In 1942, Waldo Thomas took a leap of faith that would forever change his life. Answering the call for flight instructors, Thomas traveled for three days on a train heading to Orangeburg from his Iowa City home.

What he discovered was a small flight school carved from more than 100 acres of hard, red clay that afforded him the opportunity to contribute to America's World War II effort.

Three of Thomas' four children traveled to Orangeburg recently to assist a group of local residents who wish to honor the contributions of Thomas and thousands more at the former Hawthorne School of Aeronautics, which stood on the grounds now occupied by The Oaks from 1940-1945.

A native of Great Britain and director of Campus Life at The Oaks, Linda Biswell is leading the effort to create the Hawthorne Room. When completed, the room will feature photos and other memorabilia from the school that provided primary flight training to almost 6,000 pilots during its existence, more than a third of whom were French.

"I've been at The Oaks in the Activity Department since 1978. Shortly after I joined the staff, I discovered all these pictures and they held a fascination for me," Biswell said. "I came to find out that they were from the Hawthorne School. This meant a lot to me because I'm a baby boomer myself and my father was in the Royal Air Force."

"We kept this and gathered it all together," she said. "Reverend (Oaks President and CEO James) McGee was also instrumental in this effort, saying we could turn the Honors Room into the Hawthorne Room."

Along with his sisters, Sherry Thomas Bentley of Wolfeboro, N.H. and Christine Thomas Hitchcock of Pace, Fla., Craig Thomas of Atlanta says he and his family want to learn more about what their father did at Hawthorne during the war.

"Growing up we saw all the photographs and heard all the stories about the war years from my father, and he would identify who they were," Thomas said. "Many of the major players here at Hawthorne, like his boss and the other instructors, turned out to be lifelong pals for my dad."

"I followed in his path. I did my service in the Navy and flew off aircraft carriers," he said. "Later I went to work for Delta just as he and his friends had done."

Several Orangeburg residents who spent a portion of their youth at the Hawthorne School say most of their experiences centered on social events held for the cadets' behalf.

Jane Crum Covington says her mother originally owned the house that was later used as the flight school's Cadet Club.

"It was probably used from 1942 when I finished college," Covington said. "I went there because they wanted the local girls to come out and help entertain the cadets. They had the bar there, and we'd sing songs and dance. It was a nice place, and they had local chaperones for the girls. It was kind of like a USO club."

At the age of 19, Alonzo Brewington, who is now 87, began tending bar at the club.

"Seeing all those cadets and what they were doing gave me a desire to enter the military, either in the Army Air Corps or the Naval air wing," Brewington said. "I ended up enlisting in the naval air arm, and I served from February 1943 to October 1945."

Marion Shuler has dealt with the Hawthorne School as a member of the Orangeburg County Historical Society. His personal experience comes from working in the canteen.

"The canteen was in the mess hall," Shuler said. "I worked there from 4-8 in the evenings after school from 1943-1945. I was there when the French cadets came through. I learned to count and do arithmetic in French, and I could do it in my head. I didn't learn to speak it."

"It all happened so fast for me, but it did give you a good view as to what's going on outside a small town," he added.

Billie Smith and Rose Berry of Orangeburg served as Cadet Club hostesses.

"Billie and I were real good friends, and we did just about everything together," Berry said. "They would come and get us in an Army vehicle and then take us back home at night, so we were chaperoned properly. Our parents liked that."

"The cadets would always call after every day they had been flying and tell you how they did. They were just lonely," she said. "It was a different world then. Everyone wanted to serve and everyone loved America and pulled together."

Thomas says the information he gathered in Orangeburg will be used for a presentation at a World War II museum in Wolfeboro.

"Once we identify and collate all the info, photographic records and the experiences of those still living, I'll be making a presentation next year to the Wright Museum, a military museum dealing with WWII and what happened on the home front," Thomas said. "We also have a couple of artifacts that we will loan to the museum."

Thomas says he was able to document more original school artifacts than were originally thought to exist.

"We looked at all the possible places for tying down a Steadman on the old tarmac and made a line. Now these have been photographed," Thomas said. "Only two tie-downs were supposedly left, one with a ring and one without. But now we believe we have discovered places for 12 more tie-downs. We also think we have found the reinforcement bands from the old water tower."

While she doesn't yet have a firm time-line, Biswell says the Hawthorne Room should be ready "in the near future." It will be open to the public.

"I and other staff members had to do this during whatever time we could spare, but it's coming together," Biswell said. "We started out with no budget, but people are so generous. Various residents have given donations to help this along, and we make a little money in our department from the thrift shop and other things we do. I'm acutely aware of the debt we owe this generation."

Thomas echoed Biswell's sentiments.

"The best part about coming here has been meeting the people who are still with us in the flesh," Thomas said. "Tom Brokaw said it best. We have to find these people and get the record before they move on."

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T&D Staff Writer Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at psarata@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.

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