History of Ladoga from the 1936 Centennial Book

History of Ladoga from the 1936 Centennial Book reprinted in the 1986 Sesquicentennial Book

            Grace Denny wrote a history of Ladoga for the Centennial book in 1936.  She wrote two interesting articles about Ladoga citizens and WW II.  She wrote about the Civil Defense effort in Ladoga and two heroes from our town.  Of the Civil Defense, she wrote,

            “Mr. and Mrs. Pete parker and Trixie played a very important part in the Civilian Defense of the 30’s and 40’s.  The Parkers manned one of the 15,000 volunteer Ground Observer posts of the Air Defense Command.  It was located in  an office of the greenhouse in the rear of their residence.  Parker observed that although Trixie (the family dog) had no formal training, his value stemmed from good hearing and his fixation that an airplane represents danger.

            The sound of a jet or propeller-driven aircraft sent him into a barking frenzy, day or night.  Mrs. Parker said, ‘Even if we fell asleep on the post or are asleep in the house, it makes no difference to him.  He won’t stop howling until he hears the phone report being made.’

            Trixie and the Parkers made an unusual contribution to the Ladoga community in the 1940’s.”

            Grace also wrote of Jim Tribby and Adrian Marks:

            “Jim Tribby, a 1935 graduate of Ladoga High School was imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp for three years.  He was taken prisoner after the Battle of Corregidor which occurred four hours after Pearl Harbor.  The retired Air Force Master Sgt. survived the Bataan Death March and tried to escape several times before he and 6,000 comrades were liberated at the end of the war.  Tribby who stood 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 220 pounds when he enlisted weighed only 97 pounds when he was rescued.

            Another son of Ladoga was decorated for bravery during World War ll.  Lt. Cdr.  Robert A. Marks, known as Adrian (Class of 1933) received the Air Medal for his services as a patrol plane commander of a Navy Cataline patrol (PBY) which made an open sea  rescuing 56 survivors of the Cruiser  ‘USS Indianapolis,’ who had been adrift for four and one half days.  The rescue required great skill and bravery on behalf of Lt. Marks as the landing took place in 12 foot swells.  Two rivets popped and a seam gaped open.  Emergency repairs had to be made on the plane as water began to seep into the radio compartment.

            The men were so exhausted that they could only cling to the plane as it taxied over the water picking up survivors while waiting for a rescue ship which arrive some eight hours later.   Marks was the son of Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Marks of Ladoga, a truly outstanding member of the Ladoga community.”