Fire bomb raids wipe out heart of Tokyo

GUAM (AP) – The heart of Tokyo has been wiped out by the Superfortress fire bomb raids, 21st Bomber Command headquarters announced Wednesday while squadrons of the B-29’s were returning from an incendiary assault of Yokohama, new target for the big planes.

Maj. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, commander of the 21st Bomber Command, said photographs showed that the more than 21 square miles of Nippon’s capital, including the palace, lay in ashes as the result of six fire raids.

Nearly 500 Superforts hit Yokohama Tuesday in the biggest daylight aerial strike against Japan, igniting block after block of the port city with 3,200 tons of fire bombs.

The B-29’s from Marinas bases turned their fire-raiding attention to Yokohama for the first time after the attacks on Tokyo. The last two assaults on the capital city, Thursday and Saturday before dawn, dumped a total of 8,500 tons of incendiaries on industrial, business and governmental areas.

Rayon firm seeking location here

Fred Hart, president of the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, left today for New York where he will meet with an executive representative of a rayon corporation after a letter of inquiry on the possible establishment of that company’s business here was read to the board last night.

Hart appointed a committee composed of L. Quimby Hines, E.W. Staples and Dudley Rollins to secure all available information regarding the needs of the company, which is looking for a possible post-war expansion site.

Rexall plays up Joseph P. Hall’s

The May issue of Rexall Ad-Vantages, monthly magazine circulated nationally to the personnel of Rexall Drug Stores, devotes two pages to the Joseph P. Hall Drug Store, citing the progress which the store has made in recent years. A full length picture of the store front is shown in the article and four interior views.

…In commenting on the Suffolk store, the article states, &uot;Under the stable guidance of Manager Harrell (Jesse A. Harrell), they have more than doubled their volume in the past four years and in that period their purchases of merchandise have increased about fourfold.&uot;

Dr. John W. Pierce dies

Dr. John W. Pierce, son of the late Mr. James E. and Mrs. Lucy Lockett Pierce and husband of Mrs. Anna Pierce, died Monday, May 28, at 5:55 p.m. at Lakeview Hospital after several months of illness.

Funeral services will be held Thursday May 31 at 3:30 p.m. from the First Baptist Church, Mahan Street, with the Rev. E.E. Chappell officiating.

The body was removed to the T.E. Cooke Funeral Home where it will remain until 11 a.m. Thursday.

Pierce practiced in Suffolk for a number of years and was well known for his fair and honest dealings with all people.

…Aside from his widow, he is survived by Mrs. Pattie Washington, Misses Azalia and Erma Pierce, daughter, and Messers John Jr. Leland and Nicholas Pierce, son; a grandson, Leland Percelolous Pierce; and other relatives.

G.C. Mann of Cypress heads alumni group

G.C. Mann of Cypress Chapel was elected president of the Elon College Alumni Association at the meeting of the executive board of the college held at the college.

Suffolk boy in supply unit

Pvt. Lewis C. Miles, 117 Maury Place, is now serving overseas with the general engineer district in Manila, P.I., assigned as a clerk-typist in the supply division. He is now entitled to wear the Pacific-Atlantic ribbon.

Prior to entering the Army in September 1944, Miles was a shipping clerk employed with Producers’s Peanuts.

E.B. Vaughan’s auto is stolen

E.B. Vaughn of 129 1/2 Clay Street, Suffolk, reported to local police that his automobile was stolen from in front of his residence sometime between last night and 8 o’clock this morning.

The car is a brown Pontiac 1937-38 model

— Compiled by Allison T. Williams