1943
News is not too plentiful this month and what little I have is both good and bad. Received word of the deaths of two alumni. Lt. Fred Carey was killed with his brother James, an Amherst alumnus, in the later part of June while serving together on a China-based Mitchell bomber. Bob Hobart was drowned in Lake Michigan on June 29th after a vain attempt to save his companion. He was a junior in the Navy Cadet program at Northwestern.
Received a letter from Ed Bock and am sorry to say that he is on his way to the Pacific after a short 30-day furlough here in the States. Ed served with the 97th Division which fought in the Ruhr, taking Dusseldorf and then moving to the Czechoslovak border region, taking Eger and reaching Pilsen by VE day. His present job will be organizing all kinds of schools for the men in his division. To Ed and other C and G men, let me assure you that your house on the corner is looking very fine, indeed. Mrs. Broderick has done a wonderful job in seeing that it has been kept in the best condition.
Jack O'Donnell finally moved out of the Pentagon building in Washington where he worked as a weather observer. Politics, I guess, but it must have been fun while it lasted. With winter approaching Jack now writes from Tucson, Arizona. Come summer I wouldn't be surprised to find him stationed on Cape Cod or the Jersey shore. How some guys work that I don't know!
Mel Fenichell is now recuperating in a hospital in Lima after having contracted some rare jungle disease. Evidently he had quite a time of it because matters reached a point where he had to be flown out to civilization at once. All is well now, and from the sound of his last letter I wouldn't be surprised to learn he had married his nurse Fritz Geller is running a warehouse in France with the aid of some able-bodied Germans, waiting like a good many others for his orders to come through Bill Sweeney writ'es unfavorable reports about Okinawa, but possibly may be homeward bound soon Spic Waterbury comes through with a little information as Communications Officer .somewhere in the Philippines. Disregarding the first four pages of his letter that deal exclusively with tropical diseases, he writes that Bud Miskell is now flying for ATC after having earned enough points for discharge. That wasn't voluntary on Bud's part and undoubtedly he'll be tied up for some time to come From Chartres, France, Cy Brown tells of flying liberated P.O.W.'s back to their homes. He's with the 50th troop carrier wing which has already begun redeployment. If any pilots in that area remember an order which came through the first part of the summer about flying over Paris no lower than 10,000 feet, blame that on Cy for the simple reason that he and his group gave Paris a "buzz" job that few will forget. If I had a better knowledge of French and could read his writing I could tell you the names of the streets and the bridges they flew over (and under). . . . . Fuzz Fosdick stationed in Texas wondering why the Army doesn't discharge him. .... Back in Hanover last week were Bill Maeck, CharlieDonovan, Doc Fielding, Harry Semmes and JimEvans. What their individual plans are I don't know. Saw Bob Taylor in Summit, N. J. He's in the process of getting his degree in English at Columbia Jim Gilfillan is stationed at an Ordnance Publications Sub Center somewhere in the Pacific. I wish I could tell you more about Jim and if any one does have any news let me know.
Gus Taylor is still in England and evidently went over there through Lend-Lease. As Gus puts it so well, he was stationed out in Salt Lake City just after his induction in '43, giving serious thought to the idea of remaining in the states for the duration. One day his captain walked into the room and asked for volunteers to go to England for 60 days temporary duty. Gus yawned and the next thing he knew he was an honorary member of the Piccadilly Commandos in London. To go on and quote: "For the last fifteen months I have been assigned to a Statistical Control Unit servicing USSTAF. My job ... . preparing and consolidating reports on personnel prior to being sent to Washington. Not too bad a job! Spic Waterbury's cousin is now CO of the outfit and there are also a number of other Big Green Men here, and I am low man on the Totem Pole. However, I outrank the only other college grad in the outfit who is a corporal and Cornell '40 " That, Gus, is something.
On the record: Lt. Charles Bradley has been awarded the Air Medal "for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flights in successful combat missions from a base in the Mariannas Islands against the Japanese Empire. He has also been awarded the Air Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster) for meritorious achievement while participating in historical incendiary missions from a base in the Mariannas. In spite of weariness and fatigue, physical and mental strain, and the hazardous flying conditions, he displayed such courage and skill as to reflect great credit on himself and the AAF.".... Lt. (jg) Ellis Ward has been awarded a Letter of Commendation from the Commanding Officer of the USS Hunt for his part in the rescue of 422 survivors of the aircraft carrier Franklin. He was cited for entering the water and swimming a line to a group of survivors. He also made repeated trips as boat officer in a whale boat picking up survivors and towing, rafts."
A good deal has been happening on the home front, too. Mrs. O'Connor writes that son John was married on April 21 to Miss Phyllis Dumas of Natick, Mass. He's now back in the Mariannas as a Communications Officer. "Bog" Shattuck married Miss Mary Richards in Portsmouth last June. He's a Med student at Yale and she is on the staff of a hospital in New Haven. Another June wedding was that of Ed Porter to Miss Claire Houdlette; Chet Solez, Charlie Clark and Glenn Behringer were ushers. Whether or not that had any influence on Charlie Clark I don't know, but shortly afterwards he became engaged to Miss Suzanne Hagler, a senior at Radcliffe College. Hudson Wilson married Miss Marilyn Ann Duxbury of New York City June 23. Art Cohen and Dorothy Ellen Chase were married July 8. At present Art is studying at the Long Island Medical College. On May 22 Lt. Ernest Armstrong married Miss Dorothy Dowling. No doubt, all these weddings were of a highly romantic nature, but I think the story behind Gordon Carter's marriage deserves an extra line or two. Gordon left college in the early part of the war .... '41, I think .... to join the R.C.A.F. He became a navigator and was later decorated by King George at Buckingham Palace. In February 1943 he was shot down over Germany, spent fourteen months in the Sagan prison camp in Germany, only to escape back to England through the aid of a French girl.... her name Janine Jouanjeon.... now Mrs. Gordon Carter as of May 9, 1945.
Engagements for this issue are limited to two: Miss Suzanne Hagler to Dr. Charles Clark Jr.; and Miss Lucy MacPherson to Dick Proctor.
Bob and Mary Costello announce the birth of Martha McClure in Hanover, July 26. Bob was commissioned in the Army in July after he and Mary returned from Italy where they were both on duty.
All for this month.
FOUR TIMES WINNER of events in the All India Swimming Championship meet, former Dartmouth swimming coach, Lf Fred P. Worthen '43, has added athletic honors from the India-Burma theater to his Big Green swimming record.
Secretary, Kappa Kappa Kappa House, Hanover, N. H.
Treasurer, Shelburne, Vt.
