1935

Lots of news this month, making up in some measure for the drought which resulted in the absence of this column during the midsummer issue.

From the Headquarters, Marine Aircraft Wings. Pacific, c/o Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, Calif., under date of 16 August, comes the following from Lt. Mil burn McCarty Jr.,Combat and Class Correspondent USMC:

Here I am on a cool, pleasant isle. Within 100 yards of my quarters are tennis courts, a fine swim- ming pool with imported sand, an officers' club with open-air pavillions for dancing, and a flourishing bar where you can buy drinks for 25 and 35 cents, and cigarettes for 5 cents a package. You can usually get a gal, too, if you can talk the quartermaster out of a jeep to go looking through the brush for one.

My guest for our party this last weekend was none other than that former wolf of the Vassar and Smith campuses—Fitzie Donnell, now known as Fitzie Witzie Woo of Uncle Nimitz's communication squad. I had a letter from Fitzie—which naturally went by way of San Fran, Washington, New York, and Texas,—and when I observed the address I realized he must be here somewhere. I investigated, and found him stationed only a couple of miles down the beach. So Fitzie came over to spend the weekend with me. I am now interested in the health routine, and managed to talk him into some tennis and swimming. But not for long: when he heard the orchestra and saw the couples dancing by, he could stand it no longer, and we joined the Marine Birdmen and their Minnies of varying hue

All this living is very pleasant, as you can see, but it is not for me for long; within a couple of weeks or so I expect to be off again to less civilized country.

Since last seeing you I have seen, or had news of, several of our far-flung classmates. During my one day in New York (en route), I called DickHalvorsen's father. He said it was too bad I had not called a day sooner, for Dick had left just the day before to go with the Royal Canadian AirForce. He had been home recuperating from wounds received in North Africa, and while now in fairly good shape he will not be able to continue flying, but will be a ground officer.

You have probably heard of the return of our long-lost class gag-man, Robert Anthony Sellmer, ex of the Nazi Black List, the London Times, the French Foreign Legion, the Royal Air Force, and now a captain in the U. S. Air Forces temporarily assigned to a hospital bunk at the England General Hospital at Atlantic City.

In typical Sellmer contretemps, he received his injury (a banged-up shoulder), not while fighting on the front with the foreign Legion, not while shooting down seven Messerschmitts in one week over North Africa, but while driving a jeep to a party in Naples one night. Of course, all of us knew in Hanover that he couldn't drive a car.

En route to the West Coast I spent a day in Chicago with Tom Lane. He was there with Secretary Morgenthau, master-minding promotion for the Fifth War Loan Drive.

In Hollywood I had a drink with Steve Brooks, full of Paramount publicity responsibilities and fuller than ever of girth and aplomb.

Boarding the ship in San Francisco, I bumped into Herb Van Doom, who as a Navy jg was in charge of the loading. I think I have Herb to thank for finding myself assigned to a fine cabin all my own. To one who has been accustomed, during the past two years to sleeping either next to the boiler room or out on the deck in the rain whenever we sailed the Pacific, this was indeed a rare treat. Also in San Francisco, I ran into LowellHaas, who has come up from the ranks to be commissioned in the Navy.

Later, in Honolulu, 1 spent part of an evening with fug Atherton. He is in the Navy, assigned to duty near there, and manages to get home to spend most ot his spare time with his wife (Ed. note: wire also in Navy, rumor has it).

About the only excitement I've had so far this time out was an unscheduled landing in the sea up near Midway. We sat in the water—about one hundred and thirty-five miles from land—for seven hours, but then a very welcome warship came along and rescued us. Outside of that, I enjoyed the trip to Midway, learned something about fishing with goggles and a spear, and had fun watching the gooney birds dance.

Thus far, Macs second trip seems to be more comfortable than his earlier one, which last included lengthy stints on Guadalcanal and Bougainville, with not a little time in fox holes and on beachheads.

MARRIAGES-

MISS Nancy Smith, daughter of Harold Paige Smith, Waban, Mass.," and Lt. (jg) Harris Lalimer, Swarthmore, Peiin., in June, following his return from eighteen months in Southwest Pacific. They are now residing in Miami, fla.

Lt. (jg) Eileen Anne Ospenson, a Wellesley alumna from Bloomheld, N. J., now in the WAVES, and Lt. Oscar Josiah Cahoun, USNIi of Harwich, Cape Cod, became engaged in July: probably are married by now unless Bud has slowed down an awful lot lately.

It is with deep sorrow that announcement is made of Chuck Berry's death. Previously reported missing in action, he was fighting with an infantry invasion force on the Normandy beaches when he met his death. The sympathies of the entire class go to his wife and small daughter, to his parents and to his sister, who survive him.

Although Dick Lintleman was not with our class during our entire Hanover stay, his absence from our ranks will be felt increasingly in the years to come, and our sympathies are with his wife and survivors.

The usual obituary notices will appear in an early issue.

Apparently we won't have room for anything else; wouldn't you know it: last summer we were cursing you lads silly for not writing, and we still feel you might exercise that franking privilege a little more (come victory it'll end), but now we've a tidy pile that should carry us through next month. Nonetheless, we'll be truly appreciative of a letter or two; a good many of you haven't written in years. You must be doing something interesting, so let us hear about it.

Secretary-Chairman Gates Mills, Ohio Treasurer, 5036 Juanita Ave., S., Minneapolis, Minn.

CHARLES LATIMER BERRY Lieutenant, U. S. Array 12 June 1944 Killed in action . . . Normandy

RICHARD CHITTENDEN LINTLEMAN Lieutenant, U. S. Army 18 June 1944 Died of wounds received in action Somewhere in France