Otis Stone Hunter

May 14, 1942

Flagler County has 74 men in the various branches of the armed forces at this time ..... the list up to date is as follows: OTIS STONE HUNTER

October 1, 1942

A card from Andrew Thompson to The Tribune, says he has been transferred from Camp Bowie, Texas to Camp Shelby, Miss. He said he enjoys receiving The Tribune each week and tell all his friends hello. Andrew is advised that two other Bunnellites are now at Camp Shelby - Dale B. Brown and OTIS HUNTER.

February 25, 1943

Got a nice long letter from Cpl. OTIS HUNTER out at Camp Shelby, Miss. the other day. Otis said he is going through "a period of very thorough training but I enjoy it and am learning more every day."

March 11, 1943

Cpl. OTIS HUNTER is here on a l0-day furlough from Camp Shelby, Miss.

August 26, 1943

Another letter from Cpl. OTIS HUNTER. Otis must have been feeling pretty good the day he wrote because his letter is full of wisecracks about "maneuvering." He said it feels like his outfit has completely "sub-soiled the state of Louisiana this time."

October 21, 1943

Speaking of desert training, brings up another nice letter this week from Sgt. OTIS HUNTER who is still at a "desert training center in California." Otis said that he gets The Tribune regularly and through this column learned that several other Flagler county boys are in California, "several of them near me and intend to look some of them up the first chance I have. I have been to Los Angeles where V. W. McKenzie jr. is and through Riverside where Leonard Moody is. If I had known where they were at that time I could have seen them both. I am planning on a 5-day leave soon and by that time I hope to have their address so I may look them up."

(This column would like to give unit addresses of other fellows in service but the newspapers' code of censorship does not permit").

Otis continued: "I see where Lt. Joe Norfleet is also in the desert. Perhaps I'll bump into him one of these days. I'll verify his statement about the sagebrush because I have lain in quite a lot of it myself. As to the fried potatoes, however, so far we haven't seen them yet. I wish to add that I have visited 'The Hollywood Canteen, Beverly Hills and Long Beach; also got a look, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Here, it gets very hot during the day and very cold during the night. Although I haven’t seen any 'mirages' yet, I expect to most any day now."

Otis said he was out on the range the other day and shot 180 out of a possible 200, "so I think I'll get my share of game in Flagler County when I return."

(Well, we needed you here last week to help hunt a bear in the vicinity of the old Johnston home out on Road 28). "In my estimation, California can't be compared with Florida - I'll stick to Florida."

February 3, 1944

Sgts. OTIS HUNTER and Kenneth Hunter are here on short furloughs, visiting their folks.

April 13, 1944

Sgt. OTIS HUNTER who recently began receiving his mail "Postmaster, New York," cabled his wife here this week that he had arrived safely at his "destination" and was feeling fine.

July 13, 1944

Sgt. OTIS HUNTER, now in Normandy, sent to Mrs. Hunter here a 50-franc French bank note and two pictures of separate groups of German officers and soldiers, all of which, Otis said, "I took off of a dead German." But, he declared, "I surely can dig a fox hole quickly."

July 27, 1944

Each week brings news of more of Flagler county men who were in on the Normandy invasion. This week we received a letter from one aboard an LST (landing ship, tanks), and another which was described as a "foxhole manuscript.”

The second letter is from Sgt. OTIS HUNTER who says: "Just received three Tribunes today - all at once. That makes the fourth copy since I have been in France. They were just about on time.

Please excuse this scribbling as it is a foxhole manuscript. I'm writing from my foxhole ‘somewhere in France.’

One good thing about keeping the Jerries on the run is that we can use their second-hand foxholes and not have to dig one for ourselves. It's pretty nice of the enemy to dig holes for us, don't you think?

I was in on the (censored) and I might add that it was rough. We had plenty of fireworks on the Fourth, but I'm 'gonna' see a different kind in civilian clothes next year.

Thanking you for The Tribune and tell all the boys in all theaters of the war hello for me.”

October 19, 1944

Sgt. OTIS HUNTER informed his wife here that he is now in Germany.

December 7, 1944

Gosh, if it were not for you fellows I would forget it is only a short time until Christmas. But we have received Christmas cards from Sgt. OTIS HUNTER saying "Merry Christmas from the 72nd in Germany." Then from the other side of the world one from Cpl. Horace (Custer) Durrance, who is with the Fleet Marine Force in the Pacific. Since you guys have been so thoughtful, we shall try to build some of that old Christmas spirit ourselves, and thanks a million.

April 19, 1945

The first letter this week is from Sgt. OTIS HUNTER. His letter:

Deep into the Reich.
April 1st (fools' day) 1945

"Still receiving The Tribune regularly and enjoy reading it more than ever. The most interesting column being, of course, 'News of the boys in service,' also 'girls.'

Hitler said: 'They will never bomb this place.' I have seen different. He also said: 'Give me the power and in five years you will never recognize the Reich.' I agree with that statement one hundred per cent.

I can actually say that I washed my feet in the water of the Rhine. Hitler also had his 'Watch on the Rhine' at the same time. The Jerries were watching and I was washing, but, of course, we were on different sides. The Rhine was pretty wide there, too.

It seems as though half of Bunnell is over here in the ETO and I have seen only one boy from Bunnell, and that was back in England. Suppose I'll have to get to looking closer.

Tell all the boys hello for me and that we will all have a meeting in Bunnell soon. I nominate you, Mr. Fuller, as master of ceremonies at that great meeting.

Hoping to walk into your office personally some day in the near future, and with best regards."

(Well, here's hoping you will walk in soon. As for being master of ceremonies at that "great meeting," I am afraid my emotions would completely drown out my voice, but I surely want to be present.)

November 22, 1945

Sgt. OTIS HUNTER, army, who has been in Europe a long, long time, has hit the States, calling his wife here on the phone Monday evening. He should be rolling in here any minute now.

January 3, 1946

Discharged from the armed services this week ..... OTIS STONE HUNTER