18 Jun - Meet Mr. Norman Maultsby

 

This blog post will be a little different that most of our "touristee" posts.  Yesterday I told you about one of the bracelets my dad brought back from World War II and about the successful search to find a family member that one of them could be returned.  If you did not have a chance to read the Hendersonville NC newspaper article, here is another link to it:

 https://www.blueridgenow.com/article/NC/20111022/News/606025600/HT

Today we drove about an hour south of Fayetteville to the home of Mr Norman W Maultsby and his wife Judy.  They live in the country nearest to the small village of Council NC.  Norman is the nephew of the late Lt Jefferson W (Woodrow) Maultsby, who was assigned to I Company, 3d Battalion 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, along with my father Lefty and his brother Bernard back during World War II. 

Jefferson Woodrow Maultsby, 1LT, USMC

27 Sep 1919 - 27 Jun 1944

Lt Maultsby was killed in action on 27 Jun 1944 during fierce fighting with the Japanese on the Island of Saipan in the South Pacific.  For his heroism and gallantry he was posthumously  awarded the Silver Star.  From his citation:

"....When the enemy launched a vicious counterattack against our forces during the early morning, First Lieutenant Maultsby fearlessly left his position of comparative safety to go to the aid of a hospital corpsman under attack by three of the enemy and, engaging the superior force in fierce combat, succeeded in beating off the attackers. Mortally wounded during the bitter engagement, First Lieutenant Maultsby, by his daring initiative, great personal valor and self-sacrificing efforts on behalf of another, saved the life of a man who otherwise might have perished and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country...."

On the same day, in the same Marine unit, in the same battle on Saipan where Lt Maultsby was killed in action, my father Lefty and uncle Bernard were also both seriously wounded in action. So the story goes, neither of them knew the other had been injured.  Lefty took a Japanese bayonet to the back, barely missing his heart, and Bernard took a grenade up the side of his body.  They were both evacuated to a hospital ship off shore.  When they awoke they were in beds next to each other, and they survived.  It easily could have been Bernard or it could have been my dad that were killed rather than Lt Maultsby.  I've had a tough time tonight digesting that and a tough time writing about it here. Saipan was one of the bloodiest battles of the South Pacific. 786 officers and 13,438 enlisted men killed, wounded or missing in action..  

In talking with his nephew Norman, we discovered that Lt Maultsby is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and we plan to visit his grave while we are in D.C. in July. 

Arlington National Cemetery

PLOT Sec: 12, Site: 2514  MEMORIAL ID 49259171

From the time I found Norman back in 2011 and returned the bracelet to the family until the planning for this trip during the later part of 2020, Norman Maultsby had retired and moved.  He was in construction his whole life there in Hendersonville but had retired from that and bought an ice cream shop there called Dopp's Ice Cream.  I called the ice cream shop but the line had been disconnected.  The Maultsby's apparently only had a home phone and it also had been disconnected.  I found a reference to a motorcycle shop in the same building as the ice cream shop, so I gave them a call.  Explaining the situation to the motorcycle shop owner, he told me he thought they had moved somewhere near Council NC, so the search continued.  Luckily I stumbled onto a phone number for the Maultsby's there and gave them a call.  That brings us to today.

So there we were driving into Norman Maultsby's grass driveway this morning, way out in the country near Council NC.  Their home is on five acres, partially wooded with a lot of grass to mow. So peaceful here.

They were expecting us of course so we went inside their home and talked.  This is where things really got interesting!  

Norman W. Maultsby

Norman Maultsby was in the Air Force! I never knew!  He served from 1958 until 1962, attending basic training at Lackland AFB and then to radar operator tech school at Keesler Air Force Base.  I also attended basic training at Lackland and my tech school was also at Keesler, but my training was radio maintenance.  After his tech school Norman was assigned to a remote radar site in the Arctic on Resolution Island.  These radar sites were called Defense Early Warning (DEW Line).  His site was part of the Pinetree Line and was one of 44 sites.  His site is highlighted below.

He described it as just a chunk of rock in the Artic.  There was nothing there other than the dedicated Airmen assigned and the critical early warning radar equipment they operated and maintained.  There was nothing else anywhere close to them.  Their supplies were transported in periodically.  

Resolution Island Radar Site

It was so interesting talking to him about his tour in the Air Force, especially this assignment.  After leaving there he was assigned to a radar site at Aiken Air Force Station near Aiken, South Carolina before getting out after his first term.  Aiken was closed in 1974 but you can see the outline of where the buildings and the radar site was on Google Maps.  Interesting.

Norman was very proud of his service, and rightfully so and we talked for quite some time about our Air Force experiences.  He then led me to his garage where his workshop is and more memorabilia.

Pictures of Norman with Tonto and Roy Rogers

Outside of his garage was his pride and joy, a 1974 Chevrolet El Camino which he cruises around the countryside in.  I told him if he ever wanted to sell it to let me know!  Believe me, Norman has no intention of parting with his ride any time soon!!

We took a walk around his five acre property and I saw my first cotton field up close and personal.  The plants were young as it is early in their season, but there was evidence of cotton on the ground around the field.  The ground is so sandy here.  It looks so strange compared to the coal-black soil we are used to seeing back in Iowa.  There is a lot of corn grown around here also.  Years ago one of the main crops was tobacco, but of course not any longer.

Doreen and Judy joined us out side where we prepared to depart, but before leaving I gave Norman one of my challenge coins and thanks him for his service, and that of his uncle.  

We are so glad we had the opportunity to meet Norman Maultsby and hear his stories.  He intends to pass the bracelet on to a younger member of the family.

Tomorrow's agenda is up in the air at this point.  I am going to contact Onslow Beach to see if we can slip in there a day early, and if so we will move tomorrow.  That way we can avoid driving in the rain which is coming because of the tropical storm.  If not, we will leave Sunday as planned and tour several museums near Ft Bragg tomorrow.

Thanks for tuning in to my ramblings.  It is a great ride!