1939
"This month is a little different. Because of pressing Navy obligations your acting-secretary is passing on the trust of Secretary Bob Gibson, to Acting-Secretary Number Two, Bob Dickgiesser, P. O. Box 549, Derby, Connecticut. You can't say that Bob is not busy, for he is managing one of Uncle Sam's defense plants. But he's agreed' to carry on the secretarial duties of the class, and needless to say, we've got a good man at the helm.
"Before bowing out of the picture, thanks to all '39ers who kept pumping this corner with news; and a final admission—it's been a helluva lot of fun!
"Dick Jackson."
HERE AND THERE
As I have just taken over the job of informing you '39ers of the happenings of our classmates and have at hand only two letters, this column will be very brief. However, I'm in hopes of receiving loads of news from you fellows in order that I may disperse the information to the class at large in future issues.
From "Skip" Morris' wife comes a letter stating his enlistment in the Naval Reserve on January 9, and he is now located in South Bend, Indiana, taking the midshipman's course at Notre Dame. Approximately forty Dartmouth men are in his class alone and from alt reports, the Dartmouth boys are still frequenting the beer halls. The Morrises received a pre-Christmas present, for on December 4 they became proud parents of a baby girl. Other news contained in Penney's letter includes information to the effect that Lieutenant Bob Brown is in Louisiana with wife, Nancy, and young son, Bob Jr. Mike Daley is somewhere in the South Pacific. Frank Farnell who is also a lieutenant is with his wife, Bobbie, in Waynesville, Missouri. Penney also writes that at Christmastime they saw Peg Britton, who plans shortly to join Hank in California. He is now an ensign and also the father of a son named after him. I sure wish more '39ers' wives would write, giving me information as to their respective husbands and '39 friends.
The other letter in my possession comes from Larry Dilkes, who is still in Miami, Florida, and flying for Pan-American Airways on all their South American routes. Larry certainly sounds as if he needs company, for he asks a pleading favor; "1 have lived here in Miami for a year and a half and have seen damn few Dartmouth men. I know that a gang of '3gers have been and will be here for training with the Army Air Forces or the Navy. I hold 'open house' for any of the boys who care to drop a nickel in the slot and call 9-1027, with the best rums obtainable from latitudes south of Miami. I would appreciate it if you would extend this invitation in your ALUMNI MAGAZINE column." Need I say more? It looks like a good set-up for you fellows in Miami, if I know Larry's parties. Larry has had great experiences flying to the head-waters of the great Amazon in quest of rubber—how some of these '39ers get around.
Larry also writes of receiving a letter from Jim Feeley, Captain, USMCR, who is still instructing at Pensacola, Florida. He recently became a papa of a little girl, Sarah Percey Feeley. "A pair of tackles would have girls."
News from Don Wheaton makes me believe that he is now in Australia after spending four months on Guadalcanal without even seeing the beach. Late last fall, Jack Cathcart received severe burns in one of DuPont's midwestern plants while supervising the manufacture of gunpowder. I have it reported that most of his burns came from rescuing a fellow workman.
Lieutenant Wainwright still at Boston Quartermaster Depot, about to finish an instruction course, informs me that he has been an ardent follower of the Big Green basketball and hockey teams this winter. Bill Cunningham still in the banking business in New York, sidelighting this occupation with talks about civilian defense, bond rallies, etc.
Sorry I did not have any information for "Down the Aisle" or "Writer of the Month" sections.
Don't forget some letters and at the same mailing send your "jack" now to Moreau Brown, our new class agent, 224 Brookside Avenue, Apartment I-H, Mount Vernon, New York.
The following letter has just been received from Moreau Brown:
Dear Bob: Congratulations and all best wishes for success upon your acceptance of the secretaryship and the accompanying task of supplying news for the ALUMNIMAG. column. I shall be glad to exchange news with you and help whenever I can with any letters that I receive from the class. As I mentioned in one of my very first news letters, it is certainly not my intention to compete with the ALUMNI MAG. column, and must confess that from time to time I have culled bits of news from it for my own use. In view of the far flung positions of our classmates, I feel that double assurance of their receiving the news is not at all amiss. Hence we actually work together for the purpose of supplying that essential news.
Bill Conway was in the store not so long ago accompanied by a very glamorous blonde who was helping him to select his ensign's uniform preparatory to seeing him off for Quonset, R. I. IrvingNaitove met us tonight coming through the Commodore lobby with the information that he had just been promoted to a lieutenant j.g. On a trip to southern waters he had met Howie Chivers. Irv also reported that Bob Bryant was a lieutenant senior grade and had been seen at the Armed Guard Center in New York.
George Mdlroy is stationed with the Coast Guard at the Barge Office in New York City. He has a daughter named Pamela born last December. MaiWallis is supervising two shifts in one of twelve divisions (courses) at Curtiss-Wright Tech. Institute in Glendale, Calif. His family consists of wife Phyl, son Peter, and daughter Virginia Carolyn.Ensign F. Kent Blatchford is with Bombing Squadron 11, Carrier Replacement Air Group 11, c/o Fleet Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif.
Sgt. Stan Beskind is with the 467 th Bomb Sq. (H), Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas, working with those heavy ships that are making it so hard for Adolph. Captain James A. Donovan USMC writes from Guadalcanal via V-mail. He is a close neighbor of Colby Howe and wonders where Jim Parks is. Midshipman J. O. Sampson, SC-USNR, D-43 Chase Hall, Soldiers Field Station, Boston, Mass., has been in since last December 7 and is at the Supply Corps School at Harvard.
Bert MacMannis, whose duties with the Navy have taken all his time, has been forced to turn over his duties as Class Agent to Moreau Brown, who has heretofore worked with Bert as editor of "Thirty-Nine Out!" Contributions may be sent to him at 224 Brookside Avenue, Apt. SD, Mt. Vernon, N. Y., or directly to the College at Hanover.
Letters sent in from the members of the class of 1939 are joining those of all the other Dartmouth men in the Archives of Baker Library where the College is compiling a history of the war as revealed through actual letters from the men who are fighting it. Miss Mildred Saunders, in asking for these letters from your class correspondents, has stated that those from our class "are much the best of those which have come to my attention." Keep up the good work.
From one of our correspondents comes news that Captain Colby Howe "one of the last 'Solomons Marines' to be evacuated from that area, arrived safely on February 17th at an unknown port 'down under.' " Lieut. John R. Graham has sent greeting from England where he has been since graduation from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Kennie MacDonald is in Boston working with Palmer, Dodge, Wilkins and Davis, lawyers, and awaiting his call to service in the Signal Corps, of which he is a reservist.
Dick Brooks (not to be confused with TomBrooks, whose ship was torpedoed in the African landing) has also had his share of adventure. His ship sank two and one half minutes after being struck by a torpedo on the other side of Africa. After dangerous trekking through swamp and jungle, he made his way back to New York by way of bomber and ship, arriving New Year's Eve. On the side, Dick has been doing "Elmer Squee" cartoons for Cosmopolitan and also made some sketches of his African adventures for that publication. Dick Jackson writes to Bert from Washington that they are really putting him through the paces and characterizes himself as a "busy rascal," referring I'm sure to purely curricular activities.
Dave Lilly has recently been promoted and now boasts the first looie's bars. His address is Ist Lieut. David M. Lilly, 0-909562 G4 APO 501, c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif.
Walt Magee reports from Williams Field, Arizona, that he noticed Dick Shaw in a current March of Time thriller tracking down villains, all in the line of duty with the FBI. He's still chasing his tail around down there trying to teach fledgling rookies how to make them get off the ground and back down again. His current class is Chinese, and Walt reports that he has everything in hand.
Stan Brown, 2842 Leavenworth St., San Francisco, Calif., went through his cadet training at Squantum, where he met up with George Adams, and then left for Jacksonville, where he met BillMason. Stan received his wings _ the morning of November 10th and took a bride, Thalia MayRyder, that evening. He is at the above address, attached to a Navy Patrol Wing. Art Bright is still at M.1.T., now doing Economic Research. His marriage to Evelyn Fay of Southbridge, Mass., took place last October 31. She is a Wheaton graduate.
Lieut. Bruce Learned, 312 Moore St., Hackeestown, N. J., writes that he is a "lieutenant, infantry, teaching commando training tactics—with one wife and three noisy, hell-raising, red-headed daughters." Ist Lieutenant Bob Timbers is Officerin-Charge of the Machine Records Unit at West Point where he lives with his wife, the former Bette Longwell of Johnstown, Pa. He has seen DonSayia, who has been awaiting a call from the Coast Guard. Bob Howe, who, like Bob Timbers was a former 1.8.M. man, is reported on the other side with a mobile Machine Records Unit, keeping vital statistics at the spot where they count.
Dean Robert Strong, who once initiated us into the mysteries of the Hanover official circle, edits a newsletter for his class known as "The TwentyFour Hour Notice." No question of where the title comes from.
Lieut. Bob Yuell, who is stationed in England, has suffered an attack of Yellow Jaundice, but is well on the road to recovery. Lieut. Fred Kurr, sends greetings but little other news of his confidential activities. Interesting, however, is his statement that "we try to hit a 20 mile hike whenever possible, but find that it cuts too much out of a busy day."
Alan Davidson is working hard for his M.D. degree at 130 Robinson Parkway, Burlington, Vermont. Jack Atwood is with the Air Forces Training Detachment, Brayton Flying Service, Cuero, Texas.
Johnny Fisher was married to Ellie Chase a year ago this February and is living at 100 Huntington St., Hartford, Conn. Bill Bradford can be reached at 35 Averill Place, Branford, Conn. Ted Wolfe is living on Westfield Avenue, Ansonia, Conn.
Sincerely,
Moreau Brown.
LT. ARCHIE P. MALLON '39 A member of the first class of navigatorofficers to be graduated from the AAFNavigation School at Hondo, Texas.
LT. JOHN GAUNTLETT '39 USNRFrom Australia, "The bears are koalabears. The only one that isn't is the one inthe center!'
Secretary, P. O. Box 549, Derby, Conn. Class Agent, 224 Brookside Ave., Apt. 1 H Mt. Vernon, N. Y.
