The war hadn’t officially began for the United States as Fall and the 1941 football season approached. However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was doing his best to see that the US was helping to supply the Allied powers in their struggle against Germany and the Nazis and their Italian counterparts. America was pretty much still in the throes of the Great Depression, although with his myriad work programs, FDR had slowed the problems and began the march to financial stability, although until the war effort got the factories booming again, it was still touch and go for the fragile American economy.
Tyrone pupil assignments were in the Tyrone Daily Herald, as the newspaper was known at that time, and which many people still refer to it today in a special section on Aug. 29, 1941. The Tyrone Daily herald cost three cents per copy.
School began on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Room assignments included the Tyrone High School, (Note that it was not yet the Tyrone Area High School.), as well as for Logan, Washington and Adams elementary schools. Snyder Township schools were listed with assignments for Ironsville, Grazierville, 18th Street, Mountain Orchard, Main, Bald Eagle and Northwood. Worth Township, Port Matilda schools opened a week earlier on Sept. 2, with a new principal, Mr. William A. Ross, a graduate of Wellesville High School and Juniata College, with a Masters Degree from Duke University. Tyrone Township schools, which also opened on Sept. 2, listed assignments for Cryder, Arch Spring, Brick Church, Mountain and Crawford schools. High school students in Sinking Valley were sent to either Tyrone or Altoona.
The Germans were advancing on Leningrad in Russia on the Eastern front of World War II, and were in the beginning of Sept. in the third month of that campaign. In a big drive to push the Communists out of western Russia, Germany dealt Russia a big blow with the capture of Gomel, a key position in the south-central front. The Bolsheviks rushed millions of fresh troops into the long line of defense.
The Atlantis fleet of the Allies was always on the alert for German submarines, a variety of naval craft carrying a tremendous punch traveled thousands of miles to keep the waters of the Atlantic open. Many times signals of subs were picked up, but none approached the warship carrying the news correspondent who wrote the article published in the Herald during the first week of the football season.
Japan was not officially in the war, although the Empire of the Rising Sun was advancing its territory throughout the Far East and appeared ready to strike. According to information received in Washington, it appeared the Japanese were massing a huge army into the Manchuko area and information said the Japanese army was favoring a move into Russian Siberia.
In response, Russia reportedly had moved 35 divisions in two armies there. The Japanese had 15 divisions there before the large troop movements had started. A war in Siberia would give Japan an excuse to establish a blockade of the Russian port of Vladivostok, long considered by the Japanese empire to be a dagger pointed at the heart of Japan, by Japanese military and naval leaders. Japan had tried to remove the potential threat in 1915, by annexing Siberia, but American opposition had prevented it.
There was an increase of registered voters in the borough of Tyrone of 120, to an overall total of 3,786.
On Friday Sept. 5, 1941, the Tyrone Golden Eagles notched their 21st consecutive win by burying Osceola Mills at Gray Field 33-0.
Played in a downpour, the constant rain didn’t seem to dampen Tyrone’s offense much. The Eagles drove 65 yards early in the first quarter for the opening score. Bob Beckwith scored the first TD, taking the ball on an end-around and dashing 30 yards for the TD. Red Thomas carried twice for 15 yards and lateraled to Elmer Parker for another gain of 11 yards to lead the march.
The second score followed soon after. Osceola fumbled the wet ball with rain falling heavily and Tyrone recovered. Jim Glenn tossed a pass to Beckwith and Tyrone led 12-0 after just one quarter.
In the second quarter, it took just one play following an Osceola Mills punt. Thomas went around right end, shook off several would-be tacklers and raced 48 yards for a touchdown. Foust rushed right guard for the extra point and a 19-0 lead, at halftime.
In the third quarter, Glenn intercepted an Osceola pass at the T-5 and returned the pick to the T-22. The Eagles drove the ball down the field for a score with Thomas blasting for the final inches after Parker was just short of paydirt. Parker rushed for the PAT. Raymond Robinson ran a reverse to the right, for a dozen yards, Glenn went to the other side for eight and then Parker went through the middle for 12 more to start the series. Calvin Noel, behind beautiful blocking picked up 15.
Finally, in the fourth quarter, The Eagles recovered a fumble at midfield. After Tyrone picked up one first down on runs by Thomas (twice) and Parker, Thomas scooted for nine more and then Beckwith got loose around end again for his third TD of the night.
