Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Bits O' History: Oldest MoH-- Respect of the Highest Order-- Drive-Ins

Bits O' History-- Some New News About Old Stuff.


1. OLDEST MoH-- The March 8th San Diego Uptown News reports that the oldest living Medal of Honor winner, John Finn, will be the Grand Marshal of the 30th Annual St. Patrick's Day parade March 13th. He will turn 101 in July and the picture of him looks like he is still of vigor.

They will also be honoring Medal of Honor winners Frank Sexton of the Army Air Corps and POW from WW II and Jay R. Vargas who won his MoH in Vietnam.


2. RESPECT OF THE HIGHEST ORDER-- The March 2nd Wilmington (NC) Star News My Reporter told the story of a marker by the Wilmington Sam's Club honoring Jocelyn "Joce" Carrasquilla, a Sam's employee who was killed by a roadside bomb while serving with the 120th Infantry Division of the North Carolina National Guard in Iraq.

He is buried in his hometown Goldsboro, North Carolina. Hats off to Sam's Club.


3. DRIVE-INS-- The Wilmington Star News My reporter also answered a reader's question regarding how many drive-in theaters were in the area. The answer, there were at least seven operating between the 1940s to the early 1980s.

The first one was likely the Carolina Drive-In at Monkey Junction which opened in 1947. The Starway operated from 1952 to 1984 where the current Starway Flea Market is located.

Although not technically a drive-in, but the Lumina at Wrightsville Beach used to have a screen in the ocean that showed movies at night over the surf back in the 1920s.

Here's to Mr. Finn!! Keep the Honor Going. --DaCoot

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