Paris Goes To War

War came Paris, Texas on December 7, 1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent declarations of war of the Axis countries of Japan, Germany and Italy against The United States brought World War II literally to the doorsteps of Paris.

The U.S. response to war hit Paris like a tidal wave and the results were everlasting.

This small East Texas town responded as hundreds of small towns across America did. Its sons, daughters and citizens joined the war effort.

But Paris began to develop its own uniqueness with the opening of Camp Maxey just a few miles north of the city limits in 1942. Two major divisions, the 102d Infantry Division and the 99th Infantry Division, trained there. It is estimated that over 200,000 troops and civilians trained and worked at Camp Maxey during its short 4 years of existance.

Camp Maxey was also selected as a site, as were many other training camp sites in Texas, to house German prisoners-of-war. More than 6,000 Germans were hosted there until well after the last shots of anger were fired in Europe in 1945.

Paris, as was the whole country, was like a stirred pot. The young men and women who came to Camp Maxey to train spent their leaves in town. Many of them met, courted, and married local men and women. Likewise, Paris sons and daughters who left were meeting their future spouses. The long historic ties that had held Paris together as a tight community were stretched around the world.

To and from Paris the letters streamed in and out from friends and families: from the battle fronts, from far-away hometowns, from Washington D.C., to Europe, to The Pacific and literally all points of the globe.

Sad news of soldiers being killed, exciting news of the birth of a new baby, common news about town gossip all swirlled around this small town of Paris. Paris was making its contribution to march the country toward victory.

In 1941 Paris Goes To War.


How To Add A Story & Pictures To Paris Goes To War

If you have stories, pictures or items of interest to contribute to these web pages, please email them to steelyfamilias@yahoo.com. You can send written articles in doc or pdf formats and pictures are preferred in jpg format. Contributions will be posted according the their relevance to Paris, Lamar County, Camp Maxey and World War II. All contributions may be used on these blog web pages as well as any future publications that may appear on the subject.

Monday, May 30, 2011

In Memory of Thelma Christine Knowles Lightfoot, USO Maxey Command

THELMA CHRISTINE LIGHTFOOT, 83, of Paris, passed from this life on Friday May 30, 2008. Funeral services were conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Monday June 2, 2008 in the chapel of Starrett Funeral Home with Rev. Bob Bush and Rev. Sharon Clepper officiating. Interment is in Evergreen Cemetery.

Thelma, known affectionately by grandchildren as “Mimi,” was born November 19, 1924 in the Viewpoint community of Lamar County, a daughter of Tom and Bessie Roberts Knowles. She was a graduate of the class of 1942 of Paris High School, then a graduate of Paris Junior College.

During WWII she was an active participant in the Maxey Command, a USO group who socialized with the enlisted men at Camp Maxey.  Thelma married her “sweet William” on August 22, 1948. They honeymooned in New Orleans before returning to Austin, where their long honeymoon continued while Thelma worked at the University of Texas Library and William studied architecture.

They returned to Paris, where she was a faithful member of First United Methodist Church, was involved in the Littleton-Hite Bible Club and the Upper Room Sunday School class, along with many hours of volunteer work for the church. She was a longtime volunteer for the March of Dimes and the American Heart Association. As her children grew up, she served as a Room Mother at First Ward Elementary, a Cub Scout Den Mother, and a Brownie and Girl Scout Troop leader, as well as extensive volunteer work for the YWCA and membership in the Good Earth Garden Club. Thelma was the best mother and grandmother one could ever wish for. Her motto was “I just want everybody to be happy.”

Thelma is survived by her husband William; two sons, Philip Lightfoot and wife Deborah, of Dallas and Tom Lightfoot and wife Cindy, of Frisco; two daughters, Julia Lightfoot, of Duluth, MN and Elaine Smith and husband Vernon, of Plano; seven grandchildren, Terri Kay Beshirs, Laura Lightfoot, Candice Shoptaugh, Maxey Mitchell, Alex Smith, Mallory Lightfoot and Kelly Smith; and a sister, Dorothy Rodgers, of Paris.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by a brother, Jackie Knowles.

Named to serve as pallbearers are Vernon Smith, Alex Smith, Paul Denney, David Denney, Gary Tolleson and Mike Merritt.
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