Thousands Gathered to Witness Beach Landing in Bossier

The east bank of the Red River in Bossier City, a draw now for leisurely entertainment and shopping, attracted crowds for a very different reason 81 years ago today. On Sunday afternoon, June 10, 1945, the shoreline near the Texas Street Bridge came alive with the clatter of machine-gun fire and the roar of fighter planes, as a battle unfolded. But Bossier City hadn’t become the latest hotzone of World War II. The fighting was simulated, meant to give spectators a glimpse of America’s military in action and highlight the importance of financially supporting those who were facing enemies abroad. Although victory in Europe had been declared a month earlier, the war in the Pacific continued.

War bond drives, or loan drives as they were also called, were a critical aspect of U.S. policy during the Second World War. They helped raise funds that the government used to buy equipment and supplies for the war effort, and they helped foster a sense of patriotism among citizenry by providing a means to contribute to that effort. There were eight such drives between November 1942 and December 1945. The mock invasion held in Bossier City was part of number seven.

In the days leading up to the event, local newspaper stories heightened interest by telling of the military machinery and maneuvers that would be on display and the guests who would attend, including Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis and movie star of that era, Robert Young. Personnel would also be present to sell bonds. In an article on June 9, Barksdale’s Bark, the newspaper of Barksdale Field – as the base was then called – set the scene: “One hundred Barksdale GIs, armed with rifles and machine guns, will be disgorged from nine Higgins boats tomorrow, and behind a smoke screen, will plunge into an inferno of explosions, … belching flame throwers, roaring dive bombers and wheezing bazooka shells to secure a beachhead,” the paper stated. According to the article, Barksdale not only supplied the troops, but also much of the equipment, including jeeps, walkie-talkies and blank ammunition. The Higgins boats, named for Andrew Higgins, founder of the New Orleans company that built them, were brought by truck from Texas.

The “Red River Bond Invasion Show,” as the event was referred to in some local newspapers, got underway before a crowd estimated to number between 25,000 and 30,000 attendees, gathered along both sides of the river and on the Texas Street Bridge. Prior to the start of the invasion, Young addressed those assembled and “placed decided emphasis on the need to buy war bonds,” according to an article the following day in The Shreveport Journal. Navy Lieutenant Joe McMeel, survivor of a bombing attack on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin just four months prior, spoke as well.

After the guest speakers, the invasion commenced. The Shreveport Journal article of June 11 described what took place: “As the men advanced to establish their beachhead, smoke bombs … were set off, providing continuous protection to the men landing on the shore and to those moving upward on the beach. Even as the men advanced, the … P51s (fighter aircraft) continued to come over, providing a cover for them and blasting an opening … to aid the men in their move forward.” This must have been quite a sight to see on Red River! Soldiers stormed ashore and scrambled up the east bank with the objective of planting a flag at a predetermined point in “enemy” territory. Once this was achieved, victory was declared.

Persons who purchased bonds at the event and in the days just before the event were allowed rides on the Higgins boats. Young, who years later would achieve fame on tv in shows like “Father Knows Best” and “Marcus Welby M.D.,” signed autographs for those who bought bonds of $1000 or more. The June 11 article in The Shreveport Journal states that approximately $21,000 in bonds were sold during the afternoon’s show. That amount combined with money from bond sales across the country during the seven weeks of the Seventh War Loan Drive helped achieve a final total of more than $26 billion. Yes, billion.

For one Sunday afternoon in June 1945, Bossier’s east bank became a stage, offering a more forgiving glimpse into the brutal beach landings at places such as Normandy and Iwo Jima. For a moment, the crowd had a visual reminder that freedom isn’t free.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call us to learn more. We are currently closed for renovations, but can still be reached by phone at (318) 746-7717, and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• 7th War Loan poster/Wikimedia Commons
• Beach landing on Red River's east bank/Barksdale's Bark, June 16, 1945

Articlel by: Kevin Flowers

“Invasion” Force Hits Bossier’s East Bank During World War II

The Bossier side of the Red River was the scene of a unique event 80 years ago. Soldiers dashed out of boats amid billowing smoke screens and hurried towards the east bank. Planes fired on enemy positions, as the clatter of machine guns echoed along the river, and medics tended the wounded. No, war hadn’t come to Bossier City. The fighting was simulated, meant to give spectators a glimpse of America’s fighting forces in action and encourage the support of those forces by the purchase of war bonds.

War bond drives, or war loan drives as they were also called, were a critical aspect of U.S. policy during the Second World War. They helped raise funds that the government used to buy equipment and supplies for the war effort, and they helped foster a sense of patriotism among citizenry by providing a means to contribute to that effort. There were eight such drives between November 1942 and December 1945. The mock invasion held in Bossier City on Sunday afternoon, June 10, 1945, was part of number seven.

In the days leading up to the event, local newspaper stories heightened interest by telling of the military machinery and maneuvers that would be on display and the guests who would attend, including Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis and movie star of that era, Robert Young. Personnel would be present to sell bonds. In an article on June 9, Barksdale’s Bark, the newspaper of Barksdale Field – as the base was then called - depicted the upcoming event. “One hundred Barksdale GIs, armed with rifles and machine guns, will be disgorged from nine Higgins boats tomorrow, and behind a smoke screen, will plunge into an inferno of explosions, … belching flame throwers, roaring dive bombers and wheezing bazooka shells to secure a beachhead,” the paper stated. According to the article, Barksdale supplied the troops who would go ashore and much of the equipment to be used, including jeeps, walkie-talkies and blank ammunition. The Higgins boats, named for Andrew Higgins, founder of the New Orleans company that built them, were brought by truck from Texas.

The “Red River Bond Invasion Show,” as the event was referred to in some local newspapers, got underway before a crowd estimated to number between 25,000 and 30,000 spectators that had gathered along both sides of the river and on the Texas Street bridge. Prior to the start of the invasion, Young addressed those assembled and “placed decided emphasis on the need to buy war bonds,” according to an article the following day in The Shreveport Journal. Navy Lieutenant Joe McMeel, survivor of a bombing attack on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin just four months earlier, spoke as well and reminded the crowd that although victory had been secured in Europe, the war in the Pacific continued.

After the guest speakers, the invasion commenced. The Shreveport Journal article of June 11 described the scene: “As the men advanced to establish their beachhead, smoke bombs … were set off, providing continuous protection to the men landing on the shore and to those moving upward on the beach. Even as the men advanced, the … P51s (fighter aircraft) continued to come over, providing a cover for them and blasting an opening … to aid the men in their move forward.” This must have been quite a sight to see on Red River! Once the objective of planting a flag in enemy territory was achieved, the invasion ended.

Persons who purchased bonds at the event and in the days just prior to the event were allowed rides on the Higgins boats. Young, who years later would achieve fame on tv in shows like “Father Knows Best” and “Marcus Welby M.D.,” signed autographs for those who bought bonds of $1000 or more. The June 11 article in the Shreveport Journal states that approximately $21,000 in bonds were sold during the afternoon’s show. That amount combined with money from bond sales across the country during the seven weeks of the Seventh War Loan Drive helped achieve a final total of more than $26 billion. Yes, billion.

For one Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1945, Bossier’s east bank became a stage, offering a more forgiving glimpse into the brutal beach landings at places such as Normandy, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. For a moment, the crowd had a visual reminder that freedom isn’t free.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• 7th War Loan poster/Wikimedia Commons
• The Planters Press headline, June 7, 1945/Newspapers.com
• Boat landings on Bossier's east bank/Barksdale's Bark, June 16, 1945

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Barksdale Provided Training to Help Frenchmen Reclaim Homeland

Eighty-five years ago this month, France officially surrendered to the Germans following the Nazi invasion of the country in 1940. But while flags emblazoned with the Nazi swastika flew over Paris, there were those who vowed that Hitler’s forces would not long remain on French soil. And Barksdale Field, as the base was then known, helped keep that promise.

Beginning in May 1944, young Frenchmen started arriving at Barksdale to train as pilots, gunners, navigators, and bombardiers. They carried with them the hopes of a nation desperate to oust the invaders. In the coming weeks and months, others arrived. They were part of a larger contingent of French cadets, eventually totaling approximately 4,000, that came from areas outside occupied France for training at airfields across the United States. The goal: to equip them with the skills necessary to help reclaim their homeland. They would be known as the Free French Air Force and, according to a September 2019 article in the magazine France-Amerique, the men were quite surprised by life in the U.S. “They couldn’t believe their eyes,” the article states. “After the hardships of war, they discovered an affluent America filled with Coca-Cola, hamburgers, drive-in theaters, and boogie-woogie music.”

The Frenchmen who came to Barksdale received a warm welcome. The Shreveport Times of May 7, 1944, contains a story of the first arrivals being feted with a party at the home of Centenary College language professor, Dr. E.L. Ford. Although, according to the story, some of the men spoke no English, that didn’t prove a hinderance. “Once at the Ford home, … where a number of persons who spoke French were present and also a group of girls from the French club at Centenary, the men … in bits of French and English strongly expressed their delight at being here,” the story states. “They like ‘cokes’… and are in awe of our food.” I wasn’t able to find specific information about how the language barrier was overcome during their training at the airfield.

As the parties and welcoming faded into memory and the men’s training began, a seriousness took hold, reminding them that they had a job to do and a country to save. An article in Smithsonian Magazine from March 2004, describes the scolding that one cadet training in Alabama received after a poor flight performance. “The exasperated instructor marched him over to another officer on the flightline and told him to give the student hell—in French.”

Unfortunately, some of the cadets at Barksdale paid the ultimate price during flight training. From September 1944 through February 1945, thirteen Frenchmen were killed in plane crashes here. Newspaper accounts of the time detailed the tragedies. A witness to one of the crashes was a city editor with The Shreveport Journal. “There was a dull thud as it struck the ground, an explosion, a burst of flame … and then great billows of smoke rose skyward,” he said in the September 15, 1944 issue of the paper. And the hazards of training were not limited to the air. Another young cadet died after accidently stepping into a spinning propeller.

The B-26 Marauder, a twin-engined bomber, was the aircraft in which the men were given instruction. According to the National Air and Space Museum, it included some new features, but could be difficult to learn due to higher speeds needed during take-offs and landings. The museum states that one of the plane’s early nicknames was the “Widow Maker.” Despite these challenges, the B-26 proved to be invaluable. The museum says of it, “Like the M1 Garand combat rifle, the Sherman tank, and the LST, the Marauder was an important weapon in the war against the Axis powers.”

As reports came over the radio of the liberation of Paris in August 1944, the Frenchmen were, of course, thrilled. Barksdale’s Bark, the official newspaper of the airfield, stated in an article from August 26 that year that the men “ … marked the stirring events in their native France by marching together on the parade grounds.” A photo shows them carrying both the American flag and the French tri-color flag, a fitting tribute to Barksdale’s role in providing the skills necessary to help France rise again.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• French fliers attend party welcoming them to Barksdale Field/courtesy The Shreveport Times, May 7, 1944
• French fliers march on parade grounds at Barksdale to mark the liberation of Paris/courtesy Barksdale's Bark, August 26, 1944

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Barksdale’s Air Show: Thrilling Crowds Since Aviation’s Early Days

When the Wright brothers’ Wright Flyer first took flight on December 17, 1903, one of the onlookers – John T. Daniels – was left in awe. Historian David McCullough, in his book “The Wright Brothers,” wrote that Daniels gave an interview years later about the historic event and said that the aircraft “ … sailed off in the air … as pretty as any bird you ever laid your eyes on. I don’t think I ever saw a prettier sight in my life.” It was he who captured a photo of the Flyer’s successful launch from the sands of Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina. Thirty years later, that same sense of wonder may have prevailed among the thousands of people who attended the first air show at Barksdale Air Force Base.

That first show was part of the ceremonies celebrating the dedication of Barksdale Field, as the base was then known, on February 2, 1933. According to the book “A History of Barksdale Air Force Base,” published in 1971, Barksdale was born of the need for a new airfield to accommodate the U.S. Army Air Corps’ expanding 3rd Air Attack Group. Despite eight other cities bidding to get this new airfield, Barksdale’s present site won out, after what the book describes as “a monumental task that literally encompassed ten years of intensive, determined and dedicated effort.”

A crowd estimated to number 50,000 people attended the dedication, including the mother and other family members of the airfield’s namesake, Lieutenant Eugene Hoy Barksdale. Although there were no Air Force Thunderbirds or Navy Blue Angels to headline that day’s air show, newspaper accounts say the exhibition did not disappoint. Coverage in the February 3, 1933 edition of The Shreveport Times states, “Uncle Sam’s fleet of planes roared skyward for an hour and a half, sending an air-minded crowd home happy.” Demonstrations included “ground strafing,” in which the planes “dived to within almost 25 feet of targets … with two forward machine guns pelting leaden slugs,” and acrobatic maneuvers that “entertained the crowd with … loops, power dives, snap rolls,” and “every stunt in the varied and death-defying repertoire of a pursuit pilot.” According to this newspaper account, Barksdale Field Commander Major Millard F. Harmon led a flight of the 20th Pursuit Group past the reviewing stands, followed closely by a group of attack planes led by Captain Lester J. Maitland, a pilot notable for having made the first flight from California to Hawaii in 1927. For those attendees who had perhaps never seen an airplane, this spectacle must have been quite a sight to witness.

Holding the audience’s attention were aircraft such as the Boeing P-12, a prop-driven bi-plane having a design little changed from the World War One era, with a maximum speed of 189 miles per hour. Fast forward to the 1940s, when the U.S. military transitioned to jets that could attain speeds of nearly 600 miles per hour. As engines and airframes improved, those speeds continued to climb.

At this year’s Barksdale Defenders of Liberty Air Show, Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, the Air Force Thunderbirds will perform, showcasing not only precision flying skills, but also an exceptional aircraft in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Originally developed by General Dynamics, the Falcon is capable of reaching Mach 2 or 1,500 miles per hour, according to the plane’s fact sheet on the Air Force website af.mil. Other performers will include Red Bull Aviation, the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, and the Titan Aerobatic Team. Historic aircraft like the P-51 Mustang and B-25 will also be part of the show. For more information, visit defendersoflibertyairshow.com.

Whether watching from on base or from your yard, enjoy the air show and its rich history, and understand that it was made possible through the efforts of numerous base personnel and community volunteers and civic organizations like the Shreveport-Bossier Military Affairs Council. To them I say thank you. And I pay homage to the organizers and performers of that first, long-ago airshow of 1933. Ninety-two years has not diminished the standard that was set or the legacy left that February day. The pages of history recall their accomplishment. Orville and Wilbur would be proud.

If you have any information or items relating to the history of Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Headline from The Shreveport Times, November 5, 1934/courtesy newspapers.com
• Crowds attending Barksdale dedication and first air show, February 2, 1933/courtesy Bill Grabill, History Center collection

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Frenchmen Turn to Barksdale for Help Fighting Hitler

 Eighty-four years ago this month, France officially surrendered to the Germans following the Nazi invasion of the country in1940. But while flags emblazoned with the Nazi swastika flew over Paris, there were those who vowed that Hitler’s forces would not long remain on French soil. And Barksdale Air Force Base helped keep that promise.

Beginning in May 1944, young Frenchmen began arriving at Barksdale, called Barksdale Field at the time, to train as pilots, gunners, navigators, and bombardiers. They carried with them the hopes of a nation desperate to oust the invaders. In the coming weeks and months, others arrived. They were part of a larger contingent of French cadets, eventually totaling approximately 4,000, that came from areas outside occupied France for training at airfields across the United States. The goal: to equip them with the skills necessary to help reclaim their homeland. They would be known as the Free French air force and, according to a September 2019 article in the magazine France-Amerique, the men were quite surprised by life in the U.S. “They couldn’t believe their eyes,” the article states. “After the hardships of war, they discovered an affluent America filled with Coca-Cola, hamburgers, drive-in theaters, and boogie-woogie music.”

The Frenchmen who came to Barksdale received a warm welcome. The Shreveport Times of May 7, 1944, contains a story of the first arrivals being feted with a party at the home of Centenary College language professor, Dr. E.L. Ford. Although, according to the story, some of the men spoke no English, that didn’t prove a hinderance. “Once at the Ford home, … where a number of persons who spoke French were present and also a group of girls from the French club at Centenary, the men … in bits of French and English strongly expressed their delight at being here,” the story states. “They like ‘cokes’… and are in awe of our food.” I wasn’t able to find specific information about how the language barrier was overcome during their training at the airfield.

As the parties and welcoming faded into memory and the men’s training began, a seriousness took hold, reminding them that they had a job to do and a country to save. An article in Smithsonian Magazine from March 2004, describes the scolding that one cadet training in Alabama received after a poor flight performance. “The exasperated instructor marched him over to another officer on the flightline and told him to give the student hell—in French.”

Unfortunately, some of the cadets at Barksdale paid the ultimate price during flight training. From September 1944 through February 1945, thirteen Frenchmen were killed in plane crashes here. Newspaper accounts of the time detailed the tragedies. A witness to one of the crashes was a city editor with The Shreveport Journal. “There was a dull thud as it struck the ground, an explosion, a burst of flame … and then great billows of smoke rose skyward,” he said. And the hazards of training were not limited to the air. Another young cadet died after accidently stepping into a spinning propeller.

The B-26 Marauder, a twin-engined bomber, was the aircraft in which the men were given instruction. According to the National Air and Space Museum, it included some new features, but could be difficult to learn due to higher speeds needed during take-offs and landings. The museum states that one of the plane’s early nicknames was the “Widow Maker.” Despite these challenges, the B-26 proved to be invaluable. The museum says of it, “Like the M1 Garand combat rifle, the Sherman tank, and the LST, the Marauder was an important weapon in the war against the Axis powers.”

As reports came over the radio of the liberation of Paris in August 1944, the Frenchmen were, of course, thrilled. Barksdale’s Bark, the official newspaper of the airfield, stated in an article from August 26 that year that the men “ … marked the stirring events in their native France by marching together on the parade grounds.” A photo shows them carrying both the American flag and the French tri-color flag, a fitting tribute to Barksdale’s role in providing the skills necessary to help France rise again.

Thanks to my History Center coworker Jonah Daigle for supplying the idea for this article. His contribution is very much appreciated.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/

Images: 

• French fliers attend party welcoming them to Barksdale Field/courtesy The Shreveport Times, May 7, 1944
• French fliers march on parade grounds at Barksdale to mark the liberation of Paris/courtesy Barksdale's Bark, August 26, 1944

Article by: Kevin Flowers

It’s an honor to be a “Jeep-O!”

 Don’t You Want to be a Jeep-O? inquires the headline from an August, 1943 issue of Barksdale’s Bark, the newspaper of Barksdale Field, now Barksdale Air Force Base. The Barksdale Field “Jeep-O” program was officially sanctioned by Base Commander William B. Wright, Jr. earlier that month. By signing up to be a member of the “Jeep-O” program and affixing to their windshield a yellow sticker designating this membership in Barksdale’s share–a–ride club, even a civilian with no special skills or tools (besides an automobile!) could help the GIs at Barksdale during wartime. This assistance was critical because with World War II raging overseas, the personnel strength had doubled at Barksdale Field, and local public transportation was bursting at the seams.

Every driver who pledged to give a soldier a ride received a Jeep-O sticker for their car windshield. Wherever a Jeep-O driver happened to be headed, if it was in the same general direction of an on-base soldier wanting to get to town, or a married soldier trying to return home from the base during rush hour when there weren’t enough seats on city buses, a mere “civie” or civilian, (as well as other soldiers or official military chauffeurs with empty seats) could do their part and offer a ride. Soldiers were not allowed to hitchhike, but they were allowed to take a ride if offered. The yellow stickers, therefore, were as much for the benefit of the driver as for the passenger. The yellow “Jeep-O” sticker in the windshield reminded the driver to stop and offer their extra seat.

The Jeep-O programs began in Alabama for soldiers at Army Fort McClellan, thanks to the suggestion of some solders and with the organizing efforts of the local Kiwanis Club. Within a year, the idea had spread to 22 states. Starting May 24, 1943, National Jeep-O Week was observed in all 48 states. As for the origin of the name, the “Jeep” in “Jeep-O” appears to be referring to both the soldier and the vehicle in which he could ride. The word "jeep" was used as early as World War I as U.S. Army slang for new uninitiated recruits and by Army mechanics to refer to new unproven vehicles. It wasn’t until 1945 that the first Jeep-branded product launched.

Signs ordered by Commander Wright were placed at the gates to Barksdale, reminding motorists that “a lift is a boost.” Not only would a ride help soldiers get to work or home for supper on time, it would also literally keep them from sweating out the wait in long lines for the bus during the sweltering Louisiana heat. The Barksdale’s Bark on October 30 of 1943 said, “Nothing short of 100 percent participation will give soldiers the break they deserve.”

A “Letter to the Editor” of the Barksdale’s Bark in September of 1943 was not so sanguine. Starting with humor then moving into shaming, a “Brooklyn Jeep,” a fictional GI from Brooklyn, NY, wrote a complaint letter to the editor with exaggerated Brooklyn “speech”. Referring to civilian drivers or “Civies,” he stated, “dose guys and gals could be the real heroes of dis war if dey’d only loosen up and share a little space in their golden chariots…” then moves on to a bit of shaming. “You see, Ed [Editor], if the Southern hospitality was what it’s cracked up to be, a lot of us jeeps could go as far as the gate, be picked up by the Civies, and consequently there would be more room on the busses [sic] for the udder guys.”

The “Brooklyn Jeep” really brought home his point by stating the indisputable tragedy of wartime. “Some of us guys won’t come back once we hit the udder side. The least the Civies can do is to exchange a ride in their chariots for a life that might be lost so that they and their chariots can be safe in the

future.” As the Barksdale Bark had stated at the very beginning of the Jeep-O program, “It’s an honor to be a ‘Jeep-O!’”

If you have any information, stories, or photos about the Jeep-O program at Barksdale or other local efforts to help out servicemembers during WWII, we would love to see them or to copy them, with permission, to add to the History Center’s research collection. Please come to the History Center to do research or see our exhibits at 2206 Beckett St, Bossier City, LA. We are open M-Th 10-8, Fri 10-6, and Sat 10-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org

Photo: Clarissa Warren, first civilian  to officially join the “Barksdale Jeep-O” club and is presented with a Jepper badge by Col. William B. Wright Jr.      The Barksdale Bark: 04 Sep 1943

For other fun facts, photos, and videos, be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB or  @bplhistorycenter on TikTok. 

CCC Camps in Bossier Parish, Part 3

Continued from March 16, 2022

The previous 2 weeks we explored the CCC camps on Barksdale Air Field and in Haughton, LA. Those camps were charged with improvements to the young military reservation at Barksdale, such as creating landing fields and roads out of wilderness and were categorized as “A” (for Army) camps and, in Haughton, were designated “SCS” for soil conservation on private agricultural land. This week, let’s look at the work and recreational life of the Plain Dealing camp.

In 1939, men from the 3498/C at Barksdale and a few from camp 3499/C of Haughton were transferred to a new camp at Plain Dealing in north Bossier Parish toward the Arkansas line. Their project number was P-81, the P designating it a forestry project on a private forest. Their company number remained 3498. 

Forestry and forest products were and are a valuable source of income for the state of Louisiana and Bossier Parish. It goes without saying, the need to protect Louisiana’s forests became a high priority. The U.S. Forest Service instructed that the CCC could work forestry projects on private lands that participated in the Clarke-McNary program, where landowners contributed two cents per acre annually to the Division of Forestry for fire protection. 

On the 14 forestry camps on private land in Louisiana, the projects worked toward forest fire protection using the latest science on the topic. Roads and fire breaks were constructed through the forest, fire hazards reduced, telephone lines constructed, and fire lookout towers were constructed. Sometimes the crews did actual firefighting. Overall, Louisiana’s CCC crews built 31 fire towers, 10 tower residences, 2,998 bridges, 2,142 miles of telephone lines, 63 cattle guards, and 3,070 miles of truck trails.  

In the History Center’s collection we have much less material on the Plain Dealing camp than on the Haughton and Barksdale camps to learn about camp activities. However, the nationwide newspaper for the CCC, Happy Days, shows that like all other CCC camps, recreational opportunities in Plain Dealing included many sports and Plain Dealing had strong representation in the District E “Negro Olympics.” In fact, the Plain Dealing camp won the 1939 volleyball championship, defeating Saucier, Mississippi. Louisiana CCC companies were established within District E of the Fourth Corps Area of the U.S. Army, which included Louisiana and the southwestern portion of Mississippi.

On July 11, 1940 The Bossier Banner praised the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps. “Here in Bossier Parish we have had several CCC Camps in the past few years.  We regret that the last is now being moved from Bellevue to some other section.” The editor delineated the continued needs he saw for CCC work in Bossier, which called on greatly expanding much of the same type of military base improvement, soil conservation, and forestry work already conducted by Bossier’s CCC camps.

When World War II began and the draft went into operation, Congress voted to close the CCC program as the need for work relief declined. Nevertheless, the benefits of the CCC continued on through the War. Capt. J.E. Kidd, a staff officer in the CCC program at Camp Beauregard in Louisiana who served with distinction as a colonel in Europe during World War II, often acknowledged the role the CCC played in the Allied victory. He stated that the CCC had prepared the men physically and mentally for the dangers and hardships imposed by war, and their CCC experience helped them qualify in a variety of military specialties. 

To learn more about CCC Camps in Bossier and surrounding parishes, please visit us in the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. If you have any information, stories or photos about the Bossier Parish CCC Camps, we would love to see them or to copy them, with permission, to add to the History Center’s research collection. For other fun facts, photos, and videos, be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB, @bplhistorycenter on TikTok

Photo: Sports page in the Sept. 16, 1939 issue of  Happy Days – The Weekly Newspaper of the Civilian Conservation Corps, detailing the first Negro CCC Olympics between Mississippi and Louisiana teams  (District “E” of 4^th Corps Area) and Company 3498 of Plain Dealing’s championship win in volleyball.

Article by: Pam Carlisle

This Month In Bossier Parish History

 October: Through the year!

Oct.1: It's National Poetry Day!

* Please enjoy some of the poetry from a few of the citizens from our parish. 

 

    

Oct.14, 1928:  Land in Bossier City was inspected and found satisfactory for the new location of the south's largest airport. The location for the new attack wing of the nation's air service (Barksdale Field/Barksdale Air Force Base) could bring in 3,00 airmen and 500 officers.

*Please enjoy the newspaper article and photos.

14 Oct 1928

The Times

Barksdale Field before construction in the 1931

2011.053.001-36 Hardin collection

 

1937: Barksdale Air Force Base, on Barksdale Field in 1937. A Presentation of Colors to General Martin is pictured.

2002.027.004 DeField Collection

 Barksdale Air Force Base B-18 Plane.

2002.027.001 DeField Colection

 

1934: Barksdale Air Force Base, Barksdale Field.

2002.027.003 DeField Collection

Oct.19, 1977: Parkway Panther's news from 40 years ago. 

        * All clippings are from the Oct. 19, 1977 issue of the "Panthers' Print" and the photos are             from the 1978 Parkway High School Yearbook  

• Panther’s Print newspaper staff

· 1977-78 Homecoming Court

· Mark Thomas sews his apron

· Girls volleyball wins over Bossier: 15-9

·  Football: Parkway vs Bossier, the Panthers takes the win: 14-7

· Panthers’ featured athletes of the month:  Kevin Wood and Mark Thomas

· P is for Personality: 1977 Panther Personalities were David Saylors and Maureen Meredith

· LSY’s “Most Outstanding Member” award goes to: Robert Ray McKellar, Diana Dahlberg and John Long

Oct. 27, 1921:  Weekly news from 100 years ago. 

            * the weekly news are form the Oct.27, 1921 issue of the Bossier Banner and the photos                 are from our database

•  Beulah Dennis spent the week with her daughter.

  

  Beulah Cornelius Bass Dennis, and baby is Doris Gleason.

  
  
•  Linton Community: The hour of singing was change from 8 o’clock to 3 o’clock. The   reason being, it is getting cold at night.

  

  1908: Students of Linton School, Teacher Miss Emma Hulme.

  
  

•  Miller’s Bluff School was progressing nicely with 40 pupils enrolled.

  

  C.1900’s: Millers Bluff School

  
  
•  The Plain Dealing cotton gin would only be operating on Fridays and Saturdays due to the   closing of the season.

  

  Cotton Gin, Plain Dealing

  
  
•  One of the big features of the fair was a free airplane ride.

  

  c.1900's: Early airplane which offered rides at the State Fair.  Plane was kept in the center of the Race Track.  One view is of plane flying.  The other view is of plane on the ground.

   

  
  

How Barksdale Boulevard Got Its Name

1931 ariel view of Barksdale Field and Bossier City. Philip and Vickie Hardin Collection 2011.053.001

It was the fall of 1932 when Barksdale Field became operational. The excitement of it coming inspired the idea of changing the name of the main street in Bossier City, which was at that time Cain Street. That spring, the suggestion was made, prompting the following article to appear in "The Planters Press" with a call to action.

"A suggestion was made to us the other day regarding the possibility of having the name of Cain Street changed to Barksdale Boulevard from the Traffic bridge to the entrance to Barksdale Field. This seemed a good suggestion and we are taking this opportunity of passing it along to the people of Bossier for their consideration.

"As we see it the change would serve a multiple usefulness. It would first of all definitely designate what is now Cain Street as the direct means of approaching Barksdale Field. It would locate the main street of Bossier as no other method could. And the name has a euphony which the present name of the street cannot be said to enjoy.

"When plans are complete there will be a wide boulevard from the Traffic bridge to Barksdale Field. The road will be widened, and we hope lights installed to make the highway well lighted throughout its length to the entrance of the field. This is the logical direction of growth for the business district, the new bridge notwithstanding, and we hope that Cain Street merchants realize it. It is our hope that the Bossier City Lions Club will sponsor this project, and that whatever steps that are necessary be taken to have this change effected – provided, of course, that it meets with the approval of the people of the town."

Opinions appeared in "The Planters Press"; some in favor and some not in favor of the name change. One person wrote, "We believe that Cain Street should be re-named Barksdale Boulevard. What better name could there be for the street that leads directly to the Third Attack Wing Site, Barksdale Field? And believe me that field will be the show place of this entire country when it is completed."

Another person opined that "Some citizens of Bossier want the street to keep the name of Cain. Others want it Barksdale Boulevard. While I personally think it should be Barksdale Street. It is in no way a Boulevard. Why should the citizens and officials go to the trouble of mis-naming their main street? The good people of this city should come forth and speak their mind. They are the owners, the taxpayers and the right goes to them. If the people are fundamentally convinced of their belief let them come forth and convince others of the soundness of their opinions and see their ideals realized."

The Bossier City Lions Club answered the call and quickly sent petitions out to merchants and residents of Cain Street. The petitions returned with signatures of practically every merchant and resident on Cain Street and several other influential citizens. Then, the Lions Club took the name change request and the petitions to the Bossier City Town Council during a special meeting. The ordinance passed, and "In view of the unanimity of this petition the council felt that their action was following the will of the people."

After the ordinance passed, another article appeared in "The Planter Press" revealing that "the Boulevard leading from the center of the flying field to the Coushatta highway has already been named Barksdale Boulevard; then by linking the Coushatta highway and Cain Street to this, making it a boulevard all the way form the traffic bridge to the center of the airport…."

The article also presented the following idea: "Now if the city of Shreveport would change the name of Lake Street from Marshall on to the Traffic bridge to West Barksdale Boulevard it would complete the link from the business center of Shreveport to the flying field in Bossier parish." The notion of re-naming Lake Street to West Barksdale Boulevard never came to fruition.

To learn more about Bossier City history, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center, your leading source for Bossier Parish History. We are at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. Can't come in, call 318-746-7717 or email history-center@bossierlibrary.org with your request. Be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB, @bplhistorycenter on Tiktok, and check out our blog, http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/.

By: Amy Robertson

First Asian American Enlists as Cadet at Barksdale

At the beginning of World War II, there were only 55 enlisted pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps. At the end of 1941, the Army lowered cadet education requirements allowing enlisted men to apply to flight training. Instead of needing a college degree, those with a high school diploma were allowed to enlist for flight training. Between 1941 and 1942, over 2,580 enlisted men became pilots.

Staff Sergeant Samuel "Jake" Mardock

During that time, Samuel "Jake" Mardock, Jr. proudly became the first Chinese to be accepted as a flying cadet at Barksdale. The following announcement appeared in "The Shreveport Journal" on Thursday, Jan. 29, 1942, with the heading, "Chinese Enlists As Flying Cadet: Sam Mardock, Jr., of Tyler Accepted for Army At Barksdale Field."

"Sam Mardock, Jr., 26-year-old Chinese, of Tyler, Texas, Wednesday became the first of his race to be accepted at Barksdale Field as a flying cadet.

"'Now maybe I'll get a crack at those Japanese,' Sam said when informed that he had met cadet requirements and been accepted.

"Julian, 24-year-old brother of Sam, was accepted recently at a Texas air base for army cadet training, 'and when they lowered cadet educational requirements I didn't lose any time getting at Barksdale to try and make it myself,' Sam said.

"Barksdale's first Chinese cadet is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Mardock of Tyler, both of whom were born in China, where they have many relatives.

"' But we don't hear from them much anymore, because of the war the Japanese are making,' Sam said.

"He took civilian flight training in 1938, and has more than 200 hours of flying to his credit. He attended Tyler Junior college. His brother, Julian, is a graduate of the University of Texas."

Sam and his brother Julian were among the first Chinese-Americans to train and become official American Aviation Corp Pilots for the United States Army. After receiving "winged commando" training, Staff Sergeant Sam Mardock was stationed at Luke Airfield, AZ. During his time in service, he piloted small planes and gliders and was an aerial gunner.

The Mardock family was the first Chinese family to settle in Tyler, TX, in the late 1800s. Samuel Mardock, Sr. immigrated to the United States at 13 or 14-years-old working as a farmhand where he learned to speak, write, and read English. Then, he found work on the railroad, which eventually brought him to Texas. He settled in Tyler as a pioneer, started a restaurant, and eventually was able to bring his wife over from China.

According to asianpacificheritage.gov, there are more than 300,000 living Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American veterans. The Mardock brothers are no longer living but are remembered for their service to their country during WWII.

What do you want to know about Bossier Parish's history? Or, perhaps you have important information or artifacts about Bossier Parish History that you would like to share. Donations are a large part of our collection and are vital in helping us preserve Bossier Parish's history. Whether researching or interested in adding to our collection, visit, call or email the Bossier Parish Library History Center. We are at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City, 318-746-7717, history-center@bossierlibrary.org.

By: Amy Robertson

Barksdale Fire Heroics Recounted

Fire at Barksdale Field, 16 Jan 1945. Source: Barksdale's Bark

Barksdale Field, now Barksdale Air Force Base, battled its "worst fire disaster in Barksdale's history" during the winter of 1945. Barksdale personnel detected the fire at 3:03 a.m. on a Tuesday, and it raged on for four hours. Before firefighters could extinguish the fire, it leveled hangars one and two along with two twin-engine airplanes. Firefighters remained on the scene as they continued to apply water to the smoldering embers until 10 a.m.

Barksdale firefighters, soldier volunteers, and two Shreveport crews fought the blaze. Col. Garrison, Lt. Col. Grover Wilcox, and Capt. George Booth organized teams of enlisted men and moved planes and equipment from hangar one. "Col. Wilcox and Capt. Booth entered one ship and manned the controls while volunteer soldiers towed it out on the runway. By the time the men reached the plane, it was partially damaged. Capt. Booth's hands were burned in handling the controls of the plane and Col. Wilcox's clothing was scortched [sic]."

The selfless and quick actions of Pvt. Franklin J. Hines made their efforts possible. He single-handedly manned the fire hose's nozzle while perched on a ladder leaning against the burning building when others were driven away by the intense heat. He kept a steady stream of water along the rescue party's path, making it possible for the men to pull the plane from the fire. Also, making it possible for another group of men to remove several gasoline-filled railroad cars sitting nearby.

Hines remained perched precariously on the ladder until he was driven back by the intense heat and smoke. Then he moved to another sector where he and a crew of men continued fighting the fire. Col. Wilcox and Capt. Booth taxied two planes from the parking area facing the fire while enlisted men towed four other aircraft out of the danger zone. Hines’s section officer Lt. Lucien G. Edwards submitted a commendation letter to the 380th headquarters for his heroic actions.

Hangar 1 after the fire. Source: Barksdale's Bark.

The Base Commander, Col. William B. Wright, Jr., gave a commendation to Maj. Earle K. Knauer, Assistant Chief of the Supply Division, III TAC, "for superior supervision. He had the gasoline tanks removed and expended great effort with a raging fire about him in an effort to extinguish the fire." Capt. Emile Greenleaf, QM supply office, assisted Knauer and also received a commendation.

Master Sgt. James J. Flanagan, Sgt. Maj., 331st Base Unit received a commendation "for issuing orders alerting the Base Headquarters staff, and then proceeded to the fire where he assembled approximately 100 enlisted men to move a heavy gasoline truck from the fire area. He also kept spectators away from the buildings until assisted by MP's."

Tech. Sgt. Seth T. Fritz of III TAC received a commendation for "disregarding his own safety, and in the face of imminent danger of exploding gas tanks, he entered a fiercely burning hangar with a fire hose in order to extinguish flames, holding property loss to a minimum. Col. Wright made special mention of the saving made to the government by his gallant action."

The exploding gasoline tanks shot flames into hangar one's roof shortly after the soldiers had rescued the airplane. "Under the intense heat the 3-inch ceilings sagged 14-feet in great bulges before thy [sic] crashed to the floor, dragging large portions of the concrete and steel walls with them." Another plane was pulled to safety just as the roof and hangar doors collapsed. Fighting a fire is always dangerous, but fighting this fire was made more hazardous by machine gun shells exploding in the fire.

The fire ravaged hangars Barksdale Field Jan. 1945. Source: Barksdale's Bark

The investigation board concluded that an explosion of two gas heaters caused the early morning fire. The heaters were located in the tech supply room of hangars one and two and were in operation when the rooms were closed the night before the early morning fire. Though the heaters were inspected and approved as meeting the Underwriters Laboratories' specifications eight days before the fire, the heaters were, without a doubt, the cause.

Similar heaters in other hangars were removed and replaced with a different type of heating equipment. The concrete slabs where the hangars once stood became a large wash rack—equipped with a large water tank, a solvent solution tank, and pressure hoses. Barksdale used this wash rack to clean B-29s before each 50 and 100-hour inspection and the B-17s 100-hour inspection.

The destroyed airplanes had a value of $758,000, and the hangars had a value of $63,000. The cost would have been far greater without everyone's fast and heroic actions in moving equipment while fighting the fire that night.

By: Amy Robertson

Flying Dog at Barksdale

In the 1940s, there was a newspaper called Barksdale's Bark, which provided Barksdale Field news. On Jan. 23, 1943, the article, "Flying Mascot Has Parachute in Case he has to Bail Out," announced, "Salvo, the only flying dog at Barksdale, has a parachute."

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-3285194/Chocks-away-chaps-s-parachuting-pooches-fond-tribute-dogs-Britain-went-war.html

Salvo was a 4-month-old fox terrier at the time of the article and already had 28 hours in the air. He holds the title of being the first dog in the world to make a solo parachute jump. His first jump was from 1500 feet in the air. He became the number one applicant for the "parapups" battalion at Andrews Field, England, where he was stationed.

According to the article, "Lt. Hugh Fletcher named the pup after its first plane ride. Pilot J.W. Wright had done a few maneuvers and was taxiing in when the crew noticed the little fox terrier was moving unsteadily toward the door. After the B-26 stopped, the billious [sic] pup scrambled out and heaved a mixture of chewing gum, waste paper and candy. It was then Lt. Fletcher decided he should be called 'Salvo.'" (The definition of salvo is a simultaneous discharge of artillery.)

Tech. Sgt. Glen Schultz designed Salvo's parachute out of spare materials. The parachute had a 50-inch canopy with a static line for positive opening if he should have to bail out. When Salvo was to jump, Lt. Fletcher fixed one end of the parachute cord to the plane, and when he jumps and begins to descend, his weight pulled the cord and opened the release mechanism.

Source: Imperial War Museum; Roger Freeman Collection Id: FRE 1184. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/907.

Salvo went into action in the European theater when he was just one year old with the honorary rank of 2nd Lt. He was the seventh member of and the mascot for the bombardment crew that flew the B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Jezabelle." He proudly served alongside his owner, 2nd Lt. Hugh R. Fletcher, bombardier navigator; Sgt. A. J. Peloquin, tail gunner; Flight-officer T. E. Anton, co-pilot; and Lt. Joseph W. Wright, pilot; Pvt. H. E. Spencer, radio gunner; Staff Sgt. Jack H. Shock, engineer gunner.

Source: https://www.smithjournal.com.au/blogs/history/3699-britain-s-elite-wwii-dog-paratroopers

Salvo went on five missions and two battle operations over western Europe. By May 1944, he had logged more than 300 hours in the air and had been up as high as 18,000 feet. In addition to his custom-made parachute that snapped onto his harness, he also had a combination gas and oxygen mask that protected him during emergencies and supplied oxygen when flying at high altitudes.

If you are wondering if Salvo had his own "dog tags," the answer is yes. His official serial number was 000000.

In July of 1944, Lt. Fletcher was interviewed while in London, and during the interview, he told of Salvo's bravery and was sad to report that he was, at that time, "missing in action." Before going MIA, Salvo met Duchess, the mascot for another Air Corps crew, and fathered a litter of future heroes.

It appears that Salvo was perhaps reunited with his crew and continued to serve until the war ended. According to Nigel Cawthorne, author of Canine Commandoes, "By May 1945, Salvo had clocked up more than five hundred hours in the air..."

As you can imagine, being the first parachuting dog made Salvo famous around the world. His story, along with pictures of him parachuting, appeared in newspapers throughout the nation. In one Akron, OH newspaper, the article stated that "The fliers say Salvo is chockfull of the stuff that heroes are made of." And a citation that accompanied an award Salvo received asserts, "His sheer doggedness while under fire and his loyalty to Lt. Fletcher and the United States Air Force reflect great credit on himself."

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/Parachute-Animals-4.jpg

To learn more about the history of Barksdale Air Force Base, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett St., Bossier City. Contact us by phone, 318-746-7717, or email, history-center@bossierlibrary.org.

By: Amy Robertson