1914
Reading the following letter from Captain Alec Tuck, as I sit on my back porch watching a pair of American Goldfinches feeding in the birch tree, a few feet away, emphasizes how much we owe to those classmates sacrificing so much that America and Dartmouth may survive. The letter follows:
"Dear Ducky: I have just finished reading the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, and found it as interesting as ever. The letter from Hank Llewllyn and the letter from Frank Jr., were great news.
"I crawled into the Air Corps almost two years ago, and this made their letters doubly interesting. I have finally got the job with Heavy Bombardment that I had been pointing for, for a long time —Squadron Intelligence Officer. I flew over in one of our own Bombers, leaving Georgia on New Year's day, thence to Mitchell Field, Florida, South America, North Africa (see the January Readers Digest), and then Italy.
"The Group has flown quite a few missions and is definitely out of the Freshman Class or Milk Runs, in fact, The Wing Commander, who looks as mean (and effective) as a Notre Dame tackle told us the other morning that we were in the Big League. We are on the 15th Air Force Circuit and the Press is giving us a pretty good plug. Intelligence Officers will be allowed to fly Combat Missions. My virgin is coming up soon, so I hope and have been promised—before you get this, I imagine. I wish I had the time and the space to tell you about the tenseness and almost drama of early morning 'Briefings' and 'lnterrogations' after return from Missions that occur daily. But you have seen it all in the movies and magazines.
"My brother 'Kippy,' 1913, was a prisoner in Germany for 14 months; he succeeded Admiral Leahy in "Vichy, in charge, and was taken over by the Germans the day our forces landed in Africa. He was recently exchanged and, I am told, will be made a Minister after a short vacation.* My other brother (renegade), Princeton '12, is a Commander in the Navy; my wife is flying for the C.A.P. and my dog was turned down for factory defence, but accepted for the 'Seeing Eye,' so that is all that the family can do about this war business.
"Roger Warner '18 is my most likable boss, as Group S-2 and a damned good one. 'Flash' Riley '40(?) betimes, was my buddie at Briggs Field, Texas.
"Letters are scarce and I wish some of the old crowd would write to me, as I don't expect to be back 'til all of the theatres are cleaned up."
*"Kippy" Tuck is now Minister to Egypt,see ALUMNI MAGAZINE for June. The Secretary will be glad to send Alec's address to anyone wishing it, and hopes that there will be many requests.
One Classmate, from whom we hear only too infrequently, especially those of us about Boston, is Professor Myron H. Files, who is serving as Supervisor of Messing and Housing under the Navy Program at Tufts. He is also Faculty Supervisor of the Tufts Weekly and Tuflonian.
"Chuck" Kingsley, legal adviser for Grummand, writes that as a distinguished visitor, he recently had his picture taken hanging onto the prop of a Thunderbolt. This was done at the instigation of the Director of Public Relations for Republic Aircraft, one Gordon Sleeper, who is described by "Chuck" as "White-haired and full of dignity," in contrast to himself. "Chuck" complains that he is growing old, getting bald and grey and finds dignity too elusive. With a generous gesture "Chuck" even admits that the Thunderbolt is "pretty good." "Out at Grummand we feel a very personal interest in the Jap war. We are so closely identified with the Navy that we are almost treated as a part of it. Charles Jr. '42 is a Hellcat Pilot, and of course we have to build them well for our own boys."
Howard Curtis writes from Palmer, in a long and interesting letter, that his son, "Bob" has graduated from Deerfield this year and has already enlisted in the Army Air Corps.
Enders Voorhees is again in the news, this time with hopes of recovering $48,000,000.00 but still expects to show a deficit. As "Ev" Barnard so succinctly remarked, "Think of a guy who expects to get 48 million bucks from the government and still be in the red—if T get 48 cents back I would be in the black, so figure I'm better off."
The June issue of the Harvard Medical Alumni. Bulletin, 1918 notes, informs us that Comdr. Harold C. Bean is Senior Medical Officer, in charge of the Naval Medical Department of Naval Training School, Harvard University, and is living at the Ambassador Hotel during his stay in Cambridge.. Why don't you tell us these things?
Via "Red" Louden came a copy of the "Outpost," United States Naval Base publication from Key West, bearing the picture of the new Executive Officer at Boca Chica, a very handsome youthful appearing Lieutenant Commander by the name of Samuel D. Sheldon. "Sam" returned to active duty in June 1942, and for seventeen months was Operations Officer at Guantanamo Bay. He was formerly stationed at Floyd Bennett Field, and his first duty after returning to Naval Service was as Assistant Air Officer at Headquarters Eastern Sea Frontier. He reported April 4, 1944, at Boca Chica. Sam's home is in Minneapolis, where he is married and the father of two daughters.
Once more, hearty and sincere congratulations, Ellsworth Buck! For nine years as a member of the New York Board of Education and for two years as its President, you did an outstanding job, and now in being the first Republican to be sent to Congress from your 11th District in thirty-two years you have once more given the Class cause to be proud of you.
Alden and Mrs. Littlefield are the latest in the Class to have made the big sacrifice. On April 10th, S/Sgt. Charles Seabury Littlefield was killed in a plane crash in New Guinea. He was a ,radio-gunner on an A-20 Attack Bomber. The boy, twenty-one years old, went overseas in January and his folks had received only one letter from him.
Before entering the AAF in October 1942, Sgt. Littlefield was enrolled in the Brown & Sharpe Apprentice School. He was born in Providence, R. 1., and later graduated from Pawtucket East Senior High School in '41. Beside his parents, Sgt. Littlefield leaves a married sister in Texas and a brother in Pawtucket.
You know "Lewy" that 1914 is with you and your wife in this hour of bereavement. Being parents, and with sons overseas, we can and do appreciate to some extent what you are having to face.
Among American Air Force men cited for meritorious achievements is S/Sgt. Herbert J. Wilson, son of our Paul. He was recently presented with the Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal for meritorious achievement while participating in bomber combat missions over enemy occupied Europe. "The courage, coolness and skill displayed by him upon these occasions reflect great credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States." Sgt. Wilson of the Eighth A.A.F. Liberator Station, who has participated in attacks on Berlin, Gutersloh and Gotha, is the son of Paul F. Wilson, 76th Div., World War One, who in his own words is "Proud as a peacock" and who entered the U. S. Forces 25 years ago almost to a day. Congratulations, Paul! We, too, are proud of the boy, even if he did go to Harvard.
It is of interest to note that "Ernie" Kimball is rumored as dickering for a chicken farm in the vicinity of Hanover Paul Wilson has rented his home in Wellesley, to the College, for a dormitory, "The Joslin House," and has moved to Bethel, Vermont Bill Washburn and Paul Brown attended the San Francisco annual dinner where regrets were received from Hugh McKinnon, organist at the Grace Cathedral "Sig" Larmond, President of Young & Rubicam, became Chief Executive Officer of the Agency on July 1, but has promised not to sing on the soap ads over the radio Dr. and Mrs. Fletcher H. Colby, of Newton Center, a daughter, born, June 16, at Phillips House, Boston Herb Austin, advertising manager of Ye Townsman, Wellesley, Mass., and editor of The Coal Herald, recently was the kindly neighbor who drove Paul Wilson to his new home Major George Boggs has a daughter at Wellesley (junior), another on the way, and a son eight, headed for Dartmouth. George is second in command of a Reserve Infantry Battalion in the role of home defense and training, with headquarters not too far from home. He still admits a fondness for shooting rats in the village dump when time and ammunition permit Private W. J. Snow Jr. is with the 104th Division at Camp Custer and Win Sr. is spending his spare time in his Victory Garden Cpl. Bill Peppard, U. S. Marines, left the U. of Maine when ordered to Cornell by the Marine Corps. At the end of one week he asked for active service which he got in full measure—Guadalcanal and all that in one of the famous marine divisions Alice Peppard, John's oldest daughter, is Secretary in charge of the Headquarters Office controlling all Episcopal Chaplains. The younger daughter is in Belmont High Derby Hall, advertising manager of the Tenney Co., has a daughter at Smith '45 .... once more Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Buckley become grandparents, this time a daughter to 2d Lt. "Bob" who is somewhere in the Pacific and word comes from "Franny" Pooler that he is helping out Ratheon in the Inventory Department, with Frances Jr. in the Navy, Pvt. Sanford Pooler in Camp Gordon, Georgia—a daughter with the M.I.T. Radiation Laboratory in England, and a son-in-law in the South Pacific!! Good work "Franny"! ....
Edgar A. DeWitt '82 very kindly writes from Dallas, Texas, that Major Roscoe DeWitt, CAC, is in England or France. The family believe the latter. Again the Secretary has Roscoe's last address and will be glad to send it to anyone wishing to write.
With this issue we complete the thirty-fourth year as a Class, with some of us in the Armed Forces, a few in combat, and we hope, with all of us pulling our share of the load. We nevertheless enter our thirty-fifth year with high hopes for the future. As letters come from home and abroad, some of a personal nature, others bearing clippings and bits of information, your Secretary can feel only a sense of humbleness in the task of recording events and accomplishments of classmates throughout the world. It is in a sense of deep appreciation for the honor given to me that I close these notes with a prayer that we may all be men enough to meet the problems of the future, the disappointments, and perhaps the personal losses, with a true faith in Dartmouth, in America, and in the Only One to whom we can turn for guidance.
"The sun grows high; It bids us turn, and seek new lands; To strive, to make the new day good. We face about. The breeze is blowing clear, and in our hearts The courage for the life to come Is strong with memories.
1914 Class Poem, ELMER ROBINSON.
CAPTAIN ROLLO W. HUTCHINSON '13 medical officer, Naval Station, Newport.
Secretary, 88 Sea Street, North Weymouth, Mass. Treasurer, 26 Garden Street Potsdam, N. Y.
