Document text
February 23, 1939.
John k. Thomason (white)
Hendersonville, N. C.
Lumberman
Douglas Carter, writer.
A GOOD TIRE IN TAR ARMY
Original Names
John M. Thomason
Chasured Mama
John M. Tabor
A GOOD TIME IN THL ARMY
"I was in the Army 2 years," said. John Tabor,
lumberman, "and most of that time was spent in names.
Yes, I was in the front-line trenches quite a bit."
John is 50 now, and rotund. Be is blond, with
twinkling blue eyes, about average heignt, and close
to 200 pounds in weight. He very seldom removes his
hat, even in the house. When be is discussing some-
thing that interests him, be is forever pulling at his
trousers, nervously. He never smokes unless he is ex-
cited, and then he has to borrow a cigarette, which he
puffs jerkily. He was born on a farm in the Piedmont
section, and has always been "just a country boy." He
attended the public schools in the nearby town, and
spent two years in the state agricultural and mechanical
college, studying mechanical engineering. His father
has always been well off, but not wealthy. Since his
second year in college, John has been on his own, and
has never sought financial help from any of his folks.
*The job offered se after my sophomore year looked
aighty good, do I took it. No, I don't regret giving
up my college education. I would do the same thift
again. aut if I ever go back in the Army, I believe
I'd rather be a buck private. They have the most fun.
*The man who gave me the job was a general building
contractor, and he said he would teach me the business.
Ve built post offices, college buildings, office build..
ins, and various other things, all over the Aaath. Ay
first job wag in ..emphis, and then we went to iexas for
several years, and by the time the war brods out I had
worked in every State eouth of Pennsylvania.
NI was at home, between jobs, when I enlisted, and
they sent us to Camp Sevier. Own we got there the camp
Wati just deist established, idnd the only other outfit
there was a nigger battalion not soldiers, just labor
ere. we were quartered in tents. The colonel was an
old friend of mins, and as 11100A as he found out I was in
his outfit, I was made ser6eant major. I didn't as for
the job I didn't OVOA want It but I had it until 4V
discharge.
wwilsn you went in, you had to sign up a card telling
what you could do, and all that stuff, and when they
began to snii. lumber to the can to build mess halls and
make floors for tile tents, and rodeo Uwe up off the
ground, they must have looked up the cards and skim
that I had been in the building business. Anyhow, they
asked to colonel to send as over to issue the lumber to
the difforent outfits. The colonel asked me if I wanted
to go. and I told him I didn't mind, so I went, but he
told as to be sure to look out for him and nis outfit.
He was tired of living in a tent, he said, end wanted a
little house. He thought askybo I could slip his a little
extra bit of lumber. Well. I got him encukh lumber for
his house, and for one of the majors, too. I picked a
Sunday to issue the lumber to my outfit, because most of
the officers were in town, or laying up in bed because
they had been drunk the night before. and I didn't have
any trouble lotting that extra lumbar for the colonel.
"I thought later on, though, that I had mad* a mistake
doing it, because it looked like one thing was going to
lead to another, and right on. After I gat book to my
outfit, I wanted to go to Columbia to ems my girl, and I
asked the colonel for a pass, and he said, 'John, you're
so good getting things, I'll tell you what I'll do; you
tot ma a stove like they got over at brigade headquarters,
and I'll give you a damn pass.' Well, I wanted to sea my
girl mighty bad, but I didn't know how in hell I was going
to get a stove like that. You know, those big stoves
were sent down there for the generale. The colonels
had to put up with those little things. Well, anyhow,
lookeo the situation over, and saw that I couldn't
steal a stove like that very well, so I just asked for
it. That damnslittle..old-dried..up major started to put
as in the guardhouse! Hs told AO to go back and tell
Ay colonel so and so and so. It looked like I wasn't
going to get my pass, but just as I left the warehouse
I ran right into a friend. Major ailler. I didn't even
know he was in the Am.:, and don't guess no knew I
was there, either. He said, 'John, what the hell are
you doing down here?' I saluted, of course, and then I
grinned and told him I wanted a stove, but the major
inside wouldn't give it to as. He said, 'Hell! :bat
kind of stove do you wantT$ I told him I wanted one
of those big ones, and he called a sergeant, and said,
.!lergeant, take wire or Sergeant Tabor, hers, and mate
it snappy!' Boy! I could already see myself in Columm.
bilk! The major went on in, and this quartermaster ser..
gitant asked as what I wanted, and it just dawned on as
that the major hadn't specifieo anytning to him; so, by
thunder, I told him that I wanted three of those big
stoves and two dozen blankets! He said, 'well, g*t your
wagons. You can load Ism right down there at the end
of the platform.' I had to give the drivers scam of
the blankets, but I threw the rest of this off at my
tent, and then I dashed in to see the colonel, and said,
'Your stoves are outside. where in the hell is my pass?'
I don't believe I even saluted, but I took off for Calms.
bla that afternoon! I spent seven days there with ay
girl, bless her heart! The colohel gave the other stoves
to two of his majors."
Later, John was sent to Texas to take, a training course,
the idea being to make a bayonet instructor of nim. He
took the course, but he never instructed anybody, because
ne was ordered to Francs. On the train he met a man from
his county, and they got very friendly. They had been
"detached" from their regular outfits, and were traveling
under special orders. Their route took this through their
home county, and they were able to stop off for a day.
John took one of the Negro (he always says "nigger") boys
from his father's farm alone with his when he resumed his
trip to New York. The boy took ears of John's and his
friend's baggage, and functioned generally as a bodyservant.
In New York he bought their whisky for them ft it was not
sold to men in unifom until eaM00144 learned that he was
buying it for soldiers, and threatened to put his in jail.
After that, they sent telegraph messengers for whatever
they wanted. They had orders to sail on the same ship,
and they tried to get the Negro boy aboard, but it wouldn't
work. They left his in New York with enough money to get
hooseelMV..
It was a British ship, the 4414a0s,„ and there were
nearly 2,000 men aboard. The bar was open the first day
out, antl, "nearly everybody got drunk", but the commanding
officer had the captain *lose the bar the next day. aow-
ever, John's stateroom was close to that of the bartender,
and they got acquainted. They were in second clears, as
were a great many of the noncommissioned officers of the
unit which occupied most of the ship. John got in touch
with some of them, they pooled their resources, bribed the
bartender, and had whisky all the way across. They had to
keep their supply carefully hidden, however, because some
of the officers got word or it, wanted some themselves,
could not get any, and had the ship searched repeatedly.
without SUOCOdee
One day I was in the Y.,44,C,A4 reading room," sato John,
"when there was a big explosion, and the whole bottom fell
out of the boat, it felt like. It was submarine attack,
they said later, but at the time I couldn't think of apy.
thing except my life preserver. /here were all sorts of
tales told about it, but tiler. was no damages I doubt if
anybody knows just what was what, but the explosion, or
jar, or whatever it was I felt, was probably a depth
bomb." John pronounces it "boom". "The subcaamers in
our convoy were cutting all sorts of capers, and churn-
ing up the water for miles around. But I'm 6etting ahead
of myself: The Znglish hma been feeding the boys goat,
and not much es, and they were getting tired of it."
It was probably lamb, but John insists vehemehtly that
it was goat. "On my way to the boat deck, after getting
my life preserver, I came across one of the English sailors,
stop Aid him, and asked him what was goinv on. He didn't
know, but he said, 'This is 16th trip scrolls, and the
Caradolians always got down on their knees and prayed, but
those bloody Yanks out there are shouting, *Let ler sink,
damn 'er, let 'Sr sink." John's quotation of the sailor
was given in a quavering voice, with elaborate gestul'es,
and was followed by loud uffews and much leg slappidz.
le enjoys telliw it.
John landed in !nland, went immediately to France, and
was sent at once to the front line as an observer with tne
British troops. "I didn't have a damn thing to do, only
see what was e;oinE on. I was supposed to get the hang of
the thing, so I could tell my outfit what to expect when
they got there. It was all right, but sometimes I couldn't
get enough to stet. They only sent up enough foo,c for their
own men, usually, and I just had to seraten around and
get what I could. I never had to go hungry, but there
were times I could have eaten more. Than I wcs trans-
ferred to the French Army. I couldn't even talk to them,
but they always had some wine, and sometimes cognac. I
wus all up and down the fichting line before my outfit got
across, and when I joined up with them again t was an old.
timer. Those birds would sit around with their jaws dawn
six incnes when I told than what I'd seen. aalf of 'em
wouldn't belitefli it. and maybe I did stretch it a little,
but it didn't do any harm. I was in most all of the big
battles fought by Ay division, and I was right there when
we broke the Hindenburg Line. Didn't get a scratch. But
I eot the scared out of as several times, thouch."
"Would you be willing to go through it again?"
'Not Oh, muret I had a good time in the Armyr
After the ,,,rmistice ne was shifted about from plaee to
wus
plate., and saw nearly all of France. "But I/always the
goat," he said. The1 were always putting me in charge
f ii,omething„ and I :Ad to stay sober. well, cuost of the
time I was sober. One time, though, I was put in command
of u bunch of sergeants who cad been to slam* school or
other down near the Italian border. I was supposed to
march thea to a railhead about twelve miles avow, and we
were supposed to get there by dark, but after we'd gone
aLout throe milewee of lam stole some win* and some
braney, and first one after the other got drunk. Finally,
we caught up with a band that bad started out stout an
hour before we did. They had gotten into the wine and
brandy, too, and most of them were drunk. They hod let
the road, ond were scattered around an orchard, each man
playing a different tune. Th.ree or four of then got to
other about that time, .4nd started playing Dixtg.
coult2—it stand it any 1,04 ea'. so 1 ordered the men to
fall out and detaileu sq:ad to go back for some more
wins and brandy. I don't khow wht!re they go it, but
when they i;ot back, we Au i;ot drunk. Ato,st of us eot to
the railhead the next afternoon, but emit of sem never did
4:et there, so fur as know. 1 got balled out, of course,
but they didn't :T.,:oh give a damn, anyway.
"It was loNy, 1919, I believe, before I was ordered home.
I wont to amot, and got a .hi, there. This timeI didn't
have oecond class; 1 was right down in the bottom of the
boat, and nod to slee,p in a hammock. The boys started a
crap game as soon as vs got to our places, and there I
was without a dime!. They wore pedaling all over that
ship, and it no difference how much you wonted to
bets somebody would cover it. well, on the second day
Out I *as sick as hell all the first day I met up
with &t fellow from near home, and he had some monsy, $o
I borrowed $8. He offered to lend me $50 I'll bet he
had about $600 but I said, 'No. I'll just try this als,
and see how I come out.'
Well, I won $32 shooting craps,
and then cot sick again (I decided I'd batter quit with
wnat I had). I paid back that WI and loaned another
fellow ;6. Then the next day I got in a stud poker game,
of
and played all the way to Charleston. I got off/that boat
with oval $400 in my pocket!" Acre guffaws.
When he was dischared, John Eot his olJ job back aatn,
and for several years stuck to the contracting business.
In one town, however, he thought he saw a good opening for
building -supply enterprise, and by that time he felt that
he would like to have a business of his awn, so he returned
to the town at the first opportunity, and established a
warehouse, supplying lumbar and materials to the building
trades.
"After a courje of years, though, I saw there was more
money in the lumbar -manufacturing busineos than in the
sellinc end, so I sold my place, bought a stand of timber,
a sawmill, and some equipment, and began to cut and saw
hardwoods. That's what I've been doinik: since. I got
married about that time 1925, I believe it was -aLad
:na a pemanent home. No, I don't have any children.
N. hoe is close to the timber apply, and I spend
about half or wy time at home, and the other half on the
L. I never have very far to go, excet wneh I have to
go out and sell some lumbers 've got two contrvcts now.
though, that'll run me tile rept of this year. Cne is
with a firm in the 1:orth, and the other in horth Carolina.
'vor sold most of my lumber th Iih oint, Thomasville,
hickory, i4ebune, unditatesvills, List quite u bit has gone
to the ;ort.h. LiOlt now Via cuttit ih the ilald
.:ountuins, now' the Tennessee Line. Businees ia cong
buck 1,rotty gooO al going to i4Ake acas money tills
yearsS.
"What about uolitice, JohnV"
t don't foal ith oliticai I vote the DeLccratio
ticket, wt,cnever I vote, but I acm.'t rool mixt with it.
Tide relief is 4; uhouth, ain't it? Dit you ever
hair that one about the VPA worker who