Jjl orary WiW3
Juneau, Ale
"News of oAmerica’s Last Frontier
SOL. 4 NO. 37
KODIAK, ALASKA JANUARY 27, 1945
PRICE 10
lack Benson
Gets Award
Seattle (£0—Lieut. Norman
John Benson, USNR, of Kodiak,
has been presented with the Le
gion of Merit by President
Roosevelt for services set forth
in the following citation released
by the 13th Naval Distriet:
“For exceptionally meritorious
conduct in the performance of
outstanding services to the Gov
ernment of the United States as
in Alaskan pilot and Captain of
the Port of Kodiak, Attu and
Kiskafrom June, 1942 to De
cember, 1943.
"After skillfully piloting a
transport vessel into Massacre
Bay through poorly charted an 1
dangerous waters when our
forces landed for operations a
gainst the enemy, Lieut. Benson
quickly organized the office of
Captain of the Port at Attu
supervised installation of harbor
facilities and ably assisted in the
disembarkation of troops and
supplies despite extremely ad
verse weather and devastating
hostile shell fire.
"Accompanying a task force
he further distinguished himself
by tireless and valuable service
in similar operations during our
subsequent occupation of Kiska,
“By extraordinary ability,
keen judgment and brill.ant
leadership through the hazard
ous period Lieut Benson contri
buted materially to the success
of our vital Naval operations in
the Alaska sector.”
Lt. Comdr. “Jack” Benson,
iow stationed at NOB, Kodiak.
>efore going into the service was
■t Kodiak for 2 years as Terri
orial Wildlife agent and pre
ious to that was wildlife agent
t Seward.
His wife, Ruth, - and two
aughters, Jackie, 8, and Jerry,
i make their home in this city.
Wer Off Briefly
Electric power throughout
3wn was off 17 minutes early
Wednesday evening when 2 po
mtial transformers at the KEA
°wer plant burned out. Only
amage was to the transformers.
George Magnusen took one of
3e city fire trucks down to the
ant in case it was needed, as
le 8*ren cannot be blown with
le Power off.
Hsing parafrags (parachute
^mentation) bombs, B-25s of
>e I3fch Air Force blasted Clark
leld> near Manila, Philippines,
“January 7, shattering build
'88 (foreground) and wrecking
rounded Japanese planes in the
“d just prior to the American
vasion of Luzon Island.
(See News Highlights)
First 1945 Baby
Makes Appearance
Gary Dell Savoy, weight 6
pounds 6 and don’t forget the
oue-half ounces, doesn’t know it
yet, but he is the first baby of
Kodiak for the year 1945. The
fact that other Alaska towns had
already fulfilled the designation
detracts none from the honor.
Gary, who arrived Wednesday,
January 24, at the Griffin Mem
orial hospital, is the son of Sgt.
and Mrs. Louis Savoy. Both
mother and son are doing well.
Mrs Savoy until her recent
retirement was clerk of the local
OPA office. Sgt Savoy, formerly
stationed at Fort Greely, is now
near Northway, Alaska, and is
expected home on furlough some
time next month.
Joins Navy
Harold James Naughton, son
of U. S. Commissioner and Mrs.
C. C. Naughton, was sworn into
service in the U. S. Navy at the
administration building, NOB,
on Wednesday, the day before
his 18th birthday.
IVS4 Seeks Men
The War Shipping Administra
tion has authorized transporta
tion to Seattle and is seeking men
locally for the following positions:
deck or engine room officer, radio
operator (with current licenses
only); and the following with
qualified current seaman’s pap
ers: fireman, oiler, water tender,
1st & 2nd cook, and baker.
Those interested should con
tact Nan Holt, at the local U.S.
Employment office, before Wed.
Clifford Stevens, bartender at
the Town Club was admitted to
the CM hospital Thursday.
Gala Dance
Plans Made
An auction of caricatures of
President Roosevelt, a decorated
hall, a navy dance orchestra, a
radio broadcast, and a possibility
of donating to a national and a
local cause, will all combine in a
climax next Tuesday night, Jan
uary 30, to give Kodiak what
promises to be one of the biggest
and best President’s Birthday
Balls.
The dance, which is to be in
formal, will start at 9 pm sharp
to the strains of a large navy or
chestra. The Dominoes, previ
ously announced for the dance,
are unavailable and the arrange
ments were completed yesterday
for a new navy band. Part of the
music and fun of the dance will
be aired in this locality in a re
mote control broadcast over
radio station WVCQ.
Sgt. Paul Bond, local artist,
whose work is familiar to many,
is contributing his talent to fash
ion the portraits of the President:
which will be auctioned off to^
the highest bidder.
Committees appointed by Mrs.
O. A. Torgerson, general dance
chairman, were busy yesterday
decorating the hall in boughs and
festoons of crepe paper in patri
otic colors. The advance ticket.
sale was reported to be very suc
cessful and tickets, at $2 a couple,
will also be on sale at the box
office.
This year those who contri-J
bute to th>‘ success of the dance!
by buying rickets will have the j
added pleasure of knowing that
half of all the funds made on the!
ball will be kept and spent right j
in Kodiak. For the first time this!
Juneau Cold Storage
Official Coming Soon
Wall's George, of the Juneau
Cold Storage company, who re
ported sometime ago that he
was coming to Kodiak on a trip
in connection with a cold storage
project here, sent word this week
to R. H. Chadwick that he ex
pects to leave for Kodiak be
tween Feb. 10 and 15.
On his arrival he will confer
with the Industries Committee
of the Chamber of Commerce, of
which Mi. Chadwick is chair
man.
Taxis Need ODT OK
Taxi business permit renewals
were approved by the city coun
cil for Al King, Jalmer Spring
hill, A1 Nixon and Ray Martin
Monday evening, pending addi
tional meeting t>f Office of De
fense Transportation require
ments. Hereafter no permits will
be approved until ODT certifi
cates are obtained, and present
licenses will be revoked after 10
days if application is not made
with the OPA board for the
ODT certificate
year balf the money will be turn
ed over to Marion Curtis, local
public health nurse, to be used
exclusively in child welfare work
This work includes providing
glasses, denial work, and medi
cal and nutritional care for local
children who cannot obtain it
otherwise and for broader prob
lems of child welfare ever present
and for which funds are not a
vailable.
The other half of the funds, as
in the past, will go to the Nation
al Foundation for the Prevention
of Infantile Paralysis which has
done great work in its held.
Body Hears
Governor
Juneau (jP) — Special — 3®
perhaps the longest mess-nge
ever given an Alaska legislata®*-.
about 10,000 words, Govern®*
Gruening at a joint se*®*®*
Thursday afternoon led off
a discussion of the problems sS»«
Territory must meet in the p®**"
war era.
Sounding a battlecry ft* m
new tax system for Alaaiia,
which would include perss'Mi®
;ncome tax on workers'
checks, a corporate tax on be***
ness and a Territorial property
tax applying both inside
outside incorporated towns. '*»•
also gave an implied iD vitalises*
to the canned salmon industry
to join sides in the campaign>f«r
the new tax system or face 'iJfee
possibility of additional pfc’®
taxes as high as 75 cents a ca*t
The entire tax system ia f*®
same as the governor introdns*^
4 years ago but which the Ikgie*
lature turned down
Governor Gruening said- w.'itis
Alaskan boys have gone int«.Va»
armed forces and plans must
made for discharged service sm®
and women.
He urged establishment or
Alaska development agency: »
referendum vote on statehood,:
bill requiring legislation of &J3
real property; a full time Coasi
missioner of Health; appaisA—
ment of another veterinarian; *as
amended workmen’s compensa
tion act; a teachers’ retiremsi'fc
law; maximum payments for aM
age assistance; expansion of 5iie
University of Alaska branch sit
Ketchikan and vocattos*!
school at Juneau and spoke raw<r
briefly of the proposed 25 per csart
salary increases for Territory
employees; and urged & eix>&mg
fund.
In conclusion he urged tfce
legislature to "get rid of the
>earing race discrimination® in
our midst” that Alaska's esaat
omy may be built up tepavsSiie
way for returning war veteraan.
Juneau (Special) — WitftaaA
opposition Senator Coffey wbs
elected president of the S«eu£«
and Landers Speaker of ’fie
House on opening day of the leg
islature Tuesday.
All members were present *s
cept Huntley, Pollard wfcd
Brownell.
First bill of the session
; introduced by Walker and ft»~
vides that United States eitise^es
qualified to vote in the Territsr*:
shall have the right to vote isg*
on reaching the age of IS JA
second bill by Green proviJ*^
for amending the unemp!oya»r» r
compensation law to bring ♦ >
employers under the proviso* s
of the act.