Throwback Thursday: December 22

News from around Johnson County as reported on Dec. 22 in the pages of the Daily Journal and the Franklin Evening Star from the last 110 years.

On this day in 1995, the main story in the Daily Journal was about a local woman who was leading an email effort to support U.S. soldiers in Bosnia.

Pat Dwigans’ effort began with a simple gesture fitting the festive holiday spirit. A message floated in from cyberspace from Ivonne Salerno, of Hollywood, Florida, and landed on Dwigans’ computer.

Salerno’s son, an Army recruit, was spending his first Christmas away from home as one of 20,000 U.S. soldiers sent to the Balkans on a peacekeeping mission.

All he wanted for Christmas was mail from home, but Dwigans wanted to extend the good cheer beyond the holiday season.

Dwigans and Salerno, special contributors to a food bulletin board on the Prodigy online computer system, surfed the net for help from other computer users nationwide. Dwigans also rallied members of SS. Frances and Clare Catholic Parish in White River Township and Operation Make a Life Enriched (MALE) took off.

The women gathered the names of about 40 service people stationed or soon to be transported to Bosnia.

Residents from all over the country wrote letters, sent cards, gifts and personal items to show their support to American soldiers.

Other memorable Johnson County stories from this day

1975

New Whiteland Town Marshall Richard Hommell escorted Santa Claus to the town hall for a Christmas event.

1964

Local law enforcement were searching for a man wanted as part of an investigation of “roll away safe” burglaries.

1959

The last meeting of Greenwood’s town board took place the evening prior. Starting on Jan. 1, 1960, the town’s government changed to a city government.