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Special Safety Edition
Che Battalion
Volume 60
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1963
Number 183
Mrs. Rudder and I wish the
faculty, staff and students of
Texas A&M a joyous holiday,
full of the true meaning of
Christmas.
May peace on earth and good
will continue to be our creed
throughout the New Year. Each
of you have an important niche
in our A&M family.
We fervently hope that good
judgement and caution by every
one will prevent needless trag
edy to mar this happy season.
Earl Rudder, President,
Texas A&M University
96 Texas Deaths To Mar
Family Holiday Festivities
Garrison Gives
Extra Warning
To Be Careful
Death has been particularly
close to Aggies during the past
few days. Seldom before has
there been occasion to hold so
many Silver Taps ceremonies
within the space of just a few
days.
True all these men did not die
in traffic accidents, yet two Ag
gies have recently died in—or as
a result of—auto accidents with
in hours of each other.
With this in mind Col. Homer
Garrison Jr., Director of the Tex
as Department of Public Safety
has conveyed a personal message
to all Aggies before they depart
for home:
“Past experience has indicated
that an estimated 96 human lives
will be taken in traffic accidents
in Texas during the coming
Christmas-New Year holiday sea
son unless a most unusual effort
is made on the effort of all Tex
ans who drive, to hold the line
and prove the statistics wrong.
“Driving too fast for existing
conditions, driving while drink
ing, or on the wrong side of the
road—or a combination of these
factors, are the standout reasons
for this tragedy that occurs at
this otherwise wonderful time of
year.
“But there is one over-all fac
tor that cannot be denied in
pointing fingers at the cause of
fatal accidents, and that is the
general carelessness and inat
tentiveness on the part of driv
ers.
“During this nine day period
the Department of Public Safety
will step up its enforcement pro
gram by adding an extra 150
patrolmen from out of other uni
formed services to the Highway
Patrol.
“This will not do the job itself
because there are simply not
enough men to cover every mile
of highway. The drivers them
selves are the ones who can do
the biggest job in adverting a
huge toll of lives during the
holidays.
“The Department of Public
Safety will also launch an Oper
ation Deathwatch during the pe
riod of Christmas Eve through
out New Years in an effort to
keep the dangers of holiday traf
fic uppermost in the minds of
motorists.
“During this period we will
tabulate violent deaths as they
occur and three times daily the
death count will be revealed to
the public through the news
media.
“Meanwhile the Highway Pa
trol will be constantly on the
alert to detect any abnormal con
ditions which might eventually
lead to accidents, and will take
proper steps toward preventing
tragedies.
“Let me repeat however that
the most effective work must be
done by the drivers themselves.
Only by taking care to avert
tragedy can we expect the num
ber of deaths to be under the
estimate.”
STUDY THIS MAP CAREFULLY BEFORE YOUR TRIP HOME.
Highway
Needless
Fatality Will Bring
Family Grieving
BY NICHOLAS D. BLAIN
In October of 1962 a college
senior’s life was taken on the
highway between Dallas and
Kaufman. It was not just an or
dinary accident but one that in
jured the hearts of many people.
The student attended a South
west Conference School and was
on the varsity football team. He
was to be graduated in May of
1963. He had been 21 for two
months and was at the happiest
time in his life. On October 20,
he had become engaged to a girl
from Arlington at approximately
10 p.m. On Sunday morning, Oct.
21, at 2 a.m.—he was dead.
A drunken driver had fallen
asleep at the steering wheel of
his car. He crossed the center
Their Christmas Joy Dies
When You Are A Statistic
By MIKE REYNOLDS
Will you be a Major 10-76 for
Christmas? Three people, in
particular, will be waiting with
dread anticipation to hear your
final note of fame over a police
radio.
Ten-seventy-six is a code that
will alert Manley Jones, ambu
lance driver, Dr. J. W. Martin
Jr. and Ron Crenshaw, Bryan
police dispatcher, when a major
highway accident involving seri
ous injury takes place over the
holidays. However, they don’t
want you to be part of it; Christ
mas would be better for them
if they had no business.
Jones, of Calloway-Jones Fu
neral Home, has had his Christ
mas holidays ruined too many
times.
“The first and last thing you
will hear on the telephone will
be that voice crying, ‘My God!
Hurry,’ and you will never forget
it,” Jones said.
Dr. Martin, president of the
Brazos - Robinson Medical As
sociation, is lucky. He is called
in on emergencies only in special
cases, but he, too, must look at
death.
“I just don’t understand how
level-headed, sensible people who
have driven safely for many
years, suddenly do something
very stupid,” said Martin.
The doctor went on to relate
that studies now reveal that
many drivers, who are injured
because of a lack of good judge
ment, are suffering from carbon
monoxide poisoning or are seda
tives and drugs.
“If an Aggie speeds and kills
himself, he is the only one that
suffers, but how many people
have seen rescue workers pull
a headless baby from a car that
had been struck by a drunk.
It isn’t pretty when an adult gets
killed, but how can a baby defend
himself?
Will they be forced to listen
to your Major 10-76 on their
radios ?
MANLEY JONES
RON CRENSHAW DR. J. W. MARTIN JR.
line and struck the young man’s
automobile. The youth was killed,
the girl injured slightly — the
drunken driver escaped unin
jured.
It was a shattering thought
that a young man who had never
been happier in his life was now
dead. The girl he had loved was
now alone in the world. The
mother and father had lost their
only child.
The mother of the boy had just
returned home from the hospital,
having had an operation. Upon
receiving the notice of the death
of her only child—she could only
weep. The father could only say
—“Why did it have to happen to
our boy?” The girl, who was in
the hospital, had not been told of
the death of the young man she
loved.
Having been notified of the
death, a nephew immediately
rushed to the side of the mother.
When he neared the bedside of
his aunt, she woke up and looked
at him. She said, “Your mother
will have to give you to me so
she can have a daughter (his
older sister) and I can still have
a son to love.”
The girl told him the story of
her life. Her father had been
killed in an automobile accident
when she was seven and her first
boy friend had been killed on a
Aggies Urged
To Be Careful
While Driving
“W i t h approximately 8,000
students hitting the highways at
the end of this week, we all hope
that everyone will drive careful
ly, will avoid driving when fa
tigued or after having a drink
and will drive defensively as
though all other drivers are
crazy,” said James P. Hannigan,
Dean of Students, in a statement
Wednesday.
“We certainly hope that all
students are carrying the acci
dent insurance policy sponsored
by the Student Senate,” said
Hannigan. “This is inexpensive
and covers the student both in
and out of school. Too often the
student runs up a big hosiptal
bill which would be paid by this
policy if he had only bothered to
take it out.
“Safe motoring and Merry
Christmas to all!”
motorcycle three years previous
ly. She felt that there was no
way for her to keep living.
The nephew stops at his aunt’s
and uncle’s everytime he goes
home. They have discovered that
they can live without their son,
but they are very sad. The father
is now wearing the college senior
ring that his son was to wear the
rest of his life. The mother wears
the diamond wedding ring that
was to be the keepsake of the
young girl.
My uncle told me that he only
hoped that the good Lord will
only bring them together in
heaven, for I am that nephew.
‘Drive
Plead
“The College Station Police
Department urges all students
to drive with caution over the
Christmas holidays. We want
to see all students arrive home
safely although, judging from
past experience, this seems very
unlikely,” said Lee Norwood,
chief of police.
“We particularly want to re
mind you that drinking and driv
ing do not mix,” said Norwood.
“This is a very serious problem,
especially during the Christmas-
New Year holidays season. A
person may be convicted of driv
ing while intoxicated after con
suming as little as one shot of
liquor or three bottles of beer.
The punishment for first-offense
DWI is a fine of from $50-$500
and a jail sentence of three days-
two years, along with a 6 month
suspension of one’s driver’s li
cense. If you drink, that’s your
business. If you drink and drive,
that’s our business.”
“Speed is another major high
way killer,” said William A.
Lusk, patrolman. “Simply obey
ing the speed limit and driving
a safe speed are often two entire
ly different things. To decide
upon a safe speed one must con
sider the thickness of population,
weather conditions, road condi
tions and mental or physical
fatigue. Most of our students
are good, safe drivers, but only
one mistake can result in an
accident which can overshadow
this fact and leave people with
Deathwatch 9 Set
To Begin Dec. 24
Your life is worth more than a statistic and a news
paper story.
But if you are one of 96 persons who become Texas
Highway fatalities during the Christmas-New Year's holi
day period, your only recognition will be a funeral service
and a tally in the Texas Department of Public Safety
“Operation Deathwatch.”
“Operation Deathwatch” begins Dec. 24 at 12:01
a. m. and continues until 11:59 p. m. Jan. 1, 1964.
You may consider yourself too good of a driver to be
killed in an automobile wreck. So did more than 2,000 other
Texans last year. You say that you will drive carefully
during the holidays. Every- 1 *
14TH YEAR
Safety Edition
To Be Entered
In Competition
Another Christmas season is
once again dominant upon the
American scene. A scene of joy
and merriment prevails over the
American countryside. It is hard
to realize that such a scene can
bring about the deaths of count
less number of motorists who for
some reason or another become
lackadaisical in their driving
habits.
But, these unfortunate and
tragic mishaps do happen and
for this reason, this special safe
ty edition is presented to you,
the student in hopes that you
will sincerely adhere ta the pre
cautions contained in these
pages.
For the 14th straight year this
edition will be submitted to the
Lumbermens Mutual Casualty
Co. college newspaper safety
contest. This contest was origi
nated in 1948 and now college
papers across the country con
tribute their pre-Christmas edi
tions to safety campaigns.
Last year The Battalion re
ceived an honorable mention rat
ing. The Battalion has won
awards 11 times, taking second
place in 1959 and first place hon
ors a year later in 1960.
Since the start of this contest,
The Battalion ranks second
among the college paper entries.
Today 9 s Thought
As long as people are ready to
die for a great cause, that cause
can never die—George Meany.
one makes this promise. Un
fortunately, some do not live
up to their word.
THE DEATH RATE con
tinues to mount year after year.
However, accidents can be pre
vented by observing driving pre
cautions and highway laws.
These include: Don’t drive too
fast for road and traffic con
ditions ; obey traffic laws and
signs; allow plenty of time for
any trips; be on the alert for
dangerous mistakes on the part
of the other drivers and pedes-
trains, and don’t drink before
driving.
DRINKING AND DRIVING
too fast for conditions are factors
in seven-eights of all holiday
accidents, previous reports have
shown. Research studies show
that a blood alcohol concentration
of 0.05 per cent (about two or
three drinks) impairs to some de
gree the driving ability of most
individuals. At a concentration of
0.10 per cent (five or six drinks),
all individuals are definitely im
paired.
IN MOST MOTOR-VEHICLE
accidents, improper driving of one
kind or another is a contributing
curcumstance. In fatal accidents,
it is principally speed, with driv
ing left of center line next, al
though less than half as impor
tant.
Will the flag in front of the
Academic Building be at half-
mast Jan. 6 in honor of an Aggie
traffic fatality ? Statistics say it
will. Let’s prove them wrong.
Carefully’
Policemen
an inaccurate, totally different
impression of the average A&M
student.”
Home For Christmas?
By JIM BUTLER
A dimly lighted Christmas tree
Stands stark in a cheerless room.
Untouched presents lay beneath,
Forgotten mid thickening gloom.
Your body has come home.
Sobs have taken the place of hymns.
Tears supplant the snow;
A joyous occasion to honor a birth
Has suffered a saddening blow.
Your body has come home.
In the living room, the fireplace,
That used to burn so bright,
Lays cold and grey, giving no warmth
To a sad and lonely night.
Your body has come home.
The silence of sudden sorrow
Hangs like a formless shroud
Above a home all prepared
To welcome a spirited crowd.
They brought your body home.
Lucky you won’t have to see
The sorrow and the dread
That fill your family’s faces
When they hear that you' are dead
And bring your body home.
Were you driving too fast, or drinking?
Careless, or just too tired?
It doesn’t really matter now.
Your family has desired
To bring your body home.