Daniel Haston Family Association

Haston – Max

1957 –

Major General Max Haston

Rank and Branch of Military

Major General, Army

Years of Service

1979-2019

Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service

Ft Benning, GA; Ft Riley, KS; Ft Knox, KY; Ft Hood, TX, Multiple Locations in Germany, Ft Bliss, TX; Ft Leavenworth, KS, Ft Irwin, CA, FT Polk, LA, Ft Stewart, GA, Ft Pickett, VA, Ft A.P. Hill, VA, Camp Shelby, MS, Ft Bragg, NC, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq; Camp HKIA/KAIA, Kabul Afghanistan, Camp Bondsteel, Pristina Kosovo,

Military Schools Attended

Commissioned from Middle Tennessee State University (BS), US Army Airborne School@Ft Benning, GA, Armor Officer Basic Course, Cavalry Leader and Certification Course, Battalion Motor Officer Course all at FT Knox, KY. Combined Arms Strategic Studies (CAS3), Tactical Commanders Development Course and Command and General Staff College @ FT Leavenworth, KS. United States Army War College, Carlisle, PA (Masters Program), General Officer Career Course (1), Washington, DC, General Officer Career Course (2), Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles

Pristina Kosovo-Camp Bondsteel, Sarajevo Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation During Freedom, Baghdad, Iraq, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Awards, Decorations, Badges, etc.

Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, 4 Meritorious Service Medals, 3 Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon. MG Haston also has been awarded the Combat Action Badge, Army Parachute Badge, Indonesian and Bulgarian Parachute Badges and the Bronze and Silver Order of Saint George.

Stories of Interest Involving the Service Member

Served on the XM-1 Test Project. Served in 3/67 Armor Rapid Deployment Force. Was on the border the day the wall fell between East and West Germany. Served as the 7th Colonel of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 75th Adjutant General (Commissioner of the Military Department)-2nd longest-serving Adjutant General to date in Tennessee.

Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family

Descends (or connected) through Montgomery Greeneville Haston, Daniel’s great-grandson.

Other Information About the Service Member's Haston or Haston-Related Ancestry

My father Jerry Dean Haston served 44 Years in the Tennessee National Guard retiring as an E-8/First Sergeant.

Max took Charlie Daniels to Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq–his first trips. Charlie started a foundation called the Journey Home Project. Max is a board member. There are just three board members, David Corlew (Charlie’s producer and life long friend), Hazel and Max. The Project gives away about 750K annually to groups supporting Veterans and their families.

Petty Officer First Class – Read his story: Marcus Luttrell

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Photos and Background Info on 12 Haston Historic Sites in Tennessee

Photos & Background Info on 12 Historic Haston Sites in TN

Even if you aren’t able to participate in the Saturday, July 23, 2022 tour, you will enjoy reading about (and seeing photos of) these 12 historic sites that are so important to the Daniel Haston Family.

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Haston Block Building – Spencer, TN

Haston Block House - Built 1908 in Spencer, TN

By Landon Medley and Wayne Haston
Landon and I were working together on this article when he passed away in 2021. -Wayne Haston

The "Cyclone" In Spencer, TN that (Literally) Cleared the Way for the Haston Block

Following a (3:00 a.m.) November 18, 1906 cyclone [tornado?] that occurred at Spencer everything on the southwestern corner of the town square was gone. And the newly-built courthouse was severely damaged. The first priority was to address the damages to the courthouse. But citizens also began to rebuild homes and businesses. One of these targeted building sites was on the southwestern corner of the town square. A group of citizens set out to build a business block on that corner.

Following a (3:00 a.m.) November 18, 1906 cyclone [tornado?] that occurred at Spencer everything on the southwestern corner of the town square was gone. The Bouldin Hotel and D. L. Haston & Son, stores, were the only building not badly damage by the cyclone on the courthouse square. C. H. Clark’s store was completely destroyed. And the courthouse was severely damaged. The first priority was to address the damages to the courthouse. But citizens also began to rebuild homes and businesses. One of these targeted building sites was on the southwestern corner of the town square. A group of citizens set out to build a business block on that corner.

A large structure was built to house businesses and the first bank in Spencer. By September of 1907, the structure was completed, and the first known bank of Spencer was open. Mr. A. Lee Coffman was the first cashier at the bank. Mr. Coffman resigned in 1910. He was replaced by Nathan Bouldin Haston, son of D.L. Haston.

The bank went through three stages before becoming known as Citizens of Spencer in about 1914.

D.L. Haston - The Driving Force Behind the Haston Block

One of the leading citizens of Spencer at that time was David Lavander (D.L.) Haston, the son of Isaac T. Haston, Sr. This D.L. Haston was a grandson of David Haston and great-grandson of Daniel Haston. D.L. married Amanda Bouldin, the daughter of Nathan Bouldin, on December 4, 1881. Nathan Bouldin was the owner and operator of the Spencer-famous Bouldin Hotel.

In 1910, he was 52 years old (born 1858) and living in Spencer. He and Amanda had four living children, three of whom were living with them (Lawrence, age 20; Clarence, age 14, and Lester, age 8). D.L. was a salesman by occupation, owned his own home, and operated a Dry Goods Store on the courthouse square in Spencer–D.L. Haston and Sons. According to the 1920 census, he was living on the McMinnville Road in Spencer, which was at the corner of the Haston Block building.

Apparently, D.L. Haston was the major “mover and shaker” behind the construction of a business block at the southwest corner of the town square. Thus, this structure became known as the “Haston Block.”

D.L. was involved in the process of the incorporation of Spencer in 1909.

Sale to D. L. Haston for $50.00 a portion of the southeast [southwest?] corner of the public square of Spencer beginning about 20 feet from the lower side of the present courthouse fence on a rock and running thence east about 70 feet with a ditch to the corner of said square, thence north about 90 feet with a ditch to a rock then west about 70 feet to a rock, about 20 feet from the lower side of the court house fence, thence south about 90 feet to the place of beginning.

April 1, 1907 Van Buren County Court Minutes

Note: If it was the southeast corner it was not the Haston Block building lot.

After the storm that did much damage to Spencer, a group of citizens sought to build a new business block, as well as restore the buildings that had been destroyed.

On June 19, 1907, a group of local businessmen submitted to E.N. Haston (Van Buren County Court Clerk) their intentions to establish Van Buren Bank in Spencer.

The Haston Block Building has housed numerous businesses (and at least one church) over the years. By September of 1907, the structure was completed, and the first known bank of Spencer–The Van Buren Bank–was open. Mr. A. Lee Coffman was the first cashier at the bank. Mr. Coffman resigned in 1910. He was replaced by Nathan Bouldin Haston, D.L. Haston’s son.

Names of directors of the Van Buren Bank 1907-1914: E. T. Passons, I. S. Shockley, W. N. Billingsley, G. W. Johnson, J. M. Gamble, Alex Russell, James M. Brady, and J. N. Haston.

The Van Buren Bank failed and became Citizen Bank in 1914 (Chattanooga Daily Times, October 25, 1914, page 13).

Memories of the Haston Block House by a Spencer, TN Native

Someone made coffins for the county for a while in the space above the store. And there was a frequent card game (apparently in a room in the back of the store) at the time the coffins were being made. Wilburn “Slick” Reedy was a cook at the Bouldin Hotel at the time (having been recently released from Brushy Mountain Prison). (Slick told me that he went to ‘the penetanshuh’ when he was 21 years old, and that was in 1916. Said he got too much education, ….learned to write his name, …..and wrote it on a check.) Anyway, one night the card game was on; the players were snacking on peanuts, and Slick was present. After a time they ran out of peanuts, and someone asked Slick to go upstairs and refill the peanut buckets from the tow sack of them that was up there. Slick went up the exterior stairway on the east side of the building, reached the top landing, opened the door, and went in to get the peanuts. Someone was hiding in one of the coffins and chose that very moment to open the lid and sit up. In lieu of running back down the stairs, Slick took the aerial route from the stair-top landing back to earth.

The KKK used to hold their meetings and stash their robes in the space above the bank. (I learned this in the 1950s when my Daddy got a job to do some painting and miscellaneous woodwork in the bank, and I was his helper. One day he asked me to go upstairs and get him a drop cloth, and as I climbed the stairs I wondered what made him suspect a drop cloth might be found up there. Strangely, there were lots of them laying around. I picked one of them up, and a pointed hood with eye holes fell to the floor. I never told Daddy about it, and I still have it.)

Cordially, Hoyte Cook

Formerly Honey's Ice Cream & Coffee Shop and Restaurant; Now (2023), Crimson & Clover Restaurant

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1902 Sparta Expositor Supplement (60 pages)

1902 Sparta (TN) Expositor Supplement (60 pages)

White County and Sparta, TN history and “What the town and county were like” 120 years ago.

Be patient when downloading – it’s a LARGE document (668 KB).

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Montgomery Greenville Haston Farm

Montgomery Greenville Haston Farm

The Core of M.G. Haston's 1858 Farm - Today a Tennessee Century Farm

On November 3, 1858, Montgomery G. Haston (grandson of David Haston, Great Grandson of Daniel) bought four tracts of land (1,163 acres more or less) from Nathan Durham for $900.[i] The land was located around the current crossroads of Highways 30 and 285 on Cane Creek in Van Buren County, TN. From the documents we have, it appears he paid cash for the land. M.G. acquired a few other tracts of land in the years to follow. In 1860, he owned 1,289 acres. After M.G.’s death on December 20, 1869, the farm was divided and gradually parts of the original farm were sold outside of the family. Much of his acreage was steep and of little value. But the Dry Fork Branch and Cane Creek bottom land, the core of the M.G. Haston farm, has provided pasture for cattle for many decades. [i]Van Buren County, Tennessee Deed Book B, 548-549.

The core 308 acres of the Montgomery G. Haston farm have remained in the Haston family until now. In 2020, Jean Ann (Haston) Hall and her brother David Haston placed the farm in a legacy trust to assure that it remains in the Haston family for many years to come. It’s the 3rd oldest Century Farm in Van Buren County and still, up to 25 cows and calves graze on each of the farms (upper and lower) pastures each summer.

Earliest Haston Ownership of this Haston Farm

Montgomery Greenville Haston was not the first Haston to own land in this area of the upper Cane Creek valley. David Haston’s oldest son, Wiley Blount Haston, was granted 50 acres (Grant No. 1495) there based on a June 15, 1829 survey.

By virtue of Entry No. 2121 and a June 19, 1832 survey, Isham Bradley Haston (brother of Wiley B. Haston, both sons of David) was granted 25 acres (Grant No. 3320) that joined Wiley B.’s (above mentioned) 50 acres. The State of Tennessee official seal was officially affixed on April 2, 1834.

Isham B. Haston made Entry No. 3011 (Grant No. 12503?) on August 4, 1837 for 135 acres (by an October 9, 1838 survey) on the waters of Cane Creek. The survey began near the mouth of the Dry Hollow.

On July 5, 1841, Isham B. Haston sold 53 acres on the west side of Cane Creek (at the foot of a high rocky mountain) to Nathan Durham for $325. Wilie B. Haston witnessed the transaction.

In those days, it was common for ownership of real estate to change frequently. Nathan Durham, apparently, accumulated several tracts of land in the upper valley of Cane Creek. Based on the probable location of the tracts mentioned above, all of these tracts may have been (or were probably) portions of the 1,163 acres that M.G. Haston purchased from Nathan Durham in 1858.

There is evidence that in his young single adult and single years, M.G. Haston probably lived with (or on the land of) Wiley B. Haston or Isham B. Haston. He was elected as constable there in August 1845. That’s undoubtedly where he met Rachel Wheeler whom he married in 1847

When M.G. Haston returned from a five-year hiatus in Walker County, GA, he was familiar with the land he purchased from Nathan Durham in November 1858.

So, some of the land that is now part of the Haston Century Farm was in the Haston family well before the 1858 Century Farm beginning date.

Significant Location of the M.G. Haston Farm

Besides its location at the crossroads of highways going to and from Spencer, Pikeville, and Sparta, the M.G. Haston farm encompasses approximately one mile of Cane Creek. The water of Cane Creek that runs through the Haston farm tumbles over Fall Creek Falls and Cane Creek Falls, about 4.5 miles upstream. The location of M.G. Haston’s farm was both a blessing and a curse in earlier years, as you will see in the following section.

Historical Features of the Farm

Prior to 1858, we don’t know much about what happened on the tracts that M.G. Haston acquired, but doubtless, there is a lot of interesting history hidden away there. There is quite a bit of interesting historical information that is known about the farm after M.G. purchased the land in 1858. Here are a dozen of some of the more interesting known historical features on and around the farm.

Indian Camp

Indian Camp is a large rock shelter near where the Indian Camp Branch joins Cane Creek, a little over two miles up Cane Creek from the M.G. Haston farm. Apparently, it was used by Indians prior to the 1804 Tellico Treaty that transferred much of Middle Tennessee from the Cherokee Indians to the United States.

Buckets of Indian arrowheads have been recovered from the Haston farm, especially in the field west of the Blue Hole on Cane Creek.

M.G. Haston Home and Out-Buildings

The M.G. Haston home, which was also the home of his descendants, was located on the north side of the old Spencer to Pikeville Road and the Dry Fork and just west of Cane Creek. There was a smokehouse, a chicken house, a corral, and a barn located north of the house. This original M.G. Haston house burned in the early 1940s.

The large upstairs bedroom was filled with multiple beds that Emma Lewis Haston rented out to loggers, road builders, hunters, and fishermen. She ran a bed and breakfast and had many repeat customers.

Pre-Highway 30 Road

Prior to the early 1930s, when what is now the foundation of Highway 30, the old road cut across the M.G. Haston farm along the gray route on the above plat-map. The road ran very near M.G. and Rachel Haston’s house, apparently crossed Cane Creek (probably) below the Blue Hole, then ran up the side of the mountain and connected to pre-Highway 30 road that goes to the Mooneyham community and on to (past the north entrance of Fall Creek Falls State park) to Pikeville, TN.

As per Marlin’s recollections, this was a fairly busy road and the Blue Hole in the Cane Creek was a watering place and resting stop for the horses and mules used for transportation at that time.

Here’s the “curse” part of the location. Some of the people who traveled the roads that criss-crossed essentially in the front yard of M.G. Haston’s house were bad people. That was especially true during, and in the years following, the Civil War. Marlin Haston stated that grandmother Rachel Haston sat in a rocking chair every night with a loaded shotgun across her lap. She was afraid of raiders and other evil-minded rascals. Think about it–in the latter two years of the war, the county was controlled by Federal soldiers and M.G. Haston’s family was a marked family because of his previous involvement as a Confederate Home Guard Captain and, later a soldier.

Dry Fork of Cane Creek

This (sometimes) dry branch merges with Cane Creek behind the site where M.G. Haston’s house was located. Occasionally, “Dry Fork” floods destructively across the Haston property south of Hwy 30, especially since Hwy 111 was built, from Spencer to Dunlap.

Pre-Civil War Rock Wall

A wall constructed of large creek stones runs along the north side of Dry Fork. According to the story passed down through the Haston family, the wall was built prior to the Civil War. One theory is that it was put there to help control the damaging torrent of water that rushed down the branch in extreme flooding times.

Alongside the rock wall’s northern edge are the remains of a road that runs completely through the farm, heading west up the hollow. “Widow Carter,” widow of Captain George Carter (Confederate guerilla) lived up the road in this hollow after the Civil War. Captain Carter was killed in the first battle of Saltville, VA.

Confederate Civil War Camp

M.G. Haston was Captain of the Home Guard in his Van Buren County district. According to an 1862 Confederate Civil War map, there was a Confederate camp (the dark green square) on his property, in front of his house and out-buildings. After the Union Army took control of Van Buren County, this would have been an extremely dangerous place for Rachel Haston and her children to live, while M.G. was fighting in the Confederacy. And after M.G. returned home from Chattanooga to protect his family from Yankee soldiers who were looking for pro-Confederate families to harass and ex-Confederate soldiers to kill, M.G. was constantly in danger of being captured and killed.

Caves

Multiple caves exist on the M.G. Haston farm and the land he once owned. Perhaps M.G. hid in one of these caves at the time Federal soldiers were hunting for him, an ex-Confederate soldier and former Home Guard Captain.

Blue Hole

This deep pool of water in Cane Creek, near (south east of) the M.G. Haston home was used for many years as a popular swimming hole for locals, as well as a Sunday baptismal pool for churches in Spencer. Church members would pack lunches and would enjoy a picnic at the Blue Hole for baptisms. It was very busy on many Sundays.

Haston Cabin

A little cabin was located up a slope south of Dry Fork. According to oral history within this Haston family, it is believed that the cabin was built in the late 1800s. Various family members used it through the years. Robert Charles Haston, Sr. and his bride, Mary Etta Smith, used it as their first home. Marlin Haston was born there in 1928 and spent the first six or seven years of his life growing up on the farm. His brother, R.C. Haston, Jr., was born there as well. Marlin described the farm as being a very busy place. The old road (prior to the current Highway 30) ran between this cabin and the house that M.G. and Rachel Wheeler Haston had lived in. The logging road to the Haston sawmill, on Haston Point, ran to the east side of the cabin and on up the mountain. This was a busy crossroads in the pre-1940s history of the Cane Creek valley.

Haston School

The Haston School was located on the Cane Creek Road behind the Isom Haston house; it began on October 3, 1914.” (Landon Medley, The History of Van Buren County, TN)

When I finished high school we could take a teacher's training course and get a year's certificate. I taught at Haston's [School] on Cane Creek. And that was before (highway 30) that goes over the mountain was built and you had to go out here by Willie Roger's and down the mountain that way and there was a coal mine on the way down. Well, I'd have to ride horseback, it was almost impossible for a car to get over that road and there weren't any cars at that time anyhow. I taught my first year in 1925-26 at Haston's. I had 15 pupils with most of the grades. We had a nice little school and enjoyed it a lot. On the weekends they'd let me have a mule to ride home and then on Sunday afternoon I'd ride this mule back.

Mrs. Daisy Cook Rhinehart (from page 215, History of Van Buren County, TN)

Mary Etta Smith taught at Haston School the last two years the school existed, 1926-27 and 1927-28. She was provided free room and board by Mary Emma Lewis Haston, Monday-Friday. It was during her time there that R.C. Haston, Sr. courted and married her.

Road to Haston Point Sawmill

Haston Point was on top of the hill south of the M.G. Haston farm. A sawmill was located on that point, probably belonging to Will Haston, who was a grandson of M.G. Haston (via. Joel Montgomery Haston, M.G.’s son). The sawmill could be accessed from Spencer (across the top of the mountain) as well as from the top of the Mooneyham-New Martin mountain, on the route to Pikeville. Remnants of this road remain visible to this day.

Burdin Wheeler Farm

Rachel Wheeler, M.G. Haston’s wife, was the daughter of Burdin Wheeler, a prominent citizen in Van Buren County during the mid-1800s. The Wheeler farm was located “up the holler” past the south end of the M.G. Haston property. Rachel Wheeler’s brother, Andy Wheeler, took over the farm after the death of his father. Marlin Haston remembered the Haston and Wheeler families remaining close, as he played with his Wheeler cousins during his childhood years.

“There is a nice chimney remains just up on the ridge above the (Indian Camp) rock shelter. I always imagined that it was one of the Wheelers, but that is just an assumption.” -Stuart Carroll, Fall Creek Falls Park Manager

Summary of the Farm According to Marlin Haston

In 1858, Montgomery Greenville Haston established the Haston Farm that is located five miles east of Spencer, Tennessee. Like many early settlers, Montgomery purchased undeveloped territory through land grants and had to clear the land to grow crops and construct a house. During his ownership, he built fences to protect his crops of corn, oats, wheat, and vegetables from free-ranging wildlife. For his dairy and beef cattle, he let the forage the land for most of the year. Married to Rachel Wheeler Haston, the couple had eight children. Their names were David, William, Mary, Birden, James, Joel, Jacob, and Isham. While the food and livestock raised on the farm was used by the family, Montgomery also used the Cane Creek that ran through the property for fishing and providing an adequate supply of water for the family and livestock. Montgomery’s son, Isham B. Haston was the next owner of the land. Under his ownership, the farm cultivated timber, corn, sorghum, hay, vegetables, and fruit. Married to Mary Emma Lewis Haston, the couple had seven children. In 1924, Isham died and his widow inherited the property. She and her children occupied and operated the farm until the children married and moved away. Her youngest son, Ray, lived with her and they operated the farm until her death on March 9, 1971. After her death, the farm was acquired by her children. In 1972, the great grandsons of the founders, Robert C. Haston, Jr. and Marlin Shelton Haston obtained the land. However, in 1980 Marlin purchased his brother’s interest and became the sole owner of the farm. Today, Marlin continues to own the land. The farm now grows hay and pasture and supports a beef cattle operation.

Marlin Haston (deceased January 1, 2022)

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Three D.L. Hastons – 1848, 1852, & 1856

Three (+1) D.L. Hastons - Contemporaries in Van Buren Co, TN

What were their parents thinking?

David La-van’-der Haston

You will see this “L” name spelled “Levander” & “Lavender” and etc., but I’m fairly confident it is was Lavander for all three men.

In 1848, a baby born in the Haston Big Spring area of Cummingsville, TN was named David Lavander (D.L.) Haston. Four years later, one of his uncles was born who was also named David Lavander (D.L.) Haston. Four more years later, another David Lavander (D.L.) Haston was born. The two younger D.L. Hastons were first cousins and uncles of the oldest D.L. Haston. But, then there was a 4th Van (Van David) Haston born 24 years (1890) before the first of the three D.L. Hastons died (1914) All four of them were living in the same general area at the same time for 24 years. “Will the real D.L. Haston please stand up!” And all 3 (or 4) would have risen.

1848: David Lavander Haston - oldest son of Montgomery Greenville Haston

It appears that the David Lavander (D.L.) Haston name began with M.G. and Rachel Haston, who gave their firstborn son this name on September 24, 1848. Where did they get the idea for the name “Lavander”? Beats me! Maybe you can find someone else in the United States from the 19th century who had that name, but I can’t. Was it a misspelling of the name of the lavender flower (or color)? Would they have named a son for such a femininely beautiful purplish flower? I’ve read that “lavander” is a fairly common misspelling for “lavender,” the flower. Today, that would be like naming your son “Sue.” Oops, forgive me if you named your son “lavender” or “Sue.” Stranger things have happened, but I keep thinking there’s probably another source for the name.

1852: David Lavander Haston - son of (David Haston's son) William Carroll Haston, Sr.

On September 6, 1852, just about four years after the birth of M.G. and Rachel Wheeler Haston’s David Lavander Haston, M.G.’s uncle and aunt, William Carroll and Jane Denney Haston, chose to give their second son the David Lavander Haston name. Van Buren County records reveal that M.G. and his uncle William Carroll appear to have been very close–even though William Carroll was M.G.’s 4 1/2 year younger uncle. Growing up, their ages would have been close enough for them to be good buddies. I imagine William Carroll looked up to his bigger-older nephew with respect and maybe a bit of awe. And maybe William Carrol and Jane, who lived quite close to M.G. and Rachel at that time, admired little David Lavander and hoped their baby boy would be much like him. But, to distinguish their son from the M.G. and Rachel’s little boy, apparently William Carroll and Jane nicknamed him “Van.” Officially he was David Lavander Haston, but to family and friends he was “Van,” throughout his life.

Van Haston, brother of C. T. [Charles Thomas] Haston, ran a fine farm in Western Hickory Valley and raised fine stock. He was a factor in the development of that part of the County but was not as active in the affairs of the County as was his brother, though Van Haston was once County Surveyor.

Monroe Seals (History of White County, TN)

Van (David Lavander) Haston married Tabitha (Bitha) Davis in 1875 and they moved to Hickory Valley of White County, TN sometime between 1880 and 1900. They are both buried in the Old Union Cemetery in southern White County. His death certificate, with information supplied by his older brother Charles Thomas Haston, shows his middle name spelled – L-a-v-a-n-d-e-r.

The +1 = Van "Little Van" David Haston - Son of the above David Lavander "Big Van" Haston

To add even more confusion to the mix of D.L. Hastons, the above David Lavander Haston (son of William Carroll Haston) passed his name down to a son, born February 22, 1890. This son married Iona Cummings. Although his gravestone in the Cummingsville Chapel Cemetery simply carries the name “Van Haston” and his death certificate gives his name as Van David Haston, I know of one family record which refers to him as David Lavander (Van) Haston, Jr. My guess (just a guess) = his official name was David Lavander Haston (Jr.) but “Van” became so closely associated with him, that his first and middle names unofficially were switched.

1856: David Lavander Haston - son of (David Haston's son) Isaac T. Haston, Sr.

Isaac T. Haston lived just across the road (north of) William Carroll Haston. He was only two years older than William Carroll and 2 1/2 years younger than his uncle Montgomery Greenville Haston. The three of them were probably a “trio of terror” as they were growing up–just fun-loving Haston boys close to the same age. Isaac T. was the executor of M.G.’s estate, so that tells you something about their relationship. In fact, about as soon as Isaac T. got M.G.’s estate settled, he died himself.

I don’t know exactly why Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston chose to name their fifth son David Lavander Haston also, but I’m quite sure it was related to the close relationship between M.G., William Carroll, and Isaac T. But what were they thinking–three boys with eight years age of each other, living in the same neighborhood, with the exact same name!!! It must have caused lots of confusion when they were young and it certainly has to those of us who have tried to research the family. I know of at least one document where the “D.L. Haston” name appears twice, referring to two different D.L. Hastons (without any stated distinction).

Isaac T. and Elizabeth’s David Lavander Haston was born on August 13, 1856. He married Amanda Bouldin and became a prominent Van Buren County business man–a stock dealer, a hotel and general store owner and bank officer in Spencer, a Van Buren County Justice of the Peace, stockholder of Burritt College, and who knows what else. The Haston Block building on the east side of the Spencer courthouse square is a monument to him.

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Haston – Dwight E.

Birth 1946 –

Rank and Name of Veteran's Service

Rank and Branch of Military

E-8 Air Force

1966-1978

Switched from Air Force to Department of the Army Civilian ( DAC)
Retired GS15

Years of Service

1966-1978

Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service

Amarillo, Texas

Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles

Army War College / First Civ Class / Frankfort FRG — Vietnam

Awards, Decorations, Badges, etc.

Purple Heart / Bronze Star x 2 / Air Force Commendation / Presidential Unit Citation

Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family

Descendant of Joseph Haston, Daniel’s son

Other Information

Sons of the America Revolution National Number 105819 / State Number 1569
1973 to present

In my Air Force Service, I was assigned to Texas for boot camp, California 1966 – 1968 -9th Recon Wing/ 1968/ SR71 support. Headquarters 7th Air Force in Saigon for the TET. Little Rock AirBase 1970- 1973. Special assignment Naples Italy -Afsouth NATO 1973- 1978. Switched to Department of the Army Civilian. Assigned to Special Operations Germany. Assigned to Special Projects in Mannheim, Worms, Fulda /11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Assigned as the first Civilian Community Officer for Fulda, Bad Hersfeld, and Bad Kissingen Military Communities. Retired GS-15.

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Duncan – Robert O.

Robert Owen Duncan's Service

Born 1957

Rank and Branch of Military

E-7 in the United States Air Force

Years of Service

1975-2000

Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service

Lackland, Chanute, Shaw, Kadena, Hill, Nellis Kunsan, Eielson, Ellsworth AFB’s

Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family

Descendant of Daniel’s son, Isaac Haston/Hastings (Isaac, Hartwell, Lucy Hastings, Dorothy Wagner, Robert Orval, Robert O, & Robert Owen Duncan)

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Haston – Horace H.

1925-2020

Sergeant Horace H. "Ace" Haston's Service

Rank and Branch of Military

Sergeant and a Crew Chief in the United States Army Air Corps

Years of Service

1943-1946

Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service

Training at Mountain Home, Idaho Army Air Field, combat Crew Training Station (heavy); Aerial Gunner, Clark Field in the Philippines.

Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles

China Offensive, New Guinea, Western Pacific, Air Combat Borneo

Awards, Decorations, Badges, etc.

Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon with 4 Bronze Stars, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Ribbon, 2 Overseas Service Bars

Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family

Descendant of Daniel’s son, David Haston through Isaac T. Haston > Isham S. Haston > Horace C. Haston > (father) Hearl Horace Haston, Sr.

He was a student at Central High School in Chattanooga, TN when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened. He told me, "Everybody was so patriotic, and were all so mad." In 1944 he joined the Army Air Force. He was 17 years old. He was the gunner in the bottom turret in a B-24. A dangerous place to be during missions. They were flying over India and Southern China. "They told us we had to do twelve missions. We'd already done two. We had to do ten more," Mr. Haston said. "They would be at treetop level, and we would search and destroy anything that moved." He was the youngest man on the crew and he was the last survivor. He passed away on August 15th, 2020. He was 94 years old.

Channel 9, ABC News - Chattanooga, TN

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Major Bob Haston – Near-Death Post-War Ejection from a Cockpit

Major Bob Haston - Near-Death Post-War Ejection

On an Airfield Tarmac in Lincoln, Nebraska

Early Post-War Life

Robert Weldon Haston met and married Mary Ann McGuire of Vera, Texas. They were married on December 22, 1945, after knowing each other for only 11 days. She said it was love at first sight. It must have been because they were married for 56 years.

Daughter, Lynda Haston Britain

They had a daughter, Lynda who was born in Ft Worth, Texas, in 1948, before the family spent three years on overseas duty (1950 – 1953) first in Frankfort, Germany and then Athens, Greece. Their son, Mike, was born in Erding, Germany on June 8, 1953. Upon returning to the United States, Robert was sent to Waco where he received a triple rating for pilot, bomber, navigator which allowed him to become a B-4 7 Aircraft Commander. In 1954 he was stationed in Lincoln, Nebraska where he served as an Instructor Pilot and Designated Test Pilot for the 98th Bomb Wing.

The Near-Fatal Accident

When the family returned to the United State, they were stationed in Lincoln, Nebraska. In November of 1956, while on alert during the Suez Canal Crisis, Robert reported to the runway in Lincoln, where a plane that had previous maintenance problems was to be checked once again before transporting it to a different facility. Robert entered the pilots cockpit to run a check list and determine the current problem with the aircraft. As the check list proceeded, no one was aware of the horrific disaster to come. Suddenly the pilot’s seat started to rumble before blasting through the cockpit canopy, ejecting Robert 2 along with his seat thirty feet into the air. The parachute attached to the seat did not have time to deploy. As Robert came down, all he could think to do was to roll upon landing, which he did, in a judo position learned in boot camp. He lay unconscious on the tarmac bleeding from the front and back of the head. He had received massive cuts from his helmet compressing on his head. He was black and blue from sever contusions to his entire left side, and partially deaf because his left ear drum was blown out. When the emergency vehicles arrived with the medics, he was at first assumed dead because of the amount of lost blood and the severity of the head wounds. As Robert was being taken to the hospital, his commanding officer and the Base Chaplain were on their way to give his wife and family the terrible news of the accident. He spent several months in the hospital. He could no longer fly aircraft and decided to retire from the Air Force in 1957, after 16 years in the service.

Civilian Life

After leaving the Air Force in 1957, the family moved to Dallas, Texas. Where Robert found a job working for the Civil Service Motor Pool. On December 31, 1958, they had their third child, this time a baby girl named Sheri Ann Haston. She was born at Carswell Air Force Base. The following April 1959 the family moved to San Antonio, Texas. The fourth and final precious baby, Becky Rene Haston was born on November 26, 1962. By this time Robert was working for the U.S. Post Office as a carrier. He retired after 20 years of service.

Death and Burial of Major Robert Weldon Haston

Obituary

Robert Weldon Haston, age 78 years old, entered into peace on November 21, 2001. He was born in Temple, TX, on November 4, 1923. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Haston of 56 years December 22, 2001; son, Michael Haston and wife Deborah; daughters, Lynda Britain and husband Howard, Sheri Cerda and husband Manuel, and Becky Weedo and husband Tim; 10 grandchildren, Bryan and wife Angie Haston, Carrie Haston, Anna Lynn, and Brad Britain, Tracy, Bobby, and David Rowe, Nicole Weedo and Melanie Cerda; one great-grandchild, Mydian Lynn Rowe. He retired from the Air Force as a Major, on August 12, 1957, and came to San Antonio, TX in 1959 where he opened the G.S.A. Motor Pool on South Flores Street in 1959. He worked at Air Academy at Stinson Field as an instructor for two years. He also worked in civil service for 26-1/2 years retiring in January 1985. He was a member of Anchor Masonic Lodge No. 424, a member of Eisenhauer Road Baptist Church, Prisoner of War for 15 months in Germany Luft III. A Graveside Service will be conducted on Monday, November 26, 2001, at 9:00 A.M. at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with Rev. Kevin D. Prather officiating. The family requests that no flowers be sent, but if friends so desire donations may be made to Boysville, Inc., P.O. Box 369, Converse, TX 78109-9988. Alamo Funeral Chapels.

Published by San Antonio Express-News on Nov. 25, 2001

"I always thought of this coin as 'lucky', and I guess it was because it brought me home to America. I stopped carrying the coin when the date began to wear off. I gave this special silver dollar to my son, Robert Michael Haston, in 1985 in hopes it will bring him as much 'Good Luck' as it brought me."

Bob Haston

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Major Bob Haston – Stalag Luft III Prisoner of War

Major Bob Haston - Prisoner of War in Stalag Luft III

German POW Camp Stalag Luft III

Stalag Luft III was a POW camp near Sagan, Germany that was operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). It is one of the best-known WWII German POW camps, largely because of two famous escapes–the “Wooden Horse” escape of October 29, 1943, and the “Great Escape” of March 24-25, 1944. On that March night, 76 Allied air force officers escaped through an elaborate tunnel but only six made a “home run”–escaped successfully. Fifty of the unsuccessful escapees were later shot (murdered) by the Gestapo on the direct orders of Adolph Hitler. The 1963 Hollywood film, “The Great Escape,” was based on the March 1944 escape, with quite a bit of “artistic license.”

Like other German POW camps, Stalag Luft III was built in a location to discourage Allied bombers from attacking a strategic military site. Sometimes the “human shields” were schools or churches. A POW camp was a prime shield. The small town of Sagan (now Zaga, Poland) was an important railroad junction and Stalag Luft III was a shield to try to protect the railroad from Allied bombers.

After Bob Haston was shot down (and rescued) by the German military, he was initially taken to Oflag XI near Spangenberg, a POW camp for Allied officers. He was sent to a POW hospital for medical care, then to Stalag Luft III near Sagan (then in Germany).

“I believe that because of my injuries, I went through interrogation without being questioned and was sent to the Prisoner of War Hospital in Obermassfeld Germany. After my hospital stay, there were no more searches. I was able to carry the dollar in my pocket for the remainder of the war.” -Bob Haston

Bob arrived at Stalag Luft III not long after the “great escape” had occurred. When he arrived, German tanks were rolling over the grounds in an attempt to collapse any tunnels that might still be undiscovered. Building tunnels was a popular activity in which prisoners engaged in Stalag Luft III. More than 100 escape tunnels were started or completed there during the time this POW camp was in operation! What is especially remarkable about the Stalag Luft III tunnels is the fact that the site was specifically chosen because of the sandy soil there which made digging tunnels difficult. But crafty POWs found ways to deal with the sand.

In the early part of the war, Germans were generally careful about following the policies of the Geneva Convention of 1929 with Western Allied prisoners. So, conditions there were reasonably tolerable for these prisoners, especially in the early stages of the war when Hitler’s army seemed to have the upper hand. When you came into the camp, you were shown a Red Cross “care package” of sorts. It had dehydrated milk, tooth brushes, blankets, small amounts of food, clothing, cards, etc. and all you had to do to get it was smile for the camera, register your information into the Germany system, and have these “wonderful, happy-go-lucky, I’m being treated so well” radio interviews to be sent back to your folks back home. If you didn’t smile … or weren’t “happy” for the radio … you starved to death.

But, the Other Side of the Fence - Stalag Viii C

In Stalag Viii C, the tale was not so "happy go lucky." (and I say that in the most ironic/sarcastic way possible) That camp was made up of mainly prisoners from the eastern front: Russians, Yugoslavians, Czechs, Pols, and other Baltics ... oh, and some French. Now this camp was no Hilton ... Since Stalin hadn't signed the Geneva Convention, mainly because he wanted to torture Nazis ... and his own people who rose up against him ... well, because of that Hitler said "everything is fair game with these guys." If they were running low on food, they'd pick people to starve to death from Stalag Viii C. If they had too few beds, they hanged people from Stalag Viii C. If they had too few barracks to fit people, they let the prisoners freeze to death outside. If the prisoners looked at the guards cross eyed, they got a bullet to the gut (not the head), and made to sit there and wallow in pain for days until they eventually died. If the guards' dogs were starving ... Stalag Viii C supplied a good diet of human flesh. It was about as close to a Jewish death camp, as you got in the POW world, except not on the same scale. Over 12,000 men died in that camp in atrocious ways.

Brad Britain, Grandson of Bob Haston

Brad continued: My grandfather was right across the fence from the Russian side, and between the severe wounds of his own, a significant lack of food, the example of the other 50 people that were shot, the sounds from the Russian side, and focusing entirely on surviving the harsh Polish winter, my grandfather was just hoping to make it out of this place alive. He never attempted to escape, and wasn’t sure if he would have even survived a successful attempt.

That does NOT mean that the Germans were all Nazi’s. The reason my grandfather, and many of the other men in those camps lived was because of the Germans in the area. When there wasn’t enough food, there were several guards that would regularly give the prisoners food and supplies. They would also give them their dogs to eat (not the Russian eating ones … those were kept on the Russian side). The Germans (not the Nazi’s, though the Nazi’s “allowed” this) organized the Red Cross efforts to provide some moderate supplies to the prisoners. The Nazis did, however, use this as an opportunity to feed the propaganda machine.

“In January of 1945, I along with thousands of other POWs were then marched to Nuernberg and on to Moosburg, where we were liberated by General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army on April 29, 1945.” -Bob Haston

The "Death March"

On the evening of 27 January 1945, the German garrison at Stalag Luft III announced the camp’s immediate evacuation due to the proximity of Soviet forces. The Germans distributed Red Cross food parcels to the prisoners, and in the early hours of 28 January the prisoners began a five day forced march to Spremberg in freezing, snowy weather. Their overnight accommodations on the journey included barns, a large church and a factory. Source

Grandson, Brad Britain, relayed the story of his grandfather’s “Long March” (also known as the “Death March”) and the final months of his captivity as a POW:

At the end of his incarceration, (January, 1945) he and his fellow prisoners were forced to march in excess than 200 miles. This march was accomplished in spite of 40° to below 0° temperatures resulting in Robert's shoes (he found a pair of shoes that were a size 8 when he wore a size 11) freezing to the ice because they thawed from body heat when he stopped marching. He weighed 187 pounds when captured and 111 pounds when he was liberated by General George S. Patton's troops on April 29, 1945 after spending 14 months, 6 days, 22 hours as a prisoner of war. Robert Haston spent two weeks in the hospital before being sent home. At that time the only treatment given by the military for malnutrition was to feed patients five times a day until they reached a weight deemed suitable for release from the hospital. No thought was given to any psychological trauma that such internment could cause.

Brad Britain

More on Stalag Luft III, the Death March and Final Weeks

The night was coal-black, the moon had disappeared, and millions of tiny snowflakes slowly drifted toward the ground. The snow was packed two feet deep.

With pneumonia: “…I was walking on my own one step nearer home, and I am going to take another.”

Five days of marching had been made in below-freezing weather. Three of those days had been under the most adverse weather conditions, with bitter snowstorms and long hours of marching.

It was eleven A.M. on Friday, February 10, 1945. The march of death had come to an end. We had traveled across a large part of Germany, a distance of 480 miles, including rides in packed (and sickening) cattle cars on trains. It had taken us thirteen days to make the trip, and we had suffered many casualties. For us, it would live on forever.

The S.S. and Gestapo did not believe in the Geneva Convention, and they hated all prisoners of war. Especially, they hated American fliers.

I looked toward the north gate and nearly fainted. There was an honest-to-God American tank parked ten feet from our barracks. We could hardly believe our eys, It was General George S. Patton, Jr., Commanding General of the U.S. Third Army.

Stalag Luft III - POW Camp Featured in "The Great Escape"

The classic movie “The Great Escape” was based on an escape attempt that occurred at Stalag Luft III shortly before Bob Haston arrived at that same POW camp.

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Major Bob Haston – Disastrous Mission #17

Major Bob Haston - The Disaster of Mission #17

Shot Down, Severely Burned, 5 Crewmen Captured, 5 Killed

Source: 2nd Lt. Harold N. Sheaffer Story (by Lowell Silverman)

February 20, 1944, was the start of what came to be known as Big Week. The raids targeted German aircraft factories. Even more important than the factories themselves was the opportunity to engage and decimate the German Luftwaffe [Air Force]. German fighters had little choice but to oppose the raids and were pounced on by escorting Allied fighters. Although British and American losses were heavy, German losses were proportionally far higher—an important step in the Allies achieving air supremacy prior to the invasion of Normandy that spring.

During Big Week, Lieutenant Sheaffer (Navigator on Pilot Bob Haston’s crew) and the remainder of the crew flew three missions in as many days. They flew aboard Aces n’ eights during the first two missions of the offensive. On February 20, 1944, the 527th Bomb Squadron crew bombed the Junkers aircraft factory at Bernburg, Germany. The following day, the squadron bombed Quakenbruck and Bramsche.

On February 22, 1944, the crew took off from Kimbolton aboard B-17F 42-29829, nicknamed Sons o’ Satan, piloted by 1st Lieutenant Haston and 2nd Lieutenant Foy R. Clingman. Their target was the Junkers factory at Halberstadt, Germany. The raid was Sheaffer’s [and Bob Haston’s] 17th combat mission.

The Target

Navigation proved very difficult on the trip due to cloud conditions. This in turn made dodging of enemy flak implacements [sic] impossible. As a result intense and accurate flak was encountered along the route and most of the ships were damaged. Fighters were also up in numbers on this raid. All types were met and their attacks were persistent and often approaching the fanatical point.

527th Bomb Squadron history for the week

Most of what is known about Lieutenant Sheaffer’s fate comes from a Missing Air Crew Report (M.A.C.R.) based largely on accounts of the five survivors. Lieutenant Haston recalled later that Lieutenant Sheaffer “called up after bombs away saying we had a bomb hung up.” Sheaffer was last seen in the bomb bay without a parachute attempting to release the bomb. [“Most B-17 crew members wore only the harness for the parachute in combat, keeping the parachute itself nearby” – Paul J. Collins]. Haston estimated that “Three minutes after ‘Bombs Away’” the B-17 was hit and severely damaged by 20 mm cannon shells fired by enemy fighters. Survivors recalled that engines numbers 2 and 3 as well as the bomb bay were all on fire. The flight engineer, Technical Sergeant Kenneth E. Raack, was hit while manning the top turret and killed instantly. None of the crew saw what happened to Lieutenant Sheaffer. Haston wrote that the survivors’ “conclusions are that Sheaffer was either forced out by the fire or that he was hit and knocked out by 20 mm fire from the attacking fighters.” Half the crew, five men, were able to parachute to safety and were liberated from captivity at the end of the war.

Bob Haston's Personal Experience, as Told by Grandson Brad Britain

On his way to the ground, he was on fire the entire time. To his recollection, he did not remember screaming, but others in his crew remembered an awful screaming coming from the direction they recalled him falling in. Considering the pain and shock of being set on fire, I can only imagine that he certainly could have been screaming the entire way down without knowing it.

Now here’s where I probably don’t take the turn you expected. The Germans saved his life. (Yes, they certainly didn’t help in the beginning, but the guys on the ground helped afterward…. )

My grandfather was found, burnt severely, but still alive, by the Germans, who rushed him (or rushed as fast as you can expect in a war environment) to a hospital. The hospital happened to have a POW British doctor, who was what some would consider being one of the best POW surgeons/doctors in the war. In what today’s medical professionals would consider “hell”, this doctor was able to not only save my grandfather’s life, but was also able to ease his pain, graft new skin on some of the worst spots, and prevent infection (which killed most burn victims of the time). Now, to my grandfather’s credit, he was a tough-as-nails Texas boy, and a God blessed survivor.

Half (5 of 10) of the crew died in the incident and the other half were captured and became prisoners of war.

That Lucky Silver "Peace Dollar"

“When I was shot down on February 22, 1944, I still had the Peace Dollar with me. I was captured and sent for interrogation in Frankfort, Germany. They strip-searched all Prisoners of War. Each time I knew I was going to be searched, I would put the Peace Dollar in my bandages or in the sweater that I had covering my head, which had been severely burned. I believe that because of my injuries, I went through interrogation without being questioned and was sent to the Prisoner of War Hospital in Obermassfeld Germany. After my hospital stay, there were no more searches. I was able to carry the dollar in my pocket for the remainder of the war.”

“I was held prisoner in Stalag-Luft Ill in Sagan.” But that’s another story for the next article.

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Major Bob Haston – The Distinguished Flying Cross

Major Bob Haston - The "Distinguished Flying Cross" Experience

What Did it Mean to "Catch Flak" in an Aerial Assault?

The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany’s main heavy antiaircraft—or “flak”—gun during World War II. When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged metal fragments that tore through nearby aircraft. It also left a characteristic black cloud hanging in the sky. Source

“Flak so thick you could get out and walk on it” was a common phrase to describe heavy anti-aircraft fire. Each black cloud was caused by an exploding flak projectile.

Once Allied troops got on the offensive, extensive bombing raids began over Germany and their supply routes. To get the job done, countless bomber raids were organized under the name of Combined Bomber Offensive, or CBO. Starting in June 1943, the round-the-clock bombing began with the British taking on night bombing missions and the U.S. heading daylight raids. Before escort fighters were assigned to protect the bomber squadrons, however, they took on heavy losses due to intercepting fighter aircraft and 88mm flak infested skies they flew through. More

Bob Haston's "Aces n' 8's" B-17 Bomber Catches Heavy Flak

The first mission was a raid on the port of Emden, Germany, on December 11, 1943. Subsequent missions targeted ports, chemical works, and aircraft/engine factories in Germany, as well as V-weapons sites and an airfield in France. During the eighth mission, on January 14, 1944, the crew had a close call during a raid on the V-1 launch site at Gueschart, France. The 527th Bomb Squadron’s January 1944 diary stated that “Lt. Haston in [42-29802 Ruthie II] returned and made a perfect landing with his #3 and #4 engines shot out.” Source

Description of the above event by Bob’s daughter:
Dad (1st Lt. Bob Haston) and his crew in a B-17 named “Aces n’ 8’s” (because of the tail numbers) had completed their part of a bombing run over Germany and had to return early unescorted. They had gone through heavy flak fire and significant damage. The standard operating procedure was to get to the English Channel and bail out close to the coastline to be picked up by fishermen, letting the plane go in the drink. Dad decided he could make it back to the airfield not far from the coast and told his men to eject if they wanted to. As he told it, none did. He made it back to the base with his plane intact and the crew very happy. After filing their flight reports, the “brass” decided it was a fancy piece of flying and awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross medal. The plane was sent for repair. Dad and his crew picked up their next plane named “Sons of Satan.” -Lynda Haston Britain

More About the Fate of the “Sons of Satan” Plane and its Crew in the Following Article

The Distinguished Flying Cross

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is our nation’s highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement.

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is our nation’s highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement. As a valor decoration, it ranks fourth in order of precedence, and is awarded to recipients for heroism while participating in an aerial flight. The Distinguished Flying Cross medal was established by an Act of Congress on July 2, 1926 and the first Distinguished Flying Cross citations were presented to the Pan American Good Will Flight pilots on 2 May 1927 by President Calvin Coolidge. President Coolidge also presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross medal, on 11 June 1927, to then Captain Charles A. Lindbergh of the Army Air Corps Reserve, for his solo flight of 33 ½ hours and 3600 statute miles.

Distinguished Flying Cross Society PRESIDENT - CHUCK SWEENEY

The "Ruthie II" (Bob Haston's "Aces n' 8's") Previous Noble Service

Previous Co-Pilot John Morgan Was Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for His Heroic Feats in this same B-17 Bomber

Capt. John C. Morgan earned MOH for bringing ship home virtually with one arm while holding injured pilot back from controls. On 26 July 1943, he flew damaged B-17 #42-29802 back to base after the pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft was badly damaged. For over 2 hours he flew it one-handed because he had to hold the pilot up off the controls. Source

4:54 Video - "Medal of Honor - With One Hand"

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Major Bob Haston – The Silver Dollar Story

Major Bob Haston, WW II Hero - The Silver Dollar Story

When the war started, he wanted to sign up immediately but his mother thought he was too young. She told him that if he finished his courses at a local business school she would sign the papers to let him join up. Uncle James, told me that he was very excited to join the Army Air Corp and learn to fly. He started out as a fighter pilot. However, because he was a little bit of a daredevil and performed a risky fly under a bridge maneuver, he was quickly transferred to a bomber squadron. He was happy in this new position and took his responsibilities seriously.

-Lynda Haston Britain (Daughter)

December 27, 1941 - Enlistment of Bob Haston

Aviation Training

Robert Haston joined the Army Air Corp on December 27, 1941. He entered Aviation Cadet Training in August of 1942, graduating from Twin Engine Flying School on April 29, 1943. He completed B-17 Transition to become a pilot at Sebrin, Florida in July, 1943 and after being assigned a crew left Spokane, Washington in 1943 for England where his crew was assigned to the 379th Bomb Group as replacements.

In a 1998 letter, Robert W. Haston (1923–2001), the crew’s pilot, recalled meeting the other nine men in his crew in Ephrata, Washington. Haston continued: “We were transferred to [Geiger Field in] Spokane, Wash. for combat training with the Skaer Provisional Bomb Group. After the training at Spokane, we were transferred by railroad to Grand Island, Nebr.” It was there that they received a B-17F (serial number 42-31031) fresh from the factory. Orders for the crew’s overseas journey indicated that they departed Presque Isle Army Air Field, Maine, for England—with an intermediate stop in Iceland—around October 19, 1943.

2nd Lieutenant Robert W. Haston with his crew in July 1943 during training in Ephrata, Washington. Standing, from left to right: Gordon D. Fisher, Royce D. Taylor, Robert W. Haston, Harold N. Sheaffer, Foy R. Clingman, Kenneth E. Raak. Kneeling, from left to right: Thomas Grange, Robert Spisak, Lester B. Adriansen, James W. Bittenback

THe Lucky Silver Dollar

“After finishing combat training in Spokane, Washington, I and my crew were shipped to Grand Island, Nebraska to pick up a brand new B-17 to take into combat in Europe during World War II. While we were in Grand Island going through processing and getting the tail number 42-31031 put on our new plane, the officers of the crew went downtown to have a beer. Back then you could buy a Falstaff beer for just 10 cents. I went over to the bartender and laid down a five dollar bill to buy four beers for me and my friends. From this 40 cent transaction, I received four silver dollars and 60 cents in change. I noticed that one of these silver dollars was minted in 1923, the year I was born. It was September, 1943, one month before I turned 20 so I decided to keep the 1923 coin as a good luck charm. I spent the other silver dollars on more liquid refreshment for me and my friends. We had a good time that day. I have always been glad that I kept the Peace Dollar for good luck, remembering good times spent with good friends.”

More About the Silver Dollar Story Later

“From Grand Island, Nebraska, we went to Rhome, New York for a two day lay over before proceeding to our assignment over seas. While we were in Rhome, I let Shorty Spisak, the ball turret gunner, go home on leave to Endicott, New York, just a short distance from Rhome. The train he was to catch from Endicott to Rhome was delayed, making him a day late getting back from leave. We were really sweating his return. I decided that it would not be wise to let Shorty get in trouble, so I had Ron Roach, the engineer, kick our generator on the number 4 engine. This created a mechanical delay giving us an additional day for Shorty to return. He showed up 10 hours late, we fixed the generator and took off for Presque Isle, Maine. I still wonder what the General would have said if my ball turret gunner had not been on board when we left.”

I was just 19 years old when I went to fight in World War II. I was young and naive and at that moment I had no idea of the hardships I would soon face.

Bob Haston

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Major Robert Weldon Haston, His WWII Stories

Stories of a World War II Haston Hero - His Haston Family Roots

Lieutenant (later Major) Robert "Bob" Weldon Haston

The following links will be activated, as his stories are posted throughout the “Memorial Month” of May.

A "Memorial Month of May"

During the upcoming Memorial “Month” of May, I want to share some stories with you about an amazing descendant of Daniel Haston–a multifaceted American hero. Bob Haston’s story is so phenomenal I wouldn’t dare try to tell it in one story. So I’m going to try to do some degree of justice to the story by breaking it into five articles, in addition to this introduction to Bob and his place in the Daniel Haston Family. I want to thank Bob & Mary Ann (McGuire) Haston’s daughters, Sheri Haston Baetz and Lynda Haston Britain, as well as grandson Brad Britain, for their help in providing information and resources for these articles. Men like Robert Weldon Haston should make all of us proud to be Americans and part of the wonderful Daniel Haston Family.

Robert (Bob) Haston's Roots in the Daniel Haston FAMILY

August 24, 1821 – James W. Haston, 10^th child (sixth son) was born to David and Peggy Roddy Haston on this date. A marriage bond was issued to James W. and Jane Shockley on October 15, 1841, in Van Buren County. John Fleming, a Justice of the Peace of the Peace officiated their wedding on October 21, 1841.[i]

[i] Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. Nashville, TN: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm.

According to the 1850 census, James W. Haston (Sr.) was a blacksmith by trade.[i] He died in 1858 in Van Buren County and supposedly was buried in the Big Fork Cemetery but if so the location of his grave there is not known. From what I’ve read, apparently he died when his horse slipped on ice and fell on him.

[i] 1850; Census Place: District 4, Van Buren, Tennessee; Roll: 897; Page: 378B.

October 5, 1846 — David Montgomery Haston, was born in Cummingsville (Haston Big Spring Branch area) of Van Buren County, Tennessee to James W. and Jane Shockley. David Montgomery Haston married Lucinda Evalee/Evaleen Jones on February 4, 1865, in Van Buren County and had 14 children. He passed away on 20 Dec 1933 in Leona, Texas.

May 31, 1870 – Philip Morgan Haston, was born in Van Buren County, Tennessee. On February 4, 1899, he married Sarah Louise Hallmark. Philip Morgan died on February 11, 1939, in Leona, Texas.

June 21, 1890 – Laroy (Roy) Haston, was born in Temple of Bell County, Texas. He married Maggie (Margaret) Ann Day on January 8, 1911. Roy died in that same area on March 5, 1981. Margaret died on January 28, 1976.

Bob Haston's Early Life

As told by his oldest daughter, Lynda Diane Haston Britain

Robert Weldon Haston (known to the family as Bob) was born November 4, 1923, in Waco, Texas to Laroy “Roy” Haston and Margaret Ann Day Haston. He was the youngest child in a family of four children, two brothers and one sister. The oldest child was brother, Raymond followed by his only sister, Maurine, and next oldest brother, James just two years older than Bob. The family were hard working farm folks. Margaret and Roy divorced when Bob was around 5 or 6 years old. The children and Margaret remained in Waco, Texas to stay close to family and Roy moved to his farm near Temple, Texas. Margaret took in laundry and ironing to make ends meet. The boys all went to work at an early age to help during hard economic times. I have been told that at one time or another they all had paper routes with the Waco Herald Tribune. Bob graduated High School and went to a local business school (learning to type, bookkeeping, and various other business skills) before planning to attend college. He wanted to attend Texas A&M.

As a teenager, during his free time after chores and newspaper routes, he read books, sought out neighborhood work, and helped the family with the garden. During the times he visited with his father at the farm in the summer (I think this was in Temple, Texas), his chores included milking the cow, bailing hay, riding horses, fixing fences and various other farm activities to help out. He was a “Jack of all Trades” learning to fix just about anything. He had a good relationship with his siblings, often teasing and joking with all of them. He was fascinated with airplanes and from a very young age expressed an interest in one day flying a plane. Uncle James said Bob was always looking up hoping to see an airplane fly over. (Usually a crop duster.)

And that’s where we’ll pick the story up in the next episode of Bob’s life–the beginning of his military experiences.

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Tour Stop # 3 – Daniel Haston Homesite

Daniel Haston Homesite - c. 1804 & On

The Daniel Haston Farm Remained in the Haston Family for More than 150 Years

35°48’04.85″ N 85°26’38.00″ W

The Site of the Daniel Haston Cabin-Home

The Haston Big Spring Branch

William Carroll and Jane Denney Haston Family Burying Ground

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Reunion – Charles Beason & Myrtle Wallace Haston Family

Charles Thomas & Elliot Selina Morgan Haston - Family Reunion

The Hickory Valley Hastons

Sunday - July 24, 2022

The day following the Daniel Haston Family Reunion

Why the Picture of this Little Fire Department?

You are probably asking yourself

Due to the potential of Tennessee July HEAT, we have decided to move inside an air-conditioned space for our Sunday lunch meal. Jimmy Moss has made arrangements for us to meet in the community room at the Hickory Valley Fire Department, 5250 Hickory Valley Rd, Sparta, TN 38583. It’s about about 6/10 of a mile north (toward Sparta) from the Hickory Valley Church. It’s where the Hickory Valley School used to be, if you know where that was.

Sunday Lunch & Afternoon Schedule

12:30 p.m. – Meet at the Hickory Valley Fire Department for Lunch

Charcuterie “board” with fruit, cheese, veggies, crackers
Pork bbq and buns for sandwiches
Chopped chicken or sliced turkey depending on what they have that week
Vinegar Slaw.
Baked Beans
Chips
Cranberry Sauce
Dessert and snack things
Soft drinks, water, tea – ice

And whatever you might want to bring, IF you want to do so – but not necessary.

Sunday Afternoon – Roaming the Backroads of Big Bottom, lost Creek, etc.

Would you like to make the post-lunch afternoon a “Roaming Adventure”–going up on Big Bottom, Lost Creek, etc.? If so, what would you like to see? Let’s talk about it at lunch time. Email me places you’d like to visit. WayneH37@aol.com

Sunday Evening – Cookout at the Firefly Acres Pavillion

We have rented Firefly Acres (see below) for the entire weekend. As the sun starts going down, let’s meet at the Pavillion and have a cookout, just hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.

Map to Hickory Valley Fire Department

Firefly Acres

Map to Firefly Acres

The Charles Beason & Myrtle Emma Wallace Haston Family

Charles Beason & Myrtle Wallace Haston Family

Online Family Tree Records

Thanks to Lois Boyd Horsley (daughter of Elliot Haston) for compiling this Genealogical Database for the
Charles Beason & Myrtle Wallace Haston Family.

Hastons are coming from all over the USA to the July 22-23 (Friday p.m. – Saturday) Daniel Haston Family Reunion, but I wanted to be sure that our “closer” Hickory Valley Haston family be able to have plenty of time to get together. So, this Sunday gathering is just for us – our Haston, Moss, Hollingsworth, Harris, Rittenhour, and Boyd families–all descendants of Beason and Myrtle Wallace Haston, as well as our cousins from the broader Charles Thomas and Elliott Selina Morgan Haston family.

Our Haston Family Gallery

Send me your old photos of Charles Thomas Haston family members to add to our gallery. WayneH37@aol.com

Grandfather of Charles Beason Haston

Grandmother of Beason Haston

Parents of Beason Haston

Home of Charles Thomas Haston

Four Haston generations: Charles Thomas, Beason, Smith w/ James Creed and Ernest Reed

Charles Beason Haston and Siblings

Beason & Myrtle Wallace Haston

Myrtyle Wallace & Beason Haston

Mary Ruth and Boyd Haston in Sparta, TN

Charles Thomas Haston was son of Wm. Carroll Haston and father of Charles Beason Haston

David Haston at the old Beason Haston Family Home Place

Smith Haston Farm in White Co, TN

William Carroll Haston was the Grandfather of Charles Beason Haston and the son of David Haston and Grandson of Daniel Haston

Names of children of William Carroll Haston

Big Bottom - White Co, TN

Mary Ruth David Haston with Bill Gaither

Big Bottom - White County, TN

Papa and Granny Haston

Edna Haston Moss - oldest child of Charles Beason and Myrtle Wallace Haston

Mary Ruth and Boyd Haston - Boyd was the youngest child in the family

Johnny and Verta Haston Jeudes - Verta was daughter of Charles Beason and Myrtle Wallace Haston

Mary Ruth Davis Haston - Wife of Boyd Haston

Edwin Smith Haston

Ethel Dodson Haston

Probably mother of Ethel Dodson

Smith Haston - twins Ernie and Jim - Margaret and Mary Ruth

Don Hollingsworth - TN Tech Graduation - son of Prentice and Vera Haston Hollingsworth

Arnold and Evelyn Moss

Anderson, IN - Smith and Ethel Haston Family

Ernie Haston with Susie

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Isaac T. Haston, Sr. Family

Isaac T. (Sr.) & Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Family

Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Family Line

Some of the Children of Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston

Isaac T. Haston's 1853/1854 Grant #11561 from TN for 215 Acres

Can you imagine paying 1 cent-per-acre for land–land with adjacent access to a creek and a perpetual spring? Land that was not excessively steep and most of which was farmable? A series of Tennessee Land Acts in the 1820s provided land for one cent per acre. Why would Tennessee do that? Vacant land that had not yet been claimed and purchased was of no value to the state and its counties–nobody was paying taxes on it. And tax revenue needed to be generated to launch a public school system. Solution: Essentially give away land (one cent per acre) in order to get it on the tax books to provide income to create and support public schools. 215 acres for $2.15, that was a bargain even in the early 1850s.

When Isaac T. Haston was growing up on the farm his grandfather Daniel Haston and father David Haston settled on and developed, there was an irregularly-shaped unclaimed tract to the east of his father’s farm. No doubt Isaac T. roamed over that neighboring land and probably hunted on it and fished in Cane Creek from it’s banks. Nearly 50 years after White County had been established and more than a dozen years after Van Buren County had been created out of White County, the tract still had not been officially “entered” by a prospective landowner and had not been legally granted to anyone by the State of Tennessee.

Therefore, you will never find a “deed” where Isaac T. Haston was the Grantee of a deed for that land. However, there is a Grant, Tennessee Grant #11561 (which you see below). The grant was directly from the State of Tennessee. A deed would have been from another individual landowner, thus he was not “deeded” the land.

Isaac T. Haston, Sr.

Elizabeth Sparkman Haston - Wife of Isaac T. Haston

Thomas Carroll Haston Family

Children (and their spouses) of Joel Montgomery Haston

Grandchildren of Montgomery Greeneville and Rachel Wheeler Haston

Isaac T. & Elizabeth Haston Family Gallery

Send me your old photos of descendants of Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston with identifications and I’ll add them to this gallery. -WayneH37@aol.com

Isham Bradley Haston - son of Isaac T. Haston, Sr.

James Roy Sr & Sara Yent Haston - Carolyn and James Roy Haston, Jr

Infant James Roy Haston

Back side of Infant James Roy Haston Photo

John Lawrence Haston & Clarence Eugene Haston

George Washington Haston

Ernest N. Haston (1877-1956)

Bettie Haston Haston - Daughter of Isaac T. and Wife of Joel Montgomery Haston

Anna (Haston) and Powell Shockley

Betty Haston - Daughter of Isaac T. Haston, Sr.

Edna Haston Stiles - Bessie Haston Russell - Anna Haston Shockley

Elmus and Rachel Haston

Miss Estelle Suggs - Later, Wife of David Rhea Haston

Fred and Vollie Haston Moss - 1941

Haston Cousins

Horace Haston and Miss Bandy

Isom Haston - Son of Isaac T. Haston, Sr.

Joel Montgomery Haston

Lee Haston

Lee and Maggie Haston and Children

Maggie Haston - Betty Haston - Vollie Haston Moss - Joe Bill Haston - JD Haston - RL Haston

Will and Nan Butts Haston - JD standing

Ruth Haston Norwood - Haston Genealogist

Estelle Suggs and David Rhea Haston

Vollie Belle Haston Raymond

Shockley Barn

Tandy Powell and Annie Elizabeth (Betty) Haston Shockley

Will and Nan Haston

Children of Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston

Shockleys

Isom Haston

Margaret Haston Holloway

1921 Burritt College - David Rhea Haston, back right

Berthena Maynard

Horace Haston and Miss Brady

Carter Drake and others

Elmus and Rachel Haston

Berthena Haston Maynard

The Following Photos Were Found in the Attic of the Tandy Powell and Annie Haston Shockley House

Where Elizabeth “Betty” Haston (daughter of Isaac T. & Elizabeth Sparkman Haston and wife of Joel Montgomery Haston) Had Lived

If you can identify any of the people in these photos, please contact Evelyn Davis Barrow (evelyn.barrow@yahoo.com) Shirley Davis Seegraves (Seegravess@gmail.com) and Monte Shockley Britton (Mjsbritton@gmail.com).

Mouse Over to reveal identity of the person – IF Known

Bill Moss - son of Fred and Vollie Haston Moss

Betsye Moss Ledford - saughter of Fred and Vollie Haston Moss

1926 - Anna Elizabeth (Haston) Shockley and Tandy Powell Shockley

Joel Montgomery Haston

Louis and wife Rachel Shockley

1912 Spring Branch School - Van Buren County, TN

1922 - J.M. Overton, Promoter and former President of Rocky River Coal and Lumber Company

1922 - Judge Joe Hasston and Mrs. George N. Welch

Robert Rhea

Blanche Watkins Rogers

David M. Rhea

Miss Cora Griffith - Fiancee of Robert Rhea

D.M. Rhea

Berthena Haston Maynard

Elmus and Rachel Haston

Carter Drake and others

Horace Haston and Miss Brady

Berthena Maynard

1921 Burritt College - David Rhea Haston, back right

Margaret Haston Holloway

Isom Haston

Shockleys

Children of Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston

Will and Nan Haston

Tandy Powell and Annie Elizabeth (Betty) Haston Shockley

Shockley Barn

Vollie Belle Haston

Vollie Belle Haston and "Dock" Henry Holman

Bransford L. and Maude Payne Haston, with Vollie Belle (About 1917)

Bransford Haston - Son of Isaac T. Haston, Sr.

D.L. Haston (son of Isaac T. Haston) House - A Virtual Mansion for His Era

From SE Corner, Haston Block Building and Bouldin Hotel (white house) in view - D.L. Haston House out of view between the Haston Block House and Bouldin Hotel

Bouldin Hotel, D.L. Haston House, Haston Block Building back on the Corner

Haston Block Building - built by D.L. Haston, son of Isaac T. Haston, Sr. (2022)

D.L. Haston - son of Isaaac T. Haston, Sr.

Early 1900s - Haston Block Building in Spencer, TN

Vollie Belle's Grave in the Molloy Cemetery, Outside of Spencer, TN (2022)

Burritt College 1933-34 team - Vollie Belle Haston Cruise - 2nd from left

Back of Team photo - names of players

From the photo collection of James Robert Haston, first cousin of Vollie Belle Haston

Vollie Belle Haston

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(I.T.) Haston Cemetery – Cummingsville, TN

Isaac T. & Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Family Cemetery

Cummingsville of Van Buren County, Tennessee

History of the Haston Cemetery

Isaac T. Haston was the next-to-the-youngest son of David and Peggy Roddy Haston. Although he was a grandson of Daniel Haston, Isaac T. was born (March 28, 1827) about a year after his grandfather died so he would never have seen and known Daniel. On April 28, 1853, Isaac T. purchased “215 acres” adjacent (on the east side) to his father, David. The tract was very irregular in shape. It bordered on Cane Creek on the northeast side and on the Haston Big Branch on the northwest side. It spanned the “Big Road” (probably roughly the same path as the current Route 285).

1853-1854 Land Purchase

Approximately 22 1/2 years after purchasing the “215 acres,” Isaac T. Haston died and he (or the family) chose to bury him on his farm. His wife Elizabeth died about seven years later and was buried near him. Whether or not Isaac T.’s family had plans for an expanding cemetery there, we will probably never know. But eight others–mostly infants or children–were buried in the cemetery later in the 1800s.

Isaac T. (Sr.) & Elizabeth Sparkman Haston

Survey of Haston Cemetery

Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Family

The Haston Cemetery was established on land owned, at the time, by Isaac T. and Elizabeth Haston. Membership in the organization is limited to descendants of Isaac T. and Elizabeth–an extensive branch of the David Haston family.

Cemetery Burials Plot Map

Created by Ruth Haston Spakes

The Haston Cemetery Trust Fund

Apparently there is no record as to when annual decoration days were observed at the cemetery. But on the August 13, 1963 “Haston Cemetery Decoration Day,” Dave [David Rhea] Haston “made a report on the progress made as to setting up a Trust Fund for the Cemetery.” Thomas Smit read a proposed set of by-laws for the Trust Fund, and after having heard them read a motion was made by J.D. Haston and seconded by R.L. Haston that the by-laws be adopted and the motion carried. The following day, the Trust Fund was opened at the City Bank and Trust Company in McMinnville, TN with an initial deposit of $528.00. A transfer from a checking account and $11.00 from the previous day’s collection made the total savings deposit $570.57.

Directions to the Haston Cemetery

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Proud of My Country Roots – Wayne Haston

"I'm Proud of My Country Roots"

Wayne Haston

In the photo above, you are looking west toward the “Mitchell [or Dodson] Bridge” and Fraizer’s Chapel Methodist Church in a Caney Fork River bottom area known as “Big Bottom” in southeastern Hickory Valley of White County, TN.

My daughters requested that Sharon and I would each create a book about our earlier life experiences. This is one chapter I wrote for them but thought I'd share it with you, my great big Haston FAMILY. Please indulge me the pleasure of telling you about my country roots. It's one of the reasons I'm proud to be a Haston.

Wayne Haston

I have been blessed by God, in so many ways. My dad, Boyd Haston, graduated from the 8th grade (actually, he skipped the final tests so technically he never graduated). But he was better at math and handwriting than I ever was or will be. He became an Alderman in Sparta, TN, and served in that role for 10 years. My mother’s (Mary Ruth Davis Haston’s) father was a country school teacher, so he insisted that she finish high school, which she did.

In elementary school, I was always at or near the top of my class. But in high school, I chose the partying route and limped along until graduation in 1965. I had no intentions of EVER going to college–NONE. Then God reached into my life on March 14, 1965, while I was a senior in high school and radically changed me–my desires, my lifestyle, and my goals. Totally.

Long story short: I spent 16 years in college and graduate schools and received degrees and awards I prefer not to mention. And this boy from the little town of Sparta, who never planned to leave White County, Tennessee, ended up traveling to and teaching in about 35 countries around the world. There are other accomplishments I won’t mention because they would sound boastful. Even what I’ve said here is probably too much, but I’m saying it because I want to give God and my parents the credit. I sincerely do. I love and am proud of my country roots. They have kept me “grounded” and ever-aware of what is really important in life.

Where My Family Lived - In About 1950-1953

When I started school, we lived in this rented house, the same house my mother grew up in. There was no (zero!) insulation on the one-board-thick walls and cracks between the boards kept the rooms fresh and breezy. On cold nights any water in my bedroom froze solid. The house was later converted into a pig house, so it was painted, a new roof was added, and the front porch was framed in to give the pigs more space.

This is the backside of the house (obviously 40+ years after we lived there). The unpainted room with the two windows was the kitchen and dining room, equipped with a wood-fired kitchen stove, and in our last year there, a kerosene-cooled refrigerator that caught fire once and created quite a panic. And the kitchen was where Mom set up the galvanized washtub on Saturday nights where we all, one-by-one, would take a bath in water heated on the kitchen stove. After all, “cleanliness is next to godliness, right?”

The covered extension was our back porch. That’s where the cistern was. It was filled with water that ran off the roof–a rustier roof than you see here. And before the kerosene refrigerator, we had an icebox on the back porch. My Dad would catch a ride to town with a neighbor (he didn’t own a car most of the time) and bring back a large block of ice (from the “Ice House” in Sparta) to put in the icebox for our refrigeration.

Here’s another angle–from the East side of the house. Our “outhouse” (toilet) was located near the bottom-left side of the image, probably less than 10 yards from the cistern. Hmmm…think about that. The building on the left side (probably a newer building) was the chicken house and smokehouse (where the hogs my Dad killed in late fall were salted and hanged to cure). The now-closed-in window (near where the front porch was) was the window to the living room, which was also my parents’ bedroom. In side that window is where the old battery-powered radio sat. Our only (from the outside) entertainment was from radio dramas, such as Amos and Andy, the Great Gildersleeve, the Lone Ranger, Ozzie and Harriet, Jack Benny, etc. But we only had those when the battery wasn’t dead. What a thrill it was when Dad would come home from Sparta with a new battery for the radio!

My mother was an excellent housekeeper. Our house was always clean and neat, even though we didn’t have “running water” and didn’t have electricity until a few months before we moved to Sparta. We went (walked) to church, about a mile away, regularly. My parents were God-fearing folks, who loved the Lord and treated everyone with love and respect.

By the way, the field this picture was taken from was “filled” (well, not filled, but you know what I mean) with arrowheads. I used to follow my Dad as he plowed this field and picked up dozens of arrowheads every time. As a six-year-old boy, they were just little stone “Christmas trees” to me. I remember the day we moved away, I left a jar of arrowheads sitting on a shelf on the front porch–vivid memory, big regret now.

This is the barn, out back. The Caney Fork River flows just beyond those trees. Of course, we didn’t have the silo-feeder when we lived there. But we did have a haystack in front of the long-sloped side of the barn. And the barn was not painted, for sure. I have memories of taking a kerosene lantern to the barn–age 5 or 6–to get something for my Dad (at night). Growing up in similar situations, he never thought anything about sending me to the barn alone at night. And I remember the big copperhead a friend (J.T. Davis) killed in one of the hay troughs and I’ll never forget the rats in the corn crib where I was shucking and shelling corn to take to the mill to be ground into cornmeal. One day a big rat was in a 55-gallon drum (barrel) and couldn’t get out, so I threw a cat in the barrel. But the cat came out faster than I threw it in.

Growing up, I learned to slop the hawgs (hogs, for you city slickers), feed the cattle, turn the mules out to drink in the pond in the barnyard, and milk a couple of milk cows. Mom pretty much took care of the chickens–feeding them and gathering eggs–including ringing their necks, plucking the feathers, and frying chicken two or three times a week–a staple in our family. Keeping weasles or foxes out of the chicken house was also a challenge. A couple times a week a “rolling store” (groceries packed into an old repurposed school bus) came by. Mom would barter eggs or live chickens for cooking necessities such as flour, salt, sugar, etc. And that’s where we got the kerosene for our kerosene lamps.

July 2024 Photos

Memories of Dad milking the cow which provided fresh milk daily, shelling corn in the crib on the back side of the barn and chasing rats away, watching an older cousin kill a big copperhead snake in a feeding crib in the right-rear barn stall, watching Dad take the mules to water in the little pond (that is no longer there) beside the barn , being sent with only a lantern (about age 5) to the barn at night to "fetch" something Dad needed to work on back at the house.

My Dad's Heart Attack

When I was about five years old, my Dad had a heart attack, at about the age of 34. He had been turned down from going into the military during World War II because of a heart murmur. As was common in those days, the doctor (Doctor Roberts) drove out to care for Dad—about 12 miles out of town. The doctor told my Dad he had to give up farming because of his heart issues, so he became a co-owner (with his nephew, Arnold Moss) of a Shell Service Station in Sparta and worked 14 or more hours a day, six days a week (seven days per week for the first several years). By the way–doctor bills mounted up during Dad’s recovery, but he committed to pay every cent of the doctor bill. It took a long time, but he paid every penny he owed.

Because of the distance into town, Dad moved us off the farm into Sparta where he would be closer to the Moss and Haston Shell Service Station..

About the time we needed to move to Sparta, Lester Flatt was planning to move to Nashville to be closer to the Grand Ole Opera and the recording studios–Music City, USA. Dad rented Lester’s house and we moved in. Lester would come by every month, collect the rent, sit on the porch and talk with Dad. They would sit in the front porch swing, with Lester’s cowboy hat on his knee as he smoked his cigar.

I didn’t think much about it at the time, but now I wonder what they talked about.

There’s much more to the story, but that’s the gist of my life as a young boy in White County and Sparta, Tennessee.

All of the Above to Say This

If someone wants to make me angry (and quickly!)–they can just bad-mouth country folks, or make fun of Tennessee hillbillies, ’cause I am one–and proud of it.

But here is the main point of this story: My parents grew up poor, but they were taught traditional Christian values–respect God, love Jesus, believe the Bible and follow its teachings, love America even with its imperfections, respect and salute the flag, be a good neighbor, and do all that you can (even sacrificially) to meet the needs of your family and others who were less-fortunate than you. I have been so blessed!

My parents worked hard to see that my sister (Marilyn), brother (Ron), and I were dressed suitably. Yes, we even had shoes…believe it or not! They saw to it that we were well fed. They worked hard to improve our living conditions, moving from one rented house to another, several times, until they could afford to buy a modest but very comfortable house. And all the while, they taught me to work hard and treat people with kindness and respect.

And when I told Dad that I wanted to go to college, he set aside other expenditures to be sure that I could follow my dreams. Humanly speaking, Mom and Dad deserve the credit for anything good I’ve accomplished in life. Their examples, their teaching, the discipline and encouragement they gave me as a kid, a teenager, and as an adult have made me whatever I’ve become.

"I'm Just a Country Boy at Heart" Says It All For Me

By the way–did you know Ricky Skaggs is our Haston-related cousin (by marriage). Daniel Haston, Jr. (our Daniel’s son) married Chloe Skaggs in Kentucky – from the same Skaggs family as Ricky Skaggs.