Published 1:15am Saturday, November 13, 2010
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
Thirteen authors who either live in Covington County or are from here were on hand for a reception and signing party, “The Stories We Tell,” at the Andalusia Public Library Friday.
The event was part of Absolutely Andalusia: Homecoming 2010.
Participants included:
• Roland Pittman of Gantt, who has written both a biography and several novels. “My biography is mostly about Andalusia, because I was born here 82 years ago,” he said. Most of his work is fiction.
• Claude Keenam, whose books include “Search for the Loony Man,” “Perils in the Belgian Congo,” and “The Secret.”
• Wyley Ward, who has published 23 books of Covington County history.
• Les Roberts, author of “The Poison Plum.”
• J. Cooper, author of “Designs in the Sand.”
• John Givhan, author of “Rice and Cotton.”
• Jim Bundy, author of “Of Rebels ‘n’ Rednecks,” and “Brother Robert.”
• Charlie Thompson, author of “If Rednecks had been the Chosen People.”
• Josephine Mosdell, author of “The World War II Memories of an English Child,” and “A Soft and Quiet Look at Andalusia.”
• Sally Patton Hall, author of the children’s books “The Cat Who Could Tell Time,” and
“Everything Got Bigger.”
• Donna Taylor, author of “Coming Home on Highway 84: Weaving in and out, through the tapestry of our lives.”
• Sue Bass Wilson, who published a book especially for the event, “Historical Riding Tour Through Andalusia, Alabama.”
• Sidney Waits, author of 12 historical titles of Covington County and Ft. Walton history.
• Roy Windham, author of “Uncle Fuddy Duddy Rabbit Tales,” “Uncle Fuddy-Duddy Learns to Fly,” and Uncle Fuddy-Duddy and the Big Bad Bear.”
Published 12:00am Saturday, November 13, 2010
By Kendra Bolling
Andalusia Star News
Alabama’s Assistant Director of Homeland Security was featured as the guest speaker at the Andalusia Middle School Veterans Day program Friday.
Davis, an Opp native and retired Army colonel, kept his address brief.
“I remember when I was in middle school,” he said. “Programs such as these were typically boring, so I’m going to try not to do that.”
Davis was instrumental in establishing operations in the nation’s first Hom-eland Security operation.
He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point where her earned a degree and was commissioned into the U.S. Army. He now holds a doctorate in public administration and public policy from Auburn. He served for 30 years on active duty as worked on a variety of assignments ranging from human resources director for the Second Armored Division “Hell on Wheels” to inspector General.
Davis compared being in the military to being on a football team.
“We all have to work together,” he said. “Veterans come for all walks of life.”
Davis showed clips from “Saving Private Ryan,” specifically the scenes where Tom Hanks tells the young solider to “earn it,” and then he dies.
At the end of his speech, Davis showed a final clip that shows the young soldier some 50 years later in which he and his family visit the cemetery where Hanks’ character was laid to rest.
The veteran speaks to the marker telling Hanks’ character he hopes he earned it, meaning he hopes he lived his life to the fullest and made him proud.
Davis encouraged the crowd to “earn” their right to live a free life.
Additionally, attendees were treated to patriotic musical pieces including a solo performance of “God Bless the USA” by AMS president Hampton Glenn and the AMS band played “Armed Forces on Parade” and other tunes.
Afterward, the veterans were treated to a reception in the cafeteria.
Published 12:04am Saturday, November 13, 2010
By Kendra Bolling
Andalusia Star News
Flying is what Rob Holland knows best, after all, he’s been doing it for nearly 20 years.
Today, Andalusians will have the opportunity to see him in action as part of his “Ultimate Air Shows” gig, which is one of the highlights of the 2010 Andalusia-Opp Air Show being held at the South Alabama Regional Airport.
“I’ve been doing air shows for eight years,” he said Friday. “So far this year we’ve done 24 shows all over the U.S. and Canada, and this is our last show (for the year).” Holland and company have performed in the New England area as far north as New Hampshire and into Ontario and as far south as Cocoa Beach, Fla.
Holland’s obsession with aviation and aerobatics came at a young age, he said.
“My father took me to an air show where I saw an airplane flying upside down,” he said. “It’s something I knew I had to do.”
He became a licensed pilot when he was 18 and has accumulated more than 9,500 hours of flight time in more than 156 different types of aircraft including Piper Cubs, gliders and high performance aerobatic machines.
Holland’s accomplishments and awards range from advanced world aerobatic champion to United States National Unlimited Freestyle Champion.
During the Andalusia show, Holland will pilot a North Carolina built MX2, which has a more than 385 horsepower aerobatic engine, with a maximum speed of 253 mph.
Holland’s show includes maneuvers such as “hammer heads,” where the aircraft flies straight up, nearly stops and comes back down again, so it’s no surprise his motto is “fly it like you stole it.”
“I’ll be doing a solo performance and a formation act,” Holland said. “Each act is about 12 minutes long.”
Air Show Schedule:
• 9 a.m. – Gates open
• Noon – Opening Ceremonies
• 12:15 Army Silver Wings Rag Jump
• 12:12 Army Silver Wings Parachute Team
• 12:30 Greg Koontz & the Alabama Boyz
• 12:50 Jack Knutson Extra 300 Aerobatics.
• 1 p.m. Jet Van Run 1
• 1:25 Sky Soldiers “Rescue at Dawn” demonstration
• 1:45 Greg Koontz Decathlon demonstration
• 2 p.m. Rob Holland Window World MX-2 Aerobatics
• 2:15 U.S. Coast Guard demonstration
• 2:30 Skip Stewart Pitts Aerobatics
• 2:45 Army Silver Wings Parachute Team
• 3 p.m. Firebirds Xtreme Aerobatic Team
• 3:20 Jet Van Run 2
• 3:30 Air Force A-10A Thunderbolt II Demonstration
• 3:50 Martin McDaniel in Concert
• 5:10 Fireworks Finale
Parking, shuttle information:
State Troopers and Sheriff’s deputies will be on Hwy. 84 directing attendees where to go for parking.
Airport staff will park vehicles. Areas of
parking will include SiTel, all of the land east of SiTel, airport entrances 1, 2 and 3.
Covington Area Transit System (CATS) will provide shuttle transportation to and from the air show at Andalusia-Opp Airport Saturday.
The pickup points will be:
• CATS main office building on Hillcrest Drive;
• SiTel parking lots; and
• Airport Road Entrance 2 and Entrance 3.
Fares are $1 per round trip. Children 1 and under may ride free. No appointments needed.
Call 334-428-2669 if you have questions.
The shuttles will be run from 8 a.m.until 8 p.m.
Published 12:02am Saturday, November 13, 2010
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
A Covington County native and Flying Tiger who died heroically in China was honored Friday when the firehouse of the South Alabama Regional Airport was dedicated in his honor.
The Flying Tigers was the nickname of the American Volunteer Group (AGV) recruited and commanded by Gen. (ret.) Claire Chennault to defend China from Japanese invasion. They went quietly to China before the United States entered World War II. Ben Crum Foshee was among the 100 pilots recruited.
Foshee was recruited by Gen. Chennault in the officer’s club in Miami. In China, he became Gen. Chennault’s personal pilot and friend.
“Ben was my favorite uncle,” Wheeler Foshee has said of his father’s baby brother.
The elder Foshee took a movie camera with him to China, and the family has some of his films.
In the summer of 1942, Wheeler Foshee spent the night with his grandmother and aunt. He recalled that the next morning, his grandmother looked out the window and saw a family acquaintance. Immediately she said, “It’s Ben.”
The friend had read on the front page of The Montgomery Advertiser that Ben Crum Foshee had been killed six weeks earlier, on May 4, 1942, when the Japanese attacked his group. Foshee was running to his aircraft when they were hit. He was wounded in the leg and bled to death before a doctor could get to him.
He was buried in China, but in 1946, his father paid a retired Navy commander to go to China and bring his son’s body home.
The Foshee family received personal letters of sympathy not only from the Chennaults, but also from Gen. Chiang Kai-shek and his wife.
“My grandmother completely lost her mind after Ben’s death,” Wheeler Foshee recalled. Ben was buried in the Fairmount Church Cemetery. His tomb was placed so that she could see it without getting out of her car. She was later institutionalized.
Wheeler and Crum Foshee were among those at the dedication.
“This was wonderful,” Wheeler Foshee said afterward. “This was the nicest thing that could happen to my Grandpa George and Grandma Ella, even though it was 65 years after it happened.”
Crum Foshee, who was named for his uncle, said the family was very proud.
“I was 4 years old when he was killed, and I well remember the emotion in the family,” he said. “He always was a hero with us.”
Crum Foshee said he has a son and a grandson who also carry their hero-uncle’s name.
Andalusia native Richard Daniel and Covington Historical Society president Sue Wilson led the efforts to have a memorial for Foshee at the airport.
Others on the program were the Rev. Mary Ann Gantt-Carter, Red Level Mayor Mike Purnell and airport board chairman Larry Presley. The Red Level High School band provided music. Jared Decker represented Ben Foshee’s Auburn University social fraternity, Sigma Pi, and Lt. Col. Rob Sweet of Moody Air Force Base’s 3rd Pursuit Squadron – a “descendent” of the Flying Tigers. Sweet said members of the unit wear the emblem of the Flying Tigers on Fridays.
Published 1:13am Saturday, November 13, 2010
By Michele Gerlach
Andalusia Star News
A standing-room-only crowd turned out Thursday night for “Andalusia in Revue,” a history of the area told in story and song and written specifically for the city’s Absolutely Andalusia: Homecoming 2010 event.
Sue Bass Wilson and Paula Sue Duebelt, Andalusia natives and members of the AHS Class of 1965, penned and staged the performance which included more than 200 participants.
Narrated by Roger LeCompte, Curtis Simpson, Sue Bass Wilson and Joe Wingard, the show included opera, bluegrass and audience sing-alongs and featured ballet, square dancing and hula-hoops.