Memories of Othan Griffith
Written May 27, 2019-Memorial Day
By Irene Chambers

To me Othan was a very nice, quite, young man. He was always so nice to everyone he met. The most I was around him was when he drove the school bus. He was always so good to all the children and some were loud and didn't want to be told to behave.

The route was from Red Hill school to Tallassee school, in the morning and afternoon. He didn't drive all the time, the regular drivers were Mrs. Nancy Lloyd and her husband. Very nice people and good neighbors.

Othan was the youngest of four boys. He had really good parents, Berry and Fairy Griffith. When I was a child, me and my mama spent a lot of time at their home. His dad always seemed to be so happy, always singing or whistling at his work outside. His mama was a sweet, loving person. She was always so good to me, I was just a kid at that time. It was just nice to be in their home. She was a good cook and I sampled a lot of her cookies.

When the War was going on and after Pearl Harbor was bombed, a lot of our boys were ready to go and do their part and when one of the boys from the Community was going in the service, there was always a "Farewell Party" for them.

I went to the one for Othan. It was at his home and a lot of young people came. It was just playing games and then eat whatever was being served. It was a sad time. He soon left for camp. I sort of lost track of him, we would always ask each time we saw his parents. He was wanting to come home on furlough; you get so many days at home with the family before going overseas. The next news we heard was that Othan wouldn't be coming home, he was going to be shipped out and not see his family.

I don't know where he was stationed at but Othan went A.W.O.L. (Absent Without Leave). The M.P.s came and got him at his home. This was the last time he was home. The next news we heard was that he had been killed. So sad.

So many were killed. My brother was in the army. He served in England, France and Germany. He was in Germany when they surrendered. He made it home.

Othan did not. His body was brought back home in the late 1940's and buried in Refuge Cemetery next to his mother and father. There is the saying, "All gave some, some gave all!" Othan gave all. The fact that he went AWOL to see his mother and daddy one more time was somewhat ironic, maybe even containing some premonition on his part!