1907*
Your Secretary thought it would be of general interest to report on war activities of '07 fathers and their sons. The following have been received recently. More may be expected to follow.
Sam Barnes reports that his principal job is trying to furnish supplies for the Army and Navy in the Pacific Northwest and helping in running ships to all parts of the world for the American Mail Line. One son-in-law is a Lieutenant, J.G., in the Navy and the other working on Maritime Commission Ships in Philadelphia.
Bill Walker, who now lives in Exeter, N. H., says that his only war effort at the moment is expended in his garden though he has been employed on his local rationing board and has made an application to enter the Marine Reserve Officer's Candidate School. Young Bill, 28 years old, is a petty officer in the Navy aboard a destroyer somewhere in the Pacific. He has been in the Navy two years and until recently was convoying in the Atlantic. Bill's older boy, Wilson, is on the production staff of a defense plant, and his daughter's husband, a Cornell man, has just passed his examination for the Army Air Corps and is waiting to be called for training. Old Bill's objective is to try to raise enough to eat and to buy bonds!
Ted Richardson reports two sons in the service: Ist Lt. Franklin A. Richardson, who was non-grad '38, is at Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington, and attached to the Army Air Corps. 2d Lt. Malcolm Richardson is at Camp Pickett, Va., and attached to the infantry.
Bob Kenyon, who now lives in New Rochelle, N. Y., has a daughter, Betty, employed by the Department of Justice in Boston; Robert Jr. attached to the 39th General Hospital Unit, Camp Edwards, Mass.; Bill, aged 14, is a messenger for the Air Raid Wardens; and Jack and Dick, aged 12, are planning to shoot a few Japs as soon as they are old enough to get into it. Bob is an Air Raid Warden in his community.
Two of the McLane boys are in service: John Jr. '38 is an ensign in the Navy attending a school of instruction at Cornell; Charles, '41, is a Sergeant in the 87th Mountain Regiment, Fort Lewis, Washington, and he has his assignment to a school of instruction leading to a commission which he will be attending in Georgia this fall. Judge's only direct connection with war service is as a member of the Alien Enemy Hearing Board for New Hampshire. John Heneage, Rip's third son, is a Private in the Marines at Quantico, Va. Rip is very busy "raising farm products for the Navy!"
SURGEON-IN-CHIEF
It was reported in the August MAGAZINE that Bob Cochrane was said to be connected with a hospital unit. This report is now confirmed. Bob writes,
"The Boston City Hospital, of which I am the Surgeon-in-Chief, has sponsored the formation of the 7th General Hospital, Army of the United States. Inasmuch as I remained in the Reserve I was delegated to organize this hospital and I have completed it.
"A General Hospital is a 1000 bed hospital. It has a personnel of 73 Officers, 120 Nurses, and 500 Enlisted Men. All numbered hospitals are overseas Units. The professional personnel must have a connection with the sponsoring institution. My present title is Director of the Unit. On mobilization I become the Commanding Officer. Just when mobilization will take place is anybody's guess, but the Unit is ready to go on a moment's notice." Colonel Cochrane now, if you please!
Runt Martin's son, Bill '39, entered the Army recently at Camp Grant near Rockford, Ill. He was listed there as a classification specialist. He has now been transferred to Camp Robinson, near Little Rock, Ark., where after eight weeks of basic training he will know whether or not he will be accepted for officer's training.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Willson have recently presented an American Flag to the Town of Farmington, N. H., as a Memorial to their son Charles who was killed in action on May 8 aboard the U.S.S. Lexington in the Coral Sea Battle.
William J. Minsch Jr. '36 and Harvard Law '39 is now in the 118 th Observation Squadron at the Army Air Base, Charleston, S. C.
Chet Sandy's son Donald is a Lieutenant (j.g.) in the Navy and is located in Washington, D. C., with the Bureau of Ships, Department of Development and Design. Chet's son-in-law, John H. Beachley, Washington, D. C., has recently enlisted in the Navy and will be a Yeoman Second Class.
Richard Storrs, Harry's son, graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University last June and is now interning at the Mary Hitchcock Hospital at Hanover. He is an ensign in the Naval Reserve. Harry's youngest son, Robert, is a senior in the College of Physicians and Surgeons and is a 2nd lieutenant in the Army Medical Reserve.
The recent death of Charlie Main will be a shock to his many friends in '07. Charlie entered with '06 and continued with that class through his Junior year. After a year's absence he returned and graduated with '07. He had been ill for a year or more prior to his death at his home in Winchester, Mass., in August. A further report appears in the Necrology column of this issue.
Secretary, 140 Federal St., Boston, Mass Treasurer, Newport, Me.
