The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/131836
A-6 Wednesday, May 22, 2013 The Press-Dispatch Pike County's first casualty in World War II A Winslow man was the first person from Pike County killed in World War II and one of the first of any American casualties of the war. Raymond Edward Tucker, of Winslow, was killed on December 7, 1941, aboard the battleship USS Arizona. Raymond volunteered for the Navy in 1940 and was aboard the Arizona when the ship sunk. The Arizona was one of many casualties of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack changed the course of the war and forced the United States to enter the war. Tucker's name can be found etched in the Arizona's memorial wall. Massive explosions killed 1,177 seamen The USS Arizona took a direct hit to her forward ammunition magazines from seven bombs and one torpedo. The resulting massive explosion wrecked the ship's forward hull, collapsing her forward superstructure. The ship quickly became engulfed in flames as she sunk, with the loss of 1,177 of her crewmen. Dreaded telegram received Enida, Raymond's wife, was notified by Western Union telegram from Washington, DC, in the second week of February, 1942, that her husband was missing in action. The prototype official telegram read: THE NAV Y DEPARTM EN T DEEPLY R E GRETS TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR HUSBAND R AYMOND E TUCKER, A Winslow man's name is one of the 1,177 memorialized by being etched into a white marble wall at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Raymond Edward Tucker died in the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor that caused the United States to enter World War II. Below is a close-up Raymond Edward Tucker's name on the USS Arizona Memorial's marble wall. SR 61 closing in Knox Co. The Indiana Department of Transportation ( INDOT) is announcing that State Road 61 (S.R. 61) will be closing in Knox County from June 10 until mid-August. On Monday, June 10, contractor's crews will close S.R. 61 for two construction projects. The road will be officially closed to through traffic from the junction of S.R. 241 to Bierhaus Boulevard in Vincennes. The detour will route motorist using S.R. 241, U.S. Route 50, U.S. Route 41, Hart Street and Bierhaus Boulevard. Local traffic will have access to S.R. 61 to the points of closure. Construction activities will close S.R. 61 on the north end in the Ruppel Pond area near Lemon Road. The $1.5 million dollar contract was awarded in March of 2012 to Dave O'Mara Contractor, Inc,. of North Vernon, Ind. The project includes realignment of S.R. 61 at four locations, where horizontal and vertical corrections are needed, reconstruction of the roadway at the realignment locations, intersection improvements at Lower Indiana Road, C.R. 300S and Lemon Road, ditch construction and drainage structure replacements. The project will consist of two 12' travel lanes, with a 2' paved (6' usable) shoulder for S.R. 61. The project on the southern end will be closed near Mt. Zion Road. The project includes horizontal and vertical corrections, with slight roadway realignment. The $779,769.00 contract was awarded to Kerns Excavating of Bicknell, Ind. While the closure is in place, access will be maintained for all property owners; however, that access may not be in its current location. The entrance will be temporary and made of stone. Contractor's crews will maintain these access points throughout the closure. The scheduled reopening date for the roadway is mid-August, weather permitting. The overall completion date for the contracts is December 2013. Pregnant... or think you are? Call:1-877-257-1084 or Locally Call: 1-812-354-2814 • Free pregnancy testing • Free counseling and info. on pregnancy options. • Confidential counseling for women & men who are suffering from post-abortion syndrome. • Residential Care • Health and assistance referrals. • Training and education. • Assistance in getting baby and maternity clothes washpcc@sbcglobal.net www.washingtonpregnancycenter.com IOOF Walnut Hills Cemetery needs funds for the upkeep of the cemetery. Donations would be very much appreciated. Send donationS to: Walnut Hills Cemetery c/o Billy Claridge 207 E. N. Street, Petersburg 47567 Trustees: Forest Radcliff & Wayne Mallott It's hard to stop a trane. Really haRd. Trane EarthWise™ Hybrid Heating & Cooling Systems. A lot of comfort, not a lot of energy. Lower energy consumption without giving up an ounce of comfort. Trane EarthWise™ Hybrid Heating and Cooling Systems give you the best in smart energy usage with the option of electric or gas for heating. During winter's milder days, a heat pump uses electricity to capture the heat that's always present in the outside air and circulate it back into your home then switches to a natural gas furnace during the worst of what Mother Nature throws at you. The control the comfort the savings are all yours! Take Control Of Energy Consumption With A Trane EarthWise™ Hybrid System. 789-3065 Mac's Heating & Air Conditioning 104 E. Center St., Winslow macshtgac@hotmail.com COXSWAIN US NAV Y IS MISSING FOLLOWING ACTION IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUT Y AND IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY. T H E DE PA R T M E N T A PPR ECI AT E S YOU R GREAT ANXIETY AND W ILL FUR NISH YOU FUR THER INFOR M ATION PROMPTLY WHEN R ECEI V ED. T O PR E VENT POSSIBLE AID TO OUR ENEMIES PLEASE DO NOT DIVULGE THE NAME OF HIS SHIP OR S TAT ION. ( SIGN ED) REAR ADMIR AL R ANDALL JACOBS CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF NAVIGATION. Tears of the Arizona Today, 71 years after the sinking, USS Arizona continues to leak oil, a drop at time, at the rate of a quart a day. This oil seepage is called "the tears of the Arizona." The hull of the Arizona became the permanent tomb for the crewmen who perished on December 7. Over 5,000 persons visit the memorial each day. A launch departs daily at 8 A.M. and runs trips continuously from shore to the Arizona. A memorial was built across the ship's sunken remains, including a shrine room listing the names of the lost crew members on a marble wall. Included is the name of Raymond Tucker, from Winslow. (Editor's note: Information for this article was complied and submitted by former Petersburg resident Art Miley.) Nickens receives 20-year pin Petersburg resident Jim Nickens received a 20-year pin from the Pike County ARC. Nickens has worked for 20 years as an attendant at the Pike County manned collection sites. Gibson and Pike County ARC Executive Director and CEO Stan Keepes said in 1993 PCARC was awarded the contract for operating the trash collecting sites, and Nickens was hired on at the beginning. Keepes presented Nickens the pin at their annual banquet.