1945
One of the best things about being a Dartmouth man comes when one encounters old friends. You're always so surprised and pleased to meet the friend, and he always seems so genuinely surprised and pleased to see you again. This is especially true when the meeting is wholly a chance one and occurs in such out-of-the-way places as many of such meetings are occurring these days. The whole thing is a great institution, and we, for one, are darn glad Eleazer thought of it when he began Dartmouth. Such surprise meetings as we have had with A 1 Dickerson and Dean Neidlinger in downtown Springfield and with Bob Clark '45 in the Kimball's Embassy Room hit us much as a clean breath of Hanover air on a cool Spring twilight. And starts us to reminiscing.
Speaking of Bob Clark reminds us of our promise in the April Notes to pass on the June addresses of the Dartmouth '45 Meds, which are as follows: John Van Buren will be at Columbia; Jack Rothwell, Bill Natt, Don Cole, Jim Dickson, and Harry O'Connor, at Harvard; Howie Sawyer, at Temple; Harold Habein, at Minnesota; Tex White, at Johns Hopkins; Pete Beck, at Columbia; Roland Beers, at Rochester; Bob Clark, at Michigan; Dave Kirkpatric, at Penn; John Ruppe and Bud Thomas, at IsnfU; Thayer Smith and Ed McCrumm, still at California; Jerry Peacock, Fletch McDowell, and Fred Plum, at Cornell; Holden Farrar, at Northwestern; and Tasker Hatch and Buell Kingsley (lucky men), still at Dartmouth.
News of '45s hither and yon: Fred Williamson, after ASTP at North Georgia College (which was discontinued), went overseas in September '44 and has since gotten his staff sergeant's stripes after action in Bastogne when the Germans "bulged" into the Ardenne. Fred is now with an Armored Division in Germany getting a little revenge. T/Sgt Dave Joslyn is "somewhere in France behind a desk;" his job is with the Personnel Division—assigning men to jobs fitting their qualifications. Evidently Dave is an old Crosby man from way back for his remarks about the abode contain none of the usual snide cracks about rodents scurrying in the walls. Pfc. Bill Gauntlett is "down—way down—in the wide open spaces of Texas;" all he tells of his job is that he is "a demoralized clerk in an office sorting out red tape." Gil Jones RT2/c says, "I am in the South Pacific on a destroyer escort as radio technician. While I at radio school (Texas A. & M.) I bumped into Nels Craver who was going to Marine Radio School. That was about a year ago. About four months ago, I met Wayne Smith in Galveston, Texas. He was a QM3/c on a 1/MS." Mrs. Collins writes that Ens. Bob Collins "was commissioned from the Columbia Middies School and was married in Miami Beach, Fla., to Miss Suzanne Walther of Philadelphia. He is now on a submarine chaser in the Pacific." Howie Burdick is a fighter pilot in China with Chennault's Flying Tigers where he has been since last June. After three months in Courtland, Ala., Don Ash is happy to report that he is now back in "good old yankeeland" at Westover Field. We haven't heard from Bud Tyler since he left Camp Endicott, Don; so we don't know where he is at the moment. Maybe he will read this and take the hint; who can say? Jim Murray "finished Transportation Corps OCS in December acquiring the shiny shoulders. Fellas often told me not to go to OCS—-someday I'll take somebody else's advice. Oh! to lead the life of a non-com again! To think I used to write myself out a three-day pass a week back in good old Newport, R. 1., and now I have to pray for Sundays. Was married (note the nonchalance) shortly after graduation to Marge Geupel, Connecticut College '44, and agree it's a great life. Am now a platoon leader of colored trainees at Camp Plauche, La." Carl Tourtellot writes that he "graduated from Williams Field, Ariz., as a single engine pursuit pilot. Finished gunnery in June and flew P-39's all summer at Victorville, Calif., Charlie Schumacher '44 was with me all the way through. In October I went back to Williams to await reassignment and was sent to Richmond to fly 51's and 47's but orders were cancelled. Right now I'm at Yuma getting my time in again. Hope to check out a P-63 soon. Am not engaged or married, but have—" (No, we'd better stop there; ramifications of this might be too much for one fella to handle.)
Our Own "Laureled Sons" Department: Second Lieutenant Rod Shearer "was flying over the Ruhr Valley in April with seven other P-38's when he spotted a 'phantom' haystack. As the squadron dived low to examine the strangelooking haypile, it began to move. Shearer gave it a quick burst, and smoke and flame billowed up as another strafing pass by the Lightnings revealed a Tiger tank hidden beneath the horse feed. German crewmen scrambled out of the camouflaged tank and were mowed down by the squadron's 50 caliber guns as they ran for cover. The tank was destroyed. Rod was commissioned a year ago, and has served in Belgium and Germany for five months. With over 20 missions to his credit, Lt. Shearer wears the Air Medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters." A letter from Gordon Tracy 'l7 states, "For your records I wish to inform ,you that as next of kin to Richard G. Tracy '45, I was recently presented with an Air Medal on his behalf. Dick is a prisoner of war somewhere in Germany. The citation read as follows: 'For meritorious achievement in aerial flight while participating in sustained operational activities against the enemy from 18 September 1944 to 4 October 1944.' Dick was an aerial gunner in a.B-24 operating out of Italy. At the time of his bailing out and capture by the Germans he was a Sergeant, having been in flight operation less than six weeks." Certainly by the time this reaches press, Germany will be completely out of the war, and we all hope Dick (as well as George Daniels and Harry Ritter) will shortly be safely back in the States. Second Lieutenant Don D. Campbell has been flying a P-47 with a Ninth Air Force fighter group which has recently been awarded Distinguished Unit Battle Honors.
More promotions (congrats to all) have come in: fanfares loud and clarion-like for Capt. Ted Hufstader, Ens. Tom Evans, 2nd Lt. Don Cutter, Ens. Wallace Taylor, 2nd Lt. Howard Walton, 2nd Lt. John Scholer, 2nd Lt. John Reeves, Lt. Earl McMillan, Ens. George Rogers, Ens. Terry Donoghue, 2nd Lt. Dave Mott, 2nd Lt. Fred Clunie, and 2nd Lt. Andy Johnson.
The one thing we heartily dislike about this job must now be approached; the sad news that Steve Weatherby and John Ball'have both died in action has reached us, and we must pass it on. Steve was killed somewhere in France, and John's life was ended in the battle for Minoro in the Philippines. Fuller histories will be found in the In Memoriam section which follows, but :we would like to take this opportunity to send our sincerest condolences to Steve's and John's parents. Word has also been received that Pvt. Olav Passburg was wounded in action in Germany on April 11 shortly after he had gotten through the battle of the Rhine safely. We hope "Foot's'*' injury is not serious and that he will be as good as new (and well-rested) soon.
Lt. (jg) Rupert Ray has been awarded the Air Medal by Vice Admiral Kinkaid for meritorious acts during twenty-six combat missions over enemy territory. Pfc. Bob Hooker has been a prisoner of war in Germany since November. Marine Sgt. Lan MacKinnon is somewhere in the Pacific. The three days and nights Corp. Bill Jones spent behind the German lines with a scouting party of two other men last March was credited with saving hundreds of American lives and speeding the offensive through the Hardt Mountains. Bill, already the holder of the Bronze Star, was awarded the Silver Star for this additional good job. Pvt. Phil Gray has been awarded the Combat Infantryman. Badge for satisfactory performance of duty in ground combat against the Germans.
June-croon-spoon-moon Department: Ensign Howie Brundage is engaged to Miss Nancy Williams of East Orange, N. J. After his fame as our hero, Trumen Pendenis in Love Rides theRails, we always thought Howie would marry someone named Prudence. Howie has finished his Supply Corps training at Harvard and is now awaiting orders. Corp. John Ahern was married to the former Rita Clare of Kansas City in the base chapel at Baer Field, Fort Wayne, Ind. Pete Held has gotten himself engaged to Miss Barbara Ellen Beatty of Columbus, Ohio. Pete is now with the Office of Strategic Services in Washington and will soon enter the U. S. Maritime Service. Pvt. Charles E. Murphy has become engaged to Ann Shields Hogate of Pawling, N. Y. Charlie is now at Quantico, and there is no information as to when the happy event will take place. Mdn. Roland Beers was married March 25 to the former Miss Helen Clark of Wellesley Hills and Mount Holyoke. The marriage (from a masculine standpoint) was a Med School affair with Dave Kirkpatrick, Don Cole, Bill Hatt, Bob Clark, Jim Dickson, and Fred Plum assisting the bridegroom. The Beer's will live in Rochester where-Roland is interning. Fred Campbell (another Theta Chi) is now engaged to Miss Elizabeth Keith Brown of Montclair. Lt. Fred is stationed at Quantico. Marine 2nd Lt. Emmett Fallon was married March 24 to the former Miss Julie Goodman of Bronxville. Emmett is scheduled to report at Gamp Pendleton, Calif. Many happy congratulations to all!
(Well, we've held off as long as we could, but we just can't contain ourselves any longer. Loud fanfare, baby-blue variety!) As far as we know, the first son-of-'45 was born on April 11, 1945 (fittingly enough; the year, that is) to Mrs. Ed Crane of Burlington, Vt. Ed says he is (was; no doubt zs already growing by leaps and bounds) a mere six and one-fourth pounds, but Ed expects he will be sliding down the ski hills (behind Ma and Pa in a year or two. Ed further prophecies that Edward David Crane will be a member of the class of '69. Three cheers and a box of cigars!
George Ehinger evidently is working at something or other in Westport, Conn., although he doesn't say so. (The whole thing is deducted from his address; so it could quite possibly be way off.) Art Nichols is trying hard to be useful to Adams and Ruxton Construction Co. (plug) of Springfield, Mass. Second Lieutenant Jim Rodney was in India serving "at the foot of the new Stilwell Road" for eighteen months, but is now in Atlanta, Ga. (where it is almost as hot). Pfc. George Price writes that he is "still in the Infantry, a doughfoot, a dogface. I'm one of the few men over here who does the dirty, miserable work, who lives out in the snow, who walks wherever he goes, and then gets shot at by everything from Jerry burp guns to eighty-eights."
As we write this last paragraph, it is V-E day, the day the war is over in Europe. The New York Giants are in first place in the National League- practically all is right with the world. Now we turn our whole-hearted attention to our enameled brethren across the Pacific. Let's make it quick and final, and let's be lucky and have all of us come back. And let's keep writing to ye olde ed.
THREE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1945, Robert F. Wilcox, William C. Bates and Robert E. Wottrich, were commissioned as ensigns in the U. S. Naval Reserve upon their graduation from Pensacola.
Acting Secretary, 273 Converse St., Longmeadow 6, Mass.
