1944

March 14,1995, was some kind of landmark for The New York Times. And for me, too, because I've been reading "All the News That's Fit..." since I was a teenager in Pleasantville, N.Y. (Now I read it every day via a buck-a-day purchase at a nearby country store in Cornish, N.H., but that's another story.)

Anyway, on March 14 The Times masthead read "VOL.CXLIV...NO. 50,000," marking its 144 th volume, or year, and 50,000th issue, and I guess I feel an almost similar kind of longevity in that I've been happily writing about you guys (and your families) for 26 years now. At an average of, say, ten issues a year, that comes out to 260 columns.

You all deserve a medal for patience, under- standing, and support.

A number of classmates are still punching the office time clock, among them Ted Brush and Sam Coombs. Ted, one of the survivors of the Iwo Jima landing, is still an agent for Tintawn Rugs, peddling them internationally. "Fax machines do a lot of the work these days," he says, "so I only go into the office about three days a week. Wife Pat is into her 32nd year of elementary school teaching."

Sam Coombs, in Lake Bluff, III., is still president of his own company, selling electronic parts for medical and industrial computers, but since his youngest son has joined the firm, Sam is looking at retirement in another few years.

When golf aficionado John Handwerg retired from New Jersey to Largo, Fla., he didn't just throw a dart at the map. He can now see three golf courses from the top of a backyard palm tree, and the nearest green is only 30 yards away. John recalls that he missed the 1946 post-war graduation ceremony in Hanover because he was away playing in a golf tournament that weekend.

Ouch, five more untimely deaths: FredHeidner, last August, and Dr. Earl Owen,Hany Davidson, Buck Mansfield, and john Downs in March.

We began this column referring to the 50,000th issue of The New York Times. Knock three zeros off that figure and we have the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 11, that cataclysm that involved the lot of us and which took 23 of our lives.

Fifty years ago, on May 7, the war ended in Europe, and 50 years ago, on August 14, the war against Japan shut down. Both are dates richly deserving our silence and our prayers, our thanks and our humility.

All of you, please drop me a card right away telling me how, where, and what you were on those two dates, and we'll use the returns in columns to come. Don't be shy; I'll be grateful.

That's it. Blessings.

P.O. Box 23, Loveioy Hill, Cornish Flat, NH 03746

45 June9-11199550th