1-

THE MCCALLIE ALUMNI JOURNAL

VOL. I

Published by The Alumni Office, McCallie School Chattanooga, Tennessee

DECEMBER, 1945

To The Alumni of The McCallie School:

NO. 1

I am now starting my forty-first year in the school under a somewhat different set-up. At my earnest solicitation, the board of trustees has accepted my resignation as headmaster of the school, although they refused to do it two years ago when I asked for it, at the age of sixty-eight. Now at the Biblical limit of seventy, I feel as if I ought to give up the title and the honors to the younger men of the school. I am continuing to teach and I am serving as president of the board. So far as the situation goes along here in school, no one would notice any difference save in the titles in the catalogue. I am happy, however, that the school has able men to . carry it on and that I can more and more relinquish authority to a more vigorous group.

I would be derelict in my duty to you alumni if I did not express to you the tremendous pride that I have in the achievements of the alumni of McCallie School all over the world in the military service of the country. Over 1,500 have entered the service; 55 have paid the supreme sacrifice in the defense of American liberties. These gallant and precious lives have been lost in the air, on the sea, under the sea, and on the ground. I know of no school which has given a greater percent­age of its student body to the armed services, or which has suffered a greater loss than has The McCallie School. In memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice I bow in reverent silence, and to those of you whom God has graciously restored to your homes, I render my gratitude and ap­preciation for what you have done for the American way of life. May God's richest blessings abide with you and yours is the prayer of the faculty of McCallie School.

I am sure you will find elsewhere in this book sent to you announcements of our athletics and other records that you are interested in; therefore, I will talk about some other things that should be of interest to you. I want to state first that the Honor System is just as well observed and is just as much appreciated now as it was when you were in the school. You left to the group that is now carrying on a wonderful heritage, and they appreciate it deeply and are striving to their utmost to protect and strengthen the Honor System.

On the whole, scholarship has improved until McCallie has become the outstanding college en­trance examination board school in the entire South. From a small examination center, Chattanooga has become second in the South only to Richmond, Va. Not only are we a large contributor to the college board, but our boys have taken unusually fine stands at the leading colleges of the country. Such colleges and universities as Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, M. 1. T., United States Naval Academy, United States Military Academy, Washington and Lee, University of Virginia, University of North Carolina, Duke University, Emory University and Vanderbilt, besides many others, render praise to the excellence of the scholarship that our students have secured here at The McCallie. School.

We have been deeply gratified by the loyal support that the alumni have already given to the school and we confidently expect the gifts from the alumni and patrons to increase so that McCallie can continue to maintain itself at the very top among secondary schools. As you will note from an­other place in this book, plans are going forward for extensive improvements.

It is my sincere hope that I may see many of you from time to time, as you come back to visit your Alma Mater.

Sincerely,

x:1f.Yn,'~ S. J. McCALLIE, President of the Board of Trustees of The McCallie School

6 McCallie Alumni Journal

IN MEMORIAM We honor the memory of these sons of McCallie, known to have lost their lives or still be missing in

action in World War II. Several pictures secured too late to be used, will appear in the next issue.

* LT. DAVID A. ALLEN '34 Charlotte, N. C.

Lt. David Allen was killed in action aboard the U.S.S. Franklin March 20, 1945. He volunteered for service in the Navy in April, 1942, took his indoctrination course at Harvard Uni­versity and was first assigned to duty in Washington, D. C. He was then sent to the Radar School at St. Si­mons Island, Ga. Soon thereafter he was assigned to sea duty in the Pa­cific and saw action in more than one engagement. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Paul H. Allen, his wife, the former Jennie Ann Efird, sister of Paul, '38 and Jack, '39 and two chil­dren, Paul and Mary Ann.

LT. MICHAEL M. ALLISON '28 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Lt. Michael M. Allison was killed in action Nov. 28, 1944, eleven days after the birth of his son, Michael Jr. Mike, or "Steamboat" as he was affectionately called, was with the Seventh Army as a reconnaissance officer with an artillery unit. He land­~d with the invasion forces of South­ern France early last fall. Lt. Allison was a prominent Chattanooga attor­ney and his wife is the former La­Georgia Newell, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. E. T. Newell.

Lt. David A. Allen, '84

* S / SGT. JAMES A. BACON, JR. '42

Chattanooga, Tenn. S/ Sgt. James A. Bacon Jr., son of

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Bacon of Chattanooga, and a former McCallie School football star, was reported killed in action on Leyte Island in the Philippines on Nov. 10, 1944. Sgt. Bacon was a radio-gunner assigned to a B-17 Flying Fortress. Sgt. Bacon entered the Army in March 1943, while a student at the University of Chattanooga. He went overseas on April 2, 1944, and had completed more than 40 missions over enemy territory before his death.

PFC. THOMAS R. BLEDSOE '37

Greensboro, N. C. Pfc. Thomas R. Bledsoe was killed

in action against the Japanese in New Guinea, Jan. 5, 1943. He was a mem­ber of an anti-tank division and in­ducted into the Army in September, 1940. Tom was a senior at the Uni­versity of North Carolina when he entered the service. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Bledsoe of Greensboro, and he is also survived by three sisters. His roommate at McCallie, Lt. Fabius M. Clements Jr. '37 was also killed in action.

Lt. Michael M. Allison, '28

"* PHM3/ c A. J. BRANDON JR. '27

Murfreesboro, Tenn. Joe Brandon died on Sept. 26,1945,

in a U. S. Naval Hospital in Mem­phis. He became ill six months before while on duty at the naval hospital at Oceanside, California, and had been in the Memphis hospital for two months. He was in the insurance business in Chattanooga when he en­tered the service in April, 1944. He is survived by his widow, the former Helen Worsham of Nashville, two sons, his parents, who reside in Mur­freesboro, two brothers and a sister.

2ND LT. GEORGE T. BRIGHT '43

Chattanooga, Tenn. Second Lt. George T. Bright, son

of Mr. and Mrs. Gardner Bright of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., was in­stantly killed while landing a Libera­tor bomber at the Liberal (Kansas) Army Air Field, June 14, 1945. While in McCallie, George was an officer in the Battalion, member of the varsity football and track teams during his senior year, 1943, and was very active in the Glee Club organization. He entered the Air Forces in July, 1943, and won his wings at the Altus Army Air Field in Oklahoma in March, 1945. He had been stationed at Lib-

S l Sgt. James A. Bacon, Jr. , '42

-December, 1945

Pic. Thomas R. Bledsoe, '37

eral, Kansas, since then. George's fa­ther graduated from McCallie in the class of '09.

PVT. NALL BRIGHT '23 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Pvt. NaIl Bright, formerly of the Hamilton National Bank, died in a German prison camp on Nov. 13, 1944. He was a veteran of Anzio Campaign in Italy and went into France with a unit of the army of Gen. Alexander Patch soon after the southern inva­sion of that country. NaIl entered the Army in September, 1943, and went overseas in February, 1944. His brother, Chaplain (Capt.) John Bright

Lt. George T. Bright, '49

'24, recently visited NaIl's grave in the cemetery near the Moosburg camp where he died. Chaplain D. R. Mac­aulay of the Royal Army Medical Corps wrote Mrs. Bright, the former Blanche Fowler, the following from the Moosburg camp, "During your husband's stay in the hospital, he was under my care and his sudden death was a great shock. He was an ex­tremely grateful and cheerful patient and endeared himself to us all during this time. Your husband was buried in the camp cemetery with full mili­tary honors and a guard of honor was formed by the men of his regimentary division and who also served as pall­bearers."

PVT. JOHN W. BURTON '43 Jacksonville, N. C.

Pvt. John W. Burton was killed in action Oct. 13, 1944, in Italy. He had served in the Field Artillery since his induction June 23, 1943, at Fort Bragg, N. C. He had attended the University of North Carolina for a few months previous to this. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. J. W. Burton, of Jack­sonville.

CAPT. W A. CHENOWETH, JR. '34 Birmingham, Ala. .

Capt. Billy Chenoweth, pilot of a B-24, was killed in action in China July 29, 1943. He was a pilot with Gen. Claire Lee Chennault's 14th Air Force. Billy has been awarded the Silver Star posthumously for gallan­try in action and the announcement of the award was made by the 373rd Bombardment Squadron. In addition

Pvt. Nall Bright, '23

7

Pvt. John W. Burton, '43

to the Silver Star, Capt. Chenoweth was awarded the Purple Heart and the Air Medal. The latter was for having executed hazardous missions over enemy territory before he was killed in a heroic feat of seeing that all other members of his crew had parachuted to safety before he crash­landed after the plane he was pilot­ing ran out of gasoline on' an impor­tant mission.

Letters have been received ,by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Cheno­weth, from Gen. H. fl. Arnold and Maj. Gen. C. L. Chennault. Gen. Ar­nold stated, "He skillfully performed the duties of a pilot and while so

CalJt. W. A. Chenoweth, Jr. , '34

8

Lt. Fabius M. Clements, '87

doing exhibited initiative and leader­ship to a noteworthy degree." Gen. Chennault informed the parents that interment services with full military honors were held in a modern Chris­tian cemetery and said, "The coura­geous action will be long remembered and will be an inspiration to members of this command." Maj. Paul J. O'Brien, Billy's roommate~ wrote his parents describing the tragedy. Capt. Chenoweth and another pilot elected to stay with the plane and found themselves too near the ground to jump.

Capt. Charles Parker told the fami­ly that Capt. Chenoweth was killed on a mission over Hong .Kong. "Bill apparently had a hole shot in one of his gas tanks," Capt Parker said. "He lost one engine, then another, but was able to continue flying. He was in s ight of his home field when he was forced to land on a rice paddy and struck an eight-foot dyke after skid­ding 50 yards." Billy attended the University of Virginia before going into the service and was an instructor at Randolph Field, Texas, in 1941-42. He also served in India prior to going to China.

LT. FABIUS M. CLEMENTS '37 Greensboro, N. C.

Lt. Fabius M. Clements was killed in action at the North African front February 2, 1943. First Lt. Clements, an infantry officer, wore the Silver Star and the Order of the Purple Heart for "gallantry in action" at the time of the occupation· of North Africa. He was personally decorated

L t. Harry H. Cohn , '86

in December by Lt. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Fabius was the son of Mrs. F. M. Clements and the late Mr. Clements. After marrying the former Miss Frances Strickland of St. Petersburg, Fla., he was killed on his first wedding anniversary. He is survived by a son, Fabius M. Clements III, born in December, 1942, as well as by his wife and mother:

LT. HARRY H. COHN '36 Memphis, Tenn.

Lt. Harry Cohn was killed on June 11, 1944, during the invasion of France. He was a navigator on an Army photo reconnaissance plane and his pictures of German troop movements and defenses were used on D-Day. He received the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Bernard L. Cohn.

2ND LT. R. P. COVINGTON JR. '42 Charlotte, N. C.

Lt. R. Pat Covington was killed in action on Okinawa June 12, 1945, after previously being reported miss­ing. The Charlotte Observer states, "Lt. Covington had been awarded a special citation for bravery when a Jap suicide plane attacked his plane last Easter Sunday. He had also been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and several air medals." He wa's sent overseas in September, 1944, and had seen action in the Central Pacific and the Philippines and Okinawa. Last winter Pat's mother wrote the follow­ing about his training and service, "Pat passed the examination for the naval Air Corps on Sept. 1, 1942, his

McCallie Alumni Jou'rnal

•

Lt. R. P. Covington, Jr ., '42

eighteenth birthday, and was formally sworn in the service on Sept. 2 and so on to Pensacola where he 'received his wings and designation as a fighter pilot, 2nd Lt. in the USMCR. He saw active service in the Central Pacific, in the Marshall Islands for about 6 weeks." Pat flew the Marine "Hell­cat" that is especially equipped for night fighting. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs'. R. P. Coving­ton, and two sisters and one brother.

Pat and his best friend and fellow Marine Night Fighter, Lt. Don Karn, were planning to write a book about the night fighters and had only be­gun it when Pat was killed. The title was to be "While Others Sleep," which might well be the title of the poem which was included in a letter to his parents just before his death. It is thought that Pat was the au­thor of this poem, but that has not been absolutely established.

"Up from the sleeping earth below, Up to your darksome goal,

Into the pillowed clouds you go, Men of the night patrol.

"Into the bottomless pit of night, Into the black unknown,

None but God to watch your flight Where seeds of wrath are sown.

"Thunder and roar of the night pa trol ,

Moths of the moonlight trail­Death to the battle-weary soul

If you your mission fail.

"God, look down and guard you well, Back from the lonely flight,

Back from the blacksome pit of Hell .Out 'Of the fearsome night."

-Decembe1', 1945

Pat is also the author of the fol­lowing essay on Brome which he wrote while in cadet training at Chapel Hill.

"Tonight, after the sun has long since been laid at rest, and the hours on the clockface approach their climax, marking the end of an­other long and exciteless day, those of us who sit at our lounging chairs, bunks, or bomb-gutted hole in far­away fields think once again, and very strongly, of the joys that were once ours at home.

"Home, that singular word, uttered in half a breath, spectacular to no one, meaningless to no one, seems almost fantastic, as far away as the tiniest star in the heavens, leaving with us that terrible lonely feeling.

"Home means so much more to us now than ever before. Perhaps it is our mothers, our fathers, sisters or brothers whose love, care, and com­panionship cannot be erased from the mind by time or absence. lOr maybe it is our sweethearts, with whom we once were able to wander through the fields which till now knew noth­ing but delight. I wonder if they too are lonely now. Holding hands as sweethearts do and smiling together at that which was common pleasure. . . . Perhaps it is the church, where the ivy vines cling, and wind their way upward the red brick walls, framing as a picture the stone {!ruci­fix, leaving it a masterpiece, en­graved upon our memory forever. Or maybe it is the rocky mountain

Lt. Paul W. CU1·tis, Jr. , '31

slopes, the grassy plains or the deep streams that symbolize the true meaning of freedom that one so closely connects with home.

"These things and countless num­bers of others mean home to all of us.

"If this singular word, home, were without meaning to us, would we have allowed our blood to be spilled on traditionless earth . in the protec­tion of its security?"

LT. PAUL W. CURTIS JR. '31 Chattanooga, Tenn.

First Lt. Paul W. Curtis was killed in action on the Belgian front on December 21, 1944. He was serving with an Army Engineers Unit of the 1st Army, and went overseas in De­cember, 1943. Paul entered the Army with an ROTC commission of 2nd Lt. in April, 1942. Probably the last two McCallie boys to see him were David L. Davis '34 and Esmond Bailey '35. He had been associated with his fa­ther in the Curtis Electric Company and is survived by his wife, the for­mer Nell Hinesley, of Dalton, Ga., his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Curtis, and two sisters.

PVT. GEORGE H. DUNLAP IV '27 Mobile, Ala.

Pvt. George H. Dunlap was killed in action August 17, 1944, near Cannes, France. George entered the Army on November 10, 1943, and had his training at Camp Wheeler at Ma­con, Georgia. Immediately after fin­ishing training he was sent overseas as a replacement to Italy, arriving there in May, 1944. He was assigned to the 36th Division and to Company B, 141st Infantry Regiment, with which he saw service at the front in the Fifth Army before his division was withdrawn from that army and sent to the west {!oast of Italy for amphibious training. After undergo­ing six weeks of training there, he participated in the invasion of South­ern France, and was among the com­paratively small number of casualties on the first day of that invasion. Our only reports are that he was wounded at the front while carrying a flame thrower on August 15th, was imme­diately evacuated to a hospital, but

9

died soon after reaching there. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Dunlap.

SGT. WILLIAM F. ELDRIDGE '34 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Sgt. William F. Eldridge '34 of the U. S. Marine Corps was killed March 2, 1945, on Iwo Jima during the in­vasion. He was with the 3rd Marine Division. Will had joined the Marines in 1936 and served two years of his four-year enlistment in China. He re­enlisted at the outbreak of this war and trained recruits at San Diego before serving actively on Guam, Bougainville anq. Iwo. A main street in the 3rd Marine Division area some­where in the Pacific has been named Eldridge Road in honor of Marine 1st Sgt. William F. Eldridge.

Col. Howard N. Kenyon, Ninth Regi­ment commanding officer, who spoke at the dedication of the road, said, "Eldridge's job demanded extreme ability and fortitude and he had an abundance of both. Although El­dridge's ·body lies in a grave at Iwo Jima, his memory remains with his many friends-always a colorful and powerful character." Always willing to share his knowledge and lend a helping hand, Eldridge, a huge fellow of 265 pounds, acquired the nickname of "Father" during training days on Guadalcanal. He is survived by his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Jesse Eldridge, and brother, Lt. (j.g.) Carey Dewitt Eldridge '31, who has been in naval intelligence in London. His father graduated from McCallie in 1910.

Sgt. William F. Eldridge, '34

10

Lt. Edwin Frierson, '42

LT. EDWIN FRIERSON '42 Shreveport, La.

Lt. Edwin Frierson was attached to the 64th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group, and lost his life on Nov. 21, 1944, while dive bombing a railroad yard in northern Italy. His promotion to the rank of 1st Lt. came through just after his death. Edwin }:lad received the Air Medal and other nonors and had completed thirty-six missions when he WaS killed at the age of nineteen. He will be remem­bered as one of the best shots at Mc­Callie School and as having many friends here. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. S . Frierson.

PVT. LAUREN A. GATES JR., '42 Beckley, W. Va.

Pvt. Lauren A. Gates Jr. '42 was killed in Belgium on Jan. 13, 1945. After receiving basic training at Camp Hood, Tex., he was sent over­seas and had been in Belgium only two weeks when he was reported missing and later it was established that he had been killed on that same day. His former coach at Woodrow Wilson High School, Lt. J. R. Van Meter, pays the following tribute to L. A., "L. A., of all the boys I ever had, was my favo~ite. . .. He used to come around all the time and I was very fond of him before he got up to high school. Then when in high school he was as good as an assistant coach. He took charge of things I would never have trusted to any other boy. He was the kind of ,boy I would

Pvt. Lauren A . Gates, Jr. , '42

have liked for my own." He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Gates, and brother, Cpl. John M. Gates '41.

1ST LT. JAMES D. GILBERT '38 Knoxville, Tenn.

First Lt. James D. Gilbert was killed June 22, 1945, on Guam in an airplane crash, according to word re­ceived here from the lieutenant's cousin, Cpl. Joe K. Dance. James was 24. Lt. Gilbert was a pilot of a B-29. According to Cpl. Dance's letter to his parents, the big bomber, piloted by Lt. Gilbert, took off from the island in a heavy rain. A motor went bad shortly after the take-off. The plane

Lt. James D. Gilbert, '88

McCallie Alumni Journal

Pic. John T. Graves, '43

came back, but the rain was so heavy the crew was unable to see the field. They came in close to the ground, saw they weren't on the runway, tried to rise and could not gain altitude. They ran off over a 300-foot cliff. All the crew were killed except the tail gun­ner, he said. Lt. Gilbert had been in service more than three years, and overseas since March. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bert R. Gilbert, one brother, and one sister.

PFC. JOHN T. GRAVES '43 Atlanta, Ga.

Pfc. Jack Graves, 19, of the Marine Corps was killed in action on Iwo Jima on February 21, 1945. Jack en­listed in the Marine Corps in August, 1943, . received his boot training at Parris Island, S. C., and was gradu­ated from the Wright Radio ,School in Chicago. After training at Camp LeJeune, N. C., he was sent overseas last November. He attended the North Fulton High School before being grad­uated from McCallie. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Graves.

ENS. L. WOODWARD HARRISON '42 Dallas, Texas

Ens. L. Woodward Harrison, ac­cording to naval authorities, was "lost in line of duty on Oct. 27, 1944, and probably deceased on that day" in a plane crash near Vero Beach, Fla. His grandmother Harrison wrote the following in a letter on Nov. 7, 1944, "Woody got his wings with high honors at Corpus Christi in July. He had a several weeks furlough and

December, 1945

visited us a short time before we left Birmingham. Everyone was charmed with him. He had developed into a very promising, fine young man. He was due in Vero Beach about the middle of October, so hurried on there. A week ago last Friday he got into his plane about noon. A pilot friend, also alone, followed him in his plane for a skip from Vero to Palm Beach. On the return trip the friend noticed Woody's plane going down and saw Woody waving and getting into his rubber raft. The friend rushed to a destroyer and boats near by but on reaching the plane no signs of Woody could be found. A most vigilant search was kept up for a week from N. C. coast to Miami but all in vain." He is survived by his parents, Dr. and Mrs. T. R. Harrison, and a brother, T. Randolph Harrison '42.

LT. WM. H. HARRISON JR. '37 Johnson City, Tenn.

Lt. Harrison was first reported as missing in air action after a bombing mission over Germany on March 28, 1944, but has now been listed as killed on that date. William went into the service from Emory Univer­sity and was commissioned at the Midland, Texas, . Army Air Field. He was a. bombardier-navigator attached to a Flying Fortress Squadron based in England. He is survived by his father, who is pastor of a Methodist church in Johnson 'City, Tenn., and his mother.

Ens. L. Woodward Harrison, '42

Lt. W. H. Harrison, Jr., '87

PFC. JAMES P. HARTNESS JR. ~43

Starkville, Miss.

Pfc. James P. Hartness Jr., 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. James P. Hartness, died suddenly Sunday morning, July 22, 1945, at the home of his parents. He was on leave from Foster General Hospital, Jackson, where he had been a patient since returning from over­seas in June. Jimmy was inducted into the Army in 1943 at Camp Shelby, trained at Fort Benning, Ga., and

Pic. James P. Hartness, Jr., '48

11

Camp McCain, Miss. He went over­seas soon after D-Day and fought through the French and Belgium cam­paigns. He was wounded in the Bel­gian Bulge and was taken prisoner by the Germans soon after being wounded. He remained a prisoner from January until liberated by Pat­ton's army on May 6th. A letter was written to Mr. and Mrs. Hartness by a close friend of the family and one who knew Jimmy intimately. He says, "I pray that you may be reconciled by the knowledge of the clean, Chris­tian life of your departed son. I shall always cherish the memory of his cheerful, sunny smiles as he went about his work here in our public school system."

Sl/ c W. PEET HEMPHILL '31 Chattanooga, Tenn.

S1/c Peet Hemphill has been miss­ing since November, 1943, with the U.S.S. Corvina, a submarine. He was a radioman and in the Naval Reserve. His wife was notified in January, 1944, that Peet was lost in action. and that is still the official designa­tion. He was in the insurance business prior to entering the service and is survived by his wife, the former Ma­rie Hill; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Hemphill, now of Miami, Fla., and a sister, Mrs. Bob Darling 9f Hopewell, Va.

S1/e W. Peet Hemphill, '81

12

SGT. THOMAS W. HENDRICK '43 Birmingham, Ala.

Sgt. Tommy Hendrick died from wounds received in combat in Belgium on Jan. 8, 1945. He was serving with the 178th Engineer Combat Battalion when he was killed, and had won the praise and esteem of his commanding officer and fellow soldiers. One of Tommy's officers wrote the following to Mr. Hendrick about his son, "He had a fine character and a marvelous personality. We loved him too; the loss is not yours alone. Your son is buried in an American cemetery in Luxembourg. He was hit by German artillery preceding a German counter­attack east of Bastogne. He died at an Army field hospital less than 24 hours afterward." Following his grad­uation from McCallie in August, 1943, Tommy, one of the most popular mem­bers of his class, entered the Army in October, trained at Camp Gruber, Okla., and Camp Maxey, Tex., and went overseas ten months later. Dur­ing his last furlough home Tommy visited the school and again his ready smile and cheerfulness brought happi­ness to his many friends at McCallie. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J . L. Hendrick, and a sister.

LT. N . PAGE HILL J R. '31 Birmingham, Ala.

Lt. Page Hill went down with his ship when the cruiser Indianapolis on which he was serving was torpedoed by enemy action on July 30, 1945. Lt. Hill had participated in nine major battles and had served on the In-

Sgt. Thomas W. H end1'ick, '48

Lt. O. H. Perry K enney, '15

dianapolis for thirty months when the cruiser, having delivered its cargo of atomic bombs to Okinawa, was torpedoed about 450 miles from Leyte. Page had entered the Navy in August, 1942, and is survived by his widow, the former Dolly Grea­gan, a five year old daughter and his parents.

LT. O. H. PERRY KENNEY '15 Coral Gables, Fla.

Lt. Perry Kenney died Dec. 9, 1943, at the Jacksonville Naval Base Hos­pital. He was a veteran of the last war and is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery. He is survived by his wife and parents, Mr. and Mrs.

Lt. John M. King, '41

McCallie Alumni Journal

M. P. Kenney, and a brother, Don Kenney '20, Lake Wales, Fla.

LT. JOHN M. KING '41 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Lt. John King, pilot of a P-38, crashed on his sixteenth mission, near Foggia, Italy, May 4, 1944, and is buried at Bari, Italy. After gradu­ating at McCallie, John entered Washington and Lee, where he re­mained until he volunteered for serv­ice in June, 1942. He received his pre-flight, primary and basic flight training at California air fields, and received his pilot's wings November 3, 1943, at Luke Field, Phoenix, Ariz-ona. He went overseas March 7, 1944, and in less than two months flew sixteen missions.

John is survived by his pal'ents, Mr. and Mrs. Chandler King. An older brother, Chandler King, Jr., of the class of '39, was killed several years ago in an automobile accident at the University of Virginia.

COMDR. THOMAS C. LATIMORE '10 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Comdr. Tom Latimore is missing in line of duty in August, 1941, on Oahu Island, T. H., and has been officially declared dead. Since Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of the war with the Jap­anese it is believed that Tom Latimore was a victim of Japanese espionage. It was his habit and perhaps his duty to take solitary walks over the island of Oahu. During one of these walks after Tom had been landed by a small boat, he lost his life. He was seen on

Comdr. Thomas C. Latimore, '10

Decembe1', 1945

Sgt. Eugene R. Matthews, '82

a hillside by the men who had come to pick him up and then suddenly he disappeared. Though search was made for him, his body was never found. It is believed that the Japanese made way with him. He is survived by his wife and two daughters and two brothers, William S. Latimore '11 and David S. Latimore '15.

LT. CHARLES A. McKINNEY '34 Eustis, Fla.

Lt. Charles McKinney met his death while flying a bomber on a raid in North Africa, in the spring of 1943. He had previously been re­ported missing in action, but in June official notification of his death waF

Lt. Harvey W . Moore, Jr., '88

Cpl. Charles H. Moorman, '40

sent to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. T. H. McKinney.

After leaving McCallie, Charles at­tended Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, later attending the University of North Carolina. In addition to his parents, he is sur­vived by two brothers, Russell, '28, and Tom, '33.

SGT. EUGENE R. MATTHEWS '32 Gastonia, N. C.

Sgt. Eugene Matthews was drowned in Borrow Lake near Sardis, Miss., Sunday afternoon, March 11, 1945, while fishing. The motorboat in which he and another soldier were fishing capsized. Both soldiers were drowned. Gene was stationed with a guard unit at the prisoner of war camp, Como, Miss. He was at McCallie visiting his brother, Frank, a member of the class of '45, less than 24 hours before his death. He was halfback on the varsity football team and an all-round fine student. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J . H . Matthews; two brothers, Houston, of the class of '43, who is also in the service, and Frank, '45 and a sister, Elizabeth.

LT. HARVEY W. MOORE JR. '33 Charlotte, N. C.

Lt. Harvey Moore was missing in action on the U.S.S. submarine "Pick­erel" in June, 1943, and has been offi­cially reported dead. He had seen duty in both the Atlantic and the Pa­cific. Harvey attended Davidson Col­lege, and from there he went to the Naval Academy at Annapolis. He was also a graduate of the Philadelphia

13

Pic. M01·ris B. Moo1·man, '41

Textile School, and was in the textile business in New York when the United States entered World War II. He is survived by his wife, the former Mary Spalding Stewart, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey W. Moore.

CPL. CHARLES H. MOORMAN '40 PFC. MORRIS B. MOORMAN '41 Louisville, Ky.

Cpl. Charles Moorman and his twin brother, Pfc. Morris Moorman, were both killed in action within three weeks of each other in France. Morris was killed in Normandy, July 18, 1944. He had enlisted in February, 1943, and was trained at Camp Croft, S. C., and Fort Meade, Md. He left for

Pvt. Raymond W. Mullins, '81

14

Ens. R. Goree Nelson, Jr., '39

overseas in early May in 1944 and after a few weeks in England was sent to France as a replacement early in July. Charles died in action in France August 7. He received his basic training at Ft. McClellan, Ala., Camp Blanding and Ft. Meade. He had re­quested transfer to Morris' unit but the brothers never met. The twins are survived only by their mother, Mrs. Lillie B. Moorman.

I

PvT. RAYMOND W. MULLINS '31 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Pvt. Raymond Mullins was killed in action on the Cherbourg Peninsula in France, June 27, 1944. He is survived by his ,parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Mullins.

ENSIGN R. GOREE NELSON JR. '39 Tampa, Fla.

Ensign Nelson, pHot of a four-en­gined Navy transport piane, was lost during a routine flight in a rain storm. On Sept. 12, 1945, he crashed into a hillside on Guam. Goree had served for two years previous to his Pacific training with the Air Transport Command in the North Atlantic and had received his Navy commission in the summer 'Of 1944. He is well remembered at McCallie as a swimming and diving star. After leaving here he attended Vanderbilt University. Goree is survived by his father, Dr. Robert Nelson '12, his mother, a brother and sister.

1ST LT. ROBBINS PATTON '17 Chattanooga,' Tenn.

Lt. Robbins Patton died July 29,

Lt. Robbins Patton, '17

1943, in an Army hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. Lt. Patton attended Georgia Tech and was manager of the Southern Cities Power Company and after its consolidation with the Tennessee Electric Power Company was associated with the Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company in Pal­mer, Tenn., and later in Coalmont, Tenn. In 1938 he organized the Pat­ton Coal Mining Company. He is sur­vived by his wife, two daughters, his father, Mr. John E. Patton; a sister, two brothers, John E. Jr '12-'16, and Theod'Ore '20-'24.

SI/c F. H. PENNYBACKER '38 Chattanooga, Tenn.

S1/c Frank Pennybacker went down with the U.S.S. Lexington in the bat­tle of the Coral Sea, May 8, 1942. At the time of his death he was taking a ship fitting c'Ourse to learn all about the ' ship's machinery. This course, which would have lasted six years, would have led to a petty officer's rating for Frank. Not long before his death he had served two months as temporary petty officer. He is sur­vived by his mother and two brothers, Billy, and Albert, who is now attend­ing McCallie.

THOMAS M. PITTMAN JR. '37 Waterloo, Iowa., formerly of Water Valley, Miss.

Tom Pittman was killed as a result of an accident at Langley Field, Va., May 27, 1942. He was a graduate of the University of Illinois, class of '41, and was a member of the National Advisory Board in Aeronautics. He

McCallie Alumni Journal

Sl/C Frank Penny backer, '38

was working in the testing laoora­tory at Langley Field and was struck by a revolving propeller. He is survived by his wife, the former Mary Cox of Norfolk, Va., whom he married in February, 1942, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Pittman who have now moved to Memphis, Tenn., and brother, Ed Paschall Pitt­man '40.

ENSIGN R. E. RIDENHOUR III '41 Concord, N. C.

Ensign Bob Ridenhour died on Aug. 27, 1945, in a civilian hospital in North Carolina. He was stricken with pneum'Onia while on vacation at Myrtle Beach, S. C., with his mother and sister. He was flown home and an emergeney operation for the re­moval of the lymphatic gland was performed, but within about three weeks of the time he was taken ill he succumbed to Hodgkins disease. Bob attended Washington and Lee University and also had V-12 train­ing at the University of N'Orth Caro­lina. He is survived by his parents and sister.

LT. FRANK T. SAUNDERS JR. '39 San Francisco, Cal., formerly of Chattanooga

Lt. Frank Saunders was killed in air action 'Over Italy Jan. 11, 1944. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in March, 1942, and received his commission and wings as' both bom­bardier and navigator one year later. Framk went overseas in the summer of 1943. He was awarded the Army Air Medal with the following cita-

-December, 1945

tion: "For meritorious achievement while participating in sustained aerial operati'Onal activities against the en­emy." His body is interred in an American military cemetery, Naples, Italy. He is survived by his 'parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank T. Saunders and a sister, Mrs. Frank L. Miller, III.

LT. FRED A. SCHLEMMER '40 Watts Bar Dam, Tenn., formerly of Chattanooga

First Lt. Fred Schlemmer was killed in action in France July 11, 1944. A letter from his commanding officer states that Fred died while on a volunteer mission in the vicinity of St. Lo. The Purple Heart was awarded to him posthumously. Fred was company commander of the 120th Regiment of the 30th "Old Hickory" Division. He was assigned to active duty as a 2nd Lieutenant in July, 1942, and was stationed at Camp Croft, S. -C., -Camp Blanding, Fla., and Camp Forrest, Tenn. He also attended Company Commander's School at F10rt Benning, Ga. Mter arriving in Europe, he was statiooed in Scotland and England and was in France about 'One month prior to his death. He probably participated in one of the early invasion movements. He is survived by his wife, the former Katherine Rice of ~hattalJl-ooga; son, Fred C. II; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. -C. Schlemmer of Fontana Dam, N. ,C., and two brothers, S2/ c Bill Schlemmer '40, and Norman, now attending McCallie.

Lt. Frank T. Saunders, Jr., '39

Lt. Fred A. Schlemmer, '40

S/SGT. J. M. SCHNEIDER '42 Springfield, Mo.

Sgt. Monty Schneider was killed in air action Nov. 11, 1944. He was a veteran of more than 25 missions and had been awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was a member of a group which received the Presidential Unit Citation. Monty was stationed in Italy and had flown over many European targets, includ­ing the Ploesti oil fields and Vienna. He had just returned to his base from a rest camp on the Isle of Capri and Linz, Austria, was the target for the day. South of Vi Is­land (in the Adriatic Sea) the for-

Lt. Marshall Shepherd, '36

15

mation passed through a heavy cloud bamk and Monty's plane was seen for the last time. It is not known what happened after that. He is sur­vived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Schneider, and a brother, Sandy Schneider '44.

1ST LT. M. M. SHEPHERD '36 Charlotte, N. C.

Lt. Marshall Shepherd, U. S. Army B-17 pilot, was reported "missing in actioo" on Oct. 8, 1943, later reported to have been killed on that day. Marshall was pilot of a Flying Fort­ress of the Eighth Air Force and he was brought down over Bremen, Germany. He had been engaged in about 18 combat missions 'Over Nazi occupied areas. He enlisted in the Army in April, 1941, and was lo­cated in the Field Artillery at Fort Bragg, N. C. In February, 1942, he was transferred to the Air Corps and was subsequently stationed at Max­well Field, Montgomery, Ala., and Turner Field, Albany, Ga., where he received his commission. He took his bomber training at Smyrna, Tenn., and finished up his work in Wash­ington aIJld Montana. He left the States July, 1943. Prior to entering the service, he was assistant secre­tary of the John -c. Shepherd Lumber Corporation and is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Shep­herd, and brother, Scott Shepherd '34, Lt. (j.g.) at the Naval Air Station at Norman, Okla.

Lt. Joseph G. Simpson, '38

16

1ST LT. JOSEPH G. SIMPSON '38 Winston-Salem, N. C.

First Lt. Joe Simpson, navigator of a B-24 based in Englrund, was killed Oct. 29, 1942, while on combat mISSIon. His plane, flying low in dense fog, crashed into risilflg ground. All were killed but 'One and he had major injuries. Joe was the best navigator in a squadron of nine planes. His pilot was a captain and leader of the squadron. After grad­uating from McCallie, Joe went to Duke for three years and enlisted in the Army Ail" Corps in the sum­mer of 1941. His first training was in Texas and he received his com­mission in navigation in April, 1942. Bef'Ore his assignment with the Eighth Air Force, Joe was also based at Fort Myers, Fla. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. J. T. Simpson and brother, William, whose son, Bill, is now attending McCallie.

PFC. JOHN G. SIMS '39 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Pfc. John Sims was killed in ac­tion in Germany, Dec. ' 16, 1944, the date the Germans opened their of­fensive that later plunged through the American lines into Belgium and Luxembourg. Pfc. Sims, member of the 99th Infantry Division of the l~t Army, was delivering a message when shot. J'Ohn was attending Geor­gia Tech when he entered the serv­ice and is survived by his parelflts, Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Sims, his brother, James M. Sims '41 and two sisters.

Pic. John G. Sims, '89

LT. KENNETH STEWARD JR. '35 Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Lt. Kenneth Steward was mortally wounded in an aerial flight over the Tunisian battlefields, Feb. 9, 1943. He was taken prisoner by the Italians and on April 4th of that year his wife and parents were notified that he was dead. The hospital in which he died was near Bari, Italy. At the direction of President RooseV'elt, Lt. Steward was honored with the post­humous award of the Silver Star and Purple Heart and these medals were pinned on his baby daughter, Eliza­beth, during ceremonies at Camp Si­bert, Ala. Lt. Steward, a graduate of L. S. U., entered the war at an early date, received his first training in the Field Artillery at Fort Bragg and Jater went to Brookfield, Texas, for training as an aerial observer. He took his pilot training in Eng­land and later received his wings in Africa. He is survived by his wife, the former Allison Bartlett of Bir­mingham, Ala., and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Steward.

LT. PAUL A. SWANK '39 Houston, Texas

First Lt. Paul Swank was killed in action in Southern France, Aug. 17, 1944. Paul also had seen action in North Africa. His mother wrote in a letter to us, "Paul and his unit went into Southern France ahead to work with the Maquis (the French underground). There was a food dump the Germans had built with enough food to feed a million people for ten days. As the Germans fled

Lt. Kenneth Steward, Jr., '35

McCallie Alumni JOU1'nal

the country they returned to burn the dump. Paul pl'!~vented their doing so but lost his life thereby saving the life of every man in his unit. .Hill body was retrieved by a Maquis (Mr. R. Polin, who is also the vice president of the French Red Cross) and taken to a secret place (a cave according to Monsieur Polin) where he was buried beside a French Lieu­tenant. He was given a Christian mili­tary burial and placed in a French family's crypt at Alet, Aude, France.

"In fleeing that section the German officer who finished Paul told in a town (reported by a Maquis), 'That American officer was the bravest we have ever seen or heard of.' While it is some consolation to know that Paul died nobly and courageously, it is good to know he was able to complete his mission, which was al­ways his chief concern." Col. Cox, who was Paul's immediate superior in the Mediterranean theatre and now in China, said that he had been notified from Italy that Paul had been awarded the Distinguished Serv­ice Cross but no official information had come through. Col. Cox also said that they had named their camp in China, Camp Paul Swank. He is sur­vived by his mother, Mrs. Mary Ivy Swank.

PFC. E. GILBER1' TALIAFERRO '43 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Pfc. Gilbert Taliaferro was report­ed killed in action on Dec. 9, 1944. He took his basic training at Camp Walters, Texas. After the 13 weeks basic he joined the 100th Division

Lt. Paul A. Swank, '89

-Decembe1', 1945

Pfc. Gilbert Taliaferro, '48

at Fort Bragg, N. C., and went di­rectly overseas. His outfit set a rec­ord for the short time required for leaving American shores and going into action in Fra1.1ce. They marched down Fifth Avenue in New York City to help inaugurate the 5th War Loan drive. They were already in action with the 7th Army in Eastern France when they read the results of the same drive. Gilbert was killc?d in the Vosges Mt. sector r.ear Alsace-Lor­raine. They were repulsing a German attack which was supported by ma­chine g".lTI fire on half tracks. He was kill~d in his fox hole, He has bef:n awarded posthumously the' Pur­ple Heart and the Presidential Cita­t'on. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and 1\1rs. J. Hubert Taliaferro, and a brother, Pic. Hubert Taliaferro Jr. '42. His father graduated from McCallie ill 1918.

BEN B. TODD '33 Ocala, Fla.

Ben To·ld was killed in the fall of 1942 in a bomber over Germany. Ben we·nt t(l Eng~and and joined the R.A.F. After lea·r.ng McCallie Ben attended the Webb School of Cali­fornia.

CAPT. C. H. TRIPLETT III '36 Pine Bluff, Ark. ~apt. Charbs Triplett III was

killed in action on Saipan, July 11, 1944. After serving with distinction in previous Marine engagements he was offeree! non· combat duty but elected to remain with his · men. Charles W'l.S with the first assault troops on Saipan and was killed in-

Capt. Charles Triplett, III, '86

stantly by machinp. gun fire as he stood in his landing craft just before it reached the shore. During his last year at McCallie, Charles won the Senior Bible award and was voted the most brilliant boy in school. He was an honor graduate of the University of Virginia which he attended after leaving McCallie. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Triplett Jr.

LT. FRED C. WALLACE JR. '40 Baltimore, Md.

Lt. Fred Wallace was killed in action on July 19, 1944, near St. Jean de Daye, Normandy, France. The following information was sent by Capt. Hugh F. Richardson from an investigation ordered by General Patton: ". . . He was acting as air observer for the battalion and was adjusting fire on a heavy German battery thllt had been shellmg them. Observation was rather difficult due to haze and four German planes, ME 109's, attacked the plane from behind and shot it down. Lt. Wallace was killed instantly from the fire of the planes. When the plane crashed Lt. Wallace was thrown clear and was immediately picked up by a nearby medical unit, but he was dead when they reached him.

"Fred was buried at St. Mere Eglise, U. S. cemetery, quite near Gen. Theodore Roosevelt. Catholic serv­ices were held at the interment cere­monies, and, during the last week in July a Requiem Mass was held for him by the 'Catholic Chaplain of the battalion in a local French church. Men that could be spared from the

17

Lt. Fred C. WaUace, Jr., '40

battalion attended the services. The CO of the battalion was very enthu­siastic in his praise for Lt. Wallace and stated that it was due to Lt. Wallace's excellent adjustment of fire on the German battery that had been shelling them that they were able to put the enemy's guns out of ac­tion. He saved the lives of many of the men in the battalion while losing his own." He was awarded the Pur­ple Heart and the Air Medal with three oak leaves. Gen. Patton has written a letter to the father, Maj. Gen. Fred C. Wallace, praising Fred's work. He is survived by his parents, Gen. and Mrs. Fred C. Wallace, and a brother, George '41, just graduated from West Point.

S / SGT. W. D. WEST, JR. '42 De Ridder, La.

Staff Sgt. W. D. West, Jr., first re­ported missing on March 20, 1945, has now been declared killed on that date, according to a very recent letter from his father. W. D.'s plane, a B-24 on which he was a gunner, was shot down over North Helgoland. He had served overseas with the Eighth Air Force in England.

LT. WILLIAM H. WILSON III '36 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Lt. William H. Wilson, III, a P-38 pilot with the Fourth Fighter Com­mand at McChord Field, Washing­ton, was killed the night of August 22, 1943, when his plane crashed on a routine flight. Billy was 24 yean old, a graduate of Georgia Tech, where he received his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree in

18

Lt. William H. Wilson, III, '86

1940. After graduating from Geor­gia Tech, he entered civilian pilot training at Lovell Field, Chattanoo­ga, and was accepted in the Army Air Corps in September, 1941. He received preliminary training at Gar­ner Field, Uvalde, Texas, where he was cadet sergeant. He took his basic training at Randolph Field, where he was ·cadet captain and led his class. He was also cadet captain of the class at Lubbock Field, Texas, wher.e he took his advanced training.

After receiving his wings, he was assigned to Pryor Field, Washing­ton, and from there went to the Portland, Oregon, air base, and then to McChord Field. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Wil­son, and a sister, Mrs. Noel C. Hunt, Jr.

The records Billy made while at McCallie in both the 120 yard low hurdles and the 120 yard high hur­dles still stand.

PVT. C. SUMPTER WYLIE '42 Charlotte, N. C.

Pvt. Charles Sumpter Wylie was killed with a paratroop demolition unit on Leyte, Dec. 7,1944. He is sur­vived by his mother, Mrs. Caro Wylie, and a sister, Mrs. G. M. Ratchford of Chattanooga. Wylie went straight from McCallie into the service. LT. LOUIS G. YOUNG '42 Anderson, S. C.

Second Lt. Louis Gray Young, 21, of the United States Army Air Corps and a son of Dr. and Mrs. J. R. Young, was hurtled to his death Friday, March 30, 1945, near Golds-

Pvt. C. Sumpter Wylie, '42

boro, N. C., when he was forced to bail out of a fighter plane at an alti­tude too low for his parachute to work. Field officers said there was nothing wrong with his parachute. Lt. Young, a pilot on a P-47 fighter plane, had been stationed at Sey­mour Field, Goldsboro, since March 9. He entered service June 28, 1943, and received his training at Maxwell Field and Gunter Field, Ala., prior to winning his wings at Craig Field, Selma, Ala. From Craig Field, he was transferred to Goldsboro, where he was undergoing P-47 training.

Lt. H. M. Blancha?Od, Jr., '40

McCaUie Alumni Jeurnal

Lt. Louis G. Young, '42

Louis graduated from Anderson Boys' High School before entering McCal­lie and later attended Georgia Tech. Surviving are his parents; a brother, Pfc. James Henry Young, and six sisters.

MISSINC

LT. H . M. BLANCHARD J .R. '40 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Mac has been missing in air action since Aug. 25, 1944. He and his crew went out on a daylight strike at Pa­lau. They hit Koror town and were cleari,ng the target nicely when a Zero came down on them out of a cloud. Its fire ripped into the Liber­ator from tail to nose. Mac's plane disappeared under a eloud and its fate was hidden, but it was burning and disintegrating as it fell. Some parachutes were later seen to open. Mac had almost completed his pre­scribed number of missions with the Thirteenth Air Force based in the Southwest Pacific.

He holds the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters and his plane, named "The Sky tramp," won the distinction of being in the first group to bomb Truk and Palau Islands. His father, Mr. H. M. Blanchard, is an alumnus, elass of '16.

LT. J. A. FEUCHTENBERGER'39 Bluefield, W. Va.

Lt. John A. Feuchtenberger, a statistical control officer for the air corps, was reported missing on Octo­ber 23, 1945, on a flight from China

-Decembe1', 1945

to Chabua, India. The plane in which he was a passenger failed to arrive. In June, 1944, he married Jeanne Yvonne Dicker of Detroit, Mich. We understand that John, who once won the Mid-South Prep Diving Championship and also a number of honors in diving while a student at the University of North Carolina, has -added further laurels to his record.

September Pic carries a picture of John winning high and low board diving events at the All-India swim­ming championship meet at Agra last spring. John represented the air service command. About 300 en­trants from all branches {)f the serv­ice participated.

To Miss Anne McCallie of the Alumni Office from Myitikyina, Bur­ma, October 20 (just three days be­fore he was reported missing), John wrote, "Your latest letter and paper have just arrived, and I've reread them several times. The swimming meet at Agra was wonderful fun, somewhat reminiscent of the days of the Mid-South Pr-€p School Meets when Goree Nelson (killed on Guam, September 12, 1945) and I took on all comers and beat them two years in a row. On October 6 and 7 I went to Calcutta :£:or the Calcutta Regional Championships and was again fortu­nate enough to win a first place on both the high and low board.

"Time is fleeting swiftly, but not quickly enough to take me home to my wife, a lovely Detroit girl. Some­time when I'm home again and set­tled perhaps I'll be able to find time to bring her to Chattanooga for a visit."

SIES TELLS OF PLOESTI RAID LT. DURWOOD 8lES came home in Oc­

tober, 1944, after piloting a B-24 in whiCh he 'completed eighty-seven mis­sions. Durwood, who spoke before as­sembly soon after he arrived, declares he will never forget the now famous Ploesti oil fields raid. During the spe­cial training which this mission en­tailed he said his commanding officer was not pleased unless the planes had flown so low as to pick up some sort of vegetation. The raid itself was at almost this low altitude to avoid anti­aircraft fire. John W. Wood, '39-'40, flew on his wing. Durwood wears the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Presi­dential Citation with two Oak' Leaf

(Continued on Page 110)

Capt. Richa1'd Johnson, '38

CAPT. RICHARD H. JOHNSON '38 Chattanooga, Tenn.

Capt. Richard H. Johnson '38, Chat­tanooga, Tenn., was reported missing in action on April 3, 1945, northwest of Palawan Island in the Philippines while returning from a fighter mis­sion over China. He was i'eported re­turned to military control on Sept. 21 but later information showed that the Capt. Johnson reported found in that area was a member of the British military and not Dick. A few days be­fore Christmas the War Department notified his wife, the former Miss Martha Griscom of Chattanooga, of the error.

Dick entered the Air Corps in 1941 and became a P-38 fighter pilot going overseas in December, 1944. He was stationed on Mindoro and on his last

19

mission had gone on a 700-mile strike. On the return he was forced to drop out of formation when one of his two engines failed. Although he maintained radio contact with his squadron they became separated in a heavy overcast and an escort ship sent back by the formation was not able to find him. Dick is the nephew of Mrs. B. C. Roper, for many years bursar at the McCallie School, and besides his wife has a little daughter, Ann.

LT. WALTER LANSFORD JR. '35 Birmingham, Ala.

Walter has been missing since March 3, 1944, over Germany. Wal­ter, a graduate of Vanderbilt, is mar­ried to the former Freda Ferguson of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

S / SGT. W. RICHARD LYBROOK '36 Winston-Salem, N. C.

Dick has been reported missing in action over Germany since November 5, 1944.

PFC. BEN BOB Ross '42 Fort Worth, Texas

Ben Bob was with the 28th "Key­stone" Infantry Division which served in Paris, Hlu-tgen Forest and the Colmar Pocket. He was reported missing in acti{)n on Nov. 22, 1944, in Germany.

LT. ROBERT E. SMITHERMAN '40 Shreveport, La.

Bob was reported missing in action on February 3, 1945. He was pilot of a P-47 (Thunderbolt) and disap­peared after the squadron had com­pleted its mission over Freiburg, Germany. His radi{) went out and nothing more was known or heard from him.

Maj. BU1'ns, '20; Lt. Durwood Sies, '36; Dt·. Woods, W. L. Pressly