ain

Well do you remember the dato of July 21, 1944, when Marine Lieutenant T. P.
Hunter died on Guam, the first day of its invasion. Another invasion - Iwo Jima -
cost the life of Marine Captain Fred Eberhardt, another University of Kansas im-
mortal. Fred lettered in track in '40 and '41. I could not devict the unquench-
able velor of the man as well as did the Kansas City Star of March 16, so I am
quoting this to you in full.

"Out on lonely, blood-stained Iwo Jima, Capt. Fred Eberhardt, one of Kansas
University's greatest students lies among the yet uncounted dead, and his year
younger brother, who trained and fought beside him for nearly four years, has
buried his. kin and then from a hospital wrote the parents here (Salina) to break the
sad news. . :

"tis ao man speaking to a man I must tell you plainly and direct)y--Fred jis dead,'
Lieut. Charles Eberhardt, 22, wrote his father, Frank L. Zberhardt. I write you be-
cause I cannot bear to toll mother what she must know. I cannot tell you the date
and place of his death, but I can tell you that I was there and that he was killed
in action leading his men in the way which has made him a near-legend in our regiment.
He died instantly, from an artillery shell fragment. ... . AS you read this and ~
feel its hurt, think of the ache I felt there on the field of battle. Only my res-
ponsibility to keep going in order to lead my men kept me from breaking under a °° =
strain which even before Frod's death had seemed almost beyond human capacity to’
withstand. To me, Fred was more than a brother, he was the best man I ever “knew.

"'Eved knew. well that he might.die ond he was not afraid. Fred could have nad
@ job with. much. less personal risk, After his conduct on Saipan and ’ subsequent
decoration he could have had nearly any job ho desired. He was even given a Bec
to return to the states, but he could.not accept it because of his ste and sincere
conviction that. he must do all he could. out here, |

"Ab of his actions were judged by. their relationship to. ies: own pbtepdda tis
and that conscience’was no vague light, no impetuous intuition. _It was the rational
judgment of one of the most sincere, : imaginative and intelligent men.who ever lived.
He fought in the front lines of the marine corps because he knew that someone had to
do it and that he could do it. Therefore, he would do it. He had only loathing for
the rear echelon people who demoted — minds and abilities to saving their own
skins and to personal gain. ©

"tibove all, he was concerned with ail mankind! s shee reris and ignorance and

greed and malice, and’ he hoped some day to be»a..part of the educational or adminis--
trative system which would work toward-elininating those ills... Meanwhile, he was -
Coing the.most any.man can do in order to- preserve the possibility of working for a
bettar world.

"’In the past months we spent many long nights talking, and found that after
years of identical environment and then educations in. quito diverse colleges we held :
almost exactly. the same viewpoirits. Fred's greatness so far was shown only on battle=
ficlds, and the loss of that greatness is a.loss which extends, far beyond ‘our family.
Knowing him as no one else Imew him, I ask you to be brave as he was brave and face
the world for which he fought with ‘the: same. AODe tho same visigns. and the 8 ame aoe
votion.,'

"As an afterthought and in a. postscript, Lbs tyerhardt told his fathor he had
been wounded ‘in action, was in the Mariana islands, and was recovering. The mber=
hardts have a third son, Ensign .Chris uberhardt, oo now. back. in the states after
assignments on the South Pacific,"

Marine Captain Fred Hberhard+'s ieoton of uaa can waged with pride the
words of one who said, "Only those are good to live whd are not afraid to die."
Certainly he knew this was his lot, his responsibility, and his choice.