Reader offers thoughts on Hawkins and making things right

Dear Editor:

Red Oak recently was fortunate enough to welcome French World War I historian, Lionel Humbert, and World War II author, Phillippe Esvelin in a recent visit that the Montgomery County History Center was instrumental in arranging.  

My wife, Jan, and I thoroughly enjoyed the course of events over the two days they were in our community and appreciate the participation of those who helped make their visit heartwarming and successful.  

I’ve been looking forward to sending them a copy of the Red Oak Express, which would have included coverage of the graveside service to place an honorary plaque and spread soil from the French battlefield respectfully on Owen Hawkins’ grave.  

Unfortunately, because of mistakes in the article, then followed by errors in the Time Capsule column a week later, I’ve been unable to do so.

The article by Gregory Orear was nicely done except for twice claiming O.C. Hawkins was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, which he was not.  

As I attended most of the events over the two days, and got to personally know Lionel and Phillippe, I can attest to the fact that this was never claimed by our French visitors, nor by Dave McFarland of the Montgomery County History Center, who was monumental in coordinating this very patriotic event in honor of our brave men from this area.

The wording I witnessed used to describe Hawkins’ service record was that he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The day following the initial article authored by Orear, McFarland contacted the Express to make sure this error was corrected.  

Mistakes happen, and it really doesn’t matter who made it, but I expected to see a retraction and/or an apology in the next issue.  

Instead, the Time Capsule contained a column presuming to expose our visitors making three claims that were inaccurate: 1) Hawkins captured 17 prisoners, 2) Hawkins was young at the time of winning the Distinguished Service Cross, and 3) that Hawkins was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.  This inference by Mr. Marshall is certainly not the case.   

In addition to the mistake of Hawkins not winning the Congressional Medal of Honor, which I addressed earlier, Marshall claims that the French historian, Humbert, refers to Hawkins as “being representative of the young guys willing to go overseas and fight”.  

I was at the ceremony and don’t recall Humbert claiming Hawkins was young.  

I think the key word is “representative”.

Hawkins, although older and more experienced at the time of earning the Distinguished Service Cross, was awarded it by trying to “take care of his boys”.  

Mr. Marshall was not in attendance at the memorial service at the cemetery, nor other events.

James Norris
Red Oak