1939
The most important Dartmouth event of the year in the New York area is coming up on April 26, at 6:30 P.M., when President Hopkins will be in New York to address a Dartmouth gathering at the Hotel Pennsylvania. This year the Alumni Dinner is being held outside the Club so that all classes can attend at one time, rather than there being two successive evening sessions, as in the past. Naturally, any '39ers in the area on leave, or passing through the city, will be most welcome. The attendance at these events of classmates of our vintage has been light for obvious reasons, but it is hoped that all of us who are able to attend will be there.
John Horn steps out in front as far as the press is concerned with the following frontpage reference in the March 2nd New York Sun:
Ninth Army Headquarters, Somewhere on the Cologne Plain, March 2.—Lieut.-Gen. William H Simpson was busy studying reports before rushing off to the battlefield to watch the progress of operations. Despite the earliness of the hour, our conversation was interrupted several times by the entry of his staff officers with urgent problems requiring his immediate decision.
"Big Bill" solved them, gave his orders with his hurried calm and never for a moment allowed me to feel my early call embarrassed him. Although since the opening of the offensive, he has had no more than four hours nightly rest' he springs up from his cot every morning unruffled, eager for news of the operations which customarily begin at dawn. Large-scale maps covering the wall of his headquarters showed the last-minute developments of the military situation, and he made no pretense of concealing his delight over the fact that everything was going the way he planned last November, when as the bannerline from the New York Sun pasted on the wall of his Aide's office announced, "Entire Ninth Reaches Roer."
It was no accident that his Aide chose the New York Sun's bannerline. He is Major John Horn, of 198 Manor Road, West Brighton, Staten Island. A graduate of Dartmouth College in 1939, he was learning the exporting business in the employment of a Wall Street firm before entering the service. The clipping was forwarded by his family.
However, John Mecklin, whose banner headlines filled the Chicago Sun a few months back had his comments on war news expounded in the February 17th edition of Editor and Publisher.
The Sun correspondent is convinced that Americans are still not fully aware of the tremendous fighting job confronting our forces in Europe. Mecklin is in favor of a more "realistic report" of the war, especially as it relates to the sacrifices our men are making to defeat the enemy.
Gol. Dave Schilling was written up in the Detroit News with a column, and a picture sub-titled, "He delivered a Christmas gift to Hitler." The Detroit News war correspondent writes as follows:
I came out here to spend a couple of days with the 56th Fighter Group, right now the hottest outfit in the United States Bth Air Force, and to talk to its 26-year-old commanding officer, Col. David C. Schilling of Traverse City, Mich. With thirty-four and a half German aircraft chalked up to his credit,. he is among the top-scoring American fighter pilots in the European Theater of Operations (ETO).. ...A serious-minded, businesslike fellow is this Dartmouth boy (class of 1939), who probably is the most-decorated airman now operatingjn the ETO, but he wears his decorations just as lightly as he does the chickens on his shoulders.
Only yesterday he received from Lieut.-Gen. Spaatz, commanding general of the U. S. Strategic Air Force, an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Service Cross. That ran Schilling's total up to 26. The Air Medal with thirteen oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with six clusters, the Silver Star with two clusters and the DSC with one cluster.
In addition to Bob Alpert, the only other '39er seen in New York was Doc. Jessup who was passing through again prior to another assignment out of the country.
Lt. Sam Hird Jr. was awarded the Croix de Guerre, with gold star, by General Juin, commandant of the Corps Expeditionnaire Francais, as members of the ist Field Artillery Observation Battalion. The decoration expresses the gratitude of the French Army to members of their battalion for assistance given the French during the Italian campaign. Besides the Croix de Guerre with gold star, he is entitled to wear the European-Middle EasternNorth-African Campaign Ribbon with three Bronze Battle Stars.
The citation received by the Battalion from the French Expeditionary Corps follows, according to a special bulletin from Headquarters Seventh Army, which gave the original French citation and the translation;
"Outstanding Unit of Observation and Ranging. Under the command of Colonel G. D. Ellerson, F.A., for relentless pursuing of the enemy through the winter campaign on heights covered with snow and rain at Monna Casale ad Monna Acquafondata; their sound and flash posts furnished, throughout the day and night, the essential information for counter battery work.
"Since the 11 of May, 1944, they have furnished to the Artillery of the Corps Expeditionnaire Francais exact topography locations by sound and flash of numerous enemy material and movements, with an admirable spirit and much hard work, in spite of losses of personnel and equipment. "This citation bestows the privilge of the Croix de Guerre with gold star."
Capt. Walter D. Leach Jr. has been awarded by Maj.-Gen. O. W. Griswold the Bronze Star Medal for service in the Southwest Pacific, according to word received here:
The award is for "meritorious achievement in connection with military operations, against the Japanese in the Southwest Pacific, February 1 to October 1, 1944." Capt. Leach has been with headquarters of the service command on Bougainville, Solomon Islands. He came home on leave in June.
Enlisting in September 1940, Capt. Leach went overseas in January, 1941, with the first troops to leave this country after Pearl Harbor. He received his commission as second lieutenant September 18, 1942, after graduation at the first officers' training school outside the limits of the United States.
Private (first class) John Treadway is now stationed at a General Hopsital in England, where he is telephone supervisor and assists as a litter bearer.
Lt. Bob Eaton AUS was married to Miss Betty Miller at Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Miss., on February 10, 1945. Jim Corner Jr. was married to Miss Doris Phi Hips Hayes on January 28 at Bryn Mawr, Pa. They will live at Wilmington, Dela. Lt. (jg) Jim Parks was married to Miss Ellin Gudger on the first of January in Washington, shortly after Jim's return from the European Theater of Operations.
The following two engagements were announced in December: Capt. John Davis and Miss Gail Gardner announced their engagement. John is at present a flight surgeon in Asia. This assignment followed internship at Jefferson Hospital and an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College. Lt. (jg) Hilliard Spitz is engaged to Miss Norma Levy. Hilliard is now serving with the Navy Medical Corps in the European Theater of Operations.
Secretary, Apt. 4D, 1307 Sixth Ave., New York, N. Y.
Treasurer, 7315 Maryland Drive, St. Louis 5, Mo.
