Megargel High School - Mustang Yearbook (Megargel, TX)

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O V HAMPTON I was born three m1les northwest of Megargel Texas ln Baylor County on March 31 1912 My parents were John and Joseph1ne Riley Hampton They were farmers and thelr farm was on the l1ne of Archer and Baylor Countles My f1rst two years of schoolmg were at Seaborn ln Baylor County between Megargel and Westover two and one half mlles southwest from where I llved We walked the dlstance to school I then attended school IH Megargel unt1l I graduated The flrst years at Megargel we rode ln a buggy but later on we rode the school bus whlch my father drove After graduatlon I stayed home and helped my parents on the farm unul I marrled I marrled BCSSIC Maye Baker of Olney Texas on June 25 1934 m the parsonage of the Flrst Baptlst Church m Jacksboro Texas by Bro A R Brllberry who was the pastor of the Flrst Baptlst Church at that txme fWe v1s1ted Bro Blllberry ln Jacksboro on our 50th weddlng annlversary J After we marrled we made our home ln Megargel where I worked at the cotton gm d1d other odd Jobs and worked 1n the o1l field 1n the Archer County area In early 1936 I went to Ada Oklahoma and worked m the o1l f1eld there In the later part of 19361 went to Monahans Texas and worked there and other parts of West Texas as well as Hobbs New Mexrco In 1942 I came back to Megargel where I bought a house and lot from H T Halle and contmued to work m the o1l f1e1d and odd jobs I was roughneckmg and l1v1ng 1n Graham Texas when I was drafted 1nto Walters Mmeral Wells Texas Iwas then sent to Fort Bhss at E1 Paso Texas where I tramed ln Radar and Search hghts m the Ant1 craft I was then sent to Camp Stewart near Savannah Georgla where I tramed 1n twenty mllhmeter guns I was then sent to Fort Jackson at Columbla North Carolma tra1n1ng ln the lnfantry then was sent to Fort George Meade near Washmgton D C I then went to Camp Mlles Standash m Mass We salled for Germany 1n December 1944 out of Boston Mass After seven days at sea we landed m Llverpool England rode a tram to South Hampton and crossed the Englxsh Channel on a Hmdu boat landmg at Le Harve France I saw my flrst combat ln the Battle of the Bulge w1th the Flrst Army Nmth D1v1s1on 60th Regt wh1ch was the Walkmg Infantry I was wounded by rlfle f1re1n the leg on February 28 1945 Just after crosslng the Roer Rwer on a foot pontoon brrdge on a dark mght I was sent to the 203 General Hospltal ln Parls France After I was released from the hospltal I rejolned my outflt whrch was 1n the Hartz Mountams 1n Germany When the war wrth Germany ended I was 75 mlles from Berlln. From the tlme the war ended m Germany to December 1945 I served m the Army of Occupatlon . , . y x - - 9 9 , - - - . . u ' . 9 . 9 , . . . , , , . , , . . . . y . 9 ' 9 9 9 ' 9 9 , . 9 ' ' 9 . . . . , , . the Army in February 1944. I spent the first two weeks in the army at Camp 9 . 9 ' . 9 9 , , . , . . . . ' 9 9 , . . . . 9 9 9 ' 9 9 9 9 ' ' C6 99 ' . . . . . . U . ,, , , . . . 9 . . . . . y , . 9 9 9 '

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Second Lreutenant Hale Executrve Offrcer A Company was rn the frrst wave of armored amphrbs that led the Frrst Marme Drvrsron onto the beach on Pelelreu on September 15 1944 where they encountered the frercest frghtrng yet rn the Pacrfrc Lt Hale was wounded rn the face and left shoulder by bullet splrnters on the 27th of September 1944 but recerved frrst ard and returned to hrs unrt the next mornrng Pelelreu was secured after twenty erght terrrble days and after some 10 700 .laps were krlled by actual count The Frrst Marme Drvrsron lost 1 121 Ckrlled rn actronj 6 336 wounded and 73 mrssrng Lt Hale s battalron had only two operatronal Amphrb Tracts left after the operatron Lt Hale and 200 men of hrs battalron went back to Pavuvu sometrme late rn October 1944 where they got new replacements and began trarnrng to take Okmawa Before gorng to Pelelreu the 3rd Armored Drvrsron sent an offrcer to Pearl Harbor for therr whrsky shares whrch they drd not recerve untrl after the Pelelreu operatron Each offrcer had wrlled hrs share to hrs buddres just rn case Lt Hale and two of hrs tent mates Lts Robrnson and Varley recerved 9 shares all told C30 Qts per sharej together and havrng no offrcer s tent flys Lt Hale agarn was rn the frrst wave to assault Okmawa Aprrl 1 1945 as Thrrd Platoon A CC O J commander Okmawa was secured fmally on June 22 1945 Lt Hale had recerved hrs promotron to lst Lt when on Okrnavta He returned to Guam where he was berng sent home on pornts when the war ended He was promoted to Captarn on September 10 1951 and retrred the 8th of May 1957 wrth the rank of Captarn U S M C R lst Lt Hale was separated from actrve duty February 17 1946 and returned to the farm at Westover Bobbre became a L V N Ernest served as Countx Commrssroner C1964 19721 Durrng hrs term a new Court House and Hosprtal were constructed Ernest and Bobbre strll resrde at Westover where they farm and rarse a fevs cattle He has been an outdoorsman all hrs lrfe and has krlled over 140 bucks whrch mrght be some sort of a record They both love Brrttany Brrd Dogs and have rarsed at least a dozen of them Ernest loves to hunt quarl wrth dogs mostly enjoys workrng wrth and watchrng the dogs He and Jake Cockrell burlt one of the frrst coyote callers just before World War II They were qurte successful rn callrng and krllrng scores of coyotes and bobcats Had they patented therr caller they mrght be wealthy now srnce varmrnt callers are so numerous There are only Ernest Vrrgrnra and Whrt left now of the Wrll Hale Famrly Ernest and Bobbre have retrred now, strll lrve at Westover and rent therr farm out Telephone IS Megargel 563 3457 g - , . . 7 9 5 Y 1 a n s , - 1 . v n , 9 D Y ' ' 9 3 . 1 4 L as 1 ,, n I 1 stu . ,, . . . . , . , . . . , ' 5 club, stacked it in their tent, causing them to have to sleep nearly under the , 4 u 1 , p ' . 9 9 l , , . . . . . ' 9 7 3 , .

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When I came home I landed rn New York Clty at hrgh noon January 1 1946 After three days rn Camp Krllmer New Jersey I was sent by tram to Camp Fannm Tyler Texas where I was dlscharged as a Buck Sergeant After berng drscharged from the Army I went back to my home tn Megargel dorng odd Jobs and workrng rn the o1l freld On August 15 1952 I went to work for L T Burns O11 Company as a roughneck On January 5 1953 I went to work for the same company as a roustabout rn productron I work ed as a roustabout and gang pusher for four and one half years and then started pumprng on the D L Btshop lease frve mlles northeast of Megargel for the same company I started pumpmg on July 5 1957 and worked as a pumper unt1l Burns O11 Company retrred me on March 31 1977 In 1972 I bought four acres of land out of the southwest corner of the George Key place just outsrde of the northeast corner of the town of Megargel I moved the house that I had bought from H T Halle for the four acres and added on to rt We moved rnto the house rn January 1973 where we are l1v mg at the present trme BCSSIC Maye and I have one son R11ey V Hampton born October 25 1939 ln Odessa Texas Rrley graduated from Megargel Hrgh School as Valedrc torlan of hrs class on May 24 1957 Exactly 28 years after I graduated rn the same school Rtley attended college 1n Denton, Texas and Baton Rouge La He has a B A and a Masters Degree Bessle Maye and I plan to celebrate our 55 weddrng anmversary on June 25 1989 9 9 9 ' 9 9 9 9 9 - 9 9 ' 9 9 . . . , , . . , - 9 , . , . . . , ' 9 9 ' 9 - 9 9 9 ' ' , . . , . , .