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The civic institutions, churches and synagogues in Greensboro were solidly behind the war effort during World War II.

West Market Street Methodist Church offered support to its congregation and to its own members who were in the armed forces. The church also extended its hand in friendship and fellowship to all members of the armed forces based in and around Greensboro.

The coordinated effort the church put forth reflected the work of all sections and personnel of the church and its membership. Its wide-ranging scope tried to provide comfort to those in service, those who were in Greensboro temporarily, on their way to another duty station (usually overseas) and to its own members on the home front, many of whom had loved ones in service.

Of the 298 young West Market Street people who wore the uniform, nine of them, sadly, gave their lives for our freedom.

As of May 24, 1942, the church had a membership of 2,340, with 1,000 within walking distance of the church. A note in the church bulletin commented that war-time gas rationing shouldn't lower church attendance since so many could walk, and another 1,000 members lived near bus lines.

Wartime activities were many and diverse. Over July 4 holiday in 1942, the church opened its Education Building each day, and the Young People's Organization welcomed soldiers and encouraged them to return. For the Red Cross, women in the congregation met weekly through much of 1944; after November '44 through July '45, they met monthly.

Starting in May 1943, the church was part of a "Home Away From Home" program with members of the church hosting soldiers from Basic Training Camp 10.

In July 1943, the church provided flowers for the chapels at BTC 10. There was also a Sunday Evening Club held after Sunday worship for all service members; refreshments were provided.

In 1944, the church provided Youth Fellowship Suppers on Sunday evening for all who attended the church. VE-Day (Victory in Europe, May 8, 1945) was celebrated with a Service of Communion and Thanksgiving.

On Aug. 14, 1945, the day of Japan's surrender, the church "Quips and Quotes" noted: "The doors of West Market were opened wide, its chimes played meaningful and worshipful melodies, the sanctuary was scattered with young and old, some kneeling at the altar and soldiers, some with dates, bowed down and offered thanks. No words were spoken that night.

"On Aug. 15, 1945, Wednesday a.m., a Service for Prayer and Thanksgiving. The full chorus sang 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God' and other great hymns of faith. The choir ended the service with the 'Hymn of Victory.'"

The Service Banner, which hung so proudly in the church all during the war, was first shown Dec. 20, 1942. It was "a small service flag with 22 stars, placed on a stand before pulpit. (By) Jan. 31, 1943, a large service flag with 139 stars honoring male and female members in uniform was placed on the sanctuary wall behind the pulpit. The Primary and Junior Departments of the church school purchased the flag with money given to them for their needs annually by the Women's Society of Christian Service. This year, they decided to buy the flag &ellipses; Stars will be added as additional members go into service, and blue stars will change to gold if members are killed. Dr. J. B. Craven described it as 'the very heartbeat of the church' that reminds us of you every time we enter the sanctuary.

"Some West Market Street families eventually had three sons in service, including Hargrove Bowles, Winston Davis, the Aydelettes (Yum-Yum Ice Cream), Hollands and Lindleys."

The cross on the church's steeple is a memorial to Francis Lane Cooper, who died in November 1944 and whose star on the Banner was on Row 2, No. 14.

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NEXT COLUMN: More West Market Street Methodist Church's support of the war effort during WW II.

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Those who have served their country have earned the right to be remembered. If you will send me the names of any veterans who have died in the year 2008, it will be an honor for this veterans column to remember them in the last column of the year.

Please include the veteran's full name; which war they were part of; branch of service (Army, Navy, Marines, etc.), rank (Sergeant, Petty Officer, Lieutenant, etc.) and your name and telephone number.

Please write me before Nov. 30, 2008.

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W. MARKET ST. METHODIST CHURCH MEMBERS WHO SERVED IN WW II

West Market Street Methodist Church sent 298 of its finest people to war during World War II. The Church Bulletin dated Sunday, June 2, 1946, listed their names.

Edgar Newton Allen, Edgar Leonidas Alston, Jr. Charles William Andrew, Jr., James Fletcher Andrew, John William Andrews, Jr., Roy Hanes Armfield, Jr., Bernard Fields Aydelette, James Harold Aydelette, Richard Casper Aydelette, David Sharpe Barber, Bernice Barbour, W. L. Beamon, Jr., Lewis Calvin Beard, Robert Winston Bell, Charles David Benbow, III, Kyle Cannon Benbow, Earl Ray Betts, Robert A. Bishop, Jr., James Norman Black, Jr., Thomas Sidney Blackwood, Jack Stanley Blue, Jr., Willian Eugen Blue, Roy Murray Booth, Malcolm Matheson Boren, Hargrove Bowles, Jr., Richard Kelly Bowles, Joseph Henry Boyles, Jr., Richard Franklin Boyles, Wm. Lambeth Brinkley, Jr., Edgar D. Broadhurst, Jr., John Thomas Buie, Roger Jackson Burton, Dr. John Cole Burwell, Jr., Joseph T. Carruthers, Jr., Arlindo Sanders Cate, Charles Childrey, Richard Marshall Clegg, John William Cline, Wayne Allen Cline, Joffre Lanning Cole, William Fisher Corbett, Leonard George Corby, Gordon Edmund Cory, John T. Council, Jr., Mary Frances Cox, James Braxton Craven, Jr., Charles Franklin Crews, Jr., Macon Rice Crocker, Henry Wionston Davis, Jr., John Kent Davis, John Lorraine Davis, Jr., Richard Edwards Davis, William Highes Davis, William Ralph Deaton, Jr., Alexander Guy Demetrelis, Manuel Gus Demtetrelis, Joel Powell Dimmette, John Hunter Ellington, Jr., W. B. Evans, Edward Lee Faulconer, John Edward Faulkner, Jr., James Roland Fleming, John Edmond Fondren, Robert Willoughby Fondren, C. C. Fordham, Jr., Jefferson Barnes Fordham, William Walter Gainey, Jr., Samuel Orden Goode, Jr., William Thomas Graham, Joseph Edmund Guill, Frederick Earl Harllee, Jr., Victor F. Harllee, Charles Milton Harris, Edward Warren Hartsook, Herbert L. Hartsook, Russell Thomas Hatchett, Ralph Cleo Henderson, Burke Mann Herndon, Edward M. Hicks, Jr., James Robert Hill, Charles A. Hines, Jr., John William Hoggard, Otis Lewis Holland, Jr., William Manly Holland, Woodrow Wilson Holland, Duncan waldo Holt, Jr., Lee Bascom Hornaday, Jr., Frances Marion Houston, James Lawrence Hutton, Jr., William Bell Hutton, John Perry Hyams, Charles Henry Ireland, III, Eugenia Isler, J. K. Iksely, Jr., Earl Frank Johnson, Glenn Wilson Johnson, Samuel Frank Johnson, Jr., Charles Rogers Keesee, Junius Clyde Kelly, Jr., Harry B. Kendrick, George Kennerly, John Franklin Kernoodle, Jr., George T. King, Jr., Horace Robinson Kornegay, Ryan Glenn Kornegay, Joseph Dixon R. Koury, Edgar Downs Landreth, Jr., Chan Munger Lane, Radford lewis, James Baxter Linder, John Lee Linder, Jr., Paul C. Lindley, Jr., Turner Van Lindley, Charles Long, Jr., James A. Lybrand, III, Burt Cameron MacKenzie, Edward Marcus Marsh, Frank Alexander Masters, Quince Edwar Mathis, Thomas L. Matlock, Jr., Joseph E. McDowell, John Julian McLean, Norman Adison McLeod, Addison Woolen McNairy, John Vickory McNairy, Dr. Jesse Fred Merritt,

James William Miles, Dr. Charles R. Mills, Charles S. Mills, Jr., John Hill Neal, Joseph Watson Noah, Lawrence R. Noah, Jr., John R. Nowlin, William Thomas Oliver, Harry Irving O'neal, Helen Felder Ortiz, Georege William Paschal, James Robert Patternson, Jr., Richard Pierce Payne, Guy Berryman Phillips, Jr., Melvin Murry Philos, Edwin L. Poindexter, Samuel Folger Poole, Richard Franklin Quate, Dr. John F. Register, Booker Edward Rhudy, Jr., Harold Clingman Rhudy, Frank Clegg Richardson, Charles M. Rives, Jr., Edwin Earle Rives, Frank H. Robertson, Zalph L. Rochells, Hardy Stetson Root, James N. Ross, Phillip M. Russell, John Robert Sancton, Elsie Ruth Sanford, David Waring Sewell, Dwight Edward Shafer, Robert H. Shepherd, Pogue T. Sherrill, Margaret Grantham Sherry, Sidney T. Sherwin, Esther Lenora Shuping, Thomas Edgar Sikes, Jr., Benjhamin lee Smith, Jr., Billy Bryan Smith, Charles Robert Smoak, Sheldon R, Smoak, Jr., Charles D. Snipes, James H. Sparger, Richard lee Soencer, James Ernest Starmer, James Westbrook Sykes, Joseph Edward tatum, Louis H. Thacker, Julius Graham Thomas, Jr., Lloyed Goodwin Thompson, Jr., Gregg Trosper, William Lee Trotter, Jr., Harry N. Varner, Jr., Dewitt T. Vaughn, Jr., Marvin W. Vick, Earl D. Warren, Jr., Allen H. Watkins, James Bartlett Webster, Jr., Dr. Calude T. Whittington, Dr. Perry B. Whitington, Jr., Georege H. Wilkins, John D. Williams, Jr., Mary C. Williams, Robert Jackson Wimbish, Georege Michael Wood, Henry S. Wooton, Jr., Georege A. Yelverton, John Norma Young, Allen Ziglar, Norman Ziglar, Melville H. Zollicoffer.

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The following members of the Church are listed as: "Those Who Still Serve In the Armed Forces:"

Charles Gray Armfield, Arthur Charles Baxter, Robert Edward Baxter, John L. Benbow, Margaret G. Bledsoe, Gurney Simpson Boren, III, Wm. Paul Clement Brewer, George H. Brown, Jr., Wilfred C. Carr, Jr., Walter M. Clark, Carney Bynum Clegg, Jr., Winfred Theodore Coe, Cirinne Cook, Walter Dillard, III, William Blanton Donald, Jr., Joseph M. Fentress, Lewis Blake Fentress, G. Pate Forehand, Jr., Warren Todd Gentry, Clifford L. Goodman, Jr., Joseph Palmer Gorrell, Thomas I. Grantham, Jr., Henry G. Hatchett,

James T. Hauser, Ernest Illman, S. Harrison Isler, Jr., Robert M. Kelly, Marvin L. Kornegay, O. Wallace Lane, Robert Craven leonard, John Thomas Lindley, Edward B. Mabry, Samuel Theodore Oliver, Arthur B. Pearce, Jr., Wade Wiley Phillips, Claibourne Poindexter, James Max Rollins, Jr., W. J. Rowe, Robert Hall Sanford, Virginai Sanford, James Paul Scurlock, H. B. Sewell, Jr., Charles LeRoy Shuping, Jr., Hampton Shuping, Eugene Taft Smith, Ralph F. Spaulding, E, Hardin Srtickland, G. W. Vick, Jr., Elliott O. Watson, John C. Watson, Jr., C. B. Way, Jr., Robert Carlton White, Elizabeth Prosser Wilson, Dr. Carl B. Wolfe, Dr. William H. Womble, Jr., Paul Leslie Wyrick, Clyde C. Yancey.

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The following members of the Church are listed as: "Still In Servie Or Status Unknown:"

William D. Bartlett, Jr., Robert M. Bennett, James W. Black, Kenneth Black, Phillip A. Jeffreys, Prosser Jeffreys, Jr., Andrew J. Coley, III, Jack M. Harding Kiffin R. Hayes, Ralph D. Houck, John E. Hollowell, Z. V. Johnston, Charles E. Lasher, T. Edward Langston, Jr., Walter S. lee, Jeannette Martinson, Vernon L. Patterson, Holmes E. penn, Jr., Roscoe Purser, Rufus W. Reynolds, Arthur Rood, Jr., Miles Glenn Scott, Stuart W. Sechriest, George Andrew Smedburg, William W. Smedburg, Georeg Stephenson, Fred Carlyle Whiteheart.