Tales Of A Baby’s Ashes On Sunken Ship And A Mystic Barber’s Trips

As we have noted on more than one occasion, presenting a reader’s remembrances can lead to submissions from others.

Typically, the reason involves additional information or another example of the same subject, as has been the case with comments about the local bake shops that once operated in our neighborhood.

But sometimes, a reader contacts us to correct material that may have been something less than accurate.

In the “Our Neighborhood” column that appeared in the Oct. 8, 2009 issue of this newspaper, we presented the comments of reader Dennis J. French of Middle Village, who wished to correct a submission by Edna Rose Smith, a former resident of our neighborhood who now lives in Stroudsburg, Pa.

Regular readers may recall that in the “Our Neighborhood” column in the Sept. 10, 2009 issue, we published Ms. Smith’s memories of having been a child in her family’s Ridgewood apartment when news of the Pearl Harbor attack spread through the streets on Dec. 7, 1941.

The USS Utah, capsizing off Ford Island after it was torpedoed by Japanese aircraft during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. (photo: U.S. Navy/National Archives) In addition, her letter included an account of her emotional visit, many years later, to the memorial at Pearl Harbor, where her husband, Bill, had been stationed as a Marine during World War II.

We subsequently heard from Mr. French, who corrected Ms. Smith on stating that along with the USS Arizona, she had seen “another destroyed battleship, the Missouri.”

As Mr. French pointed out, the USS Missouri was not in service yet when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

In fact, the USS Missouri was launched on Jan. 29, 1944 and reported for duty at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve 1944.

A view of the USS Utah’s wreck, off the western side of Ford Island, taken on the 10th anniversary of the attack that sank the ship. Pictured at right in this 1951 photo is a memorial plaque giving historical information. A concrete pier and memorial slab were built near the sunken ship and dedicated in 1972. (photo: U.S. Navy/National Archives) This week, we have another letter on the subject from Robert C. Conner, a former resident of our neighborhood who now resides in Fayetteville, Pa.

In his letter, Mr. Conner writes: “Regarding the statement of Edna Rose Smith about the Battleship Missouri, she is confusing it with the USS Utah BB31/AG16.

“The Utah was built as a battleship, but under the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, was converted to a remote-controlled target ship. We scaled down our Navy and the Japanese increased theirs!

“Some of the finest aerial gunners were trained on the Utah. On Dec. 7, 1941, she was hit by three Japanese aerial torpedoes and sank. Killed were 58 officers and men, many of whom are still entombed.

“The Utah was pulled over on her side to clear the channel and remains there today on the far side of Ford Island.

“Forgotten by the tourist booklets but not the Navy, a flag is raised over her every day. She is the second of two national memorials at Pearl Har- bor, the first being the Arizona. The site is very accessible now due to a viewing platform and road having been built.

“There is an interesting footnote to the Utah story. Also still in the ship are the ashes of Nancy Lynne Wagner, an infant who died earlier. Her father, a crew member aboard the vessel, had the ashes in his locker with the intention of burying her at sea at a later time.

“Although he survived, the ashes were still aboard when the ship sank.”

Old Timer’s note—With the approach of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the many stories related to the bombing of Pearl Harbor are a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who have served their country.

The USS Utah began to capsize within a few minutes after it was hit at 8:01 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941. Her partially submerged wreck remains in the water at Pearl Harbor.

As for the story of Chief Yeoman Albert Wagner, his twin daughters, Nancy Lynne and Mary Dianne, had been born prematurely on Aug. 29, 1937 in the Philippines. Nancy Lynne lived two days before she died; her sister survived.

Their father had Nancy Lynne’s ashes in his locker, waiting for a chaplain to come aboard to perform the ceremony at sea, when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Reportedly, about two weeks after the USS Utah was sunk, frogmen tried to retrieve the urn containing Nancy Lynne’s ashes, but the ship was too badly damaged.

In 2000, Mary Dianne Wagner Kreigh was quoted in a story in the Honolulu Star Bulletin as saying, “I don’t think there is a better tribute to my twin sister than to have all those wonderful and brave men guarding her.”

She described her father as “an old battleship sailor” and said that it was a family tradition to bury relatives at sea.

She also shared a quote, attributed to her father: “You joined the Navy to make sure the country is free. The flag, your uniform, come before anything else—without them, you don’t have a family.”

Just as we thanked Mr. French, we thank Mr. Conner for helping to correct the earlier material from Ms. Smith.

* * *

The “Our Neighborhood” column often focuses on places and things from the past.

But places and things are nothing without the people who made them special—in some cases, individuals who were “real characters.”

In looking though our files, we came across an item regarding a fellow who must have been quite a character, known as “The Mystic Barber.”

The clipping is from the Jan. 30, 1964 issue of the Ridgewood Times. The article, headlined “Mystic Barber Will Lecture On Space, Center Of Earth,” appeared as follows:

It’s this way with The Mystic Barber ...

He might be cutting your hair over in the tonsorial parlor at Ridgewood Plateau, or he might be at home in Cypress Hills spooning some of his favorite lasagna or he might just be in front of a television camera ... and then it happens.

Just like that, he’s on the planet Mars or way down deep in the center of the Earth. Well, spiritually, anyhow, for the person you see still standing in front of you is to all appearances Andrew Sinatra. But the soul of Sinatra is long, far gone, planet hopping, to put it succinctly.

Sinatra—he bills himself as The Mystic Barber for public appearance purposes—will lay down his scissors the evening of Feb. 11 long enough to deliver a lecture at the Laurelton- Wellington Hotel on West 55th Street, New York City. His topic? “Astral Projection to the Planets and the Moon: My Trip to the Center of the Earth.”

Which is covering a lot of territory in one evening, no matter how you look at it.

The Mystic Barber has used magazines, radio and television—the Jack Paar show—to explain how, what he calls Astral Projection, has given him the power to communicate with space creatures and to visit with them here and there in the universe.

“There is a basic force transmitting energy through space, carrying messages through space. Certain astro bodies receive messages from me and send them back. Sometimes we arrange a rendezvous,” explained Sinatra. Get it?

For ultra-high frequencies, The Mystic Barber dons a head band. The grasshopper-like antennae, he said, sharpen his super-senses.

“Mars—sure, I’ve been on Mars,” declared Sinatra. Also Venus, Mercury, the Moon. The people of Mars are about four feet tall, have blue eyes and white hair—because they live in caves. They’re intelligent, very.”

Travel anywhere you want. In space, informed the Ridgewood Plateau barber, and everywhere you go, you meet people who are friendly. “They never gave me no trouble and, of course, I treat them the same way.”

It’s hard to tell when The Mystic Barber is off on a celestial junket because most of the time you see him cutting hair alongside his boss, Steve Trlfire, at the Plateau Barber Shop, 64-19 53rd Dr., Maspeth.

Sinatra pointed out, however, that most of his journeys are, of necessity, reasonably brief. “I can’t leave my body for more than three hours at a time,” he noted. “If I do, I’m in trouble and may have to look for another body.”

There’s no danger of that happening the evening of Feb. 11, however. On that occasion, the body and soul of Sinatra will occupy the dais of the Laurelton-Wellington Hotel for a lecture.

Old Timer’s note—We don’t know if the reporter who filed this story was looking to give readers a hairraising experience in 1964, nor do we know what became of The Mystic Barber.

We hope that after all those years of living in caves, the Martians did not decide that a shave and a haircut were in order, and called on Mr. Sinatra to serve as their barber-inresidence.

Possibly, one or more of our readers can provide some answers.

* * *

An item about a local fellow who was more likely to dream of being a star, rather than traveling among them, could be found in the January 30, 1964 issue of the Ridgewood Times.

It tells of a professional actor named Guy Christopher, originally known in our neighborhood as Joseph F. Campisi, whose parents resided at 281 Linden St.

According to the news item, the 27-year-old thespian was set to appear in a production of William Saroyan’s play, The Time of Your Life, at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts at the West Side YMCA.

According to the story, he was no newcomer to the profession. By the time he made his TV debut on the crime drama classic Naked City in 1962, Guy Christopher had already notched about 30 stage appearances, playing various parts.

The story also mentions that he could sing and dance as part of his performances and was a professional model as well.

He was credited with appearances “in a number of stock performances” and such off-Broadway productions as Detective Story and Bells Are Ringing.

In the movies, he appeared in a 1960 film called Juke Box Racket, directed by Barry Mahon, with Seymour Cassel in the lead role.

Old Timer’s note—Just as we would like to hear from any of our readers who can recall getting a trim from The Mystic Barber, we would be pleased to receive comments regarding Guy Christopher/Joseph F. Campisi from those who knew him or followed his career.

As always, if you have any remembrances, comments or reunion announcements that you would like to share with our readers, write to the Old Timer, c/o Times Newsweekly, P.O. Box 860299, Ridgewood, NY 11386-0299.

To send a submission via e-mail, our e-mail address is Old Timer@timesnewsweekly.com