1943

A change of pace this month: guest columnist Bing Donaldson to whet your nostalgic appetite with his WWII adventures. Inspired by Stephen Ambrose' Citizen Soldiers, which discussed the fate of many inductees into the Army Specialist Training Program, the talent holding tank for college-educated GIs, Bing writes: "It was my luck to be interviewed in June 1943 at Camp Upton, Long Island, by Rod Wolbarst, who was on the placement cadre. Rod, who ended up in the OSS behind enemy lines in Burma, got me assigned to the ASTP and I went to basic training for 12 weeks at Camp Wheeler, Ga. Class of '44s Budd Welsh and Hank Marshall were in my battalion and later ended up fighting in Northern France. Tested for language aptitude I was told: 'Donaldson, you got the lowest grade we've ever seen.' Offered a spot as 'buck' corporal rifle and bayonet instructor, I took it. Bored, I remembered the name, Bob Lang '40, the only recruiter visiting Dartmouth who had shown any interest in me with my 20-200 eyesight. At the end of that interview he had told me he couldn't talk about his army activities but if I ever got stuck in a dead-end service job, write him. So I did and about a week later the battalion captain advised me I was being shipped to Washington 'and the general wants to see you.' On reporting, the general said: 'Donaldson, we've never had a one-man shipment out of this post; how did you do it?' So I told him. From Washington training my successive posts were London, OSS Message Center, Patton's 3rd Army in Normandy, and finally Patch's 7th Army, ending up in Augsburg, Germany." Bing would like to hear from any classmates who were also in the ASTP. I'll be happy to forward to him any comments you direct to me.

On July 17 a memorial service for JohnConn was held in the charming village of Nelson, N.H. (population about 500). The moving but simple service was attended by four classmates, Fred Wallis, Jim Wells,John Keefe, and your scribe. Stay well.

A late reminder—our fall mini is Oct. 9 and 10; Lehigh game.

92 Greenland Circle, S. Dennis, MA 02660; (508) 385-4888;