Subscribe
JACKSON, Miss. —Maj. Gen. Augustus L. Collins, the adjutant general of Mississippi, took time Aug. 7, to recognize and honor the service of WWII veteran Richard Paynes of Centerville, Miss.
Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Richard Lambert, a 28-year Army veteran from Clinton, Miss. was visiting the G. V. Sonny Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson one day, and learned of Paynes situation. Lambert took it upon himself to have Paynes’ military records corrected to reflect the proper awards and decorations. After months of corresponding with the Army Lambert succeeded in obtaining the awards and medals Paynes had earned while serving in the WWII Theater of Operations. He contacted the Mississippi National Guard to help present the awards to Paynes.
Shaking hands with Paynes, Collins told him that it was such an honor to be able to present the awards the veteran had earned over 60 years ago. “Your duty during World War II was significant; the Red Ball Express is credited historically as a significant contribution to the Allied Victory in Europe during the war, and you were very much a part during that time in our history.” The general then proceeded by pinning the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars, and the World War II Victory Medal, on Paynes’ chest.
Paynes was among the nearly 75 percent of all Red Ball Express drivers, who were African American. “Red Ball Express” was the Army code name for a truck convoy system that stretched from St. Lo in Normandy to Paris and eventually to the front along France’s northeastern borderland. The route was marked with red balls.
On an average day, according to Department of Defense archives, 900 fully loaded vehicles were on the Red Ball route around-the-clock with drivers officially ordered to observe 60-yard intervals and a top speed of 25 miles per hour.
At the Red Ball's peak, 140 truck companies were strung out with a round trip taking 54 hours as the route stretched nearly 400 miles to First Army and 350 to Patton's Third. Convoys rolled all day every day regardless of the weather. Night driving was hard because of blackout rules.
“I really liked General Patton,” Paynes told Collins. “He was a very good general, we all liked him.”
Paynes’ wife, Martha remembered meeting her husband of 68 years when he returned home from the war.
“Oh, he was so handsome and I noticed him right away,” said the 80-year-old wife and mother of 12 children. “Life was tough some times, but we have had a very good life; we still live in the very same place we grew up, and he still enjoys sitting on the front porch.”
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2013 10:47 |
| Story ID: | 111562 |
| Location: | JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Hometown: | JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 143 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mississippi WWII veteran receives war medals 70 years after service, by Sandra Ates, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
