1917
A newsy letter from Art Jopson brought us the picture presented herewith o£ the grandpappy and Michael Edward Suehle, '66:
A very swell young fellow. His mother is our oldest daughter, Helen Elizabeth, and his pappy, while not a Dartmouth guy, will do very well according to Heinie Wright. He is a fighter pilot with the 15th Air Force, with a DFC, two Presidential Unit citations, air medal with thirteen clusters, a veteran of the first shuttle trip to Russia over Ploesti Oil Field, and four Nazi ships to his credit.
As to news of the clan Jopson: Rachel, my best girl, and her old man, are back where we were twenty-five years ago, looking after a baby on occasion. Art Jr. '45 is married and living in Boise, Idaho, a first lieutenant, bombardier in AAF, hoping to leave instructing some day so he can drop one on Tokyo. Rachel Jr., our youngest daughter, is in Washington, D. C., with the British Army Staff, cables section. See Vic Smith, Bruce Ludgate, and Heinie Wright frequently at lunches on Tuesdays at the Princeton Club. Try us some Tuesday, 1221 Locust St. We will make you welcome.
Without even bringing the matter to a vote( pilot Suehle can sit at the 'l7 table any time, with a record like that,—and Michael '66 can, too, because he looks like a swell pledge and Art vouches for him.
The following letter dated March 5, from Major Sandy Lynch, c/o P.M. San Francisco, merits copying in full:
It's getting on to three months since we had any mail, and I'm a bit out of touch with Hanover, and the world in general. The point is, I want to be in on the Alumni Fund, and it can hardly be done in the usual manner. I would send you a check if I had a check. As a matter of fact, I set out for this war with a check book a tactic I learned in 1917 in France. But the colored commando who unloaded me dropped my hard luggage in the bay, and with it, the check book. When I was last paid, I was in Dutch territory and I got a bundle of guilders. That was in December but I've still got the guilders, for down where I am now, there is absolutely nothing to buy, and even if there were, Dutch money is not the currency. So I thought I'd mail the guilders to Hanover, and I was rather pleased to think that perhaps mine would be the only gift in history, made in Dutch East Indies cash. Howsomever, the censor deemed that in sending said guilders, I might be giving aid and comfort to the enemy. And, of course, I am a character who will not give aid and comfort to anyone, except myself. So I want you to send the notice of the fund to my wife. Don't address it to me, as she will forward it to me, and I'll get it about next Christmas. Send it to her and she will make a contribution.
In what is laughingly referred to' as my military career, I have rubbed shoulders with a great many medical men—in Australia, in New Guinea, in New Britain, etc. All of these fellows are, of course, college graduates—the majority of them, from the various state universi-ties. And I have been astounded to learn that a good many of these fellows think of Dartmouth as the habitat of a lot of effete and pampered sons of the rich. Just think of that canard on the sturdy sons of Dartmouth! God help me, when I dwelt beneath the elms of Hanover, I took a cold shower on zero mornings, and I put no water in my whiskey, and Durkee and I climbed Mt. Ascutney, and slept on the top, in the rain, and Worthington and I had private track meets every afternoon and I got second in everything. And everybody I knew had hair on his chest way down to the navel, and most all the Dekes chewed tobacco, and anybody who had as much as 7 dollars and 35 cents was as rich as a New Deal tax collector. And there were at least 100 stalwarts, who, with one noble blow, would knock you cold as a pawn-broker's heart, if you made an uncomplimentary remark about Miss Reilley—her beauty, or her virtue. She, you may remember, like old Joe Truman, was a sort of special member of the Alpha Delta Phi Society of Wheelock St. God love me, what a lot of characters to be called pampered or effete. The earth trembled where we walked, if it were not granite.
I've been overseas nearly a year and a half; in the Jungle nearly a year. Despite all they say of typhus and malaria, the Guinea rot and the heat, and the C-ration, the big things to fight have been idleness and boredom. If you can learn to be idle 14 hours a day and sleep 10 hours at night, you can soldier in any part of the world, and probably end up a general. SkoalSandy.
Without doubt Sandy would appreciate some "17 mail; just as a suggestion, maybe from Jim and Harry particularly. His address can be had from me or the Records Office in Hanover.
Summie Emerson reports:
The Bulletin board at Hanover Inn over this weekend, February 17, showed more men present from 'l7 than from any other class. Mel and Mrs. Palin with two of their children were there from Madison, Conn., the kids to enter the ski classes this week. Bruce Ludgate and I were there to show that the old men could still polish up on their skiing. We had a grand time and toasted all the absent members of the class. Jay Gile 'l6, showed us a letter from Arch from an unidentified spot in France or Belgium. Arch hoped that it wouldn't be too long before it was over and didn't know whether he would be put on an inactive status because of age or given an opportunity for possibly the China-Burma-India area. On the way up I had a very enjoyable lunch with A 1 Hickmott who is the same old boy and much interested in all the news of the class. Also, a good letter in today from Duke Dunning wishing he got to this section of the country more frequently. Gene and Lucille expect to be in Hanover this coming weekend.
Gene verified Sumner's information a few days later saying, "February 22 I spent the first full day in Hanover since our Silver Jubilee." And did that mean something to Genel He saw the good Dartmouth folk, including Mary Gile, and learned more of Arch's doings abroad. He, too, saw Mil and Mrs. Palin, appearing to have profited well by their vacation in the garden spot of the universe. Then Gene and Lucille went over to Kimball Union to celebrate "dad's weekend" with Tommy, along with many other Dartmouth parents.
Recent visitors at the Mackillop Luncheon Club have been Squire Huntress and Howard Bartlett. Squire reported himself and Ruth as well and favorably inclined. He had seen Chan Stieger not long previously when Chan was en route to Colby Junior College with his daughter. Howard's son David is still in England, as a bombardier with the Bth Air Force. Incidentally, if you land in Boston along about noontime and can't remember the location of 'l7's Number One luncheon spot, just call Sam at E. F. Mahady Cos., and he will direct you to it and meet you there, which should be a sufficient inducement.
Tom Cotton, our W. K. New York rounderupper, had word from Palmer Kiser at U. S. Veterans Hospital, Castle Point, N. Y„ from which it was evident that Palmer is winning out in his long fight for health:
I turned negative in October and have been negative ever since, besides which my X-ray taken a couple of weeks ago and my recent physical examination showed so much improvement that the ward doctor told me that I was definitely going to make the grade, possibly before the end of the year. That is the best news I have had in some time and I feel almost rejuvenated. Besides that, I've picked up nearly twenty pounds and have finally gotten back to my normal weight.
Palmer keeps busy, what with hospital routines meals in the main dining room, occasional permissions, and all, but we'll guarantee he has time to read some 'l7 mail. Our very best to him in this long campaign. We know he will keep his chin up as always.
A February 22 card from Perc Streeter from the Alpine Inn, Ste, Marguerite, Quebec, says, "Skiing great. Saw Tom Cotton at Chanticleer last night, place about four miles from here. Talked for a few minutes. .... The Worcester, (Mass.) Gazette of February 26 carried the announcement of the engagement of Marcia Ellen Montgomery, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Montgomery of Putnam, Conn., to Ralph L. Wentworth of Webster Grove, Mo. Marcia will graduate from Wheaton in June. Mr. Wentworth attended University of Missouri, graduated from Harvard in 1944, and is now doing advanced work in Chemistry at M.I.T. . ... New York papers recently printed the story of Joe Hallett's son who was shot down and landed in Russia. Our earnest hope is that the boy is unharmed A short note from Al Edgerton mentions John Davis and Luman How and infers, without giving details, that things are as normal as could be expected these days in that fair green country Elliot Mudgett, Capt. George Currier, and Arch Earle were committee members for the New York Alumni Association dinner at Hotel Pennsylvania, April 26 Bob Adams is a member of the executive committee of the Dartmouth Engineering Society.
. . . . Larry Lockwood says, "I'd like to trade you a cocoanut tree for a Christmas tree," and sends his best to all 'l7ers, in a card belatedly received.
Secretary, 57 Chestnut St., Dedham, Mass. Treasurer, 9 Park Terrace, Upper Montclair, N. J.
