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Highlands Today

They Bombed Where?

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GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: July 13, 2008

SEBRING - World War II pilots at MacDill Field in Tampa flew to the Avon Park bombing range to sharpen their abilities. They'd spot a set of lights, confirm it was their target, and drop the load.

But in August 1944, one bombardier got confused, said June Felt, curator at Frostproof Museum.

"A B-17 from MacDill flew over," Felt told the Military Officers Association of America, which met Saturday morning at the Military Sea Services Museum on Kenilworth Boulevard in Sebring.
Frostproof was just a few miles from the bombing range, said Felt, the widow of Col. August Felt.

"At night, our street lights looked so similar to the lights they had for the target," Felt said.

So, bombs away. And it was a direct hit. On the shoe shop. One bomb went through a chair where cobbler Jake Bodow was sitting moments ago. Mrs. Bodow was knocked out of bed.

Thankfully, the bombs were filled with 100 pounds of sand and 10 pounds of gunpowder, so the bombardiers could tell from the smoke if the target was hit. No one was hurt, Mrs. Felt said.

"The officers from MacDill came over and apologized profusely," Felt told the audience. "And the next week, they did it again."

All the newspapers covered the events, Felt said, the Tampa Tribune, the Palm Beach Post, and the Frostproof newspaper, then called the Highlands News.

Felt told more Frostproof trivia:

• Frostproof was founded as an 1850s wilderness fort to guard settlers from the local Seminole Indians. Stonewall Jackson was one of the commanders and so was Gen. Duncan Lamont Clinch, for whom the fort was named.

• Among the first residents was Steven W. Carson. He wanted to name the town Frostproof. The town had voted for the name Lakemont, but Carson volunteered to take the application for a postal facility to the Fort Meade Post Office, and changed the name along the way.

In World War II, the town bought more war bonds than any other town of its size in the U.S., so the Air Corps named a B-25 The Spirit of Frostproof.

Felt's mother, Nora June Truitt, was a plane spotter in World War II. Once, while on top of city hall, she reported to MacDill Field. Then she changed her mind. "Oh, wait. It's flapping its wings."

"She had called in a bird," June Felt laughed. "I'm sure she made their day."

Since her name was June, and her husband's name was August, they were encouraged to name their first daughter July. Subsequent children were called April, May and September. "We had saved March for a boy, but our fifth girl came along, so we named her March."

Once, while on a WWII mission, her husband called home. The call went through New York, who relayed it to the Frostproof operator. In those days, operators not only knew everyone, they knew where they were. "Well, I can ring her house, but if you want June, she's over at so-and-so's house," Felt said the Frostproof operator told New York, who was flabbergasted.

Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863 386-5828

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