1934

Right in swing with the times, '34 now comes through with a questionnaire to keep each of you busy some quiet evening real soon. Maybe you've already received it by the time you read this. (Maybe some of you have already sent it in by now. I hope, I hope, I hope.) It all came about when we started receiving a bunch of birth notices, but when entering them in the little black book for the benefit of future generations, we were quite startled to find that in far too many cases no marriage had ever been reported. There have been a great many other discrepancies that might be mentioned, but you'll find these for yourself. Thanks a lot for your help in getting me set straight. Bill Knibbs would never for- give if he returned and found how mixed up I'd managed to get things.

John Lashar has left his post with Remington Arms to help the publishers of Parade get out their weekly issue, a Sunday supplement found with your favorite newspaper if you happen to live in one of the towns where they offer their services. He also writes, "I see Bud Madden quite frequently for lunch as he is working here also in the Chrysler Building and I spent the evening the other night with Fitch Briggs, who is now a first lieutenant in the Air Corps stationed at LaGuardia Field. I don't know whether you're up to date on the news of his family, but they are very proud of a bouncing boy of approximately six months of age." (Note to F. Briggs: If the kid's as attractice as Lashar indicated, how's about telling us more about him? You know, name, date of birth, weight, favorite toy, and all that sort of stuff.).

Dave Hedges, oops, pardon! Lt. Dave Hedges and family have again left the New York area at the Navy's suggestion and are now located in Washington, D. C. Hedge adds, "The only news from this sector is that Marty Dwyer has recently been in town on thirty-days' leave gained as re- ward for his year's duty in Panama. He is a two- striper now and looks as though the life down there was agreeing with him completely. Rollie Morton and his wife had a gathering at their home in Larchmont which included the Schermans, Callaways, Bill Gibsons, Dwyers, and Hedges. It was good fun and the closest thing to a reunion that the year 1944 has produced."

And we find that we have two more in the Navy. Hugh Logan reports in as an ensign who is now studying about the Navy at Ohio State University. Plus this, he tells of running into Herb Andresen while they were both stationed down in Florida. I happen to know that Hugh is plenty proud of his family, but you'd never guess it the way he casually mentions that he now has a second child, a daughter. Let's have more dope on the. gal, m'boy. I don't know whether the folks that read this column are interested in that sort of thing or not, but I am.

Here's a letter from Harry Masterton written from ship-board.... "As you may know, I've been in the Navy about two and' a half years, all of which has been spent in chasing the elusive German submarines. The first eight months were spent in the Caribbean, but then fortune smiled on me and I started working in the Atlantic—which meant getting back to the States once every now and then. (And believe you me, that makes life worth living.) The first ship I was on was an SC and our submarine hunting was not rewarded. But the present one, a destroyer escort, has been part of a unit which has been waging a more ag- gressive type of war, and the unit has had a fairly good amount of success. With the present hopeful picture in Europe, I don't know what the future holds for us, but expect it can't be too long before I see the other side of the world I have seen few Dartmouths since being in the Navy. Did have a good session with Pat O'Reilly in the Commodore bar one afternoon several months ago, and heard from my Dad that Walt Keady is now in training for Amphibs somewhere around Little Creek, Va In your list of recent arrivals, you might post the name of Marianne Masterton, now seven months old. Florence brought her into the world, and right well, without benefit of the usual corridor-pacing husband, as the day Marianne was born I was only one day out of Gibraltar on my way back to the States. Have seen both wife and daughter three times since then though, and am mighty anxious to be with them on a permanent basis."

It's becoming almost a monthly custom to retract some statement made in past issues. Here's our apology of the month. Bob Engleman informs me that he isn't wearing blue or tan, but is merchandising manager of all children's lines at Spiegels in Chicago. He got through his physical 0.K., but was one of the many set aside when the brass hats figured that any male over thirty years of age was too rusty to help them much at the time.

Here are some bits of news that have been passed on to me that deserve more space than the few lines I've got left this month. Hold on to your chair and we'll try to get it all in Lt. Bill Stowe is with the Troop Carrier Command somewhere in India and so far having more trouble with the insects, climate and surroundings than he is with the enemy Mike Menchel (Lt.) is now sojourning in Australia where he has bumped into Lt. (jg) Bob Peters and is getting to be right fond of the life of a soldier in those parts Capt. Henry Necarsulmer has been transferred to Colorado Springs which also seems to be a garden spot from his description Perk Bass is in China Bob Ford now has a second son, Russel Thompson Ford, born September 19, 1943..... Max Palmer is now stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. .... Karl Weber is with a fighter group that has worked in both India and China Harry Ingram is in New York with Young & Rubicam, keeping the Kate Smith show running smoothly. .... Ed Corson is still with the American Smelting & Refining Co. Em Day, who is acting as combination flight surgeon, industrial physician and family doc with TWA in Washington, blossoms forth with an interesting addition to the story of Cal Calmon and his water treatment. He writes, "Oh yes, back a few months I meant to break silence and correct a Newsletter report, of course tooting the local horn at the same time. The story on Cal Calmon's work with the Permutit Co. developing a method of getting drinkable water from seawater said that the method was first tried out in tests run by American Airlines off Cape Lear, N. C. American was there all right, but the affair was planned and put on by—have you guessed it— TWA. Three of us, with a representative from A.A., the U.S. Rubber Co., and the Navy, set to sea in a raft, planning to stay, 'oh, several days' testing the latest raft equipment. After twenty hours we were dragged ashore, having lost an average of five and one half pounds per man and feeling a hell of a sight sorrier for the fellows stuck on rafts without any choice in the matter.

Practically all letters received at this end are so well written that they are worthy of full quotation instead of the butchering that they are forced to receive. However, occasionally, one of you comes through with material that is too good to be touched. Such is a letter written by Lt. Jeff Jackson to Bill Scherman. (Okay, Widmayer, so I haven't got room for it. Here it goes anyhow.) .... "Affairs "here continue apace, whatever that means, and by now I can safely say that we're off the nut and it looks like a good long run. May even outlast 'Road.' As the combat outfits come and go, retiring to quiet places for well-deserved rests, while we keep everlastingly at it, one could very easily become discouraged. You see, our outfit enjoys the dubious distinction of being the combat unit which has been in this area longer than any other and by this time the pace is beginning to tell. Take me for instance: Remember that eager-faced lad of two years ago who sailed off to the wars to keep the yellow devils from raping his grandmother? Well that pink-cheeked boy is now a gaunt old man. Those applecheeks are now crisp parchment bags, the bright dancing eyes are but hollow sockets, dull and lifeless, the ripe full lips are just two blue lines of fever sores, the sparkling white teeth (deprived of the chalk-giving dairy products) are now but hollow shells, despite Ipana and massage. And that erstwhile crowning glory—the dense black forest that was my hair (all right pretty dense then, anyway) is now but a sparsely wooded area with a timber line back to here, and a new. stand of secondary growth of white birches round and about. Those firm rounded breasts now are but a brace of razor straps. Yes— war has left its mark on me. But wot-the-hell, toujours gai, cest la guerre.....

"I can honestly say that I've seen my share of excitement during this more-than-a-year in the front lines, and by now it's beginning to pall. Once in a while I even find myself looking back wist- fully at what I like to call 'Real Life,' and longing for some fairy godmother to pick me and my barracks bags from this, zoom over the mountain tops, wing homeward, spot LaGuardia Field, dive earth- ward, pull out a 9 Gs, hedge-hop to Nassau County, come gently to a stop on the Plandome, touch football and clambake field! But then the sharp crack of a carbine will suddenly shatter the deep stillness of the jungle and rouse me from my reverie, reminding me that though a guy can dream, it won't do any good, for after all war is war. And then, to prove it, in will come Pfc. Mrumsszc (pronounced Murgatroyd), his carbine still smoking and a twisted smile on his cruel face, as he hands over one more wild pig to the mess sgt No, Will, it isn't all beer and skittles— not by a long shot. Sometimes you can't locate a skittle for love nor money And now for a sincere note about our armed forces: It's a swell army, big and confused and awkward, yes, but withal mighty, mighty effective. The Air Corps does an amazing job—many times I've found myself praying for them to ease a tight spot, and they always deliver. The infantry and engineers and artillery and medics go right in there, sticking their necks out, and not complaining either. The Navy, from battlewagons to PT boats, is right alongside, complementing the ground forces with admirable cooperation. Somewhere in there, too, I guess, our guys do some good sometimes. As We get closer to Fujiyama, though, it gets rougher and rougher. These nips are really dug in and getting them 'undug' is no romp. Me, I got no doubts about the outcome, however Well, there you have it, boy: 'The Sage of Foxhole Frankie.' And if there is one message I'd like you to carry back to the eager young trainees in boot camps all over the land, it's this: 'Men—you stand today on the threshold of a Great Adventure. And you'd better get in all the Etaoinshrdlu you can now, be- cause there ain't any Etaoinshrdlu where you're going. Not a bit of it.' I asked my Dad to send along a check for me to the Alumni Fund, so don't despair. And that's the news from here. Trot along trimly now, and my best to you, the family, and any of the guys you might see "

Secretary and Treasurer, General Box Co. 816 S. 16th St., Louisville 1, Ky.