Laureled Sons of Dartmouth

Men Cited for Heroism and Meritorious Achievement

MAJOR CLARENCE R. "KIP" CHASE '30, of Richmond, Virginia, has been awarded the Air Medal for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flights in the Southwest Pacific.

His citation read: "This crew of a heavy bomber was engaged on an individual reconnaissance mission over hostile territory (north coast of New Guinea in June) which had never been photographed. At Humboldt Bay, an enemy vessel, protected by a gunboat or corvette, was sighted.

"Three bombing runs were made, scoring a near miss and one direct hit which set the vessel on fire. A low level bombing run was then made and the last two bombs were successfully dropped. Two direct hits were scored, causing the hostile vessel to sink within a short period. During the bombing attack anti-aircraft and machine gun fire from the gunboat and cargo vessel was very intense. The courage, ability and devotion to duty of Major Chase in the conduct of this mission are in keeping with the high standards of the service."

IT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT a destroyer escort vessel, soon to be launched at an East Coast shipyard, will bear the name of Ensign Charles M. Stern Jr. '36, who was the first Dartmouth man killed in action in this war.

At Pearl Harbor Charlie Stern was stationed on the U.S.S. Oklahoma which was capsized by bombs on December 7, 1941. It was in this action that he lost his life. A few months ago he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal posthumously.

THREE MEN OF THE CLASS of 1937 have been honored.

SERGEANT JOHN J. MORRIS '37, of White River Junction, Vt., has been awarded posthumously the Purple Heart Medal. He was killed in action on July 16, in the Southwest Pacific. He received his training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia; Camp Blanding, Florida; and Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He went overseas in October. 1942. (See his letter in 'Round the GirdledEarth ).

CAPTAIN PHILIP S. CONTI '37, well known football player, of Barre, Vermont, has been awarded the Air Medal for participating in bombing raids on Japanese shipping and scoring hits in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire and fighter opposition.

News has also been received that MAJOR J. L. "JOCK" FRANCINE '37 has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Army Air Medal for services rendered. I regret I have no more details, but these medals are not awarded for shooting down coconuts.

LT. (j.g.) JAMES C. RUCH '40 has been f awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. Lt. Ruch was killed in action last October 19 when his ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic.

Lt. Ruch had been a Navy recruiting officer in Albany, N. Y., before assignment to sea duty. He was gunnery captain on a merchant ship which was torpedoed by a German submarine a thousand miles off the Irish coast on a return trip from the British Isles. This was his second trip.

ON A JULY 17 RAID on the Solomons, Lieut, (j.g.) Richard F. Kenney '40 got a Japanese destroyer for which he has been recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross.

"There were a lot of enemy vessels— destroyers, transports and cruisers—in the harbor," Kenney related. "Our planes got quite a few of them. I happened to get one I'd started to pull out when the plane ahead of me dropped a thousand-pounder and missed its target. A big geyser of water shot up in front of me and I had to go straight through it. It's hard to imagine the force that amount of water packs—especially when a plane going top speed hits it. My wing was crumpled and most of the plane was dented up, but I got back."

Lt. Kenney's unit, which was based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, was also cited for heroism during the Munda campaign, during which it shot down thirty Japanese Zeros in a single raid. Lt. Kenney was sent overseas last May.

In this same action Dick's shipmate, Edward F. "Pidge" Hughes '41, pilot of a Dauntless Dive Bomber, had to bail out when his ship developed engine trouble, and has been reported "missing."

BY SMASHING A SUPERIOR French tank force threatening to, drive American forces into the sea at Lyautey, French Morocco, COLONEL HARRY H. SEMMES '13 added luster to his World War fame and an Oak Leaf Cluster to the D.S.C. and cluster he had won in that conflict. A tank fighter then, Col. Semmes more than lived up to his World War deeds in the first action he saw in this war after entering the service again in March, 1941.

Commanding six American tanks—all that could be landed in time in the heavy surf—Col. Semmes led in his own tank against a flank attack by 18 French tanks imperiling the newly landed and exposed American troops at Lyautey. Although his own tank was hit eight times, Col. Semmes was credited with knocking out several of the enemy tank force which was completely smashed.

COL. HARRY H. SEMMES '13, winner of the D.S.C. in the last war, has recently been awarded the Oak Leaf Cluster for his participation in the landing at Lyautey.

LT. (jg) RICHARD F. KENNEY '40, now flying with the USNAC in the South Pacific.