European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday. March 3b. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 5 boy hero9 found his age a Blessing curse fort Worth tas a an underage world War ii Sailor dubbed the boy  who was wounded while participating in to Pacific bail says nil age was both a Blessing and a curse Calvin Graham who enlisted in Iti Navy Al age 12, was one of he youngest americans la tight in world War ii. For his exploits which were the subject of a two hour television movie too Young the  airing sunday night Graham was awarded a Bronze Star and a purple heart. But his Youthful looks and a bureaucratic error landed him in the Brig and Cost him his medals. Ii topic him More than 30 years to win Back his Deco rations and the former gunner now so and a resident Ofa fort Worth suburb instill seeking disability Benefit Tor his War injuries. The son of sharecroppers Graham left Home after his father died in a traffic Accident and his Mother remarried. He said his Stepfather beat him and his brother and then threw them out of their Houston Home when they tried to fight Back. Craham shined shoes and sold Nous Papen until he joined the Navy in july 1942. Using forged papers that claimed he was 17. He was assigned to the Battle ship South Dakota for a Pacific Lour. Assigned to a 10mm gun Crew Gra Ham participated in the Battle of Santa Cruz in which about 300 enemy planes launched from five japanese aircraft carriers were Shol Down. Graham s gunnery officer asked him his age when he congratulated the Crew i told him i would be 13 in april Graham said according to a Story in Thefan Worth Star Telegram he was shocked and 1 knew 1 had made a mis Lake. But i was proud of what we had done and i Felt like 1 was six feel Tail. I did t care at the Lime if people knew How old i was. 1 Felt like i had done whal 5, & a 1 for y i a. Y Calron Graham in a 1978 photo holds a picture of himself As a 12-Jcar-old Sailor. I set out to  later Graham tried to Tell the officer he had been kidding but inc boy hero was called before the ship s Captain who told him he would have to go Hack Home. Me told me it was t anything to be ashamed of thai he had already sent three others Back that same Day. But i stack o my Story and claimed i was a Graham said. He said Well you May have wished you took me up on this in the next 34 hours " Graham remembered. We were headed for another  at Guadalcanal. Graham s gun was knocked out of action and he was As signed to help the wounded. The ship later look 4 7 hid on in superstructure. Everyone who was in there that night was either killed or wounded said Gra Ham. A went up there and there were hands and arms and legs floating around in the Waitr. The bloody water was  exploding shrapnel hit Graham in the Mouth but he continued to help medical officers attend to injured crewmen. Graham was awarded the Bronte Star and purple heart and when his ship re turned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in new York the Captain gave him leave to gel a notarized Teller from his Mother permitting him to stay in the Navy de spite his age. But when Graham returned Wilh his letter he was Lolita to turn himself in 10naval authorities in Houston. He was sent 10 the Brig at the naval air station in Corpus cons i for More than a month and treated like a deserter because a Ihor tics thought he was really 17 and trying of lie Aboul his age. Me also had his medals taken away. Then the Navy admitted its mistake and released Graham giving him a can cell Avion Coli Stem with honorable conditions. But the Navy did not return his medals. Years later Graham enlisted the sup. Port of Kep. Jim Wright and sen. Lloyd bunt san both of Texas and won his honorable discharge from the Navy and re instatement of his medals. But he is still denied disability benefits for his War in juries. Now confined to a wheelchair and Cruz tics because of injuries he suffered after the War while a member of the Marine corps. Graham monitors the status of proposed legislation Hal could restore his War benefits corresponds with for Mer shipmates and writes stories of his . Lie helped write some of the material for too Young inc  californium a flock to beaches amid record heat los Angeles a hundreds of thousands of people inundated beaches saturday As the third Day of record heat scorched Southern California White authorities guarded against gang violence and Brush fires. The noon High of 93 degrees Al Lind Bergh Field in san Diego broke a Mark for March 27 set in 1923. Inland areas Ofsan Diego county had highs near 100 degree. A High of 100 was reported in the de ten resort of Palm Springs 100 Miles Southeast of los Angeles where the High of 98 broke inc record for thai Date Tel in 1986. The National weather service blame northeasterly winds caused by a High pressure system Over Western slates reversing the usual flow of Cooling Ocean breezes for Southern California. Instead the hoi winds blew on of the desert. Heat records were also set in Arizona where a Reading of 100 in Phoenix broke the record for the Date by 7 degrees and a Reading of 99 in Tucson lopped the record for Hal Dale by 10 degrees. In Palm Springs an estimated 50,000young people on Spring break dressed for the weather wearing bathing suits shorts tanks lops As Little As possible said police officer Karen Holitz.  seem to hover around the Yogurt places and ice Cream places. I Don blame  an estimated 200,000 people swarmed to Zuma and Santa Monica beaches to splash in 62-to-Frucgrcewater, but surfers had to make do with Mere 2-Fooi swells. It s just a full out summer Day said lifeguard Don Roh crat Santa Monica. By Early afternoon there already had been several rescues including a person who was taken to a Hospital for a Possi Bly serious neck or spine injury he said. Inlay said Zuma lifeguard Glen Dupont. There is a Large Force of sheriffs deputies Here and that is a wonderful deter rent he  who opted to stay Home and a their air conditioners sent Power usage soaring but nol to inc record Heights reached a Day earlier spokesmen for the Southern California Edison and san Diego Gas 4 electric companies said the Power Drain was less because Many Busi Nesses were closed for the  everyone we relaxing however. In san Diego City firefighters continued to mop up a Ico acc Brus firc near Lake Hodges where one firefighter was treated Friday for heat exhaustion. Muffin initiative gets burned by Wisconsin state politics Madison wis. A the stat Senate voted 10 designate the Cranberry muffin the stale muffin then showed fourth Grade pupils who proposed the idea How difficult politics can be. A senator who said he had Little taste forthe idea added an amendment Likely to make the measure unpalatable to guv Tommy a Thompson. The amendment approved Friday night on a voice vote by bemused senators would designate the egg my muffin the state breakfast muffin and inc pm muffin the stale Schild muffin. Sen. Mon Cicai Lee sponsored the amendment after calling the Cranberry muffin Campaign a waste of legislative time. The legislature Ihen adjourned its Winter session Early saturday without Lee s amendment being considered by the Assembly the Bill introduced last year at in request of a class front Merrill thai trav cled to the Capitol As a class project lol Obby for it was left in limbo. Rohrer estimated there would be up Toso rescues for the Day. The Only thing that s saving us right now is favourable tide conditions he said. If the rips riptide were pulling Little stronger we d probably have Well Over 100." on Friday night three people were hospitalized after More than 20 gang members got into a scuffle Al  Beach near los Angeles International Airport. At Zuma Beach in the Malibu area los Angeles county sheriffs deputies were called in Friday night to quell fight involving 300 youths. The situation was under control sat Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. March 2g, 1948 the United states accused Russia of restoring  in East Germany and filling him with opponents of inv new totalitarianism there. 30 years ago today.,. March 28, 1958 the supreme soviet unanimously approved replacing Veter an communist party Leader Nikolai a. Bulgarin with Nikita s. Khrushchev first Secretary of the soviet communist party. 20 years ago Fodoly. March 2s, 1968 House of representatives records showed thai Paris topped he list of cities Mosi frequently visited Al taxpayers expense by congressmen on official business j 0 years ago Roday. March 2s, 1978 America s 10 most Beautiful women according to Harper Bazaar Magazine were All older than 30, and included Lena Home Princess Grace Cheryl tic go Farrah Fawcett majors Ali Macgraw and Elizabeth Taylor