Singleton tells of Golden Eagle killed in Monroe County, Ala. in 1978

Golden Eagle

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “However small, All things have purpose” was originally published in the Nov. 23, 1978 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

This old world of ours is getting into one sad state of affairs when we begin to kill for the sake of killing. There are some among us who believe that everything that is wild, whether it walks, crawls or flies, should be killed.

These people, whoever they are, are sick. They are to be pitied because of their feeble minds and their miserable beliefs that one must kill to prove his manhood. They never bother to think and realize that all things are put here on this earth of a purpose. This includes themselves, however small their purpose.

Golden eagle

Two weekends ago one of these brave outstanding citizens proved once more to himself that he was superior by killing a beautiful golden eagle. The beautiful bird was not killed outright, but was wounded and left to float in the currents of the river until death came.

A close friend of mine found the wounded eagle and tried, with the help of one of our local veterinarians, to save its life, but their efforts were to no avail. The great bird lost its fight for life. Sickness and stupidity had won again.

The holes that the buckshot pellets made through the graceful head and neck of the beautiful creature were fatal.

Many deprived

Lost to us who love and respect all forms of life was this great bird. The person who pulled the trigger on this gallant traveler of the heavens deprived many of the right to watch this eagle soar across the evening skies in the graceful manner that only eagle can.

They took from those who love the beauty of the wild one of our rarest creatures. And they took from the young of our society one of the last chances to witness the flight of this proud and elegant hunter.

And last, but not least, they pulled from the heavens a creature that is the subject of nameless legends. The legends of the eagle began with man and in many instances the strong, graceful wings of these birds carried the departed souls of many into the Great Beyond.

Graceful, legendary

In certain books of the Holy Bible the great eagle is mentioned for its strength and graceful manner. And too, many love phrases have mentioned the great eagle as a symbol of love and endurance. I quote to you, my readers, one of my favorites:

“If by a miracle, we were transformed in the image of two great eagles, we would unfurl our wings and ascend upon the wind to the tallest mountain. There we would rest and listen to the whispers among the lofty peaks. We would watch the rising and setting of the eternal sun, and as each day closed and the shadows began to creep across our lofty domain, we would find comfort and love in our togetherness and our hearts would sing and our spirits would ride forever on the winds of time.” (Author unknown)

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)