1909

Chet Brett's son, Chester S. Jr., has just been made a lieutenant (s.g.) in the Navy.

Herb Hawes' son, Robert, has been at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and then at Chicago Pier since he enlisted early last March. He has now been transferred to the Lakehurst Naval Station.

The Dartmouth Alumni Association of Boston sent out a notice that a War Service Advisory Bureau of the college alumni living in New England has been set up at the Harvard Club of Boston, 374 Commonwealth Avenue, and that they will be glad to advise any college men who desire information about how to get into the services.

Hazen Hibbard is now a construction engineer located at 231 Waverly Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Albert Hill, who is a retired minister, is now located at 148 Brace Rd., West Hartford. Carl Killam, who is an interviewer in the U. S. Employment Service, has a new address: 64 Ellis Avenue, Long Beach, California. Fred Batchellor from whom we have not heard for a long time is now in the Marine Transportation Department of the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, 26 Broadway, New york City. Walter Brown, whom we recently reported as connected with the Bureau of Coordination of Ships, now has a residence at 60 Commonwealth Avenue. Boston.

I learned that Bob Holmes' son, Steve, in spite of his football activities and the fact that he is taking the Tuck-Thayer major came through with a 3.2 average for the past semester. He went C. & G. and is also a member of Palaeopitus. Bob acknowledges that this is a lot better than he ever could do, so that between Steve's football ability and his academic standing Bob and Harriett are pretty proud parents.

Allen Newton is beginning to have old age creep up on him. The old man had to give up work for a short time because of rheumatism but is now back on the job and from what I learn about his work at the Luncheon Club I guess he came back with a vengeance.

Bob Burns, who is doing such a good job with the Civilian Defense in planning broadcasts to increase morale among civilians of the home front, recently broadcast the following which is so good I am including it in toto:

KILLED IN ACTION—JOHN DOE

"John Doe, Marine, scrunches down inside a landing boat as it drives in toward a South Sea beach. He feels the boat ground. He wades forward. A .50-caliber slug from a machine gun hits him. He is dead. John Doe, marine has given his life for the United States. That happened last month, last week, yesterday, and is happening right now. It will happen tomorrow, and God knows how many more times in the days to come. It is happening to John Doe, Marine; John Doe, engineer; John Doe, pilot; John Doe, artilleryman; John Doe, tanker seaman; John Doe, bombardier; John Doe, tank driver; and all the other John Doe's in the service.

"John Doe didn't want to die. He liked life, too. Not many months ago he probably was an insurance salesman, or a bank clerk, or a college student, or a voice teacher, or a farmer. He loved his family. He had a girl. He wanted to marry and have a home and raise a family. He was like millions of the rest of us. He wanted to follow the Yanks and the Dodgers, sing songs in the kitchen, root for his football team, go fishing, save his dough to buy a house. He is dead. He didn't owe any more to this country than any of the other millions of Americans. But he gave it all he had.

"The reading of casualty lists is tough going, but they should be required reading in this country today. The industrialist who worries about his profits should be made to read them. Death makes percentages seem pretty small. The labor leader should be made to read the lists. He won't be able to think so much in terms of hours when eternity stares him in the face. The politician should be made to read the casualty lists. There are no party lines in the battle line. When a man faces death for his country, he doesn't face it as a Democrat or as a Republican, or as a New Dealer, or as a party man. He faces it as an American.

"The citizen who complains about rationing should be made to read the casualty lists. How would he decide if he were given the choice between no luxurious living standard and no tomorrow? You can bet he would choose to walk, to take his coffee black, his house chilly, cold, his days meatless. Those who sit around tables and talk big on what the world of tomorrow will be like should be made to read the casualty lists. For listed there they would find the names of the men who are dying to make possible a world of today.

"The spoken words of men, no matter how beautifully said, or the written words of men, no matter how beautifully chosen, can never summarize patriotism, loyalty and sacrifice as well as the simple lines in a casualty list that reads: DIED IN ACTION—JOHN DOE."

Secretary, Wm. Filene's Sons Co. 426 Washington St., Boston