University of Virginia Library

Fourth War Loan

The Fourth War Loan Drive extended from January 18 to February
15, 1944. As in the previous drive, William S. Hildreth,
chairman of the local War Finance Committee, was assisted by C. T.
O'Neill and Harry Frazier, Jr. Especial emphasis was again placed
on sales to individuals, particularly of Series E bonds, which had a
quota of $510,000 out of a total local quota of $2,353,000.

The retail merchants and their employees, working through the
Retailers War Finance Committee with Frank Payne as chairman,
undertook to make the campaign a success. On the opening day
stores were closed until 10:00 A. M., and all employees attended a
mass meeting at the Paramount Theatre. The principal address was
made by James S. Easley, the executive director of the War Finance
Committee for Virginia and a past president of the Virginia State
Chamber of Commerce. Brief talks were also made by Lieutenant
J. Elmer Harlow, back from Europe where he had recently taken
part in the great Schweinfurt air raid, and by two wounded veterans
from the Woodrow Wilson General Hospital near Staunton, Virginia.
Each sales person present was asked to sell a minimum of
$200 worth of war bonds during the drive.[20]

Four days later the quarter-milepost was passed, and by the
eighth day the halfway mark was reached. E bond sales lagged
behind, however, and not until February 2 did they reach the
halfway mark. Meanwhile, a letter was received from Lieutenant
Billy McCann. U.S.M.C., Sergeant Maurice A. Bibb, A.U.S., Private
Johnny Davis, U.S.M.C., and Fire Controlman First Class Kenneth
W. Beale, a Seabee, who had spent Christmas day together
on an island in the South Pacific. They wrote: “We are on a
one-way road that leads straight to Tokyo. There's no turning
back and you can be sure we'll get there. We miss good old
Charlottesville, so please buy a lot of war bonds and help us get
home early.” As if in answer to this request, the general drive went
over the top on February 3.[21]

Every resource was then turned to gaining the E bond quota.
Buyers of these bonds who made their purchases at the Paramount

Theatre were guests of the theatre at a showing of “Destination
Tokyo” on February 16. This was one of many successful “War
Bond Premieres.”

The Retailers' War Finance Committee, in cooperation with the
Lane High School Bond Committee, conducted an auction sale on
February 25 at the high school. Valuable items, such as Nylon hose
and Virginia hams, were offered to bond buying bidders by G. F.
Norcross, the auctioneer. High bids for articles auctioned included
a $5,000 bond purchase for an old typewriter, $2,000 for a $25
war bond donated for the auction, and $2,000 for a chair. In
all, $32,000 worth of E bonds were purchased. This was enough
to top the quota and make the Fourth War Loan a complete success
in Charlottesville and Albemarle.

The community was warmly congratulated for its success by
state officials. Altogether $3,362,178 worth of all types of war
bonds were bought, the quota being exceeded by more than a million
dollars.[22]

From Major Charles N. Hulvey, Jr., with the Marines came the
warm tribute. “The fighting spirit of the people of Charlottesville
and Albemarle, exemplified by their unselfish purchase of war bonds,
gives us of the hometown, in the South Pacific, a glowing sense of
pride in the community we already regard so highly.”[23]