The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/616296
The Press-Dispatch Local Wednesday, December 16, 2015 A- 5 Christmas Services PETERSBURG HOLINESS CHURCH SPECIAL 5317 N. KNOX RD. December 20 10:30a.m. & 6:30 p.m. e morning service will consist of the Children's Program, also featuring youth and adult ensembles. e theme of the program is "e light of the world is Jesus." e evening service is a candlelight worship service. North Newton • Jasper Mon-Fri 9-8, Sat 9-7 Sun 11-4 Ben Franklin Crafts Excludes Saddles & Cones 40% OFF All sales final A L L C H R I S T M A S D E C O R DEC. 17 THRU DEC. 22 Open Christmas Eve 9am-3pm GSHVIN.ORG Join Us In Welcoming Carissa Luking, FNP-C, has joined the medical staff of Good Samaritan. Carissa specializes in family practice. She earned her Bachelor's degree at Indiana State University and her Master's degree at Ball State University. Her professional interests include pediatrics and acute care. Please join us in welcoming Carissa and her family to Good Sa Samaritan! Please call 812.885.6950 to make an appointment. Carissa Luking, FNP-C Family Practice By James Capozella A World War II Japanese officer's sword, brought back after General Doug- las MacArthur's accep- tance of the Japanese Impe- rial General Headquarters surrender aboard the bat- tleship USS Missouri, con- nects Pike County to that monumental piece of Amer- ican and world history. The take-home souvenir sword in question was a gift from a Japanese lower ranking officer to then Captain Wil- liam A. "Doc" Weathers, of Petersburg. Weathers, who passed away December 22, 1998, was an aide to General Ma- cArthur and was part of the American contingent ac- cepting the formal uncondi- tional surrender of all Jap- anese forces on September 2, 1945. Last week marked the 74th anniversary of the sneak attack on Pearl Har- bor and the Hawaiian Is- lands by 400 Japanese car- rier aircraft. That "Day of Infamy" was the start of the American involvement in World War II. MacArthur was Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers toward the end of the war and conducted the surrender on board the Mis- souri on their behalf. Weath- ers was aboard the ship as a part of the allied forces dur- ing the formal signing but as MacArthur jumped from place to place with his head- quarters, Weathers traveled ahead in a party that locat- ed and secured the quar- ters. Weathers told his wife Rosemary many years af- ter his service that he "Sa- luted him (MacArthur) ev- ery day," but "we were not old buddies." Rosemary said "All I know about the sword is that Doc brought it back after the occupation and it stayed in the basement on a shelf." She said it was in the home he and his father, Williams Thomas Weath- ers, purchased in Peters- burg near the library and the VFW. "I don't remember him giving or selling it and I have wondered about the history and where it is now." Petersburg resident Jim Corn, who at one time owned the sword, said that Weath- ers told him he received the sword from a Japanese offi- cer on the USS Missouri at the time of the surrender. Corn said it was not certain if the officer spoke English or what rank or position he held in the Japanese military at the time. Corn said he asked Weathers about the sword so often that he finally re- lented on the request. "I bugged him continually un- til one day he let me have the blade. I never used it in prac- tice because it is a one-hand- ed sabre and not a Samurai." Corn, who teaches na- tionally and internationally as an instructor in marshal arts, defensive tactics, weap- ons and pressure point tech- niques, was trained in the use of the Sam- urai by a master swordsman from Arizona. Those blades are two handed with a long handle and hilt but no hand guard, accord- ing to Corn. The sword is in an- other private col- lection now that will probably go on temporary loan to one of the regional military museums. The sword in question is a Japanese fac- tory-made cut- lass with a metal scabbard, sim- ilar to Ameri- can styles, only with one secur- ing ring on the scabbard instead of two rings like most American sabres. It is an 1899 style, type 32 and judg- ing from the low serial num- ber (3659), may have been pre- war and possi- bly a family heir- loom. Rosemary Weathers, who taught school in Vincennes for 27 years, was, in fact, taught math by Doc years prior to their marriage in 1958. She said, "Bill is 11 years older than me and we were just friends." Rose- mary added, "He was known for a routine where every day he read three newspa- pers, walked every day to the library, the VFW and then home." Doc graduated from Oakland City College and then earned his masters and doctorate degree from Indiana University. Doc re- tired in 1977, having taught school, coached football and served as Petersburg High School Principal since 1953. Shortly after his retire- ment in 1977, the Pike Cen- tral High School football sta- dium was named in his hon- or. Doc had a hand in near- ly every community service organization to the tune of more than two dozen. Ac- cording to Rosemary, Doc was instrumental in keep- ing the Pike-Gibson Retired Teachers organization going in the early years. Rosemary graduated from Oakland City College and then obtained her mas- ters at IU while teaching in Vincennes in 1958. Over the years, Rosemary saw that Doc never stopped learn- ing, always kept abreast of everything both current and historical. She said Doc could usually answer someone's question and if he couldn't, he could find the answer for that person. In 1998, she said, "I am go- ing to miss him terribly, he was my rock." That senti- ment hasn't changed a bit. Rosemary said, "He was a wonderful guy. We never argued and I never caught him in a fib." Just as she thought she would always be a teacher after running a beauty shop in the old Petersburg Hotel, she also always knew she'd be a part of Doc's life. A note Doc wrote to her and she has kept all these years states at the top: Read each day first thing; 1. ( Your) pres- ent life is ideal. 2. Avoid liv- ing in (the) past. 3. Weath- ers' Field makes up for (the) past. 4. Pray for peace of mind. The phrase "Present life is ideal" tells Rosemary she was a big part of it. Although Doc retired in 1977, his newspaper col- umn "The Sports Scene" was in print (1997) when Kevin Brown moved to the Toronto Blue Jays. He wrote of amateur baseball before World War II at Miller Field, Legion Park and a park in Glezen where the Village Inn is located as being very good. He said Minor league players from Evansville were brought in at a time when betting was high. He wrote, once a major league pitcher came from St. Lou- is by surprise and hurled a shutout, when Winslow and Petersburg played and the gamblers won big. He wrote about the new gyms being built after World War II, commenting on a need for a youth center and something with "broader ac- tivities for older teens." He wrote Winslow had the best playing floor but the stoves didn't provide enough heat. On snowy nights, the snow would drift inside, thus the name Eskimos. Doc Weathers witnessed his military boss preside over the 1945 surrender in the following way: "The is- sues, involving divergent ideals and ideologies, have been determined on the battlefields of the world and hence are not for our dis- cussion or debate. Nor is it for us here to meet, repre- senting as we do a majority of the people of the earth, in a spirit of distrust, mal- ice or hatred. But rather it is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve, com- mitting all our people unre- servedly to faithful compli- ance." The day that sword changed hands was high- lighted by the greatest fly by in history when 400 B- 29 bombers and 1,500 car- rier aircraft passed over- head just after the surren- der papers were signed by representatives from all the countries. Providence of sword places Petersburg at Japanese surrender in World War II The sword William "Doc" Weathers brought home from the formal sign- ing of the unconditional surrender of Imperial Japan was gifted to Captain Weathers by a Japanese military officer at the September 2, 1945, signing. The blade is referred to as an 1899 designed sabre called a type 32. The Jap- anese call the blade a sabre, while Americans use that term and also the term Cutlass. It is a military issue that has serial number 3659 on the blade and also stamped on the scabbard. James Capozella photo U.S. Army Captain William A. "Doc" Weathers is pictured here in 1942 in a dress uni- form nearly three years prior to the Japanese surrender he wit- nessed while on board the bat- tleship USS Missouri. Weath- ers was an aide to U.S. Gener- al Douglas MacArthur, the Al- lied Supreme Commander who conducted the signing on Sep- tember 2, 1945. Petersburg res- ident Jim Corn, who was given a sword by Doc Weathers stated, "Doc told me he was presented the sword by a lower ranking of- ficer while he was on the battle- ship USS Missouri the day of the surrender." Photo courtesy of Rose- mary Weathers William Adrian "Doc" Weathers and Rosemary F. Weathers were married June 28, 1958. Doc Weathers passed away December 22, 1998, and was honored for his unselfish and enthusiastic support of this community on January 16, 1999, at the Main Street Presbyterian Church. Rose- mary, who is 92 years old, recalled then Mayor Randy Harris describing Doc as "a walking en- cyclopedia." She said Doc never talked about his military experience except to say that he "saluted MacArthur every day" and "we were not old bud- dies." Rosemary said there were things he "didn't want anybody to know" regarding his military ser- vice. Photo courtesy of Rosemary Weathers. Hoosiers can apply for storm shelter funds The Indiana Depart- ment of Homeland Secu- rity (IDHS) has opened a program that will pro- vide financial support to Indiana residents who wish to construct and install a severe weather safe room in their home. Funds for the program will be made available for up to 53 applicants. Those interested must complete an online ap- plication at http://bit. ly/1TijCt4. Applicants must provide informa- tion about their home, including the year it was built, the parcel ID num- ber and if it's located in a flood plain. Applica- tions will be reviewed by IDHS Mitigation staff. The program, which is voluntary, will reim- burse homeowners for 75 percent of the eligi- ble costs (up to $4,500) to construct and in- stall Federal Emergen- cy Management Agen- cy (FEMA) compli- ant safe rooms in their homes. Funding for the program is provided through FEMA. Those who partici- pate will be required to obtain a building permit from a certified build- ing department and have the safe room inspected during installation and/ or after installation com- pletion. Participants will also be required to build their safe rooms to meet or exceed the standards dictated in FEMA 320 or 361 guidelines. These guidelines can be ac- cessed at the follow- ing links: www.fema. gov/fema-p-320 -taking- shelter-storm-building- safe-room-your-home- or-small-business; www.fema.gov/media- library/assets/docu- ments/3140 IDHS Mitigation staff will randomly inspect some of the safe rooms following their installa- tion. Any further main- tenance or operation will be the responsibility of the owner. Questions can be di- rected to the IDHS Mit- igation staff at mitiga- tion@dhs.in.gov.