1940
Overseas addresses in increased numbers are reaching me through letters and the ever efficient system of the Alumni Records Office in Hanover, and, although they cannot be published, they can be sent out through the mails to any of you who want the latest on some overseas classmate. A note to me will secure for you whatever information I have.
Bob Armstrong, with a new first lieutenant title, was seriously wounded at Noemfoor, New Guinea, August 12. We assume that no news since then means good news and that he's now well on the road to recovery. He had been overseas for twenty-two months with a paratrooper unit and had seen previous action in southwest Pacific campaigns.
Marine Capt. John Fitzgerald has been in command of an amphibious tractor outfit on Peleliu. He was among the first to land on D-Day, setting up a command post on the beach from where he directed the Amtracs to their various jobs during the succeeding weeks of the taking of the island. He has been previously reported doing the same work on Guadalcanal and at Cape Gloucester, New Britain.
Over on the other side of the world, Capt. Les Nichols shows up again, this time in France. Les has found the going a bit rough, since the area where he was stationed has been thoroughly wrecked. He feels sorry for the French, whose battered homes and ruined villages he sees every day, but that feeling is probably passed now that most of the fighting is in or near German soil.
Major Bud Campbell is now communications officer for a Troop Carrier Group (paratroopers, airborne infantry, evacuation of wounded, and general toting) in the Mediterranean Theatre. Bud has been overseas for twenty-six months, including within that period the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Southern France. He's even been in China-Burma-India for a tour of duty. Since this information was gleaned from an Army press release, no mention is made of B.obJordan, who, although he never writes, seems always to make this column through the wanderings of some other member of the class. If Bud hasn't seen Bob, he's the only '40 I know of who's been to Italy and missed him.
Bill Cleaves has joined the overseas group and is now piloting a Fortress out of England in raids over Germany. Bill has recently acquired a first lieutenant's commission.
Back in this country is, for one, Marine Sgt. Ed Deems, with the Marine Guard at the Vero Beach, Fla., NAS. He was transferred after twenty months' duty in the Caribbean area. Bud Condifs wife Eleanor reports the arrival of Deborah, Vassar '65, last July in Augusta, Ga., where Bud was stationed at that time. She has returned to East Orange and he is off to parts unknown via Camp Barkeley, Texas. They have heard from BobDraper, now a lieutenant (jg), who is recuperating in the Caribbean from a recent operation, from Bill Mercer, newly upped to captain, and they saw Les Nichols, Ray Hotaling and ScottyRogers earlier in the summer in Georgia.
Lt. Tom George checks in this month with the announcement of the arrival of John Reuben, 31 October at Norfolk. Jean and the baby are doing well and Tom is very proud of all three of them. Tom is stationed at the Norfolk Naval Base where he is in charge of the art shop for the Amphibious Training Hq. He has eighteen men under him turning out "screwy training devices." He adds a bit of advice (this always happens to new fathers) to the effect that all unmarried members of the class should get busy right off, so that this great thing that has happened to Tom can be theirs to enjoy in legal bliss.
Lt. Don Ramie, evidently still sending 'em out from Camp Myles Standish, was lucky enough to get to Boston the night before the N D game, and unfortunate enough to be a witness to the following day's track meet. He saw the fathers of Bob Hartmann and Roy Merchant and gleaned this from them: Bob is now based at an Atlantic port after transfer from the Pacifies and gets home once in a while; Roy is flying a PB2Y out of California, and recently partied with Whit Miller who is, by last reports, still instructing flyers out there. At the "game" Don got glimpses of DickSeidman, Rog Conant, Howie Oliver, Fred Miller,Lee Blades, and Jack O'Shea, a fair representation of the class.
Jack Rourke, in New York on his work producing "Heidt Time for Hires" for N. W. Ayer, rounded up Capt. Frank Reeves, Doc Aulmann and Ed Smith for a short reunion. While in New York Jack visited with Walt Diehl, writing programs for WAXR, and Jack Halpern, who still holds down a job with the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. Bud Smith, after a silence dating way back, writes that he's now weather guessing at Scott Field, Ill. He's lucky enough to have a station where wife Bettie (married over two years ago in Washington) and daughter Patricia (born fourteen months ago in St. Louis) can be with him. Bud has been a captain for some time now.
Now for the quickies. Lt. (sg) Ed Halsey is on a destroyer in the southwest Pacific. Ken Steele received the Ramsay Memorial Scholarship at the Yale School of Medicine in September. Dr. BobStorrs is assistant resident at the Children's Hospital, Cincinnati. Bob Bunker is in the engineering department at Wright Aero Corp., Paterson, N. J. Jim Buck is a physicist at the radiation laboratory of MIT. Lew Lambert graduated in August from the Engineer Officer Candidates School at Fort Belvoir, Va., and was commissioned second lieutenant Capt. D err ill Trenholm has been sitting it out at the Redistribution Center in Atlantic City following fifteen months as a bombardier based in North Africa and Italy. Bob Brooks was recently commissioned second lieutenant and Tom Ballantyne is now an ensign.
That's all there's room for this time. Weseem to have no trouble in the news department lately, but the MAGAZINE is in need ofpictures, with emphasis on you birds withthe good looking uniforms. Send 'em to meand we'll use 'em.
Acting Secretary, 1 Terrace St., Montpelier, Vt.
