1930
That was an erroneous report, a bum steer, or a gross inaccuracy which stated Harry Casler was somewhere in the Pacific. A clipping from the Ridgewood Hed-News, complete with Harry's picture, confirmed Rusty Morrill's statement that he is in Italy. Best proof of all, however,-is a letter from Harry which is well worth sharing with you:
"Here's my check for the Alumni Fund that you can send along. I'll kill a couple of birds with one stone by giving you a report at the same time."
"I'm still in the same racket—B-24's—and still as sold on them as ever, Completely bullish on the job they are doing here in Italy (or rather, from Italy) and confident they will keep it up until Jerry gives up, squealing. Am in a squadron, living in a former feudal plantation, complete with palmetto walk, ancient courtyard (and I mean ancient), battlements atop the main building, vaulted ceilings that give the place a monastic quality that we all lack in person, plus a complement of 'Eyetie' labor that requires five times as many Americans to extract any work from them. We are within fair reach of a fairly respectable town, for this section of the boot, and non sequitur, if we could survive the clamminess of March, we can survive anything. It was the arrival of the March issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE that prompted me to drop you a line, and in it I noticed Sonny Foley, who is also somewhere in this theatre, commented on sunless Italy. He can say that again, in neon lights. We're hoping to be spared the seas of mud and continued downpours, plus a mean penetrating cold that signalized the advent of spring here. I signalized Easter by shedding my long-handled underwear. First I'd worn since our freshman year when those Hanover nights used to see the temperature at 30- odd below, or am I exaggerating?
"I can tell you that seeing some of the Balkan capitals from the nose of a Liberator is not a desirable sightseeing routine for the timid, especially when you're plowing through a billowing wall of black smoke fairly alive with ack-ack bursts and the interphone is crackling with tense warnings from other positions on the ship like, 'Here comes an ME-210, high at 5 o'clock. I'll get the etc. And to skitter back toward home after the bomb run is completed and those lovely, lovely P-38's have pinned down Jerry's pursuits or scared them off, to relax for a minute and take stock of the situation. Counting casualties, if any, damage to the ship, etc. Even K-rations are tasty after that and five hours or so on oxygen. I forgot to say, you can't do much justice to Baedeker's suggestions from twenty-odd thousand feet aloft. It's a different sort of appreciation one has of the spots that may have been able to afford alleged cultural benefits in the past. I don't even feel badly about bombing Cassino. Too bad, but it had to be done.
"I have absolutely no news with a Dartmouth slant in this part of Italy. Have run into divers friends, but none of the Hanoverian variety. Lord knows whether I'll make our Fifteenth Reunion. I expect this phase of the conflict will wind up before next year rolls around, but the Powers-that-Be will probably further my education (isn't that what travel broadens?) by shoving me on toward the East to help get rid of these little sons-of-heaven. The b ds. I mean the 5.0. H., not the P.T.B.
"Write me when you can. Mail is a godsend. My best to you and all the boys."
We have written Harry, and will be glad to furnish his A.P.O. address to anyone who wants it, or forward a letter to him, or anyone else whose address cannot be published here.
Another newspaper clipping furnished by Editor Widmayer's news service contains Frank Ryder's picture and a brief resume of his naval activities. In January he was promoted to Lt. (sg) and was expecting to receive his orders to assume command of one of the new LCI (L) craft.
A third clipping concerned the Maine Republican State Convention and told about, "The leader of the young Republicans at the convention will be delegate Fred C. Scribner Jr., the other Republican national committeeman from Maine. He is a past-president of the Greater Portland Young Republican Club, a former chairman of the Maine Council of Young Republican Clubs and a National Federation of Young Republicans Club committeeman."
Early in May we went to Washington for a two-day meeting which lasted five days, and this gave us an opportunity to get in touch with a few of the resident Thirtymen. One was A 1 McGrath, proud father of Suzanne Joan, whose birth March 22 has already been announced in Alex McFarland's "Fund Thirtyteer." Alfie was promoted to lieutenant commander last April, and is now doing heavy personnel work for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air).
We then bumped into Stan Osgood, who also now wears the two and one-half stripes of a lieutenant commander, and who supervises, the production of ordnance films used in training work for the Bureau of Aeronautics. Stan said that Colly Young is producing some of the films for the Navy's photo science laboratory. Win Stone is in the Navy's bureau of personnel, directing the training of the various midshipmen's schools. Win advised that Lt. Cmdr. Wayne Van Leer was on a long trip in the Pacific, observing the construction of the advance bases the Seabees are making. Dick Squire, according to Win, is in personnel work at the Portsmouth Navy yard.
We had a nice talk with Nelson Rockefeller on the telephone, and learned from him that John French is now a captain, somewhere in England, with the OSS. Vic Borella is still with him in the office of coordinator of Inter-American affairs, but Bob Bottome is now in the Marines, presumably at Parris Island.
We also heard that John Cheney received a commission of Lt. (jg), but have not yet heard whether he has reported for active duty or where he will be stationed. Leon Sturman, Lt. (jg) is having his indoctrination course at Fort Schuyler and will be graduated June 16.
Other service promotions: Major Lester Godwin, Capt. Carlos Nestler, Capt. Burrows Morley, Lt. (sg) William Stearns, Ist Lt. Lester Bailey, Lt. (jg) John Telling and Lt. (jg) Howard Heimbach.
Secretary, 99 Hudson St., New York, N. Y. Treasurer, 49 Leighton Road, Wellesley, Mass.
