1930

To write this column more than two weeks ahead of the deadline is a new experience, and we hope the shock will not be too much for Editor Widmayer. The reason, however, is that we expect to be in California when these notes are due in Hanover, an earlier trip to the Pacific coast last September having been cut short by the pressure of business in the New York office.

Space ran out on us in the February issue, so we start in with some choice items which had to b,e postponed. First of all you read in the January MAGAZINE about Lt. Col. George Sarles' citation for the Legion Of Merit award. And you saw the double exposure of Kip Chase and Dud Ferguson in Northern Dud is now wearing the silver bars o£ a first lieutenant.

From £ar-off India, a letter from Bill Lucas dated December i, includes: "To run rapidly over my own activities, I spent three months in China in comparative idleness, as no one could seem to find any employment for a glider pilot who left his glider home. I poked around (censored) a good deal, and made a number of flights back and forth over the 'hump' to India, partly for the ride, and partly to learn to (censored) Douglas DC-3. Eventually the squadron was transferred to India. About that time I got on the operations schedule, and spent three months flying as co-pilot on the China run, food-dropping over Burma, and the mail run to Calcutta. For the last couple of months I've been here in India, in field training with an Indian Infantry Brigade. My job is that of liaison officer between the brigade and the American Army in general, and the Air Force in particular. So far all I've done is work out in the standard course in jungle warfare. It isn't all marching by any means, as we are camped by an excellent lake, where I swim nearly every evening, and Brigade Headquarters has a stable with about fifteen really fine horses for the use of officers. That is the story so far. You can probably guess pretty accurately what lies ahead. There was an item in the Bulletin about the formation of the Dartmouth Club of Tokio via Manila, an organization founded 'over a dinner of fruit cocktail, cream of chicken soup, etc., served in a private dining room of a hotel.' Well, the other day the only Dartmouth alumnus around these parts held a meeting with his Garkha batman under a thorn tree in the jungle, and founded the Dartmouth Club of Tokio via Mandalay, Rangoon, Bangkok, Singapore and points east. Without benefit of fire or flashlight, a celebration dinner of hardtack biscuits, and a compound of approximately equal parts of weevils, nuts, and raisins was served. This repast was washed down with muddy water from the nearest creek. At the close of the ceremonies, the club rolled itself in its blanket, after de-burring same by the Braille system, and pretended to sleep. The pretense was to kid along a couple of mules who spent the greater part of the night fighting with each other aDout two yards away, and it seemed unwise for a third party to attract their attention."

Lt. Don Mcßirney writes from the Army Air Base at Alamogordo, New Mexico, that his new address will be care of the Charleston, S. C., Air Base. He says, "If anyone in the vicinity knows of any excitement I'd like to know of it for it seems I'm destined to spend my army days there."

SERVICE PROMOTIONS

Fran Horn added a nice note on the back of his Christmas card and included the news that Jack Hodges has also been made a major. Jack Fitzpatrick's father tells us that Jack is in England and that he is now a major. Joe Hancort has been promoted to the rank of captain, and Ken Kull to lieutenant (jg). Ed Schuster now wears two full stripes on his sleeves. "My first and only armed merchant ship was under the Dutch flag," writes Ed, "and I was aboard it for nine months, seeing most of the East that was, at that time, in Allied possession, arriving back in the States early in September. I almost forgot I had any home but the ship—excellent trip and fine company. Was assigned shortly thereafter to an Army transport in the Atlantic, which lasted three months, to complete my year at sea, and I was taken off board for further orders just before Thanksgiving. Have been assigned to the Boston Port Director for Armed Guard inspections. Board ships all day and 'talk it over.' Am fairly well pleased, but am missing sea duty. It gets in the blood."

CIVILIAN PROMOTIONS

Alex McFarland became a member of the firm Herrick, Smith, Donald, Farley & Ketchum, a Boston law firm, on January first. And loto of Thirtymen have been promoted to l-A. Ted Wolf has moved again, this time to Niagara Falls, where he is industrial relations manager for the American Sales Book Cos. He writes, "Our 1500 employees are busily engaged in manufacturing and installing highly specialized business forms and systems for war industries and for the government. In other words, we make a considerable amount of the administrative red tape."

Lt. Jim Clark writes: "I have been here at Maxwell Field (Ala.), since May 29, 1943, and have been teaching physics to pre-flight students. Bill Bragner.came into the Air Corps a month or two before me and went to Officer Training School at Miami. He was there with Ed Buckle Downey, who came in about the same time. Bill came to Maxwell Field but was shipped out to Randolph Field in Texas. I did not get a chance to see him. Ed had been stationed here at Maxwell until about three weeks ago (November). He taught aircraft identification and then went into tactical work. Due to his major in French, they transferred him to another field to be the tactical officer, or as Ed put it, the father confessor to a group of French cadets. My major was French, also, and a call came for me to go to Gunter Field here in Montgomery to teach navigation, in French, to French cadets. Maxwell Field has refused to release me as yet so I'm still teaching physics to our own cadets."

JOHNSON ADDENDUM

Bob Johnson had lots of news to impart in his letter, the first in some time. He writes, What brought this about is my pardonable pride in the birth of Robert P. Johnson Jr. on December 9. He sure is a fine little fella, and both Esther and myself are looking forward to his entrance in the class of '65. Regarding his 'old man,' I received a commission of first lieutenant in the Sanitary Corps AUS last October. Was sent to Carlisle Barracks for training at the Medical Field Service School, then later went to the Chemical Warfare School at Edgewater Arsenal where further training was given in gas warfare. At present I'm assistant sanitary inspector for the Boston Harbor defenses. This duty allows me to live at home, which sure has its advantages. I see Ed Schuster now and then, who is stationed at Naval Headquarters in Boston."

And let's be kind and thoughtful o£ Alex McFarland and his hard working committee by getting our contributions to the Alumni Fund in early.

Secretary, 99 Hudson St., New York, N. Y. Treasurer, 49 Leighton Road, Wellesley, Mass.