Lorain Journal Front Page – Dec. 21, 1953

 

Seventy years ago today, this was the front page of the Lorain Journal on Dec. 21, 1953. As we can see by the little cartoon in the lower right hand corner (remember those?), there were still three shopping days until Christmas.

As was the case back then, page one of the Journal was crammed with national and local news.

The standout article was the posthumous awarding of the Silver Star award to Pfc. Isaac Horton for "gallantry in action." According to the article, "Horton was killed while helping to ward off a strong enemy attack in the vicinity of Mundung-ni, Korea. The Silver Star award, one of the nation's highest, was given to his mother, Mrs. James Horton, 3804 Canton Avenue, in a simple ceremony Sunday by Chaplain Floyd H. Buckland, pastor of the First Baptist Church.

"A former Lorain Golden Gloves champion, Horton was cited by the award to have "never wavered from his determination to repel the foe. His unfailing sense of duty was a tremendous inspiration to his comrades and his aggressive, indomitable spirit contributed immeasurably to the successful repulsion of the hostile foe. The gallantry and unending loyalty demonstrated by Private Horton on this occasion reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Army.

"At the time of the attack, Horton under heavy fire, moved to an exposed position where he could deliver "more effective fire," the award citation read. Lorainites will remember that Horton also displayed the same kind of courage in his Golden Glove fights that netted him the heavyweight championship in the city.

Elsewhere on the front page: Pay raises were on the agenda for the Lorain City Council meeting that night; Lorain vice squad officers had recently uncovered an alleged basketball pool operator; the city of Detroit was hunting down escapees from Southern Michigan state prison; more freezing temperatures were in store for Lorain; Cleveland Police arrested the three 'adhesive tape' robbers, so named because they usually taped the mouth, wrists and ankles of their victims; and Lorain Police trapped a burglar in Middendorf's Drug Store on Broadway.