Pfc. Hartselle B. Scholl

On Christmas Eve, 1944, the
Belgian Troopship, S.S 
Leopoldville was torpedoed
by the German sub U-486.
The ship sank just 5 1/2
miles from Cherbourg, France.

The ship held 2,235 American
soldiers. 763 were confirmed
dead in the official
Leopoldville Disaster List. 
Pvt. Hartselle B. Scholl,
Co. K, 264th Infantry was 
one of the casualties.

Many mistakes were made that
night, but the worst one was
the descision of the U.S.
government to cover it up. 
It wasn't until 1996 that 
those files were declassified 
and made available to the
families of those who died.

Hartselle was one of only a
few whose body was found and
buried. He lies in Normandy
American Cemetery, Section
C, Row 28, Grave 27.

These families struggled for
years to find out how their
loved ones died. Hartselle
left behind his parents, 
a wife, Renata, an infant 
son, Jerry and many others
who loved him. Some of 
these people died never
knowing the fate of this 
bright, young man.

PFC. HARTSELLE B. SCHOLL was killed in action in the European 
theater on December 25, 1944. He was inducted in May, 1943 
and received his basic training at Camp Robinson, Ark. He 
transferred to the University of Missouri and into the 
infantry. He had been overseas since November, 1944.

ERNEST ELLIOT and CHALMER FANNIN
COLFAX - Corp. Ernest W. Elliot, son of Mr. and Mrs. Luther 
Wagoner, is stationed in Australia according to a letter 
received Wednesday by his parents.

COLFAX TRIO
COLFAX - These three Colfax soldiers were members of the 
national guard and have been stationed at Camp Forrest. They 
have all been transferred, Sgt. Spencer Belmar, has been made
staff sergeant. He and Sgt. J.C. Johnson, have been sent to 
Camp Chaffee, Ark. Gerald Garner has been sent to Ft. Leonard, 
Wood, Mo.

ROLLY FORTH, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Hibbs of 102 South Main 
Street, is nearing completion of a mechanics course at 
Chanute field. He enlisted Oct. 8.


BEASON - Dean H. Mayberry, son of Mr. and Mrs. M.P. Mayberry, 
has enlisted in the V-1 class of the navy reserve.


COLFAX - Pfc. Elmo W. Canute, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Canute, 
is stationed at Camp Chaffee, Ark.

PFC. ELLIS F. ESPEY, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Espey of 818 
West Mill Street, is stationed at headquarters, Sixth corps 
area, Chicago.

DR. GORDON SCHULTZ, Commissioned first lieutenant in the 
United States army, will leave Sunday for Camp Maxie, Paris, 
Tex. Mrs. Schultz will join him in a month. Dr. Schultz has
been practicing in Bloomington for eight years. 

Pvt. Donald Walden, who was missing in action in Germany,
is a German prisoner according to word received through the 
Red Cross. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Elton Walden of 
LeRoy, formerly of Colfax.

LETTER FROM JUNIOR JUDD
We are printing extracts of a letter from Junior Judd, who is
in a German prisoner of war camp. The letter was received by
his wife a few days ago.
"Dec. 31, 1944 - Happy New Year. I'm all right. It is a bit 
cold here, but the Red Cross is taking pretty good care of 
us. Nine of us that were captured are still together. None 
of the stuff that you or the folks sent reached me, so if 
anything is received back I would like to open it when I get 
home. Other fellows have some of my personal items, but 
they'll probably not be returned. Chocolates and cigarettes 
are the best to send but this should end pretty soon now. 
In my barracks we have French, Polish, Spanish and us. Some 
mess. I'll be seein' you soon I hope. That's
what I'm living for.                     Juddy

MRS. E.L. MEECE of 203 East Kelsey street has been appointed
by Mayor Hayes to direct the campaign here for the saving of 
surplus kitchen fats and grease.

NEWS FROM THE BOYS IN PACIFIC WAR ZONE
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fruiten, Sr. of 906 North Mason street 
received a telegram Friday from Hawaii stating that their 
son, Fred Fruiten, Jr. as well as two other Bloomington boys 
are safe. The others are Donald James, son of Mr. and Mrs. 
Roy James, 1101 North Madison street; and Hugh Miller, son 
of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Miller 508 West Walnut street. The 
boys enlisted in the army a year ago and are airplane 
mechanics. Don and Fred are stationed at Hickam field and 
Hugh is at Wheeler field.

SURPRISE FOR HOME FOLKS - Three McLean county boys stationed 
with the United States army in Hawaii got together recently 
for a picture. For a surprise for relatives and friends at 
home, they sent the picture to The Pantagraph for 
publication. The men are Pfc. Raymond Nice of 521 West 
Oakland avenue, T. Sgt. Earl Houghton of 607 West Jefferson 
street, and Pfc. Russell Builta of Leroy.

BACK HOME - Sgt. Winston Poulton is home for the holidays. 
"I was just lucky, that's all." is his favorite expression, 
as he tells tales about battles over the Pacific.

STANFORD - (PNS)- The changes in styles of uniforms for 
World war I and World war II are shown by father and son; 
R.M. Dossett and Pfc. Royce C. Dossett. The father served 
overseas for seven months during the last war and his son 
is serving now in the chemical warfare division in Fresno,
Calif.

ENDS FURLOUGH - Mr. and Mrs. N.A. Buckles, 1005 North Main 
street, have received a wire from their son, Pvt. Nolan A.
Buckles, stating that he had arrived safely in California. 
Private Buckles has been assigned to a coast artillery 
battery.

JOHN FRALEY IN ENGLAND - John E. Fraley has arrived safely in
England according to official word received in Normal Sunday.
He is a club program director for the American Red Cross. He 
received his initial training in Washington, D.C. Mr Fraley 
was assistant professor of biology for 14 years at Illinois 
State Normal university. He was faculty sponsor for the 
Blackfriar fraternity and of the committee in charge of the 
entertainment course.

IN ALABAMA - D.H. Falkingham, son of Mrs. Charles Dietz, 1001
North Center street, has returned to Maxwell field, Montgomery,
Ala., after spending a month's furlough here. Mr. Falkingham 
is an aviation cadet. He has completed pre-flight training and 
will be sent to Jackson, Tenn., for basic training.

BRICE AND BRUCE ABBOTT
SAYBROOK - Mr. and Mrs. Earl Abbott have just received word 
from the former's brother, Corp. Brice Abbott of Colfax 
stating he has been appointed an army mail clerk. Corp. 
Abbott joined the army Jan. 24, 1942, and has been stationed 
at the Port Postal section, Charleston, port of embarkation 
since April 10, 1942, following his basic training. On March 
18, 1943, he was transferred to Sec. 2, Staging area, 
Charleston, S.C., after receiving notice of his appointment. 
His duty is to issue money orders, sell stamps and accept 
parcel post and registered mail. The army postal  section 
compares to a third class post office. Corp. Abbott's twin 
brother, Pvt. Bruce D. Abbott, is in the ordinance depart-
ment and stationed at Chambersburg, Pa. At present, he is 
in the hospital recovering from a severe back strain.

RETURNS TO CAMP - Pvt. Elmo Hibbs has been on a furlough 
visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lou Hibbs, 1305 North 
East street. He recently completed his basic training and 
schooling at Atlanta, Ga. and is now stationed on the west 
coast.

ALASKAN CREW CHIEF FINDS ARCTIC LIFE TO HIS LIKING - T. Sgt. 
Gordon Lawrence - He's just re-enlisted and wants to stay 
in Alaska, he informed his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sydney 
Lawrence of 216 Willard avenue. Sgt. Lawrence is stationed 
at Elmendorf field, Anchorage, Alaska, but the routes 
between Cold Bay, Dutch Harbor, Adak, Kiska, Shemya and Attu 
are as familiar to him as the route from Bloomington to 
Peoria is to a Caterpiller plant commuter.

CHENOA GIRL MARRIED NEAR DENVER Entire Wedding Party in 
Uniform 
CHENOA- (PNS)- Lt. Vae Hogan, granddaughter of Mrs. 
Margaret Dwyer of Chenoa, was married to Lt. Jack Martin, 
May 25 in the chapel at Lowry field near Denver, Colo.

PVT. MORGAN KILLED IN ACTION ON IWO JIMA - Mrs. Freda Morgan
of 914 West Oakland avenue, Wednesday received word from the 
war department that her son, Pvt. Harold W. Morgan of the 
U.S. marines was killed in action March 5 on Iwo Jima. He 
was a machine gunner in the Fifth division. 

LT. W.B.LAWRENCE HOME ON SHORT LEAVE - First Lt. William B.
Lawrence, stationed at Wright-Patterson Field, Dayton, Ohio,
is spending a brief leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. 
Sydney Lawrence, 406 Summit St., Normal. Lieutenant Lawrence
is attached to the judge advocate's department and is serving
with the Air Force material command, contracts division. The
officer went on active duty in March. He graduated from the 
University of Illinois School of Law in June, 1951.

COLFAX - (PNS) - Sgt. J.H. Claudin is now located on Okinawa
as a teletype operator in the Air Force, according to word
received by the Pantagraph Friday. He telephoned his wife
Wednesday night on her birthday.

LESLIE LAPPIN, RELEASED FROM JAP PRISON CAMP, WRITES
TO HIS MOTHER.
Mrs. Walter Lappin, who now resides near Arrowsmith,
received the following letter from her son Leslie
Lappin, who was recently released from a Jap prison
camp, in the Philippines. Mr. Lappin resided near
Saybrook until he went to the Philippines several
years ago, as an employe of a Pittsburg firm. He had
been a prisoner since the Japs took the island. His
father was killed a few weeks ago in an auto accident
north of Saybrook, and of course Leslie had no word of
his father's death when he wrote the following letter.

Dear Mother and Dad:
Yesterday was the greatest day of my life. By
means of a perfectly executed, spectacular, military
movement, over 2000 of we internees were released by
force in a few hours, from a three-year period of
imprisonment, starvation, and hell. Today it all seems
like a dream, and can't be true, but we are free human
beings again and back on plenty of substantial food.
I'm quite well, a little underfed, but no permanent
effects. Two weeks of good foods and I will be in
perfect condition. I can't give you more details of
our release, other than it's the only one of its kind
in world history, and that could or would be done by
any other nation for its nationals except the good old
USA. What a fine bunch of army lads we have here. Those
who were responsible for our starvation and maltreatment,
the camp Japs have met their just reward.
I hope you are all well,. I don't know what our fate
from now will be after this period of rehabilitation.
We are hoping to be sent home, in which case I'll see
you before long.
I'll have a story then that will fill more than any
two pages, the limit of this message, (our first.) Don't
worry, we are out of the direct combat area and all is
quiet and orderly here at New Bilibid Prison our present
location. Write to me and let me know how you are.
I have not contacted my boss as yet, as we are at a
different location and communication has not been opened.
Best regards to all. I'll write more as soon as possible.
In the meantime I'm pinching myself every few minutes to
see if I am sleeping or dreaming, or if this experience
is the real McCoy. Leslie E. Lappin

SAYBROOK MAN SAILS JULY 17 FOR MANILA

Saybrook - PNS - Leslie Lappin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lappin
northest of Saybrook, will sail from Los Angeles July 17
for Manila where he will be stationed as an engineer for three
years.
Mr. Lappin was visiting at the San Francisco Golden Gate
exposition Tuesday. He left Saybrook July 5 for Chicago and
left there for the coast Friday night, arriving at San Francisco
Monday. From there he plans to go to Long Beach to visit an
uncle, Harley Lappin, until sailing time.
Mr. Lappin was graduated from the college of engineering.
University of Illinois, in '31. For the last three and a half years
he was employed by the Leland Motor Company in Chicago. He
will be sales inspector in the Diesel morot division of the
Pittsburg Pressed Stell Car company plant in Manila.