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♦ FRIDAY/SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10/11, 2006 2C NORRIS From page lA the stereotype warrior, but my career was governed by my intense desire to stay alive to fulfill my obligation, not to create images. “Truth be told, however, in answer to the query about ‘greatest accomplishments,’ I’d have to say that staying alive was it. “That was the result of sheer luck however. The one requiring the greatest skill in accomplishment was piloting the WRAMA com mander around the world twice, in a base assigned aircraft, in support of com mand requirements. “Each area commander,” he explained, “had his own personal aircraft in those days (unofficially of course) and Robins was designated as an airport of entry, with our own customs agents - which came in handy. “I volunteered for service as an aviation cadet after the attack at Pearl Harbor. I had learned the art of flying with local ‘Barn Stormers’, in my late teens and was eager to give the Air Corps my ‘expert’ advice. “I made it through flight school and combat training, met and married my Georgia Peach, La Verne, who quickly put the stamp of Georgia on me, then picked up my air crew and a B-17 aircraft and flew to England to join the Bth Air Force. “My original obligation was 25 combat missions to complete a tour, but it was later upped to 35 mis sions because Gen. (Jimmy) Doolittle thought 25 was being too easily accom plished. “Ironically, I returned 'Day L W'l/etenattb ‘Day A ll? m jffP^° rld War I officially ended on June 28. 1919. with the signing of the Treaty of MW Versailles The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour Jm Jm (L Ite eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Armistice Day, as November 11 jgm became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a na- I W tional holiday 12 years later On June 1,1954. the name was changed to Veterans m Day to honor all U S. veterans B ▼ In 1968, new legislation changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to W m the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 ▼ ▼ was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date. <\ A mk - Larry O’Neal and f amiltj FAIRFIELD FINANCIAL Sal from my first mission with 73 holes in the wings and fuselage of the aircraft from enemy fire, but no fatalities. On one mission, 60 four engine aircraft were lost with 10 men aboard each one; 600 men on one raid. In the end, more than 28,000 men in the Bth Air Force lost heir lives. Yet, the one thing that bothered me the most was the night time activ ity, when the generators that supplied power to the air craft being readied for the next mission, droned on and on with their incessant beat, preventing needed sleep and reminding me that I had an early 4 a.m. briefing for that mission. “After I returned from Europe, I was assigned back to Germany to participate in the Berlin Airlift, trans porting fuel and food to the citizens there. When that was completed, I opted for the Strategic Air Command in Georgia, in deference to family location desires. From there it was but a short hop to Korea to engage in fur ther transportation require ments. “After a tour in Korea I was assigned, with my fam ily, to the Air Sea Rescue Wing in the Philippines, fly ing amphibian aircraft on rescue missions through out the pacific area. After a three-year obligation there was fulfilled, we were sent to the Air Materiel Command Headquarters in Ohio for a two-year stint, before moving on to WRAMA Headquarters at Robins AFB, where I served as the administrative assistant and personal pilot for the com manding general. “At the time, Robins had material support responsi bilities for world wide opera tions, plus down-range main- TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS Official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day center around the Tomb of the Unknowns. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil. At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard represent ing all military services executes "Present Arms" at the tomb. The nation's tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath ana the play ing of “Taps.” HOME LOANS Best Rates Available Purchase or Refinance * HOME EQUITY LOANS AVAILABLE * CONSOLIDATE BILLS * PAY OFF CREDIT CARD DEBT - SLOW CREDIT OK Call Wallace Martin 953-7400 tenance for the space pro gram. At the end of the six years, we were reassigned to NATO South Headquarters in Naples, Italy where I served as Director of Flight Operations. “From there it was anoth er assignment to England, where it had all started dur ing WWII. After that tour was completed, we came back to Robins to serve my final two years before retirement. My military career covered the foreign countries, England (twice), Germany, the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan and Italy. “After retirement from the military I took a job as captain with the ClA’s, civilian airline, Air America, in Taiwan for three years then went to Saudi Arabia to work for four years. But, that’s another story. “Pretty mundane stuff. I should be writing about the real heroes, the ones who can’t write about their own experiences. And to that end, I’d like to recount such an episode. “On D-Day, 1944,1 had the opportunity to fly a couple of low-level missions in support of our troops attempting to go ashore at Normandy. By low level I mean at 12,000 feet, which is ‘low-level’ to a high altitude bomber pilot. Low enough to distinguish between the activity among the men below me, scram bling out of their landing craft and struggling to reach solid ground, in the face of withering cannon and small arms fire, aimed point blank at them. “Although many of them were still in their teens, they were all “men”! Limp and lifeless bodies were everywhere, entangled with steel barricades and draped See NORRISi, page jC Wesco Security Systems lt/t yfent Owi I'utof-i! /jfe -yfe Burglar alarms Fire S medical systems CCTV • Intercoms • Central vat UL monitoring • Access control Pre-wire specialist SPECIAL WORLD From page lA That was in June of 1942 he joined the Navy. Being in Norfolk, he already knew his way around. In fact, his first stop as a recruit/seaman apprentice was the naval air base there. Cummings’ class of recruits was the last to go through the base there at Norfolk for initial training. His occupa tional skills school was also located near Norfolk. He attended a weapons training school - or gunnery school - at Little Creek, Va. Once training was completed he was almost immediately transferred to Philadelphia where he boarded his first ship, an oil tanker bound for Scotland. The mission, he said, was to safeguard oil being dis tributed to Allied forces. As the armed guard of the Navy he was subsequent ly assigned to a merchant ship. This sea voyage gave him several opportunities ’ see places like Aruba, Curacao and Scotland. “One of the very things I signed for,” he said with the smile of a recruiter - prob ably his. “See the world.” These cruises were long, he said, but action really didn’t commence until he was assigned aboard Landing Ship Tank 177, headed for the North African Theater. This was the begin ning of the end for the Axis forces. From Casablanca and ports beyond the LST 177 transported equip ment, ordnance and troops to the beaches of Palermo, Sicily. Their heavy trans port was the movement of the Army’s 3rd Division to Pny wonderful ■ ipur dedicated m :e to our gfeat V country «r vm A Division of Patten Seed Co Jmcuv* Jj Perry - 478-987-0776 - j Delivery - 1 tg 478-825-7422 fU I l ' I > • I'il"t '’ ' 1+25 Sain Nunn Blvd. Perry , GA ■ Hil * y hum. Kathy Balletto Golden Key Realty Office: 478-929 4444 Cell: 478-335-1239 Carrie Lvnn’s Antiques & Collectibles Givisg A Heartfelt Tbaaks To Oar Military... I’bi Proud To AnAiDßriiMLr W [40723 tWthamM. (Hwnttf Pwry.GA in-M-TIM 641069 Home Of The Free i 7 ~~* Independent Distributor : 1 Elton & Verneaze 4 Tucker 478-923-6187 478-923-4111 B&iL Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee 'mmM the eventual confrontation in the European theater. Cummings was part of the landing at Anzio, an infamous beachhead. “When the LST 177 ran the men into the beach they walked out under heavy fire, but they didn’t get their feet wet, the craft was that close. It was a tough beach to take,” he said with conviction in his voice, con tinuing, ’’This is one of the two battle stars earned by her (the LST 177) during the war.” Cummings saw much more action and rose in rank quickly. As a First Class Petty offi cer, he was acting chief on the LST 1139. This ship took him even farther from home and to the Pacific Theater. For him it was going to be a front row seat to a major Real . M IV* Service... Real Success! S^THANK flrlpYOßt SpE Anna Jackson BE? Office: 599-0300 JH| Cell: 397-0997 • (MR Ky Support Our Troops! STANLEY FURNITURE Complet^h)in^uniishiii^^iuF^9^^ ' 107 Macon Rd., Perry, GA{ 1987-2504 J .40653 Wit SUPPORT OUR MILITARY > PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE!* PS ‘Real Service... ci ‘Real Success! mgk 2292 Moody Rd., Suite 200, Warner Robins, GA 478-599-0300 • www.RSßealtyGA.com KS6I £a*tct 61 i 7Ae 'piec.. Ojf *7 6e Siave Sibil Veterans) me**',- / IMAGE STAFFING 205 Dental Drive,Suite 8 Warner Robins, GA * 478-929-9395 Davis OJt COMPANY WE HONOR , All OF OUR i TROOPS r jffis ALTERNATIVE FIELS - VX7 BIODIESEL , ETHANOI. * 004 Jernigan Street • Perry, GA 478-087-2443 A * whw ilavisnilcompany.roin T f&S ?*s■ ‘thankyou to our troops of yesterday and today... Mall p 1511 Watson &kd. ! Warner Robins. GA l ww I bsfctL- HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL BUFORD CUMMINGS event. The Pacific tour even tually took him to Saipan and Tinian Island where he and Admiral Halsey, USN Commander of the Third Fleet were called upon to be ready to support the next action of the war, had the bombing of Nagasaki or Hiroshima not worked. Per a CinCpoa news release that he maintains in his possession and is dated August 1945: “Powerful Forces of the US Pacific Fleet have been assembling in the waters off the coast of Japan for operations in the forth coming occupation of Japan. The Naval Forces scheduled to enter Japanese waters at the first stages of the naval occupation to Tokyo area of the enemy home island are under the control of Admiral William Halsey ...” See CUMMINGS, page 3C Walker Rhodes Tractor Company God Bless Our Troops 912 Jernigan St., Perry, GA 478-987-1173 www.walkerrhodestractor.com "We Support Our Mllltay" O 13km WffitaSbapflhqp 1203 Sunset Avenue • Perry, Plaza WJk (478)218-2115 Jf Locally OV/ned and Operated By a, Pat Kincaid Tuesday-Friday 8:30-5:30 Saturday 8:30-12:30 rfoanne s mu tiRRY FLORIST CfeteniQ @p t [fcq>eO bin 734 Main Street Perry, GA 31069 478-987-1656 1-800-516-1004 Joanne Wells, Owner 140654 WE ARE PROUD TO SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY HIM ©nergies 14065^ HOMUDf USHITUfIE &more III? N. Ball Street, Perry, GA 4-78-987-tyO 40676 HP 14070! Lo6SM 140702 isp’A Salute $ To All Of Our Heroes braa..