TirE ATUnOAY EVEN I ' G POST 11

Jlv• (';1¥O J!: ••T. RAHN •

BIRTH OF A LEGEND

The United tates, like C\'cry nation'" ilb n fo lk I rudilion. cherishes its ballads bn1'ed on the (Iccd~ of heroes-John Brown's nody. Cusc~ Jones. The 1.)01.llh of Floyd Collins . llut! others. The central fa~urc in each of ,hc..~ is a dcnd mun ~ Ibol lt whnm. ",ilh lhe paM ing of lhe years, fact and ICA:c Jul h t",c l>CCHIllC in­ scpurubly nwrgcd. In the war just e nded. an A lllc ri cull dutlg hhoy ,"'us immorltl.lizt.... l in so u~ - n od gcr YoulI~. ~ lIbjCCl of .'rc. Frank Loes~c r' s new illfnntry bullud. Rodger Young IlU:!! been dead for ''''0 Jcur~. hut the m emory of his he roism is deslined to Ih'c on. This is his SLOI"). -TIle Editors.

Shines the name, Rodger Young, Fought alld died for the men he marched among: To the everlasting glory of the infantry, Lives the story of Private Rodger Young.*

• BODY bas ever s ucceeded especiaUy well in defining the qualities that make a man a l;1ero. In the infantrY7 where, merely to survive, a soldier had to do things that, by lesser standards, would be considered remarkable, gallantry was commonplace. But even the infantry had its special heroes, and the long list of their names is beaded by o-.AWI~O .y IIOIt.aT alOo. that exclusive group-one out of every 50,000, Portrah of Hodger Young, idol of th e infantry, who modestly asked de molion from sergeanl to say-who have been awarded the Congressional . private because of failing hearing, and then died gloriously to save b is com.rades o f the 37 1J1. , our country's highest reward for military achievement. By the very fact that they nation where type casting has become an institution, in Sandusky County, Ohio, trying to reminisce have earned this decoration, these few men must both on the screen and off it, Rodger Young could be about him, could not say for certain wbetber they be exceptional individuals. And yet, on examina­ said to have borne a pretty close resemblance to the recalled ever having seen him o'r not. tion, many of them appear to be very ordinary average soldier. Perhaps his peacetime lack of dis­ And yet, after his death, his mother received people. tinction is in iu..lf symbolic of the incredible change letters from the late P,esident Roooevelt, Secretary Rodger YOWlg was a very ordinary man who be­ 80 many Americans made from obscure citizens to Stimson, General Marsh.!! and other high-ranking \:arne a great one. There is no typical American foot artful practitioners of a difficult and dangerous Army officers, a congresaman. a number of amateur soldier-our doughboys rightly deny the existence trade. Rodger Young did not look like a storybook poets wbo have composed verses in his honor, and a of any such insult to their individuality- but in a soldier. He was short and light, with poor eyes and flock of people unknown to her who feel they have · C'l1yri&hl. 1915. by IJvb Miller. tliC. poorer ears, and yet he was an expert marksman s bond with ber becauoo her BOn, like their sons, did who never faltered on the longest march. He bad more t.han could reasonably be expected of any never been a particularly dashing young man, and normal man. he deeply loved his small-town IiIe in the heart of Like other Americans, too, Rodger Young ~oved the . And yet he elected to die violently sports. His nickname, tI Fuzz," was the result of an on a remote and ugly island he bad probably never impulsive remark-HGee, look at the fuzz fly!" is heard of until a few weeks before he was buried the official family version-be made while observing tbere. tbe explosive demise of a cottontail on one of many In every conceivable way, he was an average hunting trips with his father. Rodger liked fishing man. He was only fair in his studies, and left high too-so much that he devoted an entire letter from school after his junior year. He was far from well-to­ tbe Pacific to an elaborately detailed description of do, but never so poor as to be hungry. He was de­ a tropical fishing excursion, a typically American voted to his family. He went to church, but only one in that he had only one strike, lost that, and was now and then. He was fond of children. He was happy anyhow. While in training in this country, fond of dogs. He liked to play practical jokes on he contentedly devoted an entire short furlougb to his friends, but would readily admit that be bad an ioining his father in tbe pursuit of tbe bass, catfish inferior sense of humor. He worked hard and faith­ and percb residing in Sandusky Bay. He had a 165 fully at an unskilled job. He played a middling bowling average, could directly attribute his eye­ game of poker and pinochle. He went out witb a and-ear trouble to an injury sustained on a basket­ variety of girls, owned a battered old car, was an ball court, and was a gu,,,t baseball fan. He was eager, though inexpert, photograpber, was punished never big enough or good enough to play on any SIGNAl. :co. by his mother for smoking at too precocious an age, first-string teams, but his enthusiasm for sports was Rodger's mOlher ~\nd father receil'ing the and was so utterly inconspicuous that, after he be­ unaffected. by his limited. proficiency. When be went of Honor awurded I)()s lilulnolls ly to their son. came nationally recognized as a bero, tbe borne folks on active military (Con tinued on POXf! 50) 50 • T ilE SATURDAY EVENING I'OST ScI)lCll1bc .. :.!9, 1915 • military buddies who are wiped out; main supply route to the Southwest A BOY NAMED it is your lifelong friends, the men you Pacific. The 37th set up beach de­ r sinea RODGER YOUNG would ordinarily expect to be remUted fenses and continued its training. Ii with when tbe war is over. Company was a healthy enough life, and Rodger B was particularly hard hit; scarcely reported home that he had gained a dozen of the old men were still on the thirteen pounds. He became friendly service with the 37th Infantry Divi­ roster at the war's end. The remainder with the family of an AustraJian sugar­ sion- Obio's Buckeye Division- be were not all battle casualties- an Army mill employee who lived out there, and used to bang around the out.fit's base­ can no more function without trans­ used to drop in a t their house on Sun­ ball team, take snapshots oC t.he players {!era than can a streetcar line- but there day evenings for tea- the usual Aus­ and send the pictures borne 8S valued are many heavy hearts in Sandusky tralian metonymical term for supper. souvenirs. I t probably would ba ve County today. He was impressed, like most tourists, made him very proud to have known Being in a National Guard outfit af­ with the size a nd splendor of the tropi­ that on BougainviUe, where the 37th fected Rodger Young in one other way. cal moon." He sent home a few picture fought. some months after he was As a part-time soldier when the emer­ post cards of the moon. as well as, of killed on in the summer gency arose, he was ushered into full­ course, pbotographs of some of the of 1943. a hall fie ld was given his name . time service with comparatively little bandsomer native belles, to whom his • Late this past March, the citizens of of the scrutiny that embellishes the reactions were those of the normal }tremont, Ohio, seat of Young's home induciion of a raw civilian. In his American boy face to face for the first county, celebrated Rodger YOWlg Day. jWlior year of high school, while play­ t ime with a living, startling illustration It was generally voted by its partici­ ing basketball with some boys who for a travel brochure. Sometimes, dur­ pants to be the biggest tbing that had were stronger, heavier and bad longer ing hours of leisure, he entertained the ever bappened in Fremont- bigger, reaches, he was bumped in a competi­ men in his company by playing a guitar even, than the visit of President Mc­ tive scuffle and struck his head on the he had picked up out there or a bar- Kinley or the marriage of President floor of the court. Some weeks later, momca.• Hayes' daughter. From the surround­ his ears and his eyes began to bother After ten months in the Fijis, which ing countryside, enough people came to him. He quit school because he had by that time were altogether out of the town nearly to double its popula. trouble reading. He bad to wear danger, the 37th moved on to Guadal­ EVER SINCE THE 1850' S WHEN canal, transformed from a scene of ac­ AM ERICA WAS BUILDING ITS tion of 16,000. It was quite an occasion. glasses all the time, and became slightly In one of the corridors of the Fre­ deaf. If he had had as thorough a pre­ tion to a forward training base. Rodger RAILROADS. WE HAVE .DEDICATED OURSElVES TO MAKI NG PIPES mont High School, that day, an ex­ induction examination as selectees wrote home that he had had a . few FOR DISCRIMINA.TlNG SMOKERS hibit of Rodger Young memorabilia have had, he might have been declared rides in aircraft- a B-17, a Navy dive reposed in six glass-topped showcases. ineligible for general military service. bomber and an Army transport- and There were the musical instruments­ Rodger Young, who won the Medal of had enjoyed the experiences. He put guitar, banjo and harmonica-Rodger H onor for gallantry and intrepidity on a little more weight, perhaps be­ had played in a family orchestra notable above and beyond the call of duty, cause of bis singular attitude toward for its spirit and versatility. There was may well bave been a legitimate 4-F. Army food . He is one of the few sol­ the prize ribbon be won, along with a Private Young was promoted to cor­ dier~, for example, who are known to free trip to Chicago, in a newsboys' poral 011 October 14, 1940, the day be­ ha ve expressed a positive affection contest conducted by the Toledo News­ fore be went into Federal service. Dur­ for powdered eggs. It was his one tiny Bee in the fall of 1934. There were ing nineleen months of training at deviation from the norm. He was bis ice skates, a batch of his letters Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and Indian­ cheerful and not in the least apprehen­ borne- all tbe trivia posthumously town Gap, Pennsylvania, he earned a sive about his prospects. He refused to assembled by a loving family who sergeantcy and leadership of a squad. worry about himself and, in letters might have collected more had they H e was a dependable, conscientious home, good-naturedly scolded his par­ Relief Grai" been able to tell in advance their boy noncommissioned officer. who appre­ ents for worrying about him. U I can Silape #07, $7.50 would be a hero. ciated the value of his training to him­ run faster than any Jap," he used to If Billiard" Rodger went to war in the fall of self and to his country. say, "and I'll be all right as long as I 1940 along with the other thousands of OCCAsionally, during his training, he see the Japs first." Americans who, up to then, bad com­ had to take a written examination on From Guadalcanal, Young moved on prised our National Guard and bad the military knowledge he had ac­ to the Rus~ell Islands, where his outfit had little thanks Cor it. He had joined quired. His family still has one test made the final preparations for action the guard while ill his teens, and be­ he sent borne. It was a regimental on New Georgia. A few days before his longed to Company B of the 148th In­ quiz, divided into four sections. He OW? D day. Sergeant Young became Cantry, with headquarters in Fremont scored 80 per cent on Articles of War seriously concerned about his hearing. and personnel drawn largely from Fre­ and Army Regulations, slipped to 70 Long hours on the firing line back in mont, Clyde and Green Springs, where on Interior Guard, and came back the States and the aggravating hu­ the Youngs had Hved Cor some years. strong witb a couple of 92's on Scout­ mIdIty of the trOpICS had combined to The Ohio National Guard became the ing and Patrolling and Military Cour­ increase his deafness. 37th Infantry Division, whose com­ tesy, for a respectable over-aU grade. Broodingover this deficiency ,Rodger BU' mander, Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beigbt­ The 37th Infantry Division sa iled Young went to his company com­ VICTOR Y ler, had the distinction of being the out into the Pacific in May, 1942, when mander shortly after landing on New BONOS first guard leader in this war to take his the Japanese were still advancing and Georgia and requested that he be re­ division into battle. our resisting efforts were so far from duced in rank. It must have been a KAYWO of Company B's roster contained seven strong that the invasion of Australia hard decision to make. He bad been sets oC brothers. Rodger's oldest was regarded as by no means improb­ on active duty for more than two and brother, George Webster, was in it, able. First, the Buckeye Division went a haH years and was proud of his status Kaywoodie Pipes 3re made for your and they traveled together as far as to the Fiji Islands, a key point on OUT . (ColI,itlu('" on /'08 " 52) pleasure. with the experience of 94 years the Fiji Islands, where Webster- as of continuous operation at making the family calls him- was transferred pipes. Discriminating smokers alL over to a quartermaster outfit and assigned the world have adopted Kaywoodie as to raising onions and other vegetables their favorite. May be had at your for the tasty implementation oC the dealer's in various styLes, from $3.50 Army ration in that area. Among the ) to $25. brothers in Company B were the ( ) Kaywoodie CompallY • •V ew Yo," 6- LandOlf­ Rigby boys, Albert and Walter, of In N'1D I' ark. 6JO Fijlh Ave .• Nno York 20. Green prings, both close friends of the Youngs. Albert was mesa sergeant The term UKaywoodie Briar" means briar that has been selected to meet our c't3ctimz of the organization, and Walter was requirements, and sat­ leading the platoon Rodger saved from isfactorily seaso ned annihilation at the moment of his c:-:dusi\'cly for Kay­ death. It was Walter Rigby, platoon woodjc Pipes. sergeant, who filed the principal affi­ davit that eventually resulted in Rodg­

er's getting the Medal of Honor. • Having boyhood chums at your side - • • -' ~ ,•• .. _. is pleasant on training marches and in • • •• - • the barracks. But the system has its CoD"194', THas"n Itow disadvantages in combat. When a com· E\'a... rSG POSI I<.ywoodle Co. pany is hard hit and suffers many cas­ ualties at once, the effect is the same ~ ·Thet e · s som clhing funny aJJOul lhe ;ai l' CU frcnls around h ere." YOU WI LL IlWAYS FIND TNE NEWEST ANO BEST f'l as if a blockbuster were to land on a IN mWOODIE. LOOK FOR THE CLOVER lEAF L".J school playground. It is not only your .,-- ') '1' 11£ SATUIIOAY EVENI NG 1'051' SCI)lCIlJ be., 29. 19 ':i

(Co"tinued from Page 50) Just about then a Jap and responsibilities as sergeant and opened up on the platoon. raking it wdoyoulook squad leader. with fire. The men tried to pull back. He felt, however, that in the noisy but movement was virtually impos­ confusion o( battle, hjs failure to hear sible under the deadly surveillance of to Deleo? correctly some order he would have that gun. shooting from a hidden jWl­ to pass along or his (ail ure to detect gle position. Withdrawal seemed diffi­ some significant sound mjght endanger cult; so. for that matter. did survival. the lives of his men. His wish was Then the soldier who had announced granted with reluctance, and Sergeant gaily months before that he would be Young, squad leader, became Private all right as long as he saw the Japs first Young, ordinary rifleman, directly got a chance to confirm his prediction. responsible for the weUare o( no one He saw them first. He called out that but himself. he had spotted the gun. According to Rodger Young was the kjnd of per­ the role he had elected to play in his son who always took the least com­ own combat story, he should have (ortable chair in a room, went out of beaten the hastiest possible retreat. • his way to be considerate to his elders, But Rodger Young forgot his cue. H e and djdn't have the capacity for hold­ (orgot that he was only a private and ing a grudge. .. He would take a slap had no official responsibility for the in the face." a childhood acquaintance men around him. He opened fire with recalled after his death, II and go on his rifle. The Japs answered with a about his business and forget it." For burst in his direction. and hit him. -1... lke a nhinoceros '! ... Thick· a man who never made the first team, Then Rodger Young went into action. kin doesn't need any little hints he had a lot of team spirit, and never With his rifle in one hand and a few about meeting veterans. lot him, he demonstrated it better than on the day grenades in his uniiorm pocket, he be· Knows How To Handle Men. Forget he died. July 31. 1943. was his com­ gan crawling slowly toward the ma­ about vets needing rest before they go pany's second day in battle. The chine gun. Nobody can say what he back to work, he says. Just yell, doughboys had a rough introduction to was think.ing. Perhaps he figured that "What's wrong with you, Soldier? Get the practical side o( war. They had his skill as a marksman gave bim the up! Get to work! Be a man!" A few scarcely gone into the line when, three best chance of all his buddies to knock hours in a foxhole would be so good miles from the J ap-held airfield at out the gun. Whatever he figured. he for the Rhinoceros. ••• n Lio n? 1'lost civi li ans are Munda, they found themselves cut off. must have ,had a pretty good idea that. pretty modc!'t about what they've An order came through to withdraw. he was gomg on a one-way trip. The done. But not the Li on. He practi cally Sgt. Walter Rigby. commanding the J aps saw him coming and t urned the won the war with hi Victory Carden platoon Young was assigned to, got the gun on him. They hit him a second alone. And the bonds he bought . .. , word and passed it along to his men, time and he flinched. But he didn't Veterans begin to wonder if maybe scattered throughout the jungle and stop. H e kept on inching forward and. draft dodgers didn't have the right under rifle fire from Japs close by. The as be got closer to the Japs. they ig­ idea. order was relayed from man to man. nored the rest of the platoon and con­ A private lying near Young, suspecting centrated their whole murderous fire that he mjght not have heard the order. on Rodger Young. That was the break poked him with a stick and. drawing the men needed to get out of the trap. his attention, motioned to the rear. ( ConLiu ued 0" t'uge j I )

• I.

•.. n Ferre .? She'll gel The De­ tails if it kills her ... or the officer. And the gorier the details, the better. • •• It Fox:? Veteralls wan t to feel Do tors may spend months helping a proud o[ the people they fought for. soldier forgel a bad battle experience. But it's hard to be proud of the Fox. The Ferret can bring it all back in He's done pretty well in this war and minutes. he doesn't mind telling you about it. "Know those lots I bought in 1937? We ll ..." Veterans who saw land 2. traded for lives don't enjoy thjs kind of talk. f -

•• • u Crocodile ? Her tears Aow 3 . like wine when she sees a wounded • service man. And her sy mpathy fl ows over him like carbolic acid. She turns ;' - a hjgh-powered spotlight on a veter­ --I an's disability. No better morale­ Or S C:tr- 8Iu.u~l e d Ciclze ns! / , wTecker ex ists. They see the returned veteran as an - able, capable citizen. They're proud of • • • him, anxious to help. They weep no Prepared by the War Adl:utiJing Council, Inc. tears over him, ask no questions, listen in Cooperation with Ihe Office of War Iriforma. when he talks-they make hjm think, tion and 1M Rdraining and Reemployment "Boy! What a wonderful country'" AdminUlration. Most of US are like them ... lets help • -l. the rest to be like lhem 100! f6 ;,{J"tw fB f(; fO , ,«'-- Thl ••taod .!!l 'or bOllorable . e ,,'\· l ee - R~m~mber . . . the mao or woman (0 .... , "/ /' / f'" (. - - " . J f "".. ~ wbo ""ears tbi! buttoD ba! heeD bonorably discharged (rom our armed forcet!l. " " " - \ /, " '); \ PUBLISHED IN COOPERATION WI TH THE DRUG. COSMETIC AND ALlIED INDUSTR IES BY ~ )1 ' '].~2' I L"~ Ilfii)l • M 1'O-pfuJ-fa.c-Lic J3l"USK G., fLORE N C E. MASS . ======4 ......

Makers of Pro-phy-Ioc-tic Brushes TilE SAT l,;kOA V IfVIt'SISG_T • • • TUE SATUIWAY EVENING POST ScplCDlbcr 29, 19 ' 5

(Continued from I'age 52) lated them." Rodger Young's old com­ AP. they crawled back successfully, rades were proud of him too. It was his Rodger Young dragged himself even regiment-the 148th Infantry- that nearer to the Jap position, and began led the march oC all American dough­ tossing grenades into it. He was too boys into M a nila, and later helped to close to the Japs, by now, for them to exterminate the Japs holed up in the miss, and they didn't. They hit him a smoking rubble oC Intramuros. third time and stopped him for good, just as one of his grenades fell into their Rodger Wilton Young was born in • • position and stopped their gun. Tiffin on April 28, 1918. Hm parents, It was the next day before the pla­ Nicholas and Esther Young, were both toon could get back in and recover his Ohioans, and the Camily bas deep roots body. They buried him where he fell, in tbat region. Three of Rodger's grand­ wrapped in his shelter half, with a parents are alive in Ohio today. His rough wooden cross over him and his Cather, formerly a mechanic, became an helmet mounting the cross. His regi­ engineer on the staff oC the C lyde Por­ mental chaplain gave a talk and said a celain Steel Corporation, in Clyde, prayer, and the mourners bowed their which manufactured bathroom tiles, heads extra low because J ap bullets washbowls and the like, but turned to were still flying around the area. Later, making tank parts during the war, For when there was time for it, they gave the past several months, Mr. and Mrs. him a more dignified funeral. A few Young have been living in Baltimore, souvenirs of the South Pacific he had wbere Rodger's father was sent to take planned to take home himself-a Jap charge oC war prod uction at a subsidi­ compass, some assorted sea shells and ary of the Clyde plant. a sa ilor hat-were mailed back by his The Youngs stayed in Tiffin till friends. A kniIe he had prized was Rodger was ten, and then moved to never found. "It had his name on it," Green Springs, in the next county. his motber says. " I bope tbat wboever They never bad too much money, but gets it makes tbe best use of it. Tbat's they always managed to get along all I ask." comIortably. The children were en­ The men in his outfit were quick to couraged to pick up spending money recognize h.is heroism ... It bappened in by doing o?d jobs and, as SOon as they a very critical moment," one of his had any Independent incomes, they fellow soldiers wrote bis father, 'Iand if turned over part of their earnings to that bit of strategy had Iailed, we th~ir mother for board. Rodger ac­ would all bave been sunk." It was qwred a newspaper-delivery route and •• • nearly five montbs won a substantial \ aIter he died that, number of bonuses hm bravery having * * * * * * * for diligent duty, been progress.iveJy * * including a couple recognized by Head-on Collision of trips and a higher and higher .It's not d iffi c ult to m ecl balloon-tire bicycle. J. Orthopedically correct wedge \ military headquar­ He worked season­ expe n ses these days; OIl.C m eets moin toin, proper alignment ters, he was posthu­ \ the m c\'crywh crc. ally picking rasp· of the bon... of 'he foot, , mousl y awarded berries, for which 2. Comfortoble ,ponge the Medal of -ESAIrS COMIC DICfIONAIlY. he received Crom rubber cushion under 11(lr\' t~"' l Ilou,5c. ,erlSi,j". oreo of the (oof. ..-.... Honor. On January five to eight cents a 17, 1944, at Fort box. Mrs. Young Knox, Kentucky, kept house, made a major general * * many of her chil- hung the medal * * * * * * * dren's c lotbes­ around his mother's neck, while an even long t rousers and shirts-and officer stood at attention and read the found ti~e to sing as a soloist at six official citation: churches 10 the vicinity. The Youngs are a close-knit family, For distingu.ishjng himself conspicuously by no~ble for mutual affection. When the gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond cbildren were small, the entire bouse­ the ca"U o( duty in action with the enemy on New Georgia, .