1939
HERE AND THERE From Captain Bob Howe in North Africa comes news that Dick Monohan was an engineering officer for a Naval Division Task Force and has since become Senior Repair Officer for a Task Group, which, he says, "only multiplies my grief and trouble." Dick in turn writes of Herb Hirschland making ammunition in New York. Also, Dick is very proud of a junior which arrived about May 14th. Bob also writes that the only one he's seen in North Africa has been Bob Frease '38, although he has endeavored to find some '39ers. Bob's work in North Africa is quite interesting, for his job finds him doing a considerable amount of traveling via plane and jeep.
News from Dick Jackson tells of becoming the proud father of a boy in the early part of May, at which time Dick was transferred to New York City for a period of two months. He also writes of Dusty Rhodes commencing indoctrination school at Hanover. At that time, Jim Mathes was still awaiting orders. He is an ensign and scheduled for the Air Corps.
From Bob North comes quite a history of enlisting as a glider pilot, wondering if he would ever see a glider and eventually being sent to Texas where the Army decided they had enough glider pilots and is now undergoing training for power plane pilot. He speaks of chumming around with Chuck O'Connor '38, both being staff sergeants. He sends news of P.F.C. Nap Blandy getting married to Miss Catherine Hickson of Minneapolis on June 15. Nap's down in Homestead, Florida, in the Air Transport Command.
In another letter, Dick Jackson tells of Kenny Mac Donald at Boston Trade School studying to be a radio mechanic, with hopes of pre-rader school and then into the active Signal Corps. Dick has also recently run into Bud Little and wife, Jim Sampson and Ellie, Henry Conkle and Dot about a month ago. Jim is at a Naval Supply School and Henry Conkle is at P. C. School in South Boston. Sam Powers is still located in Washington. Endy Smith, after spending almost two years in the Navy, is awaiting indoctrination and not enjoying the prospect at all.
News from the Mrs. tells of Johnny Little becoming a full lieutenant recently. He is serving with the Amphibian Forces, somewhere, as a supply officer. A daughter, Patricia Harris, was born on April 14th to Lieutenant (jg) and Mrs. Irwin Naitove. Born to Duke and Julie Lyon on May 16th, a boy, which your acting class secretary had the pleasure of seeing several times since, and can attest to its potentialities as a Dartmouth undergraduate. News from Bob and Virginia Woodward announces the arrival of a son on April 13th. Bob was still at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft but by now in all probability has entered the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet.
News from Jim Donovan's father tells of his son's battalion. "We recently had Regimental Formation when awards were made for gallantry in action on Guadalcanal. There was one Navy cross and 10 Silver Stars awarded. The Navy cross and eight Silver Stars were awarded to men in my Battalion."
From John Horn's father comes , a note that he is a lieutenant and an aide to a major-general commanding the 86th division and is located at Gainesville, Texas, with his wife. We have news that First Lieutenant Chuck Grant recently received two medals for action in the South Pacific. One, the Army Air Medal and the other a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for participating in aerial flights over New Guinea.
ENGAGEMENTS AND WEDDINGS
On May Ist, Ensign Bill Conway was married to Virginia Washburn in Hackensack, New Jersey. Lieutenant (jg) Al Loberg is engaged to Miss Marjorie Fowler of Concord, New Hampshire. Announcement is made of the wedding of Ensign Al- Bert Balboni to Ensign Lillian A. Allderdice, of Jacksonville, Florida. The marriage of Dr. Ralph C. Wright to Miss Marjorie Thomas of Briarcliff Manor, New York is announced. Lieutenant George Neiley Jr. is engaged to Virginia Railsback, of Moline, Illinois.
The marriage of Dr. Dick Hadley to Miss Jane Allen, of Burlington, Vermont, took place on April Bth. A week before his marriage, Dick graduated from the University of Vermont Medical School at the head of his class. On April 26th, Miss Shirley Carr became the bride of John Mecklin who has been a United Press writer with the Atlantic Fleet. Also, the announcement was made on April 9th of the engagement of Dr. John Kuhlke to Miss Viola Alcock. The engagement of Earl Wayne Robison to Miss Jeanne Bostwick, of New Milford, Connecticut, was announced recently. Also, further news of Lieutenant Grant. This time, his marriage to Miss Katherine Glascock of Raleigh, Virginia, on May 23rd.
WRITER OF THE MONTH
From Lieutenant Bob Alpert, somewhere in North Africa. . . ."After Dartmouth I went to work for a department store in New York City. Soon I realized that department store work had two virtues insofar as I was concerned and they both were negative—one was flat feet and the other was ulcers of the stomach derived from the worry connected with that particular business. I've got the flattest feet ever, and so I figured that if ulcers were to be the only thing for me to look forward to— then to hell with it all!
"Then followed with a turn at being a glove salesman. Then a stretch at the University of Michigan Law School. And then I really found myself when I became connected with The NewYorker Magazine in the the advertising department.
"I was turned down by the Navy because of flat feet and being one inch shy on the topsail. With Pearl Harbor I enlisted in the Army. As a buck private I had my share of dishpan hands and house- maid's knees.. After a few months I received my appointment to OCS at the Quartermaster School at Camp Lee, Va. The class that I graduated with there was turned out ahead of schedule and one bright day last July I found myself all dressed up with someplace to go.
"So before I had the chance to find me a gal or to show off in my military best I was whooshed off to Tucson, Arizona, to melt my way into the Army. I was doing fine until one day I was transferred to a truck company. I didn't know how to drive a truck and I didn't know an axle from a transmission. Before I knew it I was on my way overseas to England. There it was that I learned that even a blackout could have its virtue. I was there just long enough to learn to say 'Cheerio' and I was off again
"I am now a special services officer and, as such, it is my pleasant duty to care for the morale of the enlisted men by keeping them entertained in their spare hours. We have a first-class 'day room' complete with a stage,, radio-vie combination, 1000 book library, ping-pong tables, letter-writing tables, etc. I rummage around the country for moving pictures, stage shows and run off athletic tournaments. My work keeps me busy as the deuce. But I have the happy compensation of knowing that I am giving the fellows a good time.
"I've written two original all-soldier musical comedies. We call them 'Yardbird Revue' shows. By now we've shown the shows to thousands of Gl's and we've always gotten a bang out of it.. . . . I shall never forget my last trip to Algiers where I had a real-honest-to-goodness hamburger and some ice cream and a date with a lovely French protoplasmic bit of frou-frou. Oh! how zay love zee Amayreecaynes
"So far I've bumped into three Dartmouth men over here: 'Whitey' Isbrandtsen '39, Lt. Hugh Wolff '38 and a Captain Yankauer '35. We've all sent in our contributions to the Alumni Fund and were happy to do so."
CAPT. JAMES A. DONOVAN JR. '39 USMC —From Iceland to the Southern Pacific is nothing unusual in the life of a Marine, and perhaps this explains the rapid rise of this well-known Dartmouth artist.
Secretary, 37 Trumbull St., New Haven, Conn.
