75 years ago
January 21, 1944
“Pappy” Smethers was “ready to fight the (Japanese)” when he was a seaman with the American fleet in South Pacific waters in 1908, and now that he’s getting his long-delayed chance, he “wishes we’d done it then, because it would have been easier.”
“Pappy” is Chief Shipfitter Glen D. Smethers of Cosmopolis. He’s now a Seabee attached to the Marines, and he says his age is 52.
“We were never readier for war that when I was out here in 1908 aboard the old armored cruiser U.S.S. Maryland,” the lean, raw-boned veteran, said.
“Japan was beating her chops over some anti-Japanese legislation, and I sure wish they hadn’t settled it then because beating Japan then would have been easy.”
Smethers was active on the Harbor in organizing WPA workers several years ago.
50 years ago
January 21, 1969
A new board of Grays Harbor county commissioners, in its first official business session of the year yesterday, elected Richard F. Simmons as chairman and named three persons to the county planning commission.
Simmons succeeds John Pearsall as chairman. Leighton Powell, lone holdover from the previous board, declined to accept the chairmanship.
Named to the county planning commission were William Brines, Central Park; John Zelasko, Aberdeen; and Charles Close, Pacific Beach.
25 years ago
January 21, 1994
Tied entering the final period, Elma senior Zach Seymour took over and led the Eagles to a 75-67 triumph over Tenino in a South Central League boys’ basketball game Thursday night at Tenino.
Seymour proved to be the difference in the fourth quarter, sparking a 12-2 Elma run with a number of drives to the basket — including one in which he dribbled behind his back before sinking the shot — and a couple of dish-offs for assists.
“He took the game over,” Eagle coach Perry McCormick said.
Troy Doughery led the Elma team with 27 points and had four assists and four rebounds. Seymour finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom
