1942
In Corp. Page's mail this month comes a letter from Maj. General Philip B. Fleming, and it is just another indication that '42 is in there up to the hilt. General Fleming writes of his son Carson. The general tells how our classmate enlisted as an aviation cadet shortly after Pearl Harbor and was commissioned as a pilot last February. Since July he's been bombing Germany and German-held territory; that is, he was until October 4. Then he was shot down over Frankfurt, and the War Department now lists him as missing. Previously he had been awarded the Air Medal. General Fleming has received some encouraging information since October 4, so we are all hoping that Carson will show up soon.
Mrs. Carroll Woods writes that her husband is now in command of a PT boat in the South Pacific and is expecting a promotion soon from ensign to lieutenant (jg). Carroll writes that he hasn't run into any of the classmates in the South Pacific, but has heard from a few now and then. . . . . Bill Temple's Dad writes that Bill is now a lieutenant in the Army Air Force and is in North Africa .... and TinyWhelden's father sends on notice that Tiny is now a staff sergeant, although he doesn't say where or in what service.
Ens. Bob Strasenburgh writes from the Pacific theatre of playing the Dartmouth Glee Club records in the torpedo room of a "fish" in the company of Dick McCormick '4l and Eric Barradale '44. He says, "The crew thought we were a little crazy." And Bob says to pass on to Rusty Hartranft that his cigarette lighter is still in good shape.
Ankle-deep Jim Farley, now a fighting ensign in the Navy's Amphibious Forces somewhere west of San Francisco, tells by mail of heat, rain, and hell out that way, and also of meeting Bob Tepper '4l (of Jacko ill-fame, Farl says), Charley McAllister '4l, Vic Scheeifer '4l, Bill Aylward '4l, Art Carpenter, Bob Thomas '4l, and Carl Thomas '4O. I don't know where '42 disappeared to out that way. Incidentally Ankle-deep says that Hollywood's South Sea Island magic is pure unadulterated essence of you know what.
A long letter from Lt. Bill Miller QMC who has just finished a course at Harvard and is now assigned at Savannah. Bill speaks of Boston weekends and the Statler, mentions seeing Stephens (now a lab technician at Ft. McKinley, Maine) frequently; also says that Black Jack (and I do mean black) Cor with hit town after a shakedown cruise—the Black one now wearing a stripe and a half, and sporting a lot of fancy cash as the result of picking a landing hour better than anyone on his boat. Bill goes on, "While in Boston I ran into Tom Moore several times, first in enviable civies and then in a midshipman's outfit, he being at the Harvard Business School. TomMacelin is among the group there, one of the rare civilians, I guess. Bert Kerstead was at the AAF Statistical OCS at Harvard Business School for awhile, and is now back at Miami completing his training for a commission. I met Dick Lawton last night. . . .over numerous beer glasses in N. Y. C. He is completing his third year medical at the Cornell Center and is wearing the Navy Blue. He tells me that Frank White is gunnery officer on a destroyer in the Pacific Neil Benton is still with Alcoa in New Jersey, but has been re-classified 1-A Ed McLaughlin, a jg in the Navy Supply Corps, spends most of his time curled up in a fox hole in the South Pacific and agrees with Sherman on war."
Bill Holmes, a tech sergeant in the South Pacific, V-mails that he is getting a tremendous boot out of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE out there, but would like to bump up against some of his classmates Bud Ruffner writes from Panama City, Fla., where he is managing the J. C. Penny Store. Bud was in VOC for awhile but was discharged from the Army for poor eyesight. He also announces the birth of a son, which is our second baby in the class. The name is Robert Edward. Bud was married before graduation, though, so we are still waiting for the class baby. Bud said to have any '42's who hit Tyndall Field, City, be sure and look him up Livio Smith who is still working for New Departure in New Britain, Conn., writes that Lt. Randy Gilpatric has completed Flying Fortress training and might possibly be overseas by now And finally DougStowell writes that he has been discharged from the Army. Doug was down with a serious ailment of some kind for awhile, and was hospitalized at Halloran General Hospital. He says that he is toying with the idea of coming back to Dartmouth and doing a little graduate work. Adds that the last he heard of Dale Bartholomew Bart was taking his pre-flight training in California.
Other sources add a little more informationCorwith forwards the news that his home-town paper mentions Ed Chalfant as being a corporal in Flexible Gunnery at Las Vegas, Nev Other news says that Lt. John Furth, Marine Corps, married Mary A vent of Staten Island and Skidmore, _ on October 8; that Jim Thomison married Patricia Draper of Flushing, N. Y., and Barnard, in New York City on October 2; and finally that JohnAdams married Beatrice Strough of Salisbury Center, N. Y., on September 17.
In signing off I would like to request that all communications sent hereafter for class notes include class secretary in the envelope address. There is a good possibility that I may be unable to carry on much longer and I want your news to reach the author of this column, whoever he might be, in time for earliest publication. If addressed as requested, my parents will be able to forward such communications to my successor.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
LT. AND MRS. WILLIAM F. FLANDERS '41 at Mare Island Navy Yard, California.
Secretary, 100 DeForest Rd., Burlington, Vt Treasurer, 105 Maple St., Belmont, Mass.
