1939
This month brought the news of the death of Major Lloyd W. Nash on February 15. No further information is as yet available, since this stark announcement was the only news his parents have received since he was reported missing in action on December 24, as indicated in this column last month. From other members of the bombing crew that took off from England for German targets in December, Mrs. Nash learned that her son did bail out after the plane was damaged. The last man to leave the crippled bomber even reported that he had seen the parachute open. All of the crew except Major Nash were accounted for. The assumption now is that he must have landed among the enemy, but how he was killed two months later is a mystery.
News also was received this month that Lt. Herbert Vander Vate, who has been missing over France since August 28, has been awarded the Air Medal with two clusters.
The good news of the month is the liberation of Fred Mclntyre from a prison camp in Germany. Reported missing last December 17, word was later received that he was a prisoner of war. He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge after ten months overseas. At the time, he was a captain in the Infantry, Medical Division.
S/Sgt. Kenneth Mac Donald was recently awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge for satisfactory performance of duty in a major operation against the enemy on the Fifth Army front in northern Italy according to a report from the Fifth Army Headquarters in Italy. Ken has been serving with the "Mountaineer" Division, since he went overseas four . months ago.
The engagement of Lt. (jg) Louis Highmark to Miss Marguerite Holthausen was announced at Union City, N. J. Lou has been on active duty with the Navy since 1942 and is now at sea.
Louise and Bob Howe have announced the birth of a son, David Winslow, Dartmouth '67, on the 26th of April.
The following stories come from Lieut. Bob Clymer, now in England:
I am no longer in the champagne country about Rheims, nor have we been for quite some time. The natives here are bi-lingual, as this territory has been much quarreled over in the last seventy years. They have taken our occupation calmly with none of the enthusiasm of some parts of France. In general I gather the impression of a nation with each person looking out for his own good in the most selfish way possible. Just a typical incident—From a farmer who owned fully twenty ducks, I tried to buy two for our officers' mess. The farmer wouldn't sell for money at all, for which I can't say I blame him, as the Germans inflated everything, and we have only added immeasurably to the mess by crediting the German francs and then adding ours to the hodgepodge. And by now, if not before, he has seen enough American soldiers to know they would buy his house from under him, leaving him staring to the heavens with a fistful of G. I. francs. But I offered to barter with him in goods unobtainable in France—soap, razor blades, chocolate, tobacco, matches. Of these, he would condescend to accept only chocolate.
There is still something of a fifth column about, but they realize Germany is losing, and show little activity. Both children and adults are still wandering about aimlessly.
The air evacuation business is slow now, as bad weather sets in. We see movies almost every night, and, quarters are fairly comfortable, with stoves, radios, and the rest of the usual civilized appurtenances. About our only discomfort is mud, about three feet deep in some places.
I am now in a hospital in England, where I was sent when I got the jaundiced eye, in the latter part of December. My trip over was by plane, and aside from a few navigational difficulties, uneventful. Now, though, I can really appreciate the casualties' troubles in our chain of evacuation. From the time he is wounded, there are interminable ambulance rides over roads that make the Philadelphia cobble stones feel like a dream pillow. Any ambulance gives me a touch of claustrophobia, as I lie surrounded by others in like case, bound by blankets tightly wrapped, with only a few inches of space on any side of the litter. ambulances have economized space to _ a minimum. There are four men on litters, with perhaps six inches to spare at head and foot, the same in the middle, eighteen inches between layers, and no space at the sides. It must be that way . for the most efficient operation. Such newspaper fictions as planes flying direct to the battlefields, or operations under shellfire occur almost never.
Horace Mecklem has been promoted to the rank of captain in the Army Transportation Corps at headquarters of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation, Fort Mason, where he is on duty in the Troop Movement Division.
Gallantry in action in the Battle of Manila, during which he voluntarily exposed himself to enemy fire to bring sorely-needed relief supplies to Allied nationals in the Santo Tomas internment camp, has earned for Capt. Walter D. Leach the award of the Silver Star. Overseas since July 1944, Walt has been awarded the Bronze Star and the Philippines Liberation Ribbon, in addition to his Silver Star.
Lieutenant Brian E. Abbott has been awarded the Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal for "meritorious achievement" during Eighth Air Force bombing attacks on German military and industrial installations. The division to which he belongs was previously cited by the President for its England-to-Africa shuttle bombing of Messerschmitt aircraft plants at Regensburg, Germany. The Army recently permitted disclosure of the fact that John P. Litchfield is a member of the famous Mountain Division now seeing action in northern Italy. His outfit uses skiis and snowshoes with as much facility as a rifle. He says, "About the only similarity between Sun Valley (where he was trained) and the tactics of the Army mountain troops is the skiis."
The event of the season in New York, as far as Dartmouth is concerned, was the Dartmouth 1000 Dinner, on the 26th of April. A much larger '39 delegation showed up than was originally expected. The armed forces were represented by Major Jim Fuller and his father, who brought along Dick Jackson's father and a friend who was being sold on why not to send your son to MIT. At this writing no decision has been made, but it looks as if the scales are weighted. Lieut, (sg) Coulsen was on hand to represent the Navy. Vic Whitlock did an excellent job of rounding up all '3gers in the area with a snappy piece about our first "Reunion". Moose Wyman, Dave Long, Sam Wood, Fred Richardson, were on hand to swell the ranks, which included Bill Cunningham, Steve Batchelder, Herb Hirschland, who are rapidly becoming Dartmouth regulars at all New York events. Herb probably wishes he hadn't come, because during the dinner there was a good opportunity to remind him that he would make a much better secretary than the class has had during the past years. After much persuasion, Herb agreed to take over with the next issue, probably because he expects Jean to do all the work. (Here's hoping he gets better cooperation than your present pinch-hitting secretary received from his wife, who refuses to do more than earn his living for him.)
Secretary Apt. 4D, 1307 Sixth Ave., New York, N. Y. Treasurer, 7215 Maryland Drive, St. Louis 5, Mo.
