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THE 80th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
““ Houston Home foimtal ““
Old Military Companies Have Worthy Successor In Mortar Unit
WADING POOL
A wading pool in the old Arm
ory Grove is a popular splashing
place for Perry small fry in the
Summer.
HOME JOURNAL, PERRY, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1951
I One Os Perry’s Youngest I
UfoMf OWNED I
nUifISL OPERATED I
BUSINESSES
Homa_Ownad and Oparqtnd by
SHERWOOD HARVARD, Owner
Congratulates
Perry’s Oldest Business
THE HOME JOURNAL
On Its 80th Birthday
WE HOPE TO BE HERE AS LONG
Serving The People of Perry and
Houston County With
QUALITY HARDWARE I
HOME & AUTO ACCESSORIES I
PAINTS, FISHING TACKLE, Etc, I
At MODERATE PRICES I
4 912 Carroll St. I
| PERRY, GA. |
■ Here’s
easy hospitality
ke~coid Coke right in the bottle makes
entertaining easy. And so economical.
Shop now at the sign of—
CO. 6 Bonl l C t“ 2SC
"Coto" It a registered trade-mark. Q 1951, Th« Coca-Cola Company
MANY HUGE TRUCKS
As many as 18 huge trailer-
I truck transports have been park
ed at the time around one of Per
ry’s truck stops.
Four-Score Four-Square 1870-1951
FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE, PEACE and PROGRESS
Dan Grant Led
Move For Guard
BY BILLY CLARK
Public Information Rep.
Hvy. Mtr. Co., 121 st. Inf.
Georgia Nat’l. Guard
The present National Guard
unit of Perry, Houston and Peach
counties, Heavy Mortar Com
pany, strives to be a worthy suc
cessor to the old military organi
zations in this area, “Houston
Volunteers,” “Southern Rights
Guards,” “Perry Rifles,” and
others who are recalled in this
special edition.
About 40 years elapsed between
the disbandment of the Perry
Rifles in 1908 and the activation
of Heavy Mortar Company. Dur
ing this time two World Wars
were fought, with Perry and
Houston county giving liberally
of its manpower, though they
had no locally organized unit to
represent home.
Drastic Changes
A'lso during this period the old
militia units gave way to revolu
tionary reorganizations according
to Regular Army standards. In
1916 the federal government join
ed the states in helping support
these home troops who were or
ganized in larger units, had reg
ularly scheduled drills and re
ceived pay—an unheard of prac
tice in the old days.
After World War II National
Guard leaders in Georgia felt
that several new units should be
activated in Middle Georgia.
They felt that Perry would be an
ideal location for a unit because
of its geographical position as an
old established city which (for
merly had crack militia units.
However, they said, it would
be up to the citizens of the com
munity to show that they really
wanted and would support a mil
itary unit.
Grant Was Leader
| Dan L. Grant of Perry, was
I largely responsible for stimulat-
I ing and leading public interest in
I these crucial days—efforts which
[ brought this valuable military
1 and economic unit to Perry.
With Grant, a young veteran
bomber pilot in Europe, leading
the way, others who pressed for
establishment of a unit here in
cluded Judge A. M. (Phil) Ander
son, a former Navy officer; Gard
ner Watson, H. E. Evans and oth
er World War II service men and
citizens.
JUUVWAAMIAAMWWVUWWUWWM
These men saw the need for
well-trained citizen-soldiers who
could help build a peaceful com
munity one day, and the next,
answer his country’s call to mil
itary service in time of peril. The
men of the present unit wish to
express their gratitude to these
public-spirited citizens and oth
ers who have helped to build this
unit in Pex-ry.
Cannon Company Planned
In April 1948 plans were first
made to activate a cannon com
pany as a part of the famous old
121st Infantry Regiment, better
known as the “Grey Bonnet?’
regiment. Capt. D. B. Perdue of
Bonaire was to become company
commander. Several men were
sworn into this company but it
failed to receive federal recog
nation and the men were trans
ferred to Service Co. in Macon.
Capt. Perdue resigned and the
Guard leaders appointed John H.
Houser as the commanding offi
cer. He was a first lieutenant in
the Reserve and an Air Force
veteran bomber pilot in the Pa
cific.
Although Lt. Houser was fed
erally-recognized in August, 1948,
he still had no company to com
mand. This situation continued
until December 1948 when Perry
merchants and 'other prominent
citizens decided to increase sup
port for the unit.
Headquarters Arranged
They made arrangements to
convert the old city garage build
ing on Commerce Street into
temporary headquarters. About
this time the company was re
designed a Heavy Mortar Co. in
stead of/ a Cannon Co.
Heavy Mortar Co. received its
federal recognition on Feb. 11,
1949, with two officers and 22
enlisted men. They were:
Ist. Lt. J. H. Houser, Perry,
C. O.; 2nd Lt. Harvey G. Bend
felt, Perry; Corporal Hubbard
Stevens, Ft. Valley; Private Ist.
Class Frank B. Causey, Ft. Val
ley;; and Pvt. First Class Albert
M. Law, Ft. Valley; Privates
Reginald C. Barfield, William L.
Booker, Thomas J. Culpepper,
James H. Jones, and Edward
Lunsford, all of Ft. Valley; and
William J. Clark Jr., Perry; Re
cruits James R. Milan, Perry;
Henry C. Rigdon, Roberta; James
R. Hobbs, Edwin F. Johnson,
Francis E. Joiner, Thomas J.
Lawhorn, and David S. Patter
son, all of Ft. Valley.
Other recruits were William C.
Roughton and Glenn D. Tyson,
Perry; Leonard E. Thames, Lu
cian E. Underwood, Solomon B.
Vining Jr. and William O. Wheel
us, all of Fort Valley.
Houser Promoted
The company attended camp
that Summer at Ft. Jackson, in
South Carolina with two officers
and 30 enlisted men. Though
small, its achievements in train
ing, inspections and general mo
rale and spirit brought it a su
perior-to-excellent rating in the
upper 10 units.
Lt. Houser was promoted to
captain following the 1949 camp.
The unit started building up its
strength in earnest.
In July 1950, with the invasion
of South Korea having taken
place, the 48th Infantry Division,
consisting of Georgia and Florida
National Guardsmen of which
Heavy Mortar company and the
121st infantry regiment is a part,
embarked for camp in acute un
certainty.
The air was not only swelter
ing from the heat of those two
summer weeks but was also full
of wild rumors concerning the
fate of the division—some think
ing it would be sent to Korea, to
Europe, to Iran or some other
far-away place.
Bendfeldt In Command
Four Guard divisions and many
smaller units were called into
federal service that Summer, but
the 48th was not. The local unit
continued intensive mortar train 1
ing during that camp fortnight.
Following the 1950 camp, Capt.
Houser’s job called him away
from Perry and he had to resign
as company commander and re
vert to inactive reserve status.
First Lt. Harvey G. Bendfeldt,
who had been the company’s ex
ecutive officer, replaced him.
Later, the company went thru
extra drill periods.
When this special edition is off
the press, the company will have
completed 1951 Camp training
at Ft. McClellan, Ala. Whether
or not this unit is called into
I
federal service, it will do its part
to make Perry, Houston county,
Georgia and America a better
place in which to live and work.
Present Roster
The company now has the fol
lowing officers and enlisted men.
Ist. Lt. Bendfeldt, Harvey G.
2nd. Lt. Heller, Grant B.
M/Sgt. Barton, John W., Jr.
Sergeants Ist. Class:
Edwards, Lewis P., Jr.
Lunceford, Edward E.
Sergeants Grade 5:
Arnold, Loren D.
Barrett, Charles G.
Clark, William J., Jr.
Davis, James B.
Estes, Harold E.
Hardin, Leon A., Jr.
Joyner, Francis E.
Shultz, James W.
Shurling, Alton W.
Snapp, Oliver 1., Jr.
Thames, Leonard E.
Tyson, Glen D.
Vining, Solomon 8., Jr.
Corporals:
Boswell, Charles A., Jr.
Chapman, Hoyte D.
Cummings, Jameg T.
Thames, James R.
Tidwell, Ernest E.
Privates First Class:
Barfield, Wesley N.
Chapman, Chalmus C.
Collier, Archie L.
Collier, Julian E.
Douglas, Frank H., Jr.
Etheridge, Luther W.
Goodman, Augustus D.
Hamlin, Olin S.
Hamsley, David R.
Hobbs, James R.
Joyner, Guyton J.
Lawhorn, Thomas J.
Martin, Mack M.
McElheney, Albert L.
Mullis, Marion P.
Owen, Henry C., Jr.
Scarborough, Dewey E.
Smith, Jack L.
Steeclley, Clarence J.
Thompson, Alva E., Jr.
Tucker, John B.
West, James E.
Privates;
Karpe, James L.
Estes, jack B.
Hawke, Paul W.
Larsen, Gerald A.
Waddell, Jack M.
Ford, Cecil W.
LIQUOR ISSUE DECIDED
BY 19 VOTES IN 1881
A close vote in a wet-dry elec
tion held in Houston county in
1881 was reported in The Home
Journal of that date.
Andrew S. Giles, ordinary at
the time, reported the vote as
follows;
“Total votes cast in favor of
the sale of liquor—4Bs.
“Total votes cast against the
sale of liquor—so 4.”
So prohibition went into effect
January 1, 1882.
Houston county is one of the
state’s legally dry counties today,
insofar as the legal sale of legal
hard liquor is concerned.
County commissioners began
permitting the sale of beer a few
years ago.
Perry is 343 feet above sea
level.
Perry’s population is over
4,000 Houston county’s over 22,-
000.
BSmSkr ■ • "yyy'fy.
iIP li MM 'Mm
MAYO DAVIS is mayor of the
City of Perry and State Senator
from this district, as well as
head of the Davis Company,
Inc. and president of the Perry
Golf and Country Club, Inc.
which is building a swimming
pool and nine-hole golf course,
just off Houston Lake Road.
FANNY GRESHAM WATER
Once you’ve drunk water from
Fanny Gresham Branch, which
flows into Big Indian Creek here,
you’ll eventually come back to
Perry either to live or to visit
often, Perry old-ximers believe.
Congratulations To
The
Houston Home Journal
On 80 Years of Service
To Houston Co. and Perry
i
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JOHNSON STORES
Carry Ready-To-Wear,
Millinery, Piece Goods,
Ladies, Men's & Children’s
Shoes, Interwoven Socks,
Hickok Belts, Star Brand
Shoes, MoJud Hosiery &
Underwear for Men,
Quadrica Prints
Standard Brands of
Work Clothes
JOHNSON STORES
PERRY & FORT VALLEY
TAXES REDUCED
LAST TWO YEARS
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
How many other counties in
the nation can show a reduc
tion in county taxes for the last
two years?
And these two consecutive
reductions are all the more
amazing in view of the fact that
Houston county has just built
and occupied a new §325,000
courthouse for which it paid
rash, is building new schools
and expanding school bus serv
ice, added a county health de
partment for which a one-mill
tax levy is provided, and ex
panded other services!
Credit for this tax-reduction
record—for it surely must be a
record for the nation in these
tax-increasing times—can be
shared among citizens and tax
payers, the county commission
ers and other public officials,
and the growth of the county
in recent years.
WATER SAFETY CLASSES
Hundreds of Perry youngsters
have learned water safety prac
tices in Red Cross classes spon
sored by the Houston County
Farm Bureau, Associated Women
of the Bureau and the Perry Ki
wanis club at Houston Lake and
Vinson Valley.