Colonel Welton Ralph Abell (May 17, 1922 - April 26, 1998) was a United States Marine Corps officer who served in the Korean War, as well as a former advertising executive. Abell was a recipient of the Navy's second-highest decoration — the Navy Cross — for combat valor in the Korean War.
Marine Corps service
Abell enlisted into the Marine Corps on October 23, 1942, and in July 1943 was sent to the University of Notre Dame as a V-12 student. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1945. He saw action on the island of Saipan in World War II and in 1946 was awarded a degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri. He was a Marine Corps reserve first lieutenant when called to active duty in 1950. Serving with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7) in Korea, he suffered a painful shoulder wound during a heavy enemy counterattack at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir but refused medical attention and regrouped his depleted company to fight off an attempted encirclement. He led his men up a steep hillside in a blinding snowstorm. He had assumed command of Fox/2/7 after its company commander, Captain William E. Barber was evacuated from the battlefield for his defense of the Toktong Pass. In January 1951 he became the assistant operations officer of 7th Marines and remained in the billet until being sent home in June 1951.<ref name="Martin 1997: 106"/>
For these heroic actions, he was awarded the Navy Cross.
Navy Cross citation
WELTON RALPH ABELL
First Lieutenant
United States Marine Corps Reserve
For extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy while serving with a Marine Infantry Battalion in Korea, from 6-December 10, 1950. While serving as company commander of a marine rifle company Lieutenant Abell demonstrated outstanding qualities of personal leadership, bravery and resourcefulness under most unfavorable circumstances. On December 5, 1950, he was serving as a member of a regimental staff. During the afternoon he was given command of a rifle company which for five days had been isolated and suffered heavy casualties. This company which consisted of sixty-four men and one officer had just completed a day's march through enemy territory in sub zero weather. During the night the company was augmented by one hundred officers and men from special units of the division. This constituted Lieutenant Abell's command the following morning when his company moved out at first light as part of the advance guard battalion for the division's move from Hagaru-ri to Koto-ri. Throughout the following twenty-two hours of continuous action in sub zero weather in overcoming successive strong enemy positions which blocked the road, Lieutenant Abell placed himself at the head of his troops and with complete disregard for his personal safety moved under intense enemy fire to areas where the fighting was the heaviest in order to personally direct fire and movement of the men who were inexperienced in infantry tactics. Early in the day all but two of the officers were either killed or critically wounded, thus rendering control more difficult. In the afternoon an enemy movement threatened his flank. After two runners had been wounded in trying to reach one of his squads with a message to shift their fire, Lieutenant Abell personally moved through intense enemy fire in order to dispose his men and direct their fire in such a manner as to block the enemy threat. Throughout this move Lieutenant Abell led by example and by his display of calm courage and confidence where the fighting was heaviest he inspired his men and gave them faith in both his ability and theirs. On December 8, he continued to demonstrate outstanding leadership in the battalion's advance guard action from Koto-ri. Assigned the mission of seizing and defending a hill he skillfully maneuvered his depleted company and in the late afternoon was ordered to take up a defensive position. While inspecting his lines and encouraging his men he was painfully wounded. In spite of this he continued to exercise command and remained with his company until a strong counterattack had been repulsed. Only then did he return to the aid station for treatment. His fearless action and outstanding achievement contributed materially to the accomplishment of his battalions mission. Lieutenant Abell's display of outstanding courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Education and civilian career
In 1943, Abell was studying journalism and advertising at the University of Missouri in Columbia when he enlisted in the Marines. The service sent him to the University of Notre Dame for training.
After the war, he got his degree at Mizzou and went to work writing advertising copy for the Barry-Wehmiller Machinery Co. He moved to California in 1953 and worked in advertising. He retired in 1989.
Final days
Abell died on April 26, 1998, at age 75 of cancer at his home in San Clemente, California. As a Marine Corps Reserve colonel, he received a full-honors military burial at Arlington National Cemetery. He is buried in section 65, site 624.
In addition to his wife Margaret Minot Abell, survivors include two sons, Scott Abell of Rancho Santa Fe, California, and Michael Abell of San Diego, California ; two sisters, Betty Ullrich of Crestwood and Helen Schicker of Affton; and four grandchildren.
Books
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Marine Corps service
Abell enlisted into the Marine Corps on October 23, 1942, and in July 1943 was sent to the University of Notre Dame as a V-12 student. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1945. He saw action on the island of Saipan in World War II and in 1946 was awarded a degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri. He was a Marine Corps reserve first lieutenant when called to active duty in 1950. Serving with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7) in Korea, he suffered a painful shoulder wound during a heavy enemy counterattack at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir but refused medical attention and regrouped his depleted company to fight off an attempted encirclement. He led his men up a steep hillside in a blinding snowstorm. He had assumed command of Fox/2/7 after its company commander, Captain William E. Barber was evacuated from the battlefield for his defense of the Toktong Pass. In January 1951 he became the assistant operations officer of 7th Marines and remained in the billet until being sent home in June 1951.<ref name="Martin 1997: 106"/>
For these heroic actions, he was awarded the Navy Cross.
Navy Cross citation
WELTON RALPH ABELL
First Lieutenant
United States Marine Corps Reserve
For extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy while serving with a Marine Infantry Battalion in Korea, from 6-December 10, 1950. While serving as company commander of a marine rifle company Lieutenant Abell demonstrated outstanding qualities of personal leadership, bravery and resourcefulness under most unfavorable circumstances. On December 5, 1950, he was serving as a member of a regimental staff. During the afternoon he was given command of a rifle company which for five days had been isolated and suffered heavy casualties. This company which consisted of sixty-four men and one officer had just completed a day's march through enemy territory in sub zero weather. During the night the company was augmented by one hundred officers and men from special units of the division. This constituted Lieutenant Abell's command the following morning when his company moved out at first light as part of the advance guard battalion for the division's move from Hagaru-ri to Koto-ri. Throughout the following twenty-two hours of continuous action in sub zero weather in overcoming successive strong enemy positions which blocked the road, Lieutenant Abell placed himself at the head of his troops and with complete disregard for his personal safety moved under intense enemy fire to areas where the fighting was the heaviest in order to personally direct fire and movement of the men who were inexperienced in infantry tactics. Early in the day all but two of the officers were either killed or critically wounded, thus rendering control more difficult. In the afternoon an enemy movement threatened his flank. After two runners had been wounded in trying to reach one of his squads with a message to shift their fire, Lieutenant Abell personally moved through intense enemy fire in order to dispose his men and direct their fire in such a manner as to block the enemy threat. Throughout this move Lieutenant Abell led by example and by his display of calm courage and confidence where the fighting was heaviest he inspired his men and gave them faith in both his ability and theirs. On December 8, he continued to demonstrate outstanding leadership in the battalion's advance guard action from Koto-ri. Assigned the mission of seizing and defending a hill he skillfully maneuvered his depleted company and in the late afternoon was ordered to take up a defensive position. While inspecting his lines and encouraging his men he was painfully wounded. In spite of this he continued to exercise command and remained with his company until a strong counterattack had been repulsed. Only then did he return to the aid station for treatment. His fearless action and outstanding achievement contributed materially to the accomplishment of his battalions mission. Lieutenant Abell's display of outstanding courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Education and civilian career
In 1943, Abell was studying journalism and advertising at the University of Missouri in Columbia when he enlisted in the Marines. The service sent him to the University of Notre Dame for training.
After the war, he got his degree at Mizzou and went to work writing advertising copy for the Barry-Wehmiller Machinery Co. He moved to California in 1953 and worked in advertising. He retired in 1989.
Final days
Abell died on April 26, 1998, at age 75 of cancer at his home in San Clemente, California. As a Marine Corps Reserve colonel, he received a full-honors military burial at Arlington National Cemetery. He is buried in section 65, site 624.
In addition to his wife Margaret Minot Abell, survivors include two sons, Scott Abell of Rancho Santa Fe, California, and Michael Abell of San Diego, California ; two sisters, Betty Ullrich of Crestwood and Helen Schicker of Affton; and four grandchildren.
Books
*
The New Tory Party was a short-lived political party in Ontario, Canada during the 1980s. The party was led by Karol Siroky, who is most notable for an abortive legal challenge to declare invalid the 1985 provincial election.
Siroky registered with Ontario Election Finances new party name called the "New Tory Party" for the 1985 election, and campaigned under the party's banner in the Toronto constituency of St. George. He made an Application (Motion) in the Supreme Court of Ontario to declare the election invalid on the grounds that the government of Premier David Peterson failed to ensure the "Equal access to goods and services as any other business or any other person" for all political parties and all candidates as stipulated by the Ontario Election Finances Act. Among many other problems, Siroky was refused campaign banking services by several Canadian chartered banks for himself and the "New Tories". Some bank managers, publishers and other providers of goods and services refused to provide any services, several facetiously stating that they were "Old Tories". This prevented Siroky from legally constituting the New Tory Party by fielding then-required 50 candidates because he was prevented from legally raising and disbursing funds for the campaign, running advertisements and engaging in recruiting candidates in all electoral districts of Ontario. The Supreme Court Motion failed since Siroky, the ad hoc interim leader and spokesman of the "New Tory Party", who acted in Court on his own behalf, had "standing" only in his electoral district of St. George and therefore did not have the legal standing to declare the whole election invalid. Siroky did not avail himself of the opportunity verbally to amend the Motion so as to limit it to the electoral district of St. George only. Siroky failed to see any merit in rerunning the election in St. George, where the position of the incumbent Susan Fish (PC) was very strong and at any rate this would not enable "New Tory Party" legally to constitute itself. The Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario had no option but to deny Siroky's Motion to Declare Election Invalid. Siroky apparently believed that he made his point and accomplished his objective of ensuring equal access to goods and services for all political candidates in future elections.
The New Tory Party ran only two candidates in Ontario. The second candidate (name?) was a disabled permanent resident of the Salvation Army Men's Hostel who ran in the electoral district immediately south of St. George. Siroky acted as campaign manager, scrutinizer and witness of his nominating papers. The candidate won a "landslide" of votes at the hostel, and more than double the votes that Siroky received. He was interviewed on radio and television.
The New Tory Party never held a convention, and its name did not actually appear on the official electoral ballot, as is customary for parties in a state of formation. Siroky, an Ontario Professional Engineer and efficiency expert, produced and personally supervised delivery of 15,000 copies of a tabloid-format, two-color four-page campaign pamphlet at a cost of less than $1,000. Almost all of those tabloids were delivered to tenants in residential low-income high-rise apartment buildings located at the north end of St. George electoral district just south of Bloor Street. As later became apparent, most of the tenants were new immigrants and as such were not eligible or not interested in voting. Siroky received 385 votes in preliminary count and 186 votes in final count. The reason for the above "shrinkage" was investigated by Mr Bailey, Chief Electoral Officer, who found it perplexing, but it was never satisfactorily explained. Siroky finished distant last in a field of five candidates. The winner was Progressive Conservative incumbent Susan Fish.
Siroky's campaign was followed in the next Provincial Parliament by an amendment of the Election Finances Act of Ontario that governs the party names to forbid the use of "sobriquets" (nicknames) of existing parties or alternatively any word that is used in the name of any other registered political party in a name of a new political party. Names or abbreviations that sounded similar to names or abbreviations of existing parties were also outlawed. The amendment received unanimous support. By that a new political party would have to have a coccoid name that would be either meaningless or misleading to voters.
Siroky later in 1985 registered name of another political Party called the New Ontario Party that he attempted to use for the 1987 provincial election, but was prevented from campaigning and fielding candidates by a legal frame-up. When the party name registration expired two years later, Siroky attempted to re-register the party. The re-registration was disallowed by the Election Finances Commission on the basis that the party's abbreviation, "NOP", was too closely resembling that of an existing party, the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Siroky quit Ontario politics and moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, where he died on February 11, 2011.
Siroky registered with Ontario Election Finances new party name called the "New Tory Party" for the 1985 election, and campaigned under the party's banner in the Toronto constituency of St. George. He made an Application (Motion) in the Supreme Court of Ontario to declare the election invalid on the grounds that the government of Premier David Peterson failed to ensure the "Equal access to goods and services as any other business or any other person" for all political parties and all candidates as stipulated by the Ontario Election Finances Act. Among many other problems, Siroky was refused campaign banking services by several Canadian chartered banks for himself and the "New Tories". Some bank managers, publishers and other providers of goods and services refused to provide any services, several facetiously stating that they were "Old Tories". This prevented Siroky from legally constituting the New Tory Party by fielding then-required 50 candidates because he was prevented from legally raising and disbursing funds for the campaign, running advertisements and engaging in recruiting candidates in all electoral districts of Ontario. The Supreme Court Motion failed since Siroky, the ad hoc interim leader and spokesman of the "New Tory Party", who acted in Court on his own behalf, had "standing" only in his electoral district of St. George and therefore did not have the legal standing to declare the whole election invalid. Siroky did not avail himself of the opportunity verbally to amend the Motion so as to limit it to the electoral district of St. George only. Siroky failed to see any merit in rerunning the election in St. George, where the position of the incumbent Susan Fish (PC) was very strong and at any rate this would not enable "New Tory Party" legally to constitute itself. The Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario had no option but to deny Siroky's Motion to Declare Election Invalid. Siroky apparently believed that he made his point and accomplished his objective of ensuring equal access to goods and services for all political candidates in future elections.
The New Tory Party ran only two candidates in Ontario. The second candidate (name?) was a disabled permanent resident of the Salvation Army Men's Hostel who ran in the electoral district immediately south of St. George. Siroky acted as campaign manager, scrutinizer and witness of his nominating papers. The candidate won a "landslide" of votes at the hostel, and more than double the votes that Siroky received. He was interviewed on radio and television.
The New Tory Party never held a convention, and its name did not actually appear on the official electoral ballot, as is customary for parties in a state of formation. Siroky, an Ontario Professional Engineer and efficiency expert, produced and personally supervised delivery of 15,000 copies of a tabloid-format, two-color four-page campaign pamphlet at a cost of less than $1,000. Almost all of those tabloids were delivered to tenants in residential low-income high-rise apartment buildings located at the north end of St. George electoral district just south of Bloor Street. As later became apparent, most of the tenants were new immigrants and as such were not eligible or not interested in voting. Siroky received 385 votes in preliminary count and 186 votes in final count. The reason for the above "shrinkage" was investigated by Mr Bailey, Chief Electoral Officer, who found it perplexing, but it was never satisfactorily explained. Siroky finished distant last in a field of five candidates. The winner was Progressive Conservative incumbent Susan Fish.
Siroky's campaign was followed in the next Provincial Parliament by an amendment of the Election Finances Act of Ontario that governs the party names to forbid the use of "sobriquets" (nicknames) of existing parties or alternatively any word that is used in the name of any other registered political party in a name of a new political party. Names or abbreviations that sounded similar to names or abbreviations of existing parties were also outlawed. The amendment received unanimous support. By that a new political party would have to have a coccoid name that would be either meaningless or misleading to voters.
Siroky later in 1985 registered name of another political Party called the New Ontario Party that he attempted to use for the 1987 provincial election, but was prevented from campaigning and fielding candidates by a legal frame-up. When the party name registration expired two years later, Siroky attempted to re-register the party. The re-registration was disallowed by the Election Finances Commission on the basis that the party's abbreviation, "NOP", was too closely resembling that of an existing party, the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Siroky quit Ontario politics and moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, where he died on February 11, 2011.
Charles 'Wag' Roach (23 March 1887 - 8 May 1970) was an English amateur footballer who played as a forward.
Football
Charles 'Wag' Roach played as an amateur footballer for several English football clubs and was as a prolific goalscorer for Southall FC in the early 1900s. He also played as a forward for Fulham, Reading, Tottenham Hotspur's reserves and Middlesex.
Charles still holds the record for most goals scored in a season for Southall, scoring 57 times in the 1910-11 season. He was known as 'Wag' to his team-mates, on account of his love of telling jokes.
His playing career came to an end due to a cartilage injury.
Away from football
Charles was born on 23 March 1887 in Fulham and lived in Fulham and Southall and was a painter and decorator by trade.
As well as his 'Wag' nickname, he was also known as 'Pop'.
During the First World War he was occupied on munitions work in Hayes Arsenal.
He died in Hillingdon Hospital on 8 May 1970, aged 83. A cremation took place at Mortlake and among the floral tributes were two from Southall Football Club.
His obituary (which appeared in a local newspaper on 22 May 1970 and is on the right), referred to him as "The most prolific goalscorer in the history of Southall Football Club".
Family connections with Southall FC
On 14 October 2017, the grandson and great grandson of Charles Roach were guests of his former club Southall FC for Southall's Spartan South Midlands League Division One home game.
The game was played at Burnham FC's The Gore - which Southall shared with Burnham for home games during the 2017-18 season - against Division One rivals Brimsdown.
Charles' grandson Brian Roach (pictured bottom left), who grew up in Southall and watched the team play at Western Road, was at the game as part of his 75th birthday celebrations with his son Mark (Charles' great grandson).
In recognition of Brian's connections with a Southall FC goalscoring legend and his 75th birthday three days previously, the club's officials invited him to talk to the Southall players in the dressing room before the game, and he spoke to them about his grandfather's goalscoring exploits.
Southall also dedicated two pages of their match programme to Charles.
Southall won the game 5-1, on their way to winning the 2017-18 Division One title.
Brian is a former Reading FC director and was agent for former Chelsea and England striker Kerry Dixon, Arsenal and England defender Lee Dixon, Chelsea, Liverpool and Scotland striker David Speedie, and Arsenal winger Brian Marwood.
Relatives
Charles had several brothers, who were boxers. He was married to Ethel in April 1914, five months before the outbreak of the First World War.
They had a son, Dennis, who followed in his father's foosteps as a footballer, but played as a goalkeeper. Dennis moved from Southall to Twyford near Reading and had one son, Brian, who was also an amateur footballer and played as a defender for Henley Town.
Brian has two sons, Mark and Stuart, whose children are Charles' great great grandchildren.
Mark has two daughters, Ebba and Greta, and Stuart has a son and daughter, Sam and Jessica. Sam was a goalkeeper with the Reading FC academy.<ref name=MROL />
Football
Charles 'Wag' Roach played as an amateur footballer for several English football clubs and was as a prolific goalscorer for Southall FC in the early 1900s. He also played as a forward for Fulham, Reading, Tottenham Hotspur's reserves and Middlesex.
Charles still holds the record for most goals scored in a season for Southall, scoring 57 times in the 1910-11 season. He was known as 'Wag' to his team-mates, on account of his love of telling jokes.
His playing career came to an end due to a cartilage injury.
Away from football
Charles was born on 23 March 1887 in Fulham and lived in Fulham and Southall and was a painter and decorator by trade.
As well as his 'Wag' nickname, he was also known as 'Pop'.
During the First World War he was occupied on munitions work in Hayes Arsenal.
He died in Hillingdon Hospital on 8 May 1970, aged 83. A cremation took place at Mortlake and among the floral tributes were two from Southall Football Club.
His obituary (which appeared in a local newspaper on 22 May 1970 and is on the right), referred to him as "The most prolific goalscorer in the history of Southall Football Club".
Family connections with Southall FC
On 14 October 2017, the grandson and great grandson of Charles Roach were guests of his former club Southall FC for Southall's Spartan South Midlands League Division One home game.
The game was played at Burnham FC's The Gore - which Southall shared with Burnham for home games during the 2017-18 season - against Division One rivals Brimsdown.
Charles' grandson Brian Roach (pictured bottom left), who grew up in Southall and watched the team play at Western Road, was at the game as part of his 75th birthday celebrations with his son Mark (Charles' great grandson).
In recognition of Brian's connections with a Southall FC goalscoring legend and his 75th birthday three days previously, the club's officials invited him to talk to the Southall players in the dressing room before the game, and he spoke to them about his grandfather's goalscoring exploits.
Southall also dedicated two pages of their match programme to Charles.
Southall won the game 5-1, on their way to winning the 2017-18 Division One title.
Brian is a former Reading FC director and was agent for former Chelsea and England striker Kerry Dixon, Arsenal and England defender Lee Dixon, Chelsea, Liverpool and Scotland striker David Speedie, and Arsenal winger Brian Marwood.
Relatives
Charles had several brothers, who were boxers. He was married to Ethel in April 1914, five months before the outbreak of the First World War.
They had a son, Dennis, who followed in his father's foosteps as a footballer, but played as a goalkeeper. Dennis moved from Southall to Twyford near Reading and had one son, Brian, who was also an amateur footballer and played as a defender for Henley Town.
Brian has two sons, Mark and Stuart, whose children are Charles' great great grandchildren.
Mark has two daughters, Ebba and Greta, and Stuart has a son and daughter, Sam and Jessica. Sam was a goalkeeper with the Reading FC academy.<ref name=MROL />
Jason Falovitch (born December 6, 1984) is a Canadian media and sports executive who founded PlayLine Sports, which is the largest sports lottery in the world.
Early life
Falovitch grew up in Toronto, Ontario and was raised Jewish. He went on to attend York University for college. He later earned a postgraduate degree in international business management from Seneca College. This was also where he met his new business partner — now UFC Hall of Famer — Michael Bisping. If the user's prediction is close to the outcome, they receive more points. In 2020, Mark Cuban purchased half of PlayLine. Following Cuban's purchase, PlayLine's numbers went up, as they are now the third-highest trafficked sports betting site and adding users at a fast rate. Falovitch co-owns, alongside Mark Cuban, one of the biggest sports accounts on Instagram @NBAmemes (4M followers). The account posts basketball-related memes daily. @NBAmemes boasts a 7.49% engagement rate, which is higher than competitors, including Barstool Sports (1.71%), ESPN (1.35%), House of Highlights (1.76%), and Overtime (2.53%), according to Social Blade.
Falovitch's PlayLine and Cuban founded a company together as a joint venture called Leverage Game Media, which seeks to catch basketball and sports fans' eyes through social media channels. Over the last thirty years, the foundation has successfully provided over one billion meals worldwide to victims of natural disasters. As the foundation's director, Falovitch brought many celebrities into the effort, including Celine Dion, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Chris Tucker, Mike Tyson, and others.<ref name=":0" />
Metrics
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Early life
Falovitch grew up in Toronto, Ontario and was raised Jewish. He went on to attend York University for college. He later earned a postgraduate degree in international business management from Seneca College. This was also where he met his new business partner — now UFC Hall of Famer — Michael Bisping. If the user's prediction is close to the outcome, they receive more points. In 2020, Mark Cuban purchased half of PlayLine. Following Cuban's purchase, PlayLine's numbers went up, as they are now the third-highest trafficked sports betting site and adding users at a fast rate. Falovitch co-owns, alongside Mark Cuban, one of the biggest sports accounts on Instagram @NBAmemes (4M followers). The account posts basketball-related memes daily. @NBAmemes boasts a 7.49% engagement rate, which is higher than competitors, including Barstool Sports (1.71%), ESPN (1.35%), House of Highlights (1.76%), and Overtime (2.53%), according to Social Blade.
Falovitch's PlayLine and Cuban founded a company together as a joint venture called Leverage Game Media, which seeks to catch basketball and sports fans' eyes through social media channels. Over the last thirty years, the foundation has successfully provided over one billion meals worldwide to victims of natural disasters. As the foundation's director, Falovitch brought many celebrities into the effort, including Celine Dion, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Chris Tucker, Mike Tyson, and others.<ref name=":0" />
Metrics
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