om

 

 

 

 

Kansas Citian on U. S. Cruiser

Hears Nazis Claim Craft Is Sunk

 

Lieut. William Belt and Others From This Area Are on

Tuscaloosa, Which Distinguishes Itself Smashing
Shore Batteries During Invasion.

 

By MARCEL WALLENSTEIN.

(The Star’ London Correspondent With
the Allied Forces.)

BOARD U. S. 8. Tuscaloosa,
June 9 (Delayed) —Stand-
ing beneath a portrait of
John Paul Jones in the
wardroom as guns above fired salvos
jinto German positions at Cher-
bourg peninsula today, Lieut. Wil-
liam Belt of 1330 East Thirtieth
street, Kansas City, and Lieut. Carl
Gray of Girard, Kas., told their in-
vasion experience. Belt is a son of
| George Belt and a graduate of Kan-
sas university, where he was an
instructor until 1942. Gray, now in
the marine corps, once delivered
The Star to subscribers in Girard.
As we talked the cruiser trembled
under its own gunfire directed by
shore parties. The Tuscaloosa, car-
rying other Kansas, Missouri and
|Oklahoma men, distinguished her-
‘Iself by smashing heavy shore bat-
teries. Since D-day I have watched
her blowing heavy smoke rings as
the guns spoke. All day positions
near the coast have been crumbling
under the blasting of this ship. —

Blast Motor Transports.

Following dispatches from the
shore arriving at rapid intervals, a
plane reported ten motor transports
hit,

Tuscaloosa’s crew rescued many
airmen and mariners during action
and now has a new mascot in shape
of toy monkey brought aboard by
an air pilot after crashing into sea.

Enlisted men aboard from the
Kansas City territory include Wil-
liam Bartley, Rubin Leve, Nick Po-
doba, Louis Ridenour, all of St.
Louis; Forest Fain of Sweet Springs,
Mo.; Bruce Kurtz, Wyaconda, Mo.;
Chester Manness, Valley Park, Mo.;
Carl Miller, Webb City, Mo.; Russell
Pittman, Springfield, Mo.; Jack
Swisher, Minneola, Kas.; John
Graves, Muskogee, Ok., and oe
Henderson, Cherokee, Ok.

A Ship Nazis Fear,

All day today and yesterday these
boys heard the German radio re-
peat a claim that, the Tuscaloosa

which once guided Canadian de-
stroyers against German raiders, is
one of the most feared and hated
of American ships by Germany and
continues to make her name de-
tested by enemy forces in this
neighborhood.

Lieut. John Fletcher, 6522 Pennsyl-

vania avenue, son of Mrs. Charles.

W. Fletcher, was a member of Ad-
miral Don Moon’s naval staff in the
invasion. Fletcher is a graduate of
Southwest high and of Kansas uni-
versity in 1942. He is 22 years old
and was present at all early confer-

ences which prepdred for the as-

sault. He is a Rorpptunications of-
ficer.

Also with Admiral Moon were Sig-
nalman Charles Cassidy, Wichita,
Kas.;. Hospitalman Clem Sears,
Bartlesville, Ok.; Seaman Robert
Byrne, Springfield, Mo.; Boatswain’s
Mate Clarence Neuman, Wilber,
Neb.; the admiral’s staff also in-
cluded Lieut. Thomas Hieronymous,
assistant United States district at-
torney, Oklahoma City: Lieut.
Joseph Weindle, Miami,
Lieut. Holman Lee, jr., son of Hol-
man Lee, Kemper Military school,

| Boonville, Mo,

‘Lieut. (j. g.) William Belt, 27
years old, entered the navy as a

midshipman after receiving his|-
master’s degree in Spanish at the
University of Kansas in 1941. After
completing midshipman school at
Columbia university, New York, he

took a 2-month course in aircraft
identification at Ohio State uni-
versity. He was assigned to the
cruiser U. S. S. Tuscaloosa as air-
craft recognition officer.
Lieutenant Belt was graduated
from Westport high school in 1934
and attended Junior college for two)

fyears before going to Kansas uni-

versity. He was employed by T. H./-
Mastin & Co. here for a short time.
He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. George
F. Belt. Mr. Belt is an independent
buyer of oil leases. 4
Lieutenant Fletcher applied for a
commission in the naval reserve
soon after being graduated from col-
lege in 1942. He trained at Newport,
R. I., and took a communications
course in Washington where he re-.
ceived the highest grade in his class
and was rated “outstanding and a
credit to. the naval reserve.” He was
advanced to lieutenant junior grade
and sent to England in March, He is
unmarried.

eer eeele
LAW “GRADS” TO A REUNION.
A reunion of the 1924 graduating
class of the Kansas City School of|'
Law will be held tomorrow night at}
the home of Jesse I, Moritz, 231
Swope Parkway,

 

Ok., and!

 

 

*Insure Your Ey
for Future Us

OF

 

 

 

had been sunk. The Tuscaloosa, ' -—