** Lost Gold At The Dead Man's Mine ** A Miners Journal **

[GhostMiner]

   There is an old logging camp not far from those claims. 

[GhostMiner]

   Mess with Jacob & crew at your own peril. They are battle hardened and bad as bad gets.

 

 

[GhostMiner]

   I know this probably doesn't belong here but here goes - the story of my step grandfather's WW2 service. It's a treasure of a special kind. I will post where to read the rest of his story. 

              Thomas -------------

 

                                              WW 2 Veteran

 

   INTRODUCTION : This is the military record of my step grandfather Thomas  who served in the Army Air Corps before and during WW 2. The historical documentation set forth in this account is taken from actual military records and documents as well as a journal Thomas  kept during the time of his service. It is being written as a tribute to him as well as to all of the men and women who served our country during WW 2. There are many untold stories of all these people. I was lucky enough to come across this long forgotten information which I found in a desk in 2022 and feel it is my duty to bring it out in this writing as there is no one left but me to do it. Like many, Grandpa Tom never talked about the war or his service much so I was quite surprised when I began to read through all the documents. I hope he would have been proud to see this writing. 

 

   Thomas was born in Olean, NY. He died on October 20, 1987 . He enlisted in the Army Air Corp on September 1, 1939 as a member of the 36th Pursuit Squadron (F)  and was honorably discharged on September 8, 1945. He was in the 432nd Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, and two Bronze Stars. The Bronze Star Medal or BSM is given for sacrifice, bravery, and honor while serving your country.

   This group supported the Lockheed Martin P38 fighter plane which was capable of climbing 3300 feet in one minute and reached speeds of 400 miles per hour which earned it the title of the fastest fighter in the world in 1940. Thomas’ job was to keep these planes in the air. His duties were to repair damaged sheet metal structures and light metal fittings of airplanes, reconstruct badly damaged wings, elevators, fairings, cowlings, and hatches. He was also a certified engine mechanic. 

   Thomas was promoted to Corporal 36th Pursuit Squadron on April 1, 1941. Next he was promoted to Sergeant 36th Pursuit Squadron on July 18, 1941. His next promotion was to Staff Sergeant 36th Pursuit Squadron on March 15, 1942. Thomas was also given the King Neptune Certificate on February 1, 1942. This was given to those who crossed the equator by ship. 

   On July 20, 1944, Thomas’s brother who was a Sergeant was killed when two planes collided over Cavenish England. He had entered the Air Corps in March of 1943. He had specialized in the Norden bomb sight. 

 

   The following comes from the journal that Thomas kept. It was hand written in ink and there may be a few letters or words I couldn’t make out so in that case there is a ? in place of the letter or word I couldn’t read.

 

Dec. 7  1941

   I am at Mitchel Field, having just returned from the Louisiana maneuvers.

 

Dec. 21  1941 

   At Stratford Municipal Airport patrolling with P 39’s

 

Jan. 13  1942

   We returned to Mitchel Field at Long Island New York and are getting equipped for another move. 

 

Jan. 28  1942

   We arrived in Frisco after a four day X country train ride - interned at Angel Island, West Coast Embarkation Point.

 

Feb. 12  1942

   We boarded a troop ship USAT Maui in Frisco Bay. Leaving the States and heading out into the Pacific.

[GhostMiner]

   June 7   1937     Part Six

   When we got up to the old camp we unloaded the thugs off the back of my truck. I told them that they thought they were tough but had no idea how tough John and I were. I told them they had messed with the wrong people and that we had been in countless wars out here with all kinds of trash like them. We questioned them and found out there were no other gangsters around. After we gave them a good working over they were ready to talk with us. They said the foreign group had left with the treasure but they had hung around and were planning on robbing us. It was just the four of them. 

   I grabbed a shovel out of the back of the truck and marched them to the outside limits of the camp and took them into the woods. I told them to take turns digging a hole. I told them to make it about eight feet deep. John and I had our guns trained on them as they dug. The leader asked us what we had planned for them. I told them to keep digging and keep their mouths shut or they’d get another beating. After about two hours they had a big hole dug and were having trouble throwing the dirt out of it. I told them it was deep enough. I took the shovel from them and told them to stay put in the hole. It was stone quiet except for one of the thugs crying. Another was begging for his life and the other two were motionless and staring down at the dirt below their feet. Then I gave John a nod.

   TO BE CONTINUED ..............

[GhostMiner]

   June 7   1937     Part Seven

 

   We fired off short bursts from the BAR and the Thompson. The four thugs fell down in the hold they had dug for themselves. Then John and I began to laugh. We had fired into the air but the gangsters thought they were all dead men. They laid in the dirt shaking. I told them they had nothing left in this part of the country worth dying for. Their car was destroyed and we had taken their guns. I instructed them to walk out of this state and keep walking. I told them that if they ever came back they would be placed in the hole they had just dug and buried there. With that, John and I got in the truck and drove back to camp. 

 

   TO BE CONTINUED ................

[GhostMiner]

   June 8   1937     Part One

 

   Last night the crew debated whether to hire the two deputies or not. After much discussion we decided to wait on hiring any outsiders. The fact was that we couldn’t be sure how anyone would act in the face of danger and killing to protect ourselves and our goods. We put the subject on hold.

   Once that was out of the way we stoked the night fire and set about drinking good Irish whisky and some beer. I rolled smokes and we talked about the past events. What a wild season this has been and it was only June. We all needed some time to blow off steam and unwind after all that had happened.

   About midnight we were still in the cups but Will was up on the guard station when he suddenly fired off three shots. We grabbed our weapons and ran in his direction. When we got there we could see he was visibly shaken. I asked him what was up. He looked at me and said he was afraid to tell me. He thought I would think he was crazy. He had fired the three shots into the night air to bring us up there. John told him to speak up and we all trusted him and not to worry. He looked at us and still had fear in his eyes. He took a drink of whisky from his bottle and started to explain what had happened.

   Will said he had been sitting up there on guard duty and it was stone quiet except for the occasional laugh or loud words he could hear from camp as we swapped stories. He had noticed something sort of shining and coming down the mountain from the north. He had his Thompson pointing in that direction and he said it looked like a lantern and then another appeared. They were fading in and out and nearly side by side. He stopped talking and took another swig from the bottle. 

   Will said the lanterns came out of the woods and he could make out two figures holding them. He said they stopped walking and turned to look right at him. Will said he hollered who goes there and they walked a bit closer. The faces became clearer. 

   Now Will was starting to cry. He didn’t want to say any more but we coaxed the rest of the story out of him. He said it was Jed and Whiskey Jack. Their faces were as clear as day under the moonlight and he let out a gasp. He said that when he did that the two figures dissolved into the air like a mist and were gone as quickly as they had appeared. I grabbed Will’s bottle and took a long pull. This couldn’t possibly be true. 

   TO BE CONTINUED ...................

[Bedrocker]

Lol! I thought for sure it was going to be that hairy man that was spotted at the beginning of Jed's journal. Don't remember if it was Sarge or John that got there first but it was them that fired off some warning shots while on watch duty one night.

Good job on the story telling!

[GhostMiner]

   June 8   1937     Part Two

 

   The moon was casting some light over the area and the air was clear. Will was a good man and I trusted him. I didn’t know what to think and neither did the rest of the crew. Everything was secure and it was quiet. I told Will and the crew to head back over to camp and I’d take watch. I had the Thompson and handgun and a fresh bottle of Bushmills. I Kept a sharp eye out, especially over in the area Will had seen the ghostly figures. I was thinking that if anyone would come back here as a ghost it would be Jed and Whisky Jack. They had both loved this place and Jed never wanted to leave.

   The temperature dropped as the night wore on and I used the whisky to take the chill off me. I hadn’t heard any noise from camp for over an hour and figured everyone to be asleep now. I rolled a smoke and watched the woods line on the mountain. I thought I was seeing some kind of faint light coming down the hill. I blinked hard and took another good look. Now there were two lights and they were at the edge of the woods near a small clearing. There was movement of some kind and I heard the sound of shovels striking rock and gravel. There was no mistaking it. I knew that sound well. 

   The lights faded in and out and looked like lanterns. There were two figures attempting to dig ground. I hollered out and demanded to know who they were and what they were up to. There was no response from them so I hollered out again. Still nothing. I started to walk towards the two men who were bent over and dimly lit. I couldn’t understand why they were ignoring me. 

   

   TO BE CONTINUED ...............

[GhostMiner]

   JUNE 8   1937     Part Three

 

   As I got closer the men stopped digging and appeared to be talking with each other but I couldn’t hear them. I must have been about one hundred feet away. I shined my flashlight in their direction and to my horror the light passed straight through them and onto the side of the mountain. They stopped moving and I forced myself to walk closer. The area was now completely quiet. I was now within about fifty feet of them. I thought about signaling the crew with three shots but didn’t. Now I was debating whether to move closer or stop where I was and watch them. They seemed totally unaware of my approach. 

   They began to move the shovels again. Now I heard gravels being struck. I could see the shovels moving. I mustered up as much courage as I could get and hollered at them that this was our ground and they needed to stop. They just continued to dig. Then one of them turned and looked right at me. I dropped my flashlight and backed away. 

 

   TO BE CONTINUED .....................