2 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 12, 1994 Smith , (continued from page 1) The death of the Princeton Minute by minute from log of U.S.S. Princeton. October 24, 1944 8:30. a.m. General quarters...Battle Stations. 8:50 a.m. Radar contact, large number of enemy air- craft. Launched 12 fighters. 9:35a.m. Fired at singleJap bomber through heavy flak, then were hit with a 500-Ib. bomb amidships. 10:02 a.m. Explosion blows up forward elevator, heavy black smoke and fire. 10:19 a.m. U.SS Reno turned away due heat and smoke. 10:55 a.m. USS Birming- ham moved along portside picking up survivors. USS Morrison nosed in and be- came stuck under flight deck. Reno turned away on star- board side by heat and smoke. 11:41 a.m. Reno making short runs spraying water on fires. Most men off. Fire starting to explosed 50-cal ammo. 1:27 p.m. USS Irwin tried to pull Morrison off but both lines parted without success. 3:23 p.m. Tremendous ex- plosion from torpedo stow- age rocked ship, blew away aft midships down to water line and showering Birming- ham starboard topside with all sizes of fragmented steel shrapnel, killing or wound- ing all exposed sailors and officers. 4:40 p.m. Fire determined won. All remaining person- nel removed. 5:46 p.m. Reno moved in close and fired two torpedos, both hit same time, seemed like one explosion. 5:50 p.m. In 45 sec. smoke cleared and left only burning oil on surface. Survivors had heavy hearts - former mighty “Peerless P” gone. Position: Latitude 15 degrees 12 minutes North, Longitude 123 degrees 36 minutes East. The fleet moves on about its business. Compiled by J.J. Herron Tell our advertisers you saw them in The Post. They'll appreciate it, and so will we. “Somehow I climbed down the anchor chain and swam away from the ship, something it had always been drummed into us to so so we wouldn't get sucked down if the ship went down. I must have been in the water five hours or more, and whatever that did to my legs they haven't been the same since.” Smith adds, “I'll tell you this. When we were finally picked up by the U.S.S. Reno, I had found out one thing for sure. Thereis a ‘Man Up There’ and He was watch- ing over me!” Although the so-called “with- drawal” from the dying Princeton has been termed orderly, there were many who didn’t make it. Bill says, “I'll forever be grateful that I did make it, and I know exactly why.” In an unusual move for the Navy, Princeton was announced as sunk the next day. Normally, the next of kin were notified first. Later the Red Cross mistakenly told Smith's mother that he was “missing at sea” and it wasn't until a western newspaper printed a picture of survivors with Bill in the back row that his mother knew the real - and good - news. The western paper sent word to the Dallas Post, which published it Nov. 24, 1944. With his partial disability dis- charge Smith went to school under the G.I. Bill, then worked at Dia- mond Manufacturing for five years and Air Products for 28, rising to become assistant plant manager. He had met Gloria Neff of Pittston at a party; they were married in 1948 and have three children, six grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. Bill, with his dad's help, built their home on Village Road. He DEATH OF A SHIP - The USS Princeton was mortally wounded by a bomb from a Japanese plane on Oct. 24, 1944. Dallas native Bill Smith escaped from the ship, but many of his shipmated did not. His family read about his fate in The Dallas Post. took a loan for $1,000 to buy bathroom fixtures and the rest was pay-as-you-go. “Can'tdo that today, can you?” Smith asks. Wife Gloria hated the Back Moun- tain at first. She says, “I was a real city girl and missed the street lights and sidewalks. And boy did it ever get dark out there!” Bill has no trouble filling his time since retirement. He keeps active, taking long walks to help his legs, and has a craft hobby making clocks, banks and other items out of wood, metal and plastic. Daughter Sharon Ann Hart- shorne of Orange Road in Orange (where else?) is married to the Reverend Don Hartshorne, pas- tor of Welsh Bethel Baptist in Wilkes-Barre. They have a son Don at Penn State and a daughter Beth in 9th grade at Dallas Senior High School. Sharon is a reading specialist and got wind of the Princeton reunion a few weeks ago. Shesaid, “Iam proud of what my dad went through and I just felt it was time he received some recognition, so I called The Post.” Smith wasn't so sure of that move and grumbled, “I'm no hero!” Perhaps not, but he doesn't need to be a hero for people to be grate- ful for what he endured on their behalf. So Bill Smith, thanks from all of us. Glad you made it! No one was prepared for the hard, GOL Winter of '94 (OF:1/] [Kolo [=}"44 PA = But your can get ready for the long, Winter of 95 Free Estimates Serving Northeastern Pa. for Over 30 Years Plumbing - Heating - Air Conditioning - Sales & Service - Residential & Commercial Rd. #6 Box 23, Dallas, Pa. 18612 675-4949 or 675-1155 (00:1 |B (ogg [To] J Sj Tod [Ts [TR CT: QO) T = ToT] [=1 £00 Koo. e FACIALS Relaxing soothing facials. Customized to meet the needs of your skin. cs WAXING Using Nu-Free Organic Hair Removal System. ce MAKE-UP Make-up lessons, makeovers, make-up applications for wed- of... True Beauty — A Skin Care & Make-up alon — \ 2% ding parties & special occasions. We carry a full line of retail skin care & make-up products by Laboratoire Dr. Renaud. True Beauty 10 W. Dorrance St. ¢ Suite #2 * Kingston (717) 283-2833 Sicilian Style PIZZERIA 16 Carverton Road, Trucksville call Ahead RCYeToRP Rg [0]0, Eat in or Take Out Try Our Wings! Mon.: 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm Tues., Wed., Thurs.: 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm Fri.: 11:00 am - 12:00 Midnight Sat.: 12:30 pm - 12:00 Midnight Sun.: 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm The Dallas Post Published Wednesdays 675-5211 FAX: 675-3650 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Shipping Address: 45 Main Road, Dallas PA 18612 Classified Advertising Deadline: Mondays at 4 p.m. Display Advertising Deadline: Mondays at 4 p.m. (Friday at 4 p.m. if proof required) We have a variety of rates and programs to suit your advertising needs. The Dallas Post satisfies most co-op ad programs. Creative services at no charge. 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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the express written consent of the publisher. SPOKANE MAN ASKS IF DALLAS BOY WAS ON THE PRINCETON A three-column picture on the A perusal of the Post's soldier front page of The Spokesman-|file reveals no W. N. Smith from | Review of Spokane, Washington, |this area who is serving with the shows RT 3/C W. N. Smith of Dal-| Pacific fleet, but it may be that ‘las, among the survivors of the|his parents seeing this story will light aircraft carrier Princeton. call at our office and receive the Wilson A. Cease of 1213, Potter|¢oPy of The Spokesman-Review street, Richland, Wash., seeing the pieture in his newspaper forwarded lit to The Post with the following letter: “Happened to see this picture tof ‘a Dallas boy in our Sunday i paper and thought perhaps his folks would like to have it. I don't know his family but thought you could pass it on to them would like to tell you how much 5 enjoy the Post out here.” carrier that rescued him. Hunting Bags Light Few hunters throughout the area have reported good bags of rabbits or birds this season. Shop and Mail Early Postmaster Joseph Polacky is carrying on his perennial campaign urging patrons to ‘‘shop and mail early.” aN Te ile el ene ) 288-3500 \ \ | Mark Plaza, Edwardsville, Rt. 11 N.E. Penna's Renowned Spot For Great Food & Entertainment Open for Lunch & Dinner 11:30 AM. - 2 AM., 7 Days a Week ENTERTAINMENT : y # “DANDY S 586-6000 Steaks + Chops « Seafood Fri., Oct. 14 Sat., Oct. 15 I Rts. 6 & 11, Clarks Summit NEL Over 100 Entrees Just Us | Fling A Thing ” ~WE ARE NOW OPEN ~ UPTOWN ICE CREAM PARLOR NOW SERVING MANNING'S ICE CREAM! 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