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Bus fares for
soldiers were
drastically reduced
during the summer of
1943. Roundtrip
service between
Greenville and Camp
Shenango was 20
cents. It cost 50
cents for the same
service to Sharon
and $1.00 for the
trip to Youngstown
and return.
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The camp flagpole
which sti II stands
along Route 18 was
fabricated at the
Creenville plant of
Chicago Bridge and
Iron Company. It
required some tricky
maneuvering to get
the 125-foot long
truck and special
rig through downtown
Greenville. The
colors were first
raised on this
flagpole in
September of 1943. |
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The Cleveland
Indians played and
defeated the post's
military police team
during their only
camp appearance. The
Indians were managed
by a still young Lou
Boudreau.
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Hiring of civilian
helpers began in
early December of
1942. Starting
salary for most
clerks, typists,
checkers, etc. was
$1,260 per year. |
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The first death on
the Camp Shenango
construction site
occurred 11 weeks
into the project
when a carpenter
named William Briggs
succumbed to a heart
attack. The first
actual construction
casualty came during
Christmas week in
1942 when
46-year-old Charles
Hoffman died when
his truck
overturned.
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The first member of
the Women's Army
Corps to be
stationed at
Reynolds was Lt.
Lydia Briggs of
Attleboro, MA. She
arrived February 6,
1944. |
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"This is Camp
Reynolds" was the
name of the radio
show broadcast on
Sundays during 1944
from WFMJ in
Youngstown. The
program was written,
directed and
narrated by Pfc. Bob
Greener who had been
affiliated with NBC,
CBS and the movie
industry in
Hollywood before
entering the
military.
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A Jamestown woman,
Elnore Prosser, was
chief operator of
the extremely busy
Camp Shenango
telephone exchange
operated by the
Signal Corps.
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The first fire at
Camp Shenango
occurred on December
28, 1942, leveling a
newly equipped mess
hall. An overheated
stove was to blame.
A week later the
first mess was
served at Camp
Shenango.
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During the last week
of November 1945 the
Greenville Business
Men's Association
asked Reynolds
officials to send
men and equipment
to clear ice ruts
and ridges from
borough streets so
that residents no
longer would have to
ask "which rut do
you take to Sharon?"
The army supplied
scarifiers, graders
and loaders to
handle the
emergency. |
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The biggest soldier
ever to be processed
through the camp was
Private Harold
(Tiny) Layefsky, a
one-time
Philadelphia
bartender and
semi-pro football
player. The 22 year
old GI stood six
feet seven inches in
his stocking feet,
weighed 270 pounds,
wore size 16-E
shoes, 42-37
trousers and a 17-37
shirt. |
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Fifty volunteers
from every regiment
made up the Camp
Reynolds drum and
bugle corps which
was believed to be
the first
representing the
entire army on any
post in the country.
The commander was
Major Royal C.
Wilson and the
director was Captain
Owen B. Gardner, who
at one time had been
with the Hal Kemp
orchestra.
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