By Jason A. Smith
Times Correspondent
Rufus Brantley says he has
never sought out accolades for
his accomplishments in the U.S.
Army during World War II.
“I do what I can, but I don’t hunt
the opportunity,” says Brantley,
92. “I’d just as soon not talk
about it. I’m proud of what I did
in the war, but I don’t want to
sound like I did more than any-
body else.”
Brantley will be featured in
Stockbridge’s sixth annual
Memorial March, scheduled for
May 30 at 9 a.m., at the Merle
Manders Conference Center. City
leaders will recognize military
veterans who are buried at ceme-
teries in the area.
Brantley has lived in the Benton
Village senior living facility for
the last six years. He grew up in
Sandersville, Ga., and says his
desire to serve in the military
goes back to his teenage years.
“I tried to go in when I was 17,”
he says. “Your parents had to sign
for you. My parents wouldn’t do
it, so I went in when I was 21
years old.”
Brantley’s distinguished mili-
tary career began when he joined
the Army in 1943, and served 13
years in the Armored Division.
He was assigned to a battalion in
Gen. George Patton’s Third
Army, where he spent most of his
time during World War II.
“We went through France,
Germany and Austria, and stay-
ed until the war ended,” says
Brantley.
Brantley earned two Purple
Hearts and a Bronze Star in
Europe during World War II. One
of those Purple Hearts resulted
from his involvement in a show-
down with tanks in Germany.
Brantley says he and his fellow
soldiers fought against enemy
tanks in decisive fashion.
By Jason A. Smith
Times Correspondent
Springtime in Locust Grove
signals the return of an event
that is sure to get folks moving
this weekend.
The 10th annual Peach Stand
Road Race 5K and One-Mile
Walk is set for Saturday, begin-
ning at 8 a.m. The race is a
fundraiser for the Locust Grove
Main Street Program.
Registration is $25 for the 5K
and $15 for the walk. There is
also a group-rate discount of $5
for groups of 10 or more.
Awards and medals will be pre-
sented according to age group
following the race.
Main Street Manager Anna
Williams, expects more people
will lace up their running shoes
for the event than ever before.
“We are looking at 200 or more
runners, which will be a record,”
says Williams. “We are so
pleased with the turnout so far.
It’s a fun event, a physical activ-
ity for the whole community.”
The race will start and finish
across the railroad tracks at the
Gardner Farm Fruit Stand on
North Jackson Street, and take
runners along the streets in the
heart of the city. Proceeds from
the race, says Williams, will go
toward historic preservation and
beautification efforts in the
city’s downtown area.
“An example would be our
façade grant program,” says
Williams. “It’s a matching grant
for merchants to improve their
historic storefronts.”
Williams notes that organizers
of the event are going high-tech
to determine who will come out
By Jason A. Smith
Times Correspondent
For Calvin Wood of Ellenwood,
serving his country has been a
way of life. In fact, his dedication
to his country was launched dur-
ing a particularly significant time
in the nation’s history, and would
eventually carry him into service
with two separate military
branches.
But, his versatility was not lim-
ited to his military expertise, as
he would prove throughout his
life.
Wood was born and raised in
Athens, where he lived for 35
years. He built a home on 97
acres in Ellenwood in 1956, and
has remained there ever since.
Wood says he can still recall the
day his military career was set in
motion, with the help of his par-
ents.
“I was 17 years old, and my
mother and daddy both signed
for me to go into the Navy during
The Henry County
“Celebrating Henry County”
Visit us online at
May 25, 2016
Volume 15, No. 21
Proudly celebrating over fourteen years of faithfully serving our readers, the people of Henry County
see
Wood,
page 3
Local church
sponsors
Earn-A-Bike
Program.
Prst. Standard
US Postage Paid
Permit No. 260
McDonough, GA
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
We are indebted
to the men and
women who
have given their
lives to keep
us free.
War veteran to be honored at
Stockbridge Memorial March
Peach
Stand
Road
Race this
Saturday
see
Brantley,
page 6
see
Race,
page 3
Wood’s life peppered with
military memories
Calvin Wood has lead a varied life beginning with his experi-
ences at age 17 in the U.S. Navy.
Photo by Nick Vassy
Stockbridge resident Rufus Brantley displays the medals he
won in combat. One purple heart was pinned on him by
General George Patton
Photo by Nick Vassy
