By Ashlyn Tubbs, Clarendon Enterprise

 Joe Robinson is a man rarely seen without wearing his cowboy hat and a smile on his face. Leasing land from the JA Ranch for more than 40 years, he is known largely for his ranch work and accomplishments within the Donley County community, winning the Pioneer Man of the Year for 2009.

These are not considered his biggest achievements, though.

During one point in Robinson’s life, he was not sure if he would ever return to the United States, when he left his family in the Texas Panhandle during World War II to serve his country 20,000 feet off the ground.

“Nothing is pleasant when something like that happens,” he said. “It’s something you have to do, it’s not necessarily something you want to do. I’m proud of my service, and I’m proud of my country, so I didn’t flinch because I had to go.”

World War II veteran Joe Robinson of Clarendon with his medals for service to his country. Enterprise photo / Ashlyn Tubbs

Born in Hereford and raised in Denton County, Robinson graduated from Texas A&M in 1942, which he said reveals he is not a spring chicken. He became commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army and was sent to Ft. Knox, instead of Ft. Riley where he initially wanted to attend. Although he was disappointed at first, Robinson said he now views this as a blessing.

“They actually did me a favor,” he said. “Those who went to Ft. Riley trained with horses; and when they went overseas, they didn’t know they weren’t going to have their horses shipped to them.”

During his time at Ft. Knox, he trained with tanks for about six months until he discovered an opportunity he could not pass up.

“They were losing a lot of pilots and had started daylight bombing in Europe, and they needed pilots,” he said, “so I volunteered.”

Robinson began his pilot training in Florida and picked up a brand new airplane in Savanna, Ga. He flew with a 10-man crew to Nutscorner, Ireland, at age 21.

“If you don’t think that won’t get your attention out there over the ocean for about ten hours with nothing in sight,” he said, “you’re wrong.”

Robinson depended on a navigator, who was a graduate from Ohio State, to direct him to their proper destination.

“If you were two degrees off, you would miss the British Isles, if you got careless, and fly over France and get shot down before you ever got in combat,” he said. “The Germans didn’t care where you were from, they just wanted to shoot you down.”

His crewmembers consisted of three other officers and six gunners from states including Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey, California, Arkansas and Indiana. Promoted to lead pilot, the lives of these men became in Robinson’s hands.

“It was a lot of responsibility to be in charge of everyone, and I didn’t take it lightly because a lot of things depend on what you decide,” he said. “Your judgment has to be better than it should be.”

Once landing in Nutscorner, the crew members and Robinson took a train unto Belfast and the British furnished their breakfast, which consisted of hot tea and rock-hard navy beans.

“So we didn’t eat very much,” he said. “It was different when you stay in a foreign country for the first time with the different houses, vehicles, and everything. It was an experience.”

He vividly remembers his first night spent overseas.

“They put these huts in the fields and they scattered them so they would be hard to hit, and the first night I was there, the German’s plane got in there and bombed our barracks,” he said. “Luckily, the dropped bombs missed the barracks and just threw dirt and rocks all over them.”

“That kind of got our attention. We didn’t sleep very good that night. I went to the bomb shelter because I didn’t know whether there was going to be more or not. I didn’t know what was going on”

This would be only one of his many encounters with bombs. While in London during a three day pass, Robinson said 169 buzz bombs hit that night.

“It was the worst night of the war,” he said. “That evening, the train stopped going into London and I knew we weren’t at the station yet. Turns out, he stopped for a buzz bomb to go past. Those British people had to put up with a lot.”

Robinson’s first mission was to deliver supplies to the marquis for the French underground.

“We went down a valley and they said there would be smoke signals there,” he said, “so we dropped our supplies and we flew back over the mountain and people were just waving at us.”

He said that was a beautiful day, without a cloud in the sky. He got to view the Eifel Tower as they flew over Paris and remembers the pretty scenery with a twinkle in his eye.

“I wasn’t mad at anybody,” he said. “I was like, ‘Boy, this looks pretty peaceful’.”

However, right about then, his plane got hit with flack from another plane. That was all it took to change Robinson’s initial mindset.

“Four little ol’ holes came into the wing not far from me,” he said, “If it would have been over about three feet, it would’ve been right under me.”

Robinson flew a B17 plane complete with thirteen 50-caliber guns in formation with 36 other planes, sometimes his wing fitting almost inside another plane’s wing while turning.

“You had to pay attention,” he said. “You couldn’t be joking off, because if they turn, they didn’t always tell you and weather conditions also affected the formation. They won’t let you fly that close now-a-days, unless you are in the service. The closer the formation, the better fire power you have.”

Robinson and his crew flew formation during daytime, while the British flew at nighttime. He said the 24-hour bombing was relentless.

“I can see why those Germans would be mad at you if you got shot down,” he said. “You would hope the army got to you before the civilians did, because you’re tearing up their houses and killing their families.”

Robinson said the United States’ anger toward Germany was evident by how Munich had very little houses with roofs on them from the bombs.

“We just tore that city all to pieces,” he said. “Munich is now built on top of the rubble from all the bombings.”

Robinson and his crewmembers had plenty of close calls during their missions. He said they once got hit in the bomb bay and had 54 holes in the plane when he finally landed, but no one was hurt.

Another time, Robinson made a decision that saved their lives while making a raid on Munich. During the long flight, Robinson said the plane began to run out of gas. He immediately left the European coast and started letting down from 20,000 feet to a main landing place in England.

After calling in to receive permission to land, he was luckily right in front of the runway, but another plane flew into the other side of the landing, which had wounded aboard. Robinson decided to chance the landing and missed the opposite plane by about 20 seconds. He will never regret this decision.

“When I turned off the runway, I gave the outboard No. 4 engine the gas and it quit on me because it was out of gas,” he said. “And when I parked the plane, I gave the No.1 engine the gas to park it, and it was out of gas. So if I had tried to go around, I never would have made it. Things like that you remember.”

Although Robinson was able to keep all of his crew members safe, he lost two men from his crew after they filled in for another crew’s members: one was taken prisoner of war and survived, the other died in a plane crash.

“I got pretty attached to all of them,” he said. “The rest of my crew and I were lucky we never had much firing activity.”

Even though Robinson went on 30 missions, he said the only thing that became routine was making sure everyone set their watches by the second because two or three seconds could make a huge difference in their formation. He said his bravery largely came from being in his twenties.

“When you’re young, you don’t worry much,” he said. “I thought I was bulletproof, and I guess I was because I never did get a Purple Heart.”

Another close call Robinson experienced was during his last raid, one he said made him sweat. The raid was on Berlin, and German fighters hiding in the sunlight knocked down 13 of their 36 planes.

“I never did worry much until the last mission,” he said, “and then I thought, ‘I want to go home’.”

Robinson did not have to wait much longer. After surpassing the required 100 points by seven from his missions ran and medals received, he was released to return home after serving three-and-a-half years.

“It was great to get back into the United States,” he said. “I came back with a whole bunch of troops and I was greeted once I got to Amarillo. My folks were in Dalhart then.”

Robinson’s favorite part of the war by far was returning home, he said.

“Home is always the best place,” he said. “There’s always some place that may look a little greener on the other side, but I don’t know whether it is or not once you get there.”

In honor of his service, Robinson has received three separate medals for his many missions completed and surviving the war.

“Now they’re pretty tarnished,” he said. “They wouldn’t pass inspection.”

He even received a medal from the French for helping raid the Germans.

“When the Frenchman awarded me with that medal, he kissed both my cheeks,” he said. “I didn’t know whether to break and run or hit him.”

Robinson is the only remaining survivor of his crew. He said he kept in touch and even exchanged Christmas cards with most of them up until their deaths.

He believes in the importance of veterans sharing their experiences with younger generations in order to prevent future mistakes and wars.

“I want them to find out what happened where they won’t get in the same mess we were in, because it’s no fun,” he said. “It’s a shame to kill so many young people and tear up so much. Killing people was worse that tearing up the town.”

After hearing Robinson’s war stories, his wife, Ruth Robinson, feels indebted to the young men like her husband and brothers who served in the war.

“I’ve really appreciated it and found out all that WWII was about,” she said. “Back then, I did not know. I guess when you’re that age in high school, you just didn’t understand. I realize how much we owe these young kids who flew over there, taking off over that big, dark ocean. I had no idea back then about the sacrifices they made. “

Without the service of crews such as Robinson’s during WWII, he said the US would be speaking German today.

“Freedom is not free,” he said. “Someone had to pay for it.”

A giant arrow sculpture was installed at the Saints’ Roost Museum Friday to put Donley County on the Quanah Parker Trail of the 52-county Texas Plains Trail Region. A formal dedication will be held in September. Shown here are Donley County Attorney Landon Lambert with sculptor Charles Smith. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack

The Clarendon High School Junior Historians Chapter 807 was named first runner-up as Outstanding Texas Chapter for the 2013 school year. The award is given by the Texas State Historical Association in recognition of a chapter’s efforts to preserve local history, promote civic involvement, and conduct research. Pictured are the newly elected 2014 officers left to right: President Minnie Buckhaults, Vice president Emberli Holland, Secretary Emily Martinez, Treasurer Lee Buckhaults, Reporter Darbe Woodard, and Historian Rhonda Olivas. Courtesy Photo / Lyndal Gillen.

Hedley’s Bufford Holland helped prepare the Rowe Cemetary for the Memorial Day Service. Courtesy photo / Hedley Yearbook

Austin Adams, with a grade point average of 97.75, is this year’s valedictorian. He is the son of Lon and Nicki Adams and has been very active in FFA and is a member of the state qualifying livestock judging team. He has been Hedley FFA Chapter president and also has served as the Greenbelt District secretary his junior year.

Adams has been president of his class all 4 years and has been NHS president his junior and senior years. Adams played football for four years and received all-district honors. He also played tennis all four years, qualifying for regionals his junior and senior years.

Adams will attend Clarendon College, where he has received a Livestock Judging Scholarship and will major in Animal Science.

Coltin G. Kingston is this year’s salutatorian with a grade point average of 97.3065. He is the son of Jim and Tashell Kingston and played football for four years, receiving multiple all-district honors all four years, all-region honors his junior year, and all-state honors his senior year. He also played basketball for four years; receiving all-district honors his sophomore and senior years.

Kingston ran track one year. He also participated in one- act play for two years, receiving all-star cast in zone and district his sophomore and senior years.

He also participated in FFA all four years and served as the class of 2013 treasurer.

Kingston plans to play football for Wayland Baptist this fall while seeking a degree in Fitness Management Composite.

The magnetic north pole has moved little since it was first discovered by scientists in 1831. Then in 1904, about the time that Teddy Roosevelt’s administration kicked into high gear, the pole began shifting to the northeast, which just happens to be to the right on a map of the US, at about nine miles a year – which is almost light speed in geological time.

Fred Gray.

At the end of Reagan’s administration, and the beginning of Daddy Bush’s term, it sped up again. Then in 2007, close to the end of Dubya’s two “compassionate conservative” terms, scientists verified that it again sped up to its current speed of 34 to 37 miles a year. That folks, is faster than warp speed in geological time.

Now, in the interest of scientific accuracy, it must be noted that the scientist blame the shift on changes in the earth’s inner core, which is composed of a solid iron center surrounded by a rapidly spinning liquid metal, and climate change.

Well, we can’t do too much about the earth’s core, but we can address climate change, and the causes of said climate change – more particularly global warming. Republicans, and most of the tea party Republicans, have long denied global warming and its causes. Naturally, most tea party types remain true to their early Neanderthal roots and continue to deny man made global warming.

The movement of the geographical North Pole works something like this: the Earth is a spinning sphere that is irregularly shaped, thus causing it to wobble. The wobble is called the Chandler Wobble, and results in a southeasterly movement of the North Pole by about six centimeters every 433 days. The Chandler Wobble is thought to be the result of changes in pressure at the bottom of the oceans caused by fluctuations in salinity, temperature, and ocean circulation – all are also negatively affected by global warming.

So, as you can see, the right wing of the Republican Party, better known as the tea partiers, must take some of the blame for the movement of both north poles, since they refuse to do anything useful in mitigating the deleterious effects of the aforementioned climate change, a.k.a., global warming.

Even more daunting are the recent suggestions that our junior non-Texan, Texas Senator Ted Cruz may be lining up a run for the presidency in 2016. Yikes! As you may or may not know, non-Texan Texas Senator Cruz is absolutely aghast that anyone still believes in climate change and global warming, especially after his previous pontifications on the subject. According to his thinking, climate change is a left-wing conspiracy designed to separate folks from their guns and their God. After all, according to Senator Cruz, all non-right wing ideologies are defacto left-wing conspiracies designed to separate folks (mostly God-fearing Texans) from their guns and their God.

Personally, I think we ought to take every opportunity we can to disparage our non-Texan Texas Senator Ted Cruz. The man, is after all, a Yankee dressed in sheep’s clothing. Granted, he was Dubya’s attack dog, and was mighty good at it. I will admit that I just do not like the man. He’s rude, full of himself, and does not represent what I think are good Texas attributes.

I also think he is dangerous. He most assuredly is not a consensus builder and does not work well within his own party, much less the opposing party – which, unfortunately, also has many flaws. Ted Cruz is an ideologue of the worst sort. He is smart enough to think that he is omniscient, yet deeply flawed enough to be unaware of what it takes to be a good leader. After all, he has never had to govern. He has basically been a hired gun to advocate Dubya’s policies and positions in front of various courts throughout the land, and to gut the opposition in the process.

Of course, almost all of the tea party types deny the truth of climate change and global warming, even in the face of continuing scientific evidence that indicates that global warming is real and is getting worse. Unfortunately, it probably doesn’t matter as much as it once did. Scientific studies indicate that it will now take several thousand years to undo the damage caused by man-made climate change. I’m fairly certain that neither I nor my immediately following descendants will live to see any improvement whatsoever.

So, as both poles move eastward towards Greenland, we may witness unusual and miraculous natural phenomena as we go boldly into the future. Who knows, maybe the Rocky Mountains will follow along behind, pulled along by the rapidly moving magnetic field? Wouldn’t that be something?

Even more frightening, non-Texan, and tea party darling, Texas’ Junior Senator Cruz might actually win the presidency.

Vendors and family activities will be on hand when the party starts in front of the theatre at 5 p.m.

Howardwick musicians and singers Steve Hall and Jesse Lincycomb will open for “Insufficient Funds” at 5 p.m. and to start a great evening of family entertainment, and folks will be encouraged to bring their lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the music and the celebration.

Howardwick musicians and singers Steve Hall and Jesse Lincycomb will start a great evening of family entertainment, and folks are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the music and the celebration.

“Insufficient Funds” of Amarillo will set the mood for the evening, playing music from 6 to 9 p.m. The group was named the Best Band in Amarillo for 2012 by readers of the Amarillo Globe-News. Whether you’re a fan of country or classic rock, there’s a good chance you’ll hear your favorite tune when “Insufficient Funds,” led by Chuck Alexander with Mary Lyn Hailey, Vic Richardson and Dean Yates, hits the stage.

Non-profit food booths will be set up, and a classic car show is being sponsored by Herring Bank and will feature vehicles from the 1940s to the 1980s, the years the Mulkey was in operation

Commemorative T-shirts will be available for sale, and officials plan to have the theatre itself open during the Block Party for tours so folks can have a look inside the building and learn about plans for renovating the interior..

For more information about the Block Party, call Chandra Eggemeyer at the Clarendon Visitor Center at 806-874-2421.

In reviewing the city bills, Alderman Abby Patten raised concerns about $8,169 in unemployment claims that had been paid to former employees. At least one of those, she said the city administrator at the time had assured the board there would be no claim on because the employee had quit.

City Secretary Machiel Covey said her records show that employee was dismissed, and Patten and Alderman Debbie Roberts said the city should appeal the issue with the Texas Workforce Commission. Covey said she had done that already, and the commission had ruled against the city.

“We’re being blamed by the citizens and the paper for wasting $30,000 to fire Lambert [Little], but here is $8,169 that we didn’t even know about,” Patten said, addressing Mayor Larry Hicks and Covey.

Alderman Will Thompson said the issue was over since Covey had already appealed the claims.

“Once it’s been through arbitration, you’re done,” Thompson said.

The board later took up the city’s employee overtime policy again, and Roberts’ desire to see employees receive overtime compensation for emergency calls after hours and on weekends regardless of whether they have already put in 40 hours that week. Covey said she had checked with other cities to see if anyone paid overtime prior to an employee putting in 40 hours. After some discussion, the board agreed to take the issue up at a future meeting to try to craft a definite policy that would cover emergency compensation.

Clarendon Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Chandra Eggemeyer gave the city a first quarter report on the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax and updated the board on CEDC activities, and Mayor Hicks reported on city projects and said the sanitation department had received a $13,500 grant for a new baler.

“The Amarillo Venom just want to give back to the people that give so much to us,” Amarillo Venom owner Stephanie Tucker said. “Whether they are first responders, firefighters, police officers or military, these are the people that help keep this nation safe. By giving them free tickets to our June 1st ‘Superhero Night’ we will be honored to recognize them for all that they do for us.”

For more information on the Amarillo Venom, fans can visit www.govenom.com or “Like” the Amarillo Venom Facebook page, or contact the Amarillo Venom office at 806-350-7277.

A prayer service and rosary were held on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at 7:30 PM. No Mass is scheduled at this time.

Cremation & arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Mary was born March 2, 1929, in Redwing, MN to William “Bill” and Leona Redding. She married Joe Giesler on June 7, 1986 in Amarillo and together they moved from Amarillo to Howardwick in 1994. She retired from Plastech working as a Quality Control Inspector.

Mary Giesler

She and Joe also managed mobile home parks in Amarillo for several years. Mary had numerous hobbies including sewing, crocheting, traveling, and trying new recipes. She was an avid reader and a wonderful cook. She was a member of the choir at both St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Clarendon and Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Amarillo, where she also served as President of the Alter Society.

She was preceded in death by her son, Alan Featherstone; her step son, James Giesler; and her grandson, Adam Sibet.

She is survived by her husband, Joe Giesler, of Howardwick; her son, Dean Featherstone and wife Diane, of Mora, MN; 3 step sons, John Giesler and wife Sharon, of Kansas City, Joe Giesler and wife Lisa, of Houston, and Jeff Giesler of Amarillo; her daughter, Susan Carson of Howardwick; 13 grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren.