IPC’s Members of the
“Greatest Generation”
We are blessed in our church to have
three World War II veterans in our
congregation: Ed Hale, Bill Wohlleb,
and Gordon Fenwick. Each of these
gentlemen answered the call to serve
his country during WWII and returned
home to roll up his sleeves to build the
prosperous modern nation that we live
in today. Each one of these men is
also a faithful servant-follower of Jesus
Christ and devoted servant of the church.
We should encourage members of our
congregation to take the opportunity to
thank these men for their service in WWII
and engage them about their experiences;
they are living history of an era that is vital
to our country’s heritage. In the coming
months we will highlight these men in the
newsletter.
Ed Hale
Ed and his wife Billie joined I.P.C. in
1993. He was converted to Christ at the
age of eight at a revival service. Ed and
Billie are the parents of three sons. He
retired as the President of Varityper, Inc.
Ed is a member of the Garmer Sunday
School Class. He has served in the
choir, the Finance and Administration
Committee, the Missions Committee,
and the Congregation Growth and Care
Committee. Ed also has served as a
Deacon, Elder, and Church Trustee. Ed’s
story of his WWII service is below in his
own words:
MESSENGER
“THEY ALSO SERVE WHO ONLY
STAND AND WAIT”
Ed Hale enlisted in the United States Air
Force while he was still in high school.
He wanted to avoid being drafted into
the infantry because he wanted to be
a pilot or navigator. He was going to
high school until three o’clock in the
afternoon and working as a bell hop until
9:00 p.m. at the Admiral Semmes Hotel
in Mobile, Alabama. Upon graduation
in 1944, when he was 18, he was able to
join the United States Air Force. After
basic training, he was sent to Las Vegas,
Nevada on a troop train. He was on
the troop train for ten days with other
young men in tight quarters and meager
food supply. Once a supply of boxes of
oranges were given to them, and the boys
were so hungry they devoured them,
peeling and all. They were allowed
off the train only once in ten days. In
Laramie, Wyoming when the train made
a stop, they saw a bakery and begged to
be allowed off the train. Ed recalls the
stunned expression on the owner’s face
as the boys climbed back on the train,
having bought everything and leaving the
bakery empty.
Once in Las Vegas, Ed was put through
basic training for a second time, and they
put Ed on the list for gunnery school. To
be a gunner, they wanted men who were
small and could fit into the small space
under th e plane, and to which there was
no escape if the plane was shot down.
Ed’s name was the only name not called
when they announced their new duties.
After basic traning he learned he had
been assigned as a clerk in a small base in
Indian Springs—because he could type.
Ed had only been in the service for six
months when the war ended. He was
discharged four months later, having
served only one year. He never saw
combat. The VA was good to Ed. It
paid for one year of college for him at
Mississippi State, after which he moved
to Atlanta and began work at Atlanta
SEPTEMBER 2018
Paper Company. He worked full time in
the daytime to pay his way through night
school at University of Georgia, Atlanta
Division, where he and Billie met and
married after his graduation. Another
good thing the VA did for Ed was enable
him to purchase their first home with no
down payment.
When Ed was discharged at the end
of the war, he had to have a way to
get back home, so he joined the Air
National Guard, which enabled him to
be flown back home from Nevada. It
also meant he could be called up any
time for military service. This reserve
military service expired one month after
he graduated from University of Georgia
and one month before the Korean War
broke out. His unit was among the
first called and many lost their lives.
Ed missed combat so many times by
the blink of an eye, but he was always
willingly there. “They also serve who
only stand and wait.”
(This is the first of several biographical sketches of
men who served in the military in WWII.)
GARMER BIBLE STUDY
The Garmer Bible Study begins
a new study on September 11 at
the home of Ernest and Dottie
Mitchell, 133 E 50th Street. We
welcome new participants and
would love to have you join us for
this new study of Paul’s letter to the
Colossians. The study is conducted in
a warm and welcoming atmosphere
in the lovely home of Ernest and
Dottie. Mr. Parrish teaches for
approximately an hour and then we
enjoy great fellowship and some tasty
refreshments. If you have wanted to
be part of a small group Bible study
fellowship, this is your opportunity.
The study begins at 7:30 p.m.
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