1940
After a month's vacation from meeting the monthly deadline for the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, I find it more interesting than ever to peruse the letters from '40s scattered all over the world, and to try to pick out the information which might be of interest to the rest of us. Word has been received that another of our classmates has given his life for the cause. The War Department has announced the death of Lt. James H. Cooke, in a Japanese prison camp. Jim received his commission upon graduation from an Army meteorology course at M.I.T. and was assigned to duty at Clark Field, Manila, P. 1., in 1941. After the fall of Bataan, Jim was reported "missing in action," and it wasn't until a year later that his family received word that he was still alive. Through the facilities of the American Red Cross it was learned that Jim had been transferred to Osaka shortly before his death, but died still a prisoner in the hands of the Japs. Nothing I can say will diminish the shock and horror we all will experience upon reading this notice.
Corp. Earl M. Reingold writes that he has been in the service about 18 months and is stationed at the OCS at Fort Benning, Ga., and through the Ft. Benning Dartmouth Club (started by Maj. Joe Burnett 40) has seen Ted Gates, C. Page Smith, Walt Bernstein, Bud Schlivek, Eddie Schechter, and Percy Rideout. A letter from Manny Mansfield to Earl finds Manny a Lt. (jg) in the Navy and stationed in Alaska. Art Ostrander is now manager of Special Products for the Corbin Screw Corp., New Britain, Conn., and on August 14 married Miss Dorothy E. Caiman of Pittsfield, Mass. Jack Ingersoll writes from Cleveland that Bill Duncan is with the ground crew of the Air Force stationed at Lincoln, Nebr. Jack is working in the Tax Dep't at Republic Steel and announced his engagement to Kay Smith on July 11. Kay graduated from Smith this past spring.
Lt. Gardy Friedlander has been overseas with the Army Air Force since December, 1941. Iver Olsen and Carl James are both in the Navy, and stationed in the Pacific. Ty Cobb is a captain in the Marines. Bud Spencer is in the Army, stationed at Camp Stewart, Ga. Lt. Dick Mather has been flying in the Pacific and was awarded the Air Medal after laying two 500-pound eggs on a Jap cruiser. Dick has been back in the states for a rest. Capt. Bob Raclin is back in the states after a siege in the Pacific and reports that Syd Craige is with the Army Air Corps, stationed near London. Lt. (jg) Jack O'Brien has been stationed in Brazil for the past year and reports that Lt. (jg) Thurston Perry is flying as co-pilot for the Naval Air Transport Service.
Larry Cate is a Lieutenant in the Navy and for the past two years has been in Panama. Lt. Chud Bensinger is also stationed with Larry in Panama. Merrill Prentice is teaching Army flying in Texas. Hank Dahl is in the Finance Corps. Bob Levine has been given his Master's degree at Dartmouth and is now continuing his studies at Duke University in order to complete his Ph.D. degree. Dr. Bud Czerny is at the Philadelphia General Hospital. Private Jack McDonald is at the University of Penn. Ensign Johnny Newman is with the Amphibious Command, stationed at Camp Pickett in Blackstone, Va. Hector H. Sutherland is a corporal in the 855 th Chemical Company, attached to a special unit of "Flying Chemics" stationed at Reno, Nevada.
Hal Sommer is a captain in the regular Army, and is attending the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Sgt. Walt Bernstein is now in Europe reporting for the Yank, the Army weekly. Bob Bunker is doing engineering work for a New Jersey aircraft plant. Karl Bruch is planning to go into the service and expects before long to be a proud father for the second time. Lt. Russ Gorman, after graduating from OCS, is now an air instructor at a college training detachment in St. Paul, Minn. Kel Doyle is at the Middletown Air Base and is a lieutenant. Lt. Bill Coulson graduated from OCS at Miami, and is now stationed at Harrisburgh, Pa.
Phil Huffman has been reported missing en route from India to China since March 21, according to a letter received from his father. Phil was a first lieutenant and Flight Commander, flying B-24 heavy bombers.
This winds up all the news for this month, but send in all the information you have available, along with any snapshots you may have. We need more photographs.
CPL. EDWARD M. DEEMS JR. '40 has been with the Marines in the tropics for a year.
Acting Secretary and Treasurer, Bldg. No. 5, Village Green, Orange, N. J.
