1939
The class of '39 is doing an excellent job with publicity these days. After John Mecklin's full page headlines in the Chicago Sun last month, Chuck Grant was written up in a full page official Army Air Forces announcement, which appeared in Life and probably many other magazines. Chuck also rated a picture.
Major Bob Howe writes from Africa that his wife was able to pin his leaves on him in Italy in the shadow of the Naples Post Office about 9:00 p.m., in the middle of.an air raid. He did not explain how he got his wife to Italy in the first place, and further information has been requested. However, he did provide a little additional information about himself, after he said it was practically an impossibility for him to provide any news: If '39ers could provide as newsey letters as Bob's, this column would be greatly improved get the hint?
He writes, You see, this unit of mine is still sitting here on our dead fannies amongst the flies and Arabs of North Africa; the war has up and left us high and dry. I don't hesitate to mention flies and Arabs in the same breath, if you happen to wonder, because they are essentially one and the same thing: both are pests, the first for blood and the second for anything that an American would have. Actually our only trouble is boredom, so I guess we are in absolutely no position to complain. Dartmouth men around these parts are scarcer than co-eds in Hanover. A couple of months ago I saw Bud Stein out at the beach, fresh in from a run up to Southern France on his LST where he was presently assigned as medical officer. I see Bob Frese '38 (Ray's brother) quite frequently whenever I get to Italy. Bob Whitcomb was around these parts some four months ago; the last time I saw him he had just been promoted to lieutenant senior grade .... on a cruiser, I think. At the moment I think that I can be fairly confi- dent in saying that I alone am holding down the Dartmouth Club of North Africa.
Don Bridge writes with a date line:
At sea.... I was married in February 1942 to Miss Betty Goold, who was at one time an inmate at Connecticut College in New London. We haven't had much time together since, though, as in No- vember 1942, I joined the Merchant Marine. I've been sailing as a purser on various ships for Grace Line. I seem to have been pretty original in my choice of service. I guess Whitey Isbrandtsen is the only other of our class to be a Merchant Seaman. I haven't regretted it, though there's not much in the way of titles, gold braid, or prestige to go with it. I know we're doing our job, which is invaluable in winning the war. The life is not the best in the world, but it's lots better than what many, if not most, of our classmates have to put up with. At least I get home at fairly regular intervals for a few days at least, with my wife. Have managed to set foot on all six continents of the world and have wallowed about in all the oceans. And in all this traveling the only '39ers I've met are Eliot Reynolds (at Pearl Harbor) and Bob Barvoets (at home in Albany).
Bob Barvoets was awarded the Air Medal at Bogue Field, N. C., for meritorious achievement as a pilot in a Marine Corps scout bombing squadron in South Pacific action Major Ed. Searles is now stationed at Tinker Field, Okla., as chief of the Statistical Control Section Second Lieutenant Bob Woodward recently arrived overseas as navigator of a B-34 Liberator. He entered the service December 15, 1942, and received his wings and commission at Ellington Field, Texas, on June 10, 1944. Apologies are due to Mel Means, whose letter of July 13 was mislaid. He has been teaching embryo pilots at Hondo, Texas.
Jack Bowie passed through New York rec ently en route to Washington, where he spent a well-deserved furlough at home. He has had some very interesting experiences in the Near East and was stationed near the Suez Canal at a time when the Germans were at their high water mark. Dick Clark has been seen a number of times in Radio City, but is always in such a hurry to get back to work that it is difficult to pin him down to get any news out of him.
Dusty Rhode has agreed to accept the job of class treasurer from Mary Mathes, who has been doing such a marvelous job, pinch-hitting for Jim. Jim is still missing, but there is high hope that he will come back.
Best news of the month was the birth of a baby daughter on October 27 to Jean and Herb Hirschland. Are there any other new arrivals which have not yet been reported in this column?
SERVICE PROMOTIONS
Lt. (jg) Robert L Davidson, Lt. (jg) Oliver P. Webb, 2nd Lt. Charles S. Stack, Lt. (j.g) Robert W. Morse, Ens. William W. Remington, Major David M. Lilly, Capt. Frederic B. Worden, 2nd Lt. Walter R. Swan, Captain Sidney R. Curtis Jr., Capt. Louis F. Oberdorfer, Lt. (jg) William F. Deal, Capt. Rodger S. Harrison, Capt. Robert R. Barvoets, Capt. Theodore R. Dakin, Capt. Edward P. Wells, Lt. (jg) Thomas R. Burrell 3rd, Capt. Jack S. Goldman, Ens. John K. Adams, Ist Lt. John F. Fitzpatrick, Lt. (jg) Richard B. Baldauf, Ist Lt. Harvey F. Yorke, Ist Lt. Robert M. Hall, Lt. (jg) A. Wayne Shrodes, Capt. J. Wallace Davis, Lt. Col. William H. Parkhill, Ist Lt. Donald P. Lieber, Major John D. Horn, Major Jack D. Reeder, Major John D. Diffenbaugh, Capt. Amos R. Little Jr., Major Edward J. Searles, Major Charles F. Urschal Jr., and 2nd Lt. Robert R. Woodward.
RELEASED FROM AN ITALIAN PRISON CAMP, Lt. Peter C. T. Glenn '4l has been in India with a Royal Sikh regiment.
Secretary, Apt. 4D, 1307 Sixth Ave., New York, N. Y. Treasurer, 7215 Maryland Drive, St. Louis 5, Mo.
