April 28, 1944
Dear Gang,
Spring vacation is over, the wire basket is full again,
in another week the Dean and Doc Dorwalt and I go out looking
for more redheads. The boids and the bees is back on the wing,
and it's time I had another letter shuffling on your behalf.
Things at college seem relatively calm. A while back we went
through a short spasm during which the students tried to decide
whether they wanted to abolish Myskania or just put it on the
shelf for decoration. This was ironic, for with all apologies
to past Myskanias, this year's seemed to be one of the best
we have ever had. The matter seems to have been compromised
and the results will depend on the character of the people directing
student affairs next year. One of the amusing sidelights was
the injection of the servicemen's issue. It was stated that
you bright and shining heroes wanted nothing to change. Everything
must be left in a status quo. It sounded like the Union League
Club to me, but then I was only an amused bystander throughout
the whole business anyway. I've observed that there is almost
always some sort of revolution afoot in March. I suppose this
damnable Albany weather just gets people in each other's hair.
More important to most of you is the news that the President
Sayles has gotten though the Legislature and though the Albany
Common Council legislation by which the city will give the college
10 acres of land across from the men's dormitory for athletic
ground, football field, baseball diamond and the architect's
now working on plans for at $400,000 gymnasium. All we need
now is a good full-back and we're set to tackle Notre Dame!
Or at least Bard....
The old men on the faculty are the ones who have been sitting
on Mr. Hershey's uneasy seat these days. A bunch of us have
been expecting to go at the end of the school year--Ralph Kenny,
Wesley Childers, Luther Andrews and yours truly. Bill
Hardy has left for the Navy. Harvey
Rice, who replaced Don Smith in the history department
had a commission come though in the Navy.
As for the inductees, Pvt. Bob
Rienow has an address tucked away in the pocket of the
Postmaster of San Francisco. Pvt. Paul
Bulger, who is the proud papa (and I do mean proud!)
of a daughter is at Stuttgart, Ark., doing personnel work. Pvt.
Jim Cochrane is peddling prisoners
between North Africa and the U.S. Ensign Warren
Densmore is doing something mysterious on an engineer
dredge crew and has been assigned from F.P.O to A.P.O. He won't
tell nobody nothing'.
Well, let's get down to the mail bag.
I got you fellows divided up into theaters of operation this
time, so you can tell pretty quickly just who is in your corner
of the world, within a few thousand miles, that is. Well, let's
start in China, where Lt. Tommie Breen
has moved from one post to another, and hated to leave his old
station because he had found a pretty comfortable nook and was
getting fat in it. But he gets and off he goes and more news
comes later according to him.
Lt. Pete Hart
is still in India and reports that country full of junk made
especially for tourists and G.I.'s. Lt. Harry
Gumaer writes in from New Guinea that he's counting
the weeks until he gets a leave in Sydney after which "I'll
tell you almost all about it." Harry says, "Ungerer,
write. All is forgiven." Lt. Mike
DiGioia, also in New Guinea has been moving around a
good deal and when he wrote me in March had not been assigned
to his weather station, but he's been busy acting as censor
officer for road construction engineers. Which only goes to
show how versatile a meteorologist gets to be. Reports the food
is now excellent, though he spent a month on 'C' ration. The
nights are comfortable and the climate not too bad (and cigarettes
40¢ a carton!)
Ensign Ed
Holstein, who is somewhere with the Fleet in the Pacific,
sends greetings and reports he saw Jack
Gardephe when he was last in Seattle. He also heard
from Sgt. Bill Forrest who
wrote me on the third of April. Bill, as you all know, is M.C.R.
He sends a broadcast to Combs,
Marsland and McCabe
telling them that it wouldn't be a bad idea if they wrote him
a letter. The address is VMF-211, M.A.G. 84, FMAW, c/o Fleet
Post Office, San Francisco, Cal. yes, Bill, I also heard that
Oksala and Ruby are changing diapers for young Steve. Entered
the ring at 6 lbs., 14 oz. Heaven help me if we get that weight
wrong! I'll probably get two telegrams and a special delivery
from Ruby! Thanks a lot, Bill. In the matter of the drinks.
I went right out and did it. Bill sends word to Clyde
Corson that if Clyde wants a good home-cooked meal to
drop in on Bill's parents at 174 Willow Avenue, Cornwall, N.Y.
Any of you boys want to come see me sometime?
Lt. Steve
Godfrey, weathering in the South Pacific, seems to work
at night and play all day. His latest excitement is exploring
the ocean bottom in a glass mask and canister. He says, "But
where I used to talk about hundreds of colored fish swimming
around out feet, now I talk about thousands of the little devils
and I'm at home with them. The ocean is just so beautiful that
it would be foolish to try describing the colored formation
and fish and things that can be seen." He also recommends
a joyful hammock-swing out on the beach where the hungry flies
leave him alone. Ain't war, hell, boys?
"Babe" Kaplan just missed by a couple of
weeks being credited as combat correspondent-----would be tops.
A really tough break. Just where Babe is I can't figure out,
but his pal and mine, Carl Tarbox, Red Cross Personnel
in the S. Pacific area. As you'd expect, full of amusing details.
Carl had been for a while on the Hook Islands but when this
magazine was written it looked as though he would be spending
a while in Australia. I have a notion he spent some time on
Fijii [sic], but I'm not sure. The sheet is full of the old
Tarbox special.
Bill
Nagengast has been out of the States for 2 years since
Jan. Where he is and what he's doin' I can't tell you except
that he dates his stuff from the S. Pacific which is a rather
large area.
Lt. Edmund Irvin also has a
San Francisco APO according to yesterday's mail. From S/Sgt.
Gordon Tabner came an April
Fool's Day letter sent form same S. Pacific. He says that the
"Jones Journal" has been reaching him roundabout thanks
to the Army mail service for which I have increasing respect.
La., where I sent his last number is the state which should
be reported. From there they sent him to Tex. and he went through
the usual couple of weeks of being "punctured, vulcanized,
and drilled." Then Australia where the beer is a tippler's
dram. Then to New Guinea area and that's where he is now and
has been seeing "a little excitement. Fortunately the Japs
have found it _more_ exciting. I can't, of course, name the
island I'm now on." He reports that the best laugh in the
Pacific is the Tokio broadcast at 6 P.M. and that liquor is
selling at 9 L per quart.
Now there's a story about Bob
Martin which I don't have directly from Bob but by the
grapevine route. I don't swear to the facts but as I get the
story Bob, who is now a Lt. (J.g) and a flier, was cited recently
by Admiral Halsey in honor thereof, Freeport, N.Y., had a "Bob
Martin Day." If all those facts aren't okay, Bob, it's
your own fault for not giving us the low-down. At any rate,
it's good news and we're [illegible], those are the boys that
are fighting the Yellow Peril.
The next bunch of letters come in
from Italy and North Africa. Dan Preston
and Howie Anderson are on
Anzio Beachhead. I've had no word from Dan, but 3 swell letters
from Howie which I now proceed to answer in reverse order. Reotgenology
is just X-ray business, pal. Fancy words I've seen in Bob Maudlin's
cartoons and it seems to me they stack up with Pyle's reports.
I'll speak to the Navy and see if we can get you Norm
Baldwin's outfit of Seabees to take care of your mosquitoes.
This may take a little time, as Norm has left San Francisco
for parts unknown, but I'm sure if Sec. Knox knows your situation
at Anzio it will be fixed up in no time. (Take a letter to Sec.
Knox). Howie has had no beer for the last 18 months but he makes
up for this by buying his vino in 5 gallon lots! I have no address
for Augustine but there was a rumor that he had joined the Coast
Guard. No, Howie, the letters all of you write will not be dropped
into any waste basket, but neatly filed away. I think 1966 will
be too early to open them but along about the year 2000 they
should make very interesting reading. If, for example, we could
have letters from the State College boys who served in the Mexican
and Civil Wars, it would make some history student drool at
the mouth. I haven't heard from Oetken. If you run into him
in your crowded corner, ask him why he doesn't write. Good luck
with Maria. I can see that you are always concerned with a means
toward an end but that's the way things work out. It looks to
me as though there are lots of handicaps in the game you're
playing. Elsewhere in Italy Butch Walker
is carrying on characteristic pursuits. He goes about looking
for evidence of the classic past and is shocked to find out
little progress was made between Caesar and Mussolini. He says,
"It is sad indeed to see a mighty people fallen. It is
sadder still to see a fallen people which only thought it was
mighty." Mixture of realist and dreamer that Butch is,
he goes into a delightful analysis of railroad trains and draws
therefrom some unique conclusions. I saw wife Barbara a while
back, Butch, and it looks like she's carrying on, as you would
expect.
Lt. Will Valley
is in N. Africa. He describes the problems of an Arabian wedding.
"Marriage," he says, " is a sort of grab-bag.
He grabs a veil, yanks it off and hopes he has a good looking
bag!" Looks like Will's been starting fights all over N.
Africa by tossing half-smoke cigarettes into the gutter and
watching the fights that follow. He has good words to say for
out [sic] Free French Allies. "Most of them are good guys,"
and reports that they're delighted with their American equipment.
Lovely Rosemary Bull wrote me from N.Y.
that Steve and Lt. Darwin
Van Keuren are in exactly the same outfit in Italy.
Steve and Van have been together since they got out OCS with
just a touch of envy, Rosemary says, "And now they're rooming
together in God knows that kind of hovel in Italy. Getting drunk
on cherry brandy whenever they can get hold of it and seemingly
not the least bit desperate being separate from their lovely
wives." Rosemary reports having run into Rog
Moran this winter. At I told you last letter he'd returned
from England but she reports him looking none the worse for
wear and, she marvels, still single. At El Paso she ran into
Jim Portley, a Sgt. whose address
I don't know and also Lt. Ray Grebert.
Rosemary thinks Ray is married to Doris Sheary and could be.
Bill Brophy she says has a San
Francisco PO. And Rosemary herself is doing work in Columbia
University. it was a very full and brilliant letter and I was
glad to hear from her.
A number of letters have come in from
Fred Ferris--one to report that
he's now with a permanent outfit. Before his arrival they had
been in the African campaign and he is in an area which was
originally an Italian military post, then used by the Jerries,
and then by the British. The epigraphy reflects these changes.
Fred is impressed by the contrast between war and peace that
you get in his sector in the planting side by side with the
dying. He Assistant Trial Judge Advocate, which is something
like being as Assistant D.A. and he has interesting and reassuring
things to say about military court procedure. Lt. Mike
Walrath is in Italy. He read my last letter by candlelight
after a "grueling day spent at the American Red Cross Officers'
Club eating ice cream and cream puffs." He had seen no
Statesmen when he wrote on Mar. ?6 except Bernie
Bernhardt but was hot on the trail of Furness
and Bull. They all hang out at
the same Officers' Club but they haven't met yet. I haven't
seen Lona but I have seen Doug Dillenbeck
about whom more later. Sorry I missed you when you were here.
I was interested to hear about Bea Dower and hope it's all right
to report to the gang that she is expecting. I am glad to forward
your message to Lt. Johnny Alden--"Nuts
to Alden." Guess that's delivering the words, ain't it.
I will speak to the girls about getting you a correspondent
but we're duty bound to report that you are a married man.
Bernie
Bernhardt has run into a lot Statesmen. 25 of them at
Upton, with him, 10 at Ft. Bragg, some of them in the same barracks
at Camp McGain. None at Camp Rucker, but nearby at the USO at
Montgomery he ran into Spicer and Dave
Bittman on maneuvers in Tenn. In November he found Earl
Snow, who, by the way, is in the band and married to
Jean Chapman. And now in Africa, as I said before, he ran into
Mike Walrath. It's gotten to
the point now where if a man for the breaks he could run into
State College fellows in any theater of operation.
Lt. Gus Casper
sent me a 10 lire note from Italy which I have not yet spent.
He complains that the State College News is empty of pin-up
girls and I'm complaining for him to the Editor. He backs up
Ernie Pyle's reports on the war. The tough gang he is
with have no glamour, but they're hard workers and good fighters.
In a moment of relaxation recently he entered the largest night
club in Naples and bumped into Capt. Dick
Platt of the Air Corps. The picture appears pretty normal.
Dick had a jug in one hand and a blonde in the other. The same
to you, my friend. Gus's letter was written from a hospital
bed, a visit which he says is not serious and we all certainly
hope so. That's the bundle from the hills of Italy. We might
as well move north to the British Isles. There are a lot more
than I have heard from, of course, but here is the dope as I
get it. Everson Kinn sent me a
letter that was so long and so full of good talk that I really
owe him a special answer, but I fear that this spring he won't
get it. The censor is busy with the scissors and cut 2 or 3
pages out. Kinn says, "My particular job is that f-....".
Then the rest of the page is missing. He's in N. Ireland or
was in Feb. and finds it comfortable. Near a big city, warm
barracks, food good--no complaints. You probably know by this
time that Lois Hampel is married. To Bob Sullivan and
Trebe Aney I have passed on your words. Corp.
Art Fox is the only other Statesman
I know of in N. Ireland. Frequently a letter will come through
just saying "British Isles" and it is left up to us
on this side to guess. Lt. j.g Frank
Kluge was in Eng. and he's been shifted to another ship,
where he is Executive Officer. He had been a Lt. j.g. since
Nov. and hadn't known it. Saw Carney
at a Red Cross Club along about Xmas time and Dickson.
Their ships were tied up side by side and the boys had some
chow and Kluge referred a basketball game in which Bill played.
Bill's team won. Wants some word from Fred
Day. The Flax boys are
still together and now in Eng. Art wrote me that between here
and G. Britain, they saw a lot of water. This water appeared
to moved around a lot--up and down, and side to side--which
appears to have complicated life somewhat for the twins. They
are working with the Adjutant Gen. Division, Supreme High Allied
Expeditionary Forces. They're got lots of time for themselves
and have seen plenty of plays and shows. Stewart
Smith, '40, is the same camp with them. Capt. Jim
Chapell and Corp. Dick Hisgen
have both written again. Jim had had words about the comparative
merits of British and American education systems with the Headmaster
of a school, the athletic field of which he wanted to borrow.
He found them teaching Differential calculus in the 7th grade
which threw him off balance a little. Strictly as a disinterested
bystander, bridegroom Chapell reports on British ladies as did
Art Flax and some of the others. I begin to understand what
you all mean. As for Dick Hisgen, I keep pretty good track of
him as we have a mutual friend who keeps me in touch with the
more impersonal items in some of her letters. In his latest
to me he tells of seeing something of Cambridge and was considering
in Feb., at any rate, taking some of the "leave courses"
offered by the Univ. which sound very interesting. corp. Herb
Leneker and I agreed to declare an armistice until the
war is over. I hope we have your address right, Herb. The V-Mail
was somewhat over-exposed and I'm not sure it's right yet. For
all kind words from you, many thanks. Lt. Mike
Gross is in the Post Censor Office in Eng. and calls
it a good assignment. He quite properly remarks "it's really
unfair to judge this country after 4 years of war. These people
have certainly felt the war much more than those at home realize."
Sgt. Art Hobday also in Britain
speaks of Bill Hardy in his good
letter of the last of Mar. Bill is about to be an Apprentice
Seaman at Sampson. I passed your respects on to all the people
you mentioned, I think, and you'll be pleased to know that Dean
Stokes is doing a corking good job as Dean of Students. The
cafeteria is now run by Miss Shoreday and has been entirely
redecorated and doubled in size. I hope you have luck in finding
Dick Hisgen. I think he's in
the Northeast Midlands, but I could send you his APO if that
would help any. I can't in this letter because I have mentioned
him above. Try looking in second-hand bookstores and you've
got a good chance of finding him. Art is in the Station Ordinance
Office at an air drome. He went down to Cornwall for a visit
and recommends it to one and all.
Pvt. Ainard
Gelbond is "somewhere in Eng." and my last
letter was the 1st piece of mail he got after landing. His bunch
are finding living in Eng. more rugged than they had in the
States and like a number of you he has found it somewhat difficult
to learn how to get around in black-outs. Good words for the
Red Cross and frequent comments on fish and chips and British
money. Ainard went up to Cambridge for a wk. That is a trip
I envy him because I never got there. I spent 3 wks. at Oxford
once and called it quits at that. Lt. Johnny
Caramia, now 18 mos. in Eng. is the pioneer Statesman
in that area. John warns that there may be 2 Caramias coming
back to the States ultimately, for he is settling down for a
concentrated woo. The lady will be as welcome as Johnny himself.
I haven't heard from Major Tom Bergin,
but saw a long letter he wrote Pres. Sayles, which indicated
that playing the new Caesar in Italy suits him. Lt. Tony
Wilk brought me up-to-date on his British address. Been
moving around. Rolf Toepfer,
same area, sent me greetings and word of safe arrival. So far
he likes the land and likes the people. Ens.
Moose Gerber seems to be waiting
around to take the boys across the Channel when they want to
go. He has time enough to look over the native ladies and still
holds out for American gals. Didn't he run into Bill
Dickson! Everyone runs into Dickson in Eng. as near
as I can make out. 1st Lt. Mike Cymbalak
writes in that he is flying forts for a living and has spent
6 or 9 months in Eng. and over Europe. Had a Xmas card from
Paul & little Dittman
who, long years ago, used to take care of our kids when we went
out nights and Paul always had the same complaint. "Dammit,
Jonesy, I don't know why you don't have a davenport!" If
my address is right, Paul is at Montbrook WAF, Williston, Fla.
But the way people move around these days I can't swear to anything.
All I know is that the last letter didn't come back. Lt.
j.g. Freddy Day wants to know why
Paul Grattan doesn't write
some of his old friends. I don't know who Bea Dwer married,
Fred. Nobody tells me nothin'. Corp Sig
Baldowski sent me a card from the village of Luss on
Loch Lohmond, where my wife and I once spent a very happy week.
An earlier letter said that he expected a furlough. He's working
in the Intelligence Off. of a small airfield and finds it busy
and fascinating. I passed your order on to the Registrar's Office
and think you will probably have gotten your transcript by this
time. Evelyn Savitzky, Abe's
wife, says her husband was in Newfoundland for a while and then,
in Oct. shipped to Eng. with a bombardment group. His silver
bar came thro'. She says that Harvey
Klaus is also in Eng.
I had a letter from Betty Parrott
McCreary which I stupidly misplaced. It was full of interesting
information about Mac and
some other people and somehow my file system has broken down.
She said he had been in a little weather station with 8 or 9
other men somewhere in Northern Greenland since Aug. She had
not heard from him Nov. tho' mail had been dropped to him. I
now have 5 or 6 letters from Naval men with FPO's out of N.Y.
Will Frament, the old goat,
gripes that somebody told the girls who were given his name
to write to, that he was married. Fred
Byrnes, USS Duane, is a Lt. jg. in the Coast
Guard. Says that Tom Cunningham
got his commission at New London in 1942 but Fred now has served
overseas someplace, and he's been on convoy duty and saw a U-boat
sunk his first trip. They picked up 32 of the "Master Racs."
Met Tommie Barrington in
Casablanca in Sept. Different ships, same convoy. He met Melanson
in Norfolk recently and expected to see a lot of excitement
this spring in you-know-where. Fred hears from Joe
Muggleton, Infantry corp. in La. Joe married Dorothy
Cain when I remember with a good deal of pleasure. Fred got
himself married last may, then sailed for Africa 3 days later.
Lt. jg. Tony
Sardisco says of a recent move, "I traveled by
car, plane, and tin can and you'd be surprise at my proximity
to the States." All right, the rest of you figure it out,
I give up. When he met Fremont in Key West Will was surrounded
by students attempting to bribe him with drinks. I hope this
becomes academic tradition shortly. Tony is attached to the
staff of the commander of the a sub squadron and finds it a
great improvement over Key West. Lt. jg. Pete
Fulvio is at Newport, been detached from the Acquila
and is waiting for a new ship which is still building. His job
is to train the new crew when it arrives and help get them into
shape. Ens. Sol Greenberg
is on the "Sapelo" Navy tanker. Sol is doing all sorts
of odd jobs--from ship secretary, education officer, watch officer
to being in charge of a deck division. Now this completes the
letters from overseas and I'm going to be pretty short and snappy
with the letters from this side. I figured that you would all
be more concerned with how it goes nearer the fronts and that
I'd slice it thin for those still in the U.S. (One just in from
Len Varmette, New Guinea,
has a son he has not seen going to send him to State.)
Early in Mar. Lt. Bob
French wrote me from March Field, Cal. a letter which
I wish I could condense for you. He's been an officer in a Negro
company for sometime and had tackled the problem with a good
deal of understanding. His stories will have to wait for that
great occasion when we have veterans fall camp. Butch
Feigenbaum is engaged to Miss Rita Figarsky, whom my
wife taught in kindergarten. Ens. Pete
Danoda has completed his V-5 and came to see us shortly
after he was commissioned Andy Takas
and Jane Heath Takas are spending this wk. in Albany and Andy
takes boat ride soon. A/c Dave Kullman still likes Northern
gals better than the 800 co-eds at Chapel Hill. Has been seeing
a lot of Grogan who taught gym
at Milne last year. Expects to be flying big babies soon. Art
Cornwell and his brother
have both been in and about Washington, but Art expected to
pull out shortly. Capt. Bob Margison
has been slugging around the desert down in Ariz. for a
spell, with his 2 girls, Eleanor and Susan, in nearby Pomona.
Brother Dick is at an airbase
in Eng. platoon leader in an AAA outfit. Thanks for the poem,
Bob. It echoed my own feelings. Lt. John
Neuhs was in last wk., having finished up at Maxwell.
We fanned the breeze. Les Graves
got his commission at Corpus Christi a while back and is going
ot get married soon to a girl in Norwich. Curley Taylor,
much married, was waiting to be shipped out of west coast but
had been hospitalized with [illegible], terrible thing! Expected
to join his outfit in time to leave. [Illegible] Al
Heermans is with the Engineers in Oak Ridge, Tenn. and
A/c Paul Ferencik has his
Aerial Gunner's wings and is in an advanced navigation school
in Ellington Field, Tex.
Capt. Betty
Fallon of the WAC's sent me news of a lot of out mutual
friends from the WAC training center at Ft. Des Moines, Iowa.
She had just come back from a swing around the country where
she's visited WAC stations. She is doing personnel work and
obviously very successful at her job. Lt. Marie
Metz is one of the few WAC's who wears the crossed pistols
of the M.P.'s. Paid me a call this month and is having a whale
of a time as librarian at the Provost Marshal-General's library
at Ft. Custer, Michigan.
Pat Gibson and Ens. Max
Reeves are to be "in the near future". Corp.
Fred Weed sends word from the
flatlands of Tex. after having spent 10 months of his first
Army year working at the Syracuse Army Induction Station, the
next 6 months defending San Francisco from Japanese aircraft.
Now a clerk in the Engineers. His calluses to date are on his
fingertips. Capt. Tom Garrett
now Maj. T. G. Rog Wall was doing
ASTP at Tufts College but whether he's Ben shifted, I don't
know. I wish you lads who were in ASTP and have pushed off someplace
else (all right, I know it's always the Infantry) would bring
me up-to-date on your addresses. Lts. Pete
Marchetta and Walt Gryzwacs
were in to see us after they got their commissions. They are
now at Harvard studying radar. Both have settled down to the
prospect of becoming Harvard gentleman. I spoke to Rich
Young a minute ago. He's now flying B-17 G's. Expects
to be in on the invasion or at least the part of it. He and
Marily Rich have announced their engagement, soon or late, they
haven't decided. I didn't see Bob Combs
when he was here, Rich, and I'm glad that Bill
Terwilliger is okay. As to your footnote, I'm not sure
they're using live ammunition on the other side, but don't hold
your hand out for it as you go past--just in case. Pvt. Larry
Newcomb, one of the old-timers from way back, sends
in word from Pine Camp. Santi Porcino,
Arvid Burke, Ralph
Baker and Galen Plumb
are all at Pine Camp together, Larry, having taught English
for 13 years is now a drill instructor. Fellows our age are
too young to be majors, Larry. I can thumb my nose, but not
for long. How long depends upon the sweet and guileless whim
of Gen. Hershey, July, maybe. Joe
Higgins writes from something that looks for all the
world like "Stork G.H." but in a footnote he assures
me this is "[illegible]." I was kinda startled when
I heard of Higgins' hanging around the Stork headquarters! These
Troy boys, you know, are dangerous fellows. He's in the Medical
Detachment there. Bob Laurer
was still at Fordham Univ. in Mar. Lt. jg. Bill
Baker has been sent to Corpus Christi, Tex. after completing
an engine course at Pratt-Whitney. A/c Harry
Bora is studying navigation at Hondo. Expects his wings
July 1st. Lt. Nick Morsillo
got his silver wings and gold bar and spent a swell leave with
his wife. When I heard from him he was expecting to be playing
with B-25's soon. 1st Lt. Bob Teeter
is beginning to look like a cartoonist's idea of what a 1/[illegible]
ought to look like and is busy making and breaking lieutenants.
J.E. Alden,
2/Lt. AC. Foster Field, Tex. and I have had prim and proper
words in the last month, but nothing of much importance has
passed between us. Ensign Ed O'Hora
is out of the hospital after a bad spell with his eyes. He's
now the Executive Officer on his ship with a new skipper. He
expects to be transferred soon to bigger mine-sweeper, either
as skipper or Executive Officer. Al
Meschter has his commission and is now on sea duty somewhere
mail does not go. Joe Tassoni wrote
me in March from the University of Cal. where he was living
like a retired millionaire except that he was keeping a grinning
eye cocked on the thousands of co-eds who surround him at every
turn of the corner.
Mike Copnano, from Fort Worth
Air Field, Tex, says Dave Griffin
is now a/c at Nashville, Tenn. headed toward navigation. Porcino
to communications, Goldboro, N.C. Mike himself is weakening.
Elbridge Smith, [illegible].M.G.
School Ft. Custer, Mich. got out a very interesting mimeo sheet
covering a G.I.'s reaction to basic. Lt. John
McAuliff, Cmp. Stoneman, California wod from 1st Lt.
Pat DeSanctis, Hondo, Tex. sends
greetings to all and sundry of his old pals. Capt. Dennis
Dole was in to see me for a short visit this winter.
4 undergraduates swooned as he walked down the corridor. Speed
Koblenz has been running into everybody from [illegible]
Hobby to Louise Baldwin in Washington. Hush-hush job. Does anybody
have address for B. Triocari or Tom Augustine? W/o George
Clark is in Miami, Finance for Antilles Hdq. Louis
Greenspan has wings and bars. Skoal! Red
Evans and Lt. Pete Danoda
were around these parts. Red is 'it again and has had 16 jumps
to date. Much interesting dope about the boys in tall boots.
Pete, calm and collected as ever, from Will Rogers Field, Okla.
Russ Blythe, topo computer, Bob
Wesselman, also there. [Illegible] Sgt. Rex
Finster wintered in Fla. (Blanding). The latrine stream
of information says he goes ocean crossing soon. A/c Paul Barselou
wrote from a hospital. Seems to have been raising hell all over
the S/ West. But all that bears not at all upon his being bedded
down---or that's his story. A/c Ralph Fredercz spliced
with cute Irene Bantham. Ens. Mary Hardie writes in to
complain about how little news from females of the Services.
And why don't they write the old man letters, I ask myself--like
Mary, who is in Navy Supply Deport, Newport. PFC. Kay Smith,
MACS is at Cherry Point, N.C. Brenni
and Rabineau have deserted
the Jap-talk to join field artillery. The word for it is "SIKTAGANAL."
From a New Mexico sandstorm (Clovis) Art
Collins tells how he's a radio technician. Good life,
hush, hush, job. Rod Fraser
is at Haan, Cal. Got burned with mustard gas. Lt. Doug
Dillenbeck has high praise for effective teaching of
infantry officers at Benning and ditto for marriage. And that's
the mail.
Wish you all could be here for the 100th anniversary of
the College, Saturday, May 6, moving up day, May 5. We'll drink
toasts to all friends in all parts. Give'em hell and take care
of yourselves.
Lou Jones
