Letters
"I Can Tell Them
To THE EDITOR: The ALUMNI MAGAZINE has followed me to France and its pleasure parallels that of a banana, a cherry pie or a piece of porterhouse steak. There is an essential difference between the four. I am getting the ALUMNI MAGAZINE.
I landed in France the only way you could land at the time we landed—that is, onto a beach. Our jeep swam through 41/2 feet of water, but the motor, a good three feet under, puttered reassuringly on. The Jerries were lobbing a few shells here and there onto the sand but we drizzled our way to the mainland without mishap. Lord Nelson's fray must have been a Newport regatta compared to the scene off the beachhead.
That was our first day in France—gliders everywhere which had descended despite "Rommel's asparagrass" (sticks driven into every field to disrupt their descent), silk parachutes all over the terrain, the stink of decaying flesh, cows—their legs stiffened upward in death, the Infantry slogging along the road, Signal Corps & Engineers stringing wire and probing mines, the deafening crack of artillery, Red Cross trucks streaking toward the beach, houses scattered in chunks on the ground, refugees straggling along beside their donkey carts with goods and old grandmas piled on top.
All this—yet the sun was shining. Roses .were budding in farmyards, misplaced hens scratched for food and pigs flapped their long ears casually. Two struggles gripped Normandy, one between us and the Germans and the other between a quiet countryside that had hardly ever known war and the clash of 20th century machinery.
To us it seemed as if all Europe had come to Normandy. We talked with Poles, Spaniards, Russians, Czechs, Alsatians, Germans and Italians, all brought in to turn the wheels of the German war machine. Many no longer have homes or families—or anything. Neither have many of the Normandy French. Yet the "Boches" have gone and to most of them their new freedom is worth it. They give us wine and cognac and bundles of roses along the road.
We go on from day to day and month to month not knowing where we're going to be next or what problems we'll have to face, and I look back to the warmth and security of Hanover. Last night shells were whistling, ours and, unfortunately, theirs. I lay thinking of us and France, where we've gone and where we'd have to go. We are a little knot of college men and have gotten along famously—same interests, sense of humor, temperament, the same overall philosophy, a certain tolerance and understanding of each other and all the varied problems of the war we face here.
Today I see in the MAGAZINE that the old familiar battle of words is 011 again—attacking Dartmouth as it was. Liberal Arts prepares you for what? The wordy dissenters should know that something from the past is fortifying our little group from doubt, fear, and even disillusionment.
If they are interested I can tell them for what Dartmouth helped prepare me—Normandy.
France
The Fighting Man
To THE EDITOR:
Congratulations to Charles G. Bolte for his admirable efforts in collecting and coordinating the aims and objectives of the American fighting elements. I have read with fervid interest of his activities accounted for in press releases and the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE, and it is my conviction that he is making a most important and pertinent contribution to the realization and execution of a sane American philosophy for our postwar years.
Physical disability has prevented my participation in World War II as a member o£ the armed forces, but as a civilian I do sympathize 100% with the mental expressions of the soldier and sailor, and it is only proper that their preferences be given prime priority in the molding of our post war livelihood. We, as civilians, are profoundly indebted to those who represent us on the world-wide fighting fronts.
It is indeed a problem to ferret out biased and selfish expressions of a minority of prospective veterans, and to air conflicting viewpoints on policy. However, a tolerant attitude in the recognition of all opinions must be pursued, and it must be left to the application of equity and ethics to determine the basic philosophy of truth and reason to be adopted for a future. American plan.
The body politic and economic, as well as humanitarian tactions, if they can be so segregated, are striving to guarantee the returning veterans a fair deal. That is an iron-clad duty, which, to revoke or violate in principle, would constitute treason and national heresy. It is imperative that the dominating opinions of the men and women fighting overseas be ultimately expressed in terms of a uniform and homogeneous objective, with proper recognition and concession to the minority viewpoint. With a plan for action formulated and made public, civilian and soldier combined will map out the course of action.
It is fortunate that the intellect of the fighting man, by virtue of his training and battle action, does not express itself in compromise and half-hearted insincere action. Appeasement, thank God, is not tolerated by the fighting man. He demands forthright definitive action, and not insipid and soothing words dripping with false promises and hopeless aspirations. To him we look for the foundation on which a sound and invincible superstructure will rest, unchallenged forever.
Schenectady, N. Y.
