1944

This month we practically have a guesteditor in the person of Fritz Hier, whose longletter contributes a very large share of theavailable news. Take it away, Fritz:

To begin with, the big local news concerns the commissioning of the third Dartmouth Group in the Naval Air Corps, the last of Whitey Fuller's proteges, as it were. Lem Arnold, Tom Douglas, Wemo Epply, Rog Arnold, Swampy Marsh, Dick Keys, Bud Welch, Phil Penberthy, Whitey Myers, Whitey Vosler, Hardie Caldwell, and myself are among the group. None of us know just exactly what our next orders will be, but they will range from fighters to dive-bombers to torpedo-bombers to patrol bombers to all kinds of multi-engined craft. Still have our Operational training to go through, so it will be another four or five months before we can get ourselves shipped out anywhere.

Capt. Bob McLaughry popped in down here at Pensacola a week or so ago, just back from the Pacific, and with a great record behind him. He's now taking what they call a "refresher" course in preparation for twin-engined night-fighters. He told us that Lt. (jg) Joe McDevitt was on the West Coast, waiting shipout orders and reveling in his status as a married man. Jack is also a jg, stationed now in Atlanta. Bob Laidlaw, a jg, and a member of that original Dartmouth Group, too, is down here at Pensy as an instrument instructor; a couple of us had him for hops while we were here. He married a Wave some time last fall, a very cute gal.

Last night a bunch of us were sitting in one of the local grog-shops when in walked Bill Hinson. He's a second Looie in the Army Air Corps, been commissioned eleven months and two days, and married eleven months. He'd just reported to Field, Army Base near here, in preparation for overseas orders. We gabbed about Dick Ostberg, who is navigating it on a destroyer up and down the coast and across the Atlantic and back; Mac McCloud, who just graduated from Harvard Supply School, expecting duty on a "can"; Bob (Twitch) Miller, who was last known to be in Hawaii, teaching commando tactics; Johnny Eaton who is buzzing skies in the state of Washington in a P-38, waiting to go "over"; Ed Crawford in Guam, worrying only about some Jap shooting off his drinking arm; Bill Craig in France; Cy Thompson, buzzing back and forth between France and England, married to an English gal; Bill McElnea, back from the South Pacific with many ribbons and a September bride, now stationed in Jacksonville, Fla.; Ward Weimar in the Coast Guard, operating out of Long Island; Al Cook at LIU Med School; Bill Ard, working for an advertising firm in New York; John Berry, in the Army, married, and stationed in New York; Bud Baker, in a Washington hospital recuperating nicely from South Pacific wounds; Bill Barrett, flying TBFs for the Navy; Sherm Davis, just back from many months in the Pacific and none the worse for the wear, and many others.

Another word or two on a few more of the boys. Bob Hirschfield is operating a crash boat out of Jacksonville; Johnny Roberts is an ensign in the South Pacific doing duty on one landing craft for the Navy; Jack Riley was seen in Pensy a short time ago, back from the wars to take a refresher course in some other type of craft; a few of the boys ran into Dave Templeton in Montgomery, Ala., a while back, a second looie and a B-24 pilot. Might also add that both Phil Penberthy and Bob Myers are married now, having wasted not a second after being commissioned. After their leaves I think they'll both end up in Miami.

Thanks a lot, Fritz. What this columnneeds is a few more guest editors.

Bob Rader writes from Italy that he hasbeen overseas six months in Corsica, France,and Italy has 57 missions, and intends to sweat out 100. Also that Rick Crabtree '45 was in the same squadron, and now thought to be a POW. Ted Colwell is now in Georgia, expecting to go overseas soon Ren Smith is in the Pacific, after seeing action in the Southern France Campaign Jim Donnelly's LST, which recently, for the 29th time since D-Day, discharged her cargo at a French port, has gained the reputation of a lucky ship, having dodged all sorts of enemy shells, bombs, E-boats, and mines, and never once having to be put in dry dock.

Mel Friberg recently wrote Dick Southgate in Hanover that Warren Leopold is co-pilot of his bomber in England and that life with Leo is a lot of laughs. Bob Callan has signed to play ball with the Buffalo team of the International league Ham Rowen is back in the country after logging two hundred hours of combat flying over such areas as Bougainville, Kavieng, New Ireland, Rabaul. Dick Rondeau has been graduated from Infantry School Battalion, a super-combat school which was activated at Camp Pendleton, Calif., only a few months ago Promotions and commissions to be reported this month include: Lt. Dave Nutt, bombardier; Lt. Harold Salmanowitz; Lt. Len Landry; Lt. (jg) Johnny Peacock; and Lt. Max Edwards.

It was a mighty pleasant surprise to see Fritz Witzel, looking very fit after his recent accident, in the Springfield station on his way back to Craig Field, Ala., after a leave at home not long ago.

Congratulations to Lt. and Mrs. Harry Bush on the birth of a baby daughter on January 8. Charlie Mottola was married in December to Virginia Sanders of Newnan, Ga.

It is with deep regret and respect that we report the death of Richard Farnsworth, who was killed in action against the Japanese in the Caroline Islands, June 13, 1944.

Secretary, Cornell University Medical School 1300 York Ave., New York City Treasurer, c/o ROBERT J. HOLMES 10 Post Office Square, Boston, Mass