Honor and remembrance

Veterans Day a time to recount
sacrifices made for freedom

November 12, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

Freedom. Sacrifice. Honor.
They are words that filled the air Friday in Greenwood as dozens of people — many of them U.S. military veterans — gathered at the flagpole in Uptown Greenwood for a Veterans Day service.
“Today is about honoring those people who have sacrificed themselves, who have gone away from their civilian pursuits, to support and defend this country so that we can do what we are doing right now,” said American Legion Post 20 Commander Gene McDaniel. “Veterans Day is about freedom. That’s the bottom line.”
U.S. Army veteran Wayne Richey, past national vice commander of the American Legion and former state commander, said most soldiers are proud to make those sacrifices for freedom.
A Vietnam War veteran, Richey said he was ready to spend years fighting on foreign soil if that was what his country needed.
“I was there to do whatever Uncle Sam wanted me to do,” he said. “I was ready to go. It was part of my duty, and it made me appreciate what we have in this country.”
For many soldiers, that pride and sense of duty remains even years after they have left the battlefield, said Dean Goldman, commander of American Legion Post 103 in Ninety Six.
“I was proud to serve my country and I would do it again today,” said Goldman, who is a Korean War veteran with the U.S. Navy. “It’s important for people to remember what was given so they can have the freedom to worship, the freedom to communicate and the freedom to love.”
World War II veteran Joe Dan Elliott, with the Lakelands Marines, said remembering people who supported the war effort at home, such as those who rationed supplies or worked in the factories during the 1940s, is also an important part of the day.
“They deserve to be remembered on Veterans Day, too,” Elliott said, “because they really did sacrifice.”
U.S. Navy veteran James Foster, who spent two tours in Vietnam, said he felt as though he was surrounded by family at the event.
“Everybody that has served in a war is my brother or sister,” he said, adding that a sense of brotherhood is strong among all soldiers. “There is no distinction between age and there is no color barrier.”
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett spoke at the event, which was organized by the American Legion with participation from other veterans organizations throughout the Lakelands.
As they listened to the speakers, many people in the crowd grasped small American flags and other patriotic mementos.
For Greenwood resident Sue Reynolds, the coat she wore to the event carried a special significance. The pea coat belonged to her father, Silas Moore, a World War II Navy veteran.
“Even if it had been 100 degrees outside, I would have worn it,” she said, smiling. “It’s him, it’s my dad. It’s like having his arms around me today.”
Greenwood Mayor Floyd Nicholson accepted an American Flag on behalf of the city, and his voice became thick with emotion as he spoke about the importance of the day.
It was the first Veterans Day without brother Marion Nicholson, a Vietnam veteran who was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in July of this year.
“It makes this day even more special,” he said. “I’m thankful to all veterans — the ones who are present here today and the ones who have given their lives for the freedoms of this country.”
Larry “Baby” Banks, who served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam before serving with the U.S. Navy, spent nearly 19 years in the military.
“I have people that walk up to me and say, ‘Thank you,’” he said. “It really means a lot to a veteran.”

Abbeville Veterans Day rings in special tribute to those who served

November 12, 2005

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

ABBEVILLE — Solemn tones of the big bell on the square rang out over a large crowd assembled for Friday’s Veterans Day observance at the Courthouse.
It rang 11 times.
The number is significant in world history. It was on the 11th hour of the morning of the 11th day of November, the 11th month, 1918 when the hostilities of WWI ended.
In observance, the United States used to commemorate Armistice Day. Now, it’s Veterans Day. “This is really heart-warming,” veteran Bobby Fisher said of Abbeville’s remembrance of its veterans.
Fisher and wife Anne sang patriotic songs as the observance began, followed by a patriotic prelude played by the Abbeville High School band.
The Fishers have been signing for more than 20 years, wherever people want them, mostly at churches and ceremonies. Bobby Fisher is a Korean War veteran who flew cargo missions in and out of Vietnam into the 1960s. He retired in 1972 with 20 years service.
“I am very patriotic,” Fisher said. “I have no time for people who do anything against the USA.”
A highlight of this year’s ceremony was participation by the 40-member American Heritage Girls Troop SC 7777 of Abbeville and Greenwood. The girls presented the American flag and then conducted a flag-folding ceremony that explained the meaning behind each of the 13 folds. They also presented red flowers to each veteran who stepped forward when his period of service was called aloud.
Also explained during the observance was the meaning behind the 21-gun salute. The “21” is the sum of each number in the year of American Independence, “1776.”
Sgt. 1st Class Arthur F. Sattely performed “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes, and the AHS band performed two other selections, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Tyler South, of the AHS band, completed the musical tribute to veterans with taps.
Abbeville County Veterans Officer Sammy Lewis said the ceremony was “our best yet.” The most recent Veterans Affairs census showed between 2,600 and 2,800 veterans living in Abbeville County, he said.
Lewis said those who served in WWII comprise the largest contingent of veterans in the county, although he acknowledged that, because of their age, the county is losing them at an accelerated rate.
“This is a very patriotic county,” Lewis said. “Always has been.”

Vic MacDonald covers and makes general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. He can be reached at 943-2525.

Carrie Rebecca Bowen

BRONX, N.Y. — Carrie Rebecca Bowen, 88, of Hebrew Hospital Home, died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005 at her home.
Born in Cokesbury, S.C., she was a daughter of the late John and Annie Jackson Butler. She was reared in the home of an aunt, Eugenia Evans. She was a member of Greater Central Baptist Church in Harlem.
Survivors include a daughter, Bobbie Crews of Columbia, Md.; a son, Robert Bowen of New York City; her aunt of Cokesbury; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home, Greenwood, S.C.

Laura Edwards

SALUDA — Edwards, Laura E. sailed into heaven on Thursday, November 10, 2005. Preceded in death are her parents, Joshua and Marvelle Edwards, husband, James K. Edwards, and son, Steven K. Edwards. Survived by her children, Linda Edwards, David Edwards, Bruce Edwards and Lauren Malanga, five grand-children, her loving sisters, Jean Crouch, Ethel Atkinson, and Joshlyn Smith and a very dear and special friend and sailing companion, Dean Wilson.
The family will receive friends from 1 until 2PM, Sunday at Saluda Presbyterian Church.
Funeral Service will be 3PM, Sunday, November 13, 2005 at Saluda Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Bill Tarbell offi-ciating. Interment will follow in Travis Park Cemetery.
PAID OBITUARY

Myrtle Wells

GREENWOOD, SC — Myrtle Beaty Walker Wells, 75, of 305 Crescent Drive, wife of Charles S. Wells died Thursday, November 10, 2005 at N.H.C. of Greenwood.
Born in Plainview, TX; a daughter of the late William and Eva Williams Beaty. She was formerly employed by the Durst Plant of Greenwood Mills and was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Sunshine Sunday School Class. She was prede-ceased by a son, Howard Walker; two sisters, Helen Kelsey and Jean Conley Foster; two brothers, Edward Clark and Donald Farmer.
Surviving in addition to her husband of the home are a daughter and son-in-law, Delores and James Bruce of Greenwood; a son and daughter-in-law, David and Marion Walker of Laurens; two stepsons and daughters-in-law, Charles S. and Carolyn Wells and Carroll and Kathy Wells, all of Greenwood; two sisters, Marie Brearley of Durant OK and Margaret Lilley of Haughton, LA; two brothers, Lowell Farmer of Durant, OK and Joseph Conley of Tulsa, OK; six grandsons, James Bruce Jr., Ryan Bruce, Chad Walker, Stephen Walker, Patrick Walker, and Brian Walker; six step grandchildren, Jennifer Wells, Lindsey Wells, Charles Wells, David Wells, Rae Wells, and Emily Wells; three great grandchildren, Ryan Walker, Caleb Bruce, and Mackenzie Bruce.
Services will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. Joe Chapman officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be grandsons.
Honorary escorts will be the Sunshine Sunday School Class of Calvary Baptist Church.
The body is at Harley Funeral Home where the family will receive friends Saturday night from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. and will be placed in the church at 1:00 p.m. Sunday.
Memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 2775 Montague Ave. Ext., Green-wood, SC, 29649.
The family is at the home of her daughter, Delores Bruce, 150 Shearbrook Dr.
Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Vikings break Mustangs

QB Wideman passes for four TDs

November 12, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

With momentum apparently slipping out of their hands, Emerald’s Dan Wideman sauntered onto the field midway through the fourth quarter.
Wideman, who had been sitting while backup Evan Bledsoe was under center, promptly lofted his first throw of the fourth to Justin Calhoun for a 65-yard touchdown pass to give the Vikings a 55-29 victory over Palmetto Friday night at Frank Hill Stadium in the second round of the Class AA playoffs.
It was the North All-Star quarterback’s second TD pass to Calhoun and fourth overall to go along with two rushing scores.
The Vikings advance to play host to Newberry in the Upper State semifinals. Newberry, which defeated Emerald in the regular season, knocked off Abbeville, 38-28, Friday night.
“This game meant a lot to me,” Wideman said. “We worked hard at practice this week. I just went out there and tried to execute the offense. I just wanted us to go out there and get them this week.
“We’ve got Newberry next week, and we want to go out there and get our revenge, and they have to come to our house.”
The win, Emerald’s 10th under first-year coach Mac Bryan, gives the program its most in a season since the 1998 Class AA championship team.
“It’s the 10th win and that’s what we wanted,” Bryan said. “As long as you win, you get a chance to advance. Now, we get Newberry again, and it ought to be a heck of a ballgame.
“We know its going to get tougher. They are the only team to beat us in AA ball this year. So, we’ll have to play our best.”
Wideman had seemingly put the game away with his second touchdown run, a 3-yard score to cap a nine-play drive 19 seconds into the fourth quarter, giving the Vikings a 49-13 lead and letting Wideman make way for his backup.
But the Mustangs forced Bryan’s hand with a pair of quick touchdowns and matching two-point conversions.
On Palmetto’s next play from scrimmage, tailback Kendrick Hugger broke through the second-string defense for an 84-yard score.
The Mustangs ruined Bledsoe’s second offense drive when North All-Star linebacker Thomas Land intercepted his pass and ran it 10 yards for the score to make it 49-27.
But Wideman’s touchdown connection with Calhoun put the game away for good. Wideman finished with 403 yards of total offense (318 passing, 90 rushing).
“He’s been doing it every week,” Bryan said. “He’s just a tremendous player and a great quarterback.”
The Emerald offense, which was sluggish out of the gate, needed a gift from the defense to get the onslaught started.
After punting on its first two possessions, the Vikings’ offense opened up from the Palmetto 35 after Nick Lanier picked off the first of five interceptions from J.C. Smith.
Wideman cashed in the turnover on the next play. The Emerald quarterback rolled right and launched a deep pass that found Calhoun wide-open for the score.
The Mustangs had a quick answer. Starting from their own 40, Palmetto made it a 7-7 game when Smith threw a pass in front of a blitzing Emerald defensive line to Kendrick Hugger in the flat. Hugger slipped a couple of tackles and sprinted for the 60-yard score.
The blitzing Emerald defense got to Smith in the second quarter, but not before the Vikings would grab a comfortable lead.
After the tying TD, Emerald went on a 12-play scoring drive, capped by tailback Josh Boville’s a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7. The Vikings followed that with Wideman’s second touchdown. This one on a screen pass to Peferio Strong, who broke it for a 48-yard score for a 20-7 advantage.
After the two teams trades stalled drives, the Mustangs opened a series from their own 35. The Emerald defense rushed six and Smith looked for the screen pass in the flat. However, Emerald’s Emmanuel Smith was laying in wait, grabbing the first of three interceptions. Smith returned the errant pass 32 yards for the score.
“I was just trying to read their offense,” the Emerald linebacker said. “I saw where they kept throwing that short pass. I knew he was going to keep on throwing that same pass because he completed it earlier.”
Smith, who finished with as many receptions from J.C. Smith as any of his receivers had, intercepted the Palmetto quarterback’s next pass, coming on the next possession.
Emerald couldn’t do anything with the turnover, and punted three plays later. On the second snap of Palmetto’s ensuing drive, J.C. Smith launched a pass to his tight end Jerry Saxon. Emmanuel Smith grabbed at the ball, but couldn’t haul it in, as it bounced to Saxon, who ran it in for the score to draw to within 15.
But Wideman didn’t let the lead slip any more, picking up a pair of touchdowns - a 36-yard rushing score and a 78-yard passing TD to Lanier - in the final 2:31 of the first half to give Emerald a 42-13 halftime lead.

Eagles fall in playoff opener

November 12, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

The Greenwood High School football team put another season in the books Friday night, if a bit earlier than it wanted to.
York (8-4 overall) downed the Eagles, 28-24, in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs on a cold night in front of a large crowd at J.W. Babb Stadium.
Greenwood (8-4) had a chance to win the game on its last possession. With just 28 seconds remaining in the game and facing a fourth-and-15 from the York 26-yard line, Greenwood quarterback Armanti Edwards scrambled to his right and lofted a high pass to Reggie James in the end zone. James battled Cougars’ defensive back Wayne Johnson for the ball, but the pigskin fell harmlessly to the ground, sealing the win for York.
“We had a chance right there at the end,” Greenwood coach Shell Dula said. “It just didn’t work out. That’s the way it happens sometimes.”
The Eagles fell behind 28-7 in the first half and was forced to play catch-up for the rest of the contest. “We let them get 28 unanswered points in the first half, and that’s just too much,” Dula said. “We made some great adjustments at halftime and shut them out in the second half.”
Things were looking up for the Eagles in the opening moments.
After forcing York into a punt on its first possession, Greenwood took control of the ball at its own 40-yard line. The Eagles swiftly moved the ball downfield, using a combination of runs and passes. Edwards capped the 60-yard, 1:59 drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, giving the Eagles the 7-0 lead with 8:39 remaining in the first quarter.
Edwards, a Shrine Bowl selection and Mr. Football nominee, finished the game with 137 yards rushing and 168 yards passing.
York answered Greenwood’s score with a demonstrative drive of its own.
Scrapping the run-oriented plan they used on their opening drive, the Cougars took to the air. York quarterback Tyrone Love guided his team 80 yards in 5:00, finishing the drive off with a 21-yard touchdown toss to James Rhodes. The pass tied the game at 7-7 with 3:39 to go in the first quarter.
Love, who evaded Greenwood defenders all night, had 219 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 94 yards.
What proved to be a momentum changing play occurred on the ensuing possession.
Greenwood tailback Jarvie Robinson, filling in for normal starting tailback Robert Robinson, who was out with an injury, fumbled the ball at his own 25-yard line. York’s Kent Harper recovered the ball.
Three plays later, Love dashed across the goal line from four yards out, and just like that York took the 14-7 lead with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter.
“They caught us out of position a couple of times early,” Dula said. “We got in a position where we had to recover.”
Minutes later, York put an exclamation point on the opening quarter.
The Cougars forced Greenwood into a three-and-out, and again took possession of the ball at their own 45-yard line. Just 39 seconds later, Love took a snap from center at the Greenwood 26-yard line and faded to his right. He then looked back to his left and spotted Rhodes slanting to the middle. Love fired the pass over the Greenwood linebacking corps and into the chest of Rhodes. Rhodes pranced into the end zone giving the Cougars the 21-7 lead heading into the second quarter.
The play sent the York crowd into a frenzy while the Greenwood faithful seemed shocked at the events that had unfolded.
York scored for the final time on its next possession.
Love capped a 66-yard, 3:10 drive with a two-yard burst into the end zone. The Cougars used an array of passes into the middle of the field to drive into Eagles’ territory. Love’s score gave York a 28-7 lead with 8:41 left in the first half.
Greenwood, determined not to go down without a fight, began to claw back in the game.
On the ensuing possession, Edwards dashed 32 yards on a quarterback keeper. Then he hit James on a slant pass, and the Eagles were rolling. Marcus Carroll ended the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run on an option pitch, closing York’s Lead to 28-13 with 6:08 left in the first half.
The Eagles’ defense held the Cougars out of the end zone on the next possession, forcing them into a missed field goal.
Greenwood then got the ball back on its own 20-yard line with just 2:00 left in the half. Edwards dropped back and unleashed a long bomb to James, who hauled in the pass and raced to the York 5-yard line.
On the next play, Edwards found Anthony Chalmers on a slant for a touchdown pass, slicing the York lead to 28-21 heading into halftime.
Though the Eagles shut out York in the second half, they could only themselves post a 29-yard Clay Baldwin field goal after halftime.

No TV for THE big game doesn’t give many a kick

November 11, 2005

Over the years, South Carolinians have become accustomed to the annual Carolina-Clemson football game being televised. This year it’s only going to be available through pay-per-view. Regardless of the reasons, many fans are outraged.
Almost everybody in the state pulls for either the Tigers or Gamecocks, even if they didn’t go to either school, and they’ll quickly tell you the TV decisions stink.
One fan’s comment may be indicative of many others. “I’m going to watch it (game via pay-per-view) anyway, though, I just want to get $40 worth of griping in before I have to do it.”
Many members of Clemson’s IPTAY Club and Carolina’s Gamecock Club who can’t attend the game depend on TV. They, too, are upset ….. and they are the ones who give a lot of money. If they get angry it could have a lingering impact nobody wants, not necessarily on TV pacts, but on lawmakers. Some fans remember one year when the playing of the game was mandated by legislative decree. So, why can’t SCETV not be directed to show the game. That would negate the reasons given for not showing it.
Regardless, the outrage will, no doubt, turn to jubilation for the fans of this year’s winner. After all, it’s Carolina-Clemson. Forget the distractions. That pretty much says it all.