Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 55

Mid-Illinois Newspapers Saturday, September 2, 1995 E3 pilot wants to see jungle only from four miles up High school athlete dies as a POW uu if- i i as far as the jungle is concerned, the only view of that I want is from about three or four miles up, and the plane run-n i smoothly. I finally got to go see John again went over Wednesday night then he brought me back Thursday. .,..7 ARCOLA Like many young men his age, Robert Topeye" Pullen played baseball, track, basketball and football in high school. He was a four-year standout on the legendary 1934-37 Areola High School football teams coached by Kile McWherter. Popeye was a fast and powerful running back, defensive back and linebacker.

In an era of low-scoring defensive games, his offensive totals were amazing. He scored 34 touchdowns and 20 extra points, most by kicking, for a total of 224 'm Editor's Note: The following letter was receivedby Mrs. Florence Myers, who at the time lived at 1404 Charleston Mattoon, from her son, Lt. Richard Myers, an ATC pilot stationed in India. The letter appeared in the Journal Gazette of July 25, 1944.

Lt. Myers was a longtime employee of the Journal Gazette. Another hot day in Assam, 127 degrees in the shade, and somewhat warmer without any shade. A temperature of 125 to 130 degrees is very common here. And speaking of showers, your clippings Bounds like you're getting a touch of the monsoon! China is 6,000 to 7,000 feet high, and I like it much better.

The clipping you sent about the ACT moving the Chinese Army, I saw that going oh, but I just had pne load of them; we haul mostly supplies anything and everything. Tell Louis Mayer I am sure glad about his son. I am still wondering if Charlie (a brother-in-law, Pfc. Charles Hutton) will come over this way. It would be bice if we could see each other.

I have finished The Robe and I sure did enjoy it don't have much time to read though. The language used here is Hindustani, and the religion princi-' pally Hindu. The bearer or boy we have now speaks some English and seems to be trusted, so we dont worry about him. He comes at 8:30 a. and goes home about 4, costs 40 rupees a month for the five of us, or eight rupees each, $2.40 American.

We were moved to a different part of the camp, and now we are living in tents and it isn't bad at all plenty of mosquitoes though! The eats at our new place are swell fried chicken tonight (they kill the Chickens when they will make two mouthful over I am thinner, not much, but I am feeling swell. We keep after our clothes pretty close, so the mildew isn't so bad shoes are worst. Things mildew here in a day, then when the sun comes out, we hang them out. I see elephants working around the lumber camps and saw mills, moving the big logs, when I go to Ledo to see John (McMahan). But si We sure had a good time visiting, and then I rode around with him Thursday while he took care of his work.

We sure had good eats over there! I can tell you now where I am. I am at Sookerat-ing Air Base, and it is located by the village of Doom Durua, which is 20 miles south of Sadya and about midway between Chabia and Ledo. I saw the show National Velvet and sure did like it. I like colored films. I haven't seen the show, God is My Co-Pilot but there is never a trip I make that I don't say a little prayer.

This is a nice evening and it is so clear that we can see the first ridge of the Hump it is 50 to 75 miles from here. Our base set a new record last month for tonnage into China. I have enough time in for my Air Medal and one cluster. I have my theatre ribbon with one bronze star on it. Thanks a million for the Journal Gazettes.

I read very word even the want ads! Tell everyone hello! Lots of love, DICK points. Rushing totals are incomplete, but he gained about 2,000 yards on teams loaded with other great backs and outstanding linemen. The physical strength he displayed on the football field played an impor-tant role in his all-too-brief duty in the Navy during World War II. One of 11 children of Harvey and Myrtle Pullen, Bob enlisted in the Navy in June 1940, just two years after his graduation from high school. He was assigned to duty on the USS Houston, a cruiser, in Septem Richard Myers, above and above left, during WWII.

'Popeye' Pullen Fighter pilot gave up chase of oil spot on the windshield ber 1940. The ship was in the Philippines at the time Pearl Harbor was bombed. But just three months later, on March 1, 1942, the Houston was sunk in the Sunda Straits in the Battle of Java. Of the 1,065 men on the ship, 697 were killed as it went down or were shot in the water as they swam to shore. Only 368 survived the battle.

Of the survivors, 79, including Bob, died as prisoners of war. Popeye's great strength enabled him to swim to shore, where he was taken prisoner. He was taken to the 100 Kilo POW camp in Burma (now Thailand) and forced to work on the Burma railroad. Prisoners were not treated properly and did not receive enough food or medical attention. Nearly a year and half after his capture, Popeye died on Aug.

31, 1943, from an infected scratch on his leg. His family was not notified of his death until Sept. 21, 1945, two years after his death and three and a half years after his ship had been sunk. Submitted by Claude F. Hone Sioux Falls, S.D., father of Cheryl Hawker of Charleston During World War II, I was a Marine fighter pilot aboard a carrier.

We were the first eight Marines to attack Tokyo and were strafing the airfield as the Japanese Zeros were taking off right at us. Four of the eight survived, and we were flying in a snowstorm back to the carrier, about 100 miles offshore. The carrier in the meantime had a submarine, scare and turned around and was not at the rendezvous point. We were all on radio silence, including the carrier, and we had to hand-plot our course of zigzag in hope of finding.the mother ship. The carrier sent out one letter of the alphabet once a minute and we emerged from the clouds with our gas gauges bouncing on empty.

We swung a tight circle and just made it. Another time, when leading eight planes looking for the enemy over Iwo Jima, I spotted a speck of a plane in the distance and gave the plane full throttle in hot pursuit and told the other planes to follow me. After a while when I couldn't seem to gain on the enemy, and none of the other fighter pilots could even see the enemy plane, I foolishly confessed it was just an oil spot on my windshield. In between battles, when anchored in some South Pacific lagoon waiting for orders up to the front, it became boringfor most of the pilots. One of our favorite pastimes was skipping silver dollars off the fantail to see how many skips we could get.

Sure wish I had those silver dollars today. One time at anchor, two good buddy roommates were going through the chow line with their stainless steel trays. When chocolate pudding was served, the first pilot took a great big spoonful of pudding and turning to his buddy, put it in his shirt pocket. The second pilot never said a word, just slowly took off his shirt and handing it to the other pilot and said, "It was your shirt, I just borrowed it today." After the invasion of Guam, we had set up camp with our tents and built mosquito netting around our bunks, whitewashed some walks for the entrance and planted some flowers that grew quickly and profusely. After about six weeks, this was home and we got sent to Honolulu for a week of rest and relaxation.

When we returned, a new airstrip had been bulldozed where our camp had been, including my footlocker with all my letters and personal belongings tent, bed and all. While on Guam, the Navy had a good line of supply, but the Marines were eating K-Rations of crackers and cheese. No fresh food of any kind. No meat, no bread, no milk, just some flour and lots of ketchup. Two Marines took a Jeep down to the ship unloading food and piled it high with cases of whatever there was.

The military police arrested them and were going to court-martial them. Our commanding officer would not stand behind these pilots, so we all got together and refused to fly until they got them released from the brig. He got them out. But we never got any food. Now you know why I will eat anything.

The City of Charleston proudly honors those who served our nation during World War II. The bell in Morton Park, one of two in the State of Illinois cast as a replica of the Liberty Bell, rang in tribute to these brave men and women during our July Fourth Celebration. It remains as this City's symbol of respect and admiration throughout each year and is available for remembering their sacrifices. May God bless the souls of those who made the supreme sacrifice. if -r.