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When Florida’s lawyers came home from war
As the U.S. emerged from World War II, Florida’s legal profession was coming home as well. As part of The Florida Bar’s 75th year celebration, the News continues revisiting moments that shaped the profession.
The November 1945 edition of the Florida Law Journal captured a moment in Bar history, the transition from wartime sacrifice to peacetime rebuilding. During the war years, the Journal regularly chronicled the service of Florida lawyers stationed across Europe, the Pacific, and the home front, while also honoring members killed in action. By late 1945, with victory secured, the publication shifted to welcoming attorneys back to civilian life and the practice of law.
In a message to members, then-Florida State Bar Association President Julius F. Parker announced the “peace-time resumption” of Bar events, inviting returning lawyer-servicemen to a mid-winter conference in Jacksonville after years of wartime restrictions that had curtailed conventions.
The accompanying feature, “Lawyers Returning from the Armed Forces,” reads like a roll call of extraordinary service. Florida attorneys returned from battlefields stretching from Normandy to Saipan, from the Caribbean to the Philippines. Many earned Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Crosses, and multiple campaign ribbons. Some had served as commanders, judge advocates, intelligence officers, or legal counsel; others flew combat missions, landed in invasion forces, or endured wounds in battle.
Lawyers Returning From the Armed Forces
ROGER J. WAYBRIGHT, well known Jacksonville attorney, has been released from active duty as a lieutenant in the U. S. Navy and has resumed the practice of law as a member of Waybright and Waybright. Waybright practiced law in Jacksonville for seven years before entering the Navy in 1942, and has been on leave of absence from the firm for more than three years. He served overseas for 22 months as navigator and executive officer of an amphibious ship in the occupation of North Africa, the invasion of Sicily, the invasions of Italy at Salerno and Anzio, and the invasion of Northern France. After being wounded in action, he was returned to the United States and for the past eight months has served as legal assistance officer at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. He holds the American area, campaign ribbon, the European-African-Middle Eastern area campaign ribbon with five stars, and the Purple Heart medal.
McHENRY JONES, prominent Pensacola attorney who has been serving in the Army since early in 1941, has been released from active duty and has resumed practice in Pensacola with the firm of Jones and Latham. Jones, who held the rank of Colonel at the time of his release, has been on duty in the Pacific theater. Upon being called to active duty in February 1941, he served as member of a board of officers assigned to selecting sites for Army camps. He was appointed assistant judge advocate of the Fourth corps area, Atlanta, Ga. and later was named judge advocate of Camp Wheeler, Ga., Camp Stewart, Georgia and the AAA Command, Fort Totten, New York. Colonel Jones attended anti-aircraft school and became assistant chief of staff (AA-2) anti-aircraft artillery command. Eastern defense command. He was ordered overseas and detailed in general staff corps in 1944 and served as assistant chief of staff of task force 1013, of Island command, Saipan, and of the Western Pacific base command. He landed with the assault echelon in the invasion of Saipan. Colonel Jones returned to the states in August. He is authorized to wear two stars on the Asiatic-Pacific campaign ribbon for participation in the campaigns on Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Volcano Island and Ryuku Island. He wears the bronze star for meritorious achievement in support of operations against the enemy during the assault on Saipan and the oak leaf cluster in lieu of a second bronze star for meritorious achievement in planning and executing the reorganization of troops in the establishment of the Western Pacific base command. The officer completed his tour of service with a record for superior performance of duty, the highest efficiency rating given by the Army.
With the return of DECLAN O’GRADY from the war, the law firm of McCall & O’Grady, Perry, is back to its pre-war status. During the absence of Mr. O’Grady, who served with distinction as a Sergeant aboard a B-29 in the Pacific theater. Colonel McCall has carried the entire burden of this law firm and he is happy that Colonel O’Grady is back. For the present the members of the law firm will continue at the present location in the Bloodworth Building.
Everybody in and around Winter Haven — and all of Polk County for that matter — is happy to extend a royal “Welcome Home’’ to H. GUNTER STEPHENSON, former county solicitor of Polk County, who is back in this city after receiving an honorable discharge from the U. S. Navy. “Gunter,’’ as everybody knows and calls the genial attorney, enlisted in the service around January of 1942 and spent 31 months with Uncle Sam’s Blue Jackets. Nearly a full year was spent in service in the Caribbean area, prior to which time Stephenson had been stationed in and around Florida. He left the service as a yeoman, first class. Stephenson practiced law in Winter Haven for a number of years before going with Uncle Sam. He voluntarily left his office of county solicitor to which he had been elected in 1940. Before election to that position, he was municipal judge for Winter Haven.
MAJ. JOHN H. YATES, former Miami attorney, has returned home after 39 months’ service in the India Burma area as army legal counsel and quartermaster commander of the 51st and 301st air service groups. After a 30 day leave, Maj. Yates will be assigned to a redistribution station in North Carolina. He expects to resume his law practice in Miami after his discharge from the army.
COMDR. G. M. BUDD, Jr., has returned to Miami to resume his law practice after 41 months navy service in which he participated in the invasion of Normandy and southern France. Budd has just been released, to inactive duty after serving as legal officer for Camp Peary naval training and distribution center at Williamsburg, Va., since January. Early in the war he served aboard a patrol ship in the Florida Straits, and later commanded an LST in the European invasions.
COMDR. DONALD WALKER is home after serving nineteen months in the Southwest Pacific theatre of war. He has just received his honorable discharge from active duty in the United States Navy and returned to Orlando to resume his law practice. Formerly a member of the firm Tilden, Hays & Walker for 5 years, he has now joined the law firm of Nays & Cargill with offices at 705-709 Florida Bank Building. The new firm will be known as Hays, Cargill and Walker. Lt. Comdr. Walker served in the Navy for the past four years on duty in Australia, Admiralty Islands and the Philippines. Prior to service overseas he was stationed in Key West and Miami. Lt. Comdr. Walker attended Florida Southern College and the University of Florida, receiving his LLB degree in 1935.
COL. HARRY A. JOHNSTON, for four years executive officer at Camp Blanding, has resumed the practice of law in West Palm Beach. After nearly five years’ service at Blanding, Col. Johnston, one of the original members of the camp headquarters staff has turned over the duties of assistant camp commander with a view to returning to civilian life. Prior to becoming executive officer, he served as judge advocate, plans and training officer intelligence officer and public relations officer. A member of the firm Gedney, Johnston and Lilienthal. Col. Johnston is county attorney for Palm Beach County. He is a former president of the Florida Bar Association and a former department commander of the American Legion.
COMDR. MAJOR L. PERRY, USNR, has been released from the navy after four years’ service. He closed his law office, resigned his position as Judge of Juvenile Court for Pinellas County, volunteered for active duty and was ordered to report early in 1941. Perry’s' earlier assignments included a brief period of duty with the Sixth naval district with headquarters at Charleston, S.C., and assisting in setting up the district intelligence office of the Seventh naval district. After Pearl Harbor he was ordered to the Tampa area for a tour of duty covering assignments ranging from submarine alerts to processing ships with refugees, evacuees and aliens for navy, FBI and MID files. After a period of service in the office of naval intelligence at Washington, during the early part of 1942, Lt. Comdr. Perry was re-assigned to the Seventh Naval District serving out of headquarters in Miami. He later was transferred as officer-in-charge of a west coast area that embraced two coast guard units and one navy unit which, he reports, were doing a magnificent job on patrol duty, along with aiding the convoy system that later successfully invaded Africa. Late in 1944 the discharged officer was returned to Tampa, and in the early part of 1945 was further assigned to the foreign desk in the district intelligence office for such work as was possible in connection with the war in the Far East. Now that he has returned to civvies, Perry plans to resume his law practice in St. Petersburg.
MAXWELL WELLS, former Orlando attorney, with the law firm of Maguire, Voorhis and Wells has been promoted to captain and placed on inactive duty status by the navy. Wells has been on active duty with the navy for five years. He has now returned to Orlando to re-join his law firm.
MAJ. ARCHIBAL M. BLACK, just out of the army, has joined the law firm of Parker and Foster in Tallahassee. Major Black is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he was president of the senior law class in 1931. During the war, he served with the 316th troop carrier command which won nine battle stars from Egypt through Italy and into central Europe. He holds the army Distinguished Unit Badge and three presidential citations.
ROBERT L. HODGES, former legislator who has been discharged from the Army Air Forces where he held the rank of captain and served as legal advisor, has opened a law office in the Exchange Building in Orlando,
MAJ. WILLIAM K. ZEWADSKI III, formerly of Tampa, who served four and a half years in the army air forces, has become associated with the Erie B. Askew law firm in St. Petersburg. He was recently honorably discharged from service. During air forces service Major Zewadski won the D.F.C., the Soldier’s medal, the Air metal with three oak leaf clusters, and was awarded the American Defense ribbon and the E.T.O. ribbon with eight battle stars and two unit citations.
COMDR. B. K. ROBERTS, U.S. Shipping Commissioner for the port of Jacksonville since June 1943, has been detached and released to inactive duty in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. Commander Roberts officially “logged out” on October 3rd, following an active Coast Guard career which started November 28, 1942, will return to Tallahassee to resume the private practice of law. He went to Jacksonville in March 1943 as a member of the staff of Commodore M. J. Ryan of Charleston, district Coast Guard officer for the Sixth naval district. At the time Commodore Ryan was organizing a wall of Coast Guard picket boats in opposition to the submarine menace. Earlier he served as assistant to the general counsel for the U. S. Coast Guard in Washington, D. C.
CAPT. J. D. RAYE, of Jacksonville, has recently been released from service as a field artillery officer in the Army. Captain Raye is a graduate in law from the University of Florida and has an outstanding military record. On October 20, 1944, he was awarded the Air Medal in a citation signed by Major Gen. E. M. Harmon of the Second Armored Division. Subsequent to this award. Captain Raye was given eight clusters, each representing the award of another Air Medal, giving a total of nine Air Medals. In addition to the Air Medal with eight clusters, Captain Raye, in a citation signed by Major Gen. Robert C. Macon of the 83rd Infantry Division, was awarded the Silver Star Medal. Before entering the service. Captain Raye had been associated with Judge William J. Porter and since his release has rejoined Judge Porter in the practice of law in Jacksonville.
FIRST LIEUT. NEIL E. MacMILLAN has been recently separated from service at Camp Blanding on the basis of points, and is now on terminal leave. He was among the first inductees from DeLand, entering the Army February 26, 1941. He served 16 months as an enlisted man with his station at the Field Artillery and Reception Center at Camp Blanding. Then he attended the army Air Corps (Administrative) Officer Candidate School, receiving his commission October 28, 1942. MacMillan was retained by the school as an instructor in military law, and for one year was Post Judge Advocate at the Air Corps (Technical School) at Yale University. His last assignment was in the Judge Advocate Section at Boca Raton Field, Boca Raton, Fla. A graduate of DeLand High School and Stetson, he plans to return to the practice of law with Charles Francis Coe in Palm Beach, with whom he was associated before Army service.
GEORGE N. MacDONELL has opened a law office in the Security Building, Miami having formerly been associated with Mitchell D. Price, Zaring & Florence, in the Biscayne Building. Mr. MacDonell was for a period of more than a year connected with the office of Attorney General J. Tom Watson, as a special assistant. He was previously a member of the armed forces in an anti-aircraft battalion.
COL. FRANK R. CROM has returned to his home in Tampa after five years’ service with the army, and will resume the practice of law with his former firm Hampton, Bull & Crom. A reserve officer, he entered active duty as captain of infantry in 1940, and went through the campaign in Europe as an observer with the 19th corps of the First Army. Recently he has been a member of the general staff in Washington.
COMDR. W. MURRAY HAMNER, USNR, has returned to his home in West Palm Beach on terminal leave after more than three years active duty with the Navy and has resumed his law practice with the firm Fisher & Hamner. Commissioned a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve in April 1942, Comdr. Hamner was called to active duty in June of that year at the Quonset Point, R. I. Naval Air Station where he received four months of training as an air combat intelligence officer. In November 1942 he was sent in the Caribbean area as intelligence officer with an aviation squadron on anti-submarine patrol along the South American coast. In July 1943, he returned to this country and until January 1944, served as an instructor in combat air intelligence at the Daytona Beach Naval Air Station. In January 1944, he was sent to the West Coast and assigned to a fighter squadron attached to an aircraft carrier air group. He served with this outfit for over a year and was at sea en route to the combat area when peace was declared. Comdr. Hamner was then sent back to Pearl Harbor and arrived in San Francisco aboard the Saratoga September 13th.
CHARLES B. CLEVELAND, who resigned as President of the Dade County Bar Association before his induction into military service is back in Miami in civilian attire. The young attorney, who also served on the Circuit Court commission which helped break up the divorce mill racket in Miami after its exposure by Circuit Judge Richard H. Hunt, will resume practice with Daniel P. Galen with whom he formed a partnership in November 1943. During his Army service Cleveland was stationed at Camp Blanding.
After three years of service in the Army, FRANK O. SPAIN has been discharged and returned to the practice of law in Miami, Florida. He has opened his office at 818 Seybold Building. Spain enlisted in September 1942 and was in the Army Air Forces at Patterson Field, Ohio, and Warner- Robins Field, Georgia. He went overseas in September 1943 and served with the VIII AAF in the United Kingdom. All during his service he sought to be transferred to the infantry, having served in the 31st (Dixie) Division in World War I. Two months before D-Day his request was granted and he was transferred to the Headquarters of the First Army. He was wounded in Normandy and after spending several months in hospitals in England and this country he was discharged. He was not a commissioned officer — in the vernacular he was a “dogface” 1st./Sgt.
LAWRENCE Y. DOUGLAS, Lieutenant Commander USNR, has recently been released from active duty following more than three years active duty. He was one of fifty reserve officers graduating from the Naval War College in June 1944. During his tour of duty, he was stationed at various continental air stations as well as at Pearl Harbor and Kanehoe, T. H. He has renewed his association with E. B. Casler, Jr., of Clearwater, where they are practicing under the firm name of Casler & Douglas.
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