We are deeply saddened said Michelle Teter, media It’s your world, we deliver it.
by the horrific events that relations representative,

TEAM
and use critical thinking — and I push myself harder unfolded on Tuesday at in a statement. “We always
all of which are necessary than anyone else does. But Robb Elementary School want to stand ready for not Have a news tip?
skills the older you get. A I’ve always been afraid to in Uvalde, Texas,” said only emergency situations,
big thing to note is to enjoy fail. I doubt myself. I always Anthony Roberts, execu- but also for our patients Call us at 623-3480
FROM 1A your time as a kid in school. felt the need to get teacher tive director of Commu- who depend on lifesaving
There is no rush for grow- approval to make sure I was
In addition to both of ing up. Those four years of right.
these qualities, Mrs. Russell high school really do pass Mrs. Friel was my AP
is a servant leader of excel- in the blink of an eye. Enjoy biology teacher last year.
lent caliber. She is known the learning, growing and Advanced Placement cours-
for her work ethic within changing. es are very challenging
student council and outside • INSPIRING EDUCATOR: My and difficult, so of course
of it. She is the pillar hold- current biology teacher, I doubted
ing it together. Despite the Mrs. Langmaid, is a very myself quite
time she commits to her inspiring person in my life. a bit during
classes and other responsi- Biology has always been an this class,
bilities, she is a kind friend interest of mine, and her with the fear
to all the other teachers in well-rounded knowledge on of possibly
the school, and regardless the subject helps me explore failing send-
of what she is working on, the variety of topics in biol- ing my anxi-
she has time to stop and of- ogy as well as in the entire ety through
fer a listening ear. scientific field. Any ques- Maggie the roof.
tion I may have that she Brown Every time
LIBBIE YOST does not have the answer to, I doubted
• PARENTS: Matthew Plum- she will go and find it. She is myself or my abilities, Mrs.
mer and Tina Stafford. a very hardworking individ- Friel would remind me how
• SCHOOL: Neosho High ual and aims to help others I am capable and smart, to
School. in their learning while con- trust myself because she
• PLANNED CAREER FIELD: tinuing to do so herself. She did. Mrs. Friel pushed me
Health services. has gone through several to take risks, to find the an-
• LONG-RANGE GOALS: I plan to years of schooling, and they swers on my own and to be
build a future where I can all led her to teaching. OK if I’m wrong.
be of service to others. I as- She is a passionate educa- At the end of the year,
pire to be a role model and tor, and I aspire to have her Mrs. Friel wrote notes of
teacher of healthy habits. determination and curios- encouragement to us. In
My long-range goals include ity in the science field. She mine, she wrote, “Remem-
working with others and is also a very kind and in- ber to be confident in your
their mental and physical telligent person, and I see a answers, even if it costs you
health by educating them lot of myself in her. She has a point or two. You learn a
on the im- shown me just how much lot from making a few mis-
portance the science field is the one takes every now and then.”
of taking I want to pursue. Whether I try to continue to take this
care of their biology, psychology, both or message to heart every day.
body. I also another topic, her encour-
would like agement, my passion for ANDREW WATKINS
to possibly science and people, and the • PARENTS: Cindy Watkins
own my own lessons she has taught me, and Mark Watkins.
business, and not just school-related, will • SCHOOL: McDonald
Libbie regardless of lead me on my journey to County High
Yost the specific help others. School.
occupation I • PLANNED
choose, I plan on pursuing MAGGIE BROWN CAREER FIELD:
my passions to feel fulfilled • PARENTS: Jeremy and Te- Starting a
throughout my life. resa Brown. business.
• ADVICE TO FRESHMEN FOR • SCHOOL: Carl Junction • LONG-RANGE
ACADEMIC SUCCESS: Advice for High School. GOALS: I hope
freshmen can be redundant, • PLANNED CAREER FIELD: Mar- to build some-
but some of the things I keting. Andrew thing big
know are important now • LONG-RANGE GOALS: I hope Watkins enough with
that I did not as a freshman to have a career I am pas- my life to be
are as follows. You should sionate for. I also want to be able to make a real differ-
definitely get involved in a reflection of God’s love, ence in the world.
something. It is worth it compassion, generosity and • ADVICE TO FRESHMEN FOR ACA-
to form relationships with forgiveness. DEMIC SUCCESS: Don’t take the
your teachers, staff and • ADVICE TO FRESHMEN FOR easy route; the more you do,
administration, and do your ACADEMIC SUCCESS: Make good the harder it becomes to do
work the day it is assigned. study habits from the start, anything else.
The best advice I could and that includes having a • INSPIRING EDUCATOR: Mrs.

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give is to find purpose in balance of schoolwork and Herbert is an educator that
learning. You will have to fun. I have done the best has inspired me. She is
continue learning all of when I have had the time to someone who has always
your life. Yes, some school- relax and have fun between
work now can feel pointless, schoolwork and studying.
believed in my potential.
I believe this is a very im- Call 417-782-2626 or
but you are learning more • INSPIRING EDUCATOR: I’ve
than the material, like how always been the kid that
portant role of teachers
because everyone needs email circ@joplinglobe.com
to manage your time, be understands concepts someone who believes in
responsible, problem-solve quickly. I get my work done them.