THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - VOL. 106
LAST ONES OUT - The beginning of the end of the Vietnam War began in March 1973. Among the last troops to leave was Claude Green, of Swainsboro, Ga. As one of the last 1100 combat troops to return home to the states, Specialist Four Green remarked, “The people of Nam were good. I am just glad to be out of it.” Boston Herald, March 30, 1973.
I LIKE IKE - Ray Brinson, a 36-year-old resident of Swainsboro, was proud of his community and proud of one of its greatest resources, the pine tree. He was determined to take a pine seedling and deliver it to the President of the United States, even he had to deliver it on foot. So when President Eisenhower spent his Christmas vacation at Augusta National Golf Club, Ray Brinson decided he would walk the 63-mile trek and hand deliver it to Eisenhower himself. Brinson set out walking north from U.S. Highway 1 in Swainsboro at noon, three days after Christmas, and arrived late the next day. After a much-needed rest, Brinson hoped to hand-deliver the prize seedling, but was met by the President’s aides, who presented it to Cliff Roberts, the Club Chairman, who instructed the groundskeepers to plant it on the clubhouse grounds. Omaha World Herald, December 31, 1953.
VOTE FOR DURDEN - To some, election ballots can be confusing. To the voters of Emanuel County in the autumn of 1957, the ballot was more confusing than usual. The incumbent Judge of the Court of Ordinary, known today as the Probate Court, had been appointed to the position. Judge Durden chose not to seek election for a full term, causing a special election to fill the vacancy. Running for the post were Kelmer Durden and Geroude Durden. When the ballots were counted, Kelmer Durden was declared the winner by 181 votes. Dallas Morning News, December 7, 1967.
POSTMASTER PRESIDENT - William C. Layton, Swainsboro’s postmaster, was chosen to lead the National League of Postmasters at their organization’s convention in the summer of 1960. Washington Evening Star, August 7, 1960.
AND THE WINNER OF IS - The people of Swainsboro were very proud of their community’s title as the “Turpentine Capital of the World.” So proud that they sponsored a farm queen contest. They were even able to secure Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin to travel to Swainsboro to announce the winner. After the elimination rounds, only Janice Ridgdill and Sarah Ellen Phillips remained. Ridgdill, described by a UP writer as pert and pretty, was the unanimous choice of the three judges. But, when Governor Griffin announced that Sarah Ellen Phillips, “a whiz in 4-H Club activities,” as the winner, the judges were shocked. When the opinions of the judges were made public, protests within the community abounded, even among the community’s most soft-spoken leaders. Ridgdill, an Oak Park junior, had her winning name removed from the judge’s envelope during a secret meeting of the Farm Bureau’s directors, reportedly because Sarah Ellen was more talented when it came to 4-H club activities. She accepted the decision with charm and grace, bowing out when the controversy began to expand. Later in the year, Janice proved her worthiness in 4-H activities by capturing the award for the most progress in the club during the year and a state award for her entomology project. Miss Phillips, the official winner and a senior from Graymont, felt sorry for Ridgdill but vowed to take the crown and carry on her assigned duties. Augusta Chronicle, 5.8, 12.26.55
THE LEADERS’ LEADER - The Jaycees, United States Junior Chamber of Commerce, make it their mission to train through community service to become leaders of their community. The state leaders of this national organization came together in Miami, Florida in 1951 to elect their national president. The delegates chose Lee Price, a Swainsboro, Ga., attorney and Coca-Cola executive. During World War II, Price worked for the OSS in Norway in espionage work and supervised European immigrants coming to the United States after the war. Price joined Coca-Cola in 1951. He was named Vice President of Personnel in 1954 and Vice President of Public Relations in 1960. Price tragically died in 1962 from a heart attack at the age of 44 years. Greensboro Daily News, June 9, 1951, Augusta Chronicle, February 8, 1962.
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