Courier editor needs help reuniting photos with families

Newspaper editors have the tendency to horde things.

Visit any longstanding newspaper office, such as The Saline Courier’s building, and you’ll see stacks of books, photos and newspapers everywhere. And the newsroom is extra guilty of holding on to things.

The Saline Courier’s editors were no exceptions to the rule.

While straightening up for a recent visit from the Saline County Leadership Group, staff members came across a cache of old photos. Two of them stood out as they were framed.

The first was a Navy veteran’s wartime photo, probably taken sometime before World War II.

It is in a frame with US flag art on either side of the young man’s smiling, olorized visage.

Hopefully the photo was brought by for a birthday or feature story on the young sailor, or most likely, it was submitted for a Veterans Day special page.

The second was an photo of an elderly couple, most likely brought by the office for a anniversary announcement and never returned.

On the back is written, “June 1982, 50th wedding anniversary.”

A third Navy veteran photo belongs to C. Darrell Perryman. Attempts to locate

Perryman or his family to return the photo have been unsuccessful.

The black and white photo sailor, his “Dixie Cup” tilted rakishly to the left. On the back of the letter, his name and rank is written as well as his rating, Aviation Ordinance Man, and the years 1955-1959.

In case you’re not a Navy veteran, “Dixie Cup” is the nickname of the official Navy cap that’s worn with the traditional uniform, is also called the “Crackerjack” uniform.

The traditional sailor hat became a regulation uniform item In 1886, where it is officially referred to as “low rolled brim highdomed item of constructed of canvas.” Since them, it has been affectionately referred to as the “Dixie Cup.”

The Navy’s enlisted personnel’s Dress Blue Uniform has undergone few changes since its introduction in 1864, making it one of the most easily recognizable military uniforms of all time. It is nicknamed the “Crackerjack”

because of the iconic snack food packaging featuring a sailor (“Jack”) and his dog (“Bingo”).

Both sailors in our photos are wearing the white version of the Crackerjack.

As a Navy veteran myself, I want to see these photos returned to their rightful owners.

Just like the couple in the anniversary photo, these are parents, grandparents and most likely great-grandparents of Saline County residents who may not even realize these photos existed.

So our goal is to get these photos back to their proper owners, so if you recognize the people in the photos, email me at rseyler@ bentoncourier.com.

The editorial staff also plans to start publishing samples of the old photos in Saturday’s Living section beginning April 1. If you see a familiar face or place, drop us an email and let us know who, or what, it is we’ve published, and we can fill the readers in on the background.

Likewise, if you have interesting or historic photos of Benton and Saline County you’d like to share, feel free to email them with some basic information about the subject and we’ll publish them.

Just don’t bring us the actual photo, or 20 years from now, somebody will find it in the bottom drawer of my desk and wonder, “who the heck is this?”