Our Prairie Shipyard rj CHICAGO BRIDGE & IRON COMPANY-SENECA SHIPYARD h VOL. IV MARCH 31, 1945 No. 4 GEORGE T. HORTON, 1874-1945 ^ OUR PRAIRIE SHIPYARD in jffflemortam George T. Horton President, Chicago Bridge and Iron Company 0 News of his death, on Monday March 19, 1945, as a result of an automobile accident the pre­ ceding day, came as a severe blow to his thousands of employees, business associates and friends throughout the world. OUR PRAIRIE SHIPYARD NIGHT SHIFT SPEAKING J^lo Chain* "JSfiyht Shifter" c4nMver* Plea for Cditorh Mote: Barbara and Margaret can surely find Jiore J4elp Wanted! OUR PRAIRIE SHIPYARD staff thanks a better place than the pavement Oscar Lloyd, Machine Shop, does Bob Hempstead, Incentive Control, to sit on next time they are tired. his bit for servicemen by donating George, Wagner, Blue Print, and Willard doughnuts to servicemen's canteens. Maybauer, Payroll, for loaning girls October, 1943, he started buying five in answer to our emergency call for c4 cQot of Voting dozen doughnuts regularly every week help in "stuffing" the copies of the and having them sent to the service­ last issue with inserts. The girls The night Sheet Metal reporter men's canteen in packages stamped who helped were: Ina McGurty, Dor­ hereby places an order for one hun­ with his name and address. He has othy Jones, Henrietta Ward, Elsie dred yards of Marge's tating. received letters of appreciation Grabill, Bess E. Fifield, Marcella from all over the United States. At Hertzner, Marilyn Joneson, Helen F. various times, he has also given Lenac, Essie D. Allen and Mildred Miyht yirU Qrateful many apples, cakes, and smokes to Bivens, Incentive Control. Colletta canteens. Gemskie, June Lindblom, and Alma The girls of the middle way rest Fahey, Blue Print. Edith Weise, room extend thanks to matron Lola Pat Forbes, and Julie Monson, Payroll. Lay for her friendly ways and the Oscar has four brothers in service, splendid way she keeps the rest three of them overseas. Incidentally, room - neat and clean. Oscar started working here July, 1943, and to date has lost only forty-five minutes time. S\od Control J4a£ jine (Record Sack $rom tke c4rmy The Night Rod Control Department • _ consists of two sub-foremen, Charles "Sheet Metalers" welcome Snuffy Received Purple Meart and Silver Star Zaika and George Hughes, five mainten­ back after his receiving a medical ance men, and twenty-one rod girls. discharge from the Army. Word has been These people work under the direction received that of Charles McGowan, foreman. S/Sgt. Leo E. uhey J4ave a J\ea*on for Working Lamm, brother Since this department has been oper­ of Mary Lee ating, there has not been one serious The night shift activity has kept Helle, Sheet accident, and 100 per cent cooperation in full swing during hot summer Metal, an d has been given to keep this fine record. months, long cold winter nights, and Russell Lamm in steady down-pours of spring rains. Hull, has re­ There is a certain something that ceived the M,r. and ^Hr*. ^HcCormick prompts the "night shifters" to keep Purple Heart plugging along, maybe it is the fact and the Silver Wedding bells rang March 3 for La so many have an interest "over there" Star. He has Verne McCormick, Sheet Metal, and and want to do all in their power been overseas his choice lady, Mary Ellen Gang. to bring them home safe and soon. for two and a half years, taken part Congratulations, Bud. in four major battles and was wounded There is Dolores Miner of Time­ in Germany, September, 1944. keeping, whose husband, S/Sgt. Charles, cA May of Celebration received the Purple Heart after be­ ing wounded in Metz and is now back Sergeant Emil Westerman finally with the Air Corp in France. Then had a lucky day. After two months there is J. B. Diffenderfer who has Cited for extraordinary. Performance of dart throwing withLt. Ralph Weber, ten close relatives in the service, he finally won a game. He expects one of whom was killed in action. T/Sgt. Robert Bryant, son of Ray to qualify now for the team Edmond Carpenter (killed overseas), Bryant, Rigger, has been awarded the Sgt. Clyde Boles, Kenneth Jenkins, Distinguished Unit Citation ribbon Rodney Tucker, Lenwood Diffender­ as a result of the Presidential fer, William Diffenderfer, Earnest Citation to the Ninth Air Forces uhe Jtyttle 9ellou> Who U cAlwayA uhere Finniff, William and Franklin Car­ Tenth Reconnaissance group. The penter. Frances Allen, Rod Control, group was cited "for extraordinary Vincent Hanley is one member of the is doing her share to bring her son, performance of duty in action against Trucking Department who could be PhM 2/c Tommy (formerly of Blue the enemy In furnishing vitally im­ classified as strictly short stuff, Print) home safe and sound. Mr. and portant photographs of the beaches (about 5 foot one). Each morning Mrs. Hughes (George of Welding Rod on which the Allied forces landed on Vincent grabs his educated stick (pa>- Control and Leah of Carpentry) are last June 6". cil to you furriners) and writes, looking forward to the day when their "Vincent Hanley - present". Other­ son George, former tacker, will come wise, youwouldn't know he was around. back home from his overseas duty. He is the short, silent type. Leah's brothers, Orville and Carl Sympathies Colslasure, both former employees, are also in the service. James and Night shift employees extend sym­ Norma Russell, of Electrical and pathies to Charollete Cowins whose uhere cAre Uruckiny 3bolli Yielding Rod Control, address their mother recently passed away. There are two Dolls in the Trucking son's letters James EM 3/c, for­ Department - masculine dollies. It merly of Electrical, to the South isn't known Whether they can dance Pacific. Delia Preston, Welding Rod J"Jight Shift Slue* or have holes in their socks, but you Control, is doing her share for We've got those night shifj blues can find out by asking them. - Edward her son, Lt. Robert Preston, for­ The kind of blues you just can't lose and Joseph Doll. merly of Mechanical. With mud on your shoes And rain in your hair These people and many more like Just makes you feel like you'd just cA Ma&culine Skill them on the night shift are keeping as soon not be there the machinery humming and the LSTs That's why we say They'll do anything! A certain, moving down the ways in continuous We've got those night shift blues. home-loving man on the night shift line. More power to them! —Ginger has taken up knitting. OUR PRAIRIE SHIPYARD Excerpts from Letters many months of this war. It is one of battle, this LST still has a soft LST 197 of the oldest LSTs operating out here, heart for war-weary children of Europe. but still ready, willing and able. Launched December 13, 1942 The 519 carried troops and guns and February 14, 1945 William J. Oliver tanks across the Mediterranean, but Lt. (jg) USNR she still took time to make Corsican We came over here on 197. No kid­ youngsters happy. Each day she was ding, they're all right. in port her officers and men played LST 215 hosts to 75 to 100 hungry kids and Sgt. Ray Corrigan served them "chow". Later, in Brit­ Aboard LST 197 Launched June 26, 1943 tany, French children were "treated" the same way when the 519 was the From the shipyard to Calcutta we first American ship to land at St LST 197 traveled about 18,000 miles, and LST Michei-en-greve with supplies for th 215 never broke down or stopped at siege of Brest. Launched December 13,1942 sea, which is a great credit to the workers at Seneca. Out of a Flotilla Now, with more than 35 trips across February 14, 1945 of 8 ships, she was the only one to the treacherous, wintry English Chan­ achieve it. nel to her credit, she is still carry­ Thank you very much for the cooper­ Lt. T. R.E. Johnson ing similar loads of battle equipment ation and courtesy extended to myself Engineering Officer to break the axis' back. Shipmates and officers and men by this yard. It tell how Christmas Eve brought out has been both a pleasure and privilege LST 217 that soft spot again. The 519 was to return to one of your excellent nudging her bow up the River Seine ships and to be afforded the chance Launched July 13, 1943 under the guidance of a French pilot to tell the people who built my first whose seven children were waiting at ship what a great piece of work it was. home for Santa Claus. After turning March 2, 1945 the ship's control back to the skipper, I know that this ship, of which I I don't think it is a breach of the pilot was sent down the gangway am now taking command, is even much censorship to inform you that our ship bearing seven large,brightly-wrapped better than the USS LST 197, because has done its share in the Invasion Yule parcels. Each was labeled with your yard has always striven to make and has at all times responded to the name of one of his kiddies. every ship better than the preceding everything that has been asked of her, (News release from the one. This is no slur on the 197, as she has never once let us down.