1936

Some of you may have noticed a postcard insert in a recent issue of the DAM inviting news of fellow alumni. Through the magazine I was the recipient of a very interesting item sent in by a member of the class of '42 concerning A. Heaton"Heat" Underhill, Ph.D. A couple of years ago Heat wrote and published a book titled, The Force. His friend says: "It is an historically correct novel about the First Special Service Force in WWII. This elite special service force fought in the mountains against German crack troops at and near Anzio in hand-to-hand, heart-stopping dramatic action well told by Heat Underhill. Although he was part of the battles every inch of the way from there to Rome, it is not autobiographical." But it is a "dynamic true story.".. .In a brief phone conversation with Heat I learned that he had been uncomfortable with some of the misinformation printed about his outfit. Although the names of companies which he uses, for instance, are fictitious, the operations described in the book are basically factual and an effort to set the record straight. Sounds like a fascinating story!

Another '36 author, mentioned before in this column, is Ed Drechsel. Last fall Volume II of his work on the history of the North German Lloyd fleet and ship mails, Norddeutscherlloyd Bremen, was published. The two volumes provide a comprehensive history of the ships and postal operations of the line from 1857 to 1970, and should be of great interest to any student of shipping and/or ship mails of the period.

To add interest for '36ers, Ed notes that there are a number of references to Dartmouth in Volume 11, and Specific mention of our own Bob Fernald and Dave Scherman. Ed, whose father was a Lloyd captain for 40 years, developed an early interest in ship mails, and I'm sure this has been a labor of love—as well as a tremendous amount of research—for him!

The time for our big 60th Reunion is fast approaching. Have you made plans yet for June 10-12 in Hanover? If not, do it soon!

15 Bluff Road, Yarmouth, ME 04096