CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

'Sprechen Sie Deutsch?' Take just a moment to remember World War II

The Herald-Dispatch - 11/26/2017

No, it is not likely that you speak German, but had things not turned out like they did in World War II, well, who knows?

Perhaps fire-brewed Stroh's beer and bratwurst, served by frauleins in checkered skirts, would be available on every corner of downtown Logan. While that may be the best scenario imaginable had Hitler's forces won the war, I'd rather not ponder as to the worst scenario.

Instead, I shall pay homage to those men and women who paid their dues in so many ways and in so many wars that helped pave the way for people like Donald Trump to openly express their opinions without fear of anything more than verbal retribution.

With last Saturday being Veterans' Day and all military veterans rightfully honored nationwide, I thought readers might be interested in hearing about some of the sacrifices that were made here on the home front, as well as a few other things that were going on in Logan County during World War II.

It was January of 1943 and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (a name that sounds German to me and also is the name of the man for whom I was named) had not yet been selected to command the Allied forces in Europe. By the time the war was over, 60 million people would be dead, including over 407,000 Americans. Another 671,801 military participants would return to the U.S. injured.

Logan County was well represented, as was all of West Virginia, which sent more men per capita than any other state to battle in all branches of the United States military. Interestingly, by the middle of the war, Logan County boasted a growing population of about 68,000; over 5,000 of which lived in the city of Logan.

Across the nation, many women worked in various factories doing their parts in the war effort. But in all of southern West Virginia, coal mining was the greatest contribution to the country. Without coal there could be no steel, and without steel there would be no planes, war ships, or even weapons. So when United Mine Workers boss John L. Lewis called for a nationwide strike in 1943, and with close to 300,000 coal miners not working, it is understandable why President Franklin Roosevelt ordered his Secretary of the Interior to take over mining operations with military protection. The President's previous order to return to work was ignored by the miners, but on May 1, 1943, Roosevelt got his point across by ordering the takeover of all mining operations. Two days later, Lewis allowed the men to return to their jobs.

"I now call upon all miners who may have abandoned their work to return immediately to the mines and work for their government," Roosevelt said. "Their country needs their service as much as those members of the armed services. I am confident that they do not wish to retard the war effort; that they are as patriotic as any other Americans; and that they will promptly answer this call to perform this essential war service."

The five-day strike cost Logan County's 13,500 coal miners a total of $135,000 in fines imposed by the government for their walkout as they were being fined $2 a day for every missed day of work. However, the strike made the nation aware of the value of coal miners and it also led to a well-deserved wage increase for the men who risked their lives daily bringing the black gold from the bowels of the earth.

While hundreds of men were leaving the mines for the armed forces, there were other significant happenings in Logan County. According to the Logan County Health Director, Dr. W.P. Hamilton, in a report to The Logan Banner, there had been 4,401 visits to the local venereal disease clinic during the first three months of 1943; the majority of which were gonorrhea cases. It was also reported that syphilis cases had dropped dramatically from the previous three months to just 54.

Also of particular interest to miners that spring was what had become a perennial argument in the West Virginia legislature: the abolition of "scrip" that was still being used in many coal mining camps. Made of metal or paper tokens, script was being paid to miners who could only spend the tokens at stores owned by the various coal companies.

Whether one had real money or just script, the fact is that many goods such as sugar, coffee and even shoes were being rationed by the government. The "Office of Price Administration" (OPA) had also ordered rationing of gasoline to just three gallons a months. And any so called "pleasure driving" would lead to drivers being relieved of their rationing books. Only "essential" driving was allowed and a check to determine to what extent pleasure driving was being done was conducted at every entertainment establishment in Logan County during January.

In a meeting that same month at the Aracoma Hotel in Logan, 200 Logan County merchants were told by OPA officials to expect at least a 20 percent sales drop for the year, due mostly to the shortage of merchandise. The clothing business was said to really suffer due to materials needed to clothe the armed forces.

Unfortunately, some clothes were apparently being temporarily discarded as a raid by the police via county health department warrants led to a mass roundup of women at "certain types of rooming houses" frequented by men, and especially returning soldiers, according to the newspaper account, which noted that 16 of the "girls" were treated for gonorrhea and that one had developed syphilis. The last weekend of January also saw police make 87 additional arrests in Logan County, 54 of which were on what was called "drunk" charges.

Although Loganites cannot today visualize the feeling of an all-out World War, Logan Countians of the past definitely could as the county prepared for its first "total blackout" of the year in which on the night of March 29 the entire county would remain in darkness for about two hours as part of civilian defense test. A continuous wail of a siren meant airplanes were approaching and that all businesses, houses and street light were to blackout immediately. Two minutes of undulating blasts from the sirens would mean that airplanes were already overhead.

Because of the importance of coal in the war's effort, some government officials believed that the Appalachian Power Plant at Deskins Addition, which supplied power to many mining sites, was a priority target for German bombers. But it wasn't the fear of being bombed, or the fact that coffee was being rationed at one pound every five weeks, or the lack of sugar, or even the inability to purchase shoes that bothered some people. It was the curtailing of "pleasure driving" that caused a local uproar.

Here's what Charlie Hylton, who would later become Logan Banner Editor, had to say about matters at the time. "I'm going to say out loud what a lot of folks are thinking," wrote Hylton. "I don't like the absolute ban placed by the OPA on pleasure driving in West Virginia."

Hylton explained that, "If you drive your car to a basketball game or bowling alley; if you go to the theatre; if you and the wife drive to pay a social call on friends or relatives, or if you indulge in any other unnecessary driving, your use of tires and gasoline will be deemed needless and ILLEGAL."

In a separate article, Hylton wrote: "It appears that all attempts to keep any form of sports going in the county during the war are doomed to failure with the new OPA ruling outlawing all pleasure driving."

Having given Mr. Hylton's observations much consideration, I now realize why so many Logan Countians were fighting mad and joined the armed services, ready to kill Adolph Hitler, himself. I mean, heck, you just don't deny true Logan Countians their rights to attend sporting events. That is, unless you're looking for a fight.

BITS AND PIECES

For reasons I can't explain, I chose to take German classes while in college. I had two different instructors: a Black ex-Army sergeant and a true German, who was a bald, roly-poly fellow that took a 10 a.m., break each day to go home and devour a beer. Of course, the guy also had beer for lunch and when he returned afterwards, he was always in a "jolly" mood. Well, I made "B" grades from the jolly guy and just about flunked out of the ex-sergeant's class. Now, why do I bother telling you this? Well, because as Americans we need to "ein Gebet Sprechen" for our nation. Translated in English, it simply means we need to pray for our country. Seriously, between Levon Ball and Donald Trump's tweeting, it's almost as comical as "Beavis and Butthead" episodes. What has this country come down to? Just think about it. All of the sex scandals that have been revealed are like tulips in Holland popping up in the spring everywhere; too numerous to be counted. I say, throw Minnesota's Democrat Al Franken out of the Senate, and if the red necked people of Alabama are stupid enough to re-elect Roy Moore after 14 or so women have revealed their past encounters with him, then fellow senators should be ashamed to allow him to remain amongst their midst and should can him from the senate before the whole Republican party gets labeled as sexual predators, whose Presidential leader, by the way, was accused by several women of doing similar things to them.

Now, for some good news: The Trump administration has apparently agreed to go forward with Michelle Obama's plan to require the posting of calorie counts on all foods in restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores and even pizza delivery chain restaurants. What is so good about that, you might ask? The hope is that people will read the information and make smarter choices in choosing what they consume. My guess is that it will make very little difference to pizza eaters. What I think should be done is that the FDA require a definition for all of those ingredients that are found on the labels of foods. Shucks, I can't even pronounce some of the ingredients; much less define what they are. No wonder cancer rates continue to escalate. Seriously, go to your kitchen and look at the ingredients in even a loaf of bread. Do you really know what you're eating?

The really good news was reported in this newspaper Tuesday, when it was announced that a 40-unit assisted living facility may be built and open in Logan by Christmas of next year. I had heard there were some legal issues that needed addressed before construction could start, but apparently the problem has been worked out. I guess I've been in the dark for a while since I did not know that fellow 1971 graduate Roger Ramey is Logan Housing Authority Commissioner. Now I know who I can complain to in the future.

DID YOU KNOW that Buddy Ebsen, who played Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies television series that was so popular back in the 1960's, actually won the role of the "Tin Man" in the movie "The Wizard of Oz?" Ebsen lost the role as a result of a severe allergic reaction to the aluminum metallic makeup that was painted on his face. That movie and "It's a Wonderful Life" will forever remain two of my all-time favorites.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "In Hollywood if you don't have a psychiatrist, people think you are crazy."- unknown.

CLOSING NOTE: From Washington D.C. to Charleston, West Virginia. If you look close enough, you will see that many of the problems can best be defined as the result of many leaders being millionaires.

Dwight Williamson is a former writer for the Logan Banner. He now serves as Magistrate for Logan County. He writes a weekly column for HD Media