THE NOME NUGGET
* ' . ' i
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. 46.—No. 95. NOME. ALASKA, NOVEMBER 17, 1943 PER COPY—15c
•1..1
PRIVATE IS
f GIVEN AWARD
OF HONOR
i -
AULT, Colo., Nov. 17—(AP)—
As hundreds of townspeople si
lently looked on, the Congres
sional Medal of Honor, the na
tion’s highest tribute to valor,
was awarded posthumously yes
terday to Private Joseph P. Mar
tinez.
Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Martinez,
parents of the farm boy soldier,
who perished leading a desperate
but successful attack against
Japanese positions on Attu, May
26th, received the medal.
Major Gen. Frederick Euhl of
* Omaha, said at the ceremony:
“Let us all thank God we have
men like oe Martinez to fight
America’s battles.”
Brig. Gen. Frank L. Culin, who
witnessed the charge led by Joe
over the slope of snow-covered
Chichagof Pass, said in describ
ing the heroic action:
“And, so is told the story of a
boy. A man whose daring adfloh
and personal sacrifice was instru
mental not only in saving the
lives of his comrades, but also
in the complete dominafion of
Attu island by the Americans.’’
There in deep silence as the
medal was presented to the 71
year-old father of the boy, was
Pfc. Delfin Martinez, brother of
the honored boy, on special leave
from his camp at Granite Calif.,
hh| inseparable companion..
For many years they had work
* ed together on a farm of Oscar
Salberg’s until they had enough
to buy a small place for the fam
ily home, oe Martinez, 23, young
est of the four sons of the farm
couple who are native Taos. The
couple also have five daughters.
The elder Martinez stood
quietly by his wife, hat in hand,
as General. Culin presented him
with the medal.
“For Joe, I thanW you,” he
said. ,
_
RED ARMY
CLOSES IN
ON GOMEL
MOSCOW, Nov. 17.—Red Army
troops closed in on Gomel, the
last German base east of the
Dnieper, in a furious assault to
add the city to the impressive
list of conquests of the 1943 of
* fensive.
The Russians have pushed
beyond both north and south of
the city, and broadened the
wedge below Rechitsa, the im
portant rail center, 150 miles east
of the old Polish frontier.
The Russian push through the
Ukraine meanwhile, though
slowed down particularly in the
Zhitomir and Fastov sectors, con
tinued to edge toward the Kor
osten rail junction, controlling
the traffic of the Leningrad,
Odessa, Kiev and Warsaw rail
ways.
The Berlin radio stated that
25 Russian divisions and large
tank forces of perhaps 400,000
men in all, were attacking with
strong artillery support on both
sides of the Smolensk-OrsJla
highway to the frozen north.
• EASE OFF ON
ALASKA TRAVEL
HEADQUARTERS, ALASKA
DEFENSE COMMAND, Nov. 17.
—(AP)—Easing off of travel re
strictions throughout most of
Alaska would be effective De
4* cember 1, as ordered by General
Buckner. After that date travel
within the territory, except on
the Alaska Peninsula and the
Aleutians, would be virtually
'i without restrictions.
Officers said civilians would
still be required to register en
tering and leaving the terrtory.
ARCTIC CLUB DINNER
RESERVATIONS FILLED
All available reservations have
^ been taken for the Arctic Club
Dinner-Dance to be held at 7:00
^ p. m., Saturday, Noember 20th,
at the Nevada Lounge. Present
your tickets at the north entrance
to the building Saturday evening.
Fairbanks Fires
Gut Business and
Fire Buildinqs
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Nov. 17.—(APH-A fin?
in the heart of Fairbanks early Saturday, wrecked
two frame business buildings on Second Avenue,
including Kay’s Fur Shop, Jess Lander’s Pool Hall,
and the barber shop adjoining.
The fire also gutted the living quarters above the
poolhall and damaged considerably the Wien Air
line office and a liquor store adjoining. |
The loss was estimated as being over $50,000 and
was partly covered by insurance.
It is reported the conflagration started in the
sleeping rooms above, operated by the Morrison
Knudson Company, immediately above the fur
shop. The blaze was put under control two hours la
ter but the hose was not removed until the follow
day.
Fire also gutted the Fairbanks police depart
ment Tuesday of last week, when a blaze was dis
covered ten minutes after the two night patrolmen
on duty at the time, had left for then- rounds of the
city. Damage was estimated by Police Chief E. D.
Cavender as between $6,000 and $8,000. In addition,
Cavender’s personal loss amounted to about $354.
RESIGNATION
IS HELD IN
ABEYANCE
ALGIERS, Nov. 17.—(AP)—
After a “satisfactory*’ conference
. i
of the French Committee of Na
tional Liberation, and another
meeting with high Allied offic
ials, General Giraud withdrew
his resignation for a period of at
least two weeks.
This action was taken provis
[ ionally, although DeGaulleists
controlled the meeting and had
not given Giraud the written
guarantees of a free hand in run
ning the French army as he had
demanded.
Giraud expressed the opinion
of his confidence, in a written
statement to the committee, that
they would be in agreement with
his condiions. DeGaulle was of
a very different opinion.
SUPPLIES ARE
QUESTION
OF DEBATE
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC,
Nov. 17.—(AP)—A spokesifl&n
for General MacArthur said to
day, “The southwest Pacific area
has something less than 5 percent
of the military resources of
America, and is receiving less
than 10 percent of what America
is shipping overseas.”
He added that “everything is
being done with the equipment
available.’’
Col. LaGrand Dliler made a
comment on the statement by
Rear Admiral Wm. Brent Young,
“American supplies are reaching
the southwest Pacific in quanti
ties sufficient for large scale op
erations against the Japs.”
CANNERY
OPERATOR IS
DEAD AT 80
SEATTLE, ov. 17.—Edward
Bunnette Hanley, 80 year old can
nery operator, and pioneer in
mining and agricultural devel
opments in Alaska died at his
home here today. '
He was born in Oregon and
came to Seattle in 1898, before
the “gold rush’’ and took cattle,
grain, vegetables and seed to
Alaska, in partnership with Jack
Dalton and Judge Maloney of
Judge Maloney of Juneau.
He developed mines in the
Porcupine and Rainey Hollow
districts, and with F. H. Madden,
founded the Copper River can
ning Company, later the Nellie
Juan Canning Company of Prince
William Sound.
He was reported to have oper
ated the first power boat on the
Chilkoot river.
Mr. Hanley is survived here by
his widow, a don and a daugh
ter, who plan a private funeral.
SCOTT STUDENT
IN TEXAS
CANYON, Texas, Nov. 7.—
Aviation Student Robert F,
Scott, 21, of Nome, Alaska* son
of Mr. and Mrs. Tolbert Scott,
0
of Nome,'has arrived at West
Texas State College, home of the
world’s tallest basketball team,
for a course of Army Air Forces
instruction lasting up to five
months prior to his appointment
as an aviation cadet in the Army
Air Forces. During this period he
will take numerous academic
courses, as well as elementary
flying training, upon completion
of his college training he will be
classified as a pilot, navigator or
bombadier and go on to schools
of the training command for
training in these specialties.
BOMBERS
DESTROY WO
AIRFIELDS
■ ■■
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
ALGIERS, Nov 17.—United
States heavy and metum bomb
ers in a double^pty blow, ripped
up‘,t^ps Nazi airfields rrtar Mar
seilles yesterday. Other bomber
fleets cracked again at German
objectives in Greece and Yugo
slavia.
On the Italian front, mud, rain
| ind snow bogged activities, but
American troops in one brisk pa
trol action regained some high
ground on Monte Santa Croce, a
position which they had lost in
! a Monday battle
American Fortresses knocked
down 12 out of 25 German fight
ers over the air base of Lstres
| Letube near Marseille, where the
! Nazis have concentrated their
bomlbers against Allied Mediter
anean shipping.
Many grounded bombers were
left in flames and large fires and
many explosions showed over
the -field.
JAP ADMIRAL
IS DEAD
TOKYO. Nov 17 —(AP)—The
Japanese Navy Ministry an
nounced in .a broadcast that Ad
miral Ozawa, member of the Su
preme Military Council, died of
acute pancreas trouble. The
broadcast said a state funeral
would be held Saturday for the
admiral.
Ozawa was the Japanese naval
commander who directed the
start of fighting against the
Chinese in Shanghai in January
of 1932, as a by-product of the
war in Manchuria, now' the pup
pet state of March ukuo.
ARSENAL IS
ATTACKED
BERNE, Switzerland, Nov. 17.
—(AP)—Dispatches frj>m Gren
oble, France, according to the
Swiss paper LaSuisse, said Gren
oble citizens attacked the Ger
man arsenal there, slaying .10
Nazis apd blowing up the powder
magazine.-15 Frenchmen were re
ported killed.
Dispatches said the attack was
staged in retaliation of arrests
of nearly 400 yersons after Arm
istice Day demonstrations.
JAPS ATTACK
AIRFIELDS
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC,
Nov. 17!—(AP)—In an early
morning Japanese attack Mon
day on the Allied advance air
fields of Nadzab and Gusap on
New Guinea, the Japs lost 20
planes and probably six more.
South Pacific headquarters re
ported the marines in Empress
of Augusta bay scored advances
after getting aerial support.
Allied Liberator bombers at
tacked Alexshdfen, New Guinea,
dropping 70 tons of bombs.
Proves Major
Setback in Try '
To Hold Islands
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CAIRO, Nov. 17.—The British command announced
the loss >f Leros, to the German invasion troops. This
is one more major setback in the Allied attempt to sieze
^ind hold the Dodecanese Islands, which is the outer de
tense Line of Hitler’s Balkans.
CASTNER IS
GIVEN WARD
HEADQUARTERS, ALASKAN
DEPRTMENT — Col. L. V. Cast
ner. intelligence officer for the j
Alaska H>??ense command, has
been awarded the Legion of
Merit for “exceptionally meritor
ious conduct in the performance :
of outstanding services,” it was 1
announced recently by Lt. Gen.
Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.
Colonel Castner of Oakland,
Calif., helped plan the operations
which drove the Japanese out of
the Aleutians.
Through his untiring efforts,
initiative and knowledge of the
Territory of Alaska, he directed
! the development oi and is yarge
' 1}' responsible for the military
intelligence system in the Alaska
theater of operations," his' cita
tion 3aii.
‘‘Throughout the organization
al period prior to Dec. 7, 1941,
and throughout the operational
period on the Alaska mainland
and in the Aleutians between
December 7, 1941, and September
3, 1943 Colonel Castner demon
strated outstanding leadership
and devotion to duty.’’
An Alaska enthusiast and
sportsman. Colonel Castner or
ganized the famed Alaska Scouts,
an intelligence platoon includ
ing many Alaska oldtimers some
times referred to as ‘Castner’s
Cut Throats.”
He led a party of the Scouts
on a reconnaissance mission on .
Adak. just prior to its occupation j
by American forces, to determine
whether the island was clear of 1
hostile troops and to select por
tions of the beaches suitable for
landing operations. They ap
proached the island in two sub
marines and cast off for shore
in small rubber boats at night,
in weather that smashed and
swamped one of the small craft
against the side of one of the
submarines.
‘ '
His Alaska Scouts also played 1
a prominent part in other Aleu- ■
tian operations, including the
battle of Attu and the occupation
j of Kiska.
A graduate of the United
States Military Academy at Wes?
Point, Colonel Castner also
graduated from the Infantry
School, advanced course, and the
Command and General Staff
school.
Recognized as an authority on
Alaska, Colonel Castner served
at Chilkoot Garracks before the
war when that was the largest
army garrison in Alaska.
He has property south of An
chorage and maintains a home
there. He is married and has two
daughters, who attended the
public schools at Anchorage.
? Organized resistance ceased
yesterday after an overwhelming
air bombardment, and landings
t of fresh Nazi troops.
The Middle East communique
said that the German account
states the Allies have now lost
all footholds in the Dodecanese,
and in the Nazi sea lanes in the
; Aegean Sea.
In September, the British
landed on Leros, Cos, and Cas
telrosso in the Dodecanese group,
and the Greek island of Samos,
. about 20 miles north of Leros.
This campaign in the Mediterra
nean is described as not an iso
lated effort but part of the major
strategy in the Mediterranean
war. Samos is still in British
hands.
The Germans captured 8,000
British and Italian troops on
Leros.
:
WALGREN
DECRIES
TACTICS
WASHINGTON, ov. 17.—
(AP)—Senator Walgren, dem.,
from Washington, said the hear
ings would start soon on the sen
ate fisheries subcommittee bill,
to extend Alaska fishing grounds
to the international border be
tween Russia and the United
States, and at the same time,
promises a fight against govern
ment bureau and departments
writing legislation and asking
congress to pass it
The bill would extend Ameri
can jurisdiction to fishing
grounds formerly used by Japan,
and Lays down rules to conserve
Alaskan fisheries, and a tthe
same time, permitting greater use
of fish as food.
Walgren said the Department
of Interior had not made a re
port on the bill, which was intro
duced last March, and under
stands the department is rewrit
ing It to suit its own ideas.
“I, with others, oppose the
practice of government depart
ments writing legislation, asking
congress to enact their ideas into
law”, he added.
CARGO SHIP *i
IS SUNK
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ALLIED HEADGUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC,
Nov. 17.—The southwest air force
today sunk an 8,000-ton Japan
a cargo ship and damaged a
19,000 tonner, forcing it to the
| beach. It also made direct hits on
i a third vessel.
The communique gave the
credit to Catalina navy patrol
bombers, and Aussie Beaufort
bombers.
The action took place in the
northern Solomons.
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