Veterans Day 2109 • The Ironton Tribune

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Veterans A salute to our

Taking part in history

Ironton veteran saw major event of Pacific in WWII By Heath Harrison

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larence Boggs spent three and half years in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and, during that time, he was a part of some of the most historic parts of that conflict. Boggs, who turns 97 on Jan. 11, lives in Ironton and is a life long resident of Lawrence County. “I was born in Warren, but I’ve lived here since I was one and a half,” he said. He was working at Dayton Malleable when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 and, the following month, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was a sergeant. Deployed to the Pacific, he took part in the Battle of Saipan in 1944, liberating the Mariana Islands. The battle was considered one of the most decisive in the Pacific, inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese and leading to the resignation of that nation’s prime minister. It also put Japan in reach of Allied bombers for the first time. The following spring, he was part of the battle of Okinawa, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater, which set the stage for a planned invasion of Japan by the Allies. Boggs would have been a part of such a mission, however that invasion never came. In August 1945, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to that nation’s unconditional surrender. “Japan was going to be next, but everything ended,” Boggs said of the operation, which would have commenced within 15 days. “There was another outfit designated to be right behind us. They said our casualties would have been 105 percent. We didn’t know that until later, though.” With the war over, Boggs took part in the U.S. occupation of Japan. “We just packed up and went to inhabit,” he said. He was stationed in Nagasaki, where he arrived days after the bomb had dropped and saw the devastation firsthand. “No matter where you stood, you couldn’t see anything but trash on the ground,” he said. “You couldn’t believe what you were looking at.” He recalled a group of Catholic nuns, who lived in a monastery in the hills above the city, where they made chocolate. Their home was seven miles from the bomb’s point of impact. “There was a room there, facing the blast,” he said. “It blew out all the windows. There was glass stuck in the walls like daggers. They were lucky no one was in there at the time or they could have been killed by flying glass. That was exactly seven miles away, so that gives you 14 miles of damage all around.” He remained in the military until April 15, 1946, when he returned to Lawrence County. And he wasted no time in returning to his work here.

Boggs

SEE “BOGGS,” PAGE 2


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VETERANS DAY

THE TRIBUNE

WEEKEND EDITION, NOVEMBER 9-10, 2019

More than a name on the wall DB Class of 1969 honor fallen classmate

By Mark Shaffer

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n Oct. 29, members of the DawsonBryant Class of 1969 gathered at the high school to unveil a plaque honoring their fallen classmate, Johnny Russell. Although it has been five decades since they graduated, Russell, who was affectionately nicknamed “Possum,” had never been forgotten. After graduation, Russell was drafted into the U.S. Army and was sent to Vietnam, where he was killed by an explosive device on Aug. 2, 1970. He was the only member of the class to die in the war. After the most recent class reunion, they decided they needed to put up a plaque on the high school wall that honors veterans. It is a simple plaque with his picture, his class, when he died and the words, “He gave the ultimate sacrifice.” There is also a rubbing of his name from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. “Johnny was one of those kids that was always smiling,” said classmate Lena Conn. “A great kid, everyone liked him.” “We always remember him,” said classmate Judy Malone. “We should have done this a long time ago, but we are older now, more mature, and we decided it was time to do something.”

Since the band was practicing, the 46 members of the class and family members moved outside to have their remembrance. Danny Brammer, who was the class president during all four years of the high school years, said that the virtual Vietnam Memorial Wall only mentioned that Russell was killed in hostile territory and passed away on Aug. 2, 1970. He said he could not add anything to that day, so he decided to talk about the day he was born and the day he died. He said the nickname of “Possum” was not disrespectful, but rather that he smiled all the time and his smile was warm and never fake. “If you wanted to see a smiling face, you just had to find John,” Brammer said. “John was respectful. I can never recall a single time John was disrespectful or disruptive.” Classmates recalled Russell as a good kid all his life. “He had a great heart,” said one friend. Another classmate recalled that Russell stood up in church and said he wouldn’t come back from Vietnam. “He told me that if he didn’t see me again here, he would see me up in Heaven,” another classmate recalled. The simple ceremony ended with a prayer and a playing of the Statler Brothers song, “More Than a Name on the Wall.”

Members of the Dawson-Bryant Class of 1969 gathered at the high school on Oct. 29 to unveil a plaque honoring their fallen classmate, Johnny Russell, who died in Vietnam. (The Ironton Tribune | Mark Shaffer)

Boggs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “He was back on Friday and Monday morning he went back to his regular job,” Boggs’ daughter, Terri Mollett, who lives with him, said. “They had it set up so, when you were working and forced in, when you got home, you were guaranteed to get back to your job,” Boggs said of Dayton Malleable. “But you had to wait until you were drafted to go in.” He worked at the plant until 1983 when it shut down, just as he qualified for a pension. On July 3, 1947, Boggs married Lafern Murnahan, a union that would last 66 years until her death on June 3, 2014. “She was the love of his life,” Mollett said. The couple had five children, Mike Boggs, Mollett, Cyndy McComas, Susan Liming and Patrick Boggs, who is deceased. Boggs has

Clarence Boggs, an Ironton World War II veteran meets with President Barack Obama on the steps of Air Force One in Reno, Nevada in 2016. (Submitted photo) eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He received a special honor in 2016, when he was invited to meet President Barack Obama at a stop in Reno, Nevada. “He asked that I be at

the steps at Air Force One when he got off the plane,” Boggs said. Boggs keeps a photo of the occasion on display and carries in his wallet a Presidential Challenge Coin, given to him by Obama.

While he says he sees the importance of Veterans Day, Boggs said at his age, he doesn’t take part. “They’ve come and gone so many times, you don’t really pay attention anymore,” he said. Boggs has been active in his community as a member of the VFW, the Moose lodge, the Knights of Columbus and then served as Exalted Ruler at the Elks lodge. The Ironton lodge recently had a dinner in his honor, as he is the oldest Past Exalted Ruler in the state of Ohio. “They really did a great thing for him,” Mollett said of the occasion. Mollett said she respects her father and all World War II vets, and values those who are still living for their connection to history. “He has been able to tell us so many stories about what she saw,” she said.

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VETERANS DAY

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Roy Ratliff, who owned Central Hardware and Furniture in Ironton for six decades, served as a bottom turret gunner on a B-17 bomber in Europe during World War II. He was also the honorary grand marshal of the 150th annual IrontonLawrence County Memorial Day Parade in 2018. (The Ironton Tribune|Mark Shaffer)

Flying High

Ratliff recalls experience as a bomber during World War II By Mark Shaffer

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oy Ratliff is well known for his years of being in the hardware business in Ironton. The 94-year-old was in the business for six decades before selling the Central Hardware and Furniture a couple of years ago. But before he got into the hardware business, Ratliff was a member of the U.S. Army Air Forces. He enlisted in 1943 and was sent to Mississippi for basic training. He was then sent to Las Vegas for gunnery school. “I was going to be the bottom turret gunner on a B-17 bomber,” he explained. He was trained to fire two .50 caliber machine guns as part of the Flying Fortress’ defensive weapons. After that training, Ratliff was sent to Tennessee and assigned to a 10-man bomber crew of a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, radio operator, two side gunners, a tail gunner with Ratliff as one of two bottom turret gunners. The crew flew night missions over the United States before being sent overseas in October 1944. “I had my 19th birthday off the coast of Africa,” Ratliff said. The bomber was assigned to an airbase in Allied-occupied southern Italy and was sent out to bomb Axis targets in Germany, Austria and Yugoslavia. Northern Italy was still under control of the German army. The American forces preferred to bomb during the day, as opposed to the British forces, who preferred

night missions. “I flew 30 missions,” Ratliff said. “We flew out of an airbase in Foggia, Italy.” Their airbase was primitive. They lived in tents and didn’t have electricity. “We did have a mess hall they built for us,” he said. The crew got up about 5 a.m. and ate, then went to a daily briefing to find out what their mission was and then started engines about 7 a.m. They spent an hour and a half getting into squadrons at 25,000 feet. About 75 miles from the target, they got into their heading and kept on it until they were over the designated bombing area. “If you saw anti-aircraft fire coming across your line, there was nothing you could do about it. You stayed on that line regardless,” Ratliff said. “If the fire got closer and closer, that was just your bad luck.” They didn’t have radar or GPS in the planes in the 1940s so all the bomb runs were based on using their eyes. If the weather was overcast and couldn’t identify their target, they didn’t drop their bombs. “And if the bombs weren’t dropped, then it didn’t count as a mission,” Ratliff explained. They generally were over their target by noon and back to the base about 3 p.m. “It was about an eight-hour round trip,” he said. Being a bottom turret gunner was not an easy position on the plane.

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VETERANS DAY

THE TRIBUNE

WEEKEND EDITION, NOVEMBER 9-10, 2019

Making Christmas brighter Legion to collect for vets in nursing homes By Heath Harrison

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ach year, members of Legion Post 433 in Ironton make the effort to raise money to buy items for veterans in nursing homes. “We’re going to do it again this year,” post commander Frank Murphy said, adding that members will hit the street for a collection drive at the intersection of Marion Pike and South Third Street in Coal Grove. “We’ll be there Black Friday and Black Saturday,” he said of the days after Thanksgiving. The Legion gets a wish list from veterans in the county’s five nursing homes and tries to meet their needs, buying items such as sweat suits, clothes, TVs and stereos. The group collects for about 70 veterans and the gifts are delivered on the Saturday before Christmas. Anyone who wants to contribute can send a donation to the post headquarters at 310 S. Third St., Ironton, OH 45638.

ABOVE: Post commander Frank Murphy and Pete Carter, of American Legion 433, collect donations for the post’s annual efforts to shop for active duty veterans and those in nursing homes in 2017. RIGHT: Pete Carter, of American Legion 433, collects donations for the post’s annual efforts to shop for active duty veterans and those in nursing homes. (The Ironton Tribune|Heath Harrison)

Ratliff CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Being on the bottom of the bomber left the gunner exposed to enemy flack among other things. And the bottom turret guns were encased in a small ball that a person could barely fit into. “It was so small, I had to leave my parachute up in the plane,” Ratliff said. “Fortunately, I never had to use it. Thankfully, I never got shot down.” Ratliff flew as part of a seven-bomber group and it was his job to defend the planes

from enemy fighters. The bombers flew in a staggered combat box formation at different altitudes so the planes could defend each other with their six .50 caliber machine guns. “So, we had a lot of firepower to protect ourselves,” he said, adding that by that point in the war, Germany was also fighting with Russia and in France, so they didn’t have a lot of fighter crafts left. “They were pretty scarce,” he said. After the war in Europe ended in 1945, Ratliff was sta-

tioned in Florida. Ratliff and the crew had thought they were going to be trained on the B-29 bomber, which was a longer-range bomber. “We thought we would have to go the Pacific, but Harry S. Truman was president and we had the atomic bomb and, of course, that ended the war with Japan. So, finally, the war was over.” Instead of being retrained, Ratliff was released from the military and returned to Ohio. His family had moved from Birmingham, Alabama to Gallipolis, so he decided

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“It’s just been a nice town, a nice community and a nice county,” Ratliff said. And the community has remembered Ratliff. In 2018, he was the honorary grand marshal of the IrontonLawrence County Memorial Day Parade. “It was a surprise to be given that privilege to be the honorary chairman of the 150th parade,” Ratliff said. “It was quite an honor for me. Memorial Day is a special day, because my life is a gift from people like my cousins who gave their life to defeat our enemies.”

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WEEKEND EDITION, NOVEMBER 9-10, 2019

VETERANS DAY

THE TRIBUNE

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LEFT: Wyngate resident Chuck Pletka holds a photo of the USS Caloosahatchee, a fleet oiler he served on as a radioman in the Mediterranean Sea during the Korean War era. RIGHT: Wyngate resident Keith Rowe served on an Air Force base in Indiana during the Korean War era, where he provided air training. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)

Wyngate residents recall service in the 1950s

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O M E TOWNSHIP — Each year, the Wyngate at Rivers Edge hosts a Veterans Day observance, paying tribute to all who served and, in particular, the veterans who reside at the senior living community. The Wyngate has been home to service members of many conflicts, as well as those who served in non-combat roles. Two of those were in the 1950s, during the Korean War era. Keith Rowe entered the service in December 1951 and spent four years at an Air Force base in Indiana. His duties there included air training. “They had NATO countries that they taught things to,” he said. Born in Rappsburg, Ohio, Rowe worked at Appalachian Power when he returned from the service, a job that lasted for 43 years. “I checked contractors’ work and watched maintenance,” he said. “I worked with all the contractors they had.” He has been living at the Wyngate for three and a half years, having moved there with

his wife, Patty Malone, who passed two years ago. The couple had one daughter, Beverly. Rowe comes from a family of service, with his father having taken part in World War I. He said he appreciates the observance of Veterans Day, though he said his father may not have approved of the name of the observance being changed, rather than be set aside as a day to specifically honor those in World War I. The holiday was originally Armistice Day, marking the anniversary of the end of all World War I hostilities. Rowe said his father died before it was changed to Veterans Day by an act of Congress. “He wouldn’t have liked it,” Rowe said. “It was about the end of World War I — on the 11th month, on the 11th day at the 11th hour, they signed the treaty. I can see why it was important to him. It was pretty tough for them in that war.” Also serving in the Korean era was Chuck Pletka, 91, who has been at the Wyngate for three years, moving there from Huntington. He served for four years in the Navy in third class, first at a

station in Panama, then following its closure, he was transferred to the USS Caloosahatchee, a fleet oiler that had been built in the last part of World War II. Pletka was a radio man on the ship, which he said traveled the South Atlantic carrying oil. “We also went on smaller trips,” he said. He said the ship was on its way to join the eastern fleet, when it had what he called “an unusual trip.” “We had a fresh new captain,” he said. “He was promoted just before the ship went over, he was a character.” It was the summer and, with warm weather, Platka said the captain got the idea that it was time to go swimming. He stopped the ship and Pletka said they put out lifeboats and had men equipped with guns for sharks. “And then we went swimming in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean,” he said, laughing. Pletka said diving into the middle of the ocean was quite an experience, as “there is no bottom.” “You kept going deeper,” he said. “And you

had to claw to try to find your way back up.” He said they eventually got over to Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. He recalled a memorable event that took place when they were stationed on the French Riviera. Actress Rita Hayworth was on the beach near the ship,

along with her new husband, socialite Prince Aly Khan. “She was there on her honeymoon,” Pletka said, recalling the crowds. Pletka said he worked closely with the captain while on the ship and that they escorted ships heading to Korea out of the Mediterranean

through the Suez Canal. They also traveled throughout the region. “I got a world tour,” he said of his service, recalling trips to France, Italy, Northern Africa and Spain, where he saw the Rock of Gibraltar. “It’s just a big rock,

SEE “WYNGATE,” PAGE 6

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THE TRIBUNE

VETERANS DAY

WEEKEND EDITION, NOVEMBER 9-10, 2019

Honoring veterans and moving into a new era of service (BPT) — Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is a time to honor veterans - and this year, to mark important milestones for the holiday and for service to these American heroes. A century ago, on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the armistice ending World War I, President Woodrow Wilson addressed the nation asking Americans to reflect on World War I and to “be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service, and with gratitude for the victory.” Seven years later, an Act of Congress made “Armistice Day” an official U.S. holiday dedicated to peace. In 1945, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks began a personal campaign to expand the meaning of Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Weeks led the first national celebration of veterans in 1947 and just eight years later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a new law establishing Veterans Day. As we pause this Veterans Day to remember those who protected our nation’s freedom, and those still serving today, the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) also celebrates its 100th anniversary. After a century of service to veterans and their families, this year the ALA is evolving in ways that will allow it to help more veterans and military families.

The ALA was founded Nov. 10, 1919, as an affiliate of The American Legion, and historically has been composed of women associated with male service members. The face of the U.S. military is changing, though, and the ALA is changing with it. Women now make up 14.4 percent of the active-duty force, according to America’s Promise Alliance. so the Auxiliary has changed its bylaws to allow male spouses of veterans to join the organization. One of the first male spouses to join the Auxiliary was Chanin Nuntavong. “I’m proud of my wife’s active-duty service in the U.S. Marine Corps. I can think of no better way to recognize her military service than to join a membership-based organization [for] spouses of servicemembers and honorable discharged veterans,” said Nuntavong. “I hope to dispel any negative stereotypes about being a male military spouse.” Nuntavong is also a member of The American Legion and is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps. The ALA’s mission remains the same after a century of service: to advocate for veterans and military issues and provide services to help

Wyngate CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 inhabited by apes,” he said Pletka recalls his time in Panama, which he described as “a vacation, basically.” “I would be on duty a day, then I had three days off and I had a car,” he said. “I did a lot of sightseeing. I saw a lot of old Spanish forts and I learned to play golf.” He said he was up for a promotion, but decided to leave. “I was more interested in finally getting out,” he said. “I wanted to get married. Under different circumstances I might have stayed, but I wanted to start a family.” Pletka married his wife, Patricia, and they were together for more

than 50 years and had four children. Originally from Cleveland, he moved to Huntington for his job, when he was transferred to an electronic supply store there. Pletka has been a member of the American Legion, the VFW and the Knights of Columbus. He said those groups are good for their sense of “camaraderie.” “I think it’s just to remember what they did and when they did it,” he said. He said he looks back fondly on his time in the service. “The Navy is a good life,” he said. “It’s what you make of it. It can be easy or hard. I enjoyed it. The Navy was good for me.”

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support them and their families. Initiatives and volunteer opportunities to help: • Poppy Sales: ALA members distribute poppies in exchange for donations across the country, with proceeds going to disabled and hospitalized veterans. • Christmas Gift Shops: Auxiliary volunteers collect and provide items that hospitalized veterans can give as Christmas gifts. • National Veterans Creative Arts Festival: Co-presented by the ALA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, this annual event invites veterans to participate in visual and performing arts, including creative writing, music and dance, drama, painting, sculpting and drawing. • Stand Downs: Named for the military term meaning a period of rest and recovery for a combat unit during war, stand downs provide food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, haircuts and job counseling for homeless veterans. • Welcome-homes and Send-offs: These events offer benefits counseling, employment assistance, education support and information about community service providers for returning service members. The Auxiliary also works with The American Legion’s Legislative Division in Washington, D.C., to support legislation that addresses veteran inter-

ests, including benefits, national security and children of military. One piece of legislation signed into law this year expands benefits to more veterans. The Let Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service Act, or LEGION Act, declares that the United States has been in a state of war since the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. It means that approximately 6 million veterans who served in previously undeclared times of war now are eligible for benefits. It also means their service and sacrifice can be recognized with support from

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