January 25,  2019

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: February means Super Bowl AND Souper Collection! The month of February the Big Red Box will be collecting soup. Any kind, all kinds are appreciated. At the end of the month the soup will be distributed to local foods banks. Want to make a monetary donation? Send a check to the Church, on the FOR Line write soup and we will make sure it is designated for food banks. Another way to help: the Little Buckets are taking up money in support of favorite Super Bowl Team. Support donations will run until the end of the month so even if your Team didn’t win, you can still show support. Join us in this fun project and let’s fill the food bank shelves with soup. There is plenty of cold weather ahead.

 In December RSUMC adopted a family of 5. We received information that bikes and trikes were much appreciated and smiles filled the day. Made us smile too.

 Service is at 11 a.m. unless other wised noted. Join us on Sunday for a praise filled message and fellowship. Don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook.

RSM Reunion Final action: Sara Rutland and I were not able to get a chairman for the 1958-1968 Alumni reunion this year so it was canceled.   Again we had three great ones and enjoyed seeing each other after quite a few years.  In the end we had $283.40 left in the Reunion account.  We donated to the Faculty Fund at RSM High School.  The money will be used to reward and celebrate the staff throughout the New Year.

Josie Rodgers

Little Peach League is getting ready for a new season of baseball and softball. Registration will be at the ballpark Sat., Feb. 2, from 10 am until 2 pm. Programs are for kids ages 5-12 with a cost of $50 which must be paid at registration. Parent must be present to register the child. For more info, please contact Leslie Long.

            RMS High: Beta Club members are gearing up for the SC Beta Club Convention in Myrtle Beach Feb. 8-10. Participants are creating a portfolio highlighting the past year of service and participation in community and school activities. In addition, several are creating an original banner promotion the theme of this year’s convention, “Beta Fueling the Future.” Also, all RSM members will compete in other categories such as math, ELA, agritculture, art, and dance. Last year was the first time we had someone place in a competition. We’re excited to see who will make RSM proud this year!

Dive into History

Joe Cal Watson is a World War II veteran, as well as the Battle of the Bulge, participated in the crossing of the Rhine.  He came across this article in the Bulgebusters Magazine February 2009.  The author is Unknown but to Joe the description is perfect.  Enjoy.  The second half of the article will be next week.

Tomorrow night or the next morning, newspapers and radio will be telling the world that a large scale, carefully planned crossing of the Rhine took place up here in preparation for a giant thrust into the Reichland by British and American Forces.  It is because our platoon is set up here on the levee that runs along the river that I shall be able to give you a first hand , eye witness account of what the crossing will be like in our sector of the river.  In support of the crossing, we, with our anti-tank guns , right in the middle of the forthcoming activity with the mission of firing at certain targets in the middle of the river if it becomes necessary.

The preliminaries have all been attended to.  The stage is all set up and the river behind the levee along a 12 mile stretch , Engineers have been busy the past week improving the roads and clearing them of all sorts of abandoned German equipment.  For the last two weeks artillery has been pounding the opposite shore day and night.   Many times during that period our own company guns have been throwing shells across the river into buildings and church steeples that might have been used as German observation posts.  Almost every night combat patrols from our riffle companies would sneak across the river in search of German activity.  Many nights they have fired at our patrol, only to give away their positions.  The next day we would knock out these positions.  "Alles Kaput".

At 10:00 this morning the Air Corps began its job.  Wave after wave of the Wellington and American Marauders came over through the heavy ack, ack, dropped their eggs 8 to 10  hundred yards in front of us, spread out from their bombing formations and headed back to their bases.  This kept up all day until just a few minutes ago.  It really was a wonderful feeling to look through our field glasses and see the bomb bay doors open and watch the bombs fall across the river.  I kept praying that none of those bombs would fall short.

The night before last our set up was interrupted when a platoon of J D's moved in and began getting their positions ready for the time when they would move their guns in  There were so many guns and ammo around here, that this place looked like the Rautan Arsenal how the guns and searchlights outfit are sitting on top of the levee with our guns.  The time is close at hand.  There is a chemical mortar outfit about 200 yards behind us.  They are going to fire smoke shells across the river so that the T.D. men will not be seen when they use dynamite to blow up the poles in the front of them.  The purpose of this is so that they will have a perfect field to fire;  At exactly 1:00 AM the artillery let loose with their barrage, which was to precede the crossing.

Somewhere behind us the infantry is getting ready with their assault boats while the engineers ready with the bridge equipment .  Other engineers are already down at the waterfront getting the landing craft ready to shuttle the first troops and their equipment across the three hundred yards of water.

It is getting later now and each tick of the clock brings the time of crossing closer.  The rifle troops are probably waking up now and getting ready to move forward after the usual breakfast of flapjacks and coffee.  We have just turned in a report that our gun and ammo have been checked and we are ready to fire.  We are taking shifts on the gun but most of the boys are going to stay up here all night so they can see the biggest thing in our lives.  Naturally we expect the jerries to throw some artillery back at us, so we have dug ourselves some holes behind and along the side of our guns in case it gets too hot on top of the levee.

The time is now 3:45 AM and the Rhine River up here has been crossed at two main sectors  At exactly 1:00 AM countless battalions of artillery cut loose on the sector across the river north of us where the river bends in the direction of South Holland.  The firing was so intense that the gun crews had to spray their barrels of the howitzers and long toms with cold water to keep them from burning up.

I thought I had seen some heavy concentrations of fire but don't think there is anything to compare with that of tonight.  At 2:00 AM we could tell from machine gun and rifle tracer that the crossing was taking place.  A few minutes later the artillery turned their muzzles 90 degrees to east and let go with about 80 to 90 bursting shells a minute across the river in front of us .  At the same time the mortars took off.  What a hell of a racket that was. We really had a ringside seat.  That was when I wished I had a bomb proof shelter over my head.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  I planted 32 broccoli plants in the fall just to see if I could grow them.  The day before it dropped to 21 degrees, I picked it all.  How lucky can you get.  I will plant my spring crop of broccoli soon and hope we do not have such a freezing couple of days.

This is a good time to begin composting, too.  Those leaves that need raking would be a great beginning for a compost pile.   Organic trimmings from your garden , such as my broccoli plants, as well as kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels and trimmings, crushed eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds and filters can also be composted.  Organic materials that should not be added to your compost pile include meat, bones, pet llitter, and fatty foods (such as cheese, salad dressing and leftover cooking oil).

REMINDERS

Ridge Spring Library Hours: Mon. Tues. 9:00 - 12:00; Wed. Thurs. Closed;

            Fri. 10:00 - 4:00; Sat. 10:00 - 1:00.

Saluda Library Hours:  Mon/Wed 8:30 am-5 pm; Tues/Thurs 8:30 am – 6 pm; Fri 8:30    am – 5 pm; Sat closed

Ridge Spring Post Office hours:  Mon-Fri. 7:30 am – 11:30 am; Sat 9 – 10 am

Recycling Center Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1-7; Sat 7-7; Sun 3-7; Tues/Thurs closed

Fridays & Saturdays:  AARS hours 10:00-2:00 or by appt, free admission

Every first Thursday of the Month:  AARS meets at 6:30, 685-5783

Third Thursday: FORS at Town Hall at 5:30 PM

Every 1^st Thursday:  Audibel Hearing Center in the back room of Bank

Security Bank Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9-12  1-5,        Wednesday 9-12