Local veteran recalls when'Graniteville Went to War'

By BETH HURD

While most of the country's workforce will be laboring as usual on Monday, Aug. 13, those in Rhode Island will celebrate "Victory Day," a state holiday. Once known as "V-J Day," the day marks the anniversary of the U.S.’s victory over Japan in August of 1945. While there are fewer celebrations to remember the occasion, a group of local veterans wants to make sure this holiday is not forgotten.

As in years past, the day will be remembered at the Graniteville War Memorial on Saturday, Aug. 11, starting at noon. The monument is located near the Johnston Fire Department on Putnam Pike. The public is invited.

Before the start of the second World War, the youth of the small village of Graniteville enjoyed playing baseball in the Cricket Field, bowling at Zeke's Bowling Alley, eating at the "Roseland Dine & Dance" or swimming in the nearby Greystone River. Before long, stars were hung in windows and on doors and letters from home kept up the spirits of those so far away.

It is said the village of Graniteville had more boys in the service than any other of similar size, receiving more medals and commendations as well. Of 182 men and women from the village who served, 11 didn't come home.

There are only 24 veterans still living. Among them is Angelo Casale, now a Scituate resident, who co-authored a book called "Graniteville Went to War." The book was written by one of his classmates, Silvia Forrest, a daughter of a Graniteville veteran, and was co-authored by William C. Northup Jr., of Johnston, and Casale.

The book includes biographical information on each of the veterans who could be located before the book was published in 2000 and also excerpts from "Hot Sketches," newsletters from home, written by Bob Jackson and the late Del Riley. The book is dedicated to the two men.

Unable to join the war effort because of medical problems, the two men found a way to help the cause from home.

"They were invaluable," said Casale.

In his dedication of the book he wrote of the newsletters, "They reached us on the beaches of Normandy to the shores of Iwo Jima, we read them in our trenches, at sea and in the air. They gave spirit to the wounded, made us laugh when lonely and sometimes sad with news of one of us killed or missing in action. They kept us informed and in touch with each other like brothers."

"Del Riley, now deceased, was an asthmatic and he used the money for his medicine to mail the letters," said Casale.

“Messrs. Riley & Jackson,” as they called themselves, started the monthly letter, to include "gags and gals, news that tickles and plenty of good old 'dirt,'" and requested submissions and updates. The “old gang in the service from Graniteville, U.S.A.” were listed using nicknames, such as George "Lover" Leigh, Clifford "Dog Face" Healy and George "Bug" Lofgren, now all deceased. The first issue included names and addresses of the servicemen to encourage correspondence home and to each other.

The newsletters provided "up-to-the-minute news, a month late." They included amusing fake advertisements, jokes, lists of who "got hitched," who had a baby and weather conditions. They also had listings of those who were wounded and reported the deaths of some of their own, including Roy Searle and Arthur Chartier. They talk about post-war plans and who was home on leave.

"It made us feel like brothers and gave us spirit; it made us feel like we weren't alone," Casale said, 62 years later, in front of the monument he helped to create. "Every Graniteville guy knew where the other guys were."

There were also several women among the subscribers, including Dorothy Catley, who joined the SPARS, and 2nd Lt. Dorothy Berry.

"The editors are sending this paper to her at her own risk and that anything that might appear unladylike will have to be ignored by her," read one tongue-in-cheek notice.

A later issue includes an article by Tom Rhodes Jr., who returned home after the war, writing about what veterans could expect on their return home. Among those waiting for their return was the Graniteville Mothers’ Service Club. Barbara Steele Paterson had four sons overseas; only three would return.

It was to a 1995 reunion of Graniteville School that Casale brought a folder of "Hot Sketches" he had saved from the war years.

"I brought these to the reunion and Sylvia picked it right up and asked to borrow it. She called me a week later and said she wanted to write a book. She's the inspiration for all this," said Casale. "We searched for all the veterans, they were all over the country. Sylvia's a whiz on the computer."

The site had originally had a single monument, listing the honor roll – those who died in the service to their country in World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Additional stones were later added, one on either side, listing all the men and women who came from the village of Graniteville who served their country. The monument was designed by Casale.

"We put in a walkway, and the town maintains the property," Casale explained. “There are five flags, symbolizing all the branches of the military. Funds are being raised for additional landscaping and reseeding.”

Luckily, the names of the veterans have been preserved for all time, carved in stone, and their stories are preserved on paper for all of history.

"All of the guys that we knew or had just heard of were going into the service," writes Sylvia Forrest in "Graniteville Went to War." "Graniteville was surely emptying of its young men. The boys who survived came home one by one as they had left. There had been no total group marching off one day in 1941, and they didn't come marching into town up

Casale was only 17 when he joined the Navy in 1944. Now 80, he is one of the younger veterans.

"I was a flight engineer and a relief co-pilot, trained in Pensacola. To become a pilot, you needed scores over 80 percent," he said, adding that he couldn’t score that high, having left high school.

He took part in 125 missions and recalls coming came close to death when, in a fog bank, one of the bombers ripped the tail off the bomber he was in, both crashing into the Gulf of Mexico. He was one of only two survivors of the crew of 10 and was rescued the next morning. He was recognized for saving his fellow survivor's life, receiving a special commendation from the Navy.

A retired construction worker and civil engineer, Casale meets regularly with fellow Graniteville veterans, having helped form the Graniteville World War II Veterans’ Foundation in 1996. They hold a reunion luncheon each year following the memorial, also inviting relatives of deceased members.

Speaking of fellow veteran William Northup, who still lives on

Many are too humble, even after 60 years, to speak of their commendations. The bravery of one veteran, George Sutcliffe, was made known around the world when he was recently interviewed by the History Channel. The show, a special on dog-fights, aired this month. Now a Smithfield resident, he flew four missions on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He has earned the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 12 clusters and Presidential Unit Citation. He was also named to the R.I. Hall of Fame.

Sutcliffe had already earned his pilot license before the war and it was he who inspired Casale to work for the same goal.

"In 1942, a classmate named Fooks went missing near a lake behind the area near Putnam Pike and

Asked about why the group continues to remember Victory Day, Casale says, "We don't want to forget the veterans."

The "Hot Sketches" newsletters even discuss the one purpose behind all the branches of the military: victory. "The village honor roll bears the names of all you guys who helped make V-E Day possible and who are bringing V-J Day closer to reality," wrote the editors of "Hot Sketches."

Jackson and Riley printed a "V-J Day Special" in their ninth issue in 1945: "President Truman blurted out the most wonderful news that ever embraced a mother's ears ... then and then only did all hell break loose ... Bells were ringing, sirens began to blow, mill whistles wailed, boys and gals began hugging the hell out of one another, beer bottles were flying, TNT started flowing (100 proof), automobiles were racing up and down the pike with horns wide open, air raid wardens donned helmets and clubs in search of beer, women ran wild (with clothes on), bonfires lit the skies red, drunks cluttered the sidewalks and all veterans took it very calmly. But above all, everyone bowed and thanked God almighty that peace had come to this little hamlet of Graniteville."

Commenting on the current war, and another more than 60 years ago, Casale says, "War is hell."

Two hundred copies of the book "Graniteville Went to War" were printed and bound locally, and a copy was presented to each of the veterans, or a family member of each deceased veteran. Copies are available in the reference section of the Marian J. Mohr Library, and at each of the school libraries in town. The author of "The Greatest Generation," Tom Brokaw, also has a copy of "Graniteville Went to War" in his library.

"Sylvia wrote him a letter, and he asked for a copy of this book," said Casale.

Casale said the foundation, which will be entrusted to another group eventually, or children of some of the veterans, will be kept going by the remaining World War II vet “until all three of us are gone."

"I'm very proud to be a part of this, the memorial and the book," he said.