“In this war I have known a lot of officers who were loved and respected by the soldiers under them. But never have I crossed the trail of any man as beloved as Capt. Henry T. Waskow of Belton, Texas.”

— Ernie Pyle, 1944, written from the front lines in Italy during WWII   

DENISE KARIMKHANI | July 5, 2022

Captain Henry Waskow of Belton was killed in action on Dec. 14, 1943, on Mount Sammucro (also known as Hill 1205) in Italy.

His was hardly the only combat death that day in that war, but it was one that America took to heart. War correspondent, Ernie Pyle, was covering that particular campaign when Waskow’s body was carried by mule down the hillside from where the fighting took place.

The words that Pyle wrote in response to Waskow’s death still resonate in the annals of military history, journalism and even film.

In a paper for the Texas Military Forces Museum, Michael Sweeney wrote that when Pyle penned his piece about Waskow, he was tired, burned out and ill with anemia. Pyle told an Associated Press reporter: “I’ve lost the touch. This stuff stinks. I just can’t seem to get going again.” To show what he meant, Pyle tossed what he had written about Waskow to the AP reporter, who read it and, with a tear in his eye, said, “If this is a sample from a man who has lost his touch, the rest of us better pack up and go home.”

 Pyle’s column began: “In this war I have known a lot of officers who were respected by the soldiers under them. But never have I crossed the trail of any man as beloved as Capt. Henry Waskow of Belton, Texas.”

Waskow was a 35-year-old company commander in the 36th Division when his body was brought down the mountainside on a cold, moonlit night in Italy. Pyle wrote that Waskow “carried in him a sincerity and a gentleness that made people want to be guided by him.”

 Waskow’s soldiers were eager to share with Pyle their feelings about their captain.

“After my father, he came next,” a sergeant said.

“He always looked after us. He’d go to bat for us every time,” another soldier said.

Pyle wrote about Waskow’s death so simply yet eloquently that readers the world over felt the sting of loss that was particularly acute in Bell County.

Pyle wrote: “Dead men had been coming down the mountain all evening, lashed onto the backs of mules. They came belly-down across the wooden pack saddles, their heads hanging down on one side, their stiffened legs sticking out awkwardly from the other, bobbing up and down as the mules walked.”

 “Then a soldier came into the cowshed and said there were some more bodies outside. We went out into the road. Four mules stood there in the moonlight, in the road where the trail came down off the mountain. The soldier who led them stood there, waiting.”

“‘This is Capt. Waskow,’ one of them said quietly.”

“The men came, one by one, for a last look at their dead captain. Some cursed aloud. Others kept their thoughts to themselves. Then a soldier came and stood beside the officer and bent over, and he, too, spoke to his dead captain, not in a whisper, but awfully tenderly, and he said: “I sure am sorry, sir.”

“Then the first man squatted down, and he reached down and took the captain’s hand, and he sat there for a full five minutes holding the dead hand in his own and looking intently into the dead face. And he never uttered a sound all the time he sat there. Finally, he put the hand down. He reached over and gently straightened the points of the captain’s shirt collar, and then he sort of rearranged the tattered edges of the uniform around the wound, and he got up and walked away down the road in the moonlight, all alone.” 

The column appeared in America in January 1944 and released a flood of emotion in readers all over the country. The Washington Daily News devoted its entire Jan. 10, 1944, front page to Pyle’s column about Waskow. Arthur Godfrey read the column on the radio. Time Magazine reprinted it.

The story, which earned a Pulitzer Prize for Pyle and immortalized Waskow, was reprinted in a collection of Pyle’s stories under the title “The Brave Men.” A movie based on Pyle’s writing, “The Story of G.I. Joe,” featured actor Robert Mitchum playing the part of Waskow.

Locally his hometown has named VFW Hall No. 4008 and a school – the Henry T. Waskow High School – in his honor.

Waskow graduated from Belton High School in 1935 where he was a student council president and had the highest grade point average of any male graduate. He attended what was then Temple Junior College in 1936-37 and graduated from Trinity University with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1939.

Waskow was buried in an Allied cemetery in Italy, but a marker bearing his name was later placed on a plot in North Belton Cemetery.

19 Bell County grass fires between July 1-4 were started by fireworks

Our Town Temple | July 5, 2022

Local fireworks shows were a big hit, but unofficial exhibitions kept area firefighters working long hours.

Moisture from last week’s brief rainfall was long gone during the first days of July, and Bell County firefighters battled 49 grass fires from July 1 through Independence Day, according to a news release from Bell County Fire Marshal Chris Mahlstedt.

“Bell County fire departments were tested over the weekend,” he said. “In addition to their regular call volume, they saw a noticeable increase in calls, specifically calls about grass fires.”

Across Bell County, departments responded to 37 grass fires on July 4 alone, and 15 of those were confirmed to be fireworks related, Mahlstedt said.

“From July 1 through July 4, there were a total of 49 grass fires and 19 were confirmed to have been started by fireworks,” he said. “In June, the total number of grass fires for the month was 150.”

Notably large Fourth of July fires included a grass fire in Temple just off State Highway 317 near Lake Belton High School and a grass fire along the south shore of Stillhouse Hollow, Mahlstedt said.

Temple Fire & Rescue responded to five grass fires in the city between 9:50 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Monday night.

By 10:30 p.m. Temple fire officials said all grass fires were out, and none reached structures or caused injuries.

In Bell County, the county judge banned all fireworks on Wednesday, June 22. After rainfall on Monday, June 27, the county judge then modified that rule and allowed the sale and use of fireworks starting on Friday, July 1, with some exceptions.

Fireworks with “sticks and fins” were prohibited from sale and personal use. Meanwhile, other fireworks like firecrackers and sparklers were still sold.

The Temple fire near LBHS burned an estimated 10 acres and responders included Temple Fire and Police departments, Morgan’s Point Fire and the Moffat fire department.

In Harker Heights, the Stillhouse blaze burned an estimated four acres and prompted the deployment of the West Side Strike Team consisting of units from Heights, Killeen, Salado, Central Bell County, Southwest Bell County, Fort Hood, Copperas Cove, the Bell County Fire Marshal’s office and the US Army Corps of Engineers. This fire was caused by fireworks, Mahlstedt said.

Pet gator found nearly frozen at Temple Roundhouse

Today’s Temple Trivia was submitted by Craig Ordner, a good friend of Our Town Temple. Craig is the archivist for the Springer Railroad Archives and the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum. As you might have guessed, it’s railroad related:

On a cold day on Feb. 8, 1914, workers at the Temple Roundhouse faced near calamity: The crew’s pet was found nearly frozen to death. First of all, many of you may be unfamiliar with a roundhouse. Simply put, a railway roundhouse is a building with a circular or semicircular shape used by railways for servicing and storing locomotives.

Traditionally, these buildings surrounded or were adjacent to a turntable, which was used to spin a locomotive so it faced the opposite direction and could depart Temple traveling in the direction from which it came.

Back to the Roundhouse pet — his name was Al and he was an alligator that lived in fountain at the rear of the building. The first person on the season was a Santa Fe foreman. Al was trying to get into a large hole on the side of the fountain pool in search for warmer water.

The Forman scooped up Al and put him in a large metal box, then drug the box into the Roundhouse boiler room where it was substantially warmer than outside. Within a few hours, Al was thawed and hungry. He demanded his breakfast by repeatedly slamming his tail against the inside of the metal box.

According to a news report of the incident, Al was one of two alligators given to “Master Mechanic Robinson about a year ago.” The other gator froze in January 1914, about a month before the Al incident.

“The Boys at the Roundhouse think a great deal of the surviving alligator,” the report stated. “They give him every attention.”

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Around Town: Early 1900s handcart

Our Town Temple | July 5

Check out this handcart on display at the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, located inside the Santa Fe Depot. I was actually in the museum Saturday for a very different reason but this Missouri Pacific Handcar caught my eye and my attention.

Handcars were the standard work vehicle for railroad crews in the early 1900s. Handcars were mainly used by groups of rail workers called section gangs. They were responsible for the repair and upkeep of a specific section of railroad track.

Typical section gang consisted of six men and tools for an assignment if they fit on the handcar. If not, a trailer was attached and made the pumping a little more vigorous.

The handcar on exhibit — the one if the above photo — was not used on local rails but was used on the Missouri Pacific Line that ran through Taylor. These manual-powered handcars were phased out by gasoline-powered repair vehicles in the late 1920s.

Story & photo by David Stone

CAC’s Family Fun Day to feature hot dogs, free movies and great art

Our Town Temple | July 5

The Cultural Activities Center will host Family Fun Day on Friday, July 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fun Day will include two free movies in the CAC Auditorium — Disney’s Wall-E at 10 a.m. and Ron’s Gone Wrong at 2 p.m.

Between movies, High 5 Hot Dogs will be serving up a $5 lunch and Frosti Cones will be onsite for dessert.

The CAC’s four recently upgraded art galleries will be open for tours, and there are some great exhibits currently on display.

The Carabasi Gallery features watercolors and acrylics of neon signs around the country by Lisa Tennant and pottery by Bronwyn Taff and Ester Crawford. A group exhibit of paintings and pottery from Waco-based Professional Artists of Central Texas is featured in the Howard Gallery. The pieces include oils and acrylics, from stunning realism to abstracts. This large exhibit features dozens of works.

Western and Native American art by Matt Tindell highlights wildlife, landscapes and portraits, and it is on exhibit in the Saulsbury Gallery. Paintings by Rachelle Johnson are on display in the CAC’s McCreary Gallery.

Those attending Family Fun Day are encouraged to bring glass for recycling. Experts will be available to discuss the benefits of recycling.

Today’s best bets

• Sweatin’ With The Oldies at Sammons Community Center. 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Join Kathy Patterson as she leads these extremely popular exercise sessions designed especially for those with mobility issues or who have difficulty standing while exercising. Slow stretches and comfortable balance exercises, while seated or in contact with a chair, will help tone and strengthen muscles to increase mobility and flexibility. Gradual use of hand weights and stretch bands is also incorporated. Easily adaptable for those with physical limitations. Two convenient session times to choose from. For more information, call 254.298.5403.

• Toddler Story Time at Temple Public Library.  10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Stories, music, movement, rhymes, finger plays, and early literacy developmental activities for ages 12 to 36 months. Third Floor | McLane Room 

• Preschool Story Time at Temple Public Library.  11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Short film, stories, music, movement, rhymes, finger plays, and crafts for ages 3 to 5. Third Floor | McLane Room

• Summer Break Skate at Wheel’s in Temple. Noon to 3 p.m. $10.16 plus tax, includes quad or inline skate rental. 

• Mystique & Mayhem at Temple Public Library. 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Do you enjoy storytelling and problem-solving? Join us for a new adventure every month! Great for ages 7–11. First Floor | Teen Space

• Open Mic Night at Fire Base Brewing featuring Maxx Carter.

Thursday, July 7

• Move Your Tale at Temple Public Library. 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Move Your Tale provides an exciting improv experience with opportunities to volunteer and show off your own improv skills, or to simply sit back and enjoy the wildly entertaining show. Grades K through 5. Third Floor | McLane Room 

• Do It Yourself Doormats at Board & Brush in Belton. 6:30 p.m. Looking for a fun way to spruce up your front porch? Join us for our DIY doormat workshop! Select a design from our gallery. We provide all the materials and instruct you step-by-step to create a beautiful piece for your home or for a gift. Choose from a variety of paint colors in the workshop. Cost for a workshop is $45 and online-registration is required. We look forward to seeing you soon! www.boardandbrush.com

• Country Nights at El Puerto de Jalisco. Live music and great food and drinks. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Texas Red’s Taproom Trivia at Fire Base Brewing. 7 p.m.

• Trivia Night at Fire Street Pizza in Belton. There will be 6 rounds of themed trivia to test your knowledge of all things trivia! Other categories will include Movies, Sports, music, and more! Play from your phone! FREE to play! Join anytime. Winners walk away with FSP swag, free pizzas and bragging rights! 6 p.m.

• Karaoke at Bo’s Barn. 8:30 p.m.

Friday, July 8

• Family Fun Day at the Cultural Activities Center. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free movies and popcorn. Wall-E (Rated G) at 10 a.m. and Ron’s Gone Wrong (Rated PG) at 2 p.m. Tour remodeled art galleries. Frosti Cones will be selling sno cones and High 5 Hot Dogs will have a $5 lunch special. Fun activities. Bring glass to recycle and learn about the benefits of recycling.

• Brad Honeycutt live at Bo’s Barn. 8 p.m. Tickets: bosbarndancehall.com

• Summer Sounds Free Concert Series at the Sam Farrow Amphitheater at Lions Park. Brazos Brothers. 7:30 p.m.

• Sweatin’ With The Oldies at Sammons Community Center. 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Join Kathy Patterson as she leads these extremely popular exercise sessions designed especially for those with mobility issues or who have difficulty standing while exercising. Slow stretches and comfortable balance exercises, while seated or in contact with a chair, will help tone and strengthen muscles to increase mobility and flexibility. Gradual use of hand weights and stretch bands is also incorporated. Easily adaptable for those with physical limitations. Two convenient session times to choose from. For more information, call 254.298.5403

• Ghost Hunting Class at Wilson Recreation Center. Do you have an interest in the paranormal? Ever wonder what it's like to be a real ghost hunter? Try our Paranormal Studies class with paranormal investigator JohnJohn from Dark Explorers paranormal and learn all there is about becoming a paranormal investigator. Join us for this introductory class. 5:30 p.m. to. 7 p.m. $35 per person.

• Lady in the Men’s Room live at Barrow Brewing Co. 8 p.m.

• 30th annual Seaton Star Hall BBQ Cookoff. 6 p.m. July 8, 4 p.m. July 9. 

• Beth Lee & The Breakups live at Fire Street Pizza in Belton. 6 p.m. Based out of Austin, TX, Beth Lee grew up on the grit and soul of the Houston music scene, her dad a long time musician of the Bayou City. Since 2008, Beth has been playing live and recording her original music with Austin musicians that have an ear for her songwriting ability. Her influences span generations of blues, country, and rock 'n' roll greats that lead her to a unique soulful, country-tinged brand of roots rock 'n' roll.

• Lady in the Men’s Room live at Barrow Brewing. 7:30 p.m.

• The Killer Dueling Pianos at Mayborn Center. 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.  It will be evening of good-natured fun and frolic with The Killer Dueling Pianos sponsored by the Rotary Club of Temple. Proceeds from the event will support Foster Love Bell County and The 411 House. Tickets are available at https://centraltexastickets.com

• and will cover food by Pizza Wings n Things and an open bar with beer and wine options. A cash bar option will be available for mixed drinks. A silent auction/raffle will also be held for various prizes. Dress casual and be ready for a good time! Bring cash to tip the pianists.

Saturday, July 9

• 30th annual Seaton Star Hall BBQ Cookoff. 6 p.m. July 8, 4 p.m. July 9. 

• Sunflower Saturday at the Farm. Halvorson’s Hidden Harvest. Join us for our annual Sunflower Saturdays on the farm. Take a hayride down and around the wild sunflower field. Open 9 to 5pm. No admission fee to come to the farm, just come enjoy the farm with the family. At the Farm Store we have cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and of course pickles! Wagon hayrides down and around the wild sunflower field are $5/person if you order online ahead of time. Perfect stop for photos. There is no charge to pick wild sunflowers with the purchase of a wagon ride. The kids will love saying "Hi" to our cows, bunnies, and new baby goats! For directions and more info regarding the farm visit our website: https://www.halvorsonhiddenharvest.com/

• Master Gardeners at Temple Public Library. Adults only. Join us for a discussion held by the Bell County Master Gardeners on choosing plants for Central Texas. 3rd Floor, McLane Room. 2 to 4 p.m.

• Kids’ Night Out at Sonya’s Creativ-ish Childcare Boutique. Parents, take the night off while your kids enjoy an evening packed full of FUN! $25 for the first child, $20 for siblings. Drop-off begins at 5:45 pm. Pizza dinner is included along with unlimited play, crafts & activities. For children, ages 2-8. Pajamas encouraged; socks required. Please RSVP early!Bring a water bottle, labeled with your child's name! Pickup by 10 p.m.

• Historic Escape Games at Bell County Museum. There has been a crime at the museum and it is up to you to find the culprit! You have 60 minutes to work together, solve the crime, and escape! There are 3 game themes & times (please be mindful of ages); 5:30pm (Heist - ages 14 & older); 6:45pm (Heist or Murder Mystery - ages 14 & older); 8:00pm (Murder Mystery - ages 17 & older). Tickets are $10/person. Pre-registration is required at bellcountymuseum.org. Games are private and limited to 8 guests of the same group per game time. To reserve your game, payment is required within 3 business days of submitting the registration form. Payments can be made at the museum or over the phone at (254) 933-5243.

• Erica Michelle live at Barrow Brewing. 8 p.m. Farmers Market, 9-1.

• William Clark Green will be LIVE at Johnny's Outback at 6 p.m.! Tickets are on sale now at www.outhousetickets.com/Event/19757-William_Clark_Green

• Downtown Temple’s Summer Market & Food Truck Frenzy! We’re celebrating summer America style! Come experience the flavors of Temple and Bell County. Live music, bouncy house, vendors and more. 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Marcus Lindsey live at Bo’s Barn. 9 p.m. Tickets: bosbarndancehall.com

• Sami Show: Arts & Crafts market at Bell County Expo Center Assembly Hall. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, July 10

• Sami Show: Arts & Crafts market at Bell County Expo Center Assembly Hall. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Unplugged Game Day at Temple Public Library. 2 to 4 p.m. Take a Risk, Monopolize on the fun, Checkers out (too far?) all we have to offer at our monthly all-ages board game group. Play new board games, or grab an old favorite, meet new folks, and have an overall good time. Whether you're into Settlers of Catan, Magic the Gathering, or Scrabble, we have you covered.

• Live music at Barrow Brewing. 4 p.m. Summer Lecture Series at 2 p.m.

• Texas Barbecue Festival at Schoepf’s. Texas Barbecue presents it's 1st Annual Texas Barbecue Festival featuring many of the Top 25 BBQ Joints in Texas from it's 2022 list. Tickets are limited to 300 and the cost is $75 per person. At the show you will get to sample food from the Top 25, hear live music (to be announced soon), other vendors, sample some wineries, and more details coming soon.

• Martian Folk live at Fire Street Pizza in Belton. Noon.

• Summer Lecture Series at 2 p.m. at Barrow Brewing Co. Live music TBD

Monday, July 11

• Sweatin’ With The Oldies at Sammons Community Center. 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Join Kathy Patterson as she leads these extremely popular exercise sessions designed especially for those with mobility issues or who have difficulty standing while exercising. Slow stretches and comfortable balance exercises, while seated or in contact with a chair, will help tone and strengthen muscles to increase mobility and flexibility. Gradual use of hand weights and stretch bands is also incorporated. Easily adaptable for those with physical limitations. Two convenient session times to choose from. For more information, call 254.298.5403.

• Trash to Treasure Totes, Sammons Community Center. 1 p.m. Go green and create a unique tote bag from plastic bags! Becca Bash will be teaching this fun and creative way to recycle and reuse those endless plastic grocery bags that get stashed away to create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind bag that could have a variety of uses. Watch that bag evolve into your own creation. Knowledge of basic crochet stitch is encouraged. A size K crochet hook is recommended. For more information, call 254.298.5403. 

• $1 Summer movies at The Beltonian Theatre. 10 a.m., 1, p.m. 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. The Lego Movie 2

Tuesday, July 12

• Tai Chi at Sammons Community Center. 3 p.m. This ancient Chinese exercise and martial art promote vitality, balance, strength, and longevity. Using special breathing techniques and slow, precise physical movements, Tai Chi can help curtail arthritis, respiratory disease, and high blood pressure. Regular practice of this “Moving Meditation” also provides health benefits of stress reduction, mental alertness, and increased energy. This on-going course is adaptable for all levels of mobility. Led by Christopher Dow, who has practiced this and related Chi Kung exercise forms for 42 years. For more information, call 254.298.5403.

• Summer Fun for Early Learners at Bell County Museum. 10 a.m. to noon. Kids 6 years and younger are invited to the museum with their families to explore the engaging interactive exhibits and participate in fun activities and crafts. Each day will have a special theme of activities: Today is Archaeology. The events are come and go and completely FREE!

On this day in 1923, the Dr Pepper Company was incorporated in Dallas. Dr Pepper was first made in Waco in 1885. Wade Morrison, owner of Morrison's Old Corner Drug, employed a pharmacist named Charles Alderton, who, when not filling prescriptions, often served soft drinks to customers. Alderton enjoyed experimenting with various combinations of fruit extracts and sweeteners. One combination, later to become Dr Pepper, proved enormously popular with patrons. Morrison named the beverage after Dr. Charles T. Pepper, a physician and pharmacist for whom Morrison had worked in Virginia. Today Dr Pepper is an operating company of Dr Pepper/Seven Up, based in Plano. A collection of Dr Pepper memorabilia forms the core of the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute, which opened in Waco in 1991.