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i % Remember the Franklin? n TV special leads St. Johns survivor of 1945 & carrier bombing on search of scrapbook, memories By LOWELL G. RINKER air power in preparation for the American in­ deck was just a mass of fire. So we shut that back County News Editor vasion of Okinawa. down and went to the after part of the ship, only All night the night before, radar had picked up on the opposite side from where the bomb had Mike Humphrey is lucky enough to havebeen able • a "bogey," (an enemy plane) 12 to 15 miles out. hit, and went UD another hatch. Everything was to relive a disaster. Every time It came within 10 miles of the ship, just the same way." probably no one in St; Johns watched the re­ the Franklin would sound general quarters, and the With that escape route blocked, Humphreyand the cent TV special on the World War n^alrcraft crew would go to their battle stations. That happened others in his area of the ship decided to go down carrier USS Franklin more closely than he did. He eight or nine time during the night but with no —three decks to a compartment.next to sick bay. was aboard her back in 1945 when two Japanese action. "Of course, everything was blowing up, and the paint bombs from a lone plane wrecked the Franklin would peel off the walls in sheets. It was pretty and killed 700 American servicemen. 'HUMPHREY'S NORMAL duties aboard the hot." The incident was recounted on Television April Franklin were as a fire control striker, a branch The men heard pounding on the walls of sick 6 in a special called *The Ship That Wouldn't o( the gunnery division that takes care of all bay, and they went down a passageway trying to Die." Despite a chain of explosions that followed sights and everything optical, such as range- get there. "But there were hot steam pipes that the two bomb hits, the ship-didn't sink. It limped finders. In his battle station position, he was in were broken and were pouring out steam, and we back to the States and was repaired at a cost of charge of a quad which fired 40mm shells. couldn't get to them," Humphrey recalls, "we don't $34 million, then put in moth balls with the war About 6:30 a.m. March 19, after a squadron of know If they every got out, but they must have over. fighters had taken off, half of the crew was re­ because in the TV show it said some of the injured The ship was recently dismantled for scrap.and leased to go to breakfast. They were to return were taken to sick bay." that was the reason for the TV special. A handful in half an hour so the others could eat. Humphrey of men who had served aboard her revisited the was among the half of the crew going to breakfast ABOUT TWO OR 2 1/2 HOURS after the bombs ship and relived the incident at sea. Mike Humphrey first. It was during that half-hourthatthejapanese hit, the Franklin had rolled and was listing at wasn't in on the making of the TV show, but he plane slipped past radar and got into position over an angle of about 16 degrees. An officer came relived the action of 1945 just the same. the Franklin. through and advised the men they'd better abandon Mike Humphrey, now a St. Johns school teacher, is showirafter being Humphrey, a physical education teacher in the "I had finished eating and had gone to my bunk ship. hauled aboard the cruiser USS Pittsburg, which rescued him from the St. Johns school system and coach of the golf and was lying there when we heard this terrific "We went up this hatch we had tried before, and team, was in his late teens when the incident of explosion," Humphrey recalls. "Right away we things had kind of quieted down," Humphrey said. Pacific after he and 30 others had leaped from the fiery carrier Franklin. the Franklin took place on March 19, 1945. The started up the ladder. We were one deck below "Hanging over the side, practically where we came An official Navy photographer got this picture, which Humphrey keeps carrier was part of a task force bound for Kyushu the hangar deck right about midship. up, was this big cargo net. So we went over the in a scrapbook. at the southern tip of Japan to knock out Japanese "We pushed open the hatch, and the whole hangar (Story continued on Page 17-A) Propose $1.26 million budget in 70 County asking for 6.6 mills County supervisors are asking the allocation board this week for about 6.6 mills in 1970 tohelpfinance aproposed'county budget of $1,294,166. The tentative budget for 1970 was adopted by the supervisors last Tuesday and is approximately $221,600 higher than the $1,072,- 900 budget which the county is operating on this current year. B. STANLEY POCUIS The allocation request is also higher. This year the county is receiving 6,113 mills out of the 15-mill taxation pie which the 113th Year, No. 52 St. Johns, Michigan — Wednesday, April 23, 1969 2SECTIONS-32PAGES 15 cents allocation board divides between the county, townships and Pocuis schools. 4 Gerald Shepard, supervisor Help us out from District 11 and chairman of Rotary youth the county board's finance com­ fwith survey resigns mittee, said the 6.6. mills would raise about $952,664 by taxation, In an effort to improve based on a county assessed valu­ our service toyoureaders, ation of $143,575,554. post the Clinton County News is The other tentative budget in­ this week conducting a hobby, art come of $341,502 would include B. Stanley Pocuis, principal of readership survey byuslng Rodney B. Wilson High School in an estimated $223,502infees and a brief questionnaire St. Johns for the past 23 years, other receipts from county of­ printed in the lower outside has resigned that post to accept fices and $118,000 in state in­ corners of pages A-3 and the position of superintendent of come tax rebates. A-4. We'd appreciate It if the Clinton County Intermediate show this week The county board was to meet you'd take a few minutes to School District. again yesterday (Tuesday, April fill it out, cut it out, fold 22) to act on ari equalization The resignation will be ef­ The municipal building auditorium in St. Johns is filling up it and mail it to us. No report, and Shepard indicated postage is necessary. fective at the end of the current with over 300 science and hobby exhibits in preparation for an there may be equalizing factors school year. open house this Thursday , Friday and Saturday in the annual applied to valuations in some Pocuis will succeed Carl Bates Rotary Club Youth Art, Craft and Hobby Exhibit. townships, which would raise the as county superintendent of The "open* house for the show will be from 7 to 9 p.m. total county valuation and might the board will likely be well schools. Bates will retire July 1 Thursday and Friday arid 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. There is no CHARLES ROMIG KATHY SCHAEFER DEANNA RADEMACHER lower the necessary millage beyond the $20,00p. after finishing nearly ,20 1/2 . valedictorian . co-salutatorian . co-salutatorlan admission charge, and Dr James Grost, chairman for the show, which the county would need to Othere sizeable increases in years as county superintendent. urges the public to come in and view the" accomplishments of operate in 1970. the tentative budget Include: The county intermediate board the youth of Clinton County, ., Social welfare Department, up of education selected Pocuis last All of the entries will be judged by teams of adult experts. PROPERTY TAXES in 1969 $17,411 to $143,411; buildingand Week after a lengthy search for In each of the classifications there are four age groups: A. 3 share spotlight as top will produce $792,739 in revenue grounds, up $12,125 to $39,125; candidates. Pocuis formally an­ includes 17-18 year olds; B, 15-16 year olds; C.12-14year oldsj for the county, based on the al­ juvenile home, up $14,275 to nounced his decision to St. Johns and D. 9-11 year olds. In each of the age groups a first place located 6.113 mills. That's $46,275; district court, up $14,- school officials on Monday. ribbon will be awarded. A $25 savings certificate will be awarded nearly $160,000 less than what 000 to $64,000; elections, up Pocuis came to St. Johns In to the best entry in each of the four age groups. A grand prize supervisors are asking for in tax $13,500 to $15,000 (1970 will be 1940 to teach science and'mathin of a $50 savings certificate will be awarded to one boy, and one St. Johns senior scholars money for 1970. an election year); and health and the high school. In 1946 he became girl, each judged best of show. The final budget for 1970won't accident insurance (not budgeted principal of the system which then In the science category students will display work with Three seniors share the spot­ R-2, St. Johns. Her extra-cur­ Kathy has been-accepted at be adopted until next October, for 1969V up to $10,000. Items consisted of 550 students and 18 drawings, models and .written tests in biology, chemistry, light this year as the top-ranking ricular activities have included Borgess School of Nursing in however, and the figures adopted paid through the state auditor teachers.

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