1951
After surviving the coldest temperature in the United States late in January (41° below zero) at International Falls, Minn., we have finally sufficiently thawed to let the blood flow again and scribble this note to you.
Although Dick Pugh was an ROTC man in Hanover, all of us had supposed Uncle Sam had long since given up hope of getting his hooks on Dick. But the impossible sometimes happens, and after two years of hiding in the London fog, it is now Ensign Pugh, aboard the USS Lake Champlain, aircraft carrier. Dick was commissioned on December 7 and has since been enjoying the lite sailing in and out of Mayport, Fla. It has finally been disclosed what Dick was doing at Oxford - namely studying law. In fact, Dick had time to enroll at Columbia after his two-year stint at Oxford, before the Navy grabbed him. By the time you read us, Dick and Nan will be married (February 27) but more of that later.
Many of you who have been in Washington, and others, have heard of the 2520 Club headed up by Dick Mason, and including such live wires as Herb Ray '50, Stretch Pendleton '50, and AI Moses, plus one other adopted reprobate from Bates College. Dick and company has moved into larger quarters, at 2549 Waterside Drive NW, to accommodate some of the large throng there. The latest gathering, over the holiday season, included Jim Bovaird, Al Moses, Bill Fraser, Joe Boisy,Paul Staley, Jeff O'Connell, Charlie Breed,Dick Barnes, and Dick Mason. It is reported that Bob Larrigan is there with a TV set and a punch bowl. Bill Halpin came into Wash- ington fresh from Okinawa and is now a radar man with the air force, in Albany, Ga. DickHalloran is still in Washington, and ChampSmith was seen with a wife eating for two. Champ is stationed at Briggs AFB, Texas. It is also rumored Down East that Tom Barnett and Chuck Fitzsimmons are out of the service, though we haven't heard from them. Thanks for all the good dope, Dick! We wish we would get more letters like yours.
By the time this arrives, Jim Ballard will no longer be a lieutenant at Ft. Ord, but businessman, USA. October 29 - last - saw a big day in the Ballard family - with the arrival of 8-1b. 1-oz. (and that's a big baby, in case you bachelors didn't know it) James Richard. Congratulations.
We can all be justly proud of Marine Lt. Bill Bridge, who was stationed in the front lines in Korea, from January 10 to July 2, 1953. For his heroic fighting against the enemy, he was awarded the Bronze Star medal. Dick Dunn's cogs certainly have been turning as of late, and it has all been in the production of his 146-page thesis for his Master's degree at Cornell University's graduate school. Dick's paper, "A Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Hamden, Conn.," was presented for his degree of Master of Regional Planning, and has received wide publicity in Hamden. It's good news to hear that Gail Hammarstrom recently received his law degree from Columbia Law School. Many of you will remember Gail in our early days. From Dartmouth he went to Columbia College for his Bachelor's degree, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi. It's also good news to hear that Dick Ellis has been released from service, after two years of commanding a Coast Guard Patrol boat at Norfolk, Va., and later as combat information center officer, aboard the weather patrol cutter, Absecon, in the north Atlantic. Dick is now associated with the group dept. of the Travelers Insurance Co., and wife, Susan, and son, Dick III, must be very happy to have him home.
Quite awhile ago, we promised to get back to Jim Danaher's letter relating the birth of Pat's twins. Well, briefly, Jim and Pat have had the rare opportunity of traveling together throughout Europe. Jim ran into BillLeshure in Stuttgart, Julie Olny in Frankfurt, Jack Giegerich in Geissen, Gary Mansur also in Frankfurt, and Dick Dutton in Salzburg. This was last fall, and no doubt the picture has changed considerably, but it sure looks as if '51 has taken over Germany. Jim is in the rare and fortunate position of being classified DAC, or Department of the Army Civilian. We hope sons Stephen Peter and Michael John Danaher haven't cured Jim and Pat of having more.
From the West Coast we have news of the engagement of John Bransten and Rena Glazer of New York City. Rena will be graduating from Smith in June, and John hopes to take enough time from his duties as 2nd Lieut, with the Army at Ft. Pickett, Va., to be married then. Johnny graduated from Stanford Business School before joining the Army.
A nice letter just in from Don Jorgensen gives us some hot news from Schenectady, N. Y. Don is with General Electric at their Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. While playing billiards with the atoms, Don met June Moore, a Hartwick College alum, and the affair flowered into quite a romance, which no doubt will culminate in a nuptial ceremony soon. Another high-voltage boy with General Electric is Don Hertig, who recently graduated from the Air Force. Jorgie also reported Kit Fuller with the Army at Ft. Dix. ArtWorden, Navy Lt., that is, has been working very diligently in Milwaukee, trying to rehabilitate worn-down Navy reservists. Art takes fifty reservists at a crack on cruises on Lake Michigan, or alongside a Milwaukee dock.
The following lucky folks hit Hanover sometime during December: Mr. and Mrs.Bob Tomfohrde, Lt. and Mrs. Frank O'Neil,Ed Hagen, and Dave Hall.
Further news on the servicemen indicates that Whitey Hand is guarding the sth regiment in Korea, thank God now quiet by truce. A little further note on Frank O'Neil is that he is a radar pilot in the Navy, connected to the aircraft carrier Sibonet, and has recently returned from European waters. It was great news to hear that Hav Smith was awarded his Bachelor's degree last fall from Dartmouth. Many of you will recall that Hav joined the Army during his senior year. Everyone will certainly be happy with the news that EdHazen has returned from the front lines of Korea. In Korea, Sgt. Ed was assigned to a radio relay platoon in the Ist Marine division. Lt. Bill Farnham's parents must certainly have been glad to see him in Newton Center, Mass., over the holidays. Bill had a long trek home, since he is with the 445 th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, located at Geiger AFB, Spokane, Wash.
That about ties it up in a knot for this month.
Secretary, 5932 Grimes Ave., So. Minneapolis 10, Minn.
Treasurer, ......USS Bache (DDE-470), c/o FPO, New York
