Newspaper Page Text
The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 7
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
101 Year Old Veteran Receives Commendation
From Army
Hutchins Receives Eagle
Rank
Pictured L toR Alyce Dixon, Mary Crawford Ragland, and Gladys Schuster Carter
Alyce Dixon is 101
years old but you would
never know it if you had the
opportunity to sit down and
talk to her. Last week
Dixon, Gladys Schuster
Carter, and Mary Crawford
Ragland, all members of the
6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion, were
honored by the U.S. Army's
Freedom Team Salute pro
gram at a ceremony at the
Women in Military Service
for America Memorial at
Arlington National
Cemetery.
Dixon is the oldest sur
viving member of the
Battalion.
The 6888th Central
Postal Directory Battalion
was the only all female
African American Army unit
to deploy to Europe during
World War II.
The unit was composed
of approximately 850 mem
bers of the Women's Army
Auxiliary Corps (WACs).
They were tasked with
sorting and distributing let
ters and packages to over 7
million Army, Navy, Marine
Corps, Red Cross and civil
ian personnel all over
Europe.
“I felt like I was doing
something worthwhile for
my country when I was in
the Army with the 6888th in
Europe,” said Dixon. “We
had to find the Soldiers, their
units and route the mail to
them. I enjoyed the Army
and I met a lot of nice people
when I served overseas. The
Army taught me discipline
and to stop and think before
making a decision.”
Dixon said the
Battalion's trip from the
United States to Europe was
very stressful because the
boat they were on was some
times followed by German
submarines.
She said to avoid con
tact with the submarines, the
boat had to make various
diversionary turns which
caused pots, pans and other
objects to fall to the floor.
Major Charity Adams,
who later was promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel and
became the highest ranking
African American female
officer in the military, was
the commander of the
6888th, and arrived with the
unit in Birmingham,
England in February, 1945.
After completing their
assignment in England, she
and her unit were sent to
Rouen, France and later to
Paris. A few months after
S^nni/iper-Aary
and
Mr. and Mrs.
Walter B.
Simmons, Sr., will
observe their 61st
wedding anniver
sary. They were
married in Atlanta,
Georgia on March
22nd, 1948. They
are the parents of
Walter B.
Simmons, Jr.
(Leetta), 1SG.
Ronald J.
Simmons, Retired,
(Cynthia) and Sandra S. Fuller, (Charles). They have eight
grand children and five great-grand children.
Walter and Mary, are retired Savannah - Chatham County
Public School Educators. They faithfully serve St. James
A. M. E. Church as members and officers, while partici
pating with various church organizations. They are also
very active in Religious, educational, fraternal, social and
civic organizations locally, state wide and nationally.
Greenbriar
Night at
CiCi’s Pizza
March 19, 2009
5:00-8:00 PM
Join Greenbriar Children's
Center's Project Safe Place at
CiCi's Pizza for a night of
fun & fundraising! A per
centage of the evening prof
its will be donated to support
Greenbriar Children's
Center. No reservations
needed. Bring your family
and your appetite for great
pizza and a good time all
while supporting a worthy
cause! CiCi's Pizza is located
at 7800 Abercom St. in the
TJMaxx Shopping Center.
For more info contact
Greenbriar Children's
Center, (912) 234-3431
Pizza Buffet! Door Prizes!
Giveaways!
Safe Place
Greenbriar Children's
Center, Inc.
March is Red Cross Month
Join fellow
Americans in recognizing
March as Red Cross
Month. Since 1943, every
President of the United
States has proclaimed
March as "American Red
Cross Month" to recog
nize the humanitarian
accomplishments of the
Red Cross organization.
Every year thousands
of people receive life-sav
ing blood transfusions as
a result of the blood col
lected by the American
Red Cross from volunteer
donors across the country.
You can help make a
difference in the lives of
area patients by donating
blood as soon as possible
in honor of Red Cross
Month.
Each person who
presents to donate at a
Red Cross drive in March
may enter a drawing to
win one of two pairs of
Delta Air Lines domestic
tickets.
Saving lives by donating
blood or platelets is a
wonderful feeling, and
now just by taking the
time to give the “Gift of
Life,” two lucky donors
could be on their way to a
vacation in the sun.
The Red Cross
Southern Blood Services
Region provides life-sav
ing blood to more than
120 hospitals and must
have 1,200 people give
blood and platelets each
weekday to meet hospital
demand.
Accident victims as well
as patients with cancer,
sickle cell disease, blood
disorders and other ill
nesses receive life-saving
transfusions every day.
There is no substitute
for blood and volunteer
donors are the only
source.
Blood can be safely
donated every 56 days.
Platelets can be given
safely every two weeks,
up to 24 times a year.
Most healthy people age
17 and older, or 16 with
parental consent, who
weigh at least 110 pounds,
are eligible to donate
blood and platelets.
For more information or
to schedule an appoint
ment to donate at this
drive, please call 1-800-
GIVE LIFE (448-3543) or
visit www.redcross-
blood.org.
World War II ended, the unit
was sent back to the United
States.
“They sent us to Ft. Dix
New Jersey, gave us our dis
charge papers, and sent us
home,” said Mary Crawford
Ragland, the clerk of the
6888th, who joined the Army
at the age of 17 after finish
ing high school. “There were
no parades, no welcomes, no
nothing.”
“Honoring the women
of the 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion with
Commendations is long
overdue,” said the Army's
Colonel David Griffith,
Director of Freedom Team
Salute. “These were strong
women who faced prejudice
in the United States but still
managed to complete their
mission, putting their
Country ahead of their own
trials. They did not have the
luxury of working with
automation equipment to
help them organize, sort and
distribute the millions of let
ters and packages that had
accumulated in airplane
hangars and other places in
Europe. They are a true
American story that needs to
be told.”
See Army, page 14
Wesley Hutchins
At a Court Of Honor
Ceremony held on Sunday
March 8, 2009, Wesley
Hutchins received
Scouting's highest rank, the
Eagle Scout Award. Family,
friends and scout officials
were all in attendence to wit
ness this event. The Eagle
Scout Award represents
many years of dedicated
efforts of the scout, his par
ents and the leaders of his
troop.
Only a small percentage of
scouts make it to this point.
During his journey from
tenderfoot to eagle, Wesley
earned a large number of
merit badges and held sever
al leadership positions
including Historian,
Librarian, Patrol Leader and
Senior Patrol Leader.
Wesley had the opportunity
to experience some of the
ultimate scouting adventures
that took him to the Philmot
Scout Ranch in New Mexico
and on another occasion
seven days hiking, camping
and conoeing in the nothem
tier of Minnesota and
Southern Canada.
Wesley also attended numer
ous summer camps in
Barstow,SC; Boone,NC;
Camp Rainey Mountain in
Clayton,
GA ; Camp Comer in
Alabama and Camp Blue
Heron in Riceboro, GA. He
participated in many com
munity service projects and
developed, led and complet
ed a project of his own
which benefited the Oatland
Island Wildlife Education
Center in Savannah.
This project consisted
of building a new compost
structure which is used for
storing compost to fertlize
theground and educating
student groups on how to
make efficient and effective
use of the soil.
Wesley who is present
ly a freshman at the
University of Georgia is the
son of Lawrence Hutchins,
Jr. and Dr. Sylathea Prescott
Wright. He is also the grand
son of Mrs. Mamie Prescott
and the late Mrs. Mildred J.
Hutchins and the late Mr.
Willie Prescott, Sr.
AASU Hosts “Women, Grassroots
and Change”
In observance of
Women’s History Month in
March, Armstrong Atlantic
State University will host a
panel discussion, “Making it
Happen: Women, Grassroots
and Change,” on Monday,
March 30, at 4 p.m. in the
Compass Point Clubhouse
on the AASU campus, 11935
Abercom Street. The event is
free and the public is invited.
Serving as panelists
will be representatives from
several community organiza
tions, including the Rape
Crisis Center, Planned
Parenthood, Safe Shelter, A
Working Woman in Need,
Sisters of Mercy and First
City Network.
The discussion will
open with a reading of
Rebecca Walker's 1992 arti
cle, "Becoming the Third
Wave." In 1996, Walker co
founded the Third Wave
Foundation to help build the
next wave of the feminist
movement. Her article illus
trates the example of how
one woman can let her voice
be heard by standing up for
herself and other women.
An example of women
making a difference in
Savannah is illustrated in A
Working Woman in Need
organization, founded on the
ideas and dreams of one sin
gle woman, Sarahlyn
Argrow, who will participate
in the discussion.
Topics of discussion
will include the historical
highlights of each of the
organizations, common
obstacles faced and the
importance of grassroots
organizations to empower
women in our community.
“In giving some per
spective about the organiza
tions and the challenges they
face, we want to highlight
the fact that many grassroots
organizations were founded
and are sustained by the hard
work and commitment of a
very small number of
women,” said Laura Cahill,
event organizer and graduate
assistant in AASU’s Gender
and Women’s Studies pro
gram.
“Making it Happen”
will illustrate the power of
women-led grassroots organ
izations that can drive
change in the Savannah
community. A reception will
follow immediately after the
discussion.
The event is sponsored
by AASU’s Gender and
Women’s Studies program.
For more information con
tact Laura Cahill at
gwst.gwst@armstrong.edu,
or 912.531.8326.
County Awarded Funds for Shelter
Progams
Chatham County has
been awarded federal funds
under the Emergency Food
and Shelter National Board
Program. Chatham County
will receive $165,157 to sup
plement emergency food and
shelter programs in this area.
The funds will be distrib
uted in 2009 (Phase 27) to the
qualifying organizations
selected by the Local Board.
The United Way of the Coastal
Empire serves as the adminis
trator of the Local Board.
The selection was made
by a National Board made up
of affiliates of national volun
tary organizations chaired by
the Federal Emergency
Management Agency
(FEMA).
The Board was charged
to distribute funds appropriat
ed by Congress to help expand
the capacity of food and shelter
programs in high-need areas
around the country.
Under the terms of the
National Board, local govern
mental or private voluntary
organizations chosen to
receive funds must: (1) be non
profit, (2) have an accounting
system and conduct an annual
audit, (3) practice nondiscrimi
nation, (4) have demonstrated
the capability to deliver emer
gency food and/or shelter pro
grams, and (5) if they are a pri
vate voluntary organization,
they must have a voluntary
board.
The Local Emergency
Food and Shelter Board for
Chatham County distributed
$119,140 in 2008 with 16 area
non-profit organization
organizations participating.
These organizations were
responsible for providing
nights of shelter, meals, emer
gency utility assistance and
bills paid for rent/mortgages in
2008.
A Local Board made up
of representatives from local
emergency services agencies,
United Way of the Coastal
Empire, City and County gov
ernments, Catholic Charities,
American Red Cross, Jewish
Federation, the Salvation
Army, other organizations and
community volunteers will
determine how the funds are to
be distributed among emer
gency food and shelter pro
grams run by local service
organizations. The Local
Board is responsible for rec
ommending agencies to
receive these funds and any
additional funds available
under this phase of the pro
gram. Qualifying organiza
tions are urged to apply.
For more information on
the program may be obtained
by contacting Richard
Edwards at the United Way
office at 651-7727 or at red-
wards@uwce.org.
Application for funding
deadline is 5:00 p.m. on
Friday, March 27, 2009.