The Paducah Post (Paducah, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 39, Ed. 1 Friday, January 7, 1944 Page: 5 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Paducah Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Bicentennial City County Library.
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'^Hday, January 7, 1944
The Paducah Post '
Page Five
Seabees Build Springboards For Attack
Navy’s Newest Unit Fights,
j! Digs Under Fire of Enemy
“Believe me in all sincerity, I really mean the statement that
the navy will remember this war by the Seabees.” Vice Admiral
W. L. Calhoun, commander of the Pacific Service force.
Like a flash, war burst at Pearl Harbor, and almost im-
mediately its black clouds rolled westward to Guam, Wake
and the Philippines.
Caught in the outburst were many civilian construction
workers for the navy, without weapons to defend them-
selves, or subject to execution by<S> l~
the enemy as guerrillas if captured
bearing arms in civilian dress.
To Rear Adm. Ben Moreexl of
the bureau of yards arid docks and
to the civil engineer corps came
tiie idea of organizing the Naval
Construction battalion—the herald-
ed Seabees of today.
‘Can Do’ Boys.
Coining the name, “Seabee,”
from the initials of Construction
battalions, this newest branch of
the navy set out to create its own
tradition. The Seabees’ first con-
struction jobs were undertaken with
such enthusiasm and such disre-
gard for obstacles that other
branches of the service began to re-
fer to these newcomers as the “Can
Do” boys. The name caught on,
and soon “Can Do” became the
tradition of the Seabees.
As performance reports came in
to establish the wisdom of the con-
ception of the Seabees, it became
immediately obvious that the sights
had been set too low. The Seabee
quota rose from 6,000 to 20,000 to
60.000 to 100,000, and finally to the
present quota of some 262,000 which
is well in excess of the total com-
plement of the entire prewar navy.
Today there are approximately
115.000 Seabees in battalions serv-
ing overseas. Another 147,000 are
completing their training in this
country. Commanding the Seabees
are approximately 7,500 civil engi-
neer corps officers.
The first instance of “Can Do”
came when the First Naval Con-
struction battalion was put to work
strengthening with shore installa-
tions our tenuous supply line to
Australia. Despite inadequate
equipment and organizational inex-
perience, those first Seabees built
the bases which sent our warships
into the critical Coral sea battle in
the best of fighting trim.
' Since then, every major amphibi-
ous operation has found the Sea-
bees among the first to land. At
Guadalcanal, the fighting builders
rode their bulldozers in building
roads and airfields during the thick
of the fighting. Their feat in main-
taining Henderson Field despite in-
cessant bombing and shelling and
their construction of a companion
strip for fighter planes were critical
factors in our defense of the island.
Other installations followed to make
Guadalcanal a major base for at-
tacks on the islands to the north-
west.
Rendova, Munda, Vella Lavella,
Bougainville were subjected to Sea-
bee “Can Do.” Not only did the
sweating Seabees perform miracles
in repairing destroyed and dam-
aged Jap installations, but they
completed entirely new projects in
days rather than the weeks which
normally would be required. At
Munda, for example, the poorly
constructed and bomb ravaged field
of the Japs was put in usable con-
dition in less than eight days.
Busy at Tarawa.
Again at bioody Tarawa while
Jap machine gun bullets still
whizzed over the:r heads, the Sea-
bees began repairing the field that
hours before had posed a major
threat to our island positions in the
Pacific. Four days after the ini-
tial landing, and less than one, day
after organized enemy resistance
had ceased, the fiel^ was Iwck in
shape and receiving American
planes.
\Jh the Aleutians, ton, the Seabees
proved their “Can Do.” Not only
did they take over and complete the
huge projects begun by civilian
contractors, but they also moved in
with the assault forces at Attu and
Kiska. Before the last assault boat
landed, they were at work replac-
ing poorly constructed Jap installa-
tions with adequate roads, housing,
dock facilities, and air strips. They
built these in spite of gales, bottom-
less tundra, and the world’s most
awesome collection of bad weather.
On the other side of the world,
the Seabees have been equally ac-
tive. After landing with the first
American forces in Africa, they
immediately pounced on the job of
rebuilding the enemy’s bomb blast-
ed installations and the construc-
tion of new airfields and docks for
use in the onslaughts against Sic-
ily and Italy. Later, during the in-
vasions they took on the unglamor-
ous but extremely important work
of getting guns, supplies and mech-
anized equipment ashore. At Sa-
lerno under the heaviest attacks
by enemy bombers and a hell of
fire from shore batteries, the Sea-
bees unloaded some 10,000 pieces of
equipment and within two days had
turned that sanguinary beach into
a temporary base of operations.
The Seabees carry on the over-
seas construction work of the navy’s
bureau of yards and docks. They
are commanded by officers of the
civil engineer corps, the same corps
which executed the bureau’s vast
naval shore construction program
in this country to provide for serv-
icing the fleet and training naval
personnel. This active command
by the CEC, incidentally, is an in-
novation of this war. Previously
CEC officers had served only in
staff capacities; however, the crea-
tion of the Seabees logically prompt-
ed the high command to give full
control of these builders to engi-
neering trained officers.
Building Trades Represented.
Fifty - nine different building
trades are represented in the Sea-
bees, and, until enlistment was halt-
ed last October 31, men were given
regular navy rates commensurate
with their civilian experience. A
journeyman carpenter, for exam-
ple, might expect to have been
made a second class petty officer;
a construction foreman was given
a chief petty officer’s rating.
A battalion consists of 1,079 men
and 32 officers, including 26 from
the civil engineer corps. The bat-
talion comprises 4 construction
companies of 224 men each and a
headquarters company. It is a self
contained unit and all the construc-
tion skills are represented, so that
the battalion can undertake any
kind of base building job to which
it might be assigned.
Within the Seabees were organ-
ized special battalions especially
trained in the work of unloading
and loading ships. These battalions,
officered by men commissioned
from the ranks of highly trained ci-
vilian stevedores, are breaking one
of the most serious bottlenecks in
our supply lines. At one port in
the South Pacific where not many
months ago 66 ships lay idly at
anchor because of inadequate fa-
cilities for their unloading, a Sea-
bee battalion went to work. They
unloaded them at better than a one-
a-day rate until the congestion was
ended, and today, cargoes are be-
ing discharged as fast as they ar-
rive.
Another special branch within the
Seabees are the demolition units.
These, consisting of one officer and
four men, are given extremely rig-
orous physical conditioning and
training in the handling of explo-
j sives.
OPA AWARDS
INCOME TAX—
(Continued from Page 1)
clarations of Estimated Tax” are.
only approximate. Therefore, it
is necessary to file a return at
the close of the year to deter-
mine the exact amount of each
person’s tax liability and to de-
termine whether he underpaid or
overpaid his taxes. In instances
where the current payments were
less than the tax payable March
15th, remittance of the difference
will be necessary at the time
of filing the return. This amount
cannot be paid in. installments. In
instances where the current pay-
ments were larger than the final
tax, the taxjpayer will be enabled
to secure a refund merely by fil-
ing his return.
Early preparation of returns
will be advisable, Collector
Thomas said, to serve as a guide
to the thousands of taxpayers
wbo will have substantial pay-
ments to make and need to know
how much the taxes will be so
that they can make advance pre-
parations to pay these taxes.
Substantial payments will, be
necessary in certain instances be-
cause (a) most individuals who
had a 1942 tax must pay at
least one-half of the unforgiven
portion of that tax in addition
to their 1943 tax, and (b) dur-
ing the first six months of 1943
only the victory tax, but not the
income tax, was withheld from
wages.
Particularly, persons who took
jobs for the first time in 1943
and those whose wages increased
sharply from 1942 to 1943 may
have substantial payments to
make, Collector Thomas said. As
an illustration, he pointed out
that a single person who earned
Political
Announcements
For County and District Clerk:
mrs. c. c. McArthur
(Re-election)
For County Judge:
J. P. (JIM) STURDIVANT
O. J. (Jeff) RILEY
For County Treasurer:
NOBLE O. INGRAM
(Re-election Second Term)
For Commissioner Pre. 2:
MARVIN TOWNLEY
For Commissioner, Precinct 3:
- HOMER M. NICHOLS
T. C. SANDERSON
For Commissioner Prec. No. 4:
H. W. G. HAVENS
$2,000 wages in 1943 but had
no 1942 tax, will owe nearly $130
on March 15, or nearly three and
one-half weeks’ wages. Since
this payment must be made in
one sum at the time the 1943
return is filed, the Collector
pointed out the advantages of
determining the liability and sav-
ing for it in advance.
In the past, many taxpayers
have postponed filing returns un-
til the last minute in order to
delay the payments which had to
be made with the returns. How-
ever, this year a great many tax-
payers will find that, under the
pay-as-go system, they are al-
ready substantially current in
their tax payments. These tax-
payers, especially, ought to find
it convenient to file as early as
possible.
In any case, early filing will
help the taxpayer know where he
stands, how much he owes, or how
much refund he should expect;
it will assure him of any assist-
ance he may need without stand-
ing in long lines; it will help the
government and the war effort.
WHO MUST FILE
A return must be made by
every individual who during the
taxable year 1943: —Was single
and had $500 or more income.—
Was married and had more than
$624 income.—Was married and,
together with wife or husband,
had $1,200 or more income.
In addition, a return must be
filed by everyone who paid or
owed a tax on 1942 income.
A return should be filed like-
wise by anyone claiming a re-
fund of taxes withheld from
wages. ]
The requirements for filing
1943 returns on or before March
15, apply to civilians and per-
sonnel of the aimed forces alike,
except that postponements or
extensions are allowed those who
are on sea duty or outside the
continental United States. If a
member of the armed forces is
on sea duty or outside of the
continental United States, his wife
may also postpone her return if
her own income is less than $1,-
200. There are several other
special provisions applying to
members of the armed forces, and
Collector Thomas invited any
service personnel needing tax ad-
vice to contact his office.
FORMS TO USE
As in past years, there are
two income tax forms. Form
1040, commonly called the “long
form”, may be used by any in-
dividual. Form 1040A, called the
“short form”, may be used by
individuals who (a) are citizens
or residents of the United States,
(b) had in 1943 $3,000 or less
income, and (c) received all their
income from salaries, wages,
bonuses, commissions, or other
forms of personal compensation,
or from dividends, interest and
annuities. In the case of husbands
and wives filing separate returns,
each must use the same kind of
form. The short form may be used
as a joint return for a husband
and wife, if, in addition to the
other conditions for using that
form, they were living together on
July 1, 1943, and their combined
income for the year did not ex-
ceed $3,000.
On or before January 31,
1944, every employer is requir-
ed to give to each . employee a
receipt on Form W.-2, showing
how much wages were paid the
employee during 1943, and how
much tax was withheld. These re-
ceipts supply two important
figures needed for making the
annual return and the best time
to prepare and file the return
is as soon as the employee gets
his receipt.
Collector Thomas also point-
ed out that along with the tax
blanks, he has mailed to all tax-
payers who filed taxable returns
in this district for '1942, notices
showing the amount of- each in-
dividual’s 1942 tax and the a-
mounts paid on that tax. There
are two additional figures which
income taxpayers will need in
the preparation of their returns
for 1943. The notices should be
sent back to the Collector along
with the return.
HOW TO GET HELP
Many taxpayers, especially
those who use the short form,
will not need assistance in mak-
ing their returns. However, any
taxpayer needing help may ob-
tain it at the Headquarters Office
of the Collector of Internal
Revenue, at Dallas, or at any
of the Zone Offices located in
Q#k Cliff, Fort Worth, Amarillo,
Abilene, Eastland, Lubbock,
Odessa, Wichita Falls, Texarkana,
Tyler, Sherman, Paris, Longview,
Nacogdoches, San Angelo, Corsi-
cana. To avoid inconvenience and
delay, anyone needing assistance
should seek it as early as possible.
District Agent Isla Mae Chap-
man, of the Texas A & M Ex-
tension Service at College Sta-
tion, was a visitor in Paducah
Thursday afternoon. Mrs. Chap-
man held a conference with Miss
Gwendolyne Couts during her
visit her.
Mr. and Mrs. Truelock of Flo-
mot, Texas, were the week-end
guests of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley
W. Moss.
Billy Ted was one of three
boys in the entire school to make
the honor roll at the end of the
first semester.
Geraldine Biddy returned to
Wichita Falls this week after
spending, the holidays visiting
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. B.
Biddy. She is a student at Hardin
Junior College.
(Continued From Page 1)
Phillips, chairman; Mrs. J.
Powell; and W. A. Bishop.
TIRE PANEL: Pete Godfrey,^
chairman; Wylie Boyle; Roy
Pearce; and G. T. Williams.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Rev.
John H. Crow.
Those who have served one
year or longer, and were given
awards are: P. E. Godfrey, Joe
'Bell, Rex Keys, Dawson Reid,
S. A. Dupriest, Wylie Boyle and
Roy Pearce.
E. F. Peek, former county
chairman who resigned over a
year ago and moved to Com-
merce, was also given an award
by the Office of Price Admini-
stration.
The organization of the boards
in the seventy-one counties in the
Lubbock District, along with the
other boards throughout the na-
tion was begun immediately after
Pearl Hai’bor when the War Pro-
duction Board asked the Price
Administration to set up a Na-
tional system of rationing tires.
The Governor of each state
and territory pledged his co-
operation and on January 5,
1942, approximately 7,500 local
boards located in 3,052 counties
and manned by 20,000 volunteei’s
opened their doors to receive
applications and issue certificates
for tires.
At the outset the local boards
w ex- e called Tire Rationing
Boards each had but three mem-
bers. These were designated as
unpaid federal agents and were
local citizens.
The boards had comparatively
few people to deal with under
the tire rationing program. But,
Sugar rationing presented the
tremendous task of providing
simultaneously for everyone in
the nation. At this time the word
“Tire” was dropped from the
little and the boax-ds were called
Rationing Boards.
One billion Ration books had
to be printed and they were ffrst
distributed to couhty courthouses.
From the courthouses the local
boards distributed them to the
school houses. Between May 4,
and May 7, 1942 the boards,
with the help of the school teach-
ers all over America, completed
the distribution of War Ration
Book one.
The addition of subsequent pro-
grams necessitated the “Paneliz-
ing” of th.e Boards. This was
started in May 1942 and the
work was divided so that one
segment of the Board was con-
cerned with only one program,
such as the tire panel, food panel,
etc.
When the General Maximum
Price Regulation was announced
in April, 1942 Price activities were
added to the functions of the
Rationing Boards. The title of
the local boards was changed to
War Price and Rationing Boards.
As the price activities of the
Boards increased, Price Panels
were developed, composed
generally of three Board mem-
bers who confined their work to
price matters.
The Boax-ds have handled the
following rationing programs dur-
ing the past two years: In 1942,
tires, effective January 5, Auto-
mobiles, effective February 2,
Typewriters, effective March 13,
Sugar, effective April 28, Na-
tional Gasoline, effective Decern
ber 1, Bicycles, effective May 15,
Rubber Footwear, effective
September 29, Fuel Oil, effective
October 22, Coffee, effective
November 21, and Heating Stoves,
effective December.
In 1943, shoes effective Feb-
ruary 7, processed foods, effec-
tive March 1, and meats and
fats, effective March 29.
In order to take care of the
huge amount of work the ration-
ing and price programs demand,
the Boards have had to greatly
enlarge their personnel. Today
in the seventy-one counties in this
district the number of Board
members has been increased from
213 to 980 Board members, not
counting the hundreds of men
and women who assist the boards
regularly. All Board members
ai'e unpaid volunteer workers.
A characteristic expression of
the attitude these thousands of
volunteers have towards their
work in the rationing and price
control programs is found in a
recent report to OPA by the
chairman of the Delta, Colorado,
Board. This man wrote, “Since
the .inception of rationing, allot-
ments and price control, we have
plodded along without any sen-
sational acts or achievements. We
have tried to do our duty to our
fellowmen and to our Govern-
ment as we wex-e given the in-
telligence to see that right. We
have consistently borne in mind
the fact that we were at war and
that we are at a critical stage
of American History and de-
cisions. We have allowed this
fact to guide our efforts and
our acconxplishxnents. Our de-
cisions have not always xxxet with
approval of those we are called
upon to deal with; however, we
realize we are striving for the
best interest of the people as
a whole—and not of a minority
few.”
The other side of the picture
is presented with typical Yankee
bluntness in this epitaph proposed
by the Chairman of the War
AMERICAN HEROES
BY LEFF
When his platoon in New Guinea was pinned down by heavy
enemy machine gun and rifle fire, Private Maurice L. Levy, of Chicago,
sat for the night in the crotch of two big trees. He stopped six of the
enemy during the night, and 19 more with the coming of daylight.
Wounded four times and weak from loss of blood, he crawled down
to safety. Back his bravery with another War Bond. The Christmas
present with a future.
Price and Rationing- Board in
Warrick, Massachussetts,—“Here
lies buried a member of the
Waxrick Rationing Board. He
sexwed withoxxt hope of rewaTd.
He received none.”
COTTLE-KING—
(Continued from page 1)
through February 15th drive in
Texas is to see that every pos-
sible one of our fellow-Texans
who is not yet fighting for
victory on the financial home-
front is asked to participate,”
Mr. Adams said. “In my opinion,
evex-y Texan with an income will
pax’ticipate if asked to buy; he or
she merely needs a rexninder that
his or her boy in the fighting
fox’ces needs his or her support
financially so that victory can be
speeded, the home-coming can be
hastened, and the value of the
dollar be preserved to give our
returning militax-y sons the best
possible conditions under which
Sell it through Post Want-Adi
stressed that $210,000,000 in
bonds is set as the goal for sales
by individuals, partnei’ships axxd
pei'sonal ti'ust accounts, the re-
maining $1$5,00’0,000 being the
goal for sales to corporations, as-
sociations and other investox-s. He
pointed out that no sales to banks resume civilian life.”
are inclxxded.
Of the $210,000,000 goal set
for sales to individuals, $130,-
000,000 is set as the goal for E
bonds. Thus nearly a third of the
$395,000,000 to be raised in
Texas in the Fourth Loan drive
must come from sale of E bonds;
and these E bonds must account
for nearly two-thirds of dollar
value of sales to individuals.
Whex-eas Americans as a whole
bought 122 per cent of the na-
tion’s quota for all bonds in the
Third drive, Texans bought 124
per cent of the state’s quota, ac-
cordiixg to Mr. Adams; Texas
sales totalling nearly $520,000,-
000 with over half of the total
being E, F, Gr-and other bonds
to individuals. Of the national
sales total a much smaller pro-
portion was in sales to individuals
—and. credit for the fine Texas
showing must go to the host of
volunteer sales people who called
ixpon plain citizens who could
buy small bonds.
“Bearing in mind that of 70,-
000,000 income recipients in the
U. S. A. in 1943 about 13,000,-
000 ax-e reported to own no
United States bonds or stamps,
our job in the Januax-y 18th
ONE’S ENOUGH!
“What are you doing here,
dear?”
“Looking for a husband.”
“But you’ve got one!”
“That’s the one I’m looking
for.” 1
LIFT RESTRICTIONS
ON BINDER TWINE
Farmers may now use binder
twine where needed in. growing,
harvesting or shipping agricul-
tural products. Previously, use of
binder twine was restricted to
mechanical self-tying binders.
Card of Thanks
We wish to take this means
of expressing our heartfelt thanks
to the many kind people of
Paducah for their expressions
of sympathy, and their kindness
of thought and deeds in the death
of our husband and father.
We also wish to express our
sincere thanks for the many
beautiful floral offerings.
Family of J. A. Clary.
RE-ROOF
With Our Guaranteed
ASBESTOS
ROOFING
Also Beautiful Asbestos &
Asphalt Siding Materials
PIONEER
ROOFING CO.
J. R. Horn
Richards & Bray Sts.
Phone 359
Garage Now Open
We have opened a garage in connection
with the Smokev Smith Filling Station and
Wrecking Yard that we recently purchased, and
are prepared to do any and all kinds of
mechanical repair on Cars, Trucks and Tractors.
Your Patronage in any branch of our
service will be greatly appreciated!
T. A. MAJORS & S. F. GENTRY
Owners and Operators
Quality Vaccines and Livestock Remedies!
This year, farmers are being called upon
to continue their war effort by producing more
than ever to insure sufficient meat for the home
front as well as our allies and fighting men.
That is why quality Vaccines and Livestock
remedies is so important.
For Dependablility
Insist Upon
Dr. Le Gears
Globe
Martin Vaccines & Livestock Preparations
GLOBE DIP—Guaranteed Quality!
KRESO DIP—For Hogs Chickens and Cattle!
CARBOLENIUM—Rids Chicken houses of insects for 1 year!
PINE TREL FORMULA 62—Fresh and effective!
LE GEAR’S—Stock Cow Hog & Poultry Prescription!
MARTIN’S—Stock and Poultry Preparation!
LEGEAR’S WORM PILLS—Worm your Pigs!
PADUCAH
DRUG
CO.
G. W. LINDLEY, Mgr. Phone 29—Registered Pharmacist On Duty
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The Paducah Post (Paducah, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 39, Ed. 1 Friday, January 7, 1944, newspaper, January 7, 1944; Paducah, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1014911/m1/5/?q=+date%3A1941-1945: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bicentennial City County Library.