J.B. came to Sumter with the Railroad

J.B. came to Sumter working for the Atlantic Coastline railroad just after he graduated from high school. He worked in the freight depot. He met a man that worked in the yard office named Van Newman. Mr. Newman went home and told his wife Selma about this hardworking, smart, handsome, young man that was driving a brand new ’41 Ford. Selma thought it would be a good idea to introduce their daughter Elizabeth, who was a senior in High School, to this young fellow. Before you know it, Selma shows up at the depot just about quitting time, with Lib in the car. She honks the horn, as was her custom. Van comes out, but Selma sends him back inside to get that young fellow to meet Lib. Don’t know if it was love at first sight, but it soon became a true love story.

In those days there were only eleven grades in high school. Lib was 17 and a senior when she and J.B. met. After graduation Lib planned to go right to work as her family couldn’t afford to send her to college. Lib’s cousin, Margaret Boone, was attending college at Meredith, a girls school in Raleigh, N.C. and was able to secure a scholarship for Lib who joined her in Raleigh. During Lib’s freshman year at college, J.B.’s work with the railroad sent him for short stints to several others towns including Florence and Cheraw.

The backdrop for this romance, of course, was World War II. The United States entered the war as J.B. and Lib were courting. It wasn’t very long until Uncle Sam called J.B. into the service of his country. He entered the army in the fall of 1943 and was sent to Clovis, New Mexico for training. He was assigned to the Transportation Corp in the 747 Railway Battalion as a telegraph operator because of his experience with the railroad. They planned for Lib to come out to New Mexico where they would get married. In early February of 1944 J.B. sent a telegraph to Lib saying, “Plans have changed. Do nothing till you hear from me. Love, J.B.” Lib thought he was being shipped out overseas. She was upset and worried. Two days later, there was a knock at the door, and there stood J.B. They were married Saturday, February 6th at Selma and Van’s house at 111 E. Charlotte Avenue, in Sumter, S.C.

They went to Orangeburg, S.C. on their honeymoon. Taking a walk on Sunday evening around “downtown” Orangeburg they came upon a church where a service was being held. They heard the congregation singing as they came up the street. The hymns drew them inside. They both loved music and being in church.

J.B. went back to New Mexico and Lib soon followed. They had a little room in a boarding house. The place was full of other couples like them, guys in the army whose wives had come out to spend some time with them before they were shipped out.
In late May all the men were restricted to base. Around 1 a.m. on the morning of June 6 Lib was awakened by sirens sounding on the base. She sat straight up in the bed and knew the invasion of France had begun. It was D-Day. First thing that morning Lib went to the base, where all the men were preparing to board a troop train, headed for the east coast and then on to Europe. She found J.B. and they said their good byes. She walked back to the room, crying all the way.

Once at the room she realized she had to go back to the base until the train left, as she might never see J.B. again. Finding a girl at the house who had a car, she caught a ride back to the base. By this time the men were already on the train. Lib just happened to come up at the end of the train. Asking for Head Quarter’s company, she was directed forward. At each car, with men hanging from each one, she would yell out, "Where is Head Quarters Company?" Each time she was directed forward. She was worried that the train might pull off before she found J.B. She broke into a trot, shouting her inquiry as she moved forward. As you might expect, head quarters company was at the very front of the train. She found him just moments before the train moved out. A few more kisses, another goodbye and he was gone.

Gone to France and Germany. Places with strange names like Coblenz, and Remagen. Not usually on the front, he did experience combat action in the Battle of the Bulge, however, when the Germans launched their last big offensive of the war. Thankfully J.B. came home unharmed, to spend the rest of his life with his beloved Lib, who he always referred to with genuine affection as “My Bride”. It was the railroad that brought them together. Their ride on the rails lasted a lifetime.

Circa 2006