1945
By the time you read this issue, '45, the first contingent of our class, will be leaving Dartmouth with degrees. Forty seniors, the only ones to go straight. through the summer session, intersession, and V-12 era (as far as it's gone) have saved a year and a quarter through the accelerated program, and hence become the first in the class to get degrees. Of the 40 graduating '45s, 11 are civilians, 22 are in the Navy, and 7 in the Marines. It really isn't so long since matriculation in '41, but a lot has certainly happened since then. As Rex said in last month's column, we who have seen the place right straight along, do often yearn for "the good old days"—although we certainly appreciate the break we've had.
There's a dearth of letters here in your secretary's office, so how about dropping a note to your class today telling us where you are, what you've been doing, and any other pertinent information.
ASTP gave furloughs between semesters at the end of December and the beginning of January and as a result several of the fellows made their way back to Hanover to see how the old town was. Among those seen here was Jack Plummer who is at Yale studying Japanese. "It don't seem to make sense," says Jack, speaking of the language.
We got an interesting letter from Stan Luce a while back. Stan was at Camp Edwards (on Cape Cod in Massachusetts) at the time, but expected shortly to be shipped to an ASTP school. Said Stan: "About four weeks ago I was put to work in the supply room—where I have stayed every waking minute since that time. Boy, walking in here was like walking into the last class of Physics 3-4 after you've been absent for the first two months of the semester—utterly bewildering. The more I delved into things, the more I began to realize why there was a paper shortage. The amount of paper forms and blanks that drift through the supply room every day is appalling. I vaguely remember in civilian life a thing called a store where you could go and buy things you ran out of. The Army disbanded that system. Here, if a fellow runs short of a pair of pants (i.e. if another fellow suddenly acquires an extra pair), he reports it to us and we make out four copies of such a report, collect several autographs, and distribute them to various people. After a two-week period these come back to us with other autographs on them. The way is practically clear; immediately we make out a report on what we have already reported (several copies, of course other forms are used to communicate our progress to the loser of the pants— who, incidentally, plays a very insignificant role in the purchase). Then we turn our second reports of one pair of pants lost and wait again. Sometimes the guy down in Quartermaster feels anxious to do his bit and we get back a pair of pants in three weeks. Such cases are quite rare, however, and such exorbitance usually ends in disaster, for the pants are invariably of a different size/Thirty x 33? We could have sworn you said 40 x 29.' Hmmmm."
Rog Cantwell, in the Army Signal Corps, is now stationed "somewhere in England." In his last letter he expressed the hope of looking up Ray Eban's parents while there. Ray, by the way, was in school until late last summer, when he left for England once more. While his plans were indefinite, depending on the (English) draft, it was either med school over there or the BEF for Ray Bob Peno is in Virginia in ASTP "Jim" Kreindler is in ASTP at The Citadel after sojourning with the Tank Destrdyers for awhile, and was home on furlough awhile ago.
From here on some of our news may be outdated but we'll present it as completely as possible. Tom Maver was last in Michigan at Kalamazoo College. He writes, "At present I haven't a gal in Kalamazoo but I hope the day when I do have one is not too far off." And then, "P.S. Incidentally, I sure would like to hear from Will Hufstader and Bill Geller." What do you say, Will, Bill, and any others? Tom's address is Pvt. T. B. Maver, 3673rd ASTU, Rm. 219, Kalamazoo 49, Mich.
Congratulations are in order to Mr. and Mrs. Paul F. Sanborne, who were recently married in Bay Head, N. J. Mrs. Sanborne, formerly Alice Stroh, is from Grosse Pointe, Mich. Paul left Dartmouth the end of freshman year and enlisted in the Army. He is in the Signal Corps. .... Ed Smith's last letter came from Seymour Johnson Field, N. C, where he was awaiting orders to start training as an Air cadet. Johnson Field, incidentally, seemed to have the earliest reveille we have yet heard of-3 A.M.
January 19 was a day for Herb Chamberlain to look back on one year's service in the South Pacific. Herb is connected with the technical end of the Marine Air Corps. He likes the-South Pacific, but misses "the best town in the world—Hanover (next to home)"—and he wants to send his best to all the fellows from the old fourth floor in Middle Mass. He says, also, "I am now living like a king; we have barracks here in the South Pacific and even hot and cold running water—if you get there on time. The food is not too bad; plenty of dehydrated stuff, though."
Our last letter in this month's mail bag is from "Tony" Porter who used to room down the hall from us in Middle Fayerweather. At the time that it was written he had recently won his pilot's commission and was at Pyote, Texas—with lots of news about the old Dartmouth Squadron. "Bill Alpert
.... is now instructing French cadets (French was Alpert's nemesis in high school!— Ed. note); Pete Bontecou graduated with me and I've track of him. I don't know what Rick Crabtree is doing now. Chuck Matthews dropped behind early because of illness, as did Earl Flood. I think Earl is in Navigation School now. Don Hawley is now in the Transport Command. Cambell Miller came down to Pyote with me and then was shipped to Alexandria, La. Bobby Steiner is now in the cadets at Navigation. Johnny Hartz was in a pretty bad crack-up at . primary but escaped serious injury and is flying again. I saw him last August when he was in basic school. He was due to graduate in early December." Then later, "I got a letter from Ray O'Crowley a week ago and he has, just shoved off overseas."
There'll be a more statistical article on the Dartmouth Squadron. in this issue or the following one, so look for it, Tony, and all you others. In the meantime thanks a hulluva lot for those letters and please don't forget to keep them coming in
LT. WILLIAM ALPERT '45 (left) maps routes for cross country training hops. He is now a flying instructor at AAF Pilot School, Napier Field, Alabama.
Secretary, COSO, Hanover, N. H. Acting Secretary, 203 Gile Hall, Hanover, N. H.
