Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Tifton, Georgia

GrapeNew

Your Local Digital Newspaper for Tifton and the Greater Tiftarea

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

'A GREAT NATIONAL PATRIOT' DIES AT 97

U.S. Army photo

White House photo

Tifton native Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. received honors from two presidents more than a half-century apart. In photo at left, during his service in the Vietnam War, Puckett is presented with his second Distinguished Service Cross by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. Johnson sent a signed copy of the presentation photograph to Puckett’s family with the inscription: “To the family of Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. — Who distinguished himself in very exceptional service to his country — a proud son of Georgia — a great national patriot.” In photo at right, Puckett is honored for his heroism during the Korean War with the presentation of the Medal of Honor by President Joseph R. Biden during a White House ceremony in May 2021.

COL. RALPH PUCKETT JR.,

A TIFTON NATIVE, SERVED IN 3 WARS, RECEIVED MEDAL OF HONOR

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Ret. Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., 97, a Tifton native and the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, died peacefully in his sleep Monday at his home in Columbus.


Puckett received the Medal of Honor from President Joe Biden in 2021, more than 70 years after this heroics on the battlefield during the Korean War. He also distinguished himself during his service during the Vietnam War and had first enlisted with the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve when he turned 17 in December 1943, during World War II.


In autumn 1945, he won entry to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and by 1949, was a fully-fledged lieutenant of the newly formed 8th Army Ranger Company.


Selected as the company’s commander, Puckett had less than six weeks to train his Rangers before heading to combat. On Nov. 25, 1950, Puckett and his Rangers attacked Hill 205 in the vicinity of Unsan, Korea.


“I volunteered to run across open space to draw fire from a machine gun,” he wrote in his memoir, “Ranger: A Soldier’s Life.” Puckett ran across a rice paddy three times before his Rangers wiped out the machine-gunner’s position, securing the hill.

But at nightfall, about 500 Chinese counter-attacked in six waves. Puckett moved among his men from foxhole to foxhole, organizing their resistance.Though outnumbered 10-to-1, Puckett and his Rangers defeated five successive Chinese counterattacks during four hours that night and into the early morning hours of Nov. 26.


On the sixth assault, with supporting artillery fire unavailable, the Ranger company was overrun in hand-to-hand combat. At 2:30 a.m., Puckett was crouched with a radio in his foxhole when it “churned with an explosion,” he wrote in his memoir.


Puckett had already been wounded in his thigh, but the explosion now severely injured his feet, buttocks, and an arm, leaving him unable to move. Despite orders to abandon him, two fellow Rangers fought their way to his side and carried him to safety. Although he was badly injured and semi-conscious, Puckett continued encouraging his men and directing return artillery fire.


His wounds were so severe that he was hospitalized for 11 months and was advised to accept medical retirement. He refused, continuing active duty until 1971. He remained active within the Army community, becoming a fixture at Fort Benning, now Fort Moore in Columbus, and was an inaugural inductee into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 1992. He also served from 1996 to 2006 as the first honorary colonel of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment.

For his actions in Korea, Puckett was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, later upgraded to the Medal of Honor.​

Puckett became one of the most highly decorated servicemen in the U.S. Army's history. Among his honors were the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars with V device for valor, five Purple Hearts, 10 Air Medals, and the World War II Victory Medal. In addition, he had the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with star for Korea and Vietnam, the Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Glider Badge, and the Colombian Lancero Ranger Badge from the most respected Ranger course in Latin America that he helped establish. 


On July 1, 2022, Tifton honored its hometown hero, giving Puckett a key to the city, proclaiming the day as "Col. Ralph Puckett Day" in Tifton, and adding his name to Victory Drive. Puckett was born in Tifton on Dec. 8, 1926.


"I was shaped by many experiences in my life, but it was my family, friends, and other adults in Tifton who helped me become the man I am today," Puckett said then.


Col. Robert Choppa, an aide to Puckett, told the Tifton audience that day that "growing up in Tifton, Ralph learned right from wrong. ... Tifton paved a path for him."


When bestowing the Medal of Honor, President Biden said of Puckett: “He leads from the front; he leads by example; he leads with heart. He is a Ranger, and that’s how Rangers lead — that’s how you lead.”


South Korean President Moon Jae-In was also at the Medal of Honor ceremony and said that “Colonel Puckett is a true hero of the Korean War. ... Without the sacrifice of veterans, including Colonel Puckett and the Eighth Army Ranger Company, freedom and democracy we enjoy today couldn’t have blossomed in Korea.”

Puckett's son, Thomas Puckett, said his father was “a Medal of Honor dad every day. He sets the standard for what it’s like to be a gentleman, what it’s like to be a man and be true to your word. It is just a very high standard he’s set, and he lives up to it.” 


Retired Army Lt. Col. John D. Lock said that “many will say that Col. Puckett ‘led by example.' I would rather say that Col. Puckettlived by example.’ "


Congressman Austin Scott, R-Tifton, said: "Our nation lost a great patriot and Georgian. Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. was the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War. He was a fearless man who fought off five assaults by enemy forces even when outnumbered 10-1. He was a blessing to all who knew him."


A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. April 20 at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus. He will be buried during a private ceremony at Parkhill Cemetery in Columbus, where he had lived since 1990 with his wife of 71 years, Jean, a Columbus native.

VOTING MACHINES SECURE IN TIFT, OFFICIAL SAYS

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Voting machines are a totally secure way to vote, Al Stephenson, Tift County information technology director, told the Tifton Woman’s Club on Tuesday. Stephenson spoke about election security as a primary election is scheduled May 21.

 

No voting machines are connected to the Internet,” he said. “That’s a myth.” 


Any machine is hackable, he admitted, but the voting machines in Tift County are all sealed with a security tab that indicates if anyone opened them, and they are stored behind two sets of locked doors.

 

In the 2020 presidential election, Tift County recorded 21,853 ballots, which was 74% of registered voters. Ordered to recount ballots by hand when the election was challenged, Tift County had 10 to 12 employees hand-count all ballots, which took two days.


Only one vote in all those nearly 22,000 ballots had an issue, and that was an absentee ballot in which the voter filled in voting bubbles for both Biden and Trump, then drew an X through one of them. 


Stephenson encourages all voters to vote early and in person to avoid any problems. Work issues, weather, or family emergencies may interfere with ability to vote on one specific day. Early voting takes place for a full three weeks before election day at the Tift County Board of Elections office at the corner of Fourth Street and Chesnutt Avenue, in the old high school gym.

 

On election day, Tuesday, May 21, voters must vote in their assigned polling location. To see if one is registered to vote or to change a home address or name, one should visit My Voter Page here.


Information on the election, such as a sample ballot, elected official contact information, and election day polling locations, can be found there. 


Tift County Elections Supervisor Leila Dollison encouraged residents to check their name and address on the website before coming to vote to avoid being turned away for not having the correct information. Changing one’s name or address on their driver’s license with the Department of Driver Services will change the corresponding information on their voter registration. However, changing the address with the Post Office does not change the address with voter registration.


The upcoming primary election includes local and state races. The deadline to register to vote is April 22. Early voting begins April 29 and continues through May 17, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; Saturday voting is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4 and May 11.


Voting by mail is also an option. In order to request an application for an absentee mail ballot, one may go in person to the Board of Elections Office, call 229-386-7915, or email shekia.holley@tiftcounty.org. A parent may request an absentee ballot application for a son or daughter who is away at college.

Turner County Sheriff's Office photo

Turner County Deputy Nikolaus Herrick received multiple injuries after crashing his patrol car under a semi-trailer in Tifton during a pursuit early Monday morning.

TURNER DEPUTY CRASHES IN TIFTON DURING PURSUIT

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

A high-speed pursuit involving a Turner County Sheriff's deputy ended at the intersection of Eighth Street and Love Avenue in Tifton when the deputy crashed his patrol car under a semi-trailer early Monday.


Deputy Nikolaus Herrick is in stable condition in a Macon hospital with several broken bones and other significant injuries, according to the Turner County Sheriff's Office.


Herrick was conducting a traffic stop at approximately 3:50 a.m. Monday when the suspects fled in their vehicle. The deputy, pursuing the suspects into Tifton, crashed under the semi-trailer, authorities said. Several blocks away from the crash, the suspected vehicle flipped over, and the suspects fled on foot.


The deputy was extricated from his patrol car and transported to Tift Regional Medical Center before being airlifted to Macon.

FITZGERALD ENTRY WINS BEST JAM IN FLAVOR OF GEORGIA

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A Fitzgerald family that operates a a 74-acre blueberry and satsuma farm in Wilcox County has won the Jams and Jellies category in the 2024 Flavor of Georgia competition.


Steve McIntyre and Beth McQuaig-McIntyre's entry – Anna's Garden's Blue Satsuma Jam – is made from Georgia-grown blueberries and satsumas.


"What a humbling and exciting experience," they said on social media. "We are proud, to say the least."


The Flavor of Georgia competition, held April 4 in Athens, was organized by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Food Science and Technology.


The contest features market-ready products from small businesses around Georgia with a goal of helping to launch startup food companies while giving recognition to established brands, aiding their expansion into other rmarkets.


Wisham Jellies of Tifton, with its Fire! Pepper Jelly, was a finalist in this year's Jams and Jellies category. Wisham has placed first in that category during the 2016 and 2020 Flavor of Georgia contests and also was awarded People's Choice in 2015.


The 2024 grand prize winner was New Creation Soda Works' Peches Georgia Peach Soda. The drink also received first place in the Beverage category. New Creation Soda Works is a family-owned company based in Bishop.


New Creation Soda Works, as well as Anna's Garden and Wisham Jellies, were among 36 finalists narrowed down from 139 entries during the first round of judging last month. Products are judged on their Georgia theme, commercial appeal, taste, innovation, and market potential. Judges include food brokers, grocery buyers, and other food experts.

The food pantry on the left and pet food pantry on the right were severely damaged Monday night at their location at Espresso 41 in Tifton. The Little Free Library, center, was untouched.

FOOD, PET PANTRIES VANDALIZED

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Two free food pantries and a pet-food pantry were vandalized Monday night in Tift County.


The help-yourself food pantry and pet-food pantry at the corner of U.S. Highway 41 and 20th Street were knocked off their pedestals, as was another food pantry in Brookfield


The pet-food pantry, built and installed by Genia McKee at Espresso 41, was destroyed. Justin Golden, the owner of Espresso 41, started a GoFundMe page on social media to fund the restoration of both pantries at his business location, and it had reached $1,700 by Tuesday evening.


McKee built and stocked the Pet Pantry, and posted its opening March 19 on social media. 



Jenny and Dustin Hall had just installed their Brookfield food pantry on Friday at 2474 U.S. Highway 82 E. in Brookfield, near the Methodist Church, the Hair Cuttery, and the White Feather Boutique. 


“It happened last night or early morning,” Jenny Hall said Tuesday. “I go every night and cut a (battery-powered) light on in the box. It was fine last night. It was definitely kicked down for sure. Then they purposely removed the lights I had around it and took them off the stick,” she said.


“I’ve been wanting to do this for months, and the box in Tifton gave me the idea but just haven’t done it. I told Dustin 'let’s do this.' We just want to help the community. We just want to fix it.


“We just said this evening we are going to build it twice as big and strong,” Hall said.

 

The food pantry located in Tifton had been there for more than two years. Justin and Belle Golden installed it beside a Little Free Library that has been there for years. Just three weeks ago, they mounted the pet-food pantry on the other side of the book library. The Little Free Library was not touched. 

 

“We have a population of people who need food and need supplies and food for their pets that may not be able to purchase them,” Golden said on the GoFundMe page. “So, we and a few of our community members put together these little pantries.


“They were torn down by someone in the night,” he said. “I could just purchase new ones and replace them, but I've had several people message me wanting to contribute to this. These boxes are used daily and are a need for our community. I'd like to see a more professional and durable solution for those who need this type of giving.”

Posing inside the newly renovated Len Lastinger Elementary media center are, from left, Betty Cromer and Ann Herzog, retired Len Lastinger media specialists; Emily Fincher, Len Lastinger media specialist and Cromer's granddaughter; Laura Cutts, Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence (TCFEE) executive director; Betty Newkirk, recipient of TCFEE's inaugural Brumby Legacy Award; Laura Pope, TCFEE board member; Joe Pope, broker with Pope, The Real Estate Co.; Moppy Brumby; Mike Brumby; and Patsy Shivers, Len Lastinger Elementary principal.

LEN LASTINGER ELEMENTARY CHOSEN TO RECEIVE DONATION THROUGH BRUMBY LEGACY AWARD

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The inaugural recipient of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence's (TCFEE) Brumby Legacy Award has chosen Len Lastinger Elementary School's media center to receive a $500 donation.


Longtime educator Betty Newkirk, who last month received the Brumby Legacy Award, created in honor of retired TCFEE directors Mike and Moppy Brumby, was offered the opportunity to select a Tift County school to receive $500 to expand excellence in education.


Pope, The Real Estate Co. LLC, sponsored the $500 Brumby Legacy gift.


Len Lastinger Elementary holds a special place in Newkirk's heart as she spent much of her career there (1973-1999), serving as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Her twin daughters Kristen and Krystal developed their love of books and passion for reading in the Len Lastinger media center


Newkirk asked that Betty Cromer and Ann Herzog, both retired from Len Lastinger's media center, to share in the gift presentation as both women played a significant role in encouraging students in their reading.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

JD BOUTIQUE

218 St., Tifton

April 5

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CATS OF THE WEEK

"Theodore" and "Alvin," both males about 8 to 10 weeks old, are two kittens seeking a home. Come see them and other pets available for adoption between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

ANNOUNCED FOR SOUTH TIFTON

~ APRIL 10, 1969

A local construction company announced on April 10, 1969, that it was planning a $5 million, five-year development project in South Tifton to construct 317 modern brick homes to help revitalize the area,

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