The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 16

Die Star Page 16A Thursday, May 1, 1997 Black sailor awarded Navy Cross a half-century later 1 I na-MMMaMBMMHpMMMHHaM mm tnm onI cVirt rtn HmHg Uffp nvHnokcd and melting skin deeds, were overlooked because of some men on. By Michael E. Ruane his race. Last August though, his eldest daughter, Shirley DeBrew, 52, gathered his Navy records and petitioned a local congressman, U.S. Rep.

Robert C. Scott, for help. Within a month Scott had received acknowledgment from the Navy that Jones was due the Navy Cross. Wednesday, as he told his story, someone asked why he had worn the old sailor's uniform to the ceremony. "A lot of shipmates were buried in this uniform," he said.

"I'm paying my respects to them wanted to wear this special for my friends' that didn't make it" Jones's arms and upper body, leaving scars that would later frighten his children. Jones remembers nothing after tjiat. He underwent extensive hospital treatment at one point being bandaged almost head to foot. When he returned home after the war, his wife said, he was jittery, had a nervous tick, and a dread of fire. Even a lit match made him jump, she said.

Over time, though, he healed physically and mentally, went on to a working life in Newport News, often holding down two jobs at a time to support his wife and six children. Several years ago he learned through a history videotape that many of the men who helped save the Intrepid that day received the Navy Cross. His family believes his Ret Navy Petty Officer Robert Jones, 71, of Newport News, still bears burn scars from injuries received in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Associated Press Imperial Air Duct Cleaning 2845 Bullocks Ferry Road Alpine, AL 35014 the looking the Mall and WASHINGTON Even now. 52 yean later, it comes back to Robert Jones in an instant: He is harnessed to a 20mm anti-aircraft gun.

The sand-colored. Japanese plane is sweeping over the ocean right for his ship, the carrier Intrepid. Jones waits agonized seconds for permission to fire. Finally he opens up. One wing of the Bogie comes off.

Then the other. But momentum carries the aircraft onward. There is a fiery explosion. Then, blackness. Jones' deeds that October day in 1944 were worthy of Navy's second highest 'combat honor, the Navy Cross.

But Jones, of Newport News, then a lowly African-American ship's cook, would have to wait Wednesday, his waiting ended. Former Steward Third Class Robert Jones, now 71, who still bears the burn scars from flaming aviation fuel, was awarded the Navy Cross in an emotional ceremony in the Capitol. Proudly wearing a World War II-era sailor's uniform and white cap, Jones had the burnished gold medal pinned on by Secretary of the Navy John Dalton, as his powerful congressman and a busload of family and friends looked on. Jones stood somberly as a Naval officer read his medal citation for service in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Only after the officer had finished and Dalton had pinned on the medal did Jones permit himself a shy smile, and he raised the diploma-like citation over his head for all to see.

"This is a day long overdue," Dalton told onlookers crammed into a glittering ceremonial room over- Canadians watch river carefully By John Macdonald Many readers of this particular publication are uninformed of the following information pertaining to "Indoor Air Quality Control." As you begin to read the following facts about this subject you and your family will gain an advantage to your breathing environment in your home. Our society today spends a great deal of time indoors; where we incur greater environmental exposures. Most homes hardly ever have their air ventilation system inspected at all. Many families today suffer with allergies or allergy related symptoms never knowing why. Many families suffer with breathing disorders such as asthma, influenza and various breathing complications.

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sion to open fire. Once cleared, he opened up. following the aircraft as it closed on the carrier. It was the first time he had ever fired the gun in combat. "She was trying to get the bridge," he said of the enemy plane.

'I started firing. I hit that of my other fellows said he hit the second wing." "I couldn't let him get through. I couldn't let him get through the task forcc.He'd have ruined us. You don't want to let him hit that chart house. You got the captain and everything up there." But the plane crashed into the carrier and exploded.

Burning fuel spewed everywhere, incinerating The U.S. Navy was in the process of administering a final, crushing defeat to the Japanese Navy in the battle off the coast of the Philippine Islands. Jones and some other cooks and stewards had just been trained on their anti-aircraft guns, when battle stations sounded Oct. 29. He said there were 30 Japanese planes in the attack.

He raced to the gun, which fired 60 rounds a minute and required a three-man crew to operate. He was on the trigger. Jones said they first got a radio report that the enemy plane was inbound. Then he spotted the plane, a small aircraft with a red rising sun emblem, but had to wait for permis- Washington Monument "This award ceremony should have taken place over 50 years ago in the Pacific theater of World War II. We are gathered here to set the record straight." "Robert Jones walked the walk, that fateful day," Dalton said.

"He stood firm, took a stand and stared death in the face. He is truly a Navy and a National hero." Jones, who was accompanied to the ceremony by his wife, Minnie, and numerous children and grandchildren, had enlisted in the Navy at 17 during World War II and at 19 found himself in the middle of the biggest naval engagement in history. FREE 2-YEAR PARTS LABOR WARRANTY THIS COUPON EXTENDS THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY (Usually 90 Days) TO A FULL 2 YEARS FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF PURCHASE PURCHASE Of 1200 0ft MORE PER. ITEM REQUIRED NOT SUBJECT TO MUM SALE EXPIRES 53197 SUNDAY 12PM 6PM DAILY 10AM 9PM SEE REX'S COUPON FOR DETAILS IV Mil ii in in ii i iiiimipwwwwi inmmrmmmimtt i ij kiwwwww "'1'' 'wl I. I SefiSk PS? IB (SO Iju Mm-lj Jfaj SMART SURF CONTROL jmffiEgra CHANNEL NUMBER mLmm HOlII fS ff IP? TTEACi $169 JjtiAj Mfm AT compatible with scan REMOT lUw fi JTTf HrtrW ftTlffi V3 'u MiTffCTl0 VU' Smm: 'qranh' n'lfis mi9mmL RECEIVER WITH STEREO, TWIN TUNER a IL "Tt'tXUfll jW3 I rXiB fcsSf I MASTER TOUCH UNIVERSAL REMOTE 4 sfBTSfflS VftUXfS 1 k3fl tY2f? MlK fPJSaTg fffflP TOSHIBA 32" FST BLACK COLOR TV WITH -h tilt 5felJiJMi 'TOtM'; ftftfli vfflffifflli' I 1 lllll I III" I IMI lll.U I'; i i iiiiiii 2-TUNER PP.

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Mayor Susan Thompson, along with city and province flood officials, are confident the 25-mile dike southwest of the city will hold and that no residents will have to leave. Even so, the city must be ready to get people out of harm's way. The decision was made that we'd rather put people on alert and say "please be prepared' than to put mem in danger," Thompson said. Thousands of soldiers and emergency workers spent Wednesday shoring up Winnipeg's flood defenses ahead of a projected river crest of 24.5 feet Flooding already has. chased about 25,000 Canadians from their homes in the Winnipeg area and in fanning towns to the south.

'I can't believe that we can under-react. If It save a life. It's well worth HY Larry Whitney, manager of water planning and develop-ment for Manitoba Patti McDonald, a store clerk, got a shiver at news of the alert Although her own home would not be affected, the idea that water "could enter any part of the city scares the heck out of me." "I know they're only trying to err on the side of caution," she added, said. "But when they start saying some folks ought to be ready to take off, I start to wonder how confident the city really is." A huge fjoodway built in the mid-1960s to divert floodwaters from the Red River around the city to the east was expected to help most of Winnipeg from the region's worst flooding this century. The temporary dike was erected to hold back floodwaters that could make an end run into the city.

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