17 January 1945

Dear Dr. Allen,

Say, my Christmas card certainly brought forth a nice dividend} Thanks
a million, Doé, for adding my name te your mailing list of the "Rebounds."
Never was news more welcome. I've read and re-read that November issue and
I must say that you've packed a whale of a lot of. good reading into those
pages. I must now confess that for the first time since leaving the campus
in May of 1943, I feel up-to-date and fully informed on the adventures of
Jayhawkers, whose gridiron, basketball, and track achievements I once had the
opportunity to write up for The K.C, Star. oo

If those damn Japs hadn't dragged us into this fricas, I'de still be turn
ing out sports copy on K.U. athletic teams, Now that I'm in this war, I would
n't trade my "blues" for the snappiest sport suit that may be even now on dis-
play at Carl's. No sir! As i look at it, Uncle Sam is giving me a wonderful
opportunity to see a part of the world outside the continental limits of the
good ole' U.S.A, and fight for those "freedoms" that every man in the armed
forces and those we left behind...want preserved}

Really, Doc, so much water has flowed under that proverbial bridge since
my leaving the "hill," that I hardly know where to begin in bringing you up
to date on my activities and adventures in the Navy. So, I'l] retrace my
steps and go back to July lst of 1943, when I began my ¥-l2 training at Oberlin
College, Oberlin, Ohio. I spent four months happy months at that quiet, con-
servative school. Made a lot of new friends, Since my major was journalism
and because the school did not offer a curriculum by which I could continue.
work toward my degree, the V-12 Unit Commander arranged a transfer to North-
western,

On November 3, I arrived on the N.U. campus. I was enrolled in 14 hours
of journalism and 3 of navigation. So, although the Navy was paying my tuition)
board and room, I felt almost like a civilian student again! When J entered
the Midshipmen's School at Céhumbia University, I soon found out I was really
in the Navy. Those sixteen weeks of training were really rugged. Don't
known when I ever studied so hard in all my life. Really, Doc, I think I
could make Phi Beta Kappa now if I returned to K.U. and practiced my "middie"
school study habits! Heh, heh: : ,

Well, to continue, I became an "officer and gentleman by Act of Congress"
on the 2&th of June of 1944. Yes, I finally became an Ensign. Left Columbia
U. with a pretty good record, too. Stood 164th in a class of 1400, which
isn't bad for K.U's pererial "freshman," for as you know, I had a little troublle
getting initiated into A.T.0. Just couldn't make a "C" averages Guess I

just played around too much with those Chi O's and Pi Phis.

With my midshipmen's training behind me, I thought + was through with
book-learning. Was I ever wrong! When I reported to the Amphibious Training
Base at Coronado, Calif., on the 12 of July, I found out I was still an Ensigy
under instruction. That I remained until the 4th of September, when I and
eleven other officers were given a draft of "boots," to train as a transport
boat group. This we did, spending another six weeks, teaching those kids
the ship-to-shore movement applied in amphib operations and small-boat handl-
ing. You see, as boat officers, we lead in a wave of landing barges. Yes,
that's my duty in the Navy.

 

 

On the 21st of October, our outfit received orders to pick up a soem 12
transport, the U.S.S. Eastland which was just commissioned at one of bhe

West Coast ship yards. I reported aboard on the 2¢th and it was then tha All

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