HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 1945-02-08, Page 3HUMS., FEB. 8th 1845
THE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD
►ove at Firsl-Flig
By Charles Spalding
and Otis Carney
f ,
CHAPTER XIII
Barred from the Navy's V-7 pro -
ram ;because he lacked; two years
f college math, Lester Dowd tries
enlist in the Coast Guard but is
rned down because of a "facial
unit." The doctor refuses even to
amine him. Commander Whitman,
old friend of the 'family, en -
avers to get a waiver for Lester
he can join, V-7, but after weeks
waiting Lester learns they still
sist on two years of college math.
e is successful in joining the V-5
aval Aviation and ils sent to Ana-
stiavol . ft
Na .Base. A ex making
s first solo flight he gets a three -
y furlough and visits his folks +in
icago. The furlough ended, • he
ayes for Corpus Christi, where he
on gets acquainted .with servibe-
pe aircraft, anotherfeature of
sic training. Later he goes for .a
Id ride in a trainer and meets a
uth American officer as he steps
tramp, the mechanic stuck his head
into the compartment, put a bare,
hairy arm around each of us, and
said:
"Listen, Post and 'Gattey, the ob-
ject o' this trip is to get back safe,
get .me? I don't know how you fig-
ure to do it; and I 'don't care, get
me? But I got a wife and two kids,
and.I want to see them sweet faces
at the table tonight, .get -me?" --
Having delivered hie memorable
piece, he went back to his station,
little knowing he had tossed about
three - quarte of morale overboard.
It took Ben several soliloquies to
reachpointa
where dash mad din,-
ing were once more appealing. The
mechanic might as well have
climbed out with a knife and cut -a
six-foot hole in the wing.
"Forget him, Ben, you're sure,
You're an aviator. You're a pio-
neer," muttered Ben, the reckless
Crandall, eliknbing back out of a
well of despair.
t. Re is scheduled • for a solo He wanted to fly first and get it
ht in a P -boat and looks forward over and done. Aviation,• I -think,
the hour with great apprehension. ha,, known few more uncertain mo-
ments than those required to make
his take -off. As the plane sped over
"Does -it do any, good?" I asked. the , water, calamity • closed in on
aye on the elert for . any black Ben from all. (sides.. , lie fought it
gie. He hall already climbedinto back, and then he retreated. He
plane mumbling to Himself. almost capitulated, and then . he
hile we were checking the mag-
xs and warming the engines,' Ben
e himself a thorough priming.
'Be on guard, Ben. Watch for
oil pressure and leaks. One
take and ita's all over. Easy,
, boy. Easy now. Forget it.
ere aren't any leaks. Hello, look
that cylinder temperature."
s steady flow of interself scan-
nication made it plain that I
stumbled uncertainly to victory.
"No, 01 won't come off the water.
It's stuck. There. No, it won't fly
Something's wrong,' Ben. There. Oh,
t•ere. No. Yes. Watch it, Ben.
Watch it carefully."
I writhed) beside him until we
reached two hundred feet. It was
Iilce watching Hercules struggle in
the hail with. Death, . It seemed to
me that Alcestis wab sinking fast.
riding with two Crandalls. We flew ever to the practice area,
re seas Ben, the :calm, imper- and went through spirals, and half:
able Crandall, who rode intoi spirals, and power landings. Each
jaws of death two jumps ahead maneuver was lyrically highlighted
he Light Brigade, And there was by the two .Crandalls. Pretty soon
the jittery Crandall, who saw my own nerves were raw. I began
star lurking in eery corner and talking myself, We worked In cher-
tug in each cloud. Conflict be- us for the rest of the period.
the two was constant and "Turn, Ben: Not too low. You'll
difnl. The ego that emerged land on the Nucceo Hotel."
not an ago you wanted to be "Not the Nueceo, Beni" I mu-
ne with in a P—boat for the first inured, twisting anxiously.
e. I began to miss Mr, Wil1'son. By replacing application with sups
n IVir. Willson sleeking became plication, we managed to hui'vive.
hly d'esilrable. The flight proved nothing aeronan-
ust before we slid down the tically, but it established beyond
Pr
SNAP IIOT GUILDS
SEND HOMEY PICTURES OVERSEAS e4
Appealing, story -telling pictures like this can be made of your own family
PICTURES that mean home, not
just snapshots from home—bould
anything make him happier?
Compare the above picture with
the ordinary, run-of-the-mill snap-
shot. This little lad and his grand-
dad could have been snapped sitting
on the front porch, but the photog-
rapher wanted something better
than that. die wanted something
more than the usual camera con-
scious grins; he wanted a picture
that would show the deep, warm
spirit of family life. How well be
succeeded the picture tells more
vividly than words. Look at the ex-
pression of eager expectancy on the
boy's face as he awaits the answer
to his last question and the crisp
apple granddad is peeling 'for him.
, The picture does not merely give
us a portrait of a particular grand-
father and a particular boy; appeal-
ing only to -a particular family, it
gives us the very essence of grand -
fatherhood and childhood and the
devotion that exists between them.
Hence it has universal appeal. That
picture would appeal almost as muelt
to his buddies as to the boy over-
seas whose family is depicted in it.
To make pictures like this, pic-
tures that appear to be unposed, re-
quires careful planning and execu-
tion, but the result can be better
than a hundred ordinary amoebas
and worth the trouble. It is fou, too.
Home is, so familiar to us that
simple episodes like this often es-
cape us. So next time you want to'
take some family pictures look
around with fresh eyes. Watch for
little situations that tell simple sto-
ries -like Pis helping Mom with the
dishes, for instance. Then see if you
can't reproduce the scene, Make it
a game, in which the subjects be-
come actors. Try to have thein ab-
sorbed in what they are doing when
you snap the shutter.
Of course you will have to use
artificial lights for an indoor scene
unless the room is light enough by
day. You can use flood -type Hipps
in simple reflectors. Two .of theta
will be sufficient for most filatures,
although three will do abetter job.
Three lamps were used in the pic-
ture of the man and the child. One
lamp was placed high and to the
right behind the boy,another was
placed high and to the•lefY while a
third was placed in front next to the
camera t6 MI in the shadows cast by
the other two. In studying a picture
you can usually tell where the main
lights were placed by looking for
the direction of the cast shadows,
Your exposure can be ascertained
from one'af the inexpensive pocket
exposure guides which you can buy
at most dealers in photographic ma-
terials.
One more thing: Try to keep your
background as simple as possible.
A plain wall is best. Avoid cluttered.
backgrounds; they detract Prom The
center of interest and confuse ,the
picture. The Simpler the setting,
the stronger and more affective the
picture ,will be,
Jo , .iailder'
doubt the power of prayer. A land
ing successfully consummated with
the floats up was enough evidence to
me. The plane rnul t have been charg-
ed with supernatural influence. Ben
', began to feel this, too. It . came to
him that, he could do nothing wrong.
"Hallelujah, brother!"-` he cried.
happily, -landing thirty degrees out
of the wind. •
'The bravado wase' pleasing relief
from the consotanty.. implied threats
of oblivion. I felt like a Treasury
official. standing beside Jay Gould
on Black Friday. Ben, however,
was inno such 'poihi'tion to taunt
the Gods. As a providential, policy
it was wholly unwound
While confidence prevailed., chunks
of potential destruction that usually
shattered' Ben's poise went unheed-
ed. A plane entered ;the traffic
circle 'at the far end of the Bay,
flagrantly violating the course
rules. It was a good way off, but It
was heading straight for us. Nor-
. malty it was enough to send Ben
diving or 'socketing to a safer alti-
tude., Our aggregate lap'eed was.
close to three hundredmiles an
hour. The interval was being rap-
idly diminished. Not until we were
uncomfortably close was there a
telltale shriek from Ben,' disclosing
the fact that he had; been caught
unaware.
"Looks had, Ben. It Iooks awful-
ly bad. Relax jui,t for a minute and
you're cooked." '
"Come on, `Ben," I prayed ur-
gently.
He turned violently to the right,
but the other plane turned the same
way. He swerved to the left, The
other plane followed. We were
making the synchronized move-
ments 'of two pedestrians trying
helplessly to avoid each other on
the diklewalk. Looking around, I
saw the mechanic who had wan-
dered forward to look things over.
The situation had frozen an express
cion of terror on his face. Ben
tried: :more hounded dodges. We
were scarcely a hundred yanks'
apart, now. To Ben the cause was
lost. Ile gave up. He turned to me
with the resigned detachment that
gives a mystical insight to meals
last words.
"Can you .imagine death?" he
asked :blankly.
I could smell it. That was enough.
Lunging against the yoke with all
my strength, the plane went plum-
meting downward. We skimmed un-
der the other, straightened out and
collected ourselves.
Ben talked gently to himself,
"Take 'me home," croaked the
mechanic. A wife and two chil-
dren gave him a greater stake in
life.
Back at the base, Ben overflowed
with joy.
"Itis all over, Ben. -You're, fin-
ished. you've got your wings."
He hurried out. When he got off
plane, a group of laughing 'crew-
men laikl hands on hien and 'heaved
him off the ramp into the water.
It did not seem unnatural to me.
Someone should have held hint un-
der. Then another group merrily
grabbed .me. I started to resist and
tstzike out to the, oppressors.
"Cut it out, Mack," .grieved one
of the sailors. "It's trtiditional.'
When a cadet finishes, we throw him
in the Bay."
"Oh,' I said, giving myself up.
Four of Them sent me hailing over
the warp. When I came up, I saw
the sailors lined up ori the sea wall
Swaying backward and forward
with mirth. Thrashing in the wa-
ter, heavily weighted by wet
clothes I suffered an overwhelming
confusion. 1117 war was with the
Axis, but ' somehow it occurred to
me that 1 •was fighting on two.
fronts.
The brief period before ,gradua-
tion is certain to remain a warm
nautical memory. It waits a '. golden
era that marked the high-wvater
point of my human naval relatio-
ships. Goodwill, Iike Jason's seeds,
sprang tip on all lsides. My instruc-
tor during basic- training, who had
demonstrated in those hard tines a
cold academic interest at best,
pointed the way .by being the firlt
to offer his. congratulations. Then
everybody en the base fell in be-
hind him. , The libra'ian gave up
her wild dream of having me read
the story of the Wright, brothers.
As long as I was a cadet, it seemed
inappropriate to her that l read any-
thing else. She would put the book
I wanted joist out of reach and
then slyly tryto substitute tomes on
Orville and the Kitty Hawk. No
longer having to .wres'le that wom-
wn for novels was reward enough,
The athletic officers, admitte:ly,
maintained their he'ih;h. ,sway to
'he Sitter .en•,'Then even tizzy came
forward with olive branches, and
blushingly explained the ob taele
a commission put, in the path of
physical • fitne+. More then this,
the ponderous dykes of formality,
so carefully guarded all; this time,
finally burst before a flood of un-
expeete t feeling,' arid the milk of
gold -braided.. kindness ran in rivers
to the sea. Men of rank, who for-
merly passed in a trance, now
stopped with their ibest wishes, and
sometimes even discu§sed the su-
periority o£ our airplanes. For three
days T felt like California,being
taken into the Union again.
There was a batch of excited mail
from home. Uncle Ted spoke for
them all when he wrote
"I always contended that what
you needed was' discipline. We are
all elated by your comniie'yton and
feel sure that .it has •done you a
world of good. V or victory, , Unr
cis Ted,"
I never saw uncle CTed in any
life. He moved toManitoba be-
fore 'any'bones formed, convinced,
even then, that nothing could save
me ,but regimentation, Everybody:
still determined a better 'man was
evolving. Although I knew it wail
impossible ssible tb disappoint theme I
Bever understood this implication.
M1 I could, reason was that I had
taken the cure, , and if L was not
"better"'now, I never Should be.
Graduation was a simple, breath-
less ,affair. There was no timefor
elaborate Arthurian ries. I thought
of keeping a candlelit vitgil until
dawn, but the chapel was locked.
It was joist as well. _ It might have
been disastrous to preface my com-
missioned days by playing Camelot.
You .canexplain almost anything
when you are a. cadet, but the, Navy
isn't ready yet for brand-new en-
signs who carry- on like Sir Gamin.
The ceremony itself fell on the
Wednesday and Saturday of each
week, Our group drew Wednesday.
After;bf'eakfast on a fine April
morning, we marched in military
fashion to the Administration Build -
Mg. There the Admiral gave a
short address, finishing with, "OffiL
cess dismissed."
I was knighted :before I knew it.
Back in the room , I packed and
got ready to leave. Red Run en-
tered. -
"Good day, Ensign Dowd." He
solemnly extended hie hand.
Good day, Ensign Run. A very,
good day to you."
Ensign Run threw himself on the
bunk and supervised my ,bight with
the +suitcase.
"You know," he said suddenly,
nodding his head` wisely, "this
has sure done you a lot of good."
1 'straightened up abruptly, bang-
ing into an open drawer:-
"What
rawer:"What are you talking about?" I
demanded.
"Well," he stuttered 'in surprise,
"I don't know exactly."
We walked together out of the
barracks and up to the bus stand.
On the way a cadet approached.
When he carne within five paces, he
did' a estrange thing. He snapped
his right hand, thumb beside the
palm, over his right eye, keeping
his forearm stiff and the lower aim
at a right angle to his Shoal er. Ass
he passed, he snapped it smartly
downward. It seemed to Ire a cu-
iAiotia and unfortunate nervous af-
fliction. Red stopped still in his
tracks.
"We've been saluted," he said
lowly. "For the fixist time."
It was too late to do anything
about it, I wanted to run • biek and
get his autograph, but it .never
would have done for an officer. We
watched the unknown back shufele
wearily off to his battalion.
"Poor guy," :said Red, brushing
Some dust from his golden wings.
"What he's got ahead of him!"
Above us, an ungainly P—boat
hung heavily in the sky, Every-
body in the instrument squadron
war flying. One of . the torpedo.
planes was violating a traefie rule.
Certainly the tower was' bristling.
Somewhere somebodly ` was strug-
gling with the air : speed ...while his
instructor ,bawled, "O'mn, get
your head out of your shoes."
An observation pilot put his plane
In low pitch, creating such a racket
that cadets drillii-g en the parade
ground were unable to :hear their
commander. The formationVegan
to drift and wander.. There was•
heavy activity on the obstac'e
course. An ungainly body swayed
perilously on top of the cargo net. A
flight of dive bombers and fighters
swept by on a navigation hop. There
was a muffled announcement cont,
ing over the public-address system.
"Probably do h'm a world of
good," I said, and ue started again
for the bus.
THE END
•
THE FICK..OF TOBACCO
it DOES taste
good d i n a pipe
LONDESI3ORO.
The followi-ng+ is the annual re-,
port of the Londeebore Iced Cross
for 19,44, • The Londesboro Red Cross
held a meeting each month dazing
1944 in the Community Hall with
the president, Mrs. Bert Brunsdon,
presiding at every meeting excefe.
May, which was taken by ist vice,
Mrs: George Moon. The average at-
tendance for the year was"28;
In June 2Q boxes were sent to boys
overseas and in October 20 box
were sent and there is st:11 an ove
teas box fund of $172.86. Knit'
goods consisting of sweater a
socks were given to 1 boy enlistin
in 1944.
During the year the society Ilona
eel $25.00 to the . "Jam for B•ritai
fund, $26.63 to the "Russian • ;Belie
fund, $65.71 to the "Milk for Britain
fund, $25.00 to the "Hall Boar
$1054,00 was sent to Headquarter
3 large cartons of good clothing a
quilts were sent to Czechoslovakia,
$9,00 and 16 jars of jam were sent
to Clinton Blood Donor Clinic. There
was also a shower for women in
uniform and the collection wa`s 87
articles.
A'
banquet was served to the Hui -
tett unit of Federation of Agricul-
ture by the ladies of the. Red Cross,
the profit for the evening ibeing.
$96',20. A sale of 'articles at the
Tune meeting amounted to $12.00.
.two bingos and! 2 dances were also
held. Hostess -Money -for year 1944
was $35.00; Lunch collection $33.43;
Money on draws $2'J 50 and Member-
ship. fees $12.50; Red Cross Cam-
paign•$640.15; Grant from County, of
Huron $600.00 Campaign off lines
and village $443.51.
The following articles have been
made and shipped by •Londesboro
and Burns during the year:
Girls in uniform -28 toilet articles
57 sewing artihles and 2 pr. of sho
aces. -
Sewing Hospital ,Supplies 80
heets; 11 bed jackets, 334 handker-
chiefs, 64 pillow cases, 25 •dressing -
gowns, 53 pair pyjamas, 58' house-
wives. . •
British Civilian -1 coat, 1 pair
hoes, 1 tam, 1 child' dress, 4
hiidren's nighties, 6 children'? slips,
crib quilt, 9 ladies' sweaters, 27
hildrenl. sweaters, 7 children's put -
vers, 4 children's sets.
Seamen Comforts 233 socks, 75
, N� . sweaters, 60 sleeveless wat-
ers, 28 helmets, 17 pair gloves, 52
carves. We aresstill knitting on a
uota of seamen's comforts.
No. of quilts, 60; Total no. of
pitted articles 513. Total no. of sew -
ng articles 641,
The Londesboro. Red Cross held
heir February, meeting in the Com-
}anity,Eall on Thursday. Feb. lst,
th a fair attendance. The president
pend the meeting with the Lord's
raper in unison. The minutes of the
st meeting were read and adopted,
was carried that a pot luck sup..
r be held in the Community Hall en
eb. 22nd with Bingo and draw for
quilt in the afternoon. It was
ecided to send boxes to the boys
verseas thih month, A donation was
ranted of $100,00 to the "Prisoners
f War" fund. Letters of apprecia-
on have been, received. from Tack
prung, Peter Brown, E. Fathergill,
ack Snell, C. Sundercock, B. Hall,
elson Radford and Little who
ere remembered at Christmas fine
ith. boxes.
The Secretary -Treasurer gave the
early report. Mts. Jim Crawford
nated a mat and tickets were sold
it and Mrs. Fisher won. the lucky
cket. The 13th concession have
d 3 pot luck suppers and brought
$57.71. The west end, of Conces-
on 10 brought . in a quilt and $4.00
he ones paying hostess money for
ebruary were Mit. W. . flunking,
rs, L. Flunking, Mrs, Harvey Hun -
ng, Mrs. F. Longman and Mas. A.
adford. The meeting closed with the
ational' Anthem.
"Coe action of Last Week's", The
. M. S. and W. A. will combine
eir• meeting with the "World's
ay of Prayer"'which will be he'dthe basement of the church on
b. lath.
Miss Betty -Snell attended the "At
ore" and "ban?iuet" which w -s
Id in Stratford on Er'day and
turday.
The Londesboro Red Cross are
ving a Put Luck Supper on Feb..
nd, in the Community Hall with
hgo and draw for a quilt in the
ternoon. Everyone Welcome.
Miss Muriel Walker of Allenford
ited with Miss Betty Snell over
e week end.
Mrs. Allen Shadddcic ..attended t',e
nquet ,held in Stratford on S-tur-
y. 0,,
Miss Doreen Armstrong, Insmy Ellen Previ and Wm B try
unsdon each spent the week end
their home' in the vil'ag�•
Mr. Tom M -on spent the week -owl borne of Mr. and Mss. Jim
Cool.
el
n3
g
ri'
se
IP
d"
8,
nd
e
Flirtation isat the b'tt^m o'
zconien's nature, 'lrt•o gh all d n t
practice it, some b45,g re ti• •'ne
by ilea•, et'.tese by tens .--•L
Roehesoucauld.
Poetry is not the prrp'r ar•ti-
thesis- to prose, but to science. It w u e d 7 h 1,y
Poetry is op.. o -ed +•.o srienc, , nd . Mr 'ii, z, ands P , 0
gyrose to metre. Tse prope'• and uta F yrn; B Counter
mmeni-te obj'et of c'en e i th' - m ttee i t nr ng 80
i'qu`reme'^t; Or mnznuria ,. n ko "rd ent, 8.000 11 "m
g
ruth; t'm rro"er ; n1 'rem -'i es bombs were launched be e enem„
l- set o' poetry is the eommunica
t o o' iim,d'ate p'eis re -
T r'
olet:d�•e' Ii 'no ile'e e a
Arretemseetes
..tessivessiekteilletAttLeest
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LA'3OUR We have 'nen for (shipFing now. Delay means a
•
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BOX CARS Government Broadcasts have warned youp that Bok
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RESULT : - Shortages for bring • in Materials and 5hfpilin • g
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MATERIALS The "stepped up" War 'Pro
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•
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DEALER TO -DAY,
The Dunkirk Truce
In respoitee to appeals by the
French Red Cross in Dunkirk a'
truce was successfully negotiated
between the British and German
Officers in the area. The time orig-
inally agreed 'upon was • 36 hours
when it was anticipated that 30,000.
civilians could be safely evacuated
ante the British lines, where trains
would be waiting to convey- thein. td
safer areas. An extra 24 hours was
granted to enable the Germans to
build a bridge and left mines so that
the refugees could pass. The truce
was further extended by 4 hours to
terminate at 10 a.m. on Oct. 6, so
that the Germans could blow the
bridge and -relay the mines. Reports
that mane in a few hours later said:
that the battle had been fiercely re-
sumed at the expiring of the truce,
Picture Shows: Refugees crossing
the canal at the Control Point.
R.A.F. BALLOON DEFENCES AGAINST
FLYING 0 1M
P 1F
Orn y 1 h
airs a t.
Pi t:r Shows R.A.F, Ea -loon
e u or ju t n; the rigging of
• ba Io' n to inflation. They
le t o r ght; Lsad'ng Aircraft -
Ma r, : f Aber.'ee.+, Leading_
a trean D 0 21.'e, of Glasgow
1 A. -M N /nee, of Glass