Newspaper Page Text
Page 2 - Wednesday, December 20, 2023
The Millen News
themillennews.com
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
The shimmer of the past be
comes a brilliant glow as Wil
liam (Bill) Daniel, 96, recalls
the days of his youth spent in
Millen. He remembers those
days as happy times spent with
family and friends and getting
into a little “Tom Sawyer”
trouble along the way.
Mr. Bill is the son of Brant
ley and Ruth Daniel. His father
was Millen Postmaster for 40
years, and his mother was a
first-grade teacher who also
produced plays in area schools,
and was instrumental in the or
ganization of the garden clubs
in Millen.
The Daniels lived only a few
blocks from the post office,
and Mr. Bill recalls that his
dad walked the short distance
to and from his work several
times a day with the Jenkins
County Courthouse clock
chiming the hour as he did so.
“We had a good time grow
ing up in Millen. I played foot
ball on the Millen High School
Red Raider team, but it wasn’t
the year they won the state
championship.
That was after I
had graduated,”
Mr. Bill said.
He recalls go
ing dove and
quail hunting on
the Sardis Hwy.
with friends,
Thomas and
Morgan Har-
ville, sons of
Millen Baptist
Church pastor,
Thomas Rowe
and Betty Har-
ville, and Bobby
and Hugh New
ton.
The youths be
came infamous in
the community
for their dare
devil skinny dip
ping incident in
the City of Millen water tower.
“We got into trouble for that
one,” Mr. Bill admits.
From then on, the boys con
fined their swimming to Little
Boys Wash Hole on Buckhead
Creek and their escapades to
“mooning” the trains going by
on a nearby train trestle, ex
ploring Magnolia Springs State
Park, and admiring the coal
chute on Cotton Avenue. There
were also fountain drinks at
Bell’s Drug Store, a Chinqua
pin tree to climb, and its nuts,
similar to a chestnut, to enjoy.
The Daniels were also active
members of Millen Baptist
Church.
Mr. Bill worked part-time
at the family business, Daniel
Sons & Palmer Mercantile
where his grandfather, R.G.
Daniel, was Vice-President.
The company was founded in
the 1800s by James H. Daniel
Sr. who served as president
until he died in 1905. The com
pany continued its successful
operations in Millen for many
years.
“It was a quiet life. Every
one kept to their own families.
There weren’t many public
celebrations or even Christmas
lights on Cotton Avenue during
the holidays,” Mr. Bill recalls.
The day after graduating
from Millen High School at
the age of 17,Mr. Bill’s parents
“shipped him off” to North
Georgia College in Dahlonega.
“I think they just wanted to
keep me out of trouble,” he
explained.
His college career was inter
rupted by the entrance of the
U.S. into World War II.
“I came back home and con
vinced my daddy to sign for me
to join the Navy because I was
too young,” Mr. Bill said.
He was only 17 years of
age when he signed up with a
friend and recalls traveling by
train to Macon to join the troop
train taking recruits to training
centers. He received training at
the Great Lakes Navy Training
Center in Chicago but con
tracted scarlet fever and was
hospitalized. This caused him
to miss training with his class
from the South. Upon being
released from the hospital,
he joined a new training class
comprised of men of Scandi
navian descent, which was an
adjustment for him, and them,
he said.
Mr. Bill was eventually
shipped out of San Francisco
and assigned to shore duty on
various Pacific Islands before
being assigned to the USS
Block Island, CVE106, as an
escort carrier, and as a loader
for a 20-millimeter anti-aircraft
gun. The carrier was involved
in the Okinawa campaign
where he was introduced to
Japanese Kamikaze attacks.
After the war ended, Mr. Bill
finished his college education
at Mercer University and be
gan working at the Savannah
River Plant where he met his
wife, Dot. He later worked
for many years with various
companies in the insurance
industry across the country.
Mr. Bill was recently award
ed the Quilts of Valor for
his service in World War II.
A Quilt of Valor is a quality
quilt that is machine or hand-
quilted. It is awarded only to
a service member or veteran
who has been touched by war.
Mr. Bill and Dot have four
children, Lea Beavers, Carol
Jackson, Beth Price, and Bill
Daniel. Mr. Bill now resides in
Athens near his daughters, Lea
and Beth. His family’s history
is interwoven with the history
of Millen, and Mr. Bill still
considers himself part of the
community in which he grew
up. He enjoys keeping up with
local activities and people, one
of whom is his cousin, Evelyn
Young, as a longtime, faith
ful subscriber of The Millen
News.
Bill Daniel is shown receiving the Quilt of Valor for his service
in World War II.
Bill Daniel, left, is shown with his father
and mother, Brantley and Ruth Daniel. Mr.
Daniel was the postmaster of Millen for 40
years, and Mrs. Daniel taught first grade
for many years.
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