Charles Henry Adams

From a newspaper article about Charles Adams' son, Stanley Taylor Adams, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1951 as a result of his exemplary service in the military during World War II: Master Sgt. Stanley T. Adams takes a good measure of his rugged spirit from his dad, Charlie. When Stanley was leading a 13-man force against 150 Reds in Korea, refusing to stop despite repeated wounds until the enemy was routed, he was charging ahead in much the same manner that his father had exhibited on the auto-polo playing field many years ago.

Charlie Adams, who now is 65 years old, is several inches shorter than his soldier son. He speaks softly and smiles often, but that amiable exterior conceals a fighting spirit which made him a leading figure on the rough and dangerous auto-polo circuit. He was a member of the American team which played from coast to coast and in Canada in competition against a British team.

Auto polo enjoyed a wide vogue in the years before and after the last World War and Charlie toured with the professional teams for about seven years. The game is played with two stripped down cars, a driver and a mailman on each side. Spills, wrecks and bruises were frequent as they fought to drive a basketball to the opponent's goal. Charlie came out of the sport without any serious injuries. His good fortune was partly the result of his ingenuity in inventing a hoop like device which served as a bumper and enabled the occupants of the car to dive free of the machine in a crash.

After retiring from auto polo, Charlie worked for some years in the Willis Keefer Hardware Store in Olathe, and later for the F.a. Johnson Implement Company. He originally was a bridge worker. A record of his exploits in auto polo is preserved in a collection of newspaper clippings which his wife has kept. His interest in motors and driving had an influence on his sons. Both Stanley and Malcolm became bus drivers after leaving school. Malcolm still herds a bus for Continental. their father does his driving at a more sedate pace, on a road grader for the county.

Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Adams celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary last December 28. Both are natives of Ohio. Charlie was born in Circleville and his wife in Wakefield. They knew each other as children in Ohio and their trails crossed again later in Kansas City, leading to courtship and marriage.

SOURCE: Ancestry.com