Take a look back at Franklin County’s history through news and photos that appeared in local newspapers 25, 50, and 100 years ago on Aug. 8.
25 Years Ago
August 8, 1994 – Monday
“After 50 years, they’re vets at Reunion”
Fifty years ago, members of the 838th Ordnance Depot Company were in Europe after D-Day.
This weekend, the World War II veterans gathered at the Howard Johnson Lodge in Chambersburg to reminisce about their war days during their 40th annual reunion. Les Myers, Fayetteville, hosted the first reunion of the 838th in Chambersburg with the help of sons-in-law Palmer Rhine and Jim Replogle.
“We’re having a great time. Everything’s going good,” Myers said. “It’s really something.” The 838th was a supply division, according to Dick McCheney, who traveled from Orlando, Fla. The company provided armed units with weapons, vehicles, munitions and other supplies.
While not among the soldiers involved in the D-Day invasion, the 838th landed on Utah Beach on Aug. 2, 1944, moving through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany before leaving Europe in late June 1945.
Its members were mostly from eastern Pennsylvania, according to John Fox of Falls Church, Va., but almost every state was represented in the group. Of the original 170 members, 22 turned out for the weekend long reunion, many accompanied by wives, children and grandchildren.
“We’ve been coming so long that when we first started, the kids were 6 and 7 years old.” said Philadelphia vet Charles Teichman, who attended with his daughter and three grandchildren. We bright them, and now they bring us.”
Every year, the group loses more members, Teichman said. Most recent was Bernard Kersting from Ohio, who died in mid-July. Kersting had been the driving force behind the group’s first reunion in 1954. held in Weirton, W.Va.
Seventy-nine members are still alive.
Since then, members have taken turns 1 hosting the event. The group has met in Gettysburg, Atlanta, Reading, Mount Vernon and Manassas. Va.. and other eastern locations.
Some members toured the Gettysburg battlefield on Saturday. Others toured the old Jail at King and Second streets m Chambersburg. But many of the veterans opted to stay at the lodge and visit with each other.
Teichman said the “kids” of the group are now about 69 years old. Older members are in the late 70s.
While the vets caught up with family news and reminisced about war days, the youngsters amused themselves at the swimming pool.
“We schedule our vacations around it,” McCheney said. “I like to relive some of the old,” Teichman said. He joked that many of the vets would have liked to join in the D-Day celebration in Europe earlier this summer, but “we’re all on some sort of medication we’d have to go with a barrel of pills!”
50 Years Ago
August 8, 1969 – Friday
“Groups Invited to Get-together”
An invitation to auxiliary of Fort Morris Barracks 2274, Veterans of World War I, and members of the barracks, to join Chambersburg groups in a late summer picnic, Aug 26, at Forty and Eight, near Chambersburg, was announced in the August meeting.
Mrs. Mary Martin and Mrs. Nellis Brindle reported on the Department of Pennsylvania World War I convention in Pittsburgh, with Mrs. Brindle. East Garfield Street, elected junior vice president of the department.
The next meeting of the two groups will be Sept. 2 in Shippensburg VFW Home.
100 Years Ago
August 8, 1919 – Friday
“COUNTY DOCTORS TO MEET AT MOUNTAIN”
The regular monthly meeting of the Medical Society of Franklin County will be held on Tuesday, August 19, at 4 p. m. at Piney Mountain Inn. A large attendance is anticipated. Following the business session a dinner will be served, beginning at 6:30 o’clock.
Subjects for discussion have been outlined as follows:
Prof. Arthur C. Morgan, M. D., of the Staff of Blockley Hospital, Philadelphia, on “Tuberculosis In the Army.”
Prof. Milton B. Hartzell. M. IX, professor of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, on “Tuberculosis Involving the Skin.”
John It. Minehart, M. D., of Philadelphia will discuss some medical subject.
To reach Piney Mountain Inn from Chambersburg by auto, detour by Scotland state road to Cross road, then right to Stoufferstown, then right by Falling Spring road to Black’s Gap or by Scotland thence south to Black’s Gap and to Piney Mountain Inn.
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