The Shadow
Virginia Heroes: From Rowlett to the Hobacks
As the Congressman representing Virginia’s Ninth District, I am on the road often.
When traveling to visit various communities in the Ninth, I use some time in the car to listen to audiobooks.
One of my favorite genres is history.
In these historical pieces, I often look for relevant information suggesting ties to our region.
One of my recent books, Pearl Harbor: Final Judgement by Henry Clausen and Bruce Lee, highlights the actions of numerous American officials in the run-up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Clausen was appointed by U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson to be special investigator to look into the failures of Pearl Harbor.
As part of his investigation, Clausen interviews scores of witnesses. One witness is Lee County native Frank B. Rowlett.
Rowlett has long been of interest to me partly because of his graduation from my alma mater, Emory & Henry College (now University), but also due to his significant contributions as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Army before and during World War II.
The United States needed to be on alert as conflicts engulfed Europe and Asia.
As Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan were invading other countries, the U.S. was determined to monitor them.
We needed talented cryptologists and cryptanalysts to help intercept and decipher codes of foreign communications systems.
Accordingly, the Army selected Rowlett, among others, to accomplish the critical task.
Rowlett helped play a major role in solving “Purple,” the codename for Japan’s very sophisticated cipher machine.
In Chapter 2 of Pearl Harbor: Final Judgement, Rowlett claims that he was “the guy who actually did the impossible trick” with breaking the “Purple” code machine.
Through Clausen’s investigation, he confirms Rowlett’s account (p. 44).
Accordingly, American intelligence captured essential security and diplomatic information from the Japanese. They codenamed the decrypted information “Magic.”
“Magic” would be vital to the safety and security of American armed forces.
Unfortunately, before the “day that will live in infamy,” military leaders at Pearl Harbor missed “Magic’s” warning signs.
On December 7, 1941, more than 2,300 American personnel lost their lives from the Japanese bombing.
The stunning attack prompted the United States to enter World War II. For the war effort to be successful, American communities like Bedford, Virginia, had to send their boys into action.
That action ultimately led to the storming of Adolf Hitler’s “Fortress Europe” in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
None of the Allied forces achieved all of their objectives on D-Day.
Would General Eisenhower be forced to order a withdrawal from the beaches?
Would the losses of our soldiers be in vain?
In Marching Orders, a separate book written by Bruce Lee, Chapter 9 illustrates the significance of the “Magic” summaries obtained by American intelligence.
“Magic” helped inform General Eisenhower of Nazi military plans ahead of the Normandy landings.
According to military intelligence expert Robert T. Crowley, “Magic” revealed that, fearing an attack elsewhere, “Hitler was not committing his reserves” to Normandy.
This gave Eisenhower a “sense of confidence” the Allies’ Operation Overlord would succeed (p. 212).
Among the soldiers who died in the operation were 20 from Bedford, Virginia.
That day, no other American community suffered more losses per capita than Bedford, Virginia.
These “Bedford Boys,” including Raymond and Bedford Hoback, made the ultimate sacrifice so American forces could overcome and succeed.
Thanks to Rowlett, American intelligence and “Magic,” their sacrifice was not in vain.
Later, the Hobacks’ younger sister, Lucille Hoback Boggess, committed to honor the sacrifice and legacy of her two brothers, the “Bedford Boys,” and all who took part in the Allied D-Day landings.
Ms. Hoback Boggess helped in the founding of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia.
Along with Delegate Lacey Putney of Bedford and Bob Slaughter of Roanoke, she lobbied me and the Virginia General Assembly to support state funding for the Memorial.
Ms. Hoback Boggess continued to be a beloved advocate for the Memorial for many years. Sadly, she just passed away on November 19.
As we observe Pearl Harbor Day, we should all reflect on the inspirational legacies of these heroes from our region.
In this column, we honor heroes from the World War II era. The Ninth District of Virginia has produced American heroes from the American Revolution to the present day.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.
