1945
No '45s have crossed our path since the last writing; so we will dispense with the usual chatty falderal and get down to business. (There is another reason, too—see last paragraph—from now on we're terse.) John Callaghan again has kindly sent on letters he has received from classmates, and from them we have gleaned a few assorted facts: John says Jack Carroll is at Annapolis. Jack is captain- and a good one—of the Navy basketball team. Quite possibly Navy is out to avenge the shellacking handed them by the Army football team. Sgt. Joe Young is sweating out shipment home from Germany, but expects to be back in plenty of time for the February semester. Bilt Berge is still at Camp Lee, Va., at the latest reckoning. Gene Edson is evidently somewhere in Turkey playing (and losing) craps. One pair of loaded dice can be sent to Gene APO 788, % PM New York. TedBelfit's father writes that Ted is in Feni, India, where he is maintenance man for the radio homing tower and power units of the airfield. Ted's tower gives planes their last navigational check before going over the hump to China. His father says, "After V-J day Ted enjoyed five wonderful days on a visit to Calcutta, where he was 'Hanoverly' entertained by Fred Worthen and Dex Richards '42."
Now quoting Don Cutter:
I've finally wound up in a quartermaster truck company, having a wonderful time tearing madly around Manila at all hours of the day and night. Don't ask me how I wound up in this kind of an outfit, but it sure is a far cry from the old days in the mountain troops. However, I* can't say as I object 'cause at least I've got transportation for a change, which is more than I ever got in the Infantry. (If anyone ever read this column, we could expect a flood of letters defending the infantry, but then everybody's been in the Air Corps anyhow- Ed.) I've run into a couple of the guys from the class. 1 was quartered with Cameron Cray in Panama. He was ashore from a hospital ship and I from a transport. Later in a Honolulu restaurant I ran across Jim Rolph. Aside from the above, I have little else of news concerning the class, but some might like to know I got myself married (huzza!) last August to a Denver girl, Elizabeth Drennen (the last name may be a bit inaccurate—hint for all to write fairly plainly—l have no way of checking such vital statistics since leaving Hanover- Ed.) I kept it in the Dartmouth, family—her brother was in class of '42.
While on the subject of marriages and so forth, there is but one more item of the same sort we have to divulge (you guys aren't giving your all for the thing!): Sherman Johnston Crough, newly discharged from the Army, Europe, and the OSS paratroopers, has become engaged to Sarah-Jane Wright, also of West Newton, (practically Boston) Mass. Our other newspaper clipping quotes a letter from Capt. Al Gruer to his parents telling about his experience flying a general to Korea to accept the Japanese surrender and a description of Korea and the Japs they encountered, all of which was most interesting but a bit too long to print here.
An innovation of the MAGAZINE is to send the names of all Alumni who spend a day or two at the Inn, to the acting secretaries, to help them keep tabs on the men in' their class. Pfc. Bob Taymor spent part of his honeymoon with the former Virginia Sokolin in Hanover; the Inn is already seriously rivalling Niagara Falls, we understand. Other visitors during December include Tex White, Lt. Bud Morris, Ed Harte, Jim Turnure, Ken de Gruchy,Dick Simpson, Lt. (jg) Edwin Stouffer, BobWottrich, Bob Hooker, Bill Trischett, BobHaffenreffer, Ens. and Mrs. Ed Riley. All those whose names are not prefixed by military titles are to be presumed civilianized.
Mrs. Moore writes about her son, Hank, (every once in a while we think of Hank and Jug Morgan and how they pulled us through freshman year, and we wonder where the old characters are): She writes, "Hank left college to enter the Army, July 1, 1943, was sent to the Pacific area as a replacement in the spring of 1944. Since then he has been attached to the 29th Evacuation Hospital (Dutch New Guinea, Luzon, and now Japan) attached to the nth Airborne."
Comes a good letter from Dave Kendall(Ens.) which is well worthy of being set downhere:
After almost 15 months of hauling troops from one point to another, I finally ran across a Dartmouth man in the crowd. And since he was not only Dartmouth but '45, too, I felt it rated a little shouting. Subject named man, to lapse into Navy lingo, is Al Gruer (who evidently gets around), now a captain in the AAF. We picked him out of the dirt and rubble of Manila and are in the process of "magic-carpeting" him to Frisco, from which city this letter will be mailed subsequently. Al has been flying B-25's for a year from Luzon and Ie Shima over Indo-China, Japan, and Korea. He holds two Air Medals and almost enough points to get out. Tells many a wild tale (all substantiated by the aforementioned newspaper clipping!) about landing in Korea right after V-J day and being entertained by the smiling Japs who were delighted to see him, of course. ("So solly start war, etc.") I'm enclosing a picture taken in Honolulu where the four of us met at the Dartmouth Alumni Club luncheon on V-J day. Included are Bob Bensing '46 (?), Bob Lee, myself, and Harlan Brumsted '46, all grand old chubbers who took over part of Waikiki Beach for the DOC (which should swell the hearts of all DOC's). As for me, our last payload took us to Wahayama, Japan (near Osaka), where we got a look at the land and people we'd just conquered. I was not too impressed. The people were extremely courteous and smiley as hell. The kids all wanted cigarettes and candy, of course. Since then we have been on the Manila-San Francisco run bringing back dischargees. It's a long trip and we spend only a couple of days at each end. I hope to be out next spring and will be inhaling the hill winds next fall, for sure.
Speaking of pictures a moment ago, reminds us that we have received a photo of Pvt. RodSweeny and bride, Katherine Reese Sweeny, Mount Holyoke '45. With the snap comes the word that Rod is in charge of the Marine and Army guard on the "Monticello." The editor of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE has appealed for more pictures of Alumni; so on these go to the boss, and you may all be able to gaze upon them (and Mrs. Sweeny is not too tough to gaze upon). Notice is herewith caroled that we are hot after snapshots of '45s (with families if you got 'em) and will accept almost anything.
What we were alluding to way back at the start of the Notes was that the editor has notified us of our word quota, which happens to be just about half what we usually write. This means we will condense like mad if necessary (or else cheat a little); so continue to send your letters in, and thanks a lot to all you guys who have written. Happy Valentine's Day!
ROD SWEENY '45, a Marine Corps Reserve lieutenant, was married May 27, 1945, to Katherine Reese,Mt. Holyoke '45. He is now in charge of the Marineand Army guard on the "Monticello."
Acting Secretary, 273 Converse St., Longmeadow 6, Mass. Treasurer, Co. E-2, ist Class, West Point, N. Y.
