Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1944)
Page 4 THE BATTALION TUESDAY MORNING, FEB. 15,1944. Wing Tips SQUADRON I The white heat of competition that threatens to assume the pro portions and aspects of a knob polishing marathon, sizzles this week in Squadron I. It started, innocently enough, between ramps Three and Five but now it’s a free for all for any body with the time and the Fri day night ambition. It started when Lieutenant H. B. Segrest, Squadron tactical officer, had voiced before the entire squadron his praise of the shining white floors of ramp Five. Ramp Three, where several rooms full of Eager Beavers had sweated earnestly with GI brush es and strong soap, was injured. Cut to the quick, suh, stabbed ignominiously in the pride. Last Saturday the Lieutenant found nearly all the brass door knobs, lock plates, window hand les and latches on ramp Three gleaming from fresh applications of steel wool and blitz clothes. They glittered in the somewhat year-worn halls like diamonds on threadbare plush. So in each succeeding ramp the Lieutenant dropped the gentle hint. And Beavers of varying de grees of Eagerness knew the answer. For 70 rooms, there no doubt will be 70 shining door knobs next Saturday, and no little muttering Friday night. But someone, in the heat of their ire, will dream up a new one and the vicious circle will start again. Wax on the floors, furniture polish, new paint jobs—who knows ? Anything can happen and odds are better than slight that the Beaver who first put the abrasive to the brass or applied sand soap to the pine planks al ready can foresee the day he’ll wish he hadn’t. SQUADRON III Mr. Johnston’s folks wish to say they enjoyed their stay here very much, and only wish they could have stayed longer. They also enjoyed their ride in one of our interstate muck. * * * The Personality Kid—Yesterday with “Poison-ality plus,” A/S Bil lie J. Skinner gave his version of how a cadet looks in full blackout. IM POT’S Watch Dog of the Aggies By tall stretches and hand man euvers he gave the English class a picture of all sorts of loops and tailspins like they might expect to see in the future. *- * * What does Wing Adjutant Vem Miller mean when he goes around giving the commands “Fuselage Ten-Hut” or “Empennage at Ease”. * * * Mr. Perry is an honorary plane washer now. He’ll stop laughing now. * * * We hope Mr. Eccell doesn’t break his arm patting himself on the back as a Hot Pilot. * * * Mr. Folkerson claims he misses his usual trips under the famous bridge since they changed instruc tors. * * * Maybe a certain Mr. Dell will stay awake in class now. A hot foot did the trick. * * * Would somebody please give Mr. Martin information where the rank of student officers begins. He can’t see why a Flight Sergeant can’t march out with the Flight Officers. * • * The reason Flight 33 had to march was a bird flew threw the ranks and made them rather con fused. SQUADRON IY The mystery of the missing guidon ended Thursday when a casual Western Union messenger boy delivered a neat package to the Squadron IV orderly room and several hundred aviation students breatahed easier. * * * The banner missing since early morning, was in the package. It’s disappearance brought forth a threat to withhold privileges until it was returned, which seem ed to take the flavor from the horseplay. * * * Ninety men passed the word along “Tonight’s the night”, and the trap was set to catch who ever was doing all the mischief in G-10. The Gremlins got in nevertheless and twilight found several beds short-sheeted and one bed filled with crumbs. * * * Romeo’s flame seems to be pull ing the wool over his eyes—Char les Toft comes out one day with a letter, the next day a picture— all from Bryan. He then calls EDITOR Francis D. Wallace Managing Editors William A. Miller ■d K. Brome B. Mattingly Feature Editors Richard K. Brome Editorial Board iry B. Matting . Sports Editors Windell W. Melton Lt. W. F. Moist Robert J. Kerrigan Music Editor Vincent Nonnemecher A./S W. A. Miller Calendar Editor. Howard E. Leap A/S F. D. Wallace A /S R. K. Brome Reporters A/S Sidney I. Greenberg A/S Harry Katzakian A/S Charles Miller A/S Harry J. Owens A/S Clifford R. Gerry A/S Theodore C. Cottrell A/S Alan D. Montgomery Last Issue Send Home a PHOTOGRAPH of you in your uniform It Will Be Appreciated! A. & M. PHOTO SHOP Next Door to A. & M. Grill - - - North Gate Gentlemen, we’re "bn the rocks! We might dilly dally around here for a few months and watch the thing die a slow death, but it’s never very nice to see something that you’ve sweated for, and nursed, and babied along until you thought that at last it was big enough to stand on its own two feet suddenly get sick and slowly go off. Frankly, we’d rather kill it, and let it go fast. When some of us came here this wasn’t much of a paper, and so we got busy and we tried to bring it somewhere near the standard that a paper representing a thous and should be. And you saw it grow. Each week, as you picked up the latest issue, you felt a small portion of the pride that we felt as we realized that it was surely getting better. And then, one day, we saw it fall—and we knew that we were back where we started from. And why? No, it wasn’t all our fault, although we, all of us— you, your room mate, and the guy who lives across the hall— had plenty to do with it. First, there was that guy that none of us can ever beat—Old Man Time. The staff is here for the same thing that you’re here for, to make the best grades possible. The only way that we could study and put out a paper at the same time was to get late lights. But they were struck from the list of our “privileges” too. Now there is danger that passes to staff mem bers will be called in. With that news, things really went to pot. Some of the best men on the paper had to quit simp ly because they didn’t stand a chance with the Old Man. Please don’t misunderstand this; we’re not blaming any one, or any group. Sometimes we wonder why we haven’t quit ourselves. Well, that’s about all. Oh, there are a few other things that con- tributed, too, but those are the main ones—lack of time and lack of interest. So what are you going to do? We’re going to try to save the thing from our end by pleading for a reinstatement of our old privileges, but even this won’t really save the paper. It’ll only prolong the agony. You’re the one who can make this sheet again a real organ of the 308th. All we need is a few men who are inter ested enough to give only a few minutes a week and we can give you some copy that you’ll want to read again. Well, what do you say? It’s your hands now. We’ve tried give it to you straight. WILL THIS BE THE LAST ISSUE? Beaverettes’ Column The usual meeting of the Beav erettes on Tuesday evening was postponed due to the show on at the Guion Hall at that time. Dun- ninger’s performance was ac claimed a grand one by all Beav ers and Beaveretices who attended. A group of 10 wives showed up at the Bowling meet last Thurs day evening. We had a good time even though we are beginners. If this attendance keeps up we will soon have a standing Thursday night date. We are losing a few of our Beaverettes. We wonder what the reason is. Could be the missing friendship and encouragement of Capt. Hill or perhaps the lack of cooperation on the part of some people who are not doing all in their power to make things pleas ant. Congratulations to a certain Beaver and his Beaverette who are celebrating one year of wed ded bliss. First hundred are the hardest, Norma. Beaver Band Rocks Crockett With Extemporaneous Jive By Vincent Nonnemecher The Military Band of the 308th CTD blew Crockett, Texas, wide open last Saturday night—by popular request of the citizens of Crockett, according to members of the band. It was not sabotage. On the contrary, it was for the patriotic purpose of selling bonds. The band members, who left Sat-* the sweet lass from whom he re ceived them only to find that she was no longer a miss but a Mrs. and that she had lived in Okla homa City since last June. There must be something fishy about this . . . (ha ha). * * * Wing Board Millican exmember of the Ft. Worth Rough Riders— to prove his endurance, he recent ly retired for the. night with his fatigues and G. I’s on. * * * Wolf comes sliding thru—Mr. Raymond E. Wolf made a one point landing while making a skidding stop in P. T. today. He arose with red on his face and green on his pants and smiles all around him. * * * Aviation Student Alvin Peterson left for Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday evening because of tne serious ill ness of his father. "Word was re ceived here late in the afternoon and he left by the six o'clock train. * * * Mr. Charles A. Deislinger now takes the Guidon everywhere he goes. He wears it strapped to him like a six gun on the “Pistol Pack ing Mama.” Squadron 4 is wondering how Mr. Bossert will ever conduct the Glee Club without a baton. A L ^ erators Eighth Marks Year and Half Of Hun Blasting^ One and a half years have phssed since the Eighth Bomber Com mand tried their “wings” at air war, dropped their first bomb loads on Dutch airfields. On July 4, 1942, escorted by British Bos tons, six American crews of light bombardment squadron took off for their “kindergarten raid.” Two American planes were shot down. Today, 800 to 1,000 rugged Fly ing Fortresses slip quietly over the Channel in early dawn to lib erate from their bomb bays over ten times the loads that the first raiders dropped. Almost any mission of the Eighth Bomber Command might oe termed a ".f amous rugnt." The Rouen raid on August 17 was the first official raid of the Eighth Bomber Command. All onips returned safely. On Janu ary 27, 1943, for the first time, me Eighth Bomber Commana mined the RAF in its assults on jermany, attacking naval dock yards at \V ilheimshaven. When seventy-three Forts, twenty-four blasted the Bremen rumor says it has been lost. Have a Coke”=A thousand miles is not too far to come ...or being friendly with a Chinese cadet Chinese flyers here in America for training have found that so simple a phrase as Have a “Cake” speaks friendship in any tongue. East, west, north, south, Coca-Cola stands for the pause that refreshes, — hag become the happy bond between people of good will, BOTTLED UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE COCA-COLA COMPANY BY BRYAN COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY Vulcan shipbuilding yards at Vege sack, it marked the largest forct ever sent over one target by the BC. It also proved the faith oi those who ardently believed in high altitude precision bombing The destruction of the Focke-Wuli plant at Marienberg, the smash ing of the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt will be recorded foi the penetrating blow to German industry. Every morning that the Fort ress crews climb nonchalantly into the ships, open their bomb bay doors over Europe, they art weakening Axis industry, crippl ing the spirit of the German peo ple.—Air News. “Coke It’s natu to acq ttons. That’s why you h Coca-Cola called “Coke”. I ICoca-Cola tural for popular names uire friendly abbrevia- That’s why you hear Bryan Activities For Next Weekend PROGRAM ACnvrriES, BRYAN USO CLUB, 2l6 West 26th Street. Saturday—4:00 p. m. Group Singing; 8:00 p. m., Ping Pong Contest, Prizes. Sunday—9:30 to 10:30 a. m.. Coffee and Doughnuts; 10:45 a m., Let’s Go to Church. 6:00 p. m., Hymn Singing. COUNTRY CLUB ACTIVITIES Saturday—8:00 p. m., Dance, Country Club. Bryan Blind Fliers Use Fleet of AT-6s As the only instructors’ school in the United States teaching Army Air Forces student officers “blind” flying, Bryan Field’s training program depends greatly on its large fleet of strong, dur able and easy-to-fly North Amer ican Aviation AT-6’s. 'A student officer at Bryan may be going through a storm and suddenly hit a gust of 100-miles- an-ihour up-going wind. The next minute he may hit another gust of 100-miles-an-hour wind, this time going down. It takes a pow erfully built and quickly respon sive ship to stand such conditions. Because the North American Aviation AT-6’s filled these qual ifications to the letter, it was de cided to use the AT-6’s at Bryan Field. A quick glance at the school’s outstanding record is evi dence the choice was a wise one. Colonel Duckworth and his staff of capable instructors are serving as the teachers—and North Am erican Aviation AT-6’s are the classrooms.—Skyline. Joe Doakes Speaks On Pride By Hillary Mattingly Perhaps you don’t know me; perhaps you never will know me, but I’m the fellow that stands right next to you Tn formation for reveille, mess, retreat and at var ious other times during the day. i’m Mr. Aviation Student, a mem ber of the, Army Air Force just ike you and the gentleman on tht ither side of you. Looking at ourselves we may ^eem to be rather small or unim portant members of the 308th C T. D., but in that phrase alone we are powerful and most important Like most of you, I didn’t joir 'he AAF just for the glory it ha^ c o offer. I had a job to do, anr? Tiy fulfilling that job made B imperative that I join, for like vou, I felt I could best do my job : n the air. So here we were sent to the 108th C. T. D. at Texas A. & M How well I remember that firs* lay here. I knew at last that 7 vas beginning my career as ar Aviation Cadet, and, although ‘’illed as I was with the glory anr* oride of the though, I sensed ar iir of tenseness about myself anr 1 Hie other new men. This feelinp made us feel united amongst our selves within our Squadron. But before long, we realized wp weren’t only members of our res lective Squadron, but were alsr members of the 308th C. T. D : ust like all the other Squadron? were. Once this thought strucb 'is, we lost that air of tensenes? and began to feel at ease amonp "he gentlemen of the other squad rons. So it was, that I first realized how important being a member of urday morning with the idea of playing in a parade and concert, eventually found themselves in volved in a street corner jam ses sion, a civic dinner, and a dance at which Detachment Dance Band members entertained on borrowed instruments. Enthusiasm for the band concert lead to a number of requests from the spectators. The requests in turn led to a few ideas thrown in by the boys. By the time the un rehearsed jam session was over the members found they had play ed such numbers as Beer Barrel Polka, Pistol Packin’ Mama, and Aggie War Hymn. They hit an all- time high when they played Blue Skies and Star Dust—probably the first and last time these popular classics were ever played by a mil itary band. During the course of a dinner given for the band, the mayor of the town decided to put on an im promptu dance for the band mem bers. He opened the country club and rounded up a convoy of beau tiful girls in record breaking time. At the dance, members of the Beav er Dance Orchestra borrowed in struments from a Crockett High School, and played a half hour pro gram as an intermission feature. The convoy of GI trucks carry ing band members back to- College Station arrived here at 0300 Sun day—with all members present ex cept a few men who had the fore sight to draw passes to Crockett. Information concerning sidelight social activities of the day may be obtained from band members R. Wolfe, W. Condley, H. Martin, R. Getting, R. Gilbert, and T. Tomlinson. Towships Take Beating at Vegas “For my money,” says Captain Wallace W. Woods of the Las Vegas (Nevada) Army Air Field, “there’s no plane built that can take the beating our AT-6’s take and get away with as little main tenance.” “In one day,” Captain Woods reveals, “our AT-6’s fly the equiv alent of four times the distance around the world at the equaltor." Each tow ship drags a heavy wire-mesh target, 4% by 20 feet, plus at least 500 feet of steel cable. Every time a target is released in the firing area, the towship is jerked to half its speed. At the same time, the tow ships are required to stay ahead of the firing ships. This means full throttle during the entire mission. The firing ships don’t have a much easier life. Their speeds have to vary radically. Their maneuvers are intricate. Worst strain, however, is the recoil of their machine guns. Successive firing missions literally tear the planes apart. Yet the rugged AT-6’s can take it, and keep go ing back for more.—Skyline. -i- Law j.x xx±±sj wuxo, xx±\* m X. xxxixj L/ J V *JXAXi*XX Xxx CJ.J.VS ImZCAC evo uiAtvw, X. Xxx xxxxjxvx cvaaaLj ^ x*. x\x Xxxx~ -t' w -*■ MAAVA WaaO ^X^XX C.AVwAAACAi.A V/AA ^ l/VXAV,A. \JJL J Xj IX. AkJ AAAAJVWA WWVAA J Xxxj Xl XAAV/CA^AA a. Va Waaaaa Cvy AWW you know that I’m proud to be a member of the 3U8th C. T. D., be- dause this Pride that I have learn ed here is one of the things that i’ll need as I go on in my train ing. As an Aviation Cadet I’ll seeing you at reveille. DR. N. B. McNUTT DENTIST Office in Parker Building Over Canady’s Pharmacy Phone 2-1457 Bryan, Texas LOUPOT’S Where You Always Get a Fair Trade Catalina Sweaters Choose Catalina Sweat ers for warmth . . . good looks and extra wear. Every sweater is tailored by master knitters from the finest yarns obtain able. You’ll like the smart weaves and pat terns. Sleeveless . $2.50 to $6.50. Slipons . . $4.00 to $6.50 Coat Styles . . $4.00 to $7.50 OEM! “Two Convenient Stores” College Station Bryan have to take pride in all I do. Be NOTE YOUR APPEARANCE VISIT OUR TWO BARBER SHOPS OFTEN FOR EXPERT WORK YMCA-Varsity Barber Shop Central “Y” r* me (!/ JAFSf DO YOUR PART » BUY WAR BONDS