WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1945 -
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE FIVE
INDEPENDENCE DAY CITATION:
Okinawa Unit Commended for Feat
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EDITOR'SNOTE: This is the first of two
columns about a United States Tenth
Army company which won a presidential
citation and undying fame on Okinawa.
The second will follow Friday.
By ROBERT GEIGER
Associated Press Correspondent
OKINAWA, July 4-A presidential
citation arrived on this Independence
Day for Company L-a gallant in-
fantry outfit that sent its last 89 men
against a vital Japanese held ridge
position on Okinawa. Of those who
retturned, only three were unwounded.
Company L, of the 383rd Regiment
of the 96th Infantry Division, killed
700 Japanese of a battalion on the
ridge.
"Company L, with fixed bayonets,
boldly and fearlessly charged a heav-
ily defended position," the presiden-
tial citation said, "and attained its
objective."
21 Survive
Only a captain and 20 men, of the
147 who hit the beaches on Easter
Sunday, April 1-Okinawa invasion D
Day-remained to hear the citation
read.
The formal words recalled for those
few survivors all that the proud rec-
ord of Company L involved-the high
courage of the advance, the fury of
close battle and the spilled blood and
suffering and death of comrades.
Blue-eyed Capt. William M. Mit-
chell of Ponchatoula, La., recalled the
ENEMY AIR POWER:
Japanese Aerial Forces Offer
Little or No Effective Defense
By KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press Correspondent
Varying conclusions are drawn
from failure of Japanese air power to
figure significantly in the war ex-'
cept for suicide attacks on shipping
and cecasional nuisance raids ashore
Cii War Over!
Last Seceder
ejois Union
ATLANTA, July 3-(P)--Tomorrow
the Solid South becomes Solid and
the United States United.
The free state of Dade (it's in
Georgia, in case you've never heard)
is ending the legend, after all these
years, that it still stands seceded.
And the Gibraltar of the Con-
federacy (Vicksburg, Miss.) is go-
ing to celebrate Independence day
officially, that is - for the first
time in 82 years.
The county of Dade, of course,
came back into the Union when
Georgia did. But the name "Free
State of Dade" springs from a fiery
!peech to the Georgia legislature
back in 1860.
Rep. Bob Tatum of Dade told the
legislature if Georgia didn't secede,
Dade would. The story goes that
the impatient Tatum actually sent a
secession proclamation to Washing-
ton,
So tomorrow, with a pageant and
speech-making and such, Dade
will make certain, beyond any part
of a doubt, that there is no mis-
understanding-that it is back in
the union.
Proud old Vicksburg is casting aside
all embittered memories or sectional
prejudices. The celebration there is
citywide, by mayoral proclamation.
Ex-Governor
etu rs Home
ALBANY, Ga., July 3-(A)-Recov-
ered from a recent hip injury, Chase
S. Osborn, the 85-year-old Michigan
ex-governor, author and philanthro-
pist, plans to return in a few days
to his home state after sojourning
at his winter home near Albany..
Osborn's valet, Ne-On-Gis-Gay-
Wah-Rib, Ojibway Indian who has
resided for many years on the ex-
governor's Duck island retreat near
I he Michigan-Canadian border, will
arrive here Saturday to accompany
him on the return trip.
Osborn has been recuperating in
an Albany hospital from a fractured
hip.
in the Okinawa sector. In China,
Burma, over the Malay peninsula and
now on oil-rich Borneo, Nipponese
planes have cut no important figure,
They have even failed by Tokyo ad-
mission to offer any effective resist-
ince to the bombing of Japanese
home islands.
Japanese propagandists now assert
"iemeland aerial defense is awaiting
a new output of attack ships being
built in bomb -proof underground
factories. That does not account,
however, for the fact that despite
heavy enemy losses American offi-
cial estimates credit Japan with as
many or more ships as she had early
in the war.
Japs Hoard Fuel
AShe may be hoarding them at
hcme for us.; when the assault reach-
es Japanese beaches and in Man-
;huria against uncertainty as to
Russia's intentions. It is more prob-
able that, cut off from natural oil
sources except the very limited sup-
ply available in southern Sakhalin,
she is hoarding fuel against invasion
day in Japan.
It was lack of fuel, not lack of
planes, that knocked out the Nazi
Luftwaffe and paved the way for
complete German collapse.
General Arnold made that clear
during his inspection trip to the
Philippines in June.
Luftwaffe Destroyed by Shortages
"Just before the collapse," he said
in Manila, "Germany had more
planes than at the start of the war
but they didn't have enough gas and
oil to train pilots. As we destroyed
Germany's refineries, we were de-
troying her air force.
The sustained pattern of super-
fortress raids over Japan is keyed to
that strategic conception. Whatever
new planes the foe may have in pro-
duction below ground designed to
cope with American B-29's, retaining
of pilots to man them would take
fuel from fast dwindling Japanese
reserve' stores.
Propaganda Soothes Jap People
Another favorite Japanese propa-
ganda device for lulling fears of the
populace is to say that war industries
have been and are being shifted to
Manchuria. Whatever traffic across
the Yellow Sea to China of that na-
ture once ran, it probably has been
cut to an inconsequential trickle.
Official reports tell of Okinawa-
based planes ranging deep into the
Yellow Sea and there is the likeli-
hood that submarine sinkings have
taken toll of enemy craft in those
waters.
As to existing war industries in
Manchuria, Arnold was no less em-
phatic than as to Japan itself.
"From Okinawa we can cover (by
air) half of China and all of Man-,
churia," he said at Manilla.
day of the bayonet charge. "You
couldn't move a muscle out there
without drawing fire," he said.
The day was April 9. The "assign-
ed objective" was Kakuzu Ridge, a
rimmed mound of coral and dirt
about four miles north of the Oki-
nawa capital of Naha. It was an
evil piece of ground that had to be
taken.
High Point
This high point, the presidential
citation reads, "gave the enemy com-
plete observation and flanking fire on
the entire (383rd) regiment. This
spur (the ridge) was of vital import-
ance to the entire command."
Mitchell, the 23-year-old captain
who will talk about his men but not
about himself, recalled: "We hopped
off before daylight, at five o'clock.
The Japs virtually surrounded the
hill but we got by them without let-
ting them see or hear us. We crossed
the gully andreached the ridge."
Pfc. Joseph Demolle of New Or-
leans, La., spoke up (there's a strong
bond of comradeship and respect be-
tween the captain and his men) to
tell how "we passed close to fires
in some caves where the Japs were
cooking breakfast but they didn't
hear us."
Waves to Jap
Sgt. Alvin Becker of New Orleans
said dawn was "just breaking" when
the company reached the ridge. He
remembered seeing a Japanese on
another ridge and waving to him and
added:
"The Jap laughed and waved back.
I opened up with my BAR (Brown-
ing Automatic Rifle) at him and right
then hell started popping."
There was an entire Japanese bat-
talion around the hill, 1,000 men.
The coral. rock was so hard the
Company L men couldn't dig fox-
holes and there was hardly as much
as a blade of grass for cover.
"We just had to lie there and take
it" remarked Pfc. Louis Novak of
Streator, Ill.
S/Sgt. James E. Dowdy of Marma-
duke, Ark., recalled that the Japa-
nese opened up with mortars and
then turned heavy artillery on the
ridge.
Flying Duffles
"Those flying duffle bags (Japa-
nese spigot mortar shells) came over
singing the graveyard blues," grin-
ned Sgt. Ray -Decker of (route 2)
Leachville, Ark. "They blew holes
big enough to put a two and a half
ton truck into."
"They tossed flying horses (91 mm.
shells) at us, too," said Sgt. Lloyd
G. Backart of Grand Rapids, Mich.
"Machinegun fire rattled all
around," added T/Sgt. John A. Mur-
rah of Fort Worth, Tex.
The Japanese made four counterat-
tacks. Every man of Company L
except three-Backart, Dowdy and
Pfc. Lee G. Roberts of Donnelly,
Idaho-was wounded.
Extend U' Flint
Offie for Year
Success during the first nine
months of its existence'has resulted
in extending the life of the Univer-
sity Extension Office in Flint for the
coming year, it was announced yes-
terday.
The action was taken by the Board
of Regents after reviewing the Flint
office record.
Opened last October on an ex-
perimental basis, it has offerei 22
academic courses with an enrollment
of 390 and 12 non-academic courses,
enrolling 780. The non-academic
work included engineering science
and management war training clas-
ses, a Latin American Institute, and
courses for home planners.
5 U M-M E R S C E N E A T C 0 N Y I S L A N D-New Yorkers by the thousands, seeking escape from the heat and humidity,
cover the beach at Goney Island in this view of a typical crowd at the famous -musement area.
_
0
\Q U E E N--A letter from a Ma-
rine detachment in the South
Pacific informed singer Bea Wain
(above) she had been voted
queen of the island, unidentified
at censor's request..
N E W- S E A H A W K P L A N E--The Curtiss Seahawk, highly-rated new Navy scout plane, is a
single place, single float seaplane with nine-cylinder,"engine and four-blade elebtric propeller.'
DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN
(Continued from Page 4)
ings of the French Club, which are
free of charge. All interested please
see Prof. Koella from 9 to 10 and 1
to 2 Tuesday and Thursday of this
veek in Room 111, Romance Lang-
iage Building.
French Teas: There will be held
French Teas every Tuesday and Wed-
nesday at 4 p. m. in the Grill Room
of the Michigan League and on
'Thursdays at the same hour at the
International Center. All interested
in speaking informed French are
cordially invited. The first of these
teas will take place Thursday, July
5, in the International Center.
Motion Picture. French film,
"D'Orage," Michele Moran, Charles
Boyer, French . dialogue, English
Titles, plus short. 7:30 p. m. (CWT)
8:30( EWT) Friday and Saturday,
July 6, 7, Rackham Lecture Hall. Ad-
mission free.
The Departments of Latin and
Greek will hold an informal recep-
3:15 p. m. (CWT), 4:15 p. m. (EWT).
(EWT). Play-"Blithe Spirit," by Noel
Monday, July 9: Lecture-"The Psy- Coward, Michigan Repertory Play-
chology of Character," Harry J. ers, Department of Speech. 7:30
Baker, Director of the Psychologi- p. m. (CWT), 8:30 p. m. (EWT).
cal Clinic, Detroit Public Schools. Lydia Mendelssohn.
2:05 (CWT), 3:05 (EWT), Univer- Friday, July 13: Lecture-"Teaching
sity High School Auditorium. as a Dramatic Art," William J.
Tuesday, July 10: University Lecture Sanders, New Haven Teachers Col-
-"How to Locate Materials on lege. 2:05 p. m. (CWT), 3:05 p. m.
Specific Educational Problems," (EWT).
Warren R. Good, Instructor in Ed- Play-"Blithe Spirit," by Noel
ucational Psychology. 2:05 p. m. Coward, Michigan Repertory Play-
(CWT), 3:05 p. m. (EWT), Uni- ers, Department of Speech. 7:30
versity High School Auditorium. p. m. (CWT), 8:30 p. m. (EWT).
University Lecture-"Interpret- Lydia Mendelssohn.
ing the News." Professor Preston Motion Picture. Russian film
Slosson. Auspices of the Summer Beethoven Concerto with outstand-
Session, 3:10 p. m. (CWT), 4:10 ing Child Stars. Vladimir Shevt-
p. m. (EWT) Rackham Amphithe- sov and Maria Popovna, 7:30 p. m.
atre. (CWT), 8:30 p. m. (EWT) Rack-
Wednesday, July 11. University Lec- ham Lecture Hall. Russian Dia-
ture-"Contemporary Trends in logue, English Sub-titles. Under
Foreign Language Teaching," C. C. the auspices of the Russian De-
Fries, Professor of English and Di- partment. Admission free.
rector of the English Language In- Saturday, July 14: Play-"Blithe
stitute. 2:05 p. m. (CWT), 3:05 Spirit," by Noel Coward, Michigan
p. m. (EWT). Repertory Players, Department of
Play-"Blithe Spirit," by Noel Speech. 7:30 p. m. (CWT), 8:30
Coward, Michigan Repertory Play- p. m. (EWT). Lydia Mendelssohn.
ers, Department of speech. 7:30 COMING EVENTS
VA U D E V I L L E A C T-Senator Ford (right)veteran'fun
'ster, goes into a routine with (1. to r.) Eddie Miller, Don Loringi
Rogers and Geoffrey O'Hara at a get-together in New York. O'Har
C and Ford were members ofthe-old Sioux City Four.'
A I RB O R N E W E D D I N C-Under a cloud ofrice a for-
ner Flying Tiger, Col. Herbert Morgan, Jr., commander of the
Clovis,, N. M., air base, and his bride, the 'former 'Wasp, Doris
Marland, leave a Lowry Field chapeL
71, _ , ; ~ . ~ . ' ~