Headlines From History
PART OF A SERIES
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the next article in a series where Rush looks at 100-plus years of Greene County news, from stories that were published in the Democrat Messenger, the Greene County Messenger and other local news publications. In this installment, Rush looks at the headlines and news stories that were reported 70 years ago this month, in September 1943.)
Even with a war in progress, the duties of ordinary Americans continued. On Sept. 16, 1943, the Civil Service conducted a 45-minute air raid drill between 2:25 and 3:10 pm. The starring feature ‘The Ox Bow Incident’ was playing at the Opera House, a true classic featuring Henry Fonda and Anthony Quinn. Buses were running regularly between Waynesburg, Jefferson, Carmichaels and elsewhere in Greene County twice a day.
The Waynesburg “Little Jackets,” now Raiders, played their first game under lights against Burgettstown on Sept. 16, 1943 in front of 3,000 fans. Capacity was reported to be 1,200 at College Field in Waynesburg. Defense was the call this night as both teams battled to a draw with Burgettstown fumbling twice and being intercepted twice to Waynesburg’s one fumble and interception each. Both teams gained only less than 200 yards total. The final score ended at a 0-0 tie.
On the war front, the Battle at Salerno was near its end as forces were driving deeper from the Italian Coast. As a military spokesman at the time reported, “the situation is a little more in our favor.” American forces (45th and 36th Divisions) had landed at Salerno on Sept. 9 with other allied units and began a fierce battle with German forces. The German forces held the line and counterattacked repeatedly before being told to withdraw in the evening of Sept. 19 and in the morning of Sept. 20. In all, the allies suffered 12,000 casualties in the battle.
The Salamaua-Lae campaign, which was a part of the larger New Guinea campaign, came to an end with the capture of Lae on Sept.16, while another hard fought battle resulted in another allied victory on Sept. 16 in the even bigger and longer campaign for New Guinea, which had been going on since the start of the war.
In the air, American Bombers were flying deeper into Germany usually without escort part of the way for the more deeper targets. U.S. B17’s and the newer B24’s were wreaking havoc on Germany, which was only to grow worse in November when the newer P51’s would start to escort the bombers from start to finish.
While the battle raged, the family of Pvt. Mike Plock, 23 of Mather, who had been serving with the American army at Salerno, had been taken prisoner and was “safe” with German forces, according to a telegram sent from the war department through the Red Cross. Ms. Jean Minor of Jefferson enlisted in the Navy WAVES; she was a 1939 graduate of Jefferson High School and a 1943 graduate of Waynesburg College.
In one of those unusual turnarounds only war can make, it was reported that Sgt. Thomas Miles, a Marine serving in the South Pacific, by chance had Sgt. Donald Graham of the U.S. Army Air Forces walk up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder and said “Hello, Tommy.” The two were neighbors who lived on Richhill Street in Waynesburg.
By 1943, rationing had become a normal thing that most lived with. For the most part, there were four classes of stamps – Sugar, Blue, Red and Brown – that were used to purchase various items. This topic will be dealt with in a future article on rationing.
By September 1943, Greene County, as well as the nation, seemed to be adjusting well to the needs and demands of wartime, but all had not yet undergone the full cost and demands of wartime. The war was still for many an abstract thing, but moving in to 1944 the costs would be felt more and closer to home.