Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Reverend Bruce Young known throughout West Virginia See page 5
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Cemetery to Gain New Life By Justin Waybright justin@thecabellstandard.com
MILTON - New life is surrounding the city cemetery. "This is a great cemetery, but it just needs updated," Cemetery Coordinator Bonnie Hancock told council members during the Aug. 6 city meeting. Some of the ideas she has for the land include new signs, lot markers and a software system to help file information for families. The software Hancock requested costs $2,500 and will place each individual space into a computer database. "A database for $2,500 - is that the cheapest?" asked councilmember Carl Harshbarger. "Yes, I checked yesterday and saw some others for $7,000," responded Hancock. "For that price, we're getting a lot." Another idea to make the cemetery more efficient and cost effective involves taking back ownership of forgotten or abandoned lots purchased years ago. SEE CEMETERY ON PAGE 8
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By Justin Waybright justin@thecabellstandard.com
MILTON - Every night when Robert "Bob" Ball lays his head on the pillow, images of soldiers and sounds of gunfire cloud his mind. It's been more than 60 years since the Korean War, but veterans like Ball still fight in a war daily: the war of the mind. Memories of the Korean War are inerasable for this local veteran. Standing in front of a Purple Heart, a combat infantry badge and a slew of medals, the 81-year-old speaks about the day he strapped on a machine gun and faced enemy fire. Flashback to 1950: the 18-yearold joins the US Army and finishes basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. War breaks out June 25, 1950, just days later. Ball arrives in Korea where he
Decorated war veteran - Robert "Bob" Ball stands in front of a Purple Heart, a combat infantry badge and a slew of medals received during his years of serving the country in the Korean War. Photo by Justin Waybright serves as a machine gunner on the frontline. "My platoon sergeant said to us, 'be alert at all times or you're likely to not be around tomor-
row,’" the veteran recalled. "We were one big family, protecting each other." The warning his sergeant gave rings true.
On April 25, 1951, Ball and his unit approach a hill in Korea and chaos breaks loose. A barrage of gunfire invades the atmosphere. Fellow soldiers and friends are captured during the battle. Some never make it home. Ball is wounded and sent to the hospital. This was a nightmare the soldier lived out: a day the war veteran will never forget. "We took that hill the first day and I was firing at the North Koreans - I was excited and scared, wishing I was back home in Milton," Ball remembered. "There's hardly a day goes by that I don't think about the incident and what happened there." The soldier joined the Army as a recruit and finished as a Sgt. 1st Class. More importantly than his rank, the veteran is happy to have made it out alive. FORGET ON PAGE 8
Two Boys Prove Hard Work = Success By Justin Waybright justin@thecabellstandard.com
MILTON - Caleb Holbrook and Josh Minor entered Milton Middle School last week as hometown heroes. The two had a story to tell others during the first cross country practice Monday evening. It was a story of hard work meets success. It was a story of determination meets results. The two middle school students competed in the 36th Annual Hershey's Track and Field Meet, a national competition involving the best runners in the country. Holbrook achieved a 7-footeight-inch long jump, just missing his personal record by inches. "I came in third by a half-inch,"
The duo - Caleb Holbrook and Josh Minor stand in front of trophies Milton Middle School has won during various middle school track and cross country meets. The two boys recently competed nationally at the Hershey Track and Field Meet. Photo by Justin Waybright the seventh grader said. Holbrook placed well in a large group of the best jumpers in the
nation. He plans to bring home gold next year. Minor clocked in a 4:49 mile,
breaking his personal record by less than one second. The eighth grader placed 6th out of 12 runners in the event. "The first lap was really fast at 64 or 65 seconds, and I got blocked in," Minor said. "I finally got in pace and broke away." Fewer than two seconds separated him from 5th place. But, the boys took more than times and distances away from the event: more than medals and trophies, but rather experience and memories. "I think I did great - I got to compete against the best in the US," said Holbrook. "You did," Minor responded. The eighth grader hopes to apply the experience from the naSEE SUCCESS ON PAGE 5
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