Laureled Sons of Dartmouth

GAPT. ARTHUR H. DEARING 'l4 USN has been cited for meritorious conduct in connection with the campaign of the Solomon Islands by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the United States Pacific Fleet.

The citation, presented somewhere in the South Pacific, commended Captain Dearing for "service as force and area medical officer in organizing the Medical Department of the South Pacific in such a manner that during the Solomon Islands campaign evacuation of wounded and sick was carried out most efficiently."

Captain Dearing, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1930 for service during the Nicaraguan campaign, was also commended by Admiral Nimitz for "quiet, tireless devotion to duty which set an inspiring example for all who served with him and which enabled sick and wounded to be evacuated from the Solomons area and to receive proper medical attention with the minimum of delay, thereby contributing greatly to the success of the campaign."

Captain Dearing, who hails from South Portland, Maine, enlisted in the Navy during the First World War and served as lieutenant commander during the Nicaraguan campaign. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1941.

His wife resides with their three children at Vallejo, California.

LIEUTENANT JOHN J. BELL USNR, Dartmouth Class of 1935, has been decorated with the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service.

His award was made for bravery under fire in the assault and occupation of French Morocco last November. In presenting the medal, Captain Clarence Gulbranson, commanding officer of the Naval Amphibious Training Base at Fort Pierce, said of Lt. Bell:

"He was in charge of craft preceding the assault on North Africa, and through the exercise of good judgment and excellent seamanship, maintained his station.

"With great intrepidity while under fire he maintained his position until his mission was accomplished.

"The outstanding bravery, professional skill and devotion to duty displayed by Lt. Bell are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Naval Service."

After graduation from Dartmouth Lt. Bell was associated with the Bell Construction Company. He joined the Navy in June, 1942, and received his training at Solomon Island, Maryland, and from there he was transferred to Little Creek, Va., where he was in charge of the Navy contingent of the Amphibious Scout School. He was sent to Africa, and shortly after he returned he went to Fort Pierce, Florida, where he is now stationed.

Lt. Bell was married to Miss Kate Rotan of Houston, Texas, on Easter Sunday of this year. His mother, Mrs. C. C. Bell, of Boonville, Mo., spends the winters in Houston where her son lived and worked.

ENSIGN RICHARD RIGGS '42 has been recommended for the Air Medal for his part in sinking a German submarine in the South Atlantic some months ago.

Ensign Riggs was co-pilot of a twin-engined American patrol bomber, a PBY 5-A, which sunk a surfaced submarine, which had been bombed an hour before by another American plane. The account reads:

"Closing in at 1500 feet Riggs and his companions were flying directly in the path of the Nazis. Before the Germans could swing their deck guns to train on him, Lt. Bradford, the pilot, maneuvered around behind the sub to attack from its stern.

"Both anti-aircraft and machine gun shells whistled through the right wing of the American plane and clipped off its antenna as it prepared to dive at its prey, but little damage was done.

"Frantically the Nazi engineers began to zigzag the sub to throw the airmen off, but Lt. Bradford was on to this old trick. As the plane zoomed down from the sky, Riggs and another crewman let go a stick of depth bombs as the plane pulled out of its dive above the sub.

"Suddenly the Nazi ship lay dead in the water, but its anti-aircraft guns continued to bark at the Americans. Deciding the sub needed more medicine Riggs and his friends made four more runs, using machine guns in three. Then they saw it begin to settle.

"At first the sub sank slowly. Its stern dropped low and the water crept up around the ankles of the Germans, still manning the guns in the conning tower. Then the tower touched the waves, and the men leaped into the sea. Pointing its bow at a 50-degree angle into the sky, the sub slid back into the ocean on its stern.

"This was just six minutes after Riggs had helped to drop the first bombs.

"The Americans estimated that 30 to 40 survivors were in the water and few had time to grab life jackets. Flying low, the plane dropped two life rafts, each taking care of nine men. The men were still in the water when Ensign Riggs' plane, low on gas, had to return to its base."

Ensign Riggs, after graduation from Dartmouth, entered the Navy with the college air unit and was commissioned at the naval base in Jacksonville, Florida, in January. After a short leave he reported to the Norfolk naval base and was assigned to duty in the South Atlantic.

Dick has a brother Robert J. Riggs Jr. now at Dartmouth taking the V-7 officers' training course. Their home is in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

FIRST LIEUTENANT RICHARD VANDIVORT '41, United States Army Air Corps, has won two decorations for service in North Africa.

On June 1, 1943, he was awarded the Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal for exceptional aerial performance in the Tunisian campaign.

Lt. VanDivort received his wings at Rome, Georgia, last July 4, and left for overseas duty on September 27, 1942. He lives in Nutley, New Jersey. His family knew nothing of his awards until they read it in the papers.

FIRST LT. GORDON K. MCCOUN, Dartmouth Class of 1939, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his services as pilot of a B-25 Bomber which attacked a Japanese convoy at low level and with outstanding success in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea last March 3. He was cited for "courage, skill and devotion to duty." It was the first low-level job for McCoun and he performed like an old hand.

See the Class notes for 1939 in the May issue of the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE for a picture of Lt. McCoun and for further details of the episode.

LT. WILLIAM KENT '35 has received three citations for distinguished service on Guadalcanal Island. After graduating from Dartmouth, he enlisted in the Marines, received his commission shortly before Pearl Harbor, and was sent overseas in June with the First Marine Division. His citation reads:

"I. It is desired to commend the services of 2nd Lt. William I. Kent of this Battalion ('C' Company, First Pioneer Battalion) during the entire action of the landing on Guadalcanal.

2. During the entire five days this officer denied himself rest or comfort of any kind, devoting himself only to duty.

3. His services were of the utmost in intelligence intelligence, management, industry, and planning. He demonstrated day after day the fullest capability of handling a full company or larger under fire. He proved himself an officer far superior to his present grade. (Signed) Halsted Ellison, C.0."

CAPTAIN CARMELO GUGINO JR. '38, a pilot in the Air Transport Command in India, has won the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.

His job was to take unarmed, heavily loaded transport planes through combat zones where enemy attack was "probable and expected."

"These flights, requiring from three to five hours each, were frequently made on successive days, over high rugged mountains, subject to icing conditions at altitudes seldom reached during average flying, through weather requiring long periods of instrument flying, and over areas without adequate navigational aids," the citation read.

His Air Medal was won for his "accomplishments as a pilot of an unarmed transport flying over India, Burma, and China" for the purpose "of maintaining our commitments to the Republic of China and of delivering vital war supplies to active combat fields, providing continuous and effective support to our fighting forces and to our Chinese Allies."

Captain Gugino's home is in Buffalo, New York.

THE AIR MEDAL for antisubmarine patrol flights over the Atlantic has been awarded to Capt. Jack D. Reeder '39, for more than 400 hours as an observer.

The citation read: "Accomplishments of many of these missions was made when unfavorable weather conditions made flying hazardous. All members of the crew exhibited untiring energy and meticulous care while flying. Possibility of encountering enemy ships of fighter type or antiaircraft fire added to the hazards of these missions. These services reflect highest credit to the military forces of the U.S."

Captain Reeder is from Dayton, Ohio.

MAJOR SAMUEL WHITING, of the 1941 class at Dartmouth, is home on leave after piloting a bomber in the North African campaign. He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for outstanding work and leadership, and the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters for gallantry in action.

Major Whiting enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in June, 1940, and in February of the following year he graduated from Maxwell Field, Alabama, receiving his wings and commission as a second lieutenant. For a time he was stationed at McChord Field in Tacoma, Washington.

About a year ago he was sent to North Africa and was first based in Egypt. He was one of the first to bomb Rommel's then powerful Afrika Corps and he followed Rommel's retreating army through Libya, Cyrenaica, and Tripolitania into Tunis, bombing all the time until final victory in North Africa came.

He was married to Elaine Whitten in New York City in May, 1941. His home is in Wilton, New Hampshire.

ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT HEARD of a decoration the story of Captain Derroll W. Rogers '4O of New Britain, Conn , should be told:

A serious mishap occurred to his bomber on the take-off for a bombing mission. Captain Rogers kept his big ship in the air so that an injured member of the crew could bail out near the airdrome. Then he flew out to sea, dumped his bombs and returned to the field to allow the remainder of the crew to parachute to safety.

After all had jumped except his copilot, Second Lieutenant N. J. Gorse of Chicago, and himself, he headed his plane back to sea to avoid a crash-landing that might have endangered those on the ground. Then he and Gorse bailed out. A rescue boat picked up Lieutenant Gorse, but Captain Rogers was dead when found.

Dartmouth is very proud of Derrol W. Rogers.

LT. RICHARD A. B. SHEDDEN '41, whose letter describing the sinking of a submarine was recently printed in 'Roundthe Girdled Earth, has been awarded the Army Air Medal for "gallantry in action."

Dick has been in the Caribbean area for twenty-seven months and desires combat duty. He writes, "I'm not anxious to find out what it feels like to be shot down, but I want to find out what I've got on the ball, to see if I've really got what it takes when it comes right down to a question of life or death, and this war offers that chance. We have a good outfit here, and I wish we could go across together. I have a hunch we would do pretty well as we've been together a long time now."

CAPT. ARTHUR H. DEARING '14 USN, cited for meritorious conduct in Solomons area as organizer of Medical Department.

LT. JOHN J. BELL '35 USNR, who has won the coveted Navy Cross for heroism.

LT. RICHARD SHEDDEN '41 USAAF, who won Army Air Medal for gallantry in action.