1919
Lt. Col. C. D. Merrill, now with Headquarters 2nd Army in Memphis, Tennessee, found his way to Southern Pines in late March where he met N. L. (Doc) Hodgkins of the Citizens Bank and Trust Company there. Jigger writes:
"On 28 March, Doc and I had lunch. It was the only time we had seen each other since 1919. Had no trouble in recognizing him as I was driving through and asked by driver to stop at "the best bank in town." Sure enough, there behind the sign, "President," sat Doc. He looks very fit indeed and we had a fine lunch and a pleasant chat."
Rowland Pollard, Standard Vacuum Oil Company representative, is in Calcutta and is apparently working pretty hard, which is a change for him. He expects to return to Burma to head up the Soc. Vacuum Corporation business there, when the Japs are driven out. His wife and family are in Newton, Mass., and in good health and spirits.
Additional facts about Paul Halloran disclose that:
Captain Paul J. Halloran, Civil Engineer Corps, USN, Brigade Commander, was advanced to Commodore, effective April 3. Enlisted men as well as officers of his command celebrated the occasion at Brigade headquarters on their Island, and the Island Commander pinned the coveted silver star in place. Commodore Halloran was construction Officer on the staff of Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith USMC, commanding Seabee battalions which participated in the assaults of Saipan and Tinian. He received the Navy's Legion of Merit Citation in 1944 for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of this service." In 1944 he was made Brigade Commander, U. S. Naval Construction Brigade, organized for the Marianas, and has been in the Pacific forward area ever since. This Brigade has developed one of the world's largest Superfortress bases.
If attendance at the Dartmouth "1000-Dinner" held April 26th at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York fell short of the number hoped for, by a dozen or more, we cannot be blamed. The class of 1919 had the largest representation of any class present (and failed to win the attendance cup which we lost on a percentage basis to the class of 1908 who boasted a mere 16 present). Spider reported over 40 o£ us present, which deserves a Wahhoo-wah. Batch Batchelder, New York Dartmouth Club President, sat at the Speakers table with the President of the Princeton Club by his side. Art O'Neil led group singing, while Ed Earl, 'l7, furnished piano accompaniment. Jack Clark, as a member of a fine quartet, helped entertain. President Hopkins and Captain Cummings talked about the college in terms of praise for what it has done to produce officers for the Navy, and in terms of confidence for Dartmouth's future. Prexy stressed the great problem of making the College big enough to accommodate all who will want to re-enter or start their university training after the war's end.
Lt. Comdr. Clarke Ingraham, still handicapped by crutches after three months in Brooklyn Naval Hospital, made his first public appearance at the dinner. Clarke reports his son, Ed, over with the Army Air Corps in France, had entered Dartmouth a short time before the war and has been away now for over five years.
Herb Fleming and Phil Bird brought greetings from Boston, while Freddy Balch and Dennie Sullivan must have been sent by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
Phil Ransom, of Buffalo, in town on a business trip, had not had notice of the dinner, and joined us after meeting Spider in the hotel elevator, en route to his room. "Burt" Clarence S. Austin came in from Naugatuck, Conn., where he has a plant supplying special instruments for the war. Fred Daley from Shelton, Conn., was on hand, and also present were Dennis Sullivan (the other one of New Rochelle, New York); San Treat, Chet DeMond, Bud Welsh, Red Colwell, Bud Potter, Fat Jackson, Gin Mullen, Ed Fiske, Paul Clements, Oscar Lewis, Dick Dudensing, Nick Sandoe, Moe Robinson, Tom Bresnahan, William V. Goldberg, (Bill, William Thompson Smith), Horace Hitchcock, Spider Martin, Charley Harney, Louis Munro, Hal Davidson, Jack Moriarty, Hal Parsons, Lew Garrison, Ken Huntington, and Charlie Biddle.
Carol De Mond, Chet's daughter, will graduate in June from Emma Willard School in Troy, New York Bill Smith's son, Alexander, who was at the dinner with his dad, expects to enter Dartmouth as a freshman, July first.
Colonel Dan Featherstone, now with the General Hospital Unit, who has been in Fort Lewis, Washington, and in Camp Roberts, is expecting to go out at almost any time. Dan Jr. is a junior in Deerfield Academy and his daughter Ann is at Convent Station, while his wife, Norma remains at their Asbury Park home.
Charlie Biddle, who has been affiliated with the National City Bank of New York as one of their executives in the Far East since 1922, spent eight months in China and Yokohama as a civilian internee. Charlie reports that he had received decent treatment at all times during his confinement and until his release, which makes some of us who have sons out there a little hopeful. He expects to again take up his post for the bank, probably in China, after we beat Japan.
Alexander S. (Pug) Henderson, now of West Dennis on Cape Cod, missed by bad fortune the chance to be with us for dinner on the 26th. Pug was in New York looking like a young and powerful half-back. He has sold his farm in the south and plans to try a little retired ease.
From the New York Times of April 18:
Edward V. Loughlin announced yesterday that Tammany Hall, of which he is leader, had retained the public relations firm of Russell H. Potter to carry out Tammany's "vigorous program to promote the cause of democracy and the high ideals of President Roosevelt and other national leaders of our great party."
Mr. Potter's last public association, with Democratic national leaders was in June 1943, when he resigned as New York State director of the Office of Price Administration because, he said, he "could not fulfill his duties sincerely, knowing that the OPA is under the thumb of political bosses.
With sorrow and sympathy for Bill McMahon and his family, we announce the loss in action of Richard Paul McMahon, age 20. Dicky was a member of the class of '46 at Dartmouth and joined a division of Paratroopers at the war's start. After a training period in England, Dick took part in the invasion of Germany. He was engaged in leading a rifle platoon when struck down by a shell from a German tank. Dick has seven brothers and sisters surviving, besides his mother and father.
Philadelphia's Dennie Sullivan reports seven children in his fine family and we wish to report that Dennie seems younger in spirit than most college freshmen.
Art Palmer's son, Arthur Jr. was sworn into Naval Aviation on March 17 Jack, Fat Jackson's naval aviation cadet 19-year-old son, is probably scheduled for Chapel Hill this July, where he will mix aviation training with football. Jack excelled in that gentle sport in Exeter after entering Wesleyan as V-5. Jack is now at Baldwin-Wallace, Berea, Ohio.
Secretary, 103 Aviemore Drive New Rochelle, New York Treasurer, Hanover, New Hampshire
